Impact Days Catalogue
fifdh
By Tanim Yousuf, Kauser Haider, Kauser Haider and Tanim Yousuf

Ghost Boat

Image du film Ghost Boat - FIFDH 2023
IMPACT DAYS

Joynal is one of many young Bangladeshis to have left their country in search of a better life. Human traffickers lured him onto a dangerous boat journey from southern Bangladesh to Malaysia, promising an escape from poverty. Many victims perish during this journey or end up imprisoned in Malaysia. Joynal has been missing for over eight years. His mother, Amena, has been trying to find him ever since and refuses to give up hope. On her quest to find traces of Joynal, Amena encounters Abdus, who drives electric three-wheelers on routes near her home village. He is a trafficking survivor and worked illegally in Malaysia for 5 years, before returning home with his earnings. He remains haunted by his experience but agrees to help Amena. Together, Amena and Abdus visit various people and places to find traces of Joynal. Recently, a national newspaper featured pictures of several Bangladeshi migrants imprisoned in Malaysia. One of them bears an eerie resemblance to Joynal, reigniting Amena’s hope of finding her son.

Sections : Impact Days, Impact Days
Country : Bangladesh
Original language : Bengali
Directors
Tanim Yousuf
Kauser Haider
Kauser Haider (Bangladesh)
Tanim Yousuf (Bangladesh)
Producers
Patrick Hamm
Arif Yousuf
Patrick Hamm (United States)
Arif Yousuf (Bangladesh)
Bulldog Agenda
Completion
2024
Impact Statement
Ghost Boat puts a human face on the global issue of human trafficking. Our campaign aims to warn young villagers in the region of the traffickers’ false promises and to put national and international pressure on government authorities to support affected communities.
Ghost Boat weaves a compelling narrative around the unseen victims of maritime trafficking, transforming audience empathy into a powerful force for international advocacy and support.
Impact Goals
  1. Raise awareness among rural youth about false promises of locally operating traffickers.
  2. Connect victims' families and empower them to organise.
  3. Build a database of missing victims.
  4. Pressure government authorities to combat trafficking and repatriate migrants imprisoned abroad.
  5. To not only warn potential victims but to also educate them about economic opportunities in Bangladesh, e.g., vocational training program supported by the ILO.
Impact Strategy
  • Screening events in affected communities in Bangladesh to 1) warn potential victims (rural youth) and 2) create a safe space for victims' families to connect.
  • Train volunteers to lead community workshops to enable group advocacy among victims' families.
  • Partner with grassroots NGOs, INGOs and academic partners to create a missing victims database; use community screening events to spread the word.
  • Generate support among urban students in Bangladesh (college, high school), inspire them to put pressure on the government (students=force multiplier).
  • Generate support from the Bangladeshi diaspora and students abroad.
  • Screen the film to policy-makers in Bangladesh and abroad, including UN, ASEAN, SAARC, EU Parliament, US Congress.
Contact
Primary contact
Patrick Hamm (United States): ph@bulldogagenda.com
Participants present at the Impact Days
Tanim Yousuf (Bangladesh)
Kauser Haider (Bangladesh)
Patrick Hamm (United States)

Distribution and sales
Deckert Distribution

Broadcasters
PBS POV (in talks)
BBC Storyville (in talks)
Arte (in talks)

Distribution and sales
Deckert Distribution

Broadcasters
PBS POV (in talks)
BBC Storyville (in talks)
Arte (in talks)