In This World (2002)

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Writer:

Tony Grisoni (writer)

Release Date:

28 March 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The journey to freedom has no borders.

Plot:

Enayat and Jamal are Afghan refugees who live in a camp in Peshawar and try to escape to Great Britain by the help of people smugglers...

Plot Keywords:

Iran | Refugee | Turkey | Suffocation | Truck

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Jamal Udin Torabi	...	Jamal
Enayatullah	...	Enayat
Imran Paracha	...	Travel Agent (Pakistan)
Hiddayatullah	...	Enayat's Brother (Pakistan)
Jamau	...	Enayat's Father (Pakistan)
Wakeel Khan	...	Enayat's Uncle 1 (Pakistan)
Lal Zarin	...	Enayat's Uncle 2 (Pakistan)
Ahsan Raza	...	Money Changer (Pakistan)
Mirwais Torabi	...	Jamal's Older Brother (Pakistan)
Abdul Ahmad	...	Groom (Pakistan)
Amanullah Torabi	...	Jamal's Younger Brother (Pakistan)
Ramzan Ali	...	Driver 1 (Pakistan)
Chaman Ali	...	Driver 2 (Pakistan)
Rasheed	...	Soldier Shaheen (Pakistan)
Allah Bauhsh	...	Farid (Pakistan)

Also Known As:

The Silk Road (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for brief strong language.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

UK

Language:

Pashtu | Persian | English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Hungary:14 | Spain:T | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | New Zealand:R13

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Film Consortium, The

Trivia:

The film had two working titles before settling on its final name. While it was being shot, it was known as "The Silk Road". This was primarily as a cover, since officials in many countries were told the film was a documentary about that historical subject. Later, it was known as "M1187511", which was the UK Home Office's file number for the real-life Jamal's application for refugee status. Before its release however, the title was changed to "In This World". As Michael Winterbottom describes on the DVD, the title came from a line in the film where Jamal was translated as saying that a central character was dead. Jamal informed Winterbottom, on seeing this, that it was inaccurate. What he had actually said was that the man was "no longer in this world". Hence the film's title.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Goedemorgen Nederland: (2003-10-16)" (2003)

Out of this world

Eclectic English film-maker Michael Winterbottom has produced his finest work to date with 'In this World', a pseudo-documentary account of the attempted journey of two Afghani refugees to London. This film's outstanding achievement is the sense it conveys that despite the ubiquity of television, mobile phones and the English language, this is still a big, poor and very beautiful world. I can't praise the cinematography highly enough - almost every scene is stunningly composed, especially the nighttime crossing of the mountains (shot without the use of additional lighting), yet none feels contrived. Characterisation is minimal, but the viewer feels emotionally bound to the journey. As a rich westerner, I am used to hopping on a plane and flying wherever I wish, but Winterbottom nonetheless succeeds in making me appreciate the culture shock encountered for his protagonists in travelling merely from one side of Pakistan to another. Their journey, of course, is no sort of holiday.

Winterbottom steers clear of direct politics, but we see (along with great suffering) numerous examples of the small ways in which human beings can be nice to one another - the contrast with the xenophobic hatred of the Daily Mail is unspoken but clear. Who knows if the real-life Jamals of this world find happiness? But the message for us is that we forget our shared humanity at our peril.