For several years, director Ingeborg Jansen followed the originally Pakistani family Elias, whose Christian religion made them flee their country. After arriving in the Netherlands, the parents and three children had to wait eight years before they knew if they would get a residence permit. Personal interviews and images of daily activities like sport and school show how especially the children have completely integrated with the community. Meanwhile, their father tries to preserve his patience and dignity before the camera after every disappointing letter. To the question whether children that grow up during the long wait in Holland gain the right to a residence permit, then minister Verdonk answered that refugees without a permit should not have children. With her documentary, director Jansen confines herself to the human story behind one of many IND files (Immigration and Naturalization Service) and does not take a political stand. All the same, the question gradually thrusts itself on us whether phrases like 'humane policy' have not lost every relationship with reality.
Credits
Director
Executive producer
Camera
Set geluid
Sound editing
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Montage
Muziek
Production company
Holland Harbour Productions
TV company
NCRV TV
NFF Archive
You are now in the NFF Archive. The archive contains contains information on film, TV and interactive productions that were screened at past festival editions. The NFF does not dispose of this material. For this, please contact the producer, distributor or broadcaster. Sometimes, older films can also be found at the Eye Film Museum or the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision.