Beautiful, heartbreaking and raw. This movie shows the real struggles refugees and asylum seekers experience all around the world, but also the hope they hold on to; to survive, to reunite, to help others, to succeed.
Through the lenses of the Mardini sisters we get a glimpse of the physical and emotional pain of fleeing war, trauma of migration, family separation, fear of dying, and practical difficulties of claiming asylum (long legal procedures, language barriers, xenophobia and racism in the host countries). I appreciated that other refugee stories are depicted in the movie, with some getting lost, some being treated unfairly by the smugglers, some not making it, some being deported, some being further marginalised in the society - this is the reality and everyone need to know what's going on around them. I also felt the movie shows how difficult it can be for single male refugees to make it (e.g. Their cousin).
The movie had a message of hope, love, connection and belongingness. There will always be people like Sven, who will be there to offer shelter and opportunities. There will always be people like the two sisters, who will lift up others and support the vulnerable. It's a reminder that ourselves and our values can guide us, no matter the difficulties, to succeed and reach our dreams.
Concluding - besides being an autobiographical movie, this is also a political movie. It's for everyone to watch, and imagine the unimaginable. Refugees are people like you, like me. We are just more privileged to be in countries with no war. Refugees have human rights. For some, it will hopefully be a wake up call to challenge their assumptions and act.
PS. You will most likely cry throughout the movie.
