The screen goes black. A few seconds pass until we hear someone breathing on the other end of the line. But the sound seems muffled. Finally, someone says: “Hi.” Friend and co- director of the documentary, David, releases a grateful sigh and responds: “Hi Kumut.”
In this blog entry, I would like to dedicate my attention to the documentary film “Revenir” by David Fedele & Kumut Imesh. Their work serves as a counternarrative to the usual images distributed about refugees in the media.
The stories shown are not always the stories lived. In this exploration, we unravel the intricate dynamics between refugees and the camera, where narratives are constructed, deconstructed, hidden, manipulated and sometimes reclaimed.
Kumut, a man from the Ivory Coast (he doesn´t like to be called a refugee) flies from France, his current country of residence, to Ghana. There he visually retraces the flight route he took ten years ago, during 2004, when he fled from a civil war taking place in the Ivory Coast.
The idea for this movie was born in Morocco, where Kumut worked as a translator for David´s film “The Land Between” and developed an interest in documentary filmmaking, specifically from an African perspective.
Media practices can be seen as a translation tool between society and politics. Thus, it is crucial that documentary filmmakers are skilled and educated enough to report responsively. While there are national and regional codes of conduct for the job, even an untrained eye could easily spot them being neglected.
The image is understood to be the fastest mediator between information and the audience. This means images reach broader audiences and can evoke greater emotional responses. Two big image trends have been on the forefront regarding the depiction of refugees: victimization and villainization.
Especially with today´s political climate in Europe, the villainization of migrants is a common, cross medial thread. So, what does villainisation mean?
States and their borders, (re-)produce racial hierarchies. This is particularly true for migrants of color who are perceived as a threat and are ultimately framed as such. The Copenhagen School introduced the so-called securitization theory. If applied to media narratives, it can shape people's perceptions of “danger”. This phenomenon can be notably observed with the portrayal of Arab and African male refugees who are othered based on racial stereotypes. Two examples are the head veil and the beard.
“Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America.” These are the introductory sentences of the book “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” by Mohsin Hamid. Without having to give a summary of the plot one can interpret the main message: the beard is a dichotomy to the West. Since 9/11 it has become representative of radicalism and terrorism, both seen as a threat to Western democracy and freedom.
The veil on the other hand, although worn by women, is also used as an image to demonize Muslim men. Here, it is commonly argued that women in Arab countries are slaves to their husbands and male relatives and possess zero autonomy- a statement familiar to people who have studied Orientalism. In regard to Edward Said´s theory, the production of harmful images of Arabs and Africans started during the 19th century. Back then, mass distribution of colonialist and orientalist postcards had a massive impact on how people from the “Global North” perceived these foreign others. But now, with accelerating and globalised media networks, this distribution is easier and more widespread than ever.
Another way that stories of refugees are being framed in the media is through victimization. This is the case particularly with regard to the portrayal of women and children. They are often presented as if in need of Western aid and saving.
However, a look at the BBC article “Refugee Women´s Personal Photos on Show” proves there are narratives that challenge mainstream media representations. This material highlights that it is not only about the image itself (e.g. the composition, focus, content, colours) but more about the authorship. The photographers of this article are refugee women themselves, and it shows. As diverse as their backgrounds are, the collection of images is just as diverse. It feels refreshing and “right” to learn about their stories through their own telling, not someone else’s.
Another way that stories of refugees are being framed in the media is through victimization. This is the case particularly with regard to the portrayal of women and children. They are often presented as if in need of Western aid and saving.
However, a look at the BBC article “Refugee Women´s Personal Photos on Show” proves there are narratives that challenge mainstream media representations. This material highlights that it is not only about the image itself (e.g. the composition, focus, content, colours) but more about the authorship. The photographers of this article are refugee women themselves, and it shows. As diverse as their backgrounds are, the collection of images is just as diverse. It feels refreshing and “right” to learn about their stories through their own telling, not someone else’s.
Similarly, Kumut, the man from the Ivory Coast from the introduction of this post, challenges stereotypical narratives of male, African refugees coming to Europe. The film follows his journey as he retraces his flight route, documenting (almost) everything with a camera.
Here, the act of returning becomes a form of resistance, a reclaiming of agency through the intentional framing of his own story.
As mentioned above, male refugees are often framed as a security threat. In his film, Kumut shows the opposite. He was the one who fled from danger and was seeking shelter and protection. He is not the risk, but he is at risk:
“I was hiding all the time because if they saw me, it was extremely risky for my life.”
Theft was his biggest fear he faced, which he states in the beginning of the film. Unfortunately his fear is confirmed when his bag gets stolen.
But his own safety is not his only concern. In the acknowledgements towards the end, he keeps interviewees who want to remain anonymous, anonymous: “Special thanks to the many people who appeared in this film, whose identities for various reasons must remain concealed”.
Why is this special to mention? Many know the photograph by National Geographic of the girl with the emerald eyes. Often journalists or media creators of all formats use people's faces without their consent to make the cover story. This greed for sensationalization is successfully countered by Kumut who understands the reality on the ground.
He recognizes that with authorship comes great responsibility, but also agency. By giving his vivid and at times emotional testament, Kumut makes himself vulnerable, a trait that is certainly missing in many mainstream narratives on refugees.
In this sense, “Revenir” is also educative. It serves, similar to an academic text, as knowledge production. For example, Kumut illustrates the ways in which refugees navigate their way through unknown places and communities: “on the road you must make friends and form a group like a community this helps you not be lonely (...) you can easily exchange information about the road ahead (...) plus you can better defend yourself from danger or trouble”. By comparing his journey as a displaced person to the one he is doing for the documentary, he is showing the way places changed over time. Equipped with cameras he can now capture this evidence for an audience to see.
One such example is his arrival in Togo. Kumut is seemingly troubled during an interview with a woman in one of the camps for displaced people. In great detail, he is filming her tent and leaving long pauses for reflection. These pauses are also emphasized in the post-production by David. The intentional editing of leaving these pauses is a way to counteract the fast-paced circulation of distressing narratives. Both moviemakers may realize that the silent reflection time between the shots is a way to avoid immunity or numbness towards these images.
In this sense, “Revenir” is also educative. It serves, similar to an academic text, as knowledge production. For example, Kumut illustrates the ways in which refugees navigate their way through unknown places and communities: “on the road you must make friends and form a group like a community this helps you not be lonely (...) you can easily exchange information about the road ahead (...) plus you can better defend yourself from danger or trouble”. By comparing his journey as a displaced person to the one he is doing for the documentary, he is showing the way places changed over time. Equipped with cameras he can now capture this evidence for an audience to see.
One such example is his arrival in Togo. Kumut is seemingly troubled during an interview with a woman in one of the camps for displaced people. In great detail, he is filming her tent and leaving long pauses for reflection. These pauses are also emphasized in the post-production by David. The intentional editing of leaving these pauses is a way to counteract the fast-paced circulation of distressing narratives. Both moviemakers may realize that the silent reflection time between the shots is a way to avoid immunity or numbness towards these images.
Similar to the visual ethnography “Welcome” by Zhu Rikun, censorship and surveillance are illustrated as a black screen. The absence of images here is representative of the power the image holds. During the call with David, Kumut recalls “They searched all the videos I have made (...) I was very scared.” The police deleted all the videos he made with migrants on the road from Niamey to Agadez and he was scared his camera might get confiscated.
Here, the camera does not only act as a mere, lifeless object. It is transformed into a powerholding weapon: “You have to act like a soldier. Always have your bag on your back. With a camera, you are always worrying how to keep safe the work that you have already done.” Kumut explains his precautions when using the camera, but also explains why he sometimes films with his photography camera: it is smaller and allows him to make short videos quickly without being seen.
Ultimately, though, he is being seen on his terms. Or at least his documentary is being seen. Kumut and David showed how images can disrupt harmful tropes, setting the stage for a more nuanced narrative. The camera and thus the image, is never neutral and neither is the author.
Author’s Bio:
Maxima is a German study abroad student at AUC from the Netherlands. A Liberal Arts BA in Global Challenges, along with her courses at AUC have fueled her interest in migration and refugee studies. She aspires to become a journalist and hopes to reframe narratives the way Kumut has done.
References
- Al Jazeera. (2006, October 15). Veil row “demonising” British Muslims. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2006/10/15/veil-row-demonising-british-muslims
- BBC. (2023, September 1). Refugee women’s personal photos on show. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-66594398
- Global charter of ethics for journalists. IFJ. (n.d.). https://www.ifj.org/who/rules-and-policy/global-charter-of-ethics-for-journalists#:~:text=Journalists%20shall%20ensure%20that%20the,%2C%20language%2C%20religion%2C%20disability%2C
- Grewal, A. (2021, October 21). Photojournalistic integrity: The controversies around National Geographic’s famous “afghan girl.” Arts Help. https://www.artshelp.com/the-controversies-and-hidden-lies-around-national-geographics-famous-afghan-girl/
- Refugees in the media. FutureLearn. (2022, October 25). https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/media-and-international-development/0/steps/175421
- The reluctant fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. Penguin Random House Canada. (n.d.). https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/74189/the-reluctant-fundamentalist-by-mohsin-hamid/9780385663458
- Stritzel, H. (1970, January 1). Securitization theory and the Copenhagen School. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137307576_2
- Welcome (2016). MUBI. (1970, January 1). https://mubi.com/en/eg/films/welcome-2016
- YouTube. (2014, December 21). The land between (78mins/2014) - full film - [subs: Eng, Fr, SP, ITA, Ger, gr, hun, Ara, CHN, tur]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf4N_lHOWEA
- YouTube. (2019, March 28). Revenir (to return) | David Fedele & Kumut Imesh | 2018 | 78 min. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtiWcb-H7PQ&t=919s
- YouTube. (2022, November 25). Colonial postcards: Reclaiming the narrative - BBC what’s new. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-mlu7TYSpA
