The Citizen

Amidst a global debate on immigration, Yves — a Congolese refugee and newly naturalized American citizen — takes a roadtrip across Texas to discover his new homeland.

During the journey, he recounts his story as a child who, after fleeing war due to the genocide in Rwanda, must find safe passage to Mandela’s South Africa with the help of his fantastical imagination and a leopard for a best friend. The story cuts between animated accounts of his death-defying journey from a refugee camp to South Africa as a child, and also present day America, where he is an outsider and father fighting for his own destiny.

This lyrical and poignant story finds its roots in commonalities to which we can all attest, irrespective of our provenance: an exploration of the true meaning of citizenship; our common fight for purpose, home and family; and the truth that without vision, people perish.

In the face of adversity and reckoning, this refugee must reconcile — and understand — the power of his imagination to help others, and himself. And, that even when all seems lost, he must find his home in hope... and perhaps even the American Dream.

Yves’ childhood memories are re-told using animation, while his present-day roadtrip across Texas is a mix of elevated cinéma vérité and director-led interviews.