Midnight Traveler
Fateful developments and surprising twists in the lives of their protagonists are welcome ingredients for documentary filmmakers. But when the director and his family are themselves the protagonists in their own film, every threatening situation becomes a conflict of conscience. Is it right to film every dramatic moment or is it morally wrong to think about a good film scene in the midst of misfortune?
In 2015, a death threat from the Taliban saw Afghan director Hassan Fazili and his wife Fatima Hussaini, also a filmmaker, in exactly this situation. Together with their two daughters Nargis (11) and Zahra (6), they flee from their homeland to distant Europe in search of safety. The couple, and their two daughters, use their mobile phones to film their journey, which was to last several years. On the Balkan route, during long and uncertain stays in various refugee camps, they draw strength from documenting their difficult situation. (Festival information, Berlinale, 2019)
The Ecumenical Jury awards a Commendation to "Midnight Traveler" for its singular depiction of the refugee experience. By chronicling his family’s flight from Afghanistan solely through footage from three mobile phones, Fazili’s film adds urgency and immediacy to the worldwide migration crisis. His raw and endearing images, deepened by his wife and daughters’ determined spirits, reveal hopeful humanity and enduring love in the midst of constant motion. (Photo: © Old Chilly Pictures)