Recently, Tara Todras-Whitehill and I had the pleasure of joining the IRC and cast members of HBO’s Game of Thrones on a visit to several refugee camps in Greece.

It was a whirlwind three days. We packed a kit small enough to fit on the cramped domestic flights that charter passengers to the islands. We visited Lesvos island, where hundreds of thousands of refugees have crossed the sea from Turkey. We also visited the IRC’s main Greece office in Athens as well as refugee camps in northern Greece, now filled with refugees waiting for months on end after borders across Europe closed.

The actors, none of whom had been to a refugee camp before, were all open-minded and generous with everyone they met. Liam shared his passion for photography and a light spirit by joking with many of the children. Maisie connected with a talented young Syrian playwright and aspiring actress who performed three plays for the crew, along with other refugee children. Lena and a Syrian refugee mother named Marwa brought each other to tears discussing their families and the long road to a new life after war.

Here are some behind the scenes shots showing what went into the trip, followed by the resulting video.