Netflix is a streaming platform of movies and shows that is regularly accessed by teenagers my age. It is an essential part of their routines of procrastination and is a major source of enjoyment. However, I never fully appreciated the messages different shows can promote, or the hidden meanings behind them that are so commonly overlooked. I always viewed TV shows as a “waste of time” when in reality, they can be similar to books; educational, and eye-opening. One of the shows I recently came across was Stateless, which looked into an Australian detention center and how it worked.
The detention centers follow the Australian policy around immigration. This essentially says that non-citizens of the country without a valid visa must serve mandatory detention in one of the facilities until immigration authorities grant them a legal visa into the country. Until they get one, they are considered unlawful non-citizens (UNCs). The show follows a German and Australian citizen named Sofie Werner who worked as a flight attendant. She leaves her job there after being roped into a cult which is preparing for a show; but in the cult she is horrifically abused (this includes being raped). Throughout the story, Sofie struggles to establish a sense of self-identity and is quite emotionally unsettled. After her sister, Margot, expresses worry for Sofie, she is taken home to her parents, but Sofie feels so imprisoned with her family that she establishes a new identity for herself as a German woman named Eva Hoffman and ends up in the Barton detention facility. The authorities are unaware that she is actually an Australian citizen, and thus she is illegally kept in the facility.
The plot shown in Stateless revolves around a true story of, like Sofie, a German and Australian citizen named Cornelia Rau, who is roped into an Australian sect called Kenja which leads to her mental instability. Like Sofie, Cornelia ends up in a detention center called Baxter. However, I loved how Stateless explored more than just the perspective of Cornelia’s story, but also looked into the viewpoint of Afghani refugees, particularly through the character of Ameer in the show. Ameer is an Afghani refugee who, along with his family, was tricked into giving up his money and passport to strangers who said that they would give him passage to Australia. He does what seem like some malicious actions, but the backstory the show provides you with answers why he did it, moving away from the minimalistic black and white perspective many shows often treat you with.
I was also intrigued to see the perspective of the security workers at the detention facility, specifically through the eyes of the character Cameron. The show explores the conflict he faces managing his work life and family life, as well as his interactions with the UNCs, which can be volatile and emotional at times. However, like with Ameer’s example, the show uses Cameron to demonstrate how multidimensional the plot is.
The story brings together three, seemingly disjointed perspectives using Sofie, Ameer and Cameron. The viewer is sympathetic of Ameer and how he loses everyone he loves except for his daughter, Mina. Ameer’s focus solely becomes taking care of her and ensuring that she is granted a visa into Australia, even if he cannot be there with her. This was quite distressing to watch as in the beginning it showed how difficult and how many obstacles Ameer and his family had to face to even get to Australia, and how even after going through all that to get there, there wasn’t even a guarantee that they would be allowed in - there was still a strong possibility of deportation back to their home country, where it was much more unsafe.
Another disturbing but impactful part of the show is how the conditions within the detention facility are shown. The detention facility is almost like a prison - contained and cramped with large groups of people. Additionally, the workers there are strict and regularly take away rights of the UNCs, causing many riots and fights between the two groups to take place. It showed how human rights, while they should be easily accessible to everyone, were not being duly given and once again reinforced the struggles people face that people like me aren’t even aware of most of the time.
Overall, Stateless was definitely an eye-opening show that used a multitude of perspectives to show how no one was black and white, and how even if people’s actions may seem wrong, they can be justified. Ameer may have stolen the money from the man who had conned him and his family, but he did it to ensure his family could have a better life. Additionally, Sofie may have cut off ties with her family deliberately, but given the influence of the cult and the way in which the people there manipulated her, she is not entirely to blame.
It also reminded me that while Australia was the focus in this show, other countries also have detention facilities with no guarantee that they treat their detainees well, such as Italy, Canada and Sweden. The show made me realize and appreciate the privilege I have of being in a bubble that is protected and comfortable to live in, while others are forced to flee from unsafe countries in hope for a better life, only to end up somewhere that they could still be sent back from. While the hopeful part of me expects all scenarios to have a happy ending, the realistic part of me knows that this unfortunately is not the case for everyone. It’s important to be educated and knowledgeable about what’s going on in other parts of the world, and this show definitely did that for me. I highly recommend to anyone that next time they’re flicking through Netflix, wondering what to watch, that they pick up this series, and hopefully they too will learn a bit more about what’s happening somewhere in the world.
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