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Bettina Hanna Captures

Refugee Plight in San Diego

THROUGH DOCUMENTARY FILM

By Jeanne Rawdin

ETTINA HANNA HAS A lack and Paula Sassi -- who sup- Pollack and Sassi hand out
Bpassion for exploring issues ply food, water, toiletries and bags to last for several days of
that are often controversial. It’s support to the refugees when travel, and then send them on
what fuels her fervor for docu- they are dropped off. They’re their way with bus tickets for
mentary filmmaking. Her latest let out from the backs of trucks destinations across the country.
project, The Bus Station, depicts after days of travel. Many have Filmmaker Hanna hopes that
the plight of refugees caught no idea where they are when by showing the good Samari-
in a chaotic web of immigra- they get here. Several are young tans who help these refugees,
tion law and politics, as they’re families who are scared and she can raise awareness about
dropped off in downtown penniless. They wear ankle border issues and shed light on
San Diego and left to fend for bracelets to track their where- the ongoing struggle of refugees
themselves. As a native of Brazil abouts which will ostensibly be seeking a better life. “To see the
and the child of an immigrant removed when they reach their acts of love and compassion
herself, she can relate to their destination – which is the home that these two women are prac-
plight. Bettina is also trying to of some relative somewhere in ticing melts my heart. It makes
get a green card to remain in the U.S. me believe that we still have
the U.S. When asked why they took hope in humanity.”
Hanna, 40, was born in Sao the journey to the US, the refu- The editing of the Bus
Paulo and came to this country gees say, “to have a better life.” Station was finished in June.
in 2009 to study journalism. One man explains, “There are Hanna plans on submitting the
The plan was that she and her few jobs, and we don't get paid film to several festivals across
husband, Brian (a tennis pro much. There's a lot of poverty, the globe. To see an excerpt
and coach), would stay only a and that's why we have to mi- from The Bus Station and more
year, but they both fell in love grate to the United States.” of Bettina’s work, go to vimeo.
with San Diego. “I’m not a Sassi recalls in the docu- com/bettinahanna.
refugee, but just like them, I’m mentary how one man asked to
seeking to live in this country to use her cell phone in Spanish.
have a better life. I come from “He handed me this tiny little
a very rich country in terms of piece of paper,” she said. “They
natural resources, but we live in don’t even have paper to write
a constant battle with poverty, on. And it had a number on
violence, and social inequality. I it, so I dialed it for him, and
believe life is about the choices he talked to his family. They
you make, and if you look at it don't know how to get where
this way, I am the same thing as they're going, they don't have
a refugee. I decided to docu- any supplies, and most of
ment the story at the bus station the time, they don't have any
because their struggles are real.” money either. A few times, I've
The Bus Station profiles two reached in and given a twenty
female volunteers – Mimi Pol- to people."