Little Alien
Encyclopedia
Little Alien is a documentary
by Bosnian
-born, Austria
n director
and producer
Nina Kusturica
dealing with unaccompanied minor
refugees.
s are teenagers who undertake a very dangerous journey on their own, fleeing from various crisis regions of the world to Europe
. Nina Kusturica conveys a complex picture of the hopes and dreams of adolescent refugees who after their getaway have to face the partly absurd and inhuman bureaucratic system of the European countries. The teenagers Juma, Hishame, Ahmed, Nura, Achmad, Asha, Jawid, and Alem deliver bit by bit insight into their situation and why leaving their home country and their families ultimately was their last resort. Beyond that, the director gives the audience a look behind the scenes, i.e. through the lenses of thermographic camera
s belonging to the border police keeping track of clueless refugees, and she accompanies the teenagers to appointments with government agencies.
After their arrival in Europe, the teenagers only wish for an orderly life. However, the dehumanized bureaucracy does not allow for an immediate integration. Even language courses can only be attended after having a valid asylum approval notice. That is why they are forced to do nothing but wait. Also that way making contact with locals is nearly impossible. One of the key scenes shows an encounter between a drunk Austria
n and the teenage girls Nura and Asha at the train station of Traiskirchen
- Austria's most important reception camp. The stranger confronts the girls with mostly all current prejudices against immigrants, whereas the girls have never even heard of the concept of xenophobia
before.
During the whole film, it is astonishing and refreshing to see that despite all the uncertainty these teenagers laugh and act like other people their age and keep their optimism. Nina Kusturica magnificently succeeded in presenting her protagonists on a very personal level – and that is what makes this documentary so important, particularly these days when immigration
is discussed by politicians and the corresponding media only in a populist way.
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
by Bosnian
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
-born, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
Nina Kusturica
Nina Kusturica
Nina Kusturica is a Bosnian-born, Austrian film director, film editor und film producer.-Biography:She studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna to become a film director and editor and earned her degree with the film Auswege which had its permiere at the Berlin International...
dealing with unaccompanied minor
Unaccompanied minor
An unaccompanied minor is a child without the presence of a legal guardian. This term is used in immigration law and in airline policies. The specific definition varies from country to country and from airline to airline.-Immigration Law:...
refugees.
Synopsis
The protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s are teenagers who undertake a very dangerous journey on their own, fleeing from various crisis regions of the world to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Nina Kusturica conveys a complex picture of the hopes and dreams of adolescent refugees who after their getaway have to face the partly absurd and inhuman bureaucratic system of the European countries. The teenagers Juma, Hishame, Ahmed, Nura, Achmad, Asha, Jawid, and Alem deliver bit by bit insight into their situation and why leaving their home country and their families ultimately was their last resort. Beyond that, the director gives the audience a look behind the scenes, i.e. through the lenses of thermographic camera
Thermographic camera
A thermographic camera or infrared camera is a device that forms an image using infrared radiation, similar to a common camera that forms an image using visible light...
s belonging to the border police keeping track of clueless refugees, and she accompanies the teenagers to appointments with government agencies.
After their arrival in Europe, the teenagers only wish for an orderly life. However, the dehumanized bureaucracy does not allow for an immediate integration. Even language courses can only be attended after having a valid asylum approval notice. That is why they are forced to do nothing but wait. Also that way making contact with locals is nearly impossible. One of the key scenes shows an encounter between a drunk Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n and the teenage girls Nura and Asha at the train station of Traiskirchen
Traiskirchen
Traiskirchen is a town in the district of Baden in Lower Austria in Austria. It is 20 km south of Vienna and located in the famous Thermenlinie region of Lower Austria known for its wine and heurigers...
- Austria's most important reception camp. The stranger confronts the girls with mostly all current prejudices against immigrants, whereas the girls have never even heard of the concept of xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
before.
During the whole film, it is astonishing and refreshing to see that despite all the uncertainty these teenagers laugh and act like other people their age and keep their optimism. Nina Kusturica magnificently succeeded in presenting her protagonists on a very personal level – and that is what makes this documentary so important, particularly these days when immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
is discussed by politicians and the corresponding media only in a populist way.
Awards
- outstanding artist award, category: intercultural dialogue, of the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture, 2010
- feature documentary – 2nd place, Editing – 1st place, International Filmfestival Los Angeles, 2010