Norway, 2021, 15 minutes

Set in a war-torn region of Iraq, Sand, the first short, offers a poetic and intimate portrait of childhood amid violence. The film follows a young boy whose daily existence is shaped by instability, fear, and fleeting moments of hope. By centering a child’s perspective, director Irasj Asanti, drawing from autobiographical experiences, conveys how the trauma of conflict imprints itself on the psyche long before a journey of escape can begin. As the entry point to the Crossings program, Sand highlights the pre-migration moment: the internalized reality of war that catalyzes future movement.

Norway, 2005, 15 minutes

In the second short, Bawke (Daddy), the theme of parental sacrifice becomes central to the migration narrative. A Kurdish father and his son flee to Norway, but the promise of safety is marred by an agonizing moral decision. The film’s bleak cinematography and sparse dialogue underscore the isolating nature of displacement and the difficult choices imposed by immigration systems. Director and Conference Keynote Speaker Hisham Zaman crafts a heartbreaking exploration of survival, where familial bonds are tested by the cruel logic of borders and policies. The film situates itself squarely within the emotional core of Crossings, exposing the collateral damage of forced migration on intimate human relationships.

2023, 15 minutes 

The third short, A Lien, captures the often-overlooked aftermath of crossing into a new country: the enduring precarity of legal status. Told in real time, the film depicts a Salvadoran immigrant and his American wife as they face an unexpected confrontation with ICE agents during what was meant to be a routine green card interview. With its taut pacing and claustrophobic atmosphere, A Lien critiques the systemic cruelty of immigration enforcement in the U.S., highlighting how legality can be arbitrarily revoked and lives destabilized. This film directed by Sam & David Cutler-Kreutz provides a critical intervention into the discourse on citizenship, legality, and human rights, broadening Crossings to include the violence of bureaucracy.

2023, 17 minutes

Bienvenidos a Los Ángeles (Welcome to Los Angeles), fourth short, by Lisa Cole and inspired by true events, follows Imani, a Nigerian single mother, whose compassionate act at LAX entangles her in a legal and moral dilemma. Her decision to help a fellow immigrant puts her own immigration status in jeopardy, drawing attention to the ethical complexities that often confront migrants navigating unfamiliar legal systems. Through its character-driven narrative and social realism, the film interrogates the intersections of motherhood, vulnerability, and agency. As the closing piece in the Crossings program, it highlights that the struggle for stability and recognition does not end with arrival, but it continues in every encounter with the systems of power that govern one’s presence in a new land.