The crisis in Ukraine has again focused world attention on the plight of refugees and mass migration. It has also challenged journalists to report on the issue in a way that reflects the nuances of the situation and the importance of humanising and contextualising the story.
Few journalists have shown a greater insight or determination to give an accurate representation of the reality of life as a displaced person than Preethi Nallu. Her documentary Norway's Afghan Sons' was co-funded by the Thomson Foundation and broadcast on Al Jazeera.
In it, she documented the complex realities that influence the migration decisions of young Afghans who are fleeing conflict, instability, destitution and persecution. It is a story she followed over a number of years and says that since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August 2021, migration flows have surged.
Without the grant from Thomson Foundation, I would not have been able to start working on this film which started as only four minutes but gradually transformed into a 40 minute documentary spanning four countries - Norway, Spain, France and Afghanistan - over a period of 18 months, says Preethi. For independent journalists like me, grants and recognition such as the Migration Media Award provide crucial incentives to continue building thematic storytelling with greater depth and wider reach.
-- Play
-- --
Preethi feels a personal commitment to the issue as someone born in Iran, raised in India and educated in the USA and Europe. She says a core purpose of her reporting has been to counter the mainstream media narratives that portray migration as a deviation from the norm.
The latest version of her film, entitled Mama', shows the main character, Javed, beginning a new life in Spain and includes previously unseen footage from Afghanistan.
One of the things that you notice when you cover migration is that its a story that continues to evolve, says Preethi. So it was very natural for me to revisit Javed when he received asylum in Spain, restarted his life and was reunited with his mother and brother. That would be the beginning of a new chapter in this migration story.
The power of documentary lies in the fact that the film or the reportage is not the end of the project, but the launching point of a much longer conversation. So Ive used Mama as a way of exploring the current realities that are prompting the flight of Afghans as they arrive in different parts of Europe.
I have used my film as an educational tool to look at the current situation in Afghanistan - and how all of us should be aiding the short and long-term recovery of Afghans.
Preethi Nallu, independent filmmaker
Mama is showing at film festivals and private screenings in Europe and North America. For a viewing in your location, please contact Preethi: preethi.nallu@gmail.com.
The full film can be seen here and on our YouTube channel.
-- Play
-- --
Preethi is one of a number of journalists whose work on the issue of refugees was recognised through the OPEN Media Hub (OMH) - an EU-funded initiative for which the Thomson Foundation was the leading implementer.
David Quin, managing director - development for the foundation says: We have acknowledged the best and often bravest in migration coverage from across the spectrum. Journalists covering not just crisis but context, human faces behind statistics, challenges to communities.
#WorldRefugeeDay #WithRefugees
Images courtesy of Preethi Nallu
Related content
2021 annual review: The power of networks to offer support, knowledge and inspiration
How our alumni challenge misconceptions about refugees to bring about greater empathy
Providing nuanced and human-centric reporting on migration and cross-border issues between Costa Rica and Nicaragua
Explore our projects across the globe
Most recent headlines
18/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
18/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
18/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
18/12/2025
Long-term agreement includes the SES SCORE platform and hybrid distribution worldwide to deliver more than 5,000 hours of golf tournaments annually featuring th...
17/12/2025
Investigative journalists across the Western Balkans and T rkiye continue to con...
17/12/2025
Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Inducts 10 Industry Icons During Unforgettable ...
17/12/2025
ESPN to Debut MNF Playbook with Next Gen Stats, a New AI-Driven NFL Data-AltCastThe series, powered by Adrenaline TruPlay AI, launches Dec. 22 and runs through ...
17/12/2025
Inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games Debut Under the Lights' in Primetime on ...
17/12/2025
The right playlist is essential on New Year's Eve, building the energy as you get ready and keeping it high as you count down to midnight. This year, Spotif...
17/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
17/12/2025
Audiences Watched Over 103 Billion Minutes of TV on Thanksgiving Day
NFL Games ...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
KPop Demon Hunters Stars Visit Berklee for Weeklong Celebration Andrew Choi and EJAE, who voiced the film's main characters and contributed to its soundtr...
17/12/2025
December 17 2025, 17:00 (PST) Dolby and LG Unveil a New Era of Home Audio With ...
17/12/2025
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Heated Rivalry will be coming to Sky and streaming service NOW on 10 JanuaryTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy opti...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Inside The Unseen World Of Indian Customs: Netflix Reveals The...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix announces PAPARAZZI KING: the docu series coming to Ne...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First Look at Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole Pr...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Welcomes Warner Bros. Discovery Board Recommendation
Business
17 December 2025
Global
Link copied to clipboard
After Careful Revi...
17/12/2025
RT has announced that Kathy Fox has been appointed Commissioning Editor with re...
17/12/2025
The Hao AI Lab research team at the University of California San Diego - at the forefront of pioneering AI model innovation - recently received an NVIDIA DGX B...
17/12/2025
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
17/12/2025
With the new season of Dancing with the Stars shimmering in the not-too-distant future this New Year, the celebrity and dancer pairings of the twelve couples ha...
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
Three 12-kilowatt Advanced Electric Propulsion System thrusters, supplied by L3Harris Technologies, form the core of Gateway's propulsion system. Pictured i...
16/12/2025
The challenge facing America's defense industrial base is not just about speed - its about rebuilding the foundation that makes speed possible. Our nations ...
16/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
16/12/2025
SEVILLE, Spain Canal Sur, the public broadcasting service for Andalusia, Spain, has completed a total technology refresh based on Pebble's resilient, softwa...
16/12/2025
NEW YORK Teleprompting hardware provider Telescript International has acquired all software code and intellectual property previously owned by Telescript West. ...
16/12/2025
As cable operators face increased competition from 5G fixed wireless access providers, a new report from Ookla Research finds that T-Mobile is the FWA speed lea...
16/12/2025
Apple has announced a major upgrade to the Apple TV app for device owners outside the Apple ecosystem with news that the Apple TV app for Android now supports G...
16/12/2025
Space42 grows Direct-to-Device partner ecosystem through a Memorandum of Underst...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Emma Appleton, Fares Fares, Frida Gustavsson and Jakob Oftebro...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Docu-reality My Korean Boyfriend Gets a Trailer and Premiere D...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
The crisis in Ukraine has again focused world attention on the plight of refugees and mass migration. It has also challenged journalists to report on the issue in a way that reflects the nuances of the situation and the importance of humanising and contextualising the story.
