Blossoms From Ash
Noman Robin
2019 - 52 min - Vidéo Ultra HD - Couleur - États-Unis, Bangladesh

Deep in the heart of the Ukhia Camp in Cox’s Bazar, it resides 1.3 million downtrodden and displaced refugees within a nation founded through the heart, willpower, determination, and resilience of people themselves who were seeking refuge - Bangladesh.
A team of documentarians arrived at the camp seeking to hear the stories of the people one year from their mass exodus from brutal and unrelenting attacks from Myanmar. Stories that were told by voices that have been systematically silenced by what the United States’ Secretary-General António Guterres described as "the world's fastest-developing refugee emergency ... a humanitarian nightmare.
“Blossoms From Ash” invites the viewer to hear these stories. Tales from the present are not the only horror, but they showcase an unwavering hope. A trip to the past, present, and what “Blossoms From Ash” would hope is the future for a disenfranchised people that needs to be heard. A commemoration and honouring of those lost in the past, to the work of those in the present, to ensure the survival and reestablishment of the future.
Children are always the future, and the documentarians focused on their stories specifically. Storytelling on such a mass scale is nearly impossible and much easier to comprehend when it is minimized to a more manageable number.
“Blossoms From Ash” focused on three wonderful children that have mental stamina and resilience, unlike anything we have ever witnessed. The movie gives people a chance to view the horrors of the ethnic cleansing and genocide - already that most cannot fathom - through the eyes and experiences of children in varying ages. Tales of a mother sacrificing her diabetes medication for her daughter’s dress. A brother who lost many to rape, murder, and pillaging only to be reunited with his younger brother who came to the Ukhia camp with strangers. A little brother who made the journey without any idea what would happen, but he looked towards hope. A fractured family reunited. A teacher overwhelmed by teaching so many classes and children but is using the opportunity to educate the kids in a manner that he wished he would have received.
It is a film that pays homage to not only the Rohingya community’s perseverance but also shows credit to Bangladesh, who currently is offering triple the refuge of the next closest country. A film where “Blossoms From Ash” credits all of the real heroes that are deserving. Genocides are things we all look shocked in horror to read about in history books. “Clearance operations” should not be a phrase that is ever used in our current geopolitical climate.
During each historical period, it happened because so many remained silent. We cannot and will not let this happen this time. An opportunity is presented to witness their lives before they may be taken. We all have a special opportunity to help assist their future. Life is what we make it, and life should never be taken for granted.
The Rohingya’s past and present has been unfairly taken from them, but with the proper assistance, the future will be restored. From the smoldering ashes of their world is a people that strive to blossom.