Wednesday in Camp Rohingya
Thousands of Rohingyas, recognised as refugees by the UNHCR, are trapped in an existential struggle under India's rising Hindu nationalism. They fled genocide in Myanmar, only to find themselves trapped in a similar fear of persecution in India. The film centres around a day spent at a Rohingya refugee camp in Jammu, northern India. Once a symbol of hope and sanctuary, the camp has become a stark reminder of their harrowing past and uncertain future.
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Syed Jazib AliDirector
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Syed Jazib AliProducer
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Syed Jazib AliCamera
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Shaheen AhmedEditor
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Danish IqbalAssistant Director
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Project Type:Documentary, Experimental, Short
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Genres:human rights, migration, refugees
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Runtime:9 minutes 14 seconds
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Completion Date:October 11, 2023
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Production Budget:740 EUR
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Country of Origin:Netherlands
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Country of Filming:India
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Language:Hindi
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Cine City Brighton Film FestivalBrighton
United Kingdom
November 16, 2023
UK Premiere
Official Selection -
Festival del Cinema dei Diritti Umani di NapoliNaples
Italy
November 17, 2023
Italian Premiere
Official Selection
Jazib is an award-winning documentarian, campaigner and activist from the indigenous Pahari tribe of the lower Himalayan region of the politically and ecologically sensitive Jammu and Kashmir. His sharp eye for human interest projects focuses on global advocacy projects that help bring inclusive sustainability, societal equality and fair human rights. His political and moral outlook further developed with a MA in Journalism and Documentary Practice from the University of Sussex.
While growing up in my neighbourhood of Bathindi in Jammu, India, I saw how Rohingya came in, settled around the area, and integrated into our daily lives. Everyone knew to some extent the religious persecution they endured and their stories of escaping the genocide in Myanmar. Many of them lost family members in gruesome attacks, and some witnessed the dreadful murder of their family members. They came with trauma but found safe heaven in our neighbourhood with an assurance of safety from persecution.
With the rising islamophobia and attacks on Muslims since the Hindu nationalist government came to power in India, the Rohingya refugees have been a constant target of fringe Hindu organisations. They have faced harassment through economic and social boycotts and police intimidation, including being jailed for years without a trial. In March 2022, 25 Rohingyas were arrested and detained from our neighbourhood camp. The camp's inhabitants were reluctant to give access to media or speak to them because of the vilified image propagated by the Indian mainstream media. I got permission to access the camp because of my familiarity with sharing spaces in a neighbourhood mosque during past Ramadans.
The film explores the rise of Hindutva in India and how it has impacted the already persecuted Rohingyas. We decided the tone and style of the film to be an experimental combination of slow-framed shots, monochrome stills and audio. The film's content is produced by consciously refraining from sensationalising the group's vulnerable outbursts. One of the challenges we faced during the production was the environment of fear due to police intimidation. The inhabitants of the camp were in a state of uncertainty and were scared to speak. They have faced police and government vendetta whenever they have raised concerns about the unfair justice system. This has resulted in many families fleeing the camp in panic, further restricting us from documenting them.
With this short documentary, we want the audience to take away the concerns relating to Rohingyas in India and the inability of the United Nations umbrella body of the UNHCR to protect them. Our film aims to catalyse and initiate conversations on state v/s refugees and repeated whitewashing of the state-sponsored critical human rights abuses against minorities in India.