Project Detail

On Our Doorstep

Synopsis

When the Calais Jungle was ignored and condemned by authorities, ordinary people stepped in to support the refugees. This is the untold story of the volunteers and those they tried to help.
ON OUR DOORSTEP delves deep into an aspect of the refugee crisis that rarely reached the press. With NGOs being blocked by red tape and the absence of any positive action by French or British authorities, the film is a behind-the-scenes look at the unprecedented grassroots movement that rose to aid the refugees in Calais, and the community that sprang up there, before it was forcefully demolished.
This is the story of what happens when young and inexperienced citizens are forced to devise systems and structures to support 10,000 refugees; and are left unguided to face the moral and emotional conflicts, blurred lines and frequent grey areas of giving aid to vulnerable people. People who do not want to be there.
Originally arriving at the Calais Jungle as a volunteer, Thomas Laurance ended up documenting what he saw over the year he spent there, until the camp’s destruction in October 2016. This film is the result of the remarkable and intimate access he gained to both volunteers and refugees.

Details

Year
2020
Type of project
Features
Running time
92 min
Format
Digital
Director
Thomas Laurance 1st Feature
Producer
Verity Wislocki, Cassandra Sigsgaard, Jodie Taylor, Safwon Suleyman
Executive Producer
Jerry Rothwell, Christopher Hird, Marilyn Thompson, Claire Ferguson
Editor
Josh Levinsky, Miikka Leskinen
Composer
Dominic De Grande

Categories

Production Status

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Art Sex Music Art Sex Music

Director: Caroline Catz

Year: 2026

A biographical documentary of the artist Cosey Fanni Tutti based on her best selling memoir.

One in a Million One in a Million

Director: Itab Azzam, Jack Macinnes

Year: 2026

A Syrian girl's decade-long journey to Germany and back, as she and her family face the challenges of war and life as refugees, showing both the hardships and hopes of starting anew. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2026 - World premiere

Antiheroine Antiheroine

Director: James Hall, Edward Lovelace

Year: 2026

Courtney Love, singer, songwriter, and actor, is sober and preparing to release new music after a decade, ready to share her unfiltered story. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2026 - World premiere