Problematizing the visualization of migration images to reflect on migrants' dehumanization

Abstract

Given the phenomenon of (hyper)visibility/invisibility of migrant realities in globalization since the refugee crisis in 2015, which contributes to the dehumanization of migrant people, this article proposes a comparative analysis of three works that are generated from the same premise: the problematization of their visualization using waste images, in which migrant people are not recognizably depicted on screen, to successfully reflect on different phenomena of dehumanization to which images contribute. Ailleurs, partout (Ingold, Isabelle and Vivianne Perelmuter, dirs. 2020. Ailleurs, partout. Liége: Dérives) instrumentalizes operational images from surveillance cameras to offer a mediated encounter and reflect on the exclusion migrant people suffer in our globalized reality. Purple Sea (Alzakout, Amel and Khaled Abdulwahed, dirs. 2020. Purple Sea. Berlin: Pong Film) uses situational images from Alzakout's camera of her sea crossing to show the trauma migrant people experience. Havarie (Scheffner, Philip, dir. 2016. Havarie. Berlin: Pong Film) creates a suspended image to build a multi-perspective narrative and reflection on the objectification migrant people endure. The three films use waste images stripped of subjectivity to problematize the visualization of migration realities and confront them with complex sound images that offer identity counter-narratives of migrant people. Finally, and crucially, the films reintroduce the subjective gaze in these waste images to rehumanize them and, in turn, our gaze as spectators.