The International Organization for Migration in South Africa is supporting the production of a feature film titled “Man on Ground” with T.O.M pictures, which explores the complex themes of xenophobia, identity, fear and reconciliation.

The film is centred on a Nigerian-British banker based in the UK who visits South Africa to see his estranged half-brother. Upon his arrival in South Africa, he discovers that his brother has been missing for a week. With the help of his brother’s fiancée, he investigates his brother’s disappearance. It soon emerges that his brother’s disappearance coincides with a recent period of xenophobic violence.

Through his search for his brother, the film takes the audience on a journey highlighting the joys and challenges of being a migrant in South Africa. One such challenge is accessing services such as health care. There is a gap between legal and practical access.   While the South African constitution guarantees the right of migrants’ to access health care, in some cases these rights are not met because of ignorance or xenophobic perceptions.  IOM’s research in 2010 found that in some of the primary healthcare centres, security guards stationed at clinic entrances were the main gatekeepers, refusing entry to anyone who could not produce a green South African ID.   While the healthcare staff may well be sensitive to the needs of migrants and their constitutionally guaranteed right to access healthcare, more communication and sensitisation is required for society in general.

“Even though the film is set in South Africa, the lessons are relevant and applicable globally.  Through the film’s portrayal of the day-to-day challenges faced by migrants, IOM hopes to raise awareness of the plight of migrants in their search for a better life,” says Erick Ventura, Chief of Mission a.i., IOM South Africa. 

Man on Ground film has been selected to have its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival due to be held from the 8th to the 18th of September 2011. The film will be showcased in the Contemporary World Cinema category and will screen on the 12th, 13th and 17th of September 2011.

The film has been produced mostly through crowd funding from individuals, companies and organizations, amongst them, 1Take Media, Rosie Motene Productions, ChrisDon Productions, and Hashayafric Productions in association with The National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa.  IOM’s support was made possible through funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

“The team on Man on Ground production team is very proud to be associated with IOM and are happy that they are supporting this project. Through this partnership we look forward to working together to reaching our objectives. One of our objectives as filmmakers was to make sure that the film is screened far and wide and in affected communities in order to start to dialogue amongst ourselves and hopefully we can reach a space where we realize that the differences between “us” and “them” are one and the same,” adds film director, Akin Omotoso.

To view promotional trailer visit: http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/manonground

For more information please contact Nosipho Theyise at IOM Pretoria, Tel +27 12 342 2789 Email: ntheyise@iom.int