Ali Stars in Animated Film for BBC 'Seeking Refuge' Series

One of the young people helped by Freedom from Torture has featured in a short animated film for the BBC in which he describes the pain of being separated from his parents and the difficulties he faced adjusting to life in the UK.

Ali and his grandmother became separated from his parents as the family attempted to flee Afghanistan when he was only a small child. In the film Ali talks about going to school and growing up in the UK – whilst for a long time not having any contact with his parents and not even knowing whether they were safe.

The 'Seeking Refuge' series will be used by teachers in primary school classrooms across the UK to help children better understand the reasons why many children are forced to flee their home countries. The films also explore the feelings of isolation that children can experience as they try to adapt to a new life in a strange country.

The series – commissioned by BBC Learning and produced by the award-winning Mosaic Films – was timed to coincide with Refugee Week 2012 and tells the stories of five different children from various countries around the world.

You can watch and embed all of the films here by clicking on the name – Ali, Hamid, Juliane, Navid and Rachel.