Since the middle of the 2010s, the rise of daesh and conflicts across the middle-east and much of Africa have spawned a migrant and refugee crisis in Europe. The news has been full of competing viewpoints about those who make this perilous journey and it’s the one issue which has continually dominated European politics. It’s a topic all too often addressed in generalities with the myriad individual human stories frequently overlooked.
In his new film, Midnight Traveller, Hassan Fazili documents his journey with his wife and two children to find a safe haven. The Afghan director fled his homeland after the Taliban placed a bounty on his head. Faced with the prospect of a dangerous return to Afghanistan after a failed asylum claim, he decides there’s no option but to flee to Europe. The family must undertake this treacherous undertaking with no clear end in sight.
There have been a lot of documentaries and feature films documenting the refugee crisis over the last few years. Midnight Traveller is possibly the most effective one I’ve seen. Using only three phone cameras, Fazili has created a moving and vibrant document of their quest to find a new home. It’s a delicate story of their love for one another and the pressures and strains this journey places on them as a unit. Midnight Traveller provides a unique glimpse into the life of a refugee family.
