Review of In This World (2003) by Sarfaraz A — 03 Dec 2013

In This World written by Tony Grisoni and directed by British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom. The film won the Golden Bear prize at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival. Non-actors Jamal Udin Torabi and Enayatullah.

Set in February 2002 - Enayat and Jamal are two Afghan teenager cousins in refugee camps in Peshawar (capital/largest city of Khyber Pakhtoonwa Pakistan). Enayat's father wants to send him to London for better future after the U.S. bombed Afghanistan, in October 2001. Enayat is weak at English, so young Jamal is to accompany him, who speaks broken English. They have handed out cash in Dollar, Rupees, Rial to smugglers at Quetta (capital/largest city of Balochistan Pakistan). They are handpicked by Toyota pickups in shabby condition and arrive in Tehran, from where they are caught and sent back to Quetta. Enayat re-bribes same guy and this time they arrive safe in Iran, but while attempting to enter Tehran at midnight, the aerial gun-fires by security forces them to opt for Turkey from mountains. They arrive safe into Turkey, and work for weeks at a small factory, managed by smugglers. All of the sudden, they are locked in container, and shipped to Italy - in which Enayat dies of suffocation and lack of fresh-air along with Iranian couple who were heading for Denmark. Jamal now alone, hawks newspaper in Italy. After stealing some money, he buys a ticket to Paris. He reaches at notorious Sangatte refugee camp of Kurds, Afghans, Iranians, where he meets another teenager- together the two sneak under lorry and reach London via English Channel rout.

Estimated number of Afghan refugees exceeds more than one million inside Pakistan. More than 0.5 million Afghans head for Karachi which attracts vast majority of people due to being largest city and full of swing. Many Afghans have illegally acquired Pakistani National Identity Cards, and refuse to go back to Afghanistan (neither is Pakistan government willing to send them back - in cunning attempt to keep receiving billions of dollars from international community in the name of refugees - of which not a single penny is spent).

Quetta is hub of smuggling between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many Pakistanis smuggle electronics appliances and dry-fruit that is least expensive in Iran. Pakistanis who illegally try to cross into Dubai or Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, opt for Iran as route. Iranian security-forces at border are far vicious in suppressing this by launching rockets occasionally. This, they do in fear that Sunni Muslims might align with Sunni resistance inside Iran. Only, two days ago Iranian forces launched two rockets which killed a Pakistani village girl.

This film doesn't come without claustrophobic experience that of being locked inside container for more than 40-hours.

Excellent filming, and emotional journey that starts pleasantly and offers us ups and downs, heart-piercing moments. Michael follows the real kids and uses exact same places which were part of planned-travel - including security and police forces. Every emotional moment here grows trust in Michael's work watching the documentary. I recalled the similar vision about Danny Boyale behind-the-camera filming of Slumdog Millionaire. Deluxe Color widescreen DV-to-35mm camera was used for filming.

It is always a difficult and usually illegal path to arrive in Dubai, Kuwait or Iran. It costs around US $50 to reach Iran via bus or train. Smugglers inside Pakistan, who work in disguise of travel agents, deceive people to bring them to Dubai via similar routes - costing around $300 as compared to $600-700 via proper or legal means (subject to kind of types of visa - labor visa is most difficult to get for any country especially for Pakistanis) - furthermore, since they refuse to return back and already embarking on living illegally there, why trouble spending expensively on legal and proper documents. Those who believe that, it is time to head back to home, they voluntarily show up at their embassy in host country, or get themselves caught by the police who deport them in next flight to home (saving them of travel-fairs and documents needed).