Caged like animals
> Zan Azlee‘s latest documentary aims to show audiences that refugees are just like us, filled with dreams and hopes
THE Rohingya refugee crisis is the main focus of a new documentary by author and filmmaker Zan Azlee, who feels that as a former journalist, he should be telling stories that affect the Southeast Asian region.
The hour-long documentary, We are Animals, will give audiences a glimpse into life in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, inhabited mostly by Rohingya Muslims who fled from persecution in Myanmar.
Last October, Zan followed nonprofit organisation Mercy Malaysia to the camp, as part of a mission to provide humanitarian aid. “I spent two weeks in the camp,” says Zan, 40.
“Kutupalong is said to be one of the biggest refugee camps in the world, and the camp has nearly one million refugees.”
Zan’s documentary focuses on two residents of the camp – 22-year-old Hafes Ullah, who was born and raised there, and Muhammad Ishak, who fled Myanmar as a young man after witnessing the murder of his parents, and who is now in his 50s.
Zan adds the title of documentary was, in fact, inspired by something Hafes said in his interview.
“He said: ‘We live worse than animals. Even dogs have more rights than us’.”
Zan adds: “Hafes has never seen the world [outside the camp]. Despite his circumstance, he is not bitter. He has a positive outlook on life.
“If I had grown up in his shoes, I would probably have joined some rebel army.
“But Hafes is convinced that he will see the outside world. In fact, he is trying to get an international passport.”
Zan is also impressed by this young man’s fluency in English, which is good enough for him to act as an interpreter for foreign journalists who come to the camp to interview the refugees.
“Hafes learned English just from reading magazines,” Zan says in admiration.
The filmmaker is also impressed by the tenacity of Muhammad Ishak, who sells vegetables in the camp to earn some money.
“[He] never harps on his difficulties, and he always make the best of his situation,” he adds.
Zan says he was more keen on showing the daily lives of these refugees.
“I was not looking for a sensational story about the camp,” he explains.
“I wanted to do a normal, everyday story. I want my audience to see how the two men go about their days, while living in extraordinary circumstances.
“I want to show that even though they live in a camp, they are no different from us. They have dreams and want a better life, just like us.
“Unfortunately, their circumstances do not allow them to fulfil their dreams.”
Indeed, both men featured in the documentary present an interesting contrast.
One was born in Kutupalong, while the other was brought to the camp, and their different backgrounds offer audiences new insights into the lives of refugees.
As to the negative assumption that refugees will “steal jobs from locals”, Zan does not share these sentiments.
“[In our country] refugees and immigrants are taking up jobs that we Malaysians do not want to do,” he says. “[However], they are not recognised as refugees. They are seen as pendatang haram (illegals).
“When you are a pendatang haram, it is difficult to earn a living. When these ‘illegals’ cannot earn a living, they might resort to crimes, such as stealing.”
Zan advocates that Malaysia recognises these people as refugees, and help integrate them into society.
We are Animals will première this Thursday at 4.30pm at The Refugee Fest at Black Box Publika.
For more, visit The Refugee Fest website.
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