Doing the right thing isnB次元官网网址檛 as easy as it seems, in fact, sometimes it can be really hard.

ThatB次元官网网址檚 something Sean Horlor expects people to take away from Someone Like Me, the feature documentary he co-directed with his partner Steve J. Adams, which is playing at the Victoria Film Festival.

Their first feature film follows the story of Drake, a gay asylum seeker fleeing violence in Uganda, and well-meaning strangers from VancouverB次元官网网址檚 queer community who are tasked with supporting his resettlement in Canada. The groupB次元官网网址檚 differing assumptions on DrakeB次元官网网址檚 best interests challenges their commitment and adds pressure to his first year as a newcomer in Vancouver.

The filmB次元官网网址檚 beginning came at an impasse. While Horlor watched anti-refugee and anti-immigrant sentiments grow online, he also saw others rallying to help newcomers find a safe home in Canada.

The doc dives into its subjectsB次元官网网址� personal struggles, but the pandemic uprooting production and forcing them to shoot themselves with an iPhone adds parts with an extra layer of unfiltered and raw emotion.

B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e filming someone with a crew of people, thatB次元官网网址檚 a different experience than someone taking a phone and saying B次元官网网址楾his is my life, this is how I see my life,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Horlor said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a level of intimacy that you donB次元官网网址檛 get a lot of the time.B次元官网网址�

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Horlor grew up in Cordova Bay and went to the University of Victoria, where he unsuspectingly found his passion after being introduced to documentary filmmaking.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 so funny that thatB次元官网网址檚 what I ended up doing for my career, so Victoria started it.B次元官网网址�

Making Someone Like Me had him reflect on his youth and marching in VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Pride parade B次元官网网址� which is unmatched in his opinion B次元官网网址� as an openly gay man, and how that compares to the experience of Drake and so many others in the LGBTQ+ community who are still criminalized in places across the globe just for being who they are.

B次元官网网址淭his is a freedom and a privilege and to see the other side of what itB次元官网网址檚 like for queer people in other countries makes Steve and I feel really fortunate to live here.B次元官网网址�

Horlor said it was rewarding to watch Drake navigate the challenges of restarting his life, plus the pandemic, and through it all see the young man never lose his vibrancy and huge personality. Horlor and Adams werenB次元官网网址檛 allowed to connect with Drake before he arrived. When he heard about the project through his sponsor group, he wanted to be involved.

B次元官网网址淔or him to say B次元官网网址榶esB次元官网网址� and say, B次元官网网址業 want to share this story because I think itB次元官网网址檚 going to help other people overseas and in Canada see what this process is like,B次元官网网址� we were so lucky.B次元官网网址�

The doc, Horlor said, will resonate with anyone whoB次元官网网址檚 committed to, or is nervous about committing to supporting someone going through a difficult time in their life.

B次元官网网址淒oing the right thing can be really hard sometimes, but itB次元官网网址檚 still worthwhile to do it.B次元官网网址�

Someone Like Me plays at the Capitol 6 Theatres at 1 p.m. on Feb. 5. Tickets can be found on the (https://bit.ly/3G8xJiP).