A Midmorning Viewing of Midnight Traveler
Heavy set doors swung as I entered into Jesse Hall. A large conglomeration of people huddled near a side of the ticket counter and towards the theatre. „No formal lines yet, theater opens at 11“ is called out by a woman in a flourishing pink hat and wonderfully audacious dress. The room held an anticipation as they time ticked towards seating. With that passing time streamed in more moviegoers, adding to the already bustling area. I leaned myself against a pillar and eyed the crowd. everyone seemed to be ready, talking amongst their smaller groups and meandering back and forth from ticket counter to concessions.
As I waited I had the chance for a quick talk with the woman in pink, who seemed somewhat surprised I held a ticket with no pass, what difference that may make i dont know. I found out later that this ‘Q Queen’ was in charge of loose ticketing for films. 11 O clock struck, and the doors to the theatre opened. The group slowly huddled its way through the doors and I joined into the mass. After giving my ticket I walked into a dark lit room and eyes the seating. Unexpectedly there was a row relatively untouched within the upper middle of the seats, so I snatched my opportunity quickly. Sitting down I had an almost perfect viewing positio, with no blocked screen and good eye level. The west coast band of three onstage played a synthy beat with drums and what appeared to be a large xylophone. It was a quite nice performance before the film. The hall itself was very much packed by the end of seating, after a note from the speaker Hassan‘s journey unfolded before my eyes.
Midnight Traveler centers around Hassan and his families‘ travel from Afghanistan to Germany, in search of refuge from dangers at home. The film kicks off already within Fazili‘s journey, as the family of 4 (Hassan, wife Fatima, and daughters Nargis and Zahra) prepares to leave Tajikistan and return to their home of Afghanistan. Seeking asylum after becoming a target of the Taliban (Hassan filmed a documentary about a former Taliban leader), the family was denied refuge in Australia , showing in the film their large file of papers needed for the process. Setting off on a land journey to seek refuge, the family drives and walks through the various topographies of multiple countries. Along this route the Fazili family experiences harsh outdoor conditions, anti-immigrant locals, arrest, detainment, and a few more mundane trials throughout the film. Boredom strikes the Nargis at one point in the film to which the mother berates her, showing even ‘trivial‘ problems can have an impact in such a perilous situation. The film ends with them in still waiting to be granted refugee status, waiting within a transit holding area. Although bleak imagery to leave the audience with, a feeling of confidence and success lingers as well. They had made it so far already, who is to say that the compound would be the final stop?
And final stop it was not. A short clip after the film notes that Hassan and his family reside within Germany, and were able to present the film at the Berlinale(Berlin‘s International Film Festival ) It was noted as well that the family had a ill-willed lawyer, and hired a new one to work their case, as their status had not been approved In a live conversation via internet, the crowd at Jesse held an open Q&A with Fazili.
The film dives greatly into the families struggle, mixing between common issues plaguing refugees and issues specific to the family. The film holds few truly ‘cinematic‘ shots, but this type of film would not benefit from the glaze that is Hollywood-style filmmaking. The film is shot only on mobile phones, with all of the family being cameramen. With help from Emelie Mahdavan the family was able to relinquish the footage through locals and send it to the US throughout the course of their journey. The story is that of humanity, one that requires the grounding in reality often lost in traditional films. Its stripped away soundtrack of synths, warbles, and hums both high and low provide more than enough filmic tension for the audience, more so when paired with the harrowing onscreen struggle. I would like to note however, that some impact of the score was lost on myself. At a time during the film, audio had cut from the speakers and was replaced by a increasingly loud reverb. While this issue was fixed almost immediately in Jesse Hall, it left an anxiety about whether the tones I would hear throughout were mistake or intent from the soundtrack.
It was interesting to read this review on Midnight Traveler that did not embrace the film. Rather Vadim Rizov found the onscreen images fleeting, noting that the film stems into a more traditional documentary sense. I can somewhat agree with Rizov‘s point, as the film itself never felt urgency. There were points of tension in the film, but once out of their native country the prime issue (Hassad‘s wanting by the Taliban) is pushed to the wayside. It holds over the family like a storm cloud, but it does not chase them by the coattails within the film.
Another writer, Kaleem Aftab, notes that the artistic minds of Hassan and Fatima detract slightly from the feeling of realness within the film. Aftab juxtaposes this notion as a conflict between their self view as filmmakers and the outward view of being refugees. One point that Aftab brings up that I wholly agree with is the apparent lack of a sense of passing time. By the end of the film, I hadn‘t necessarily realized it had been three years aside from onscreen dates. For myself this also detracts from the film‘s urgency somewhat as well.
Overall I saw this film as a true delve into the refugee crisis, giving eyes to those that may not ever have the change to empathize with such an issue. It brings the idea of immigration struggles faced, both external and localized, to the forefront. Hassan took the chance to tell his own story, and through his story something else shown through. Hassan‘s film highlights the perseverance and sacrifice needed to ensure that life can be pursued safely. Refugees often are seen in a negative light, but this film acts as a reminder for the humanity of those that gave up everything for a single chance.
