In the Ukhiya refugee camp located in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, the scars of the ongoing genocide in Myanmar are visible on each and every face of the stateless Rohingya refugees that have been displaced there. This documentary chronicles the recent and previous history of a conflict that has gone on for centuries, with explosive new testimony regarding the war crimes inflicted upon the Rohingya people. The documentary is an extensive historical retelling of a fractured and silenced past, with exposure to a horrifying yet hopeful present, and a special look at the youth that represent the Rohingya's unpredictable future. "Blossoms from Ash" follows three young refugee children, each of whom has lost everything in the flight, as they struggle to balance education, celebration, and survival.
Deep in the heart of the Ukhiya Rohingya Camp in Cox's Bazar, resides over 1.3 million downtrodden and displaced refugees within a nation that itself was founded through the heart, willpower, and resilience of people themselves who were once seeking refuge -- Bangladesh. A team of documentarians arrived at the camp seeking to hear the stories of the Rohingya people one year from their mass exodus from the brutal and unrelenting attacks executed by Myanmar. Stories that were told by voices that have been systematically silenced by what the United Nations' Secretary General António Guterres described as "the world's fastest-developing refugee emergency...a humanitarian nightmare."
"Blossoms from Ash" invites the viewer to hear these stories. Tales of both horror, and hope. It is a journey to the past, present, and what "Blossoms from Ash" would hope results in a call to action for the future of a historically disenfranchised people. A commemoration and honoring of those lost in the past, to the work of those in the present, and to ensure the survival and reestablishment of their future. Children are always the future, and Blossoms from Ash focused on three extraordinary children that displayed mental stamina and resilience unlike anything that the documentarians had ever witnessed. The film gives its viewers a chance to view the horrors of the ethnic cleansing and genocide -- already unspeakably nightmarish situations that most cannot fathom -- through the eyes and experiences of children in varying ages and the survivors that take care of them.
Stories are told such as:-A mother sacrificing her diabetes medication for her daughter's dress.-The very same daughter's brother giving whatever money he could back to their mother.-A brother who lost his sisters and mother to rape, murder, and pillaging only to be reunited with his younger brother who came to the Ukhiya camp with strangers.-The same little brother who made the journey without any idea of what would happen, but was motivated with hope and through survival instinct.-A teacher overwhelmed by teaching so many classes and children, but is using the opportunity to educate the kids in a manner that he wishes he would have received in Myanmar.-All of the children's individual desires to still seek an education and normalcy in the middle of the chaos.
"Blossoms from Ash" is a film that pays homage to not only the Rohingya community's perseverance, but also gives credit to the humanitarian efforts of its hosting country Bangladesh. This is a nation that is currently is offering triple the refuge of the next closest country harboring the Rohingya refugees. Blossoms from Ash seeks to credit all of the real heroes that are deserving for their efforts that lack both proper credit and international exposure.
Genocides are viewed with shock and horror when read in history books. During each historical period that these atrocious actions were carried out, history has shown strategic silence and suppressed exposure. Many wonder, "What would I have done during this time to assist the prevention and ending of such atrocities?" "Blossoms from Ash" provides the viewer with the most comprehensive audiovisual historical recount of the Rohingya people that properly educates the viewer as to what brought about the current situation.
An opportunity is presented to assist their lives before they may be taken and become yet another situation where future generations ask, "What if?" We all have a special opportunity to help assist in the salvation of the Rohingya's future. Life is what is made of it, and one's life should never be taken for granted. The Rohingya's past and present has been unfairly taken from them, but with the proper assistance, the future will be restored.
From the smouldering ashes of the Rohingya's world is a people that strive to blossom.
