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Adrift: People of a Lesser God
R2 - United Kingdom - Simply Media Review written by and copyright: Matthew Crossman (29th July 2015). |
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The Film
 Western Africa can be a beautiful place but most countries in this area are extremely poor. Corruption is rife, living standards are almost non existent and the people who live there are just like people all over the World. They just want to live in peace, security and preferably with full bellies for all their families. As these things are not available to the average person in West Africa many take their lives in their hands to try and make it to the promised land. The El Dorado of the Canary Islands and their gateway to Europe, and hopefully, a better life. Journalist Dominique Mollard takes his hand held, and sometimes secret, cameras into the shadowy world of people traffickers, corrupt police officials and those desperate to escape the poverty of their homes as he, over a long period of time, tries to arrange to be one of those on a large canoe that will attempt the sailing to the Canary Islands. Along the way he will have his money taken by those promising him a trip and then be let down. The traffickers disappearing with his money. Mollard will meet those with whom he intends to sail including two women, one of which with a one year old child. Finally Mollard secures a seat on the trip. The boat he will be travelling on is completely uncovered with one propeller. It will house thirty nine individuals and they will barely be able to move the conditions being so cramped. The toilet will be a plastic jerry can which will also help bail out the boat from the holes in it’s sides. The journey will take five days in total. Mollard had taken some preparations that most that make this journey will not have such as a GPS system, plenty of water, energy bars and a satellite telephone. But even with all these added security measures will they be enough when disaster strikes on the third day of the journey? Mollard has produced a superb documentary of the issue of migrants. With so much being made of the situation of Calais in the press at the moment very little is being looked at to the causes of such migration. The conditions for most in the countries of Western Africa is generally depressing but as one man notes he still loves his country and wants to go to Europe to make some money and then come back and invest in his homeland. The politics of the situation are touched upon briefly by Mollard but in general he sticks to the human stories of the people and the extraordinary lengths they will go to ,to secure a future for themselves and their families. Mollard himself, being a white, French man, puts himself at risk in a place where he sticks out like a sore thumb and then again by putting himself of the boat for the journey. There are no easy answers to the problems faced by those in Western Africa and Mollard does not offer any either, instead preferring to simply report what he sees in a factual way and lets the viewer make up his or her own mind. For us in Western Europe in can be difficult to imagine what life is like in Western Africa. We sit in warm houses, with the internet, large screen television sets, plenty of food and fresh water. It’s now wonder that people from Africa look at our lives and wish it for themselves. Mollard has produced a moving and thought provoking documentary that should be seen by everyone, but especially by those with the power to help.
Video
Presented in a 4:3 format with black ‘pillar’ bars down the sides. The picture is adequate. Remember that this was shot on hand held digital cameras and hidden cameras and the picture quality is reflective of that.
Audio
English/French Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound. The film is, for the most part, narrated by Dominique Mollard himself. When Mollard conducts interviews they are in French, as most people speak French in countries such as Mauritania and Senegal, and subtitles appear on screen for those portions of the documentary. The sound is perfectly audible. There are no subtitles, other than those used for the interviews, that accompany the documentary on this disc and this is a real shame.
Extras
There are no extras.
Overall
An extremely moving and engrossing documentary. Those with any concern or distrust of the people that are trying to enter Europe from Africa should watch this film. It highlights the human stories and the reasons for their attempted migrations and the extraordinary lengths they will go to. Not enough is being done for these people and they are paying with their lives on a daily basis. Mollard has done them, and the World, a great service by highlighting their plight at a significant risk to his own life.
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