Through the eyes of the refugees: the strategy of self-representation in documentary film.

Through the eyes of the refugees

The strategy of self-representation in documentary film.

Written by: Davio L. Poleschi, 10341226 First reader: dhr. dr. E.S. (Emiel) Martens Second reader: mw. dr. T.K. (Tarja) Laine Programme: Film Studies, MA Thesis Date: 26th June 2017

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Index

2.2.1 Mediation of distant suffering 7

2.2.2 Stereotyped representation 9 2.3 Alternative media 10 2.3.1 Indigenous media 10 2.3.2 Native reporting 11 2.4 Documentary film 12 2.4.1 Film festivals 13 3. Analysis part I 3.1 Nowhere to Hide (2016) 14

3.2 Context of the film 14

3.3 Discourse articulated by the film 16

3.3.1 Oppression of the people 16

3.3.2 Consequences of war 18

3.3.3 Hope and bravery in desperate times 19

3.3.4 Finding refuge to survive 21

3.4 Reflection 22

4. Analysis part II

4.1 Exodus: Our Journey to Europe (2016) 24

4.2 Context of the film 24

4.3 Discourse articulated by the film 26

4.3.1 Destruction and oppression 26

4.3.2 Human trafficking 28

4.3.3 Contrasting living conditions 30

4.4 Reflection 31

5. Analysis part III

5.1 Stereotypes 33

5.2 Distant suffering 35

5.3 Reflection on the strategy of self-representation 37

6. Conclusion 38

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1. Introduction

It was arguably with the death of Aylan Kurdi followed by the publications of the images showing his lifeless body on the Turkish beach that Western public opinion and the global media could no longer turn their backs to the refugee issue. All lenses focused on the humanitarian crisis that occurred on the Mediterranean Sea. The so-called crisis was given a face by the publishing of these images. This resulted in a wave or compassion all around the world. The images showing the child laying with his face in the sand became the symbol of the migration issue that still occurs in the Middle East and Europe. The representations by the dominant mainstream media thus influenced the imaging by the Western audience, who were generally located at a safe distance from the events. The voices of the people who leave the Middle East in search of safety are rarely featured in the media. On the other hand, they are widely talked about by television broadcasters, politicians, NGO representatives and others who have influence in the public spheres. When, in the course of this thesis, I refer to the refugee issue, I mean the reasons making people to flee from their countries as well as the actual fleeing towards Europe.

The main question I will answer in this thesis is: to what extent do the documentary films, which make use of the strategy of self-representation, provide a different image of the refugee issue than the mainstream media do?

 The first sub question is: how do the mainstream media deal with distant suffering and how do they portray the refugee issue? Based on recent discussions in the research fields, I marked the point of departure for the analysis of the films.

 The second sub question is: how does the film Nowhere to Hide (2016) represent the refugee issue? This is a feature length film by Iraqi director Zaradasht Ahmed. The film uses the strategy of self-representation for which the filmmaker trained a male nurse called Sharif, who is a native of Iraq, to report on the situation in his country. Through Sharif, the public gets access to the so-called Triangle of Death in Iraq, the most dangerous area and also a no-go zone for journalists. Through first-0 the public a thorough glance in the living conditions of the Iraqi people who before have been hidden from the Western world.

 The third question is: how does the film Exodus: Our Journey to Europe (2016) represent the refugee issue? This is a series of three episodes of an hour made by British director James Bluemel. The director claims that the film is made from the perspective of the refugees themselves. He handed out cameras to sixty refugees for the purpose of recording their journey to Europe. The film suggests that the audience is confronted with images that have never been seen before. The refugees captured their experiences in circumstances to which the filmmaker had no access.

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Both films claim to represent the voices of the refugees. Nowhere to Hide shows the developments in Iraq since the departure of US troops in 2011. Citizens thought of this as a new beginning, but it meant a new beginning of oppression and violence. It is shown how the main character has resisted the violence over the years, but ultimately, like many others, he had to flee his village. This is where Exodus: Our Journey to Europe continuesand shows what it means when someone has to leave his motherland and starts the journey towards the desired final destination in Europe. My expectation is that, through the strategy of self-representation, the refugee issue will be granted a face which will create a more insightful image. Do these films indeed provide a different view than what is usually shown by the mainstream media?

To compare the films I make use of the work of scholars and the discussions concerning the mediation of distant suffering. Then, by means of previous research, I have pointed out the most important criticisms and characteristics of the mainstream media regarding the representation of refugees from the Middle East. In order to systematically analyze the films and compare them with the mainstream media, I have used a multimodal analysis for the discourse analysis. On the basis of the multimodal analysis I took apart the audio-visual elements and examined the discursive structure of the representations. For this, I mainly took note of the framing of the shots, the perspective from which the images were captured, the way the main characters and others expressed themselves, the actions that are visible on screen, the non-diegetic elements and the way in which the montage structured the sequences in a coherent manner. This provided the starting point, from which I examined the meaning of the scenes, as suggested by the film. To do this in a structured way, I clustered the different themes and topics from the films, then analyzed their role and meaning within the larger whole of the film. I also placed clustered themes within the broader media spheres in which they circulate to then be able to formulate the discourses articulated by the films. Examination of the production process and the motivations of the filmmakers has provided context for positioning certain scenes in broader perspective, as well as distinguishing the motives for the filmmakers to make use of the input of the native reporters.

The structure of this thesis is as followed: In Chapter 2, I focus on the mainstream media. Based on discussions in the research field of distant suffering, I suggest that the most common way in which the mainstream media reports of human suffering leads to a passive attitude from the public. In addition, I set apart out how the mainstream media influences the imaging of the refugee issue with certain frames by means of the mechanism of stereotyping. In response to this, I discuss the opportunities offered by the alternative media. They are thought of as empowering the marginalized to make their voices be heard in the media spheres. I specifically focus on the theorization of native reporting.

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Finally, I turn to the field of the activist documentary film by which I state that the exhibition on film festivals contributes to the way the audience responds to the film. In Chapter 3, I focus on the film Nowhere to Hide. Through the first-hand reporting by the Sharif this film offers insights into the personal stories and events of the people in Iraq that are not addressed by the mainstream media. In this process, director Zaradasht has respected Sharif's perspective. In Chapter 4 I turn to the film Exodus: Our Journey to Europe. This film also offers insights that have been hidden from the Western audience, but to a lesser extend makes use of the strategy of self-representation. I proposethat this film mainly represents the refugee issue from the western, contemplative perspective. In Chapter 5, I compare the methods and representations by the mainstream media and conclude that Nowhere to Hide refutes the stereotypes and provides the public with favorable conditions for experiencing the mediation of distant suffering. On the other hand, I conclude that although Exodus: Our Journey to Europe refutes the stereotypes partially, this film lacks the favorable conditions of mediation of distant suffering.

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2. Theoretical framework

In this chapter I will position the research questions into a broader theoretical framework. First of all, I explain the ways in which the dominant mainstream media operate, because the films in the corpus compete with the assumptions of the mainstream media. Within the spheres of the dominant mainstream media, I discuss the mediation of distant suffering including the mechanism of stereotyping. As a counterweight to the way the mainstream media create its images, I discuss the opportunities offered by the alternative media. Hereby, I focus on the discussions and developments concerning the indigenous media and the journalistic application of native reporting. Then I turn to the field of documentary and more specifically to the activist approaches. Finally, I positionthe corpus within the field of research that focusses on the exhibition at film festivals.

2.1 Refugee Studies

The refugee studies is a multidisciplinary field that focuses its research on European regulations, food-, work- and education facilities, human rights and further humanitarian domains. The purpose of their research is to improve understanding of the living conditions of the refugees, in order to adequately meet their needs. This is done from political, economic and social perspectives. One of the main discussions within the field of refugee studies concerns the way in which refugees have been represented in the multidisciplinary researches over the past years. From the cultural anthropological point of view, Malkki argues that there used to be a tendency in the field to represent refugees as voiceless and helpless victims instead of specific persons (1996). This limited approach is criticized by sociologist Marfleet. According to him the refugee voices would challenge the established Western narratives (2007). The question is to what extent researchers are able to understand certain dynamics in the present because of the availability of limited historical sources. To restorethis shortcoming in the research field, Knox and Kushner explore the experiences of refugees in the past. By developing the first social history, they aspire to restore the humanity of the refugees. This has proved to be a complicated process, as members of international organizations have generally spoken about refugees, rather than listening to them (1999). This tendency, which has already came to attention within in the field in the previous century, is still widely present in today’s media.

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2.2 Mainstream media

In her research regarding European news reporting concerning the refugee issue, Georgiou emphasizes the importance of the media, focusing specifically on the representations of refugees from the Middle East. She argues that the media play a fundamental role in the perception of the public and politicians (2015). The theory of Hall goes a step further, claiming that the media’s representation give existence to the events that occur outside Western sphere. The meaning these representations assign to the refugee issue in turn regulate the behavior and involvement of the Western public (1997). However, it has been complicated to measure the impact the media reports have on their audience. Since the beginning of this century, research has been conducted within the field of social sciences to gain insight into the impact of the representations of suffering of others on the audience. Discussions focus mainly on morality issues regarding the production, representation and reception of distant suffering. Ong called this development regarding ethical responsibility in the representation process the "moral ethical turn within the social sciences" (2014). In the next paragraph I will further elaborate on this thought by focusing on the main discussions in the field.

2.2.1 Mediation of distant suffering

Compared to the past few decades, the current media landscape is characterized by the increased possibility in which the public can witness human suffering that occurs around the world, sometimes even live, from the safe spheres of the living room. The concept of distant suffering has been approached by researchers in various ways. American activist Susan Sontag defined the field that is currently investigated by many other theoreticians. Sontag, who focused primarily on photography, asked whether the perception of the viewer on reality is eroded by the daily influx of images of suffering. In addition, she believed that the medium photography promotes a passive attitude because the one who sets out to capture the suffering cannot intervene and the one who intervenes cannot capture this in a faithful way. This is what she called the anti-intervention stance (1977). In her latest book Regarding the Pain of Others, she describes how the photos create a sense of complicity and testimony with the public through their realistic appearance. In addition, she states that the meaning of the images is largely created due to framing and the narrative that supports it (2003). In a sense, this also applies to the films I set out to analyze because they are presented for example at humanitarian film festivals or as part of a particular programming on television. The foundation of Sontag has led to different perspectives regarding the relationship between the public and the mediation of distant suffering.

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Boltanski argues that representations of suffering may lead to feelings of pity (1999), Keenan emphasizes shame (2004) while Chouliariki argues that it leads to feelings of apathy and irony. A main concern for Chouliaraki is that the excess of images of suffering can drive its viewers to a point of compassion fatigue in which the person distances himself from the event rather than approximates (2006, 2013). In addition, Scott’s research has shown that the length of the media product has a fundamental role in on the impact and perception of the public. In his research, he compares documentary films with short length news reports and concludes that the longer duration of the films positively effects the extent to which the audience takes on the material(2014).

Within the field of distant suffering, the most discussed topic seems to be on the extent to which the subject who is suffering should be depicted with agency. This means, the extent to which the subject is depicted having the capacity for self-determination and independent action. Chouliaraki states that when subjects in the media are depicted with agency, there is more chance of activating the Western public as this could lead to increased identification. In addition, she states that depicting subjects without agency not only leads to a lesser degree of identification, but also decreases the sense of humanity and dignity of those who suffer (2006). Following this discussion, Chouliaraki describes the most common used methods in which the mainstream media report of distant suffering. Namely, by a form of representation that she calls adventure news. In this form the people who suffer are shown without agency, but instead, for example, by dots-on-the-map and impersonal and quantified references to these people and their situations. These images are often accompanied by short, limited detailed statements by the news reporter. For example: “50 refugees drowned in front of the coast of Greece as their boat capsized” accompanied with an image of the map indicating the exact location. Such news reports represent the suffering in strict geographical terms, placed within an abstract and decontextualized mode of cartography. In this form of reporting, attention is not paid to the context of the situation or the individual person, let alone their emotions. Chouliaraki argues that it concerns institutional routines that implicitly carry the message: do nothing and don’t care, resulting in an emotional and moral gap between the public and those who are suffering (97-115). Opposite to this, she places the so-called ecstatic news that she considers to be better, but which forms the minority of reports. These news stories contain more profound verbal and visual elements and require exclusive and active public involvement with those who suffer. Think of the live reporting of the event on September 11th. Chouliaraki emphasizes, however, that despite their differences, both types of news reports speak to the audience as being an already constituted community. However, these images do not lead to involvement of this community located in the safe west. Chouliaraki therefore concludes that neither of these new presentations encourage the public to take action against the suffering that occurs outside the West (157-185).

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2.2.2 Stereotyped representation

Based on the preceding paragraphs it becomes clear that the mediation of distant suffering is considered complicated and approached in different ways. Underlying this statement is another fundamental discussion in the representation of the distant others, and more specifically the refugees and indigenous peoples. Research by the Ethical Journalism Network has shown that, due to the lack of well-informed journalists in war areas, news agencies are often unable to produce detailed and reliable information. Also, no distinction between migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are often made (White, 12). In addition, Georgiou notes that the narratives in the European news reports changed during 2015, the year in which situation for the first time was referred to as the so-called refugee crisis. She argues that the European media in general were empathetic, but by the end of the year their reporting turned into statements driven by suspicion and sometimes even hostility towards the refugees (9).

A mechanism often used by the mainstream media to represent indigenous peoples and refugees is stereotyping. Brown defines this mechanism by suggesting that the subject is brought back to a number of simplified characteristics which are presumed to capture the nature of this group of people. He adds that this mechanism is used to maintain the social and symbolic order and this often applied where inequality of power exists, as is reflected in the mainstream media (1965). This may result in discriminatory views in public opinion in relation to refugees (Firmstone, 2008). White claims that there is a tendency in the mainstream media that migrants and refugees are often represented as an endless tide of people and thereby are reduced to a homogeneous mass. This mass would presumably be a threat to the way of life in the West (7). Bleiker's research into visual cultures or inhospitality adds that there are certain visual patterns that fame the dominant perception of the refugee in a standardized manner. He states that the group is often represented as passive victims who are in need of western help or as threats to the Western identity (193). These representations are then presented to the public in a particular format, such as, news items on the television news. Although positive imaging counteracts stereotyping of the mainstream media and which can contribute positively to the final representation, Hall suggests that these representations still exist within the dominant spheres of negative ones (1997). In addition to the dominant media agencies that produce their news with diverse interests, there are also more independent media forms that generally measure with other criteria. The so-called alternative media forms offer opportunities to highlight the causes of migration of large numbers of people in a different way.

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2.3 Alternative media

In the digital age, the field of alternative media offers an environment for journalists and academics who try to position their work outside of the mainstream media. The term alternative has come under scrutiny, with theorists ascribing different definitions and names to this form of media. Most discussions are about the term alternative (Atton 2002). However, Garcia focuses on what he calls tactical media (1997). Rodriguez, on the other hand, refers to citizen's media (2000). Carpentier's work, on the other hand, focuses on the connections between the alternative and the mainstream media. Carpentier argues that the alternative variant must be seen as a means that can instigate a debate and should not be confined to destructive antagonism (2008).

As Atton emphasizes, the alternative media offers opportunities for oppressed, marginalized and others whose voices are less heard. By letting these groups act as the main topics of the alternative news, he proposes that this offers opportunities for social and political changes (2001). For example, Zaradasht has started a conversation with the American government following his film in which the voices of the indigenous people from Iraq take center stage. In the past, discussions in the field of research mainly focused on the extent to which indigenous peoples were able to sound their voice within the dominant narratives. Today, the emphasis is more on questions about how indigenous media producers adapt their products to match Western ideologies. The academic interest in the production of indigenous media, and more specifically the production of film, led to the recognition of the so-called fourth cinema, also known as indigenous cinema. Characteristic of the fourth cinema is that it contradicts the historical colonial gaze by providing alternative perspectives that critically look at the dominant ideas of history and cultural relationships (Marcus & Fischer, 92).

2.3.1 Indigenous media

The attention for the voice of the indigenous people is not new. Self-representation by these groups has been investigated as part of the broader dynamics in which culture is manifested (Wagner 1980, Myers 1986, Linnekin 1992, Carrier 1995). The ethnographic projects of that age were seen as essentially political exercises in which the voice and experiences of the indigenous people were not included. In this regard their subordination was suggested. The protest against this tendency ultimately led to the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples to produce their own representations that would present a different image than originated from earlier ethnographic projects (Handler, 1993). In anthropology, the term self-representation refers to the way in which individuals and groups represent themselves within a community, how these representations are

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transmitted and ultimately validated (Thorley, 8). Salazar adds that the strategy of self-representation guarantees the right of indigenous people to autonomous forms of communication. This is achieved through control, ownership and self-management of the relevant media forms (508). From this point of view, in the past, Influential activist projects have been conducted from the anthropological point of viewthat aimed at the perspective of indigenous peoples. For the film Through Navajo Eyes (1972) by Alfred Clah anthropologists provided seven adult Navajos with cameras. In doing so, they sought out to understand the way in which the Navajos perceived the world around them. The film was a response to the crisis in anthropology during the 1960s that was marked by the widely criticized power relations between those who filmed and those who were filmed.

Salazar (2007) and Wilson (2008) claim that indigenous media productions should be considered within the wider context of globalization and more specifically within the international indigenous movement that began to form in the mid-century. The central idea is that the native media products try to rewrite the history that is influenced by the dominant Western narratives. This is also what Ginsburg called the production of audiovisual screen memories (1994). In addition, the concept of returning the gaze was introduced by Knopf. Meaning, by using colonial technologies, indigenous peoples criticize the colonial discourse (2010). Ginsburg emphasizes that these media productions must be understood within the broader influences of the social and cultural structures within which they circulate(1994).

2.3.2 Native reporting

Regarding the analysis of the corpus, within the broad field of indigenous media, I will specifically focus on what Atton and Wickenden call native reporting. They describe how native reporting uses first-person reporting of events. They prefer this method instead of the more distant and contemplating ways of reporting characteristic of most Western media. The native reporters, who form part of a particular community, report on their own experiences and situations. The main purpose of method is to provide the public with independent and reliable information (2005). In the practice, however, this means that native reporters are working on a point-and-shoot method relying on the camera to capture the event in a transparent way. However, what this method has yielded has been in a lot of cases unique and valuable, but not always reliable or representative of the general state of affairs (Wright 465, 468).

The so-called refugee journalists have more specific opportunities. The most well-known examples of projects using the input of such journalists are The Refugee Journalism Project, made possible by the

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London College of Communication, and the Refugee Journalism Project 2017, organized by the previously mentioned Ethical Journalism Network. These projects focus on the guidance of refugees, including writing skills, interviewing techniques and networking skills. In this way, the refugee journalists are considered more able to tell the story from their perspective. An interesting note is that Nowhere to Hide's director Zaradasht was already involved in projects before making the film in which he, in collaboration with others, trained refugee journalists to produce their own content. This way these native reporters contribute to the awareness in the Western world. In general, these experiences are shared with the public via the Internet. However, this form of journalism has also been implemented in the films I will analyze in a later stage. In both cases, the first-hand film footage of the native reporters is combined with images shot by the directors and in this way forms a coherent whole. In doing so, both directors have attempted to bring their own perspective to the background and bring the voice of the native reporter to center stage.

2.4 Documentary film

Over the years, research has been conducted into the way documentary film can be deployed for activist purposes, namely the idea that documentary film can contribute to awareness and activation of the public (LaMarre 2009, Whiteman 2009, Karlin 2011). Documentary film is regularly driven by the desire for social change such as in the 1930s with New Deal Films, the feminist films of the 1970s and the increasing production of independent documentaries (Aitken 1992, Winston 1995, Zimmerman 2000). On the other hand, Nisbet proposes that documentary film, despite the potential impact it has on society, is often overlooked by social science in media and communication research (451).

In the research field of documentary film, theorists focus on how migrant filmmakers produce representations of refugees, migrants and the politically dispossessed. For example, Demos explains how migrant filmmakers deal with themes like violence and inequality in order to confront the public with the lived experiences of economic and political crises. Demos argues that these films shed light on historical consciousness and social justice. Identity issues are often a key issue, with migrant filmmakers focusing on restoring simplified, incorrect migration representations (2013). Naficy describes how (forced) migration of the filmmaker influences the thematic and stylistic elements of the film. He introduces the term accented cinema, also the title of his book, with which he means that the aesthetics of the film can be influenced by experiences of displacement diaspora, migration or exile (2001). The film Nowhere to Hide can be placed within this framework as the director Zaradasht originally comes from Iraq, the country where the movie was recorded. He tries to show the Western

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world an image in which the forgotten and subordinate peoples get center stage. With this he wants to take a step in restoring the social justice of people suffering from the effects of global economic and political developments. Bluemel, the director of Exodus: Our Journey to Europe, pursues a similar goal, but has an essentially different point of departure. This British director is not driven by personal experiences of migration and identity issues, nevertheless, he is committed to providing the Western public with insights into the process of migration. With this he shows a critical look at existing stereotypes. However, the meaning of the film is not only constituted by the film text, the production process or the maker's background. The way in which the film is displayed, and thus framed in a certain way, also contributes to the way the audience experiences the film.

2.4.1 Film festivals

In the light of distant suffering as introduced in section 2.2.1, I will now focus on the impact of films on the public on film festivals. To get insights into the exhibition of films on festivals interdisciplinary exchanges took place between filmmakers, academics and organizers that then was combined in a book by Iordanova (2010). Despite that the book does not place the film festivals in a broader cultural perspective, it offers valuable insights into the relationship between the film text, its exhibition and the audience. Tascon argues that the audience is being addressed in a different manner on festivals, compared to television. This would increase the chance of encouraging a proactive attitude. The screening on an activist or humanitarian festival is part of a broader network of activities that go beyond the festival itself. As a result, the audience attending the festival would be stimulated to an existence beyond the film (2015). Iordanova's investigation indicates that festivals encourage a more profound discussion stating that it is these debates surrounding the films that give activist film festivals their value. Exodus: Our Journey to Europe has been brought to the public via the BBC Two. Nowhere to Hide, on the other hand, went through an intense film festival trajectory. The film has been screened at the International Film Festival Amsterdam, the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in London and the a similar named festival in New York.

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3. Analysis part I

3.1 Nowhere to Hide (2016)

The film begins in 2011 during the departure of the US Army and shows the developments that ultimately led to the refugee issue, at least from the perspective of the Iraqi population. Just as the inhabitants of the country, journalists fear their life’s. Since 2003, 180 journalists have been killed in Iraq. The question is who still dares to take on the task of reporting and is capable of accurately representing the war. This seems a complicated task concerning the emergence of no-go zones and the fact that the voice of the population is generally not heard. A step in the right direction was taken by Zaradasht Ahmed with his initiative to get access by means of a local nurse to a region that was inaccessible and invisible to the outside world. The unique glimpse of this film on the situation in Iraq has led to the film winning a lot of prizes, including the Nestor Almendros price for courage in film making at the Human Right Watch Film Festival in New York.

The film Nowhere to Hide shows the modern way of warfare in Iraq. We get insights into the so called Triangle of Death, one of the world's most dangerous and inaccessible areas. The film start by showing how Sharif works as a nurse treating victims of the war. As the threat increases, director Zaradasht asked him if he is prepared to take over the role as cameraman to capture life in the inaccessible war zone. Sharif then decides to tell the stories of the population that have been forgotten by the government and the media. In this part of the film, we as a public, very intimately experience the effects of the war that impacts the whole country. In collaboration with the Norwegian doctor called Dr. Hans and his team Sharif travels through different villages and with his camera captures the living conditions of the population. As the threat of violence increases, Sharif is forced to leave his village. We see Sharif's role of documenting other victims of war and in the situation in which he turns the camera to himself. Sharif and his family become nomadic refugees in their own country as they move through thirteen different locations before reaching a refugee camp where a lot of citizens got trapped in a similar situation.

3.2 Context of the film

Zaradasht Ahmed is a Kurdish Iraqi originally from Sulaymaniyah located in northern Iraq. He lives in Norway for more than 20 years now. In 1991, in the Gulf of Iraq and surrounding areas, he was expected to fight for the government. Instead, he decided to flee the country and left for Europe. He emphasizes that there is often uncertainty about the distinction between people who are forced to leave and people who have chosen to leave the country. The motive for Zaradasht to make the film

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does not arise from the suggested similarities he has with the main character, so he said. The motivation to make this film is as follows:

“Real people from Iraq like Nori [Sharif] rarely make it into the news here in the UK. Part of the reason is that Nowhere to Hide took six years to shoot, but a news bulletin is just two minutes and there is no space for emotion and sensitivity. Then there’s also the fact that people in Europe don’t have the capacity, or the will to really focus on what’s happening in Iraq.”. (Middle east monitor)

His motivation corresponds to what I explained in the theoretical framework. With the film, Zaradasht tries to confront the audience so that they can no longer ignore the situation and the living conditions of the people in the Middle East. By focusing on Sharif's personal story he intends to show that it is the innocent and poor population that suffers the most from the war. However, Zaradasht does not point his finger to the guilty, but instead shows that all actions have their consequences.

The idea for the film was established around 2008 in Afghanistan. Zaradasht noted that the mainstream media did not tell the whole story about the invasion of American troops in Afghanistan. This invasion would be aimed at eliminating Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Together with Dr. Hans Zaradasht worked on a project where local doctors and journalists were trained to produce first-hand information from areas where the mainstream media had no access. In this way, direct testimonies originated from areas previously discussed by Western media, but often based on poorly informed sources. The possibilities offered by the local journalists' unique perspective was also used by Zaradasht in Nowhere to Hide. In the scene in which he asks Sharif to take over his camera, Zaradasht voice is explicitly audible. In the course of the film, he goes to the background and the scenes feel as if they were all directed by Sharif, but Zaradasht openly reveals the details about the way in which the film was made. In order to be able to construct a coherent narrative, he, despite being unable to be present in the areas, always tried to keep control over the filming process. He states:

“Nori [Sharif] was very motivated to tell his story, so I started to follow him and I gave him the tools to document it. And I taught him how to interview and to record things. And of course with supervising and direct controlling, following and going to the area with him.”. (Middle east monitor)

Zaradasht continues his story by saying that Sharif wanted to confront the public with the reality he faced daily. In addition, from a civil perspective, he wanted to show that the war was not over after the US troops had withdrawn.

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3.3 Discourse articulated by the film

From the perspective of the nurse Sharif, the film Nowhere to Hide suggests that those who suffer most from the war in Iraq are the innocent and often powerless people. The people were expecting a new start with the departure of the Americans in 2011 and peace would return, but nothing could be less true. The film shows the increasing unrest and oppression in Iraq. The only thing people still seem to talk about is the war and therefor it has become a part of daily life. People are living in tension as anyone may be the next to commit an act of terrorism or become a victim. The war that rages through the country leaves not only a trail of destruction in the cities, but even more so in the lives of its inhabitants. In addition, the people who are most affected and living under poor conditions seem to be forgotten by the media and the Iraqi government. The population lives in uncertainty as it is assigned to itself and should not expect government assistance, where there is much need. There are many tragic stories that nobody hears of, let alone abroad.

The film suggests that this war cannot be understood. It is a war that doesn’t show its motives. It is a war of which only the symptoms are visible. One sees only the oppression, the massacres and the destruction. The film describes it as a war that has a paralyzing effect on the will and determination of those who suffer from it. Nevertheless, life goes on in Iraq. It is unclear how long this war will continue to last, but in the meantime people do not remain passive waiting for it to come to an end. Through the story of Sharif the nurse, the film tells the story that the will to live is stronger than the forces that try to destroy his life. Despite the circumstances, Sharif and his colleagues continue to do their work at the hospital, showing a much-needed spark of hope and perseverance. At the same time, the film shows that any form of hope, is affected by oppression and the incidental dangers. When the destructive forces prevail, there seems to be no other solution than to flee.

3.3.1 Oppression of the people

The film shows how the people in the years after the American withdrawal were suppressed by militias, IS and the regime. The regime, which is expected to protect the people, seems to rule by force and does not tolerate resistance. After the opening scene the film goes three years back in time to a scene in which Zaradasht with a medium shot records how Sharif treats a victim of the war in the ambulance headed towards the hospital. This is a day like all others, but the event happening today is what makes this scene special. While the ambulance is driving to the hospital with great hurry, the following news message sounds on the radio:

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“Today is the 31st of December [2011], and for us Iraqis it is the beginning of a new era. The news of the American troops withdrawing has been received with song and dance by the Iraqis. The whole country is now independent and free. However, there are many challenges awaiting us now, after eight years of occupation, and the overthrow of Saddam’s regime.”.

Through the ambulance's front window it shows how the car is blocked by a large amount of slow-moving cars. The setting is characterized by the presence of Iraqi soldiers. Through speakers the message sounds that they will protect their brothers, meaning the people, now that the Americans have left. This implies that the times of invasion and oppression are over. An image that is refuted during the course of the film.

Halfway through the film it is shown how the Sunni community, which forms the majority in that area, demands greater involvement in the political situation of the area. The entire scene has been filmed by Sharif who also accompanies the demonstration, as he is part of the Sunni denomination. During the demonstration, he turns the camera to himself, suggesting that, in addition to the task of a journalist, he is as part of the group of dissatisfied people. However, the vast majority of the demonstration is experienced from a point of view perspective of Sharif. The tension between the people and the regime regarding the demonstration becomes evident when through the depth of field of the shot Sharif demonstrates the protruding mass while in the background the power of the armed regime is visible. When the crowd turns itself to the ruling party, with slogans like "down with the regime", Sharif's first-hand perspective shows the oppression of the people. A few seconds after he expressed concern that police forces are going to attack the crowd, the camera is turned towards the ground and in the chaos it is no longer Sharifs priority to capture the demonstration, but to run for his life. A short while later, Sharif films with wide shot how a few nurses, recognizable by the emblems on their jackets, discuss what to do with one of the victims of violence by the police forces. Sharif focuses his camera on the injured man who is lifeless on his belly. He interprets it as an execution and emphasizes this by a close-up of the police stamp on the dead man's arm. The sequence ends with a longshot of a helicopter of the regime whose sound could be heard before.

The new beginning that was spoken in 2011 does not seem to be what the people hoped for. Where the perception in the West often times exists that the good forces fight the evil ones, it seems a be lot more complicated in practice. For example, the Americans support parties who are said to be the terrorists. Based on the analyzed sequence, the film suggests that the people living in Iraq are in a powerless position. When you are suppressed as a resident of a country by the one who has the task of protecting you, to who do you turn for help? This is a question that characterizes the situation of many of those living in Iraq. Where the Western media characterizes itself by doing the reporting from

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the side-lines, Sharif with his camera is at the frontline of violence and oppression. In an area that is not accessible to outsiders, he is the one who confronts the public with what has always been hidden. The images and the accompanying interpretations therefore give meaning to these events.

3.3.2 Consequences of war

In the previous section, I explained how the Sunni majority is suppressed by the regime, but the oppression in the area also comes from the extremist groups. Images from an unknown source give first-hand information concerning the aftermath of a suicide attack in a living environment. The lower resolution and the choppy frame makes me think the images are shot by a citizen who is running towards the place of the attack. The setting is characterized by torn pieces of clothing, burned bodies and destroyed cars. The following sequence shows how the victims are treated in the hospital from Sharif's perspective. The montage emphasizes the unpredictability of the attacks by showing a moment of rest, in which Sharif performs an easy treatment, cutting this with images of astonishment and then an hectic situation in which the nurses react to the situation.

While Sharif is captures images through the front windows of a van, there is a news message via the radio. These messages provide context and also steer the plot of the film. Sharif turns the camera to himself and we experience how he takes notice of the news:

“According to the annual report on Iraq by the American inspector General Stewart Boing, one year after the American withdrawal, this country is facing tough times. Violence and corruption has increased dramatically. During the last two years the violence has reached record levels. In September alone, 1840 Iraqis were killed. The bloodiest month since 2010”.

The strength of the film is that from Sharif's perspective the public gets insights into hidden situations. With a wide shot, Sharif films a garbage dump where a two children aging around twelve are sorting bottles and cans from the litter. Their father told them to do this instead of going to school. As the shots of the children continue, a dialogue between Sharif and their parents starts. The father got paralyzed after he's been shot and became unable to work. He decided to take away his children’s future so that they don’t have to starve to dead. A little later, Sharif responds mesmerized when he hears that the child earns €0.50 per kilo of cans, on which the child turns his head down. Sharif comments that the condition in which the family is living is representative of many others in the area. When someone is hit by the war it often affects the entire family.

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At the same time, the film suggests that life in Iraq continues. This is shown through shots of a market, a tea house, restaurants and busy intersections. The wedding scene shows that the people are not taken down by the oppression and threats of violence. As a guest Sharif is part of the festivities while capturing everything with his camera. The crowd dances festively around the wedding couple while loud music plays. The fact that the people are dancing, laughing and eating shows that they have their minds on other things than the situation in the country. Through the montage, the audience is brought back into the raw reality with a close-up of an act of terrorism with a sticky bomb. The car is completely burned out. From the commentary of the victim and the surrounding crowd it appears that it is unclear who placed the bomb. That the neighborhood residents express their support suggests that this is an attack on an innocent worker.

In the broader perspective of this thesis, I see the attacks shown as one of the reasons why a part of the population decides to flee the country. However, in the West such attacks do not or hardly ever appear in the media. To fill this gap in the mainstream media, the film penetrates into the living conditions of the people. There will be a day on which the war will come to an end, but that does not mean that the consequences for the population will be overcome. How will the future look like for the child who cannot go to school because he is the breadwinner of the family at a young age? All in all, the film, through testimonies and footage, gives meaning to the main idea that the poor suffer most from this war. They do not need to expect (financial) help from the government. These people are forgotten. Through the initiative of Zaradasht and Sharif's courage, their voice is heard for the first time.

3.3.3 Hope and bravery in desperate times

Together with the Norwegian doctor Dr. Hans, specialized in war wounds, and a number of Iraqi colleagues, Sharif is doing his best to help the victims. Despite the fact that they are doing a venerable profession, in an area where this is most needed, the film also shows that they are also under pressure from destructive forces. The work they perform symbolizes the last bit of hope in seemingly hopeless times.

An establishing shot combined with onscreen text indicates that the next event takes place in Sulaymaniyah, located in Northern Iraq. This scene shows the relationship between doctor, nurse and patient in which patient’s gratitude is central. In addition, this scene suggests that the relationship between Iraqis and Westerners is not by definition hostile, as is often said in Western media. This idea is refuted in the film when the disabled Iraqi embraces Dr. Hans with a smile on his face, greeting him

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even more than his fellow Iraqi people. A close up of a tray with cups of tea emphasizes the cosy atmosphere. Dr. Hans designs a special shoe with pen and paper that will allow the patient to get back to work and hopefully get his life back on track. With this scene, the importance of the doctors and nurses becomes apparent in that the patients depend on their problem-solving ability.

A little later in the film, the increasing threat makes the majority of hospital staff flee. In Sharif's perspective it shows how an innocent family is brought into the hospital. Together with the mother of the family he walks towards the treatment room where the shot ends with a bloody girl lying motionless on a bed. From the close-up of a wounded baby it appears that in this war no one is taken into account. Sitting on the ground in the commotion, the mother is just stared in front of her looking defeated by the situation. Meanwhile Sharif and his colleagues are speaking, but this is not subtitled. In a shot from the main entrance of the hospital, the sound of gunshots are heard. Sharif turns the camera around and focuses on the staff who sit there silently. The powerlessness is noticeable from their body language. Sharif then turns the camera to himself and directly turns to the public of the film:

“Because of the fighting we are in a really tough situation right now. We are trapped between the two forces: Kurdish Peshmerga and ISIS. We won’t be able to take it much longer.”.

Later in the film Sharif reaches his lowest point. He had to leave the area because of the dangerous situation. On behalf of the Ministry of Health, he returns to the abandoned city with his colleagues to measure the damage in the hospital. This scene is filmed entirely by Zaradasht while Sharif captures images for the ministry. The dialogue between the people sitting in the van indicates that they are at great risk as certain militias in the area are in control. From the moment the people leave the van, Zaradasht follows with the camera in Sharif's back. It can be seen how he experiences the destruction of the hospital. At one of the last rooms Sharif turns to the camera. The tears show in his eyes. The focus is on Sharif's emotion when it hits him that all the good he and his colleagues stood for is destroyed by the destructive forces. With the combination of shots of destruction and Sharif's expressions of incomprehension about the state of the hospital it is suggested that this is a war that cannot be understood.

Sharif, with his work as a nurse in the film, is the connecting factor between violence in Iraq and the population. Implicitly, the film suggests that there are more wounds and problems than nurses who can solve this. As Sharif notes, the danger has become invisible, with the result that tensions among the people and the various parties have increased. This manifests itself in a form of anarchy where no one is save and rifles are pointed towards innocent families. The fact that Zaradasht is willing to take a risk, as evidenced by the hospital scene, shows me the dynamics between him and Sharif. You might

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think that Zaradasht chose such a method, sending Sharif into the field, so that he doesn’t have to worry about his own life. Thus, from a safe place, he would be able to give orders, but the fact that he is prepared to enter dangerous territories himself proves me the opposite.

3.3.4 Finding refuge to survive

Despite the perseverance of Sharif and his colleagues, due to the oppression and the increasing violence there remains no other option but to flee. Sharif films himself and his friends when a television news report comments on the increasing threat:

“… can you please help me understand the security situation in the province right now? A lot of cities are in turmoil right now, especially in central Iraq. Families in the Diyala area are becoming targets for different armed groups. Many families have been forced to leave by this groups. After the army left, the metropolis Mosul has fallen to the hands of the Islamic State. Town after town in central Iraq is falling as well.”.

This sequence constituted of three types of shots that together create a disturbing image. On the foreground Sharif is closely watching the television news report. Followed by close-ups of the news report showing the armed IS forces. Third, shots of his children who are in the same room. In the subsequent scene, this dreadful thought suggested by the combination of scenes comes to life. Sharif films a car filled withbullet holes. It is an attack on an innocent family in which the youngest child got killed. The blood is visible on the chairs.

After Sharif and his family have already had several temporary shelters, they arrive at a small abandoned cottage. A conversation he has with a number of men is interfered by the sound of a bombardment from the nearby artillery. Sharif continues his story as he directs himself to the camera and directly appeals to the audience of the film. He tells us about his concerns regarding the state of the people in the country. At that very same moment, the impact of a second attack is heard. The explosion causes the camera to vibrate. Sharif picks up the camera and from his perspective shows the smoke coming from the nearby military base. A man who walks in front of the camera says that the bombs seem to come closer to their place of residence. Then Sharif asks his daughters in a medium shot whether they are afraid of the bombs. With a smile on their face, they indicate at the same time that this is not the case. Sharif concludes that his daughters have become accustomed to the threats. Then the family loads all their belongings in the car and leaves for the next location.

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The last stop the family makes in this film is the Internally Displaced People camp. The amount of children present on the premises is striking to the environment. Sharif had given the opportunity to others to speak, now he himself is a victim of the war just like them. Although the family lost everything apart from each other, Sharif's perseverance shows when he goes back to his nursing occupation and helps people injuries or other problems in his new office. He is also filmed by someone when he inspects children in the improvised school. While the school is visible in a wide shot, the voice over sounds:

“Right now we cannot tell when or how the war will end. But in the meantime we can’t just sit and wait for the war to finish. We may lose a generation or two, but in the end the will to build will win over the forces of destruction.”.

Through the analyzed scenes, the film shows that the people are in a very vulnerable position where they are caught between the heavily armed rival troops. By focusing the camera on the news reports itself, powerlessness also appears as Sharif takes the information, but he can do nothing to change the situation. In addition, the first-hand report of the journey as a refugee in his own country provides an insight into the situation in which one is fully appointed to his own. The people flee to shelters, which in some cases do not even meet the basic needs. And the film shows that even when you're fleeing, the war follows them everywhere. Finally, the film shows the enormous perseverance of Sharif.

3.4 Reflection

The main motivation for Zaradasht to use the input of a native reporter is the fact that he did not have access to the Triangle of Death. For Sharif, the motivation was to portray the suffering of the people with whom he was confronted daily. In case Sharif himself was unable to operate the camera, he left this to his colleagues. Together with the images Sharif shot himself, they make the biggest part of the film, about 60-70%. In some cases it was unclear whether the camera was operated by Zaradasht or a colleague of Sharif. In a number of shots, the framing and the blur indicate that it was most likely handled by someone other than Zaradasht, I think Sharif's colleague. Sharif's images are unique in the sense that he gives insights to the public from a native perspective that is not being addressed by the mainstream media. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that this is only one perspective. There may also be other points of view in Iraq that highlight the situation in a different way. Nevertheless, Sharif tells the story of the poor population who, by mutual similarities, seem to representative for the majority of people. Also, Sharif has had to prioritize and point the camera on what seemed most important to him. This is an interesting point of view as the Western media, who are on the sidelines, decide as outsiders what matters most for us. The position of Sharif and his

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interpretation of what happens around him does have certain pros and cons. Firstly, he is familiar with the situation because he has been part of the developments in the country over the years. This allows him to provide the film with enlightening context, thereby giving meaning to certain situations. On the other hand, you can ask yourself to what extent he might lose himself in subjectivity. It could be that he got led by his emotions at certain times in the filming process, where a journalist from outside might report in a more detached manner.

Another striking feature of the film is the fact that all persons, except for Dr. Hans, are speaking in their native language. This results in a natural way of communicating without the need for a translator. Secondly, the film shows certain cultural elements and habits. For example the way people greet one another, dine in the evening and the clothing they wear. In addition, the director has stayed close to Iraqi culture by composing all of music on traditional instruments. Another striking point is the fact that the film exclusively uses Iraqi news reports that have a steering effect on the plot. The reports from television and radio show the way in which the situation in the country is represented by the native media. Finally, I think that the affinity of Zaradasht and the fact that he speaks the language has probably played a significant role in the contact with Sharif and the trust he has gained with him. In addition, the interest of Zaradasht and the network that he has already built through previous project contributed to the development of his latest film.

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4. Analysis part II

4.1 Exodus: Our Journey to Europe (2016)

The BAFTA award winning series Exodus: Our Journey to Europe follows every stage of the dangerous journey migrants have to make in order to reach the safe countries in Europe. The filmmakers follow multiple individuals and families as they cross borders and sometimes even desperately try to reach their final destination in Europe. The 11-year-old Isra’a who is born in Aleppo, Syria travels with fifteen other family members as they try to reach Germany. Their storyline starts at the Turkish port of Izmir. After a tough journey and countless miles of walking the family finally arrives in Germany, where they wait for the asylum requests to be accepted. Secondly, the film follows the 27-year-old Hassan who was imprisoned and tortured in his native city of Damascus, Syria. With a go-pro camera he documents the journey by dinghy crossing the sea from Turkey to one of the Greek islands. During the first attempt the boat catches too much water making it to sink. Luckily the 40+ people on board of the boat are rescued, but they are send back to Turkey. Later than expected, he eventually succeeded in reaching the UK. The third storyline is that of Ahmad who left his wife and two daughters in Syria as he also tries to reach the UK. In Calais a human trafficker instructs him to hide in a lorry, where he almost dies from suffocation. Nevertheless, he refuses to give up his wish to reach his final destination. Eventually Ahmad arrives in the UK where his asylum request is successfully processed and he safely flies his wife and daughters over to their new home. Another main storyline is that of the 24-year-old Sadiq. He fled from Afghanistan to escape from the Taliban's violence and together with his friends starts his journey towards Finland, a country he does not really know anything about. He also succeeds in reaching his destination, but his asylum request is not fulfilled. The last extensive storyline is that of Ali and his sisters who also fled oppression in Afghanistan. In this film their story ends in Athens after the Greek border closed, leaving them nowhere to go. Also, there is a shorter storyline of a young man called Anas, but it comes to an end after he crosses the sea and we never hear of him again. At last the film shows the story of a 21-year-old Gambian, economic refugee called Alaigie. This story will not be discussed in this thesis considering he is not from the Middle-East and the background of his story differs from that what this thesis sets out to analyze.

4.2 Context of the film

Although the wars in the Middle East are the main cause of the greatest migratory flows since the Second World War, major events in Europe also made that the flow of refugees increased. By mid-2015, the Macedonian government decided to amend its policy that lifted the ban on transit through

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the country. As a result, the refugees received temporary three-day asylum permits, allowing them to travel legally through the country by road or by train. As a consequence, the refugees chose a route from Turkey to Greece, and from there to their final destination, as shown by the film. In addition, the price charged by smugglers decreased from an average of € 5,000 to €2,000.

James Bluemel, the director and Wil Anderson, the producer, aimed to stimulate the public so that they would critically reflect on the stereotypes that exist with regard to refugees. Like the common stereotyping in which the refugees are represented as helpless victims or as the bad guys. Anderson is given the following explanation:

“Being able to go a little bit further than traditional current affairs reporting on this issue allows you to go beyond where people tend to, by necessity, get boxed into certain categories, simply because you don’t have so much time in current affairs reporting and the news to actually develop a relationship with those people themselves. So, what we wanted to do was to humanize the phenomenon, and to try and go behind those headlines a bit, and find a way to tell the real human stories of the people who were making these journeys. We thought that if we could do that in a sympathetic way, then that would encourage people to think about the whole thing a bit differently.”. (Open.Edu)

This film has made use of images shot by the filmmakers and by the refugees themselves. By 2015, the production team began distributing camera phones and memory cards to refugees who were about to leave their motherland or had already left in order to escape to Europe. The refugees were willing to film where the English filmmakers were not able to. Think of the crossing of the sea from Turkey to Greece or in a lorry making its way through the Eurotunnel. Anderson says he following:

“The fact was that they were already filming themselves. Just like the rest of the developed world is filming themselves the whole time. So we felt that that was probably the way of unlocking the story, in a new way that hadn’t been done before. And from that spark came this idea that … people could tell their story in a much more immediate way than there has otherwise been possible.”. (Open.Edu)

The film makers say that they have not influenced the journey of the refugees or have put them in unnecessary danger. You can wonder to what extend this has actually been the case considering that they were asked to record scenes without the notice of smugglers, during the boat trip by sea and other situations. A complication in the used method is the poor training of the refugees in capturing coherent narrative sequences. This resulted in that they only captured small pieces of their journeys through Europe. Bluemel explains this:

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“We just gave them extra memory cards. I sat down with each person and said: This is a very quick lesson in how to film: Please remember to film in landscape rather than portrait, these are the shots that make up a sequence, and good luck, off you go.”. (Radiotimes)

Due to the limited narrative qualities of self-shot images by the refugees, Bluemel decided to record interviews with refugees in order to fill the holes in the content. These interviews with the main characters emotionally reflecting on past situations, have been recorded afterwards and give guidance to the story.

4.3 Discourse articulated by the film

The voice-over in the introduction of each episode raises the expectation that by distributing cameras the story of the refugees will be told from their perspective. In addition, the film suggests that, due to the unrest in the Middle East, there is no other option than fleeing to Europe. For refugees, Europe means freedom of oppression and danger. Even though they lived in fear, people are no longer surprised by the acts of violence in the motherland. It seems to be part of life. Cities and lives are being destroyed, but there seems to be a way out. In the hope of a better life, individuals and entire families make the journey towards Europe. In order to reach the final destination, people are prepared to take the risk of putting their lives at stake. Generally, the risks are worth it, they say.

Before the one way journey can begin, one often sells all his possessions to pay for smugglers. From Izmir, Turkey hundreds of thousands of refugees leave towards Europe. The film shows that human trafficking seems to be the most normal thing in this area. The refugees are entirely dependent on the criminals who exploit their dependent situation. The film suggests that, a market has been created around the refugees in which they are exploited despite of their poor situation. In addition, the refugees are often in difficult circumstances during their journey. However, this does not apply to all refugees and seems mainly due to their lesser financial situation. All in all, the film constructs an image in which the refugees show their enormous perseverance. Finally, the through a voice-over the film suggests that Western people are no different from the refugees.

4.3.1 Destruction and oppression

In contrary Nowhere to Hide’s first-hand reporting, Exodus: Our Journey to Europe shows the complicated situation in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan mainly through archive images. These archive images are supported by testimonies that are recorded in an interview setting. These testimonies in

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the interview setting are recorded after the journey has ended. A common construction to refer to the situation in the motherland is used early in the first episode and is the following: the filmmaker shows how Tarek and his daughter do their trading on the black market to finance the trip to Germany. In voiceover Tarek explains what his life was like in Syria before the war began. Just before the voice-over begins, a high tone is used to enhance the uncomfortable feeling. When he tells about the destruction in the country, the archive images begin. This compilation consists of different image resolutions from unknown sources and showing the war in the motherland. The sequence ends with Tarek's voiceover: "Destruction everywhere. I wanted to save my family ". This way of montage is representative of most other cases in the film in which the main characters reflect on the situation in the motherland.

Another way to visualize the motivation to leave is also indirect. The countries in the Middle East from which people decide to flee are generally characterized by the oppression of women. However, in the film, this oppression is not first-handed, but is evidenced by the testimonies in the interview setting and two scenes that show the happiness of women who are liberated from oppression as they arrived in Europe. The Afghan refugee Ali and his four sisters are in a hotel as the filmmaker captures how the women pulls up the curtain of a big window. The frame is made up of the woman in front of the window, with the cameraman positioned in her back. Ali's sister expresses her astonishment of the fact that the men and women walk together in the streets. A close up of her smiling face is cut with images of couples filmed hand in hand from the hotel window. They express the hope that Afghanistan will ever be like what they experience through the hotel window. The oppression is similarly dealt with during a walk through Greece. The conditions are bad. The bus is broken and Isra’a and her family must continue their journey by foot. It rains, there is dirt along the track, they walk and the children are complaining. In a wide shot, the cameraman captures the family with the mother in the middle. With a big smile on her face she says:

“This is the best holiday I’ve ever had. It’s an amazing adventure. I was suffocating at home and now I’m free. I couldn’t even leave the house for months and months. Now I’m loose on the streets. I’m even sleeping on the streets. Thank you God. Now I have the chance to walk in the rain, I love it”.

Using this sequence, the film attempts to show the severity of oppression in the motherland.

A third way to show motivation is to capture the danger first-hand in the motherland. However, this occurs only once and has not been filmed by filmmakers or refugees themselves, but by an organization from Syria. In this case, it is Anas who tells about his events in Syria in the interview setting in combination with images of his destroyed city. A little later, the danger is captured when Anas is in a van on his way to Turkey. While Anas reflects on the view of the destroyed city Aleppo a