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Us and Them - When generations clash - Motherland

January 28, 2024

Paul wants to emigrate but should stay, Houda wants to stay but should emigrate. When the older generation believes we’ll only be able to realize our dreams elsewhere, it’s not easy for us to accept their view. An experience shared by Paul in the Philippines and Houda in Iraq.

https://p.dw.com/p/4blHd

Paul lives in the Philippines and is non-binary. After dropping out of university, Paul starts earning their first income with online drag performances. But Paul sees no future for themselves in the Philippines. Paul's dream is to emigrate to the US, forge a career there, earn money and support their family. The grandmothers who raised Paul are worried about this plan and in any case, they don't really understand their grandchild’s way of life. They fear for Paul's safety in a foreign world. In the case of Houda from Iraq, it's completely the opposite: whereas more and more of her friends are leaving the country, she wants to stay. Houda is a university student, works in a hotel and is passionate about cycling - a hobby that’s quite political. In Iraq, women who ride bikes are rejected by large sections of society. Houda wants to break this taboo and fight for a better future for her country. Friends and family are torn: Is the lifestyle Houda wants to lead even possible in Iraq?

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About the show

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DocFilm

Exciting stories, a wide variety of topics, fascinating pictures: every day, half or three-quarters of an hour of carefully researched background reports from the worlds of politics, business, science, culture, nature, history, lifestyle and sport.