Norsk filminstitutt

The Crossing takes us along on one of the most dangerous journeys of our time with a group of Syrians fleeing war and persecution, crossing a sea, two continents and five countries, searching for a home to rekindle the greatest thing they have lost - Hope. 

On a summer night, a group of Syrians wade quietly into the Mediterranean, with little children, a cat and little packets of food wrapped in cling-film held above their heads to climb into little boats that will take them to a fishing boat waiting in deeper waters. The little boat keels over from imbalanced loading. In the panic in the dark waters to save the children, they lose the cat and most of the food and water they have. A mother of 2 young children wants to return ashore, but it is too late, the police may have reached the beach and the only way available is into the sea.

They are journalists, engineers, a musician and a psychologist climbing aboard an old unseaworthy fishing boat, manned by desperate smugglers who have never before sailed beyond coastal fishing waters.

They make it to Europe, only to find out that the hardest part of their journey still lies ahead. Months of uncertainty and waiting, living in one centre after another, takes a toll on their spirits, as they confront what being a “refugee” means.

 

Production and distribution

Production Year:
2015
Production country:
Norway
Co production country:
India
Release date (national):
2015-10-27
Production company:
Gründer Film AS
Executive producer:
Bente Olav
Producer:
Bente Olav
Co producer:
George Kurian
Sales agent:
First Hand Films

Director

  • George Kurian

    George Kurian (b. 1975) is a documentary film maker and photojournalist presently based in Istanbul. He has lived and worked in Afghanistan, Egypt and has worked in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Turkey and South Asia.

    He has worked on a range of TV documentaries from current affairs and history to human interest and wild life, broadcast on international TV networks.

    His photojournalistic work is published in The Daily Beast, The Sunday Times, Al Jazeera, Maclean's/Rogers, Aftenposten(Norway), Dagens Nyheter(Sweden), The Australian, Neue Zurcher Zeitung(Switzerland), IRIN and through AFP.

     

    George Kurian

Cast

Rami Aramouni
Angela Alsouliman
Najib Mazloum
Nabil Hilaneh
Mai Alsouliman
Marcel Alnaanaa
Ahmad Alsaleh
Shaima Alsaleh
Salwa Zaher
Alia Isaa
Manal Alsaleh
Afaf AlKamel
Mustafa Sayed Eissa
Kutouf Idris
Saddam Shkair
Ninar
Mayar

Awards

2016:
One World in Brussels
Best Film
2016:
BIFF - Bergen International Film Festival
Youth Documentary Award
2016:
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
Best Documentary
2018:
International Festival of Local Television Golden Beggar
JOJ Television Prize

Festivals

2016:
International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights
2016:
One World - International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague
2016:
Human Rights Watch International Film Festival London
2016:
Human Rights Film Festival Donostia - San Sebastian
2016:
Fragments - International Human Rights Film Festival Graz
2016:
One World in Brussels
2016:
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
2016:
DOXA Documentary Film Festival
2016:
Human Rights Watch International Film Festival New York
2016:
Human Rights Watch International Film Festival Chicago
2016:
International Human Rights Film Festival Tunis
2016:
BIFF - Bergen International Film Festival
2016:
Lunenburg Doc Fest
2016:
Syracuse University Human Rights Film Festival
2016:
International Documentary Festival Visioni dal mondo, Immagini dalla realtà
2016:
One World - International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Slovakia
2016:
Festival des Libertés
2016:
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
2016:
Guelph Film Festival
2016:
Syria Film Festival
2016:
Jersey Human Rights Festival
2016:
MOVE IT! Filmfestival
2016:
UNAFF - United Nations Association Film Festival
2016:
Reel Awareness - Amnesty International Human Rights Film Festival, Toronto
2016:
HumanDOC International Film Festival
2016:
The European Union Human Rights Film Days
2017:
Sofia International Film Festival
2017:
Cinema Politica Montreal
2017:
Karama Human Rights Film Festival Beirut
2017:
Geneva Peace Week
2017:
Karama Human Rights Film Festival
2018:
International Festival of Local Television Golden Beggar
2019:
Haifa Independent Film Festival

Crew

Director:
George Kurian
Screenplay:
George Kurian
Cinematographer:
George Kurian
Camera:
Rami Aramouni
Angela Alsouliman
Najib Mazloum
Editor:
Lisa Ekberg
Margrethe Vinnem
Composer:
Nils Einar Vinjor
Nabil Hilaneh
Gjermund Silset
Sound Design:
Daniel Lindvik
Sound engineer:
Johannes Dekko
Still photographer:
George Kurian

Technical information

Format:
DCP 2k
Screen ratio:
16:9
Colour:
Colour
Length in min's:
55'
Language:
English
Arabic
Subtitles:
English

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