256. Undocument; movie review

UNDOCUMENT
Cert 15
93 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong threat

Gosh, everyone has an opinion about refugees, don't they?
For what mine is worth, I can't believe that anyone would risk their lives to reach a mythical land of milk and honey if they were not desperate.
And even if they survive the journey and are granted residency, they are likely to be living in the UK's worst accommodation, be given the crummiest jobs and be split from family and friends in a country they don't know.
The likelihood is that they have been sold a dream of Utopia and have fallen for it - giving those who make promises, as much money as they can muster.
Kyla Simone Bruce and Amin Bakhshian make these points via four short stories which reflect different aspects of refugees' journeys.
The only common thread is the inhumane treatment of those seeking a better life.
They begin in Iran where a naive Afghani woman (Maryam Davari) is afraid that her pregnancy will be discovered and she will be prevented from being smuggled out of the country and reunited with her husband.
We are left wondering what happens to her when the action moves to Greece where a young Syrian boy (Parsa Bahador) is helpless as is family is exploited as they wait to be trafficked into Western Europe.
Again, a flicker of hope is all people have as they live in the most appalling of circumstances.
Yet, as is demonstrated by the second half of the film, Britain is certainly not how it has been portrayed to them.
I felt pity for the Algerian, played by Nabil Elouahabi, who has a loving family but keeps news of his impending deportation from his Polish partner who about to take veterinary exams.
There is further anguish for an Arabic-language interpreter (Ako Ali) who has to translate for asylum-seekers in court, usually imparting bad news and never being able to offer a slither of humanity he feels they deserve.
In each case, only the most hard-hearted would feel anything other than pity.
However, I still felt that Undocument missed a trick because it didn't delve enough into the backgrounds of its subjects.
Consequently, it opens the door to those who support anti-immigration policies simply saying "why didn't they stay at home."
My answer to that is - why should they not seek a better life? Nobody would question white people in the western world if we did.

Reasons to watch: Gives a very different slant on immigration
Reasons to avoid: Needs deeper explanation to each story

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know?  In 2019, there were over 19,000 enforced and voluntary returns from the UK.

The final word. Kyla Simone Bruce: "It was really important to me was that it was authentic and truthful, because if you’re going to criticise a system or something, it was important to me that it was factual and, even though it’s very dramatic, it’s all based on truth. So I spent a long time doing a lot of research because I didn’t want to be this white European woman kind of assuming I know what is happening." The Fan Carpet

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