From 17-24 June at Chapter, celebrate Refugee Week with films sharing refugee and migrant stories, the UK’s largest festival of Arabic cinema; SAFAR Film Festival, the chance to sing with Oasis One World Choir and more.
Refugee Week is the world's largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
16 Jun – Ukraine Day
17 Jun – Io Capitano + Introduction from Italian Film Festival Cardiff
20 Jun – SAFAR: Life is Beautiful + Q&A
21 Jun – SAFAR: Goodbye Julia
21 Jun – 27 Jun Green Border
22 Jun – SAFAR: The Burdened
23 Jun – SAFAR: A Wedding in Galilee
On Sunday 16 June, Ukraine Day offers free film screenings from Ukraine Including Hutsulka Ksenya, a film set in 1939. An American-Ukrainian man is left a family fortune on condition that he marries a Ukrainian woman. Whilst travelling he meets Yaro, a Hutsul girl. A charming family friendly romance set in the beautiful Carpathian Mountains.
Dovbush is set at the beginning of the 18th century and the brutal rule of the Polish nobility has forced the Hutsuls to flee to the mountains. Two brothers, Oleksa and Ivan Dovbush, find themselves outlaws in search of revenge for the murder of their parents. However, the brothers become enemies of each other: one yearns money, the other; justice.
The final film of the day is 20 Days in Mariupol plus Panel Discussion. The film follows the Russian invasion of 2022, when a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities. A hugely important film, both in terms of the achievement in filmmaking (for which it swept international awards) and a testament for the power of journalism in a war zone.
Io Capitano is a film about Two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa who leave Dakar for Italy. Highly emotional and honestly felt, this is a story of epic scale, but one which doesn’t lose sight of the individual human stakes of the migrant crisis and the intensity of the suffering it propagates, aided by the captivating performances and was nominated for Best International Film at this year’s Oscars.
Screening from 17-20 June, + Intro from Italian Film Festival on 17 June, 6.10pm.
The SAFAR Film Festival is the largest festival in the UK dedicated to cinema from the Arab world. Founded in 2012, SAFAR showcases the broad spectrum of film from the region by working with curators on themed programmes and inviting filmmakers for live Q&As and events.
The 2024 edition brings together over 50 films from 15 countries including new releases, classics, family friendly screenings, archive films, special events and more. This year’s festival theme aims to highlight a multitude of daily realities being faced across the Arab world and reflect on how small hopes and bigger dreams co-exist within such contexts.
The ninth edition of the festival runs from 18-30 June 2024 at Chapter and across the UK and features films from Palestine, Sudan and Yemen.
A one-hour singing workshop with Oasis One World Choir. The session will be followed by a free performance in Chapter’s caffi bar.
Oasis One World Choir welcomes people seeking sanctuary in Wales. Through songs and dances of peace and solidarity their infectious optimism breaks down barriers to support everyone to feel safe and valued.
At a time when people seeking sanctuary face an increasingly hostile environment, OOWC aim to deflect the pain through song writing, singing and performing together, sharing their thoughts and providing hope. They also take their performances on the road, sharing their unique wealth of culture.
OOWC passionately create music for beauty, human rights, social justice and wellbeing.
Oasis One World Choir welcomes people seeking sanctuary in Cardiff and the wider community. They aim to learn from those who connect with them – sharing, growing and forming together. Their choir is a lifeline for many people who are faced with restarting their lives in a new country, often in a language that’s completely new to them. Music transcends these barriers, and the choir allows people to make new friends and build community together.
Following the workshop, there will be a free performance in the Chapter caffi.
Performance
Al Harah Theatre: A Voice for Theatre and Culture in Palestine
Join Chapter for a conversation with Marina Barham, General Director of Al Harah Theater in Bethlehem, Palestine. Marina will be offering a voice from theatre and the performing arts sector in Palestine through the story of Al Harah Theater and its work in the West Bank.
Marina will be sharing her perspectives from the current situation in Palestine and the role that theatre can play in helping children, young people and the community overcome trauma. Audiences will be able to hear firsthand from a Palestinian activist their hopes of establishing new partnerships and collaborations.
Marina Barham is co-founder and General Director of Al-Harah Theater and has been an active cultural operator in Palestine, the Middle East and Europe since 1998. Al-Harah Theater believes that theatre has the potential to change the lives of those who make it and those who watch it. It creates compelling work for children, young people and adults that is challenging, yet moving, accessible and always honest. It tours locally, regionally and internationally, reaching refugee camps, villages, cities and especially marginalised areas.