The Quebec media report almost daily on the obstacle course of immigrants who are desperately waiting to obtain their permanent residence, refugee status, or simply news of the status of their application. And that’s not counting all those who go out of their way to bring in their close family members…
The Observation Documentary Series Migratory hearts, which focuses on the love and immigration story of five binational couples, is a sensitive and well-constructed illustration of the sometimes untenable situation experienced by thousands of people who endure this expectation on a daily basis. The creator of the series, Vincent Parisien (Many and happy, Already a mother), and his team have chosen couples whose situation bears witness to several “challenges” of romantic immigration, and immigration in general: the reluctance of relatives and families, powerlessness in the face of the meanderings of bureaucracy, impossibility of working legally, financial dependence on the spouse, geographical distance which raises fears of a break-up. To these hazards, we must also add adaptation to the culture of the other and integration into the host society, which can prove to be more complex than expected.
The series of eight episodes, the very first of which takes the time to introduce the protagonists, their situation and their objectives, offers a moving and sometimes heartbreaking chronicle of the journey of these couples, who do their best to live their love story together, at the same location. And we come out of it more informed and compassionate.
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