“a powerful story of a journey of self-discovery and survival that is setting records. If only we didn’t have to still hear these stories.“
Con Nats
4 /5 leaky boats
This animated documentary is the first ever to gain three Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary Feature, Best Animation Feature and was Denmark’s entry for Best Foreign Film. And it deserves all three.
This project essentially involved director Jonas Poher Rasmussen talking to his old school friend, Abi, about his past as a refugee, just as he prepares to marry his partner. It has that air of close friendship: Abi is relaxed and also nervous about what he gives away, such is the anxiety of being a refugee. It can also lead to too much small talk which could have been edited.
Abi’s story is 25 years old now, and a slightly more complex one in that not only was he a refugee, but he is also gay and still scarred by his experiences. It’s hard to trust anyone when you’ve escaped death multiple times at the hands of the unscrupulous.
It makes a lot of sense to use animations for a documentary on a topic as confronting as this. A refugee’s story is a brutal one. Animation softens the impact of their trails and tribulations, and almost makes our characters faceless. It’s a more creative way to tell a story without dramatic re-enactments. It can add mood through colour and it softens the impact of confronting stories, which is where we seem to have reached when it comes to refugee’s stories
The animation uses a spare pencil-drawn unfinished style. There’s lots of white space and not all are characters are fully featured.
Their story is gut wrenching and it takes us inside the plight of refugees. Stay, and you die for no good reason. Flee and no one wants you and will exploit your desperation. Some of their tales are harrowing and it’s strange that once a person is a refugee, they’re no longer considered human. The animation is a cushion, but there are still scenes which are harrowing
It has impacted Ari and has made it hard for him to be open, even to his partner. We really underestimate the impacts our poor policies have on these humans.
I did feel some of the chit chat was aimless and was less interested in his current relationship, and the film could have been shorter. Either way, it is still a powerful story of a journey of self-discovery and survival that is setting records. If only we didn’t have to still hear these stories.
Con Nats, On The Screen
