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“Lost, Found, Embraced”, is a documentary that captures the emotional saga of Mangok Bol, a South Sudanese Lost Boy turned Bostonian, as he bridges continents to reunite with his niece and nephews. With the help of the team at refugee resettlement non-profit RefugePoint, and a group neighbors and friends from various walks of life, Mangok is preparing for his niece and nephews to arrive in Boston. They are being reunited with Mangok in the United States after years of indentured servitude and separation. We’ll witness their emotional reunion and capture how a community is built around the welcoming of refugee family members separated by war and violence for decades. Through dynamic interplay of contemporary footage and historical archives, the short film delves into themes of loss, resilience, and the universal quest for family, community and belonging revealed in refugee resettlement and family reunification, set against the ongoing, divisive debates about immigration in The United States.

“Lost, Found, Embraced” employs a documentary style that is both intimate and observational, combining the immediacy of verité footage with the reflective depth of expository interviews and archival materials. The film’s tone navigates between the somber realities of refugee experiences and the hopeful resilience that defines Mangok and his community. Visually, the documentary juxtaposes the stark landscapes of Sudanese refugee camps with the urban environment of Boston, using close-ups to capture emotion and wide shots to contextualize the individual stories within the global refugee narrative. Visually, the past will intercut with the present in ways that help the audience feel the trauma that is carried by refugees, and underscore the importance of support systems for their well-being.  We’ll see the moment South Sudan became a country in 2011, and the moment of hope that was undermined by renewed violence. The decades of conflict in Sudan and South Sudan make it clear that children like Mangok’s nieces and nephews have no home there, and would be in peril if they returned. The verite driven, unfolding story of Mangok’s reunion with his family will also be contextualized in the larger issue of Refugee resettlement and family reunification through interviews with leading experts like Samantha Power, Sasha Chanoff and others.

“Lost, Found, Embraced is more than a story of family reunion; it’s an exploration of the broader refugee experience, underscoring the importance of community support, the challenges of assimilation, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. It’s also a powerful reminder that welcoming Refugees can bring a community together and reveal the best parts of our nature. In a moment where Americans are increasingly divided on immigration, and loneliness and mental health challenges are at crisis levels, the acts of coming together to help refugees- especially children who have endured years or loss and suffering, is a powerful demonstration of how community is built when we open our hearts