Salam Neighbor

While the exodus of Syrian refugees into Europe has recently enflamed debate, their flight has been ongoing for years, resulting in numerous U.N.-operated camps that have become virtual cities in adjacent countries. The stresses that these encampments place on the host nations (as well as the U.N. budget) have mostly been discussed in emotionally detached numerical terms. Here, American filmmakers Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci humanize the situation by living for a month in the Za'atari camp in Jordan, recording the experience. In reality, the pair occupy their tent only during daylight—fears for their safety require that they sleep in the nearby town of Mafraq. But that proves beneficial, since they are able to interview Syrians trying to survive there as well. What emerges is a stirring portrait of struggling residents, including a couple who have lost two sons to the war, a single mother who is trying to raise her children, and a former student who channels his energy into helping others. But the most poignant figure here is Raouf, an ebullient 10-year-old who becomes the filmmakers' dedicated helper. Only late in Salam Neighbor is it revealed that Raouf's refusal to go to class stems from trauma he suffered when his school in Syria was bombed. The insular tone adopted by some of the current American presidential candidates may make the film's plea—that America should do more to help the displaced, including inviting them to the United States—a hard sell, but it's a message that should be heard. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)