It Will be Chaos (2018)
Story overview
This 2018 Italian documentary follows the journeys of refugees through Italy and the Balkan corridor, blending road-movie elements with intimate portraits of lives in transit. It presents two powerful stories of human strength and resilience amid displacement, offering a realistic look at the refugee experience without graphic sensationalism.
Parent Guide
A thoughtful documentary about refugee experiences suitable for mature children 8+ with parental guidance. While dealing with difficult realities of displacement, it focuses on human resilience rather than graphic content.
Content breakdown
Implied danger and hardship of refugee journeys, but no graphic violence shown. Scenes of crowded conditions, difficult travel, and emotional stress related to displacement.
Emotionally challenging themes of loss, displacement, and uncertainty. Scenes of refugees in difficult circumstances may be upsetting to sensitive viewers, but presented with dignity.
No problematic language noted. Film is in Arabic with English subtitles.
No sexual content or nudity.
No substance use shown.
Strong emotional content related to displacement, family separation, and survival. Focus on resilience helps balance the difficult subject matter.
Parent tips
This documentary deals with mature themes of displacement and hardship, but presents them in a thoughtful, TV-PG appropriate manner. Consider watching with children 8+ to discuss refugee experiences and global issues. The emotional content may be challenging for sensitive viewers, but the film emphasizes resilience over trauma.
Parent chat guide
Parent follow-up questions
—
- What did you notice about how the families traveled?
- How did the people in the film help each other?
- What would you pack if you had to leave your home?
- What surprised you about the refugee experience shown in the film?
- How do the two stories compare in their challenges and resilience?
- What systems or policies affect refugees' journeys?
- How does the film balance personal stories with larger political contexts?
- What ethical questions does documentary filmmaking raise when portraying vulnerable populations?
- How do different countries' responses to refugees compare in the film?
🎭 Story Kernel
At its core, 'It Will Be Chaos' is a raw examination of displacement as a permanent state rather than a temporary crisis. The film follows two parallel refugee journeys—a Syrian family escaping war and an Eritrean man navigating Europe's bureaucratic labyrinth. What drives these characters isn't merely survival, but the desperate pursuit of dignity in systems designed to strip it away. The documentary exposes how the refugee 'crisis' is actually a failure of political imagination, showing how individuals become trapped between collapsing homelands and unwelcoming destinations. Through intimate access, it reveals the psychological toll of existing in limbo, where hope becomes both necessity and burden.
🎬 Visual Aesthetics
Directors Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo employ a vérité style that feels simultaneously intimate and observational. The camera lingers in cramped boats and overcrowded camps, using tight framing to emphasize claustrophobia and vulnerability. Natural lighting dominates, with harsh Mediterranean sun bleaching landscapes and shadows deepening in makeshift shelters. The color palette shifts from the warm earth tones of Syria to the cold blues and grays of European processing centers, visually tracing the emotional journey from home to uncertainty. Long takes during sea crossings create unbearable tension, while handheld shots during border confrontations amplify the chaos the title promises.
🔍 Details & Easter Eggs
💡 Behind the Scenes
The documentary's unprecedented access resulted from filmmakers embedding with refugees for over two years, often living in the same camps. Much of the Syrian family's journey was captured on small, discreet cameras to maintain intimacy during dangerous crossings. The film's title comes from an actual quote by a European official predicting border chaos, which the directors discovered during research. Several scenes were filmed by refugees themselves when crews couldn't access locations, creating a collaborative visual record. The production faced numerous legal and safety challenges, including being detained while filming border operations.
Where to watch
Choose region:
- HBO Max
- HBO Max Amazon Channel
Trailer
Trailer playback is unavailable in your region.
