In This World (2002)

89% of critics liked it
(63 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(2,978 ratings)

Prolific British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom adds to his impressively diverse oeuvre with this harrowing account of two Afghan refugees' passage to the West in search of a better life. The movie opens at a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan, where Afghans have sought refuge in the wake of the… More Prolific British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom adds to his impressively diverse oeuvre with this harrowing account of two Afghan refugees' passage to the West in search of a better life. The movie opens at a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan, where Afghans have sought refuge in the wake of the U.S. military campaign in their country following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The story follows Jamal, an orphaned teenager, and Enayat, his older companion, as they make their way from Pakistan to London. Traveling in the back of trucks, by bus, and on foot, the two cross Central Asia in an arduous journey punctuated by encounters with hostile border guards and shady smugglers. Even more traumatic is the ocean voyage from Turkey to Italy, during which Jamal and Enayat are forced to hide in a shipping container with other asylum seekers, including a terrified infant. Winterbottom shot the movie vérité-style on digital video, and the smudgy look and quick cutting betray the movie's guerrilla roots. Enhancing its raw veneer is Winterbottom's reliance on improvised dialogue and non-actors. A stirring work of advocacy, this flawed but wrenching film won the Golden Bear at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Elbert Ventura, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Michael Winterbottom
Written By: Tony Grisoni
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Sep 19, 2003 Limited
On DVD: Mar 2, 2004
Studio: Sundance Film Series

Critic Reviews

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
Puts something like a personal face on what is so often rendered merely as an abstract statistic: the plight of the contemporary refugee in a violently 'globalized' world.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Although the story told is of vital importance, the manner of the telling robs us of the appropriate emotional response.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Without an ounce of phony Hollywood uplift, Winterbottom's film cuts right to the heart.
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic
In This World leaves us with little more than 'Tsk, tsk.'
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
In This World is not a facile entertainment, but a prescribed cure for one's compassion fatigue.
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
In This World unfolds with the deceptive dispassion of a documentary, but builds with a sure sense of dramatic epic.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
It is rewarding unlike any other film I've seen.
Jay Antani, Los Angeles Alternative
That Winterbotton was able to pull this venture off at all is remarkable.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...an odd hybrid of fiction and non-fiction, featuring a cast comprised mostly of amateur actors.
Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
Your heart will go out to [the characters], especially if your family made an arduous effort to reach America among the waves of immigrants over the last 130 years.
Adam Nayman, eye WEEKLY
Ferociously stakes a claim to the hearts, and minds, of viewers fortunate enough to see it.
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
I'd like for some brave soul to sneak a copy [into the White House], just to bring a slap of reality to the residents of the presidential plastic bubble.
Oz, eFilmCritic.com
It will definitely cause you to stop, consider and appreciate your life far more than you did yesterday.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
By keeping his focus small and personal, director Michael Winterbottom completely immerses a viewer in Jamal and Enayat's experience. It's quite devastating.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's a stirring work of advocacy.
Duane Dudek, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
It's a brave new world, and Michael Winterbottom's brave new film is like a postcard from the heart of it.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Michael Winterbottom puts a human face on a harrowing story in In This World, but you'll wish you had more.
James Verniere, Boston Herald
The film's intellectual dishonesty begins almost immediately.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
I had to keep reminding myself, during the course of "In This World," that I was watching a fictional film, not a chronicle of real events.

Read all 19 critic reviews

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Cassandra M

In This World charts the journey of two Afghan refugee brothers who leave their camp in Peshawar, Pakistan to seek a new life in London. The epic voyage of Jemal and Emayat is an archetypal refugee journey from East to West; in a film lasting just 90 minutes, director Michael… More
In This World charts the journey of two Afghan refugee brothers who leave their camp in Peshawar, Pakistan to seek a new life in London. The epic voyage of Jemal and Emayat is an archetypal refugee journey from East to West; in a film lasting just 90 minutes, director Michael Winterbottom weaves together a taut and powerful narrative, encapsulating the encounters and journeys-within-journeys that characterise refugee lives. Relatives of the two brothers give all they can to send them on their way; 'agents' of migration variously help and hinder their journey; policemen fleece them at the border crossings. From Peshawar to Sangatte (where would-be migrants to Britain crowd the French coast), the coherent and transfixing narrative brings together the names and places associated with countless refugee journeys. On Jemal and Enayat's journey there are so many glimpses of the world around - some enlightening, others mysterious - that you could watch this film again and again and be fascinated by new details each time. The early stages of the journey reveal the stunning emptiness of Central Asian landscapes, with vast plains stretching out towards impossibly far-off mountains. The journey across Asia reveals some very different - and occasionally alarming - road usage, whilst the briefest of pauses in rural Iran captures a little of the traditions involved in welcoming and sending-off guests. Among the most striking asides in this film for me is the footage of a cow being slaughtered by the halal method; just a few eye-opening moments are afforded to this episode. The film is, for all these fascinating glimpses, tightly woven around the story of Jemal and Enayat. The portrayal of their difficulties and sufferings is devastatingly powerful; the jerky, panic-stricken footage at the Turkish border and the dark and claustrophobic nightmare of the shipping container remain long and vivid in the memory. Although Winterbottom rarely lets the pace of the film slacken - indeed, he hardly has the option in such a wide-ranging and ambitious undertaking - snatches of conversation, bickering and camaraderie develop the two brothers' characters: they feel like real people. Jemal's humorous stories are particularly important in this regard, and, for me, the parodying of creation myths in these tales also suggests a much-warranted poking of fun at Western audiences, who often take a condescending interest in 'quaint' traditions. Through the use of a voice-over in the early stages of the film and recurring resort to a map to help chart the brothers' journey, Winterbottom adds overtly documentary-style elements to his film. These elements seem to me to jar with the rest of the film; there is no real need to add them to an otherwise immersive and realistic picture. On the other hand, whilst the musical score by Dario Marianelli seems jarring to begin with, it soon becomes an essential part of the film: a theme to match an exhaustingly emotional experience as we watch the migrants on their journey.
Gordon A

Revealing, studied window into people migration from Pakistan to the UK. Humbling sacrifice at every turn gets you routing for the leads and challenges you to question your views on immigration.
Andrew P

An interesting blend of documentary/drama which is an inspiring tale of two family members traveling from Afghanistan to London. This documents a truely remarkable friendship to make even the greatest buddy movies seem rubbish. It has heart and brings a certain freshness to the… More
An interesting blend of documentary/drama which is an inspiring tale of two family members traveling from Afghanistan to London. This documents a truely remarkable friendship to make even the greatest buddy movies seem rubbish. It has heart and brings a certain freshness to the screen.

Cast

            Jamal Udin Torabi as Jamal

            Enayatullah as Enayat

            Paul Popplewell as Narrator

            Xavier Jamaux as Enayat's father

            Rasheed as Soldier Shaheen

            Imran Paracha as Travel Agent

            Hiddayatullah as Enayat's brother

            Allah Bauhsh as Farid

            Kerem Atabeyoglu as Policeman

            Hossain Baghaeian as Behrooz

            Nabil Elouahabi as Yusif

            Yaaghoob Nosraj Poor as Kurdish father

            Ghodrat Poor as Kurdish mother

            Erham Sekizcan as Factory Boss

            Wakeel Khan as Enayat's uncle

            Lal Zarin as Enayat's uncle

            Ahsan Raza as Money Changer

            Mirwais Torabi as Jamal's older brother

            Abdul Almad as groom

            Amanullah Torabi as Jamal's younger brother

            Ramzan Ali as Driver

            Chaman Ali as Driver

            Mehdi Poor as Kurdish baby

            Ahmad Azami as Kurdish father

            Yusef Azami as Kurdish son

            Mr. Eghdame as Bus Driver

            Mr. Delghame as bus driver

            Mr. Yusuf as Bus Driver

            Bayram Arjangi as Truck Driver

            Jaffa Eghbali as 4WD driver

            Abdul Ahmad as Groom

            Mr. Dehghame as Bus Driver

            Jamau
            
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In This World (2002)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Cassandra M

Gordon A

Andrew P

Cast

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