What makes the Tomorrow Pictures & 285 South collaboration work?

A documentarian and a journalist who follow Atlanta’s refugee and immigrant communities teamed up to give audiences a glimpse into the lives of young refugees from Myanmar.

“The Third Country” is a collaboration between Tomorrow Pictures and 285 South. It is a film about Georgia’s growing refugee community from Myanmar, formerly Burma. In 2022, the UN Refugee Agency estimated that 268 Southeast Asians from this region had settled in the state.

The documentary follows the lives of young Burman refugees as they talk about their experiences fleeing their country, learning a new language, and their families’ financial struggles.

The film, accompanied by reporting in Atlanta Magazine, is getting critical acclaim, including an Atlanta Press Club Award of Excellence and acceptance into the Los Angeles Dances With Films Festival. 

Collaboration can be hard. Today, we examine what makes this collaboration successful.

Sophia Qureshi has covered refugee and immigrant communities in Atlanta since she founded 285 South in 2021. She said it was important to tell the story from the perspective of young Burman refugees. 

“We’ve seen an increase in the number of refugees who have come here in the last few years, and that’s been big changes in the region,” Qureshi said. 

“What do these changes mean for our future? You can really only get a sense of what it means for the future by talking to young people who are our future,” she said. “I also think it gives us a better sense of where we are headed. Young people played such a unique role in the resettlement of their communities.”

Qureshi said the children play a unique role as translators for their families. In the Burmese community, the parents must work long hours, often in the chicken factory, to support their families. Meanwhile, the children attend school. As they learn English they are called on to translate as their families navigate social services, go to the doctor’s office and even help negotiate for things like housing.

The Pivot Fund fostered the connection between Tomorrow Pictures and 285 South through initial funding for the project. 

“We wanted to produce a film that spoke to the Burmese refugee community,” said Tracie Powell, CEO and founder of the Pivot Fund. “We wanted something that said we see you and we want to share what needs you have so that we can better help meet those needs. We also wanted to help the Burmese refugees better navigate their new neighborhoods and communities. But we also wanted their new neighbors to better understand them.”

Fr3dr1ck Taylor, the film’s director, said he wanted to change people’s perceptions of what a documentary can look like in 2024.

“Nobody wants to do anything that’s meaningful and purposeful,” Taylor said. “It feels like every documentary is focused on true crime. I believe that same audience would watch a story about Burma if given the opportunity. That is what this film is doing. It is letting people see a whole new type of documentary.”

As the partnership between Tomorrow Pictures and 285 South began Taylor was very excited for the perspective Qureshi brought to the filmmaking process. 

“Sophia is incredible,” Taylor said. “She has a lot of gravitas. She is someone who could take the wheel and lead. She was able to help frame the construct of the documentary which gave it a journalistic edge to it. We need more of this type of good, hard journalism. Stick to the facts and stay on point.” 

The Third Country is currently being showcased at film festivals around the country. The documentary is tentatively slated for release on PBS later this year. Taylor said the goal is to partner with a streaming platform to have the documentary stream in 2025.