LONDON MIGRATION FILM FESTIVAL
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2023 Programme
London Migration Film Festival is an annual film festival that has been running since 2016. We aim to challenge the narrow rhetoric on migration that often sees migration, and people on the move, framed in reductive and dehumanising terms.
If you’re experiencing hardship and struggle to afford a ticket, please get in touch. We also have a number of free events!
Finally, for those not in London or unable to attend, keep your eyes peeled for our free online programme - coming soon!
Film: Riceboy Sleeps + Q&A
Join us for a night of celebration and solidarity at the opening gala of the the 8th London Migration Film Festival, with stalls, and exhibition, and a special screening of Riceboy Sleeps, followed by a panel discussion on the role of film in challenging narratives on migration.
Riceboy Sleeps: Set in the 90s, a Korean single mother raises her young son in the suburbs of Canada determined to provide a better life for him than the one she left behind. Emotionally frozen, they live in an in-between space between a Korean past they were forced to leave behind and a Canadian present.
Including stalls by: Hackney Migrant Centre, The Road to Nowhere, IRMO, SoldariTee, Chutney Magazine & more!
Presented in collaboration with SOAS Centre for Migration & Diaspora Studies
Dir: Anthony Shim | Length: 1h 57m
SOAS, Brunei GLT | Doors 6pm; Film 6:30pm | Tickets
As a young man, Ike Nnaebue tried to flee to Europe. Twenty years later, he retraces the steps of his previous journey to find out what motivates people today to expose themselves to the dangers of a passage into an uncertain future.
Presented in collaboration with SOAS Centre for Migration & Diaspora Studies
Dir: Ike Nnaebue | Length: 1h 32m
SOAS, Brunei GLT | 6.30pm | Tickets
Short film, talk & afterparty:
The Beauty of Movement: Arts and research for new migration narratives
Moving between places and across borders is much more than just crossing them. It is a journey of ideas, talent and cultures. The beauty of movement is in the experience shared by so many, and the creativity, ideas and hopes of the people making these journeys. Yet, too often this beauty remains an untold migration story.
Hosted by Marta Foresti and Eka Ikpe; featuring the screening of ‘On Freedom of Movement (wi de muv)’ directed by Julianknxx followed by a panel with Federica Fragapane, Khalid Albaih, Gabriella Gómez-Mont and Adama Sanneh (CEO of Moleskine Foundation)
In collaboration with LAGO, ODI, Phaidon and Moleskine Foundation
Shoreditch Arts Club | Film: 6pm; Afterparty 7pm | Tickets (free)
RVSP at: events@lagocollective.org
* UK premiere *
“Sarajevo’s recent history is enacted as a ritual of love and war – a dangerous, ambivalent courtship dance”
Asja, a single 40-something woman in Sarajevo, meets Zoran, a 43-year-old banker, at speed dating. But it turns out that Zoran is not there looking for love, rather for forgiveness. During the siege of Sarajevo in 1993 he shot at the city from the opposite side, and he wants to meet his first victim. Now, in their search for resolution, if not love, both must examine the traumas of their past and confront the borders that divide them.
Dir: Teona Strugar Mitevska | Length: 1h 25min
Genesis Cinema | 6:30pm | Tickets
Film: R. M. N. + Q&A
Matthias is moving back from Germany to his village in Transylvania. Mahinda, Alick and Rauff are gearing up to work in the local bakery, having moved from Sri Lanka to Romania in search of work. And a French scientist is counting the bear population of the village – a place where the villagers feel forgotten by the EU and institutions meant to represent them. Underlying frustrations and fears soon grip the populace, erupting through the veneer of understanding and calm.
R.M.N. – the Romanian abbreviation for an MRI – is a slow-burn drama about a community within the European project wrestling with xenophobia and emigration, that probes at the root of a simmering societal anger.
Panel: Olivia Vicol (Work Rights Centre); Lara Parizotto (Migrant Democracy Project); and Rosie Carter (Hope Not Hate)
Dir: Cristian Mungiu | Length: 2h 5m
Phoenix Cinema | 7:45pm | Tickets
Film: Eat Bitter + Q&A
Against the backdrop of civil war in the Central African Republic, Luan, a Chinese construction manager and Thomas, a local sand fisherman, work on opposite ends of the spectrum to construct a sparkling new bank. As deadlines loom, unexpected twists threaten their jobs, relationships, and plans for a better life.
Presented in collaboration with SOAS Centre for Migration & Diaspora Studies
Dir: Pascale Appora Gnekindy & Ningyi Sun | Length: 1h 35m
SOAS, Brunei GLT | 6.30pm | Tickets
* UK premiere *
Opening with the story of Shibboleth which saw the Ehpraimites slaughtered when their inability to pronounce ‘shibboleth’ gave away their identity, By The Throat is an experimental documentary that explores the role of language as a deeply engraved border, albeit an invisible one. One that defines the sounds and words we can pronounce.
We carry these limits with us, created by our mother-tongue, and they turn us into mobile check-points, wherever we go.
Panel: Effi & Amir (directors of By the Throat); Dr Peter L. Patrick (Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Member of the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex)
Dir: Effi & Amir | Length: 1h 17m
Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) | 6:30pm | Tickets
* SOLD OUT *
Screened with short film Aziza (Dir: Soudade Kaadan)
Beirut, Lebanon. Ahmed, a Syrian refugee, and Mehdia, an Ethiopian migrant domestic worker, are living an impossible love. While Mehdia tries to free herself from her employers, Ahmed struggles to survive by dealing in second-hand metal scraps, all while being affected by a mysterious disease that is turning his body slowly into metal. This charming film, reminiscent of Kaurismaki, tackles heavy issues of modern slavery, forced migration, and prejudice with a deft and humorous touch.
Screened in collaboration with Counterpoints Arts and Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image (BIMI)
Panel: Soudade Kaadan (director of Aziza), Laith Elzubaidi (Pop Culture & Social Change Producer at Counterpoints Arts), Dr Agnes Woolley (Lecturer in Transnational Literature and Migration Cultures)
Dir: Wissam Charaf | Length: 1h 23m
Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image | 6.30pm | Tickets (free; booking required)
*UK premiere*
Tulgaa returns from Ulaanbaatar to his childhood home in the steppe to care for his dying stepfather, honouring his remaining commitments by lending a hand with the summer harvest. While working in the fields he meets a cocky young boy, Tuntuulei, who lives alone with his grandparents while his single mother works in the city. Despite getting off on the wrong foot, the two soon find common ground and form a delicate bond that will transform their lives.
A tender film that explores fatherhood, and the bonds that can be created when fathers and mothers are absent due to migration.
Dir: Amarsaikhan Baljinnyam | Length: 1h 30m
Genesis Cinema | 8.45pm | Tickets
In 1855, the 'map of emigration' (Map of the World on Mercator's Projection shewing the British Possessions 1849) was adapted into a board game called the Crystal Palace Game. The Crystal Palace Game signifies the disparities in freedom of movement between the coloniser and colonised, disparities that continue to be visible today. And it highlights how those with the agency to move perceive(d) extractivism as an adventure or a game, while the migration of people from the global majority had much higher stakes than fun.
The instructions and game pieces have since been lost and it is currently unknown how the game was played. In this workshop, we will use the 'map of emigration', discussion, and other visual materials to reinvent how the Crystal Palace Game is played, in order to subvert its power and reclaim agency.
Produced by Toby Chai
Age range: 12+
Upstairs at the Ritzy | 1:00pm | Tickets
* SOLD OUT *
Come and join us for a workshop where researchers invite creative responses to their work, which focuses on people impacted by borders.
The researchers will discuss their work (5 minutes each + Q&A) with the audience.
Then there is a creative workshop following the discussion (1 hour).
We invite you to think about the resistance and humanity you see at borders and in our communities, and then create an A4 poster or mini zine to swap or take with you (all materials will be provided).
Suitable for all ages
In collaboration with Keele University
Upstairs at the Ritzy | 3:00pm | Tickets
* SOLD OUT *
Where do characters end and begin? How does my context and personal story affect objectivity when it comes to writing a character based on another human being? Is our written self perception an accurate portrayal of our inner world?
Join us for a dynamic writing workshop that will delve in the questions of identity and self by using documentary techniques focused on developing a character profile.
A sensible yet challenging conversation that will incite the participants to reflect on their personal journeys and how we as humans create from different perspectives allowing them to see through someone else’s eyes, or in other words to be in their shoes for a brief moment in time.
Age range: 16+
Produced by Mariana Ortiz
Upstairs at the Ritzy | 5:00pm | Tickets
* SOLD OUT *
The Other Side of Hope is a publication edited by immigrants and refugees, and the UK’s first ever literary magazine of sanctuary.
This event, where we celebrate the magazine’s third birthday, will include readings by migrant writers and poets, live music, and a Q&A session with the magazine’s editors and contributors.
The Other Side of Hope exists to serve and celebrate the refugee and immigrant communities worldwide.
Upstairs at the Ritzy | 6:30pm | Tickets
* SOLD OUT *
“I didn’t make it back in time to say goodbye.” “Grieving over Zoom isn’t the same.” “What might my funeral look like?” These are some of the unique concerns that immigrants confront when they’ve been bereaved or when contemplating their own mortality.
Join us for an open and interactive exchange about how being an immigrant affects how we experience death, grief, and mourning.
Age range: 18+
Produced by Dr Selena Daly
Upstairs at the Ritzy | 1:00pm | Tickets
Film:
"I'd rather be alive on an island of ghosts than be a ghost in the land of living"
Zahara, a refugee from Indonesia, lives on a small remote island in Malaysia, where she makes a living selling turtle eggs. One day, Samad, claiming to be a university researcher, visits the island and convinces Zahara to help him navigate. But as the day goes on, Zahara and Samad become entangled in a dangerous and time-travelling dance of duplicity and deception.
A spellbinding and enigmatic cross between feminist revenge thriller, folk horror, and animation that offers a dazzlingly new take on political themes.
Dir: Woo Ming Jin | Length: 1h 31m
Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) | 2:15pm | Tickets
* SOLD OUT *
5 films reflect 5 points of view regarding the inhumane impacts of offshore refugee processing centres, the consequences of dispossession, incarceration and colonial power in the contemporary world. Explored through the lens of Australia's infamous refugee policies and the lived experience of those effected by it, these poignant, powerful and personal films resonate with current UK attitudes, foreshadowing the human impact of ‘stopping the boats’.
Produced by Refugee Art Project, curated by Faded Neon Films & T A P E collective for London Migration Festival
Upstairs at the Ritzy | 2:30pm | Tickets
* SOLD OUT *
Join us for an evening of short films that explore themes of migration, creation and community, which will be followed by a panel discussion.
Mohamed (prod: Katz Laszlo and Mohamed Bah)
Ousmane (dir: Jorge Camarotti)
A Broken House (dir: Jimmy Goldblum)
In collaboration with Haringey Migrant Support Centre; all proceeds go to support their vital work
Salisbury Hotel pub (Haringay) | 7:30pm | Tickets
Film: Victim + Q&A
Irina, a single mother from Ukraine, lives with her son Igor in a Czech border town. When she discovers that Igor has been assaulted by three ‘Roma people’ her whole world comes crashing down.
But as time goes on, Irina spots inconsistencies in his story, forcing her to choose between compromising her conscience to protect her son and revealing the truth at the risk of their immigration status - a choice that triggers a tremor in the faultlines of a divided society.
Screened as part of the 27th Made in Prague Festival and in collaboration with the Czech Centre and the Slovak Embassy in London
Dir: Michal Blaško | Length: 1h 31m
Genesis Cinema | 6:25pm | Tickets
* SOLD OUT *
Athletes from around the world prepare to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. A promising young Iranian taekwondo fighter, a South-Sudanese field runner, a Syrian swimmer and many more - they all share their passion for sports, and the affiliation to the Refugee Olympic Team.
This documentary, from the director of critically acclaimed For Sama, observes their lives, their training, and the emotional journey that will bring them to the competition of a lifetime.
Screened with short film Canción de Pilo (dir: Anna Merryfield)
Dir: Waad Al-Kateab | Length: 1h 36min
The Lexi Cinema | 6:15pm | Tickets
Film: No End + Q&A
Ayaz is a middle-aged civil servant living a tranquil life in Iran. News that his brother-in-law Soroush might return after 30 years in exile troubles him: his family has lived for decades in the home Soroush left behind, and Ayaz is worried that they’ll now be forced to leave. Hoping to slow down this process, he circulates rumours that the secret police have been visiting the family looking for Soroush. Yet this seemingly little lie soon spirals out of control.
A meditation on the insidiousness of the Iranian regime and exploration of the reasons why people are forced to flee it.
Dir: Nader Saeivar | Length: 1h 53min
Phoenix Cinema | 6pm | Tickets
Film: Fremont + Q&A
Donya works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, she struggles to put her life back in order. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie.
Screened with short film Yellow (dir: Elham Ehsas)
Dir: Babak Jalali | Length: 1h 31m
Genesis Cinema | 6:10pm | Tickets
One country. One minibus. Many journeys. This fly-on-the-wall film captures Ukrainians as they are forced to leave their homes and drive into the unknown.
What does it look like to flee from a war? This gentle film explores the raw, human cost of conflict. Each new passenger, whether women or men, young or old, has first-hand experience of the Russian invasion, and a spectrum of emotions surfaces in the car transporting them to safety. Children mutely read books, a woman weeps for the cow she’s left behind, others are lost for words… And beyond the confines of the minibus is rural Ukraine – a vast landscape littered with the carnage of war.
Presented in collaboration with Sheffield Doc Fest and Bertha DocHouse
Dir: Maciek Hamela | Length: 1h 24m
Bertha Doc House | 6:20pm | Tickets
Short films: On Belonging & Migration + Q&A with directors
* SOLD OUT *
In collaboration with GuiltybyAssociation’s: Sine Files, join us for a special screening of stories told by Filipino-British filmmakers.
Screening award-winning works from filmmakers this event is a pioneering tribute to the Filipino spirit, showcasing remarkable films that reflect together on belonging, identity and self.
Whiteboy (dir: Matty Crawford)
Aking Tahanan (My home) (dir: Mark Sevilla)
Sean (dir: Ray Roberts)
The screening will be followed with a Q&A with the filmmakers where we will discover the directors’ personal journeys making the films and discuss the impact of migration amongst the Filipino community.
The Lexi Cinema | 6:30pm
* SOLD OUT *
For 15 years, photojournalist Giorgos Moutafis bears witness to the journey of refugees across the dark crossings of Greece’s borders. Futility, death and exhaustion represents a large part of his work, as he finds new angles on this well-trodden terrain. His camera delves into inaccessible places, intimately documenting the stories of people who push against boundaries, revealing how 'the Other Half' lives.
One of the most powerful films we’ve ever seen and a damning indictment of the violence inherent in maintaining ‘Fortress Europe’. A film that bears witness, that acts as evidential testimony, and a tour de force that is sadly at least as necessary now as it was in 2015.
* Content warning: contains death, violence, and distressing scenes *
Dir: Giorgos Moutafis | Length: 1h 12m
Bertha Doc House | 6:20pm | Tickets
venues
Upstairs at the Ritzy: Ritzy Cinema (top floor), Brixton Oval, London SW2 1JG
SOAS Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (GLT): SOAS, University of London Thornhaugh Street, Russell Sq, London WC1B 5DQ
Genesis Cinema: 93-95 Mile End Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 4UJ
Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA): The Mall, St. James's, London SW1Y 5AH
Bertha DocHouse: Curzon Bloomsbury The Brunswick Centre, London WC1N 1AW
The Lexi Cinema: 194b Chamberlayne Rd, London NW10 3JU
Phoenix Cinema: 52 High Rd, London N2 9PJ
Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image (BIMI): 43 Gordon Sq, London WC1H 0PD
The Salibury Hotel pub: Grand Parade, Green Lanes, Harringay Ladder, London N4 1JX
partners
A huge thank you to our partners, without whom the festival would not be possible
