Nearest Neighbours

2019. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. 23’. DOCUMENTARY

Venezuelan refugees move to Trinidad and Tobago with hopes of bettering their own lives and that of their families, only to find an unwelcoming environment and the uncertainty of their future while caught in a legal limbo.

Since 2015, over 40,000 Venezuelans are estimated to have fled to Trinidad and Tobago. The twin island republic is of one of the most economically viable options for asylum seekers, yet many are unaware of the reality that is to welcome them. 

Nearest Neighbours  interweaves the stories of four main sets of characters: a journalist; a couple with three young children and their abuela; a woman who is living in a horse stable among other refugees; and a computer engineer turned construction worker and his family.  

The film explores how these refugees and asylum-seekers navigate their environments daily and work to move their lives forward amidst many unexpected challenges, including rampant xenophobia and a lack of legal rights due to the absence of local refugee legislation.