(Today’s post is written by Lynette Hoffman, a fellow writer living in the Land Down Under, who refuses to conform to any neat and tidy bloggy niche. A woman, in other words, who marches to the unique rhythm of her own heart, writing WHATEVER she feels like writing).
“When faced with the stranger, do we open or close the door?
Do we reach for a weapon or extend an open hand?”
— Boston College Professor Richard Kearney
Filmmaker Heather Kirkpatrick had just arrived back in Tasmania after years overseas when she saw a news report highlighting a community’s polarized response to the opening of a detention centre just north of Hobart.
Upon hearing that a local knitting group was considering making beanies for the asylum seekers, Kirkpatrick began attending their meetings. Some knitters wanted to welcome the men, who were all from Afghanistan, while others worried that the men would cause further financial strain on an already struggling community and questioned why these men should be shielded while Australians were losing their lives in Afghanistan.
Kirkpatrick’s debut documentary ‘Mary Meets Mohammad’ focuses in on Mary, a widowed pensioner who views the asylum seekers with a hefty dose of suspicion and scepticism. But although she chooses not to knit for the men, Mary is too curious to miss the opportunity to see for herself who these people are. The film follows her journey and the unlikely friendships that develop as the knitters get to know the strangers who have become their neighbours…Continue Reading Hostility or Hospitality…
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I don’t see immigration as a threat but I think that there should be a balance. When immigrants outweigh the host population then it creates problems in job seekers, health and housing benefits, thus creating a malaise between people, but every country should help asylum seekers who have fled war zones. See Syria e.g.
You’re right that it’s a tricky balance Catherine. I always get worried when we slam the door on anyone that doesn’t look like ‘us’, especially here in Canada where, except for the indigenous population (which is a whole other shameful story), we are an entire nation built on immigration.
Yet, some of those who have been here a couple of generations suddenly forget the opportunities their families received and want to pull up the bridge…
Thanks heaps for sharing this, and for the lovely introduction:)
You are most welcome Lynnette. It’s great getting to know you through your writing.