Migration
Human migration or displacement for various purposes will always take place. Humans move due to a pressing factor such as war or a voluntary act such as career advancement. Migration always brings consequences, especially a forced one or one that’s driven by non-fulfillment of economic and human rights, such as war or conflict.
In this Madani program, we will take a deeper look at migrants and the consequences of their displacement. Many of them experience violence, trauma, depression, and acute anxiety due to the various consequences of this displacement.
This program presents films from Indonesia, Iran, and Malaysia. We will present films produced by SBMI (Indonesian Migrant Workers Union) and Greenpeace to learn better about the story of Indonesian ship crew who often receive inhumane treatment–sometimes ending up in death. There’s also an Indonesian migrant worker who tells about the ups and downs of her life when she is working in foreign country and a father who flees a war with his baby.
Migration is not only the movement of people across countries and continents. Beyond the act of migrating, we must pay attention to the consequences borne by migrants so that together we can provide support for those who often suffer injustice.
Homebound
Ismail Fahmi Lubis | Documentary Animation | 2022 | 17 min | Indonesia | Sub: English | All Age
Tari longs to return home to Indonesia after more than 10 years working abroad in Taiwan. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, her plans unraveled, revealing a lack of rights for vulnerable migrant workers and systemic misinformation. Through first person narration, she reveals personal stories related to her decision to work in Taiwan, her strained family relationships, the risks involved in working abroad, and the traps she has fallen into. Tari shares intimate details of how her relationship with her son has suffered, revealing the guilt she has felt for leaving him behind. Homebound is an intimate portrayal of a migrant worker’s experience abroad and is an urgent wake up call for those who have contributed to a system that takes advantage of thousands of women each year.
Awards:
Best Short Documentary, Balinale 2022, Indonesia.
Best Short Documentary, The 8th Shahr International Film Festival, 2022, Iran.
Best Human Right Short Documentary, Freedom Film Festival 2022, Malaysia.
*Director and producer will be present at the post-screening discussion.
MIDDLE EASTERN STORIES: FATHER
Reza Daghagh | Drama | 2022 | 17 min | Iran | Sub: English | 13+
A father intends to take his infant child away from his war-stricken country. He attempts by hiding in a container to flee and cross the border but with the addition of other refugees, it becomes hard for him to pursue his goal, to the point that unexpected events happen to him and the other refugees.
RASA DAN ASA
Nasrikah, Okui Lala | Documentary | 2022 | 27 min | Malaysia | Sub: English | All Age
Rasa dan Asa follows PERTIMIG’s activities and its members’ journey during the COVID-19 pandemic. PERTIMIG (Indonesian Migrant Domestic Workers Association) is an independent organization fighting for the rights of migrant domestic workers. It advocates for decent work and welfare for domestic workers in Malaysia. Besides recordings of online events between June and September 2021, most footages in the film were shot remotely by the PERTIMIG members using their smartphones during the Movement Control Order in Malaysia. PERTIMIG is currently using the video for reaching out to other domestic workers in this country.
Awards:
Finalist of Best Human Right Short Documentary, Freedom Film Festival 2022, Malaysia.
HELP IS ON THE WAY
Ismail Fahmi Lubis | Documenter | 2020 | 91 min | Indonesia | Sub: English | 13+
Every year, hundreds of women such as Sukma, Meri, Muji, and Tari are recruited by local agents. They are part of all women from rural areas who aspire to work abroad, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In the Indonesian Migrant Workers’ (PMI) corrupt system of recruitment, training, and placement, millions of rural Indonesian women put their hopes and dreams as domestic workers abroad. Can effective aid be provided when the road is broken?
Awards:
Citra Award, Best Feature Documentary, Festival Film Indonesia 2019
National Winner (Best Documentary Programme and Best Editor),Asian Creative Academy Awards, 2020.
Best Indonesian Documentary, Festival Film Dokumentar, 2020.
Best International Feature Documentary, Jakarta Independent Film Festival, 2020.
*Director and producer will be present at the post-screening discussion.
BEFORE YOU EAT
Kasan Kurdi | Documentary | 2022 | 97 min | Indonesia | Sub: English | 13+
The fate of Indonesian ship crew on board foreign fishing vessels on the high seas is not as enjoyable as their seafood catch served in expensive restaurants. They often experience physical violence, long working hours, inadequate food, and illness without treatment that leads to death. This film tells about the exploitation of several crewmen from before leaving, while on board the ship, up until arriving back in their country. Some of the footages are taken by the crew themselves using their cellphones. They also share stories of the struggle to demand their rights and those of their fellows who have died of illness and been thrown into the sea without their families’ consent. The violence, the vague employment contracts, the scam of recruitment agencies, and the shaky procedures for crew dispatch have made this practice known as a “modern slavery”.
*Before You Eat Team will be present at the post screening discussion
THE SILHOUETTES
Afsaneh Salari | Documentary | 2020 | 80 min | Iran | Sub: English | 13+
At the height of the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1982, 1.5 million Afghans took a long journey to the border of Iran to flee war. Taghi, born after that generation, is a testament to and unwilling to inherit the limitations of his parents’ refugee status, navigates outside the protective walls of his family to trace his identity and the doors to his future in the homeland he never knew. As war continues to rage in Afghanistan, what future awaits him in which land?
Awards:
Jury Special Mention for Best Documentary Feature, Visions du Reel
Director’s choice: Young talent award, Iranian Film Festival Zurich
First Prize, Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival
Best Picture, Pakistan International Mountain Film Festival
Emerging Filmmaker Award (For The Silhouettes & The Forbidden Strings) Thin Line Film Festival
Next Award Prize, DMZ International Documentary Film Festival 2021
Lo Porto Prize, Terra Di Tutti Film Festival 2021
First Feature Film Prize, Traces de Vie International Documentary Film Festival 2021