Brandt Andersen wrote and directed "The Strangers" Case driven by a profound admiration for the Syrian people, whom he encountered during the refugee exodus sparked by the Arab Spring and ensuing Syrian Civil War. Each character in his feature film draws inspiration from individuals he encountered in his travels through Turkey, Greece, Italy, Jordan, and Syria. The feature film premiered in Berlin International Film Festival and was an official selection of the Montreal Independent Film Festival.
In Sir Thomas More, Shakespeare wrote a speech in which More makes a passionate defense for refugees, pleading for empathy from his fellow countrymen and culminating in a poignant description of the plight of refugees - “The Strangers’ Case” - which persists today.
A doctor and her daughter come home following a chaotic shift at an Aleppo hospital. In the midst of a birthday celebration the two women are forced to make a difficult decision that will forever change their lives and their relationship.
A soldier witnesses heinous crimes towards men, women and children in service of the Syrian regime. As the violence and corruption escalate, he finds himself reevaluating his own humanity.
A smuggler in Turkey tries desperately to make ends meet for his young son. In an effort to save enough money to afford their own escape, he arranges for passage to Greece on inflatable liferafts to refugees in a nearby camp for a steep price.
A poet who has made it to the safety of a Turkish refugee camp with his young family barters for space on an overcrowded boat, which is pushed out into rough seas, bound for Greece.
A Greek coastguard captain spends his days and nights rescuing sinking lifeboats full of migrants off the coast of Lesvos, constantly haunted by those he wasn't able to save.
Brandt Andersen is an activist and artist. In November 2023, he joined the Jordanian Airforce on humanitarian aid drops over Gaza. In 2019, Andersen visited and filmed hospitals outside of Aleppo, Syria with CanDo. Andersen has organized film camps for refugees in Jordan and Turkey on behalf of CARE. He has visited and filmed the living conditions in refugee camps in Jordan, Greece, Italy, and Turkey with the UNHCR. Andersen has produced over 30 films. His directorial debut “Refugee” was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short in 2020.
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