Nickel City Smiler, directed by Scott T. Murchie and Brett M. Williams, is a documentary chronicling a resettled Burmese refugee family's fight for survival and hope in the American Rust Belt. After escaping horrific violence at the hands of the Burmese junta, Smiler Greely and his family find themselves in Buffalo, New York, only to face new life-or-death struggles. Here's the trailer:
Here's the synopsis:
Nickel City Smiler chronicles a refugee's fight for survival and hope in the American rustbelt.I haven't seen the film, but it does look like an interesting glimpse into a refugee community who story normally receives very little attention. The part with the kids is particularly heartbreaking. For further information about Nickel City Smiler, to purchase a DVD, and to learn more about the plight of these refugee, go to the film's website here.
For his entire life Smiler Greely has lived in conditions only few could imagine. Growing up in Burma, at age 10, Smiler and his family were forced to flee their small village after the Burmese military attacked, tortured, raped and murdered thousands of the countries ethnic minorities. As a teenager, Smiler was compelled to join the resistance army in an attempt to prevent the slaughter of innocent people at the hands of the Burmese Junta. Eventually, Smiler and his family escaped into Thailand where over the next 20 years they lived in various refugee camps enduring confinement and poverty. It was in Beh Klaw refugee camp, where Smiler met and married his wife Ma Dee and became a father. In 2007, an optimistic Smiler and his family were selected for resettlement by the United States and assigned to live in Buffalo, New York.
Nickel City Smiler documents the ways in which Smiler's resettlement in Buffalo is as challenging as the life he left behind. Refugees continue to battle hardship, violence and bureaucracy in one of America's poorest cities. Smiler's determination, optimism, and desire to support his community are manifested in his son Moe Joe's moral idealism and sense of social justice. The strength present in Smiler's family represents the very essence of the refugee community.
