Journey Home

HD documentary about hardships of migrant workers in SE Asia

Journey Home tells the epic story of migrant workers who leave their homes and try to generate income elsewhere. While considered cheap and flexible labor in destination countries, they are needed as monthly cash providers at home. Fending for themselves, many feel lost and ultimately become vulnerable to HIV.

Journey Home captures the suffering and feelings of migrant workers. The film starts at poor source villages, follows workers to their destination in Thailand and finally their return often infected with HIV.

Government Policy makers in the lower Mekong area have only rough estimates about the extent of migration into their countries. The individual realities of life as a migrant worker are even less understood. By letting the migrant workers tell their stories, in their own words, this film attempts to create sympathy, compassion and understanding for them. These are people who contribute to the workforce and progress of their new destination country, yet their personal situations and hardships are often overlooked.

Journey Home was shot in Thailand and Cambodia. All post production was completed at Living Films Post in early 2007.