Video / Crossroads

Animating Stories of Global Migration

A short film animated by Karrie Fransman uses evidence-based research to explore how migration connects humans everywhere.

PositiveNegatives

Who gets to tell the story of human migration around the globe? And what kind of story is it?

The Story of Migration, an animated short illustrated by Karrie Fransman, dives into these questions by exploring the complicated connections between migration, development, and global inequalities. Produced by PositiveNegatives and MIDEQ (Migration for Development and Equality) Hub, the colorful animation draws on ethnographic and other evidence-based research from partners across 11 countries. It confronts common misconceptions about migration and centers the perspectives of those who live and work in the Global South who are often left out of popular media representations.

In addition to English, the film is currently available on YouTube in French, MalayMandarinPortuguese, and Tamil, with more translations set to be released in the coming months.

Watch the film now.

The UKRI GCRF South-South Migration, Inequality, and Development Hub (MIDEQ) is a research project funded by U.K. Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and led by Coventry University. MIDEQ unpacks the complex and multidimensional relationships between migration, inequality, and development in the context of the Global South. A global research project, MIDEQ translates research and engagement activities into concrete policies and practices to improve the lives of migrants, their families, and the communities in which they live.

PositiveNegatives produces comics, animations, and podcasts about contemporary social and humanitarian issues, including conflict, racism, migration, and asylum. PositiveNegatives combines ethnographic research with illustrations, adapting personal stories into art, education, and advocacy materials. They have worked extensively with a range of organizations, such as The Guardian, the Open Society Foundations, the BBC, the Nobel Peace Center, the Overseas Development Institute, and the United Nations, and with leading academic institutions, such as the Harvard South Asia Center, SOAS University of London, the University of Sussex, and the Peace Research Institute of Oslo.

Republish

You may republish this article, either online and/or in print, under the Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 license. We ask that you follow these simple guidelines to comply with the requirements of the license.

In short, you may not make edits beyond minor stylistic changes, and you must credit the author and note that the article was originally published on SAPIENS.

Accompanying photos are not included in any republishing agreement; requests to republish photos must be made directly to the copyright holder.

Republish

We’re glad you enjoyed the article! Want to republish it?

This article is currently copyrighted to SAPIENS and the author. But, we love to spread anthropology around the internet and beyond. Please send your republication request via email to editor•sapiens.org.

Accompanying photos are not included in any republishing agreement; requests to republish photos must be made directly to the copyright holder.