Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has joined Oscar-qualifying documentary Far From Home as an executive producer, marking his first venture into documentaries in this role, as per reports.
According to US-based news magazine Variety, the documentary, directed by award-winning journalist Ankita M. Kumar, follows the journey of Samira Faizi, an Afghan refugee who came to India in 2021 after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.
“The film showcases her struggle in setting up base in India, whose political environment has changed and is no longer welcome for refugees. The film sheds light on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), that excludes Muslim refugees from a pathway towards citizenship and its impact on Afghan refugees, who have no country to go back to,” reads the official logline of the film.
Reflecting on cinema’s ability to capture its times, Shah expressed why he considers documentaries important. “I’ve always believed the most important function of cinema is to act as a record of its times. Since it is the only medium that can do that I consider documentaries to be of more value for posterity than features,” Shah said.
Calling refugee rights a ‘tricky topic’ in India, Ankita said, “Refugee rights is a tricky topic in India and given the current political scenario, refugees are scared to talk or come forth in public.”
“When one thinks of refugees, they usually visualize them on a boat going to Europe or on the US-Mexico border. But rarely do we talk about refugees who are in parts of the world where there is no framework to integrate them,” Ankita noted.
“I am proud of Samira for her bravery in telling her story and bringing awareness across the world about the situation of Afghan refugees in India,” she added.
Emmy-winning producer Brent E. Huffman is producing the project funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. The documentary was a finalist for the Japan Prize and also earned runner-up for Best Short Documentary at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.
Far From Home has been screened at multiple festivals, including the Oscar-qualifying American Documentary and Animation Film Festival and the Tasveer Film Festival. The documentary is set to continue its awards campaign with several upcoming U.S. screenings.
