by Mona Monsefi
“Lost Whispers in the Distance” demonstrates that a compelling documentary needs only a simple camera and a skilled director with a sensitive soul to fill the gaps in the narrative of migration. This documentary provides an unfiltered look at the challenges faced by a group of Iranian and Afghan refugees in a Serbian camp who have left their pasts behind in hopes of shaping a brighter future. In their pursuit of this future, they have lost their societal status and now struggle with the hardships of their ongoing journey.
Mansour Forouzesh, the film’s director, writer, and cinematographer, opens with long, cold, and methodically slow shots of signs and winter roads, accompanied by a man’s voice singing about loneliness and lost hopes. These early shots set the stage for the story to come. This simplicity and gradual introduction are hallmarks of Forouzesh’s style, as seen in his other films such as “A Few Knots Away,” “The Hose,” and “Into Bahangar.”
The one-hour documentary, filmed in Serbia, is well-structured and maintains a professional balance between visuals and the characters’ narratives. The stories, including that of a young woman, Masoumeh, who has been traveling with an infant for three years, and those of young, unregistered male refugees living in a dilapidated building outside the camp, are both shocking and heart-wrenching. However, the most touching aspect is the portrayal of refugees whose hopes and dreams have been shattered, turning them into distant fantasies. The film opens viewers’ eyes to the sorrowful agony of people with no way back and only a perilous path forward. This forward movement often involves entering “the game,” where refugees gamble everything to reach their ideal destination by paying smugglers. Predictably, the “games” often fail, leaving most participants broke.
Forouzesh uses his past experiences to harness the power of imagery and symbolism to complement the characters’ narrations. This symbolism is not imposed on the narration but drawn from it. For example, a scene where a family searches for the perfect pomegranate for a traditional Iranian celebration delicately ties the characters to their pasts and their attempts to maintain their roots and keep the family together. The pomegranate contrasts with “the game,” where characters bet everything for a glimmer of hope, delving even deeper into the unknown. The setting of the film also effectively uses symbolism, with roads, shared labyrinth-like camp rooms, and ruined buildings richly reflecting the characters’ lives.
The refugees genuinely share their experiences, blending facts and fictions of their journey, creating a truly fascinating viewing experience enhanced by thought-provoking visuals, songs, and melancholy music. “Lost Whispers in the Distance” requires more than one viewing to capture all its intricate messages. The film promises “to paint a comprehensible picture for those who decide to migrate illegally through dangerous routes,” and it delivers on that promise by making the whispers of these forgotten travelers heard.