“Unsettled: Seeking Refuge in America” begins as a typical issue documentary, with the goal of raising awareness of refugees who have been persecuted for being L.G.B.T.Q.
It follows four people who have come to the United States: Subhi from Syria, Junior from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the couple Mari and Cheyenne from Angola.
They have stories of vicious discrimination and estrangement from family members. When they arrive in the San Francisco area, volunteers help them acclimate, but finding work and housing make settling difficult.
The movie, directed by Tom Shepard, becomes more absorbing as the subjects’ paths diverge. Subhi speaks at the United Nations and, after not being able to talk about his sexual orientation in Syria,.