Who TalksWho Talks

Widely regarded as a pro-immigrant nation, Sweden’s friendly attitude towards refugees begins to crack in the wake of the global anti-immigrant wave. The country had accepted nearly 400,000 refugees into their borders but did not provide enough resources to meet the increasing demand for public welfare. This soon led to Sweden’s own citizens unleashing rage and discrimination upon the immigrants, paving the way for an upsurge in popularity for the far-right party in the 2018 general election. In consequence, we saw the number of refugees brought down to 20,000 in 2019, compared to 160,000 in 2015. The film centers a community’s public hearing on providing accommodation for refugee youth, portraying a scaled-down version of this particular dilemma in Swedish society. Many participants put forth their opinions on the case, but hardly any reliable news sources are seen or provided. Unfounded fears eventually lead to nothing but misunderstanding and discontent. Unsurprisingly, the film reminds us of how public opinion was torn after around 500 Yemenis applied for refugee status in Jeju Island in 2018. Given that our world is running counter to the universal human value of peaceful coexistence, it is high time that we ask ourselves which issues at hand ought to be discussed and more seriously considered. (KI Hyungmin)