Adrift

With an estimated 35 million people currently displaced from their homes, the world now has more refugees than at any other time since World War II. While media reports thrive on sensationalism and populist politicians adopt fear-mongering campaigns, the lives of people fleeing deadly conflict hang in the balance. Without diminishing the extent of the crisis, Adrift contextualizes the debate around migration, highlighting the historical basis of the world’s engagement with refugees. No stranger to the big issues of American life, veteran filmmaker Rory Kennedy traces the US and global response to major conflicts including recent humanitarian crises in Ukraine and Syria, while also supporting a unified and compassionate response that centers dignity. With Adrift, Kennedy delivers an arresting, evidence-driven work of advocacy for the rights of refugees around the world. (Mill Valley Film Festival)