Emily Lehmann – Underground: A Filmic Exploration of “Migrant Illegality” in Copenhagen

Director: Julie Høj Thomsen (2019)

Film Length: 22 minutes

Link: https://boap.uib.no/index.php/jaf/article/view/2693/2800

Keywords: undocumented migrants; Afghan refugees; Migrant illegality; deportability; rightlessness; short film

The focus of the Ethnographic film ‘Underground’ is on what life as an illegal undocumented immigrant is like. The story of Ali takes place as a powerful monologue in Denmark where he has taken asylum for the past 10 years. Ali was born in Afghanistan and grew up in Iran but never felt like this was home and therefore he came to Denmark. We soon begin to learn Ali cannot reveal his identity with the fear and possibility of being deported. The film and Ali himself make a strong emphasis on living life one day at a time and not focusing on the future despite living in constant fear. Though he has no legal documentation, Ali focuses on the little things in life that are important to him which vary greatly from the average individual.

‘Underground’ is essentially considered to be living a free life although you are non-existent to the authorities of the country. The main focus of the film is to show awareness and the lack of rights of what some migrants are going through who are not as fortunate as others that are legal. Ali’s story seems to be a difficult one to live and as he says in the film: he considers himself a “human being in the system”. When his case for refugee status got denied, he attempted to go to Sweden. In his efforts to get legal documentation there, he went as far as to burn off his fingerprints to get a new identity. They discovered his true identity and denied him legal entry into Sweden, so he returned to Denmark where he now lives ‘underground.’

At the beginning of the film, we see some shots of the lighting and rain in a dark setting, accompanied by a voice that we soon learn to be Ali’s. He starts off by describing how the bad weather makes it difficult to be outside and has empathy towards those who don’t have a home. He is fortunate enough that someone provided him with a free room which puts a roof over his head allowing him to be inside during times like these. Ali works very minimal hours, which he is grateful for and does not complain about, as it gives him enough income to buy the basic necessities needed to live. Throughout the film, we gain a sense of respect for him as he only cares for the little things in life and takes particular joy in his belongings that the average person would not care for as deeply. As a refugee, he is unable to plan a future, including going to school or travelling outside of Denmark. We come to learn of some places that are associated with bad memories; though, they used to be good. The train station where he arrived years ago when coming to Denmark used to be a place that he could look back on positively. However, in the recent past, his friend was arrested there, taken to a camp, and then deported back to Afghanistan.

The film director Julie Høj Thomsen chooses to not reveal Ali’s full identity for obvious reasons regarding his personal safety. They rather execute this film in combining numerous scenes, some of the city and others of partial face shots. The film mainly consists of Ali talking about all the issues migrants face as well as his experience, and near the end of the film, we meet a couple of his friends who also give their view on the migrant illegality in Denmark as well as their story. However, we do not meet the director, and we are not given any insight into the set-up of the production. During the film, the director adds scenes of Copenhagen’s city lights, thunderstorms, and the streets in the daylight. Accompanied with this, we can hear various sounds which add to the ambient feeling of being in Copenhagen.

Living day to day but not knowing what the future holds is what Ali mentions is one of the biggest concerns of being an illegal migrant. What usually gets broadcasted by the media to the public is statistical analysis and what they portray as being ground-level information. Therefore, this film is eye-opening as you get an insider’s perspective on migrant precarity, legality, and the hardships they face. This film shows how Ali is able to embrace uncertainty and continues to practice gratitude for everything he is able to have despite being underground.