This 2015 music video from artist and former refugee MIA critiques the migrant crisis in Europe. The video uses fences as a primary visual representation of borders and exclusion, while the lyrics call out a range of inequities and asymmetries of power that define our social and political systems. The video received praise for shining a light on the refugee crisis, but also became a target for Neo-Nazi groups.

discussion

What imagery does MIA use to reference borders and refugeeship in this video?

What do you think MIA wants the viewer to take away from the music video?

All of the individuals cast in the music video were  “real people” MIA met through street-casting and approaching refugee camps in the south of India. Why do you think she made that decision? How does it affect the video’s message? Does it matter that MIA, herself, was a refugee?

Can you think of other media representations of refugees? How are they similar? How do they differ?