Director Statement
Mr. Bakr’s unimaginable journey reveals the harsh and delicate times for immigrants and refugees as “the other” is excluded and marginalized without rights or care. Countless refugees from around the world have been slaughtered. Millions fleeing war and strife are forgotten. This film sheds a glimpse into what they undergo.
Human beings are Homo Sapiens, and we as one species are without race. We have created classifications, like race, creed, religion, and other identifiers to find common ground to form countries and communities, cultures and sub-cultures. But we have also employed these criteria to exclude and kill ever since humans evolved in Africa and from it. Is it in our genes to be so harmful to each other, or can we change?
Context
Germany leads Europe in welcoming a million refugees and enters a new era of political upheaval and controversy. The Germans are trying to turn the tide of suffering by inviting immigrants to become Germans. Historically, Germans are haunted by their guilt and social conscience for starting two world wars over forming “a perfect race.”
German government-authorized Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (Worker’s Samaritan Federation) houses refugees in their shelters around the country, and one of these is in Berlin. Food, shelter and everything else, including money supports families stripped of everything to start a new life in the midst of social and political challenges.
Budget
The budget was $6,000 over a course of six months with 2 trips from Brooklyn to Berlin. Partial funding was from a PSC-CUNY Research Grant, a Leonard & Tow Travel Grant.