Imran fled violence in Myanmar – now he is in detention on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, with no papers and no idea what will happen to him. A documentary for BBC World Service.  

Hosted by Academy Award-winning documentary film-maker Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna, Diego Maradona), this is the fourth episode in a five-part series from BBC World Service in collaboration with Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute. Detours takes us off the main roads of our lives, following people who didn’t end up where they expected.

Producer: Elyse Blennerhassett and Michael Green

Listen now via BBC, 27 minutes.

Abdul Aziz Muhamat is a young man from Darfur, in western Sudan. He’s been held in Australian immigration detention on Manus Island since 2013. But this is February 2019 and Aziz is allowed to fly to Geneva, Switzerland—for two weeks.

His reason for going is to accept the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. It is a big night. His acceptance speech, Mandela like. But, the morning after is a different more complicated story.

Aziz is speaking to all the right people, making his case for himself and his friends back on Manus. They are listening. He is not sure, however, if they can do anything. He is also not sure what he should do. Should he stay or should he go?

A documentary for ABC Radio National, Earshot. Part two of a two-part series, along with Flight from Manus. Listen now, via ABC, 28 minutes.

Supervising Producer Lyn Gallacher, sound engineer Melissa May. Music composed by Hour House (Mark Leacy and Sam Kenna)

Abdul Aziz Muhamat is from Darfur, in Western Sudan. He’s been in Australian immigration detention on Manus Island since 2013. But surprisingly after six years he’s been given permission to visit Geneva for two weeks, because he’s been shortlisted for a major international award for human rights defenders. It’s an acknowledgment for what he’s done, resisting Australia’s offshore detention regime… but then he has to return to Manus Island. Back to the same situation he’s being celebrated for campaigning against. 

A documentary for ABC Radio National, Earshot. Part one of a two-part series, along with A Stranger in Geneva. Listen now, via ABC, 28 minutes.

I’m waiting in person at the airport in Geneva, Switzerland, hoping to catch a glimpse of Aziz as he comes into the arrivals hall.

Supervising Producer Lyn Gallacher, sound engineer Melissa May. Music composed by Hour House (Mark Leacy and Sam Kenna)