ABU DHABI // For Farzad Bayat, the cameraman on A Place Called Home, travelling to undeveloped parts of the world has given him a new outlook on life.
Mr Bayat, 33, who is originally from Norway, was among the crew who went to India, Bangladesh and the Philippines to meet the families who were the film’s subjects.
Mr Bayat, who also helped to edit the film, said: “I grew up in Norway and for me going to these places and looking at how people live and manage with the amount of money they earn, was quite an eye opener.
“The labourer, Bikram, has been in the UAE for 16 years and the fact that he has been able to send his daughter to law school with the salary he is earning is impressive.”
Mr Bayat said it was his first time in the three countries, as well as the first documentary he had worked on.
“The weather was a challenge for me. It can get quite hot in India and Bangladesh in the remote places,” he said.
For Mr Bayat, Filipina teacher Evelyn Mayormita and Indian labourer Bethi Malesh’s stories were the ones that moved him most, because neither of them had seen their children for years. But he understood their reasons for leaving their families behind.
“Once you start filming and people start telling you about their goals, you understand what they are doing and why,” Mr Bayat said.
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A Place Called Home:
■ The five UAE expats who took on the world
■ Documentary reveals full spectrum of expatriate life in UAE
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(via The National)
