'Days of Hope'

Days of Hope follows the stories of many who are waiting to cross from Africa to Europe for work as well as some who have already made it across, only to find it is not quite as blissful as they'd imagined.

Ditte - dfi.dk

Director Ditte Haarløv Jensen manages to capture some extremely intimate moments with her contributors, aided by the stunning quality of some close range cinematography from Minka Jakerson. The two ladies really know how to identify with what makes us human, focussing on the face, the eyes, the stories. The shots linger long enough for us to find meaning in everything, whether it be a phone call where all parties insist that they are fine or when a young girl prays for her mother's happiness. This clarity in pacing I suppose is an additional bonus considering that there is no voiceover to help us along.

I do have one negative thing to say in that, I found it difficult to keep up with the contributors as we switched from location to location. I actually lost track of how many there were which makes me feel almost guilty that I too am forgetting them. But due to the fact that I was reading the subtitles, I sometimes failed to really take in the face, which meant that it became difficult to sometimes tell who was who.

However, there are moments within the film that really stand out and will consider to swim in my mind for some time. The first, is the mobile phone footage of the washed up bodies of those who didn't make the crossing across the ocean. The person operating the camera is not shy of going too close and so we are faced with some horrific images that really drive home the feeling of desperation.

Thelma - serenoregis.org

The second moment, is when Thelma prays so devoutly for the well-being and happiness of her mother. The camera is invisible to her. She is alone, with Go and we very much feel the intensity of her faith as an audience. 

The third moment is the celebration of a birthday within the immigration centre. It is touching to see so many men wishing another well at a time when all of them, fear for their futures and need nothing more than to find work for themselves. And yet they share their wishes and they play music and they sing happy birthday. That for me really showed the spirit of these young men that make the journey to Europe for work.

Harouna - bullittfilm.dk

And so, we see the horror, the desperation, the faith and courage and we see the relentless spirit that these men and women carry forward throughout their lives, despite such endless hardship, to provide for their families.

A really great film about an issue I know very little about but have always wished to learn. I look forward to seeing some of Ditte's other works in the future.

To read the Q&A with director Ditte, click here: http://watchinabitotheatrenstuff.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/days-of-hope-q.html