Ali Mostolizadeh

Ali Mostolizadeh is a PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Waterloo. Ali is interested in applying creative arts and visual methodologies to his research. As a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker, Ali has been involved in making the films representing findings of his academic works through reinforcing stories of non-dominant communities. Ali's research interests include: Mobilities, Migration, Tourism and Identity, Social  justice, Displacement, Visual methodologies, Documentary methodologies.Ali's PhD project, under supervision of Dr. Suzan Ilcan- unpacks Australia's off-shore detention regime for asylum seekers and develops insight into the alternative knowledge system and the counter-narratives that have been shaped by individual and collective resistance of detained refugees on Manus Island. Specifically, Ali's study sheds light on the resistance, advocacy and survival of Behrouz Boochani who is globally known as the 'voice of Manus Island'. He has become a phenomenon and a public face of resistance to Australian off-shore detention. To identify the networks of resistance on Manus, a number of artists/activists/journalists/academics/ writers/former detainees who have collaborated with Boochani since 2013 were interviewed. Ali's dissertation includes a visual chapter which is a documentary film about resistance, advocacy and survival of Behrouz Boochani.