Refugee Week 2009 > Local events > London

Refugee Action’s Refugee Week events

London

La Forteresse film screening

Date and time: 16th June, 18.30pm (premiere followed by panel discussion), NFT1; 21st June, 13.00pm, NFT2

Venue: British Film Institute Southbank

Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT

Description: Refugee Action hosts the UK premiere of the award-winning film La Forteresse. For the first time, a camera looks into the hidden world of a Swiss reception centre for asylum seekers and immerses us in the daily sorting process of the human diaspora. Awarding it the Golden Leopard, the Locarno festival jury cited ‘a remarkably sensitive film exhibiting profound human intelligence.'

The premiere screening will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Channel 4 reporter, Emily Reuben, with panellists including writer Chris Cleave, refugees, filmmakers and Refugee Action spokespeople to discuss the representation of exile in documentary and drama film.

Entry price: £5 - £6.40 depending on mode of booking and payment

Information and booking: 020 7928 3232, www.bfi.org.uk, in person at box office. For info on the film: www.laforteresse.ch

Which Simple Act it relates to: Watch a movie about refugees

Any other info: Download the flyer for more Refugee Week film screenings at the BFI and more information

Lead organisation: Refugee Action

Supporting organisations/partners: British Film Institute, Refuge in Films, Nueva Generacion, RefugeeYouth

The Betrayal film screening

Date and time: 21st June 15.50pm, NFT2

Venue: British Film Institute Southbank
Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT

Description: During the Vietnam War, the US government waged a secret war in neighbouring Laos. When they withdrew, Laotian supporters of the Americans faced imprisonment or execution. One family, the Phrasavaths, decided to take refuge in America. In Brooklyn they faced another kind of war. Director Ellen Kuras (cinematographer of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and co-director Thavisouk Phrasaveth (eldest son of the refugee family portrayed) worked for 20 years to create this beautifully realised, complex film, which received an Oscar nomination for best documentary feature 2008.

Entry price: £5 - £9 depending on mode of booking and payment

Information and booking: 020 7928 3232, www.bfi.org.uk, in person at box office

Which Simple Act it relates to: Watch a movie about refugees

Any other info: Download the flyer for more Refugee Week film screenings at the BFI and more information. www.thebetrayalmovie.com

Lead organisation: RefugeeYouth, Nueva Generacion

Supporting organisations/partners: Refugee Action, British Film Institute

Celebrating Sanctuary

Date and time: 14th June, 2 - 7pm

Venue: Bernie Spain Gardens, South Bank

Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1

Description: This totally unique annual event celebrates the art of refugee communities in the UK. The open air event on London's Southbank has an outrageous profusion of new talent across its three stages. Hosted by DJ Ritu from BBC London 94.9 FM, this year’s Celebrating Sanctuary features the wild Serbian Roma Indie Rockers KAL, prejudice-busting UK female Hip-Hop act Poetic Pilgrimage and Book Slam, London’s most cerebrally sexy club night, featuring cutting-edge literature and acoustic music presented by award-winning novelist Patrick Neate.

Refugee Action will once again have a colourful stand at the event brimming over with badges, posters, quizzes, snazzy tshirts and bags, and ideas on getting stuck into refugee activism. Come down and have a chat!

Entry price: free

Which Simple Act it relates to: Read a book about exile, learn five facts about refugees, do a quiz on refugees, share a song, visit a Refugee Week event, join a campaign in support of refugees

Public contact details for further enquiries: 020 7346 6752

Website address for event: www.myspace.com/celebratingsanctuary

Lead organisation: Refugee Week partnership, Coin Street

Supporting organisations/partners: Refugee Action, Refugee Council and other Refugee Week partners

Asylum Dialogues

Date and time: 21st June, 7.30pm

Venue: New Players Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NG

Description: What happens when you meet someone who has fled their country to seek refuge in the UK? What happens when that person becomes your friend and needs your help? Drawn from real-life conversations, Asylum Dialogues explores the everyday encounters between asylum seekers and British people, encouraging us to challenge our own preconceptions. Asylum Dialogues will be performed by iceandfire’s outreach network, Actors for Human Rights.

Entry price: £6

Film information: Actors for Human Rights

Booking information: www.ticketweb.co.uk

Which Simple Act it relates to: Learn five facts about refugees, join a campaign in support of refugees

Lead organisation: Actors for Human Rights

Still Human Still Here march and rally

Date and time: 20th June 2009, 12-4pm

Venue: March starts at Victoria Embankment, rally in Trafalgar Square

Description: Although Refugee Week is a time to celebrate the contribution of refugees, we must also remember those in need of support. The Still Human Still Here march and rally aims to raise awareness about asylum seekers who have been made destitute by a deliberate government policy, aimed at forcing people to return to dangerous countries. Join us on 20th June, 12pm at Embankment for a march to Trafalgar Square. Speakers at the rally will include Sandy Buchan (Refugee Action), Kate Allen (Amnesty International), Weyman Bennett, Emma Ginn (Medical Justice), Jean Roger Kaseki Human Rights Campaigner from DRC.

Entry price: free

Which Simple Act it relates to: join a campaign in support of refugees

Public contact details for further enquiries: To join the Refugee Action group on the march, please email saraa@refugee-action.org.uk. For general enquiries, contact Ulrike Schmidt 07984729321, ulrike.schmidt@candi.ac.uk

Website address for event: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/events_details.asp?ID=1243

Any other info: For more information on Refugee Action’s destitution campaign, please visit www.refugee-action.org/campaigns

Lead organisation: Amnesty International London

 

Supporting organisations/partners: Refugee Action, Refugee Council, City of Sanctuary

For a fuller listing of events around the country go to the Refugee Week website

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