She presented her first film at the festival in 1990 and now Mijke de Jong is back at IFFR with Along the Way, the moving story of two refugees trying to reach Fortress Europe. The film’s genesis lies in the voluntary work De Jong did at the infamous Moria refugee camp on Lesbos, where she met the Afghan twins Nahid and Malihe. Touched by their story, ambitions and talent, De Jong decided to collaborate with them.
This results in a moving, powerful film about Fatima and Zahra’s experiences, stranded, as they are, in Istanbul after a life-threatening journey from Teheran. Their goal is Greece, but even then they will still be nowhere. Like other young adults Fatima and Zahra hope they will make it; they dream of careers as filmmakers. With their ingenuity and resilience, they will undoubtedly succeed – if they are given the opportunity.
Filmmore served color grading, visual effects, title design and mastering for this feature film.