‘But You Try to Dig the Hole; Why?’: A Review of the Hearing

Author(s) : Derya Ozkul

Source : https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fead051

Abstract:

“Who is defined as a refugee? Who holds the power to decide who qualifies as a refugee? How do the relevant authorities make their decisions? These are some of the questions that a recently produced thought-provoking film, The Hearing, is exploring. Through the experiences of four asylum seekers who sought refuge in Switzerland, including a Nigerian woman, a Cameroonian man, a transgender woman from Sri Lanka, and a young Afghan man, alongside the decision-makers, interpreters, and transcribers at the State Secretariat for Migration, the film scrutinizes the complex terrain of asylum determination. It delves into the legally and socially complicated process of distinguishing refugees from other migrants, ultimately conferring upon them official refugee status. In exploring these inquiries, the film sheds light on the intricacies inherent in the ‘individualised’ asylum decision-making. Lisa Gerig, a Swiss filmmaker and director, is also an activist who has worked with asylum seekers for many years. Through her friendships with refugees, she learned about the challenges they faced when telling their life stories to authorities. It is these stories that inspired her to create a movie that depicts the interview process and what asylum seekers go through in detail (Macnab 2023). Although the film is set in Switzerland, the issues it raises are relevant beyond its borders.”