Directed by Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams, Someone Like Me follows eleven strangers in Vancouver coming together to support a gay refugee from Uganda, wherein same-sex sexual activity and same-sex marriages are punishable with a potential penalty of life imprisonment (Al Jazeera, Uganda MPs Approve Anti-gay Law.) In Canada, same-sex marriages are permitted, conversion treatment is prohibited, and name and sex designation changes in official documents are also permitted (CBC News, TIMELINE: Same-sex rights in Canada.) The documentary gives an insight into the life of Drake, a 22-year-old gay man from Uganda seeking asylum in Canada. Albeit I did not flee my home country due to persecution, I have a challenging time settling in this country as a queer person and seeing this experience in a mainstream documentary makes me feel seen. It is not often that we see films about queer immigrants in Canada and this documentary is one step further to accurate representation of 2SLGBTQIA+ immigrants in the media.
One scene that was impactful to me was when Drake revealed he experienced racism in Canada. It made me ponder about intersectionality in different countries- how he would not experience racism in Uganda, but now he does in Canada. How he experienced homophobia in Uganda, but not as much in Canada. Another part that was equally as impactful when Kay had top surgery. Revealing parts of the sponsors' private lives made this documentary feel much more intimate and authentic. Furthermore, an important piece of information that sticks with me is how "from every hundred persons requesting help, only one is being helped" (14:39). It is heartbreaking to consider how many people are being persecuted in their native countries and how only a small number can be helped. I give this film 4/5 stars (80%) as it gives an interesting insight into the people involved in this project, how the project works, and seeing them work and trying to help refugees over the course of a year. It also brings awareness to people about the challenges 2SLGBTQIA+ immigrants face when trying to settle in this country. Lastly, it leaves the audience with one question: what can we do to support 2SLGBTQ+ immigrants?
One scene that was impactful to me was when Drake revealed he experienced racism in Canada. It made me ponder about intersectionality in different countries- how he would not experience racism in Uganda, but now he does in Canada. How he experienced homophobia in Uganda, but not as much in Canada. Another part that was equally as impactful when Kay had top surgery. Revealing parts of the sponsors' private lives made this documentary feel much more intimate and authentic. Furthermore, an important piece of information that sticks with me is how "from every hundred persons requesting help, only one is being helped" (14:39). It is heartbreaking to consider how many people are being persecuted in their native countries and how only a small number can be helped. I give this film 4/5 stars (80%) as it gives an interesting insight into the people involved in this project, how the project works, and seeing them work and trying to help refugees over the course of a year. It also brings awareness to people about the challenges 2SLGBTQIA+ immigrants face when trying to settle in this country. Lastly, it leaves the audience with one question: what can we do to support 2SLGBTQ+ immigrants?