constance on the edge

In September 2016 Western Riverina Arts presented: Constance on the Edge - an unflinchingly honest portrayal of one refugee family’s resettlement story in Australia.

"In Africa I was fighting for survival; In the refugee camps I was fighting

for human rights, and here in Australia, I am fighting for belonging."

- Constance

One family. Two wars. Three countries. What does it take to forge a new life far from home? That is the question this insightful documentary tries to answer.

Constance on the Edge tells the story of feisty and charismatic Constance, a mother of six leading her family away from their painful past in war torn Sudan and years spent in border camps before making the regional NSW town of Wagga Wagga their new home and risking everything in Australia so her family can thrive.

Constance and her family are facing serious challenges – discrimination, disappointments, run-ins with the law and the resurgence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Mary, Constance’s niece, finds it impossible to find a job in Wagga; Vicky, her daughter, studies every morning from 4 am, hoping to get into university and Charles, 23, is struggling with alienation and depression.

Director and Human Rights Award Winner Belinda Mason wanted to put refugee issues at the forefront of people’s minds. "Refugees are strengthening our communities across the country. I envision Constance on the Edge as contributing to the national conversation around refugees by highlighting the complex issues and experiences they face in Australia. What we gain as a nation by creating more welcoming communities for refugees is at the heart of this story."

Nominated as a Finalist for the 2016 Sydney Film Festival for the Documentary Australia Foundation Award in the category Australian Documentary, Constance on the Edge gets to the heart of a contemporary untold story about the courage and resilience it takes to build new lives.

In light of the current global refugee crisis this topic seams more important than ever and to raise awareness and acceptance with a story right from our region by bringing it to theatres in Griffith and Leeton was very important for Western Riverina Arts. It also presented a fantastic opportunity for the audience to ask the Director and Constance personally about their experiences, creative process' and outcomes of the film.