PUBLISHED28 Mar 2019
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Meet the human faces behind one of the most controversial issues of our time.
Synopsis
When she was nine, Zainab’s parents made the heartbreaking decision to leave their home in northern Afghanistan. They set out on a journey across the globe, putting the fate of their family in the hands of strangers. Across borders, behind bars and onto a smuggler’s boat, the family chased freedom.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea tells Zainab’s story, and the story of many others who have trodden the same path. Filmmakers Jessie Taylor and Ali Reza Sadiqi traveled across Indonesia and met with 250 asylum seekers in jails, detention centres and hostels.
Through candid interviews, hidden camera footage and in the words of asylum seekers themselves, the story of the ‘refugee’ is told. What pushes people to leave their homes? What do they leave behind? What do they fear? Why did they choose this path? And what does it take to turn someone into a ‘boat person’?
Meet the human faces behind one of the most controversial issues of our time.
| Director | David Schmidt |
| Producer | David Schmidt, Jessie Taylor, Chris Kamen |
| 2011 | |
| Duration | 52-minutes |
| Rating | N/A. Recommended for senior secondary students. |
Where to Watch
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Education Overview
The Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea education resources include:
• A copy of the full length film
• An 11 minute abridged short film version
Videos may be streamed online or downloaded and imported into schools’ media systems.
Educational Resources
| Year Level | Senior secondary |
| Subjects | English, History, Geography, Civics & Citizenship, Health & Physical Education, Languages |
| Topics | Youth, Refugees & asylum seekers, Cultural relations, Human Rights, Politics, Law |