On February 10th, I attended the campus event in which “Wajd: Songs of Separation” was screened from 12-2pm in Ramseyer Hall room 100. “Wajd: Songs of Separation” is a documentary which follows 3 men involved in the Sufi music tradition before and after the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War. Ibrahim, Ahbulwahed, and Mohamed are well educated, talented musicians from Syria who were forced to flee when their safety was threatened. Their safety was threatened by ISIL who outlawed music and was known to execute those who practice Sufism. Sufism is a type of mysticism within Islam that is often exercised through music. This practice was dying before the Syrian Civil War and ISIL, now it is under even more stress.
The facilitator of the event wanted us to look for exploitative methods and orientalism, as these are unethical practices common in documentaries about refugees. Generally, the film was good at staying ethical. Some moments did get close to being emotionally manipulative yet, the film-makers good intentions and desire to focus on music helped the film stay ethical. A good example of this occurred when Ibrahim told the story of coming across a video that showed his 9 year old brother’s dead body after a bomb fell. The film-maker showed a clip of that video, but stopped it before the body was shown. The facilitator of this event said that this avoided the pointed emotional triggers other films rely on. She said that by showing graphic images of bodies and people crying, the film is emotionally manipulating it’s subjects and audience. I agree that it is wrong to emotionally manipulate subjects of documentaries by pushing an emotional topic, yet I think the audience should see what is really happening without censorship. Those directly affected did not get to avoid this upsetting imagery, so why should we? I would like to hear more arguments on this topic, as I am sure there are things I have not considered.
As I watched the film, I looked for areas to apply the knowledge I gained from the course material in my Politics of Immigration class. I applied my knowledge of the International Asylum Regime and how it is failing. All of the subjects in the film struggled to gain asylum and be in a stable environment on which to build their new life. Mohamed first fled with his family from Syria to Lebanon and then traveled on his own to Turkey and then the EU to secure a safe way for his family to join him. After a very long wait, with his wife and daughters in a dangerous area, they were able to reunite and establish themselves. Mohamed was lucky. The other film subjects Ibrahim and Abuwahed faced more difficulties in Turkey as a result of the immigration policies. After the film, we discussed the deal between Turkey and the EU concerning refugees. The EU has decided for every boat full of refugees Turkey stops from entering the EU, one person is allowed to enter. This has caused many refugees, including Abuwahed, to risk the dangerous trip by boat instead of living in limbo in Turkey. This showcases how the current International Asylum Regime is characterized by restrictions. The EU is reluctant to admit asylum seekers which results in clandestine migration.
Overall, I enjoyed this film that presented the difficult journeys of 3 men passionate about Sufi music. I enjoyed it because their stories were compelling and the overlap of Sufi music woven throughout the film was a nice touch for the flow of the film. However, I do wish the role of women was more prominent. As I watched the film, I wondered what role do women play in Sufism or Syrian music in general. There were no women featured in the film even though they impacted the lives of these men. For example: Mohamed worked hard to bring his wife and daughters to safety and talked on the phone with his mother, who clearly meant a lot to him. I am interested in the stories of the experiences of women who were left behind in war zones until their husbands could secure a migration route. How did they stay safe? How did the Sufi music tradition affect them?