But by no means are all crises visible in this way – the fates of millions of people in crises around the globe remain unseen. With the campaign #IntoFocus launched by the German Federal Foreign Office, 30 humanitarian organisations are drawing attention to these so called ‘forgotten crises’. As examples of the many crises that take place away from the public eye, we are looking at Lebanon, South Sudan and Bangladesh as part of the campaign. Three countries that rarely appear in the news, even though the humanitarian situation on the ground is oftentimes catastrophic.
Together with Aktion gegen den Hunger and Johanniter, we are therefore showing three impressive short films from the three focus countries on May 5 at City Kino Wedding and and three feature-length documentaries online as a stream as part of our HRFFB@Home channel!
Forgotten crises in the cinema
May 5, 7:30 p.m.
City Kino Wedding, Müllerstraße 74, 13349 Berlin
On the White Nile
Akuol de Mabior
13 min I OmeU
Filmmaker Akuol de Mabior's film 'On the White Nile' takes us into the world of Rebecca Lith Chol. From the stern of her long wooden boat, Rebecca steers her crew down the White Nile and runs her small fishing business. She is a formidable, courageous woman in control of her boat, her business, and her destiny. Her life is full of uncertainty, but against all odds, her philosophical outlook and strong heart are her driving force.
Followed by a conversation with Kira Fischer, Head Advocacy Aktion gegen den Hunger Deutschland.
SHOBE SURFS
Elizabeth D. Costa
36 min I OmeU
Shobe visits the only surf club on the Bangladesh coast where girls are also allowed to surf. For the 13-year-old from the slum, surfing is more than just a sport. It is her ticket to a better world. While her family expects her to get married as soon as possible and would prefer to send her to work in Oman, her surf instructor Rashed shows her an alternative way to escape the poverty she was born into.
Followed by a conversation with Mohammad Akmal Shareef, Country Director Action Against Hunger Bangladesh.
The Lebanon I Dream of
Mounia Akl
3 Min I OmeU
This revolution has opened our eyes and inspired us. This is a reminder of all the reasons we took to the streets and is dedicated to all the people who are actively working to make these dreams a reality.
Followed by a conversation with journalist & author Edith Löhle (tbc).
More movies? Stream now!
*All movies are available online in Germany between May 1 and May 31, 2023.
2020 I 87 min I OmeU
Abbas Fahdel
Bitter Bread
Refugees fleeing from neighbouring Syria have settled temporarily in Beqaa Valley, Lebanon, where they live and work under the supervision of a local administrator from whom they rent their land, earn their wages, and to whom they are indebted. Their steel shacks and tarpaulin tents provide scant relief from the ravages of seasonal floods and the whims of a forbidding natural environment. Director Abbas Fahdel shows the daily struggle for a dignified and autonomous communal life.
2022 I 85 min I OmeU
Akuol de Mabior
No Simple Way Home
As peace in South Sudan hangs in the balance, a mother and her two daughters return home from exile. The mother's mission is to safeguard her late husband's vision while her daughters struggle with what it means to call South Sudan home.
2020 | 88 min | OmeU
Mélanie Carrier, Olivier Higgins
Wandering - A Rohingya Story
"What happened is not only about us. It is about human beings." Kutapulong in Bangladesh, the world's largest refugee camp, a place seemingly caught in time. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims live here in cramped emergency shelters, unwanted and without prospect.... Their days are long, light and darkness, strength and despair lie close together. The film shows the rough, monotonous everyday life between poems and nightmares, food distribution and soccer games. Images of great beauty and gentle poetry make past horrors and the simple desire for freedom all the more vivid. A powerful, deeply human film, as poetic as a painting.
