The Day My Father Became A Bush(EUFF 2017)

The Day My Father Became a Bush tells a story of war as seen through the eyes of a 10-year-old girl. Young Toda has a relatively carefree life. When conflict breaks out between the “Ones” and the “Others”, her father is conscripted to go off to fight, which leaves Toda in the care of her grandmother. The town becomes an active war zone, and Toda’s grandmother arranges for her to travel secretly across the border to a neighbouring country where her mother lives. However, the plan is ruined by corrupt officials, and Toda must flee, penniless, to find her mother on her own. Director Nicole van Kilsdonk portrays a number of complex adult issues – war, the politics of refugee status, and the on-the-ground realities of national borders and language barriers – but imbues this portrayal with a childlike sensibility. Harsh as these topics may be, the memorable story of resilience comes to life in a very touching manner. The Day My Father Became a Bush makes a powerful, universal statement about what is happening the world over as displacement, fear, and forced migration challenge an increasingly globalized humanity.