Safe Haven

Abstract

The 2020 documentary film Safe Haven, features interviews with war resisters and deserters from the Vietnam Conflict, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the Canadian War Resister’s Support Campaign, a group of sympathetic Canadians who assist Americans who choose to flee to Canada rather than remain in the United States Armed Forces. The documentary tackles the moral tension individuals suffer when faced with going to war versus requesting safe haven in Canada and leaving all they know in the United States behind, coupled with the support and assistance—perhaps in contravention of Canadian law—offered by Canadian civilians. Incorporating evidence from the interviews as a platform for those who had been living in hiding and fear of deportation and incarceration, the documentarians support safe haven opportunities in Canada for Americans seeking to leave their military obligations behind. As this review concludes, the film is relevant for those interested in US/Canadian relations, international politics, and wartime asylum.