The International Students: First 48 Hours documentary chronicles the life of seven international students departing their countries of origin to the days after they arrive in Toronto, Canada. Manuela attended the St. George screening event earlier in October and reflects on her experience as an international student watching the film for the first time.
Written by Manuela Mora Castillo, Blog Editor & Content Writer, Honours Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and History Double Major and Latin American Studies Minor
On October 8th, I attended the premiere of International Students: First 48 Hours in Canada. This documentary is the result of the Innovation Hub’s collaboration with the Office of the Associate Vice-Provost, International Student Experience, and the Centre for International Experience to document international students’ journey while arriving to Canada. Following seven students in their first 48 hours in the country, this project documents students’ experiences from before leaving their homes, the eventful moments while on the journey, and their initial impressions of Toronto as they settled in their new environment.
Also in attendance was Cal Campos, the documentary’s director and producer. Cal’s genuine and heartfelt storytelling took a human-centered approach to showing the complexities of moving abroad, giving a holistic image of international student stories. Particularly, Cal captured the emotional impact of coming to study in Canada, and highlighted the conflicting emotions associated with pursuing one’s dreams while leaving family histories behind.
POV: International Students and their Cameras
As an international student, this documentary moved me to a deeply personal extent. Sometimes, it feels like the challenges and obstacles we face when we first arrive and settle in Canada are kept silent. No one really discusses how we have many unique challenges arriving to Canada to study, or about how many of our personal belongings we are able to travel with. Many international students move-in by themselves, and all they can do as they decorate their new room is talk to their support system through a digital screen.
For international students, the differences between our places of birth and the struggles we encountered to come here are often dismissed, and our constant search for a new support system is at times undermined by the assumption that students’ families are nearby. The documentary challenges these notions, presenting seven students from different parts of the world with completely diverse experiences, interests, and backgrounds. It documents some of the hardest parts of the journey, from saying goodbye to homes and loved ones to adjusting to a new life in Canada.
Laughs, Tears, and Fostering Empathy Through the Screen
Watching the documentary fosters empathy towards international student experiences. The complexities of studying abroad can feel foreign to domestic students, staff, and faculty, and the documentary encourages all audience members to relate to experiences they may have never encountered.
During the Q&A panel of the screening event, the seven students and director discussed their experiences during their first 48 hours in Canada and touched upon their time in the country since then. Almost immediately, responses focused on community-building with roommates, friends, and joining student clubs. The students described memorable moments from their first 48 hours. Although some experiences might have been stressful at the time, they looked back on them and recognized their resilience. I was moved by their enthusiasm and sincerity as they recalled warm memories of the past year. At times, I even felt my eyes tearing up.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was not the only one getting emotional during the screening. The whole audience joined together in laughing at the funny moments and crying at the overwhelming ones. Through the reactions of the crowd, the documentary had effectively made domestic audiences relate to the international experience and empathize with people they have never even met. It helps us build community by demonstrating how leaving our families and undertaking a new adventure, while scary at first, can be an exciting opportunity.
Friendly Advice: Things Have a Way of Working Out
During the screening event, the seven students were able to reflect on their experiences being a part of the projects and relive the moments by watching themselves on the big screen with a curious audience. The students offered their own insights as international students by sharing what they would tell their old selves and what it felt like to watch themselves on-screen. The students reassured the audience that, if it were possible, they would promise their old selves that everything would be okay; they would inspire one another with the knowledge that they would make friends and settle in without any inconvenience.
As an international student, this discussion got me thinking about what I would tell myself in 2021, when moving to Canada was a terrifying prospect. It is easy to look at fears in hindsight after everything has gone well, but being able to approach present nervousness with that framework is not so simple. As I watched seven of my peers motivate me and others to shift our perspectives, I recognized the power behind their message, and I know that other international students watching this documentary will breathe in relief at knowing that, despite the obstacles, everything will be okay.
Watch the Documentary Online in November
After attending this documentary screening, my only piece of advice is to watch International Students: First 48 Hours in Canada once it comes out in November so that you can experience the emotions that audiences felt during the screening.
I also encourage you to check out the CP24 interview for this documentary featuring Innovation Hub Manager Julia Allworth, as well as two of the student participants in the documentary, Obinna Ezeani and Kavan Arora.
Stay tuned as we are currently working on our next documentary project International Students: Life After Graduation that will feature the experiences of six international alumni and the multiple pathways they pursued after graduating from U of T.
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