Poignant Film Highlights the Struggles Refugee Claimants Face in Canada

The moment they arrive in Canada, refugee claimants are faced with a plethora of unexpected challenges. Many arrive directionless and isolated, oscillating within a shelter system that does not address their unique settlement needs. The transient nature of shelters prevents them from forming roots in a stable, safe home as they begin their new life in Canada. Matthew House provides transitional housing for refugee claimants so that they can eventually thrive independently as contributing members of our society. Motivated to share the incredible work of Matthew House, Revolver director Mark Bone created a beautiful piece to showcase their initiatives. 

“This film for Matthew House captures a sincere glimpse into the difficult journey that many refugee claimants have endured in order to get to Canada and build a sustainable way of life,” writes director Mark Bone. “The piece embraces the raw and painful severity of the claimants’ journeys. This honest approach will help to fully illuminate the importance of the work organisations like Matthew House provide.”

Through powerful juxtapositions and raw retellings of their journeys, Mark Bone provides a platform for actual Matthew House refugees to share their stories. Thanks to charitable collaborations - such as music scoring by Broken Social Scene and Metric’s Jimmy Shaw - Revolver Films was able to partner with Matthew House to produce this essential film.”When we found out this was happening in our backyard, we instantly wanted to get involved,” recalls Kevin Drew, co-founder of Broken Social Scene. 

This endeavour would not have been possible without the vendors, creative partners, and crew who generously donated their time and resources. This film came to fruition through the tireless support and commitment of many creative individuals, and we thank you for bringing this important story to light.