On the Bride’s Side 2014
Distributed by Third World Newsreel, 545 Eighth Avenue, Suite 550, New York, NY 10018; 212-947-9277
Producer n/a
Directed by Antonio Augugliaro, Gabriele Del Grande & Khaled Soliman Al Nassiry
DVD, color, 89 min.
High School - General Adult
Human Rights, Immigration, Political Science, Documentaries
Date Entered: 04/19/2016
Reviewed by Jeffrey Pearson, University of Michigan Ann ArborIn 2013 a group of 5 Syrians and Palestinians refugees, helped by a dozen Italian and Syrian friends, managed to travel unimpeded across 5 borders from Milan to Sweden by posing as a wedding party. The documentary On the Bride’s Side follows the group, revealing the hopes, histories, and aspirations of the refugees, and the bravery and risks of the people helping them. It is an inspiring and revealing story, beautifully filmed with an engaging and affecting soundtrack.
The film pulls off a good trick, as did the participants in the actual effort. The audacity of the subterfuge will attract viewers who might not normally be interested in watching a documentary on the immigration crisis in the Middle East and Europe. They will then be invited into the lives and impossible situations of these recognizably average people from all walks of life. Like all of us, these are people who only want to live their lives productively and safely, to protect and provide for their families, trying to keep them alive and united. The film provides a heartbreakingly human face to the crisis, and is essential viewing for anyone who could use a reality-check on these events, which is probably everyone.
This documentary is highly recommended for public and academic libraries and is ideal for courses on immigration, human rights, and the Middle East Conflict.
Awards
- Human Rights Nights Award , Venice International Film Festival
- Fedic Award, Italian Federation of Cineclubs
- Best Documentary Award, Terra di Cinema Film Festival, France
- Grand Prize of Geneva, FIFDH Film Festival, Switzerland