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‘Nowhere Home’ is a documentary directed and narrated by Margaret Olin. This documentary is a sad but true portrayal of the lives of thousands of people in pursuit of asylum. It is a mixture of frustration and anger against a stringent immigration policy and pity and compassion for the young men in the documentary as they try to overcome a system bent on keeping them out of Norway. In this documentary we meet Goli a Kurdistan who has lived in Norway since he was fourteen years buy was deported upon turning eighteen years old. We also encounter two brothers Hassan and Hussein from Afghanistan who are on the verge of being deported. Finally we meet Khalid who is prison with Goli but has given up on life; he wants a permanent solution to his pain
The documentary by Margaret Olin depicts the lives of boys from Salhus. Salhus is a shelter that offers unaccompanied children temporary residence while they seek asylum. This is because unaccompanied migrant minors are susceptible to being exploitation in many Nordic states in Europe. This documentary is a story of these five boys and their journey through the system since the Norwegian government institutionalized that limit illegal immigration. The boys are affected by the new rules because they demand unaccompanied minors return to their home countries once they are 18 years old. It is a constant reminder of the social burden many asylum seekers around the world have to bear as their human rights are stripped from them and they have no country to call home. The lives of these five boys are full of anxious moments of not knowing what their future holds. In one hand thy have experienced the joy and freedom of living in a developed country; on the other hand they have fear and horror of the lives they experienced in their home countries. It is not lost on the viewers that people who seek asylum do not do so out of choice; it is normally from fear of their own lives. In the case of Goli he was getting away from an abusive stepfather, while Hassan and Hussein were running away from an oppressive political regime.
While Goli is in prison he still manages to be hopeful and determined in his search for asylum in Norway. This is because seeking asylum is an easier hurdle to jump than the thought of going back home to deal with his abusive father. Goli is anxious but very determined. On the other hand Hassan and Hussein remind us of the human spirit; how one individual acts as a support for the other. These two brothers offer hope in the form of Hassan and despair in the form of Hussein who is overcome with fear. Khalid has given up and hopes to die; to him death offers him a final resting place. This is because for Khalid and the other boys rest and a place to call home is a thing that has been elusive for them
Margaret Ohlin who is the director and narrator of this documentary uses an interplay of interviews and narrative to note only tell the individual stories of the boys seeking asylum but to also analyse the immigration policies of Norway and other European countries with stringent immigration laws. The use of Margaret’s own voice in this documentary is also meant to strengthen the resolve of people to stand against inequality of any kind. This is because it a woman director and film maker address controversial political decisions that affect humanity and the rights of these individuals.
If you hurt bleeds at injustice, segregation and inequality; and if you want to see the human spirit at work to fight for not only ones rights but those of others this documentary is a must see. This documentary makes you angry enough to want to do something for humanity to restore dignity and honour.
