Takeaways: "A Step Without Feet"

Freedom was foreign.

In 2017, co-directors Jeremy Glaholt and Lydia Schamschula produced their documentary, “A Step Without Feet,” in a Germany riddled with the heated argument over immigration. While the German far-right parties called for the complete lockdown of the country's borders, the center-right sought to cap the number of immigrants entering the country at 200,000 annually. The Syrian civil war led many of the immigrants to seek asylum in Germany. Human Rights Watch noted that "both proposals would violate international law on the right to fair asylum procedures." However, the far-right party gained more power in the German parliament, leading Chancellor Angela Merkel to give in to the 200,000-person limit on asylum-seekers.

Glaholt and Schamschula's film, "A Step Without Feet," sought to adjust this narrative by highlighting the unique gifts and viewpoints of each of the film’s seven Syrian immigrant interviewees. Rather than portraying the immigrants as outsiders, statistics, or nameless pawns for the radical right, the film offers a platform for these immigrants' perspectives.

During the post-screening interview, Glaholt explained that every directorial choice in the film was a deliberate effort to change the narrative surrounding Syrian immigrants From the start of the film, interviewees have been encouraged to express their perceptions of the word "refugee" and how they regard themselves. Some respondents pointed out that the term does not represent them or their identities while others said that emigrating was an aspect of their lives, but it did not define them.

I was touched by the intimate portrayals of each of the film's seven subjects. From a dancer to a dentist they share common circumstances and yet they each have unique experiences. far too often immigrants and refugees are grouped into one mass that simply moves from one place to another. This film exposed the intricacies of relocation through the lens of those who had been forced to find new homes. Often refugee narratives place a focus on the journey but this film was unique in that it put a concerted effort into exposing life after the journey. In their new home, many of the refugees were forced to face loss and the daunting aspects of leaving everything they knew behind. The idea of losing moments, such as cooking for family or sharing coffee on a balcony, in their home country truly touched me.

In the context of my upcoming trip to Berlin, "A Step Without Feet" can provide a unique perspective. Berlin is known as an Urban Lab, meaning a place where experimentation and constant development are present, which is why the themes and messages in the film resonate even more in the city. I hope the documentary helps visitors to Berlin, including myself, connect with the city's immigrant populations, and social justice movement, providing a unique perspective on the topics of integration, identity, and community-building.