Brandt Anderson makes his feature film directorial debut with “I Was a Stranger”, an ambitious thriller that examines the refugee crisis during the Syrian Civil War through five distinctly different and individually affecting perspectives. Anderson impresses with his confident direction and his clear-eyed storytelling, both of which feature big swings from a fresh filmmaker who clearly isn’t afraid of taking chances.

Anderson’s non-linear story is segmented into five chapters, each centered around one of the film’s five central characters. The individual narratives overlap, and in some cases converge, adding several dramatic layers that allow us to see the central conflict from different angles. It’s a serious-minded film that doesn’t shy away from the suffering which it draws from countless true accounts. It’s deftly and sincerely handled, in ways that leave us shaken to our core.

Anderson’s intensely human story begins and ends in Chicago which is where we meet Amira (Yasmine Al Massri). She works at a downtown children’s hospital, but just eight years earlier she was in her war-torn home country of Syria working as a pediatric radiologist. Anderson transports us back in time where we see the principled Amira finishing up a hectic 72-hour shift in an Aleppo hospital. But when a horrific tragedy strikes her family, Amira and her daughter Rasha (Massa Daoud) scramble to flee the country.

The second chapter follows Mustafa (Yahya Mahayni), an devoted soldier in the Syrian Arab Armed Forces and a blind Assad loyalist. Mustafa steadfastly subscribes to the belief that good soldiers follows orders. But he’s challenged by his conscience after a savage order from his commanding officer is carried out right before his eyes. Suddenly Mustafa begins to question his allegiances which puts him in the crosshairs of the regime he once vehemently defended.

From there we jump ahead one month to meet Marwen, (Omar Sy), a smuggler who may be the most compelling and complicated of the five key characters. Based in Turkey, Marwen has two distinctly different sides. At home he’s a burdened single father caring for his ailing young son. Away from home, he’s a ruthless human smuggler who preys on desperate refugees looking for a way out of the country. For a hefty price, he loads families onto inflatable boats under the cover of night and sends them out into the dark Mediterranean Sea. Whether they make it or not is irrelevant to Marwen. “The pay is the same.”

The fourth chapter centers around Fathi (Ziad Bakri), a loving husband and father trying to get his family out of a Turkish refugee camp. But escaping won’t be easy, and getting off the island will be even more treacherous. The movie wraps up with Starvos, a valiant Greek Coast Guard Captain (Constantine Markoulakis) who patrols the Aegean Sea. Despite saving thousands of fleeing refugees, Sarvos remains haunted by the many others he was unable to save.

While it’s fairly easy to guess where some of the stories will intersect, other instances will catch you by surprise. As Anderson moves us from one chapter to the next, he artfully uses specific moments and even characters from other segments to make meaningful connections. It’s a narrative device that helps answer several key questions while propelling the the overall story forward. Anderson’s assured direction and the cast’s emotionally textured performances does the rest.

“I Was a Stranger” may disappoint those looking for a deeper analysis of the nearly 14-year Syrian Civil War. And it steers clear of the politics and policies that perpetuate such suffering. But in fairness, Anderson‘s focus is on the refugee crisis that sprang from the war, viewing it through the eyes of those impacted most. It’s a bleak and often heart-wrenching film that doesn’t sugarcoat the harsh realities of the crisis. Yet it’s not without glimmers of hope which are seen in the many sacrifices. It all imbues the movie with a gravity and urgency that can be felt from the film’s crushing first chapter right through to its sobering final shot.

VERDICT – 4 STARS