Ali, 28, is an Iraqi refugee living in Slovenia, a country he hadn’t known it even existed before he had crossed the river from Croatia in 2015 and was stopped by Slovenian police there. Little did he know then that he will stay in this tiny European country on the sunny side of the Alps long sceptical of foreigners, where welcoming and inclusiveness are attitudes of individuals and specific non-governmental organisations, and where the general national atmosphere is (much like in its neighbouring countries) rather the opposite.
In this short film Ali tells his personal story (his voice is replaced by narrator’s as he was unable to read his own story) in his new environment, where he found himself because he hadn’t had a better choice: “The only way to walk away from death for me was to leave,” he explained in an interview. This story aspires to show a person, an individual, a fellow human being behind a “refugee” label and the statistics that we are being served on every step, especially by those whose interest is division and hatred.
The film is part of a multimedia educational materials package on migration, emigration and international protection issues for secondary schools. It was produced by Apis INSTITUTE.
| Producer: |
Zavod Apis |
| Director: |
Manca Juvan |
| Script: |
Manca Juvan |
| Camera: |
Manca Juvan
|
| Editing: |
Romana Zajec
|
| Director of photography: |
Manca Juvan |
| Others: |
Sound Mastering: Ali R. Taha |
Manca Juvan, a graduate photographer, has been an independent photographer since 2000. In 2017, her latest photo monograph, "Guardians of the Spoon," garnered acclaim by winning the International PhotoBook Awards in Los Angeles and receiving recognition at the 32nd Slovenian Book Fair. Invited to present the project at the "Photography and Human Rights" conference in New York in 2016, she earned nominations for prestigious awards like the Foam Paul Huf Award (Netherlands) and the Keith Haring Scholarship in the USA.
Notable achievements include her selection for the Eddie Adams workshop in 2012 and a scholarship from the Magnum Foundation for photography and human rights studies at New York University in 2011. Her work has been featured in international exhibitions and competitions, including the Photomed Festival in France and the Lens on Development competition in Poland.
Manca published her first photo-monograph, "Afghanistan: Unusual Lives," in 2010, followed by the English edition in 2012. Her extensive career includes awards at the Slovenian Photo of the Year competition and collaboration with various Slovenian and international media outlets, such as National Geographic and The Guardian.
As an honorary member of the SPUTNIK photography association, Manca Juvan actively contributes to socially engaged multimedia content and collaborates with organizations like the Apis Institute. In addition to mentoring at photo workshops, she now also guides photography courses in high school and university programs. Represented by Galerija Fotografija, she continues to exhibit her work both nationally and internationally.
