In This World poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Jamal Udin Torabi, Enayatullah, Paul Popplewell, Xavier Jamaux, Rasheed ... see more see more... , Imran Paracha , Hiddayatullah , Allah Bauhsh , Kerem Atabeyoglu , Hossain Baghaeian , Nabil Elouahabi , Yaaghoob Nosraj Poor , Ghodrat Poor , Erham Sekizcan , Wakeel Khan , Lal Zarin , Ahsan Raza , Mirwais Torabi , Abdul Almad , Amanullah Torabi , Ramzan Ali , Chaman Ali , Mehdi Poor , Ahmad Azami , Yusef Azami , Mr. Eghdame , Mr. Delghame , Mr. Yusuf , Bayram Arjangi , Jaffa Eghbali , Abdul Ahmad , Mr. Dehghame , Jamau

Prolific British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom adds to his impressively diverse oeuvre with this harrowing account of two Afghan refugees' passage to the West in search of a better life. The movie op... read more read more...ens at a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan, where Afghans have sought refuge in the wake of the U.S. military campaign in their country following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The story follows Jamal, an orphaned teenager, and Enayat, his older companion, as they make their way from Pakistan to London. Traveling in the back of trucks, by bus, and on foot, the two cross Central Asia in an arduous journey punctuated by encounters with hostile border guards and shady smugglers. Even more traumatic is the ocean voyage from Turkey to Italy, during which Jamal and Enayat are forced to hide in a shipping container with other asylum seekers, including a terrified infant. Winterbottom shot the movie vérité-style on digital video, and the smudgy look and quick cutting betray the movie's guerrilla roots. Enhancing its raw veneer is Winterbottom's reliance on improvised dialogue and non-actors. A stirring work of advocacy, this flawed but wrenching film won the Golden Bear at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Elbert Ventura, Rovi

Flixster Users

85% liked it

2,977 ratings

Critics

89% liked it

63 critics

R, 1 hr. 28 min.

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Release Date: September 19, 2003

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 2, 2004

Stats: 148 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (148)

  • matertenebraum
    February 10, 2011
    matertenebraum
    In This World charts the journey of two Afghan refugee brothers who leave their camp in Peshawar, Pakistan to seek a new life in London. The epic voyage of Jemal and Emayat is an archetypal refugee journey from East to West; in a film lasting just 90 minutes, director Michael Win... read moreterbottom weaves together a taut and powerful narrative, encapsulating the encounters and journeys-within-journeys that characterise refugee lives. Relatives of the two brothers give all they can to send them on their way; 'agents' of migration variously help and hinder their journey; policemen fleece them at the border crossings. From Peshawar to Sangatte (where would-be migrants to Britain crowd the French coast), the coherent and transfixing narrative brings together the names and places associated with countless refugee journeys.

    On Jemal and Enayat's journey there are so many glimpses of the world around - some enlightening, others mysterious - that you could watch this film again and again and be fascinated by new details each time. The early stages of the journey reveal the stunning emptiness of Central Asian landscapes, with vast plains stretching out towards impossibly far-off mountains. The journey across Asia reveals some very different - and occasionally alarming - road usage, whilst the briefest of pauses in rural Iran captures a little of the traditions involved in welcoming and sending-off guests. Among the most striking asides in this film for me is the footage of a cow being slaughtered by the halal method; just a few eye-opening moments are afforded to this episode.

    The film is, for all these fascinating glimpses, tightly woven around the story of Jemal and Enayat. The portrayal of their difficulties and sufferings is devastatingly powerful; the jerky, panic-stricken footage at the Turkish border and the dark and claustrophobic nightmare of the shipping container remain long and vivid in the memory. Although Winterbottom rarely lets the pace of the film slacken - indeed, he hardly has the option in such a wide-ranging and ambitious undertaking - snatches of conversation, bickering and camaraderie develop the two brothers' characters: they feel like real people. Jemal's humorous stories are particularly important in this regard, and, for me, the parodying of creation myths in these tales also suggests a much-warranted poking of fun at Western audiences, who often take a condescending interest in 'quaint' traditions.

    Through the use of a voice-over in the early stages of the film and recurring resort to a map to help chart the brothers' journey, Winterbottom adds overtly documentary-style elements to his film. These elements seem to me to jar with the rest of the film; there is no real need to add them to an otherwise immersive and realistic picture. On the other hand, whilst the musical score by Dario Marianelli seems jarring to begin with, it soon becomes an essential part of the film: a theme to match an exhaustingly emotional experience as we watch the migrants on their journey.
  • gor41
    October 4, 2009
    gor41
    Revealing, studied window into people migration from Pakistan to the UK. Humbling sacrifice at every turn gets you routing for the leads and challenges you to question your views on immigration.
  • Peandpi
    January 31, 2009
    Peandpi
    An interesting blend of documentary/drama which is an inspiring tale of two family members traveling from Afghanistan to London. This documents a truely remarkable friendship to make even the greatest buddy movies seem rubbish. It has heart and brings a certain freshness to the s... read morecreen.
  • lhooqtius
    February 4, 2007
    lhooqtius
    An amazing film. A friend who is a journalist in the Middle East watched this film with us, and said that Winterbottom totally nailed what it was like to be there. The story is compelling (and heartwrenching), and the acting brilliant (especially brilliant given that the two ma... read morein characters are kids). Between this and Code 46, Winterbottom is really someone to watch out for.

View All In This World Reviews

Critic Reviews

Geoff Pevere
March 5, 2004
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

Puts something like a personal face on what is so often rendered merely as an abstract statistic: the plight of the contemporary refugee in a violently 'globalized' world. Full Review

Rick Groen
March 5, 2004
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Although the story told is of vital importance, the manner of the telling robs us of the appropriate emotional response. Full Review

Peter Travers
October 23, 2003
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Without an ounce of phony Hollywood uplift, Winterbottom's film cuts right to the heart.

Stanley Kauffmann
October 15, 2003
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic

In This World leaves us with little more than 'Tsk, tsk.'

Andrew Sarris
October 8, 2003
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

In This World is not a facile entertainment, but a prescribed cure for one's compassion fatigue. Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum
October 2, 2003
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

In This World unfolds with the deceptive dispassion of a documentary, but builds with a sure sense of dramatic epic. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
September 20, 2003
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

The two boys are splendid, but Jamal, the younger, stands out. Full Review

Jonathan Curiel
September 20, 2003
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle

By humanizing an immigrant/ refugee crisis that is not abating, Winterbottom does a cinematic service that happens to be damn interesting, too. Full Review

John Anderson
September 20, 2003
John Anderson, Newsday

The results are something highly unusual and inescapable. Full Review

Megan Lehmann
September 20, 2003
Megan Lehmann, New York Post

Makes real the desperate lengths that refugees -- those running from poverty as well as danger -- will go to.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Dirty Pretty Things
    Dirty Pretty Things (100%)
  • Britz
    Britz (100%)
  • A Mighty Heart
    A Mighty Heart (50%)
  • The Road To Guantanamo
    The Road To Guantanamo (100%)

More Movies like In This World

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

In This World : Watch Free on TV

In This World Trivia

  • which film is this quote from?all i have in this world is my word and my balls and i don't break them for nobody.  Answer »
  • what film is this from: You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. In what world could you possibly beat me?  Answer »
  • What are the two things that Tony Montana says are the only things he has in this world in the movie, "Scarface"?  Answer »
  • What movie contained the following quote: "You see, there are two kinds of people in this world, my friend, those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig."  Answer »
More In This World Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for In This World. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All In This World Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add In This World to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?