Adu gives us a different glimpse into the global refugee crises.
Adu is an original Netflix film from Spain. The main story is that of a little boy as he journeys from Africa to Spain to be with his father.
The scene of the film takes place in Melilla. African immigrants are trying desperately to jump the barbed wire fence into Spain. One is caught in the barbed wire. When he finally frees himself from the barbs, he is hit on the head by one of the border agents and he falls to his death. This causes the rest of the refugees to become angry and retaliate.
From there we travel to Cameroon and are introduced to Adu (Moustapha Oumarou) and his older sister Alika (Zayiddiya Dissou). She is teaching him to ride a bike until they encounter poachers and see them hacking off a dead elephant's tusks.
The acting is phenomenal especially from Oumarou and Nourou who both transition seamlessly from children having fun and children facing some of the most difficult hardships imaginable. The film is beautifully shot and the it doesn't shy away from the realities refugees often experience while seeking a better life for themselves. The portrayals of the refugees is realistic, but they are not portrayed as poor victims.
Any time scenes are located at the border we get glimpses of the ways refugees are often treated as they crowd together trying to make it across before the border closes while others would rather risk their life at sea or jumping the fence.
There is no simple solution for the refugee crisis, but the most important thing to remember is that they are people. Seeing them as less than for seeking a better life is horrendous. When we start seeing them as people and not as law breakers, progress can begin to happen. I always have difficulty putting what I'm feeling into words, but I want people to have to stop resorting to extremes in order to live and the only way to do that is through change.
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