Director Barat Ali Batoor
Score 6/6

Barat Ali Batoor was once Afghanistan’s most esteemed photographer working for the United States Embassy in Kabul. But in 2011, all this changed when The Washington Post published his potent photo essay exposing one of Afghanistan’s darkest secrets — the brutal trade in young dancing boys for the purposes of entertainment and forced prostitution. Distancing themselves from the ensuing controversy, Batoor was cut loose by his employers with no security. With death threats looming over his head, he allowed himself to be smuggled out of the country into dangerous territory, opening the door to the question of whether these agents serve a purpose in preserving human rights as well. He embarked on a journey that would see him cross three continents, be trafficked over multiple borders, survive a shipwreck in the open seas, become lost in the jungles of Indonesia, escape from imprisonment and spend months living undercover as an illegal immigrant before finally being granted refugee status in Australia. Remarkably, he photographed and filmed his entire journey, creating a stunning record of life spent on the run – in a dangerous world of asylum seekers, people smuggling and cross border trafficking.

I went into this one knowing nothing about Barat Ali Batoor’s story or his work as a freelance photographer, Batoor should be admired for how he documented his journey to Australia with his photographs. This is a beautifully shot documentary, I loved the use of Batoor’s photographs throughout the documentary. It should be noted that perhaps it does get a little confronting in places (perhaps this is not something to watch if you’re not having the best of days) but I suppose that is why people should make time to watch this documentary. Especially considering that immigration is such a hot button issue for most people.
I know it might be an odd comparison to make but when it comes to the latest released movie in the cinema with a political message there is a tendency for it to grab you by the throat and do everything in its power to make you feel guilty so that you will change your ways. Instead, as you would expect the filmmakers just tell Batoor’s story and leave you to make your own decisions. The documentary makes great points about the treatment of refugees, the approach of governments and government agencies to the processing of refugee claims and the war on terrorism.