I Was a Stranger

by Mike McGranaghan

I Was a Stranger opens with a tracking shot along the Chicago River. At one point, the Trump International Hotel and Tower looms largely right in the middle of the screen. That made me wonder where the film was going to go politically. As it turns out, writer/director Brandt Andersen was inspired to write his story after Donald Trump issued his controversial ban of laptops on airplanes coming from certain areas of the Middle East. Despite how it may sound, the movie doesn’t really peddle left- or right-wing politics. It’s simply a call to have compassion for refugees.

The plot introduces us to multiple characters whose lives end up intersecting. Amira (Yasmine Al Massri) is a doctor who flees Aleppo with her daughter after a devastating tragedy. Mustafa (Yahya Mahayni) is a Syrian soldier who becomes troubled by the violence he’s asked to be part of. Fathi (Ziad Bakri) is a poet seeking to get his family to a country where they can live safely. Stavros (Constantine Markoulakis) is a Greek coast guard captain who has alternately saved and lost many souls. Finally, there is Marwan (Omar Sy), a Turkish smuggler who helps refugees escape but doesn’t care if they live or die, as long as he gets paid.

After we’ve met the core players, they all end up in the same place on the same night, where a desperate and dangerous mission occurs in the Mediterranean.

I Was a Stranger deals with the reasons refugees flee their home countries, as well as the peril they put themselves in as a result. Excellent production values make the characters’ journeys authentic. Scenes set in war-torn areas look appropriately scary. Even better is the attempted escape, wherein more than two dozen people cram into a giant raft, not knowing if they’ll survive the brutal storm that hits. Depicting the backstories of Amira and Fathi, in particular, generates significant empathy. They are regular people who want safety for themselves and their loved ones. They could be you and me.

The film’s strong suit is making viewers live the experience vicariously. Two thoughts continually come to mind as you watch. One is, “Thank God I’m not in that situation.” The other is, “What would I do if I was?” At times, the drama is gut-wrenching because we know this stuff is real, that there are individuals going through it while we sit comfortably viewing a movie. As such, I Was a Stranger stirs your intellect and touches your heart simultaneously.

If anything, the picture would have been even more powerful had it been longer. Juggling multiple story arcs means we come to know the predicaments better than we do the people. Outstanding performances from the actors leave you clamoring for extra time with the folks they’re portraying. This is especially true in the case of Omar Sy, who effectively contrasts Marwan’s callousness with his love for the young son he’s working to support. I wish there had been additional development of their relationship.

From a big-picture perspective, though, I Was a Stranger definitely accomplishes its goal. Seeing refugees as outsiders or “others” is easy. Very little effort is needed to detach ourselves from their plight. The movie takes you out of your shoes for two hours, forcing you to walk in somebody else’s. It’s impossible to watch without having your emotions engaged.

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