Netflix is trying to change opinions through a series of films about refugees and immigration. It’s using its own content and movies from other studios to highlight the difficulties faced by people trying to make a new life for themselves in foreign lands.
Refugee (2016)
Refugee is a film project under the auspices of Leslie Knott and Clementine Malpas. Between 2013 and 2015, the pair embarked on a passion project, traveling the world, photographing images of war, political persecution, and the human costs of refugee displacements. Their work reminded us just how poorly political institutions can treat their citizens and why we need progress at the governmental level.
For those interested in the fall of the Soviet Union, the film also covers the reunification of European refugees in Western Europe. It’s not an easy film to watch. But it does highlight some of the tragedies and suffering that people faced in the past – and even today.
Born In Syria (2016)
Being born in Syria could be viewed as a curse today. For the last decade or more, war has ravaged what was once a peaceful middle-eastern country. And the people are suffering.
This film, previously available on Netflix, follows the stories of seven Syrian refugee children and shows their journey before, during, and after the conflict from their point of view. It covers their experience in refugee centers in Greece, Hungary, and Turkey and follows them later on in their lives. The film offers emotional insights into the reality of being a refugee and the lasting traumatic effects that it has on people who go through it.
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Back in the mid-2010s, the refugee crisis was reaching its peak globally. Beasts of No Nation follows the story of a Nigerian child called Agu who has to continually move from country to country, through so-called buffer zones under the protection of the UN.
While he receives some temporary security, he soon discovers that nowhere is safe. Government forces are bombing huts, killing families, and kidnapping children for forced training in military camps.
The purpose of the film is to portray the challenges of war and labor in child psychology. Again, it isn’t a particularly easy film to watch. But it does show accurately what life is like for asylum seekers fleeing Africa.
Human Flow (2017)
If you think getting a spousal visa for your partner is difficult, you should see some of the challenges faced by the cast in the film, Human Flow.
The purpose of the movie is to educate people about the realities of being an asylum seeker. The content of the production covers the root causes for why people decide to leave their home countries and start a new life elsewhere. The format of the movie is quite piecemeal, but also extraordinarily captivating. Your eyes will be glued to the screen throughout. Knowing that it’s not a fictional movie either makes it all the more interesting. There’s no primary protagonist or plot that unfolds. It’s just human movement on a grand scale.
