The Building and Burning of a Refugee Camp is a heartbreaking and frankly horrifying glimpse at the worst of humanity within Ireland while also shows that all is not lost and that there are good souls who want to help those less fortunate. Vital viewing.

Three men seeking asylum in Ireland find themselves on the streets, caught between restrictive migration policies and an increasingly aggressive far-right movement.

After a minute of black screen and audio in The Building and Burning of a Refugee Camp, we are confronted with the living situation that a group of asylum seekers in Dublin are enduring. It’s a shock to the senses for those of us who know Dublin City Centre to see beyond those spray-painted boards and sheets to see what we see. These people are trying their uppermost to make the best out of a difficult position. Supermarket home delivery carriers are repurposed into flowerpots. Chairs and a table have been reused to make an outdoor living space. It’s a testament to their resilience, and Simon’s optimism is truly inspiring.

There is a clear sense that they see this as their space and take pride in it. As Simon gives the tour, one of their group is brushing the road. Then it hits you even more: while the place has a disorganised and makeshift look about it, it is extremely clean, certainly clean considering the circumstances. But this shouldn’t be how anyone lives; it just isn’t right. The contrast between their pride and the far-right aggression is a stark reminder of the injustice they face.

Despite severe adversary, this positivity is immediately juxtaposed with the phone footage of a man, Philip Dywer, confronting the row of tents and becoming aggressive because one of the tent’s inhabitants would prefer not to be filmed. This aggression increases the expected violence, and your heart falls for these asylum seekers. They do not want to be in this position. However, they are, and there they are, stuck in that horrendous limbo as they wait for proper accommodation.

Even though the title and the fact that it was newsworthy, the events of The Building and Burning of a Refuge Camp still leave you utterly aghast at what is possible from people. Dennis Harvey has captured the raw emotion of those moments exceptionally well for such a short film. By having Simon, Sami, and Hasiballah provide the humane moments of the film, we can feel the pure devastation and fear they must have had when Dwyer and his far-right ilk came by.

The Building and Burning of a Refuge Camp is a compassionate insight into what it is like to be in our trio’s situation, with Harvey wisely letting them do the talking for him while only capturing the despicable antics of those who only wanted violence. This type of film makes you want to do something positive to help refugees who find themselves here. If the far-right group thought it made them look strong, they are wholly incorrect. This short film immediately leaves a lasting impact, urging us to take action to help refugees.

★★★★ 1/2

To see more of our coverage of the Docs Ireland festival please look below.

The Flats

Making Waves

Anthony and the Bees

Fourth Wall and a Ceiling

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