About the project

In May of 2016, my brother and I joined our longtime friend Kevin in Rhodes, Greece, hoping to use our abilities to support Syrian refugees as they fled civil war. It was the greatest refugee crisis since World War Two, with around five million refugees in neighboring countries and millions more displaced within Syria.

Our trio was lucky to enter a tiny refugee camp nicknamed "Oasis Rhodes" by the residents. While we originally intended to make a full documentary, our time there was cut short as local governments revoked journalistic access.

Before our early departure, I was able to take family portraits and share the images via email to their smart phones (crazy!). Aided by a translator, many people explained to me their frustration with the media's portrayal of the crisis, saying it selectively highlighted the most pitiful aspects of their story.  While they faced challenges, they did not see themselves as helpless victims.

I took this into consideration as we shot, simultaneously trying to highlight the dignity and resilience I witnessed on the one hand, while acknowledging the gravity of the situation on the other.