The ‘Lion’-like story of a Cronulla man’s search for his estranged father in a country of 166 million will debut as a documentary at Randwick Ritz this Sunday, August 19.
Called Finding Ali, the documentary tells the tale of Jamie Henshall, 35, from Cronulla who embarked on a journey from Australia to Bangladesh to find his father, Suab Ali, in 2017 after 33 years of separation.
All he had was an old photograph, a birth certificate and a marriage certificate.
His mission captured the attention of the nation. While his 2016 visit reaped little results, in January this year, when Jamie returned, a national TV news program picked up his story, resulting in a segment featuring Jamie and his plight going viral on social media, with over 2.1 million views.
This eventually resulted in contact from Jamie's uncle after seeing the news report. It seemed there was family living on the outskirts of Dhaka in a village called Khash Goan, 20 miles from Sylhet.
After a 12-hour journey by car Jamie finally met his long-lost aunties and uncle. Paperwork and documents were shared as proof they were related, with the news that Suab Ali, Jamie's father, was now residing in the UK.
The search continued as Jamie booked a flight to Manchester where it all began.
“My father left when I was two and it was like he vanished without a trace,” he said.
“All my life, I have wondered who he was, and essentially, who I was knowing nothing of my heritage.
“After years of dead ends, I took matters into my own hands and searched for him myself and that’s when things took a turn,” Jamie said.
The Creative Director of TNM Creative Media, an artist and chef, this is Jamie’s debut documentary which he directed, as well as features in.
With only a few tickets left, Finding Ali is a heart-warming, truthful story that touches on the effects of abandonment, single parent families and the struggles they face, and sheer determination.
Details:
What: ‘Finding Ali’ will be followed by a Q&A with film-maker, Jamie Henshall
When: Sunday, August 19
Time: 5.30pm for 6pm start
Where: Randwick Ritz
45 St Pauls Street, Randwick