The Indian Weekender, 01 July 2022

10
NEW ZEALAND
Friday, July 01, 2022
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
Simon V Kurian: Giving a voice
to refugees and asylum seekers
MAHESH KUMAR
Known for his feature
documentaries on
sensitive subjects like
international refugees, asylum,
and human rights, Simon V
Kurian is an acclaimed Indian-
Australian filmmaker with a
keen sense of empathy.
His recent documentaries
Stop the Boat and Behrouz have
specifically been instrumental
in creating awareness
about the plight of asylum
seekers globally.
His work has won several
awards and accolades for
bringing focus to often
demonised and persecuted
refugees. Behrouz Boochani, on
whose story Kurian based his
documentary, spent more than
five years in the Australian-run
Manus Island detention centre
before he was granted asylum
in New Zealand. Behrouz now
lives in Christchurch.
In a conversation with the
Indian Weekender, he talks
about his journey, his work,
and what compelled him
to focus on the plight of
international refugees.
Tell us something about yourself
and your background?
I grew up in the Southern Indian
state of Kerala and studied
photography in England. I
then moved to Pasadena,
Califronia to study filmmaking
at the Art Center College.
While studying there, I made
my first documentary ‘Shiva’s
Disciples’ for the BBC, which
was about the three traditional
dances of Kerala.
The film was narrated by
Sir Richard Attenborough. I
went on to make few more
documentaries for BBC and for
other international networks as
a director and cinematographer.
I am now based in Australia
and since 2011 I have
been making independent
feature documentaries for
theatrical release.
What directed your attention
to the asylum seekers and
how did the idea of ‘Stop the
Boat’ come about?
I was deeply concerned
about the Australian asylum
seeker policy ever since Prime
Minister John Howard refused
to allow the 400 stranded
Afghan asylum seekers to
enter Australia after being
rescued by the cargo vessel
Tampa in 2001.
New Zealand under Prime
Minister Helen Clark, and
Minister for Immigration
Lianne Dalziel had to step
in to do the right thing and
give those stranded asylum
seekers refuge.
People seeking asylum on
Australian shores by boat
were further demonised and
Simon V Kurian ( left) and Behrouz Boochani
used as a political tool in the
2013 election by both major
political parties.
The Liberal Party under Tony
Abbot used the slogan Stop the
Boats as a battle cry in their
election campaign.
I decided to make a film
to expose the lies and to
amplify the voices of those
who were locked up since
July 2013 in Manus and
Nauru Islands including
children. I started making this
film in 2015.
Stop the Boats is based on
the stories of asylum seekers
including children from within
detention centres, through
footage secretly filmed on
mobile phones and smuggled
out from Nauru and Manus Island
on USBs, few shots at a time.
Set against interviews with
whistle-blower detention centre
workers, the film tells harrowing
stories of the child abuse and
criminal neglect. Behrouz was
also featured in this film.
The film was released in 2018
and had several screenings
in cinemas across Australia.
The film was screened in 15
international film festivals and
was the Centrepiece of the
Human Rights Arts and Film
Festival in Melbourne that year
and the opening film for the
festival in Canberra.
The film won several
nominations and awards as
best feature documentary and
several special awards. The film
was also screened in universities
and is recommended viewing
for Year 12 students in
Western Australia.
How has the story of Behrouz
Boochani personally impacted
you?
Working on Stop the Boats
and Behrouz was undoubtedly
emotionally draining. It’s
challenging to sit in the editing
room and repeatedly listen to
stories of self-harm, despair,
and hopelessness, especially
those of children.
Amongst all this, Behrouz
was a source of relief because
he was such a representation of
survival and resilience.
As much as I’d like to be a
detached neutral observer, it’s
hard to remain unaffected.
There were many occasions
when I had to stop and walk
away from editing because it
was too emotionally taxing.
Seeing Behrouz in Christchurch
as a free man and seeing him
arrive there for the first time
was a joyful and incredible
moment for me.
For me working with Behrouz
has been eye-opening. Here
was a man who, like the over
2000 men like him in Manus had
fled his home, left everything
and everyone he knew to seek a
safe harbour from persecution.
What set him apart and what
made me want to make this
film with him is how he set aside
his natural inclination of being
quiet and introspective, to take
the leadership to represent
others like him, using his ability
to write and report, despite the
dangers it posed for him. His
courage is immense.
He is a contemplative man
who spoke up and spoke loudly
and found a way to get his
voice heard, not on his own
behalf but for those who were
wrongly detained like him for
legitimately seeking asylum.
When you get to know him,
you will see how he constantly
tries to shift the conversation
away from himself to the cause
of others and the big picture.
He always saw himself as the
voice of many, rather than as
this being about him.
He is also deeply creative in
how he sees and experiences
the world.
Do you think the documentary
will be able to change the
perception that wider communities
have about refugees
and asylum-seekers?
I sincerely hope so. I made both
Stop the Boats and BEHROUZ
with the intention that these
two films should remain as a
testimony to this ugly period
of Australian politics and
history, which demonised
people seeking asylum and
violated every human right and
abrogated the international
refugee conventions that
Australia signed on to.
All nations
around the
globe, especially
the west, who are
signatories to the
refugee convention
and in many
instances have a
direct hand in the
conflicts that cause
the displacement,
have a responsibility
to provide safety to
these people.
As we speak, the number
of people displaced due to
persecution and conflict has
reached 100 million.
All nations around the globe,
especially the west, who are
signatories to the refugee
convention and in many
instances have a direct hand
in the conflicts that cause
the displacement, have a
responsibility to provide safety
to these people.
When I chose the threeword
slogan ‘Stop the Boats’
that represented the horrific
policy, as my film’s title, many
people cautioned me against
it. But, by choosing those
very three words as the title
of the film I wanted the film
to remind generations of the
brutal and illegal Australian
policy that destroyed the lived
of thousands, holding them in
limbo in offshore detention for
years without end; going against
all humanitarian precepts and
international conventions on
refugees to which they are
signatories.
How can the audience in NZ
watch the documentary in
case they have missed it?
We are hoping to host another
screening in Wellington in the
coming months.
Once the film has all its
Australian premiere and general
release and festival screenings,
we will release the film through
one of the streaming platforms.
What message would you like
to give out to your audience
before they watch the film?
My message would be to hear
the truth and understand the
lies of the government. Do
further reading and research
to understand the true plight
of people seeking asylum. Also,
stop believing the government
when they say seeking asylum
by boat is illegal. An asylum
seeker is allowed to enter a
country by any means and seek
protection.
Also, the audience should
know that other countries
are now copying Australia;
like UK is doing by sending
asylum seekers to Rwanda,
a country UK has taken to
international Court for serious
human rights violation.
The Australian Policy and
the UK policy are ultimately
based on racism and a colonial
mentality and the ideas of
white supremacy.
Tell us about your future
projects.
While I have many ideas for
other documentaries, I have
not decided on any particular
project at the moment.
I am currently busy promoting
Behrouz. I am also working with
my daughter Sarah who finished
her film studies and is making a
film in Tamil Language in India
based on the classic novel Little
Women by Louisa May Alcott.
I will be doing the
cinematography and editing
for this, and we hope to start
shooting mid 2023.