Watch Inside My Heart

Inside My Heart is a touching drama film from 2018 that takes a deep dive into the lives of two Afghan boys who are among the hundreds of thousands of refugees struggling to find a safe haven in Greece. The story is based on the real-life experiences of the film's director and co-writer, Dehanza Rogers, who spent time working with young refugees in Greece.

The film revolves around the two main characters, Wasef and Mahmoud, who have been living in a makeshift camp in Athens for months. Wasef is a 13-year-old boy who had to flee Afghanistan with his mother after the Taliban killed his father. He is a sensitive and intelligent boy with a deep love for poetry and art. Mahmoud, on the other hand, is a streetwise 12-year-old who has been on his own since he was orphaned by the war. He has a tough exterior, but a good heart deep down.

The movie starts with the two boys becoming fast friends, sharing their hopes and dreams and exchanging stories about their families and their homeland. They spend their days wandering around Athens, trying to make money by selling small items to tourists or begging for spare change. But their world is turned upside down when they are caught by the Greek police and taken to a juvenile detention center.

Inside the detention center, the boys are faced with a whole new set of challenges. They are surrounded by other young refugees who have also been caught by the police trying to survive on the streets. But instead of finding solidarity, the boys become embroiled in a bitter power struggle between two rival gangs who are fighting for control of the small community.

As their situation becomes more dire, Wasef and Mahmoud's friendship is put to the test. They begin to realize that their hopes and dreams might never be realized and that their lives may never be the same again. But with their deep bond and unyielding spirit, the boys continue to hold out hope for a brighter future.

One of the most striking elements of Inside My Heart is the way it humanizes the refugee experience. The film accurately portrays the difficult and often desperate choices refugees have to make to survive, but it does so in a way that honors their dignity and humanity. The characters of Wasef and Mahmoud are fully realized, multidimensional individuals who are more than just their circumstances.

The film is shot in a gritty and realistic style that captures the bleakness of life in the refugee camps and the juvenile detention center. The director and cinematographer, both women of color, bring an unapologetically feminist perspective to the story, centering the experiences of the two boys while also highlighting the efforts of the women who serve as caretakers and advocates for the young refugees.

The film is anchored by strong performances from its young cast, particularly Zuhair Al Amed as Wasef and Sanghar as Mahmoud. Both actors bring a vulnerability and authenticity to their roles that makes their friendship all the more poignant.

Overall, Inside My Heart is a powerful and moving film that sheds light on the refugee crisis through the eyes of the children who are most affected by it. It is a film that confronts difficult truths with grace and empathy, leaving a lasting impression on viewers long after the credits roll.

Inside My Heart is a 2018 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 10 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.4.