The Journey is a short film featured in 2012 that tells the story of a young Ethiopian housemaid who’s about to start her job at a new country. The entire 15 minute film revolves around the taxi ride and the conversation of Rafiq (the Indian taxi driver) and Almas (the Ethiopian housemaid) about their thoughts and experiences on living at a home away from home.

Since its screening in 2012, The Journey has won an award for Special Jury Mention in the 2012 Abu Dhabi Film Festival and was selected in Film Festivals from all over the world like the Netherlands’s Leiden International Short Film Experience, Lebanon’s Beirut International Film Festival, and France’s Festival de Courts Métrages de la Côte Bleue to name a few. You can find the full list below:

SELECTIONS

– Leiden International Short Film Experience (Netherlands)

– Beirut Intl Film Festival (Lebanon)

– Malmo Arab Film Festival (Sweden)

– El Ojo Cojo (Spain)

– Festival de Courts Métrages de la Côte Bleue (France)

– Cours-Dragui-Court (France)

– The Northern Wave International Film Festival (Iceland)

– 5ème festival Filmer le travail (France)

– Canadian Labour International Film Festival (Canada)

The Journey was written by Sana Bagersh, who was also executive producer. It stars Mylene Gomera as Almas and Jamal Iqbal as Rafiq, and was directed by Hana Makki. The film was produced by BrandMoxie Productions.

Now, for the first time “The Journey” is now available to be viewed on YouTube!

Watch here:

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THE JOURNEY

Sana Bagersh:
“The Story behind the Film”

I believe that a good story writes itself. When I wrote The Journey a few years ago I was inspired by the plight of housemaids who travel abroad, and the adjustment difficulties they face. This story reflects the feeling of dislocation and loss of home, Almas, an Ethiopian housemaid, along with the aspirations that sustain her.

For some housemaids traveling to another country to work is the goal, while for many it is merely one stop on a journey to a better life, whether that involves going back home to start a business, or whether it is to transit to another country. What we don’t realize is often many housemaids are educated and have worked as professionals in their home countries. Yet they make the decision to work abroad as a house servant because it can be more financially rewarding.

This story also captures the experience of the Indian driver, Rafiq (‘guide’ in Arabic). The driver relates his own ‘journey’ coming to the UAE, and what he has gained and lost on the way. The film plays on the double entendre on the word ‘journey’ which is the trip from Abu Dhabi airport to Liwa, but also the ‘journey’ of life: how the experience of emigration affects Rafiq and Almas.

After writing the short story, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to transform it into a short film, with full funding for production. I was lucky to get Hana Makki to direct the movie, and to have Jamal Iqbal and Mylene Gomera breathe life into the roles of Rafiq and Almas. Incidentally, I have a cameo appearance at the very end – yes, a là Hitchcock 🙂

I hope you enjoy the film.

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Jamal Iqbal:
“My Thoughts on The Journey”

The Journey. What can I say about it that I haven’t said already? A writer that weaves in so much bliss in a story. A director that looks at you and says “I want your eyes?” A co-actor who becomes a dear friend. A team of 10 braving the heat by day, the cold by night and making something special come alive. An audience that falls in love with the film each time they see it. Award juries that stand up and applaud. And all of us wondering, is it a dream?

“This little taxi will go a long way”, said Hana on edit 1 all those years ago. I don’t think any of us realized how strong! Every part of The Journey was filled with emotion. From eating multiple sachets of peanuts and sandwiches for the shots. To me running away with the taxi after filming was over, in jubilation of not having to drive at the speed of that perfect 30 Kph so our DOP could film us huddled at the back with the Director and at times 5 others! The amount of taxi drivers and truck drivers and bus drivers I keep on being asked to portray even now, years later! The overwhelming warmth from the production team, who have now become close friends.

From a personal point of view it was a challenging role for me, to play someone 20 years older than I. To add depth and sensitivity to my cockiness. To adapt my Stanislavski to Mylene’s Meisner – to the point where at one point of time we fought like cats and dogs, and Hana had to intervene and play mommy! And fun times, when we would surprise everyone with the perfect shot, only to be told by the crew that we had to have a retake, because a Dune Buggy was blaring music in the background!

The Journey, is truly an important institution in the field of independent filmmaking in the region. I keep on wishing Sana would write a sequel, and we would come together, and film one more! And we would promise her to make her act in this one as well.

But jokes apart, and more importantly, as it ended, Rafiq said not just to Almas but to the world – “Don’t forget your dreams!”

I’d like to end with a Haiku:

Time met dunes.

Humans touched diamond friends.

Journey Still.

– Jamal H. Iqbal aka “Mr. Rafiq”