Director Markéta Ekrt Válková explores the challenges faced by a Syrian family that immigrated to Prague during the refugee crisis, as depicted in her documentary 'Amira's Children.'
Director Markéta Ekrt Válková has documented a Syrian family over a decade, following their journey from Syria to Prague during the 2015 refugee crisis. Her film, 'Amira's Children,' presents the intricate adolescence of the children, the warmth of their school community, and the cultural clashes that arose during their resettlement in a foreign land. It captures the feelings of uprooting and the persistent longing for home experienced by the parents, revealing the emotional turmoil of leaving their homeland behind.
In her discussions about the film, Válková notes the challenges the family faced in Czechia and how their own feelings influenced the representation of their story on screen. She emphasizes the significant role that editing played in shaping the final narrative, with around thirty percent of the filmed material being debated extensively before its inclusion. This careful curation aimed to respect the family's perspective while still highlighting the broader issue of migration and its emotional impact.
The film premiered at the Jihlava Documentary Film Festival and is set to enter theaters in mid-February. Válková expresses her belief that through this documentary, she can convey the difficulties of uprooting one’s life and starting anew, thereby fostering greater understanding among viewers, particularly those in Syria who may face similar challenges. The conversation around the film sheds light on the complexities of immigration and the personal stories often overlooked in broader discourse.
