Using non-professional child actors, Japanese director Akio Fujimoto offers an unflinching portrayal of the Rohingya crisis and the struggles of refugees without a nation to call their own.
Lost Land emerges as both a cry of anguish and a call for compassion, a necessary reminder of the Rohingya’s humanity, and of the shared humanity of refugees everywhere.
Lost Land 2025
Harà Watan
After decades of persecution, Myanmar's military launched a systematic genocide against the Muslim Rohingya population. Thousands were killed and more than a million people were displaced. Lost Land follows two Rohingya children, nine-year-old Somira and her four-year-old brother Shafi, as they take a treacherous journey from a refugee camp in Bangladesh across borders to reunite with their uncle in Malaysia. Initially traveling with a caravan of fellow Rohingya seeking a better life in another country, they soon become separated from their group and are forced to fend for themselves in the forests between nations.
Director Akio Fujimoto uses non-professional Rohingya actors throughout the cast and the improvised dialogue provides an authentic representation of a culture in crisis that remains severely underrepresented in cinema. Filmed largely from the children's perspective, Lost Land delivers a heart-wrenching portrait of resilience and survival, highlighting circumstances that no child should have to endure. Their search for safety and belonging reflects the ongoing humanitarian crisis that the Rohingya are still facing and underscores the profound significance of having a place to call home.
– Jordan Salomen