This series is a collaboration between the Screening Room and Ethnocine Collective, whose members are Elena Guzman, Emily Hong, Miasarah Lai, Laura Menchaca Ruiz, Mariangela Mihai, and Natalie Nesvaderani. The series was envisioned by Mariangela, organized and produced by Elena and Natalie, and supported by Emily, Miasarah, and Laura.

Directors' Statement

Nobel Nok Dah (2015) is a film about three refugee women (Nobel, Nok, and Dah) directed by three women filmmakers. The three of us, Emily, Miasarah, and Mariangela met as filmmakers, but in our previous careers, we had long worked with refugees from Burma/Myanmar both in Thailand and in the United States. As feminist filmmakers, we wanted to disrupt the idea that there was a single narrative of the refugee experience. With this film, we sought to center women’s narratives of self, place, and belonging. We started without the cameras, by conducting separate audio interviews with Nobel, Nok, and Dah.

Building on these interviews, which used techniques of feminist oral history, we continued with a collaborative process of story development. The three film stars later joined us for rough-cut viewings and talk-back sessions to shape a story arc which highlights stories of both struggle and hope. You will notice that the visuals of the film are experimental in nature. By abandoning documentary realism for blur, bold colors, and movement, we hope to open a space for audiences to listen deeply (with your ears and hearts) to these women’s stories.

Discussion Guide for the Classroom

Download Ethnocine's Discussion Guide for Nobel Nok Dah.