Often not even part of the conversation when discussing the war on terror and specifically post-ISIS Syria, Children of the Enemy focuses on the extraordinary journey of Patricio Galvez, the Chilean-Swedish grandfather, and the fate of the seven children of his daughter Amanda who converted to Islam with her mother and quickly became a radicalized member of ISIS.
After an arranged marriage to Michael Skråmo, the most notorious Swedish terrorist, the couple and their four children traveled from Sweden to Syria to join the caliphate. While fighting in Syria the couple had another three children. Amanda was killed in an airstrike and Michael was killed in the final days before ISIS fell.
Chronicling the 45-day journey of Galvez, this film follows him from Sweden to Iraq as he works to find his grandchildren in the al-Hol Camp which housed all the orphaned children of this conflict. Through his journey to reunite with his grandchildren, Galvez must overcome the indifferent Swedish government with bureaucrats more interested in the optics of bringing these children back to Sweden than what is in the best interest of these citizens. Based on the advice from the many humanitarian organizations Galvez visited, he utilized the media to put pressure on the Swedish government to not only assist him with reuniting with his grandchildren but with the general issue of how these children should be handled by Europe.
In addition to following Galvez in Iraq and Syria, the viewer gains insight into his relationship with his daughter Amanda through family pictures and movies as well as from messages Amanda sent to Galvez during her time in Syria. The English subtitles throughout the film are easy to read and do not distract from the story; however, many of the subtitles do not translate what is being said verbatim which can become frustrating. While it is understandable to pixelate the faces of these seven children to ensure their safety moving forward, it makes it difficult to connect with them as it is hard to tell who is who.
Children of the Enemy is an inspirational film that shows how the determination of one man can overcome an indifferent government and complex international relations to rescue seven children from an uncertain future. It is an essential film to highlight an area of the war on terror that is often overlooked in a quick-moving news cycle. This educational documentary will support a range of academic library collections in international relations, political science, peace and justice studies, Middle Eastern studies, and general public library collections focused on contemporary issues. Highly Recommended.