Electronic Gallery: 4.1 Miles

About the Exhibition

4.1 Miles follows local coast guard officers stationed off the Greek island of Lesbos, where thousands of migrants have braved the Mediterranean to flee conflicts at home. The coast guard once patrolled the tranquil waters of this small island but now finds itself overwhelmed by the task of saving hundreds from drowning at sea. Docks previously lined with restaurants have become makeshift first-response centers. As one migrant’s body is carried out, an onlooker desperately yells, “The world needs to know what’s happening here! We can’t be going through this alone!”

4.1 Miles was nominated for a 2017 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. The film received the International Documentary Association David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, the Documentary Gold Medal in the 2016 Student Academy Awards and a 2016 Peabody Award.

Note to patrons: This documentary film, depicting harrowing scenes of refugees being rescued at sea, may be too distressing for some visitors.