What draws refugees back to their homeland?
Is it still their home?
In fact, what is a 'home'?
This documentary examines the return of Ismaili Muslim refugees who were expelled from Uganda in 1972 by then-President Idi Amin.
It looks at their reasons for going back to Uganda after having settled down in countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom, and their feelings about being back and the challenges that they have faced since returning.
It profiles four Ugandan Ismailis and seeks to understand why members of this particular community have been relatively successful at getting back onto their feet after losing everything as refugees.
The film argues that their return is for many reasons: personal, business, health and also for reasons that are distinctly related to the Shi'a Ismaili belief in the ongoing, continuous spiritual leadership of their Imams, a position currently held by His Highness the Aga Khan.
It also demonstrates the complexity of defining concepts such as home in a globalizing world, and provides an example of refugees who have managed to recover from their devastating loss in the early 1970s.
Written, Produced, Directed, Edited & Narrated by Aleem Karmali
Music composed by Sebastian Schneider
Interviews with Sherali Bandali Jaffer, Nizar Sayani, Gulzar Shivji & Mahmood Ahmed
Running Time: 27 min.
Language: English
Premiere at Duke-UNC Islamic Studies Conference - University of North Carolina, April 2009
Screened at the Institute of Ismaili Studies - London, May 2009
Accepted at Gujarat Studies Association Conference 2010 - SOAS, London, April 2010
