The Theater of Roxham Road

The Theater of Roxham Road is an exploration of the illegal border crossing between Champlain, New York and Hemmingford, Quebec. Since 2016, a large number of refugees have attempted to cross into Canada from this spot seeking asylum. As a result the Canadian border police have set up a small processing center to accommodate the numbers.

The site is very small - enough space for a few cabs to park and drop people off, a spot where people wait before crossing as the guards address them, informing them that they will be arrested if they cross, the actual crossing and the border services building on the Canadian side.

In 2019 I made 4 trips to Plattsburgh to document this place, the event, surrounding activities and people who have become involved in its function. Various forces intersect, such as the landscape through the seasons, the environment at night, the cab drivers who shuttle refugees to this spot from Plattsburgh, the Plattsburgh bus station, the Canadian border police, the caregivers who help refugees en route, the objects left behind and the asylum-seekers themselves in various stages of their journey. All of us who are there are witnesses to this small moment of drama, life-changing for the participants.

Please refer to http://www.ruthkaplanphoto.com/roxham-road, password: roxham for further elaboration. The text underneath a few photos submitted here, is from a series of audio interviews I've made with people who have crossed that way and are now in Canada. Eventually I'll be incorporating audio into exhibiting the work (the text it not intended to be on the image..just here to give you an idea).

Thank you, let me know if you have questions.