Underground

Abstract

Ali came to Denmark in 2011 to seek asylum. After two and a half years in asylum camps his case was rejected, and since then he has lived 'underground' as undocumented migrant in Copenhagen. The film explores Ali's experience of life as 'illegal migrant’ in Denmark. It deals with the conditions of ‘rightlessness’ and ‘deportability’ and how these conditions influence Ali’s general experience of time, place and belonging. Because of the threat of deportation Ali's face and identity is not shown in the film, and the story is carried by Ali's voice and images of Copenhagen city.

Keywords

• undocumented migrants
• Afghan refugees
• Migrant illegality
• deportability
• rightlessness