After realizing that the Syrian Civil War had no end in sight, Ziad Al-Taha chose to flee his country for Europe. In this short film, we follow Ziad as he travels with friends through Greece into Eastern Europe, and finally to Norway. Like many refugees, Ziad has faced discrimination on his journey, but he refuses to be discouraged. “I understand the public’s fears: [They’re] afraid for their economy, for their security, for the change in their culture,” he says. “But is this more important than saving a human life?”

This film was produced by Istanbul-based journalists Elie Gardner and Oscar Durand. More of their work can be found on Instagram at @eliegardner and @oscardurand. Durand is a fellow with The Groundtruth Project.