Tag Archives: immigrants

Stuck Between Two Worlds

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This film from the scene where Joy is watching her daughter play on the playground shows the struggle of being stuck between two worlds, the world of being a prostitute in Germany and the life that she used to have when she lived in Nigeria. Joy is currently on the outside of the fence because she is stuck in the world of being a prostitute in order to pay off her debt and earn money. However, there is this part of her that misses what she has had to give up in order to have a better life than she did in Nigeria, such as her daughter and not being able to return to Nigeria for the fear that she might be deported because she does not have a visa. This can be related as a common theme for immigrants because they are stuck with having to adapt and immigrate into a new country but there is a longing to maintain their identity from their country of origin. I think that Joy may not like the job as a prostitute however she understands that because of where she comes from this is something that she must do in order to have a better life, pay off her debt and help her family.

 

Taking the Risk

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The film Fire at Sea is a very informative and moving documentary. Although there are a handful of aspects of the movie that truly educated me on the European migrant crisis, there is one aspect that stood out the most to me. That part would have to be when we witness many migrants on a ship coming from North Africa towards Southern Europe in the hopes of a better life. During this scene, the film producers did a nice job of filming the man singing while also allowing us to see parts of the dark and crowded living conditions many were faced with. By integrating this scene into the movie the audience was able to hear the song sung by an immigrant which gave us a little synopsis of the struggles he along with many have faced on this journey. He talks about his life back to Nigeria and why many want to leave and head to Europe. He discussed how hard they have prayed for a better life and all the awful living conditions they have gone through to get to where they are now. This scene is really an integral part of the documentary as it adds in a sense of emotion and gives the audience a further look at the struggles many have faced.

not always easy

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This particular scene is a good depiction of kinda the overall theme the film, Almanya, portrayed to its audience. This film is about how a Turkish family immigrated to Germany as a result of the father’s belief that they will have a more prosperous life. When the family first arrived in Germany the children are shown to be somewhat hostile to the new ways and foreign to simple things such as a toilet and garbage men. Over time the children become more accustomed to the “German way of life” and somewhat forget some of the more Turkish traditions. This scene is showing the result of the children learning about Christmas and how most families in Germany receive gifts and put up a Christmas tree. The children explain this tradition to their parents and beg to also partake in this custom. The mom tries her best to do so for the kids but as you can see the children were slightly disappointed in the rather small size of the tree and lack of wrapping on the gifts. This rolls back around to the theme of the film which is mostly trying to highlight how difficult it is for immigrants to balance keeping their own traditions alive while also trying to assimilate into their new community.