The Borders of Paradise

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Synopsis

At the border of Italy and the French ‘Côte d'Azur’, hundreds of asylum seekers become trapped in destitution after enduring harrowing journeys from their home countries and across the Mediterranean sea. 

The Borders of Paradise is the first feature-length documentary from director Nicolás Romero Silva, and the first film of producers Zara Gounden and Fraser Byers. Independently financed through a crowdfunding campaign and a Davis Projects for Peace Grant, it was filmed over the course of 2 years in France, Italy, and the Libyan coast of the Mediterranean Sea. 

In the town of Ventimiglia (at the French-Italian border) we meet the young men who have fled genocide, violent militias, destitution, and have risked their lives crossing the sea to reach the perceived safety of Europe. However, once in Italy they are faced with what one young man calls a “slow death”. Unable to gain the foothold of basic social services, many asylum seekers end up in Ventimiglia. For those who wish to try their luck in another European country awaits a difficult border crossing, often thwarted by the violent and extra-judicial pushbacks by the French police. Others try more dangerous means, such as the ‘pass of death’ through the mountains, in the backs of trucks, or the roofs of trains.

Caught between the agonizing wait for help in Italy and the hope of a better life on the other side of a fortified border, The Borders of Paradise is a detailed portrait of the psychological toll which neglectful European policy has on the young men who arrive on its shores. Incorporating multiple face-to-face conversations about the why and how of their migration, this film seeks to make heard the voices of those most dehumanized in the European political landscape.

The Borders of Paradise is the first feature documentary film by Nicolás Romero Silva. To learn more about the project visit 20milesmore.org