Witness (2021) Memory is Our Homeland: European Refugees in Africa
A filmmaker retraces the childhood odyssey of his Polish grandmother who became a refugee in Africa during World War II. Jonathan Durand retraces his grandmother’s World War II journey from Poland to Africa. He discovers the astonishing story of how thousands of Polish deportees, mostly women and children, ended up migrating from labour prisons in Siberia through Iran and India to refugee camps in Africa. Many Poles did not want to return to their homeland, as the lands they were from had been annexed by the Soviet Union. To this day, they live scattered across the world. This is their remarkable story of displacement and resilience which has been forgotten by the history books but kept alive as family myth. A Canadian filmmaker retraces the childhood odyssey of his Polish grandmother who became a refugee in East Africa during the Second World War.
An inspiring documentary series that brings world issues into focus through compelling human stories.
Primary Title
- Witness
Episode Title
- Memory is Our Homeland: European Refugees in Africa
Date Broadcast
- Monday 30 August 2021
Original Broadcast Date
- Thursday 26 August 2021
Release Year
- 2021
Start Time
- 08 : 00
Finish Time
- 09 : 00
Duration
- 60:00
Channel
- Al Jazeera English
Broadcaster
- Al Jazeera Media Network
Programme Description
- An inspiring documentary series that brings world issues into focus through compelling human stories.
Episode Description
- A filmmaker retraces the childhood odyssey of his Polish grandmother who became a refugee in Africa during World War II. Jonathan Durand retraces his grandmother’s World War II journey from Poland to Africa. He discovers the astonishing story of how thousands of Polish deportees, mostly women and children, ended up migrating from labour prisons in Siberia through Iran and India to refugee camps in Africa. Many Poles did not want to return to their homeland, as the lands they were from had been annexed by the Soviet Union. To this day, they live scattered across the world. This is their remarkable story of displacement and resilience which has been forgotten by the history books but kept alive as family myth. A Canadian filmmaker retraces the childhood odyssey of his Polish grandmother who became a refugee in East Africa during the Second World War.
Classification
- Not Classified
Owning Collection
- Chapman Archive
Broadcast Platform
- Television
Languages
- English
Captions
Live Broadcast
- No
Rights Statement
- Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Contributors
- Jonathan Durand (Producer)
- Shundozero (Production Unit)