Language forms and features in 'Go Back to Where You Came From'

Anecdotes

Bahati’s anecdote about his experiences in Africa show that he is an intelligent person who was persecuted for his political beliefs. In Africa, Bahati was the Vice President of a political party. Bahati explains to Roderick that in Africa 320 people from his political group were killed by the government because of their different political beliefs. He explains that he was imprisoned for 6 months and tortured. The injuries he sustained put him in hospital for two weeks. The obvious discomfort is shown through the silence of the men as they sit together. Bahati has a serious look on his face and Roderick tries to distract himself by fidgeting, to alleviate his discomfort. Bahati explains that that is why he fled his own country. Roderick asks him if he would return, and he says that he would not as he has a ‘bad souvenir’.

Activity

1. Analyse how the anecdotes represent ideas about discovery. An example has been completed for you. 

Modelled response

Wasmi’s story about his journey from Iraq shows us the difficult decisions he was forced to make to support his family. Wasmi relays to the participants how he was sick on the boat journey to Australia and that he does not like to remember. The narrator explains that he suffers from post-traumatic disorder and nightmares. Wasmi explains that the smuggler misled him into thinking the boat was more modern than it was, and that it would be a safe passage. He shows them pictures of his family. He decides not to go with his children, as he would feel ‘guilty’ if anything happened to them. Wasmi’s story shows the vulnerability refugees experience as they are easy prey to those who seek to capitalise on their misfortune.

Language forms and features in 'Go Back to Where You Came from'

Interviews

The interviews serve to show their values and opinions of the participants and how they change as they experience the life of a refugee. For example, when the participants are introduced, we get a clear sense of their values from the beginning. As viewers, we are therefore able to measure how the characters’ perspective change or stay the same. In the opening interviews, Raye says that she thought it served the ‘bastards right’ who were affected by the ship that crash off Christmas Island and Roderick says that he fears being seen as a ‘huge lefty’. Raquel tells us that she is a ‘bit racists’ and that she doesn’t like ‘Africans’ and Darren says that people who come by boat illegally should be ‘immediately expatriated’. Gleny thinks Australia has the ‘capacity’ to take ‘more refugees’ and Adam says that we are ‘spending millions of dollars housing ‘these’ criminals’. With the exception of Gleny, almost all participants are prejudiced against refugees.

As the episodes progress, the participants become more aware of the plight of refugees. In Episode 1, After Maisara’s story Raquel reflects that she is not sure how she would cope being in the country the Masudi family come from and experiencing something like Maisara did. She has empathy as she feels that seeing something like what Maisara described would be distressing. When Adam comes out of the detention centre, he says that he experienced a ‘reality check’ as he spoke to people who are experiencing a hopeless situation. He talks about one man who has had his application denied several times and said he would commit suicide rather than return to Iraq. The man tells him that rioting is not far off at the detention centre. There is another shot of the moon in the distance. This shows that his attitude that the refugees deserve the harsh treatment they receive has shifted to a more compassionate perspective.

The footage of the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre gives the insight into the tortured state of many of the people who live there. The narrator tells us that Wasmi visits here and he wants the group to visit his friends. The narrator tells us that in the last 9 months 3 detainees have committed suicide and 18 have self-harmed themselves. The group reflects on their experiences speaking to the detainees. They are all affected by the experience. Gleny says that she felt the hopelessness of one of the person she spoke to and Adam experiences a ‘reality check’.

Activity

1. Analyse how the interviews represent ideas about discovery. An example has been completed for you.

Modelled response

In Episode 2, as the male participants work in the fields with the refugees, they are shocked by the harsh conditions they refugees work under. Adam asks how much the men get paid, to which he is told that the workers are volunteers. This confuses Adam. In exchange, they get food and shelter. They don’t look for work outside, as they are afraid of getting arrested. As Adam hoes the ground, his anger at their predicament rises. He empathises with them, comparing men at home who have a ‘pay check to go home to’ and these men who ‘have nothing’. The medium shot of him with his head to the ground, not looking at the camera shows that he is deeply affected by the injustice.