Cover Quezon's Game will be shown on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' first Refugee Film Festival in the Philippines
Quezon's Game will be shown on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' first Refugee Film Festival in the Philippines
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Titled ‘Hope Away From Home’, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Philippines will hold a film festival that highlights the stories of displaced people around the globe
Six films that explore the extraordinary stories of forcibly displaced individuals will be shown during the UNHCR’s first Refugee Film Festival in the Philippines. Titled Hope Away From Home, the festival will screen movies for free from June 20 to 22 at the UPFI Film Center in UP Diliman.
“Thank you to UNHCR for this opportunity to continue advocating for the protection of the forcibly displaced. As Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR Philippines, I have had the honour and privilege of documenting and sharing with the world such important and compelling stories of survival and hope. As I mark my fourth year as Goodwill Ambassador, I hope that more Filipinos will become aware of these realities and stand in solidarity with people forced to flee,” said National Goodwill Ambassador Atom Araullo.
In case you missed it: UNHCR PH Goodwill Ambassador Atom Araullo on why protecting the welfare of refugees is important
Opening the Film Festival is Quezon’s Game by Matthew Rosen, a biographical film set in 1938 that follows the story of Philippine President Manuel Quezon and several other notable figures as they set out to rescue Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. This humanitarian legacy of the Philippines started when the government opened the country to Jewish refugees fleeing war and persecution and continues to this day.
Other films in the Refugee Film Festival are Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Wandering, A Rohingya Story by Mélanie Carrier and Olivier Higgins, Captains of Zaatari by Ali El Arabi, A House in Pieces by Jean Claire Dy and Manuel Domes, and The Swimmers by Sally El Hosaini.
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1. Quezon's Game
In 1938, then-Philippine President Manuel Quezon, would-be US President Dwight Eisenhower, and several other notable historical figures set out to rescue Jewish refugees from the ghettos of Germany and Austria. In his final days, Quezon asks the question, “Could I have done more?” before recollecting one of the least known but most uplifting stories in Philippine history.
20 June 2023 (Tuesday) 6:00-9:00 PM PST
Read also: Tatler Review: Quezon’s Game (2019)
2. Flee
Flee tells the story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon-to-be husband. Recounted through animation by director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, he tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan.
21 June 2023 (Wednesday) 2:00-3:30 PM PST
3. Wandering, A Rohingya Story
An immersive, poetic and powerful look into the biggest refugee camp in the world, the Kutupalong refugee camp. In 2017, within a few months, 700,000 people of the Rohingya Muslim minority fled Myanmar (formerly Burma) to escape genocide and seek asylum in Bangladesh.
21 June 2023 (Wednesday) 4:00-5:30 PM PST
4. Captains of Zaatari
Two best friends, Mahmoud and Fawzi, living in the Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan, dream of becoming professional soccer players while facing the harsh reality of their lives. When a world-renowned sports academy visits, both have a chance to make this dream come true.
See also: Online Donation: 5 Major Advocacies You Can Support From Home
21 June 2023 (Wednesday) 6:00-7:30 PM PST
5. A House in Pieces
A war between the government and ISIS-affiliated jihadists forced hundreds of thousands to flee from Marawi, Philippines. After the battle, residents struggled to rebuild their homes and went on living in a deformed city. Displaced couple Yusop and Farhanna and their children yearn for freedom, income, and comfort after returning to their city.
22 June 2023 (Thursday) 5:00-6:00 PM PST
6. The Swimmers
Two Syrian sisters flee their war-torn home in Damascus and swim for hours in choppy Mediterranean seas to reach Greece as asylum seekers before competing at the Rio Olympic Games.
22 June 2023 (Thursday) 6:30-9:00 PM PST
Interested patrons may get their free tickets on UNHRC’s official website.
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Jove holds a degree in Journalism and is currently pursuing graduate studies in Philosophy at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. She has flair for in-depth, interview-driven stories that explore politics and culture, shaped by her background in national broadsheets.
When she’s not on assignment, Jove spends her days painting, sipping lemonade, and walking her dog, Jupiter. She can often be seen in Escolta with a film camera in hand, browsing novelty shops in search of rare memorabilia. For leads, reach her at Jove@tatlerphilippines.com.
