June 20 of each year is World Refugee Day as instituted by the United Nations in 2001.
Refugees are those who have fled the conflict and persecution of their home countries in search of better living conditions.
Here in the Philippines, The United Nations Refugee Agency marks the occasion with the staging of the first Refugee Film Festival from June 20 to 22, 2023, at the University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI) Film Center inside the UP campus in Diliman, Quezon City.
The United Nations Refugee Agency is under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or UNHCR.
The festival will showcase films and documentaries on the plight of refugees from all over the world.
The UNHCR, through the festival, hopes to raise awareness, develop compassion and empathy, and inspire action "on behalf of the 103 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide."
Here are the films lined-up for the three-day event.
QUEZON'S GAME
Date: June 20, 2023, Tuesday
Screening time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Directed by Matthew Rosen and starring Raymond Bagatsing as Philippine President Manuel Quezon.
The film follows the story of Quezon, then military adviser of Dwight Eisenhower, who would eventually become the U.S. President from 1953 to 1961.
It tackles their plan to take in German and Austrian Jews who are escaping Nazi persecution.
It's an interesting look at this little-known event in Philippine history pre-World War II, and a testament to Quezon's generosity and Filipino hospitality.
FLEE
Date: June 21, 2023, Wednesday
Screening time: 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Aman Nawabi is haunted by his past—a painful secret that he has been harboring for 20 years, and one that threatens to throw his life and soon-to-be husband off track.
Here, Aman recounts his extraordinary story as a child refugee from Afghanistan who moved to Denmark
Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen incorporated animation into the film, which won Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
Wandering, A Rohingya Story
Date: June 21, 2023, Wednesday
Screening time: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
In 2017, around 700,000 people representing the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar fled the country to escape genocide.
Their destination: Bangladesh.
The Kutupalong refugee camp is the biggest refugee camp in the world, and the film takes an immersive and intimate look at the place that is home to mostly displaced Rohingya natives.
Captains of Zaatari
Date: June 21, 2023, Wednesday
Screening time: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
A film about hope and dreams, Captains of Zaatari tells the story of Mahmoud and Fawzi, two best friends residing inside the Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan.
Amid the bleak reality of their everyday lives, the two share a dream of someday playing as professional soccer players.
So imagine their surprise when a world-renowned sports academy visits the camp.
Will Mahmoud and Fawzi finally make their dreams come true? What are the chances of them leaving the refugee camp and making it to the big leagues?
A HOUSE IN PIECES
Date: June 22, 2023, Thursday
Screening time: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The battle between ISIS-affiliated jihadists and government forces in Marawi, Philippines forced the evacuation of many locals.
While the fight ended favorably for the government, residents find out that their battles are just starting as they struggle to rebuild their homes and lives.
Viewers will be introduced to displaced couple Yusop and Farhanna and their children as they yearn for freedom, livelihood, and comfort after returning to their city.
The Swimmers
Date: June 22, 2023, Thursday
Screening time: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
A story of struggle, resilience, and triumph.
The Swimmers follow two Syrian sisters who flee their war-torn home in Damascus, swim for hours in the turbulent Mediterranean seas to reach Greece as asylum seekers before going on to compete at the Rio Olympic Games.
This biographical sports drama film is directed by Egyptian director and screenwriter, Sally El-Hosaini.
Admission is free. Click here to reserve your e-tickets for the movies of your choice.
Meanwhile, a talk titled the World Refugee Day Forum will take place on June 22, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the UP Asian Center.
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Atom Araullo will facilitate the discussions to be attended by relevant personalities involved and advocating solutions to help displaced people worldwide.
Admission to the forum is free. Register by clicking here.