Refugee Mental Health

Following the persecution of Rohinga people in Myanmar many undertook dangerous journeys in the hope of starting new lives in other parts of the world including Australia. Those that settled in Australia often did so via a stint on Christmas Island and many found that part of their journey more challenging than many days at sea in a leaking boat.

Inky Smudge was approached to create a short series of videos telling the stories of a small number of these refugees in order to raise awareness of their difficult life, including the restrictions placed upon them around work permits.

These are difficult stories to hear and are also challenging to make in a way that is authentic to the experience of the refugee, neither over-sentimentalising or over-politicising the story. Simply recounting the factual events communicates the value of these narratives.
Inky Smudge was involved in script consultation, filming and post-production.