This article and the Cross-Marked project seek to reproblematise the relationship between refugee-background students and teachers and those who engage in collaborative artsbased research with them. By co-constructing a series of short films that were collaborative and pedagogically selfreflexive, this study asked the question: in what ways does the hierarchical structure of schools and research endeavour discourage us from getting to know one another across borders – sexual, intellectual and intercultural to name but a few?