Case Study
Amnesty International
Through the eyes of a refugee
The short film ‘Through the eyes of a refugee’ documents an extraordinary project in which five people are brought into a state of hypnosis in order to make the journey of a Syrian refugee.
Agency: TBWA
Production house: Hazazah Film & Photography
Every year, hundreds of thousands of refugees embark on a life-threatening journey. Once they reach their final destination, a place that should offer a safe haven, they often face racism, xenophobia and discrimination. It seems as if (Dutch) people have forgotten what refugees are: people. Society is far removed. Physically and emotionally. To create a greater understanding, we brought the gruelling story of one refugee close. Really close. We conducted an experiment that mimicked the harrowing experience of one refugee. Participants underwent Marwa’s journey. Under hypnosis.
Victor was asked by Amnesty and TBWA to make a very special film where regular people get to make the journey of a refugee under hypnosos.
Under the guidance of a professional hypnotherapist they experience what the 29 year old Marwa had to go through to reach safety in The Netherlands.
Marwa’s journey began in April 2015, when a missile struck the house that she lived in. Her little brother and sister were killed in the attack. Her village was bombed for months on end. After another brother had fled, Marwa followed suit and decided to try and find a safe haven in Europe. She embarked on a hellish journey, during which she faced death on several occasions.
Marwa’s story (Arabic / Dutch subs)