Director’s Statement

Of course, given my ongoing work in emerging countries I always had in mind the parallels and incompatibilities between Team 02’s adventure and the daily fate of millions born in countries at war, in crisis or collapse who look at unworthy vessels and dangerous seas for salvation.
After so much footage of bodies, children bodies, washing up on shores the West has become desensitized to this man-made calamity. I wanted to use the power of identification to make us feel something again. In the experience of these privileged, articulate, thrill seeking guys, I found a space to re-imagine the plight of refugees and make their lives with goals and suffering personal.
Meanwhile the audience enjoys a damn good adventure with amazing visuals.
This film should sneak up on the viewer. Initially there’s no suggestion of obligation or implication. The Omars chose to do this; they had money, time and training and they beat back doubt upon doubt to put themselves in jeopardy and their families in fear.
And we root for them, wondering how they did it and how bad it got. As we cheer for Team 02 and sympathize with their families, we become (vulnerable) again to the humanity of the refugee.
BTRS is not an allegory, it’s a Trojan horse, using a man-against-nature story to smuggle in topics that demand our empathy and action.