The Immigrant and Refugee Experience — 5 Documentaries to Watch
Whether discussing the experience of a Ghanaian migrant crossing the Mediterranean through the Sahara, or the plight of an Iranian Christian fleeing religious persecution, these documentaries offer an intimate and compelling portrait of the refugee and immigrant experience. Though not an exhaustive list, these pieces offer a diverse range of voices which edify our collective consciousness. In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s remember the invisible battles that people fight every day, and the extraordinary circumstances many endure for a better life. For a greater understanding of each journey, watch any or all of the five below.
Tomatoes and Greed
Duration: 52 Minutes | Watch here
“Free trade should not destroy livelihoods,” protests a Ghanaian economist when discussing Ghana’s struggling agricultural industry. Tomatoes and Greed produced by DW, articulates the harrowing and contemporary connection of global influence, trade agreements, and exploitation. Once a country with a thriving tomato industry, Tomatoes and Greed demonstrates how Ghana, and other African nations are held at diplomatic gunpoint to import and export products with terms mainly agreeable to their internationally stronger counterparts. This feature raises the issues of fair trade, conscious consuming, and political retaliation on the world stage. As a naturally ensuing flow of migrants journeys to Italy and other European countries as a result, Tomatoes and Greed offers an insightful examination in answering not “why are [they] here” but “why won’t you leave?”
Fatima’s Drawings
Duration: 5 Minutes | Watch here
“What if it was your child” is often asked when demanding empathy for fellow human beings. I argue that it shouldn’t have to be your child, imagined or otherwise, to understand the brutal affects and residual trauma that warfare brings. Fatima’s Drawings by Magnus Wennman is a short and powerful film about missile raids and crossing the Mediterranean sea through the lens of a little girl. Fatima, like many children affected by warfare, wants to play hide and seek with her best friend, not spend time in a detention center for asylum-seekers. Taking just five minutes of your time, this film reminds us of the simple needs that children have, and the decisions adults take that rob them of the most innocent experiences.
Asylum in America
Duration: 25 Minutes | Watch here
Describing the onset of his experience, Imran realized that Manus island wasn’t a place to process his asylum claim, instead he recalls, “I was [t]here to be tortured.” And he was right. Part of Papua New Guinea, Manus island held a detention center where asylum seekers were kept as prisoners while seeking refuge from persecution. This twenty-five documentary by Erik Tlozek follows Amir and Imran, of Iran and Myanmar respectively, on their journeys to the Americas as refugees finally reaching safety. Showing the most frustrating experiences of bureaucracy juxtaposed against the unparalleled benevolence and community action, Asylum in America reminds us to remember the importance of compassion, civil liberties, and acceptance.
The Mothers of Rinkeby: Last Night in Sweden
Duration: 24 Minutes | Watch here
“Extra, Extra.” That’s how much Nasteho, President of the Mother’s Night Patrol feels she needs to demonstrate how much she cares for her children, otherwise others won’t believe her. A Somali-immigrant in the Rinkeby neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden, Nasteho and a group of mothers patrol the streets every weekend to prevent gang violence. Living in what the media calls a “‘no-go’ zone”, Nasteho and her community are fighting to keep their neighborhood and children safe. Chanting at meetings “Yes we can,” this community is set to prove that behind the labels and stigmas so quickly attached to them, they are in fact human beings who have the same dreams as their non-immigrant counterparts. Nasteho proclaims, “there’s nothing in this world that can’t be improved.” If we all shared this ethos, our world would be a much better place.
Who Owns Jerusalem?
Duration: 28 Minutes | Watch here
This documentary is less about refugees and more about the source of conflict that creates them: claiming ownership of Jerusalem. Filmed recently after then-U.S. President Donald Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, against the advice of the international community, Israelis and Palestinians discuss the future of their respective countries and the viability of a two-state solution. Discussing the efficacy of U.S. and European diplomacy, segregated schools, and historical connections to the land, this documentary gives a brief insight of the residents of one of the most divided countries in the world. Muhammad Mughrabi tells us how sick and tired he is of the violence; with the most recent developments in Gaza and Israel, we hope peace will soon be on the horizon.
