Sri Lanka, Dec 03 : Migration has been a recurring theme throughout history from East Pakistan to India, Lankan Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka, to Palestinians wandering their homeland. Japanese director Akio Fujimoto captures this timeless suffering in his film Lost Land, telling the story of two Rohingya Muslim children escaping religious persecution in Myanmar.
Nine-year-old Somira (Shomira Rias Uddin Muhammad) and her four-year-old brother Shafi (Shofik Rias Uddin) set sail with their grandmother, hoping to reunite with their uncle in Malaysia. The film, the first ever in the Rohingya language, premiered at the recent Red Sea International Film Festival.
Fujimoto keeps the narrative focused on migration, depicting the children’s perilous journey without straying into child trafficking. Along the way, they face ruthless agents who prioritize money over human welfare. The story is marked by tense and dangerous adventures, with performances by the child actors lending authenticity and emotional weight.
Cinematographer Yoshio Kitagawa and Fujimoto employ nighttime sequences to heighten anxiety and convey the precariousness of the voyage. The film also features the participation of around 200 actual Rohingya people, and a haunting musical score by Ernst Reijseger, creating a work that is both gripping and emotionally resonant powerful without being overly dramatic.
Lost Land presents a pulse-pounding, terrifyingly real depiction of migration, survival, and the resilience of children navigating a world of chaos and uncertainty.