Transcript
[Movie dialogue] "The shape you can find it on our flag, but it looks brown. The tail is dark brown, but the stomach you see that's a little bit white. It's not a big bird."
The Chauka bird is a symbol for the Manusian people of Manus Island, its morning call their alarm clock.
Detained on the island for almost four years, the co-director of the movie, Chauka, please tell us the time, is a refugee from Iran, Behrouz Boochani.
"Chauka is actually a movie against the racists and it is not only about the refugees. It is about Manusian people too and how Australia use them, use local people and use this island against the refugees."
Over six months, Mr Boochani filmed the 88 minute movie on his cell phone, sending the shots to his co-director in the Netherlands, Arash Kamali Sarvestani.
"He sent one by one. It took long time. Sometimes for one thirty second shot it takes half a day. It depends on the internet."
Eventually, Mr Boochani was able to smuggle his footage to Amsterdam on a pen drive.
"It is a documentary film, but in some ways it is artistic work. We have some actors and some shots about Manusian culture, about Manusian dance and some songs from my homeland, Kurdistan."
But Chauka is not only the name of a bird, Mr Sarvestani says it's also the name given to the solitary confinement jail inside the detention centre.
"That's the worst jail in the camp. When they want to torture somebody they send them to the Chauka. But Chauka is the name of the bird found just in Manus Island. It's so important for people in Manus, it's their identity. It's in their flag"
[dialogue from movie] "It's so frustrating to hear that name Chauka being used for the purpose of abusing people, or torturing people, or threatening people. We took them here to care for them until they find such place where they can settle."
Mr Sarvestani says at the heart of the movie is how Australia abdicates responsibility for the refugees it detains offshore.
"The role of Australia here. The whole story is kind of metaphor. They use the Manusian identity to torture refugees. They're both victims. Refugees and Manusian are both victims. Australia is always, if somebody commits suicide, it's not our responsibility. It's about Manusian responsibility."
The film's directors hope the movie will soon be accepted by film festivals worldwide.
