Partway through Juliette De Marcillac’s 2023 documentary Nightwatchers, the camera is positioned a distance away to capture refugees and volunteers scaling a hillside at dusk. Several people step into a waiting car when out of nowhere another vehicle pulls up and its occupants quickly emerge. A couple people drop down to flatten themselves against the incline. One officer informs “There are people down there,” and a volunteer says they need to go to a hospital. The camera cuts to a Montgenèvre ski resort sign nearly buried in snow as the confrontation continues, though we hear no more dialogue.
The titular nightwatchers are people from Medicins du Monde (Doctors of the World), and they volunteer their time helping asylum seekers crossing the border into France. We follow along as they assist and advocate, search, and wait for people in need. It’s explained that, while migrants are free to apply for asylum once they get there, they first have to make it—and therein lies the difficulty. To do this, folks attempt to enter via the mountains, and there are different paths with their own respective risks, all with varying likelihoods of success.
Some routes are easier to walk with families because they’re flatter, but they may have a greater chance of getting caught by authorities. And while being higher up in the mountains hides them better, there is less sun and more snow, and wading through it for so many hours can lead to frostbite, hypothermia, or other complications like getting lost or injured.
As the first scenes prove, crossing is particularly vulnerable in the light of day, as a large group of Italian refugees, including families with children and expectant mothers, trudge up the snow-covered mountain. For the most part, however, the film takes place under cloak of night. Every conversation is whispered, for voices carry easily, and the long periods of quiet add unsettling tension to this high stakes game of hide-and-seek. The limited visibility offered by the outside resort lights gives it the eerie feeling of an abandoned stadium, its occupants hidden behind the trees. You also sense the anticipation of waiting for something to happen, for someone to emerge, or a soft crunch of footfalls.
One issue often faced is a (understandable) lack of trust on the part of the migrants, as volunteers can be mistaken for police. One recounted an incident where she met a man walking down the mountain who didn’t believe they could be there to help. He had a problem with his shoes and walked down in his socked feet. When she saw him later at the refuge, his feet were swollen and he had almost lost them.
It’s a privilege to spend time with all involved. Some of the refugees tell their stories while on the mountain, others once they’re safely in a car with hot water to drink and a space blanket. And as we watch these devoted volunteers prepare for a shift—putting tea in a thermos, taking their vitamins, and commuting—we see them like anyone else who’s on their way to work.
End shots of the mountain in the daylight illuminate its awesome beauty, and leaves the viewer with a new perspective. What would have been dismissed before as just another pretty picture conceals something much more important: a lifeline, and a unique type of human chain. Recommended.
Which library audiences would benefit from screening this refugee documentary?
Public and academic libraries would be well served by acquiring Nightwatchers as part of a curated collection focused on human rights, global migration, and public health. For public libraries, this film can anchor a thoughtful community screening and discussion on refugee experiences in Europe, especially at a time when migration continues to be a complex and politicized topic. Patrons interested in humanitarianism, medical volunteerism, or global justice movements will find this an especially poignant and eye-opening story. As it follows the real-time risks of border crossings and the quiet heroism of those offering aid, Nightwatchers makes an excellent programming choice for civic engagement events, international film clubs, or human rights-focused documentary nights. Its quiet, haunting tone makes it particularly effective in sparking dialogue about the moral and logistical realities of refugee assistance.
What academic subjects or media education courses would benefit from this refugee documentary?
Nightwatchers lends itself well to university-level courses in political science, international relations, human geography, and media studies, particularly when exploring topics like border policy, asylum law, and the ethical role of aid organizations. The film’s observational style, long takes, and use of natural sound also make it a strong choice for film studies classes focusing on documentary modes, especially expository and participatory cinema. Its raw, immersive footage provides a powerful entry point for discussions around the ethics of representation and the role of the documentarian in high-stakes humanitarian contexts. In global health or public health programs, the film can underscore the often-overlooked medical dangers faced by migrants and the grassroots efforts that step in where formal infrastructure fails. Due to some strong language and emotional intensity, the documentary is most appropriate for undergraduate and graduate audiences.
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