Fujimoto Akio Films Rohingya Children’s Journey

Filmmaker Fujimoto Akio created “Lost Land” to depict the experiences of Rohingya child refugees. Akio first connected with Myanmar over a decade ago, volunteering on a film project there. He became increasingly aware of the Rohingya crisis through conversations with Burmese people in Japan, noting a reluctance to discuss the issue.

Akio initially avoided directly addressing the Rohingya in his work, but felt compelled to do so after the 2017 violence in Rakhine State and the 2021 military coup in Myanmar. He spent over a year researching and collaborating with Rohingya individuals to ensure authenticity in portraying their arduous journeys from refugee camps in Bangladesh toward Malaysia or Indonesia.

The film centers on siblings Shafi, age five, and Somira, age nine, and their attempt to reach relatives abroad. Akio deliberately chose to tell the story through the eyes of children, hoping to create a universally accessible narrative.

He admits to initially approaching the topic with distance, but ultimately aimed for a deeply personal and truthful portrayal of displacement. The work continues as he seeks to share their story with a wider audience.