Worth: $15.50
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Cast:
Hakeem al-Araibi, Craig Foster
Intro:
… a film that leaves you with an overwhelming feeling of hope …
In October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian journalist, and dissident, entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul to get a hold of official documentation in relation to his pending marriage. Khashoggi never left the building.
Just one month later, a Bahraini dissident named Hakeem Al-Araibi, while on honeymoon in Thailand, was detained by Thai authorities in relation to the Arab Spring uprising.
The Defenders tells the relatively more hopeful yet equally disturbing story of the latter.
The documentary, directed by Matthew Bate (Shut Up Little Man, Sam Klemke’s Time Machine) – one of the founders of Adelaide’s Closer Productions – follows a recent trend of documentaries that have scrutinised governments in the Arab World. Similar to Bryan Fogel’s The Dissident (about Khashoggi) and Meg Smaker’s The UnRedacted, Bate’s film navigates a complex political story while successfully keeping the crucial human story at its heart.
The Defenders follows the journey of Hakeem al-Araibi, a former Bahraini national soccer player who found refuge in Australia after Bahraini authorities sought prosecution for his participation in protests against the Bahraini Royal Family. As al-Araibi’s professional and personal life flowered in Australia, the ever-present threat of Bahraini retribution lingered in the shadows.
As Al-Araibi journeyed on his honeymoon, he found himself face-to-face with the menace of his previous life. The Bahraini government, who had been secretly tailing Al-Araibi’s movements after his contribution to a New York Times article condemning Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, issued a red notice with Interpol asking for immediate extradition.
Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa is a member of Bahrain’s ruling royal family and was then running for FIFA president. Al-Araibi had publicly stated that the Sheikh should be investigated for involvement in the mass torture of pro-democracy athletes who had protested the royal family during the 2011 Bahraini uprising.
As Thai authorities detained al=Araibi, it became evident that he would most likely be deported to Bahrain to face the consequences of his dissent. Cue ticking clock.
Fortunately, Al-Araibi’s story was discovered by proactive human rights advocates, and eventually former Socceroos captain and TV personality Craig Foster (also credited as co-writer on the film), who spearheaded a social media campaign with the hashtag #SaveHakeem.
The Defenders builds on an already tense narrative through talking head interviews with the advocates behind #SaveHakeem, while interlacing archival footage of key events that influenced what transpired.
Of unique importance is Al-Araibi’s wife, who remains anonymous due to concerns about her family’s safety. Despite not being identified visually, her haunting voice-over describes the depth of her struggle in perhaps the most emotionally charged sequences in the film.
Matthew Bate understands his assignment on The Defenders. Empowered by a story fraught with suspense, he gently guides the audience through Al-Araibi’s perilous journey without any unnecessary flash, allowing the audience to experience Al-Araibi and Craig Foster’s tale with bated breath.
The story features interspersed cinematic clips of Al-Araibi playing football, signifying that Al-Araibi’s story speaks to a larger message than that of personal struggle.
The Defenders leaves the audience with an inspiring story of the global community coming together to fight injustice. With a subject that could easily be imbued with anger and frustration, Bate delivers a film that leaves you with an overwhelming feeling of hope as you watch Al-Araibi’s homecoming.
