Back in January, I saw "Garbage Dreams," a documentary about a community of traditional waste disposal workers in Egypt that was put on by the Middle Eastern Studies Department at the University of Texas and screened at a movie theater. It reminded me of one of the activities of the Fulbright Commission in Kathmandu, a human rights film series. These weekly events were held in theaters and schools and in one of my regular cafes on Lazimpat Road, and through the screenings of films like "Saving Dolma" and "Sari Soldiers" I met filmmakers and activists and learned about some of the contemporary issues in Nepal. It was a great experience. Halfway through "Garbage Dreams" I decided I wanted to recreate that experience in Austin for the Multicultural Refugee Coalition. I had just reconnected with the MRC, and I thought that this would be a good way to raise awareness for the MRC and to help people understand why the government of the United States is settling people from countries like Bhutan, Burma, Sudan, and Somalia in Austin.
That idea eventually became the MRC Film Series, which is a free public event that will take place on Sunday evenings all throughout August:
For this event, I looked at refugee and human rights film festivals around the world (many of them put on by the UNHCR) and picked films that represent different communities within the Multicultural Refugee Coalition. My plan is to screen these films and to have Q&A session after each screening with someone who is involved with the film or a member of the community who can speak to the films. Here are some of the films we will be screening:
That idea eventually became the MRC Film Series, which is a free public event that will take place on Sunday evenings all throughout August:
For this event, I looked at refugee and human rights film festivals around the world (many of them put on by the UNHCR) and picked films that represent different communities within the Multicultural Refugee Coalition. My plan is to screen these films and to have Q&A session after each screening with someone who is involved with the film or a member of the community who can speak to the films. Here are some of the films we will be screening:
