The documentary "Go Back To Where You Came From" aims to build empathy for refugees by documenting their experiences. It uses techniques like interviews, close-ups, handheld camera footage, and statistics to convey the difficulties refugees face both in their home countries and on their journeys to find safety. An interview with a refugee woman who fled violence shows her displaying emotion while recounting her experiences. Footage from a refugee camp demonstrates the challenging living conditions and long queues for inadequate food. Overall, the documentary seeks to educate viewers about why refugees flee and the risks they endure to help audiences become more understanding of their plights.

1. “Go back to where you came from” – Student Essay (2)
The SBS series “Go Back To Where You Came From” is an important
documentary because of the message and ideas it conveys about refugees. The
director aims to build empathy through the use of many documentary
techniques such as close-ups, interviews, hand held camera, statistics, talking
heads and real people. If empathy towards refugees is increased this means that
more people will be willing to help make Australia more open and accepting to
refugees, allowing them a safe place to come to because of the problems and
difficulties they have experienced in their own country.
“Go Back To Where You Came From” aims to build empathy for the plight of
refugees. The director does this through interviews. An example of an interview
is the one with Mrs Masudi. In this interview she talks about her life before
coming to Australia. She tells the contestants that at a young age, eight and
twelve, her sisters were raped and her brothers were taken. During this
interview we see close-ups of Mrs Masudi’s face and we see she is quite upset
and has tears rolling down her face. Through this it builds empathy because we
can almost feel her pain and sadness. Another technique used is the hand held
camera. This is used during the raid in Malaysia and allowed us to see what
happens in a raid and how quickly it happens. The technique allows us to
understand how scary it would be to live in constant fear of a raid and shows us
what refugees will do in order not to be arrested. It is important to realise that
refugees are humans too. How would you feel if you were in their situation? By
building empathy and sympathy towards refugees more people will be willing
to help them come to a safe place such as Australia.
The documentary aims to give the contestants and viewers knowledge to
understand the dangers and risks to refugees on their journey to safety. In
episode one when Gleny, Adam and Darren move in with the newly settled
refugees in Liverpool they interview the men. During the interview, they ask
them questions about why they fled their country and about their journey to
Australia. We hear from all three Iraqi men however we only see one of their
faces as the other two are blurred out. This is done to protect the identity of the
men and their family back in Iraq and it emphasises the danger they continue to
face. Another example, which helps us to understand the dangers, is the use of
the hand held camera when the group visits the Kakuma refugee camp in Africa.
Here we see how difficult the living conditions are and we see the long queues
waiting for their meagre food rations through the use of long shots that show
how many people are affected. A voice over gives the shocking statistic that is

2. takes over two hours to get to the front of one of the queues and even then they
might not get any food. All the footage emphasises how life is a real struggle for
refugees in the camp. The SBS documentary put the contestants in the shoes of
refugees. This is effective because it helps us understand the dangers and risks
the refugees experience every day. Following their experiences as refugees the
viewers see that they are not criminals as portrayed in the media but people
looking for a safe place to call home.
“Go Back To Where You Came From” achieves its aim as the audience
becomes more knowledgeable about why refugees flee their homeland as well
as the risks associated with their journey to safety. By having this knowledge
we are able to help others understand the journeys refugees take and help make
Australia more open and accepting of refugees. We need to acknowledge that is
wasn’t easy and ask ourselves how we would feel in their situation before we
say no, put up our defences and send them back to where they will be in
constant danger.