Crafting Diverse Human Stories for the UN Refugee Agency
Client: UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency (via Blue State)
Role: Lead Video Editing & Archival Post-Production
The Ambition & The Reality: Communicating the human reality of the global refugee crisis requires more than just broadcasting facts. UNHCR and their agency partner Blue State needed a series of emotionally powerful films that connected on a deeply personal level. The reality on the ground was a strict production constraint. We could not shoot new footage. We had to build sensitive narratives entirely from the agency's vast global asset library, searching the archive to find true moments of humanity.
The Craft & The Workflow: This was an exercise in narrative sensitivity and editorial discipline. We partnered closely with Blue State to understand the specific emotional goal for each campaign. We then mined the massive archive to unearth intimate, authentic moments, constructing the story from the ground up in the edit suite. To handle the diverse briefs, we tailored the editorial approach for three distinct campaign spotlights.
For the "Who is a Refugee" winter appeal, the goal was to humanise refugees beyond the label. We built the edit around relatable snapshots of family life, placing a deliberate focus on the often-overlooked role of fathers. By pairing grounded footage with questions asking the viewer to identify a doting dad, the film directly challenged audiences to see the individuals behind the crisis.
To explain the impossible reality faced by families forced to flee, we anchored the "Choices" campaign with the first-hand testimony of a mother named Zeinab. Her story provided a heartbreaking emotional core. This personal focus allowed us to transition the edit naturally into a broader sequence illustrating the scale of UNHCR’s operations across shelter, food, and safety.
For "Born Connected", a Ramadan Zakat campaign, we executed a complete tonal shift. The brief called for a celebratory film to thank donors. We cut a joyful montage of children from around the world celebrating and wishing the viewer a happy Eid Mubarak. We stepped away from the heavy NGO aesthetic to deliver an uplifting, community-focused piece of film.
The Outcome: By applying sensitive post-production craft to a complex archive, we delivered a versatile suite of campaign assets. The project proved that you do not need to shoot new footage to build a deep emotional connection. You just need genuine empathy for the subject matter, guided by sharp editorial control.
Deliverables:
Multiple hero campaign films (Winter Appeal, Mandate Explainer, Zakat Campaign)
Complete archival workflow and narrative construction
Full post-production pipeline (Edit, Colour, Audio)