SIEV X excerpt from feature documentary ANTHEM.

September 5, 2015

WARNING: Distressing images
I have filmed much sadness and desperation, I have interviewed many broken, hurt people but I still believe the toughest interview I ever conducted was with SIEV X survivor Sondus. Asking this gentle mother to describe her loss and grief over the drowning of her 3 little girls while I filmed her was one of the hardest things I've done.

This excerpt is from feature documentary ANTHEM. It tells the story of the infamous SIEV X, a refugee boat that sank off the coast of Australia drowning 353 men women and children. This clip contains footage of survivors describing that fatal boat journey and analysis of what went on behind the scenes.

Filmed 14 years ago the stories contained in this clip are now being repeated across the globe as Europe struggles with unprecedented numbers of desperate refugees arriving on its shores.

A sidebar of those who inspire...

'Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage'

- Anais Nin

Over the years I've been filming I've had plenty of moments to ponder the truthfulness of this simple quote by Anais Nin - a woman who lived passionately and with courage.

Regularly I film people of courage but not always do I see their lives expanding, at least in a physical sense. However, I think this is where the courage lives - in the lives of people who, facing incredible odds, continue to create community, share resources, laugh at stupidness, and love with honesty.

It is always humbling to be welcomed in the lives of courageous people.

Lou

Many moons ago the universe gave Lou to me. Little did I know at the time she was to become my life long friend, source of endless inspiration, wise mentor, adopted mother, daughter and sister. Lou is an internationally respected authority on the difficult subject of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence (IPSV) and her amazing work can be viewed via her website

Laughter...

This little girl seemed to excel in pulling the best faces that would crack me up while I was filming workers on the Mae Sot rubbish dump on the Thai/Burma border. Filming lives that are so vulnerable and exposed often leaves me feeling like a cheap voyeur. It was good to sometimes put the camera aside and just pull faces together.

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre

When I first became involved in filming refugee stories the ASRC was a place where I saw the perfect mix of head and heart in responding to refugee needs. Founder, Kon Karapanagiotidis was, and still is, a power house of vision and inspiration. Since 2001 the ASRC has grown to be Australia’s largest asylum seeker organisation delivering services to over 1,200 asylum seekers at any one time through programs such as material aid, health, legal, counselling, casework and foodbank.