The Border

On March 21, 2020, the governments of Canada and the United States closed their shared border to non-essential travel. What began as a 30-day measure stretched into two years, marking the first time in history that the world’s longest undefended land border was closed for such an extended period.

During this extraordinary time, Peace Arch State Park—a unique piece of land straddling the border yet situated in the United States—remained open to visitors from both countries. Once quiet and largely overlooked, the park became a lifeline for families, couples, and friends separated by the border, drawing people from far beyond North America—including filmmaker Ying Wang.

Filmed between 2020 and 2024, THE BORDER captures the compelling human stories that unfolded in and around this small patch of land. With humor, candor, and tender personal moments, the film serves as a unique time capsule, offering an intimate look at the Canada-U.S. border with the Peace Arch monument and its surroundings as a microcosm of larger geopolitical and social dynamics.

In its climactic revelation of the park’s closure to Canadians in 2024—the first in its history—THE BORDER becomes both a meditation on the absurdity of national boundaries and a profound reflection on the ways these divisions shape our world. This feature-length documentary offers a rare and poignant exploration of America’s northern border, inviting audiences to question the lines that divide us and illuminate the resilience that brings us together.

  • Ying Wang
    Director
    The World is Bright
  • Ying Wang
    Writer
    The World is Bright
  • Ying Wang
    Producer
    The World is Bright
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    3 hours
  • Completion Date:
    March 8, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    300,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, Canada, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ying Wang

A writer and photographer in China, Ying moved to Canada from Beijing in 1997 first as an international student then became a landed immigrant. As a migrant navigating multiple cultures, Ying is captivated by stories that highlight the geopolitical complexities of global migration. When her younger sister developed a mental illness after immigrating to North America, Ying was driven to tell their story and directed her first feature "Sisters" as a self-taught filmmaker. From 2007 - 2019, Ying completed her 2nd film "The World is Bright". A feature length documentary addressing immigration and mental health, "The World is Bright" won the Sea to Sky Award (VIFF 2019) and Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award (Hot Docs 2020). It was also nominated for two 2021 Canadian Screen Awards. Her credits include "Tricks on the Dead: The Story of Chinese Labour Corps in WWI", a co-production winning two 2016 Canadian Screen Awards and the 2015 VIFF Audience Must See Award.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I live in British Columbia, Canada, while my younger sister lives in Seattle, United States. During the border closure of the COVID-19 pandemic, my deep longing to reunite with my only sibling led me to Peace Arch State Park, where I met people from distant corners of the world—well beyond North America.

This unusual encounter with the Canada-US border inspired me to document my experiences as well as that of other park visitors. As a first-generation Canadian, I also began to explore the history behind the Peace Arch and examine the manufactured divide that we’ve come to accept without question as a national border.

This film is the culmination of those stories, capturing both the collective memories of the pandemic and serving as a time capsule of this unique moment in history. There is truth in everything I witnessed and filmed. I am more interested in the complex layers of human existence than in delivering a didactic political message, and I want the border itself to tell its story.