The documentary Salam Neighbor, created by two young filmmakers embedded in Jordan’s largest refugee camp, will screen Friday, April 15 in Sechelt.
This one-time-only screening will take place at 7:30 p.m. at St. Hilda’s Anglican Church at 5838 Barnacle St. Admission is by donation. The event is designed to help fund local groups bringing Syrian refugee families to the Lower Sunshine Coast and to educate the community about the issues facing Syrian refugees of all ages.
“We are thrilled to host this important film as a catalyst for discussion, learning, and community action,” says St. Hilda’s rector Clarence Li. “We invite people to attend and donate generously.”
Event organizer Heather Conn felt so inspired by the film when she recently saw it in Vancouver, she wanted to bring it to the Sunshine Coast. “It is excellent,” she says.
The 75-minute film reveals inspiring stories of individuals rallying against huge odds to rebuild their lives and those of their neighbours in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp, only 11.5 kilometres from the Syrian border. Twenty-something directors/producers Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple form compelling connections with refugees of all ages, like street-smart imp Raouf, 10, whose almost-constant smile hides lingering trauma. Women like Um Ali struggle to overcome personal loss and cultural barriers. A Syrian husband learns to confront and release anger when his wife launches a successful microbusiness within the camp.
The filmmakers and refugees share food, music, tears, laughter and companionship. These are only a handful of the 85,000 Syrians trying to restart their lives in Jordan. More than four million people have fled Syria to escape the atrocities of war.
This film, a 2015 AFI Docs official selection, is released by 1001 Media. The filmmakers created the documentary Living on One Dollar (livingonone.org). For two months, they subsisted as radish farmers in rural Guatemala to understand life in extreme poverty.
For more about the Sechelt screening and/or to reserve one of the first 50 seats only for this screening, see www.tugg.com/events/93829/. Online donations can be made using this link.
For general information related to the Sechelt screening, contact Heather Conn at 604-886-6520 or [email protected]. As St. Hilda’s can hold about 140 people, attendees without a reservation are advised to come early. An informal discussion will follow the screening.
To learn more, see www.livingonone.org/salamneighbor/
