Credit - Warner Bros

'The Good Lie' and the Humanization of Refugees

20 กันยายน 2560

By - Pim Singhatiraj

What is art? What is the purpose of art? No two people agree on the same answer, but I believe that art exists to communicate a message. Art acts as the pathway that bridges the gap between an idea that needs to be spreaded, and the intended audience. A form of art that has proven to be quite effective is the art of film.

Movies are a wonderfully immersive experience that brings new perspectives to audiences that would otherwise never have been seen. For these reasons, Amnesty International decided to hold a film screening to open up the discussion on the topic of refugees at Mahasarakam University. On Friday, August 25th, Amnesty International and Asylum Access Thailand combined forces with volunteers at the university to screen the film The Good Lie to an audience of 170 students, with the hopes that this event would help engage students on the topic of refugees.

The Good Lie follows the story of four Sudanese orphans and their lives as refugees. As children, their village is destroyed and their parents are murdered, and in order to survive, they are forced to walk hundreds of miles to seek refuge in a refugee camp in Kenya. After thirteen years in the camp, the four are relocated to the United States, where they are faced with many challenges, such as finding jobs and adjusting to life in the new country. The group struggle intensely with culture shock and feelings of rejection from the American community. At one point, Paul solemnly declares, “We are in America now. And in America we are nothing.”

A scene that has stuck with me was when Jeremiah shared the classic “Why did the chicken cross the road” joke with his brothers, which led to an outburst of laughter at the dinner table. Hours later, in the bedroom, Paul breaks out in laughter again. Mamere asks, “What is so funny?” and Paul replies, “I’m thinking about that chicken.” This leads to all three boys laughing hysterically again. This is quite an endearing scene, because we may be familiar with the joke, but the main characters grew up in a different culture and had never heard the joke before.

I think the inclusion of a scene like this was significant, as we are instantly reminded of our own memories of laughter. Perhaps it reminds you of a night with your close friends where moods ran high and smiles stretched wide, and laughter was contagious. A scene like this may seem simple, but it helps us empathize with the characters. At first we saw them as refugees, but now we see them as people we could easily become friends with. This helps us meet Amnesty’s goal of opening up people’s hearts to refugees.

Another thing I appreciated about the movie is how it has a strong theme of family, which is such a universally relatable concept. In the beginning of the movie, a young Mamere screams out in agony as he learns his parents have been murdered by soldiers. This scene moved me to tears, as I was forced to imagine the pain of losing my own parents to war.

Additionally, it is clear how much the main characters love and care for their siblings. Theo sacrifices himself to the enemy so his brother Mamere can live. Once Paul, Mamere, and Jeremiah are in Kansas City, they fight until their sister Abital can join them there as well. And finally, Mamere travels to Kenya to reunite with Theo, and gives his passport to Theo so Theo can go to the United States while Mamere stays behind.

The love between the Sudanese siblings is so strong that it rattles us deeply and emotionally. This helped to connect the movie to its audience, and helps us empathize with our dear refugee friends.

While the movie was the centerpiece of the event, there were also other aspects of the event worth noting. After the movie ended, a representative from both Amnesty and Asylum Access took to the stage to talk about their work and answer any questions the audience had. Additionally, attendees were invited to take action by taking photos at a backdrop and posting on social media with the hashtag #IAmWithRefugees to show solidarity.

I am a youth activist. I might not be able to convince the Thai government to formally recognize refugees, or to help my refugee friends in Bangkok relocate to their third country. But what I can do is be their voice. I can stand in solidarity with them. After all, if there’s one thing that the Theo, Mamere, Jeremiah, Abital, and Paul have taught me, it is this African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

I believe the event successfully opened up the topic of refugees to a community that had had little exposure to the topic. I hope that the event inspired the university students to learn more about the lives of refugees and take action in whatever way they are able to, whether it be volunteering with organizations that focus on this cause, spreading awareness of the topic, or battling common misconceptions about refugees in everyday conversations.

Refugees are not only a topic of discussion for human rights classes, but refugees are real, live people who laugh and love just like us. Our very humanity is tested when we hear about the struggles they face. Do we brush news of Syrian refugees and Rohingya refugees aside as just another headline, or do we open our hearts to listen to their struggles and try to help any way we can?