A new trailer for Netflix’s “Stateless” sees the immigration detention center it’s set in described as a “reflection of [a] highly developed migration system enabling [the government to] determine both the identity of asylum seekers and the legitimacy of their claims for protection.” In actuality, the compound in the Australian outback resembles a chaotic prison, complete with violent guards. Officials seem much less invested in aiding asylum seekers than punishing them.
Created by Cate Blanchett, Elise McCredie, and Tony Ayres, the six-part series tells the story of four strangers whose lives intersect at the center. The trailer focuses primarily on Sofie (Yvonne Strahovski, “The Handmaid’s Tale”), an Australian airline hostess who flees from a dangerous cult led by Blanchett’s character. Convinced she doesn’t “belong” at the detention center, Sofie is the only white detainee that we see. She’s encouraged to use her privilege to bring light to the horrific conditions refugees are being subjected to. “People will be very interested in you,” she’s told. “They will want to know someone who looks just like them [is] trapped in a place like this.”
We also meet Ameer (Fayssal Bazzi, “The Commons”), an Afghan refugee who begs to be seen as more than an anonymous criminal. “I’m a father, a man of faith. Why can’t you see that when you look at me?” he asks.
“Stateless” premieres on Netflix July 8. The drama’s ensemble cast includes Asher Keddie (“Offspring”) and Soraya Heidari.
