A bus waits in the distance—nearby, silhouettes can be made out; they are likely the people whose voices we hear. Indeed, on the soundtrack, a voice reflects, offers coffee, and tries to give the other person as much freedom as possible. Marie Voignier quite literally creates distance: this is the only sequence in the film that (barely) shows an exchange between a volunteer and a migrant. Familiar with observing places and exposing their histories and imaginaries, the filmmaker deliberately avoids images of the moment of reception and contact. These are images we have seen before, images that assign roles, that anchor people in positions some are struggling to escape. More than that, the artist questions what it means to welcome—in this valley and elsewhere—the obstacles, the many possible missteps. She films voices, places—makeshift spaces ready to provide emergency beds—the gestures of hospitality (meal preparation, outreach efforts), and movement (the train, the car) of those who navigate this territory without hindrance.

Charlène Dinhut
Programmer and curator