Pass the Crayon

"The EU cannot continue to shrug off its responsibilities indefinitely and pass them on to countries with low-resources, using its political and economical power to bargain the cost of reception of asylum seekers for its own benefit."

"Looking back on that time, Rasha says, 'my brain was frozen'. Eventually, they had to flee again. The constant change, loss of stability, and separation from her family caused Rasha to become very depressed. Her daughter, who was now 5 years old, would come to her and ask, "Mother, why are you crying?" This lasted until very recently, when Rasha realized she must be strong for her family, and never give up hope."

"Whilst the contents of the cubes are biologically identical, one contains the blood of human beings with significantly fewer rights and opportunities than the other. By juxtaposing these two cubes, Quinn draws attention to this hierarchy and questions its legitimacy."

At the beginning of the film, there is a tunnel. We are travelling through the tunnel, towards the light…

Most of us will have read or heard about the current situation in Lebanon – the fact that there are approximately 1 million registered Syrian refugees currently living in Lebanon, comprising a large 25% of the population. However, statistics aside, what is it like to actually be a Syrian refugee in Lebanon? The film, 'Lost in  Lebanon' sheds light on this question by telling the story of Sheikh Abdo, Reem, Nemr and Mwafak.

When the conflict in Syria started, millions of homes and livelihoods became destroyed. Many Syrians made the difficult decision to leave. Their neighboring country of Lebanon became the natural place to go. Syrians hoped that they could find temporary shelter there, and wait peacefully until the war had ended and they could return to Syria.

One such person was Sheikh Abdo, proud husband and father of one, with another child on the way. He is thrill...

An inspiring film from the Berlin Human Rights Film Festival about a strong Syrian mother determined to find a better life for her children, '8 Borders 8 Days' documents the journey of Sham and her two children, Eylan ("Lulu") and Yaman, from Damascus all the way to Berlin.

 (From left) Lulu, Sham and Yaman - image via 8 Borders 8 Days official website

Sham's flight story begins in Beirut, Lebanon, where Sham waits for 16 months in the hopes of being granted a Visa to go to the U.S. After receiving no response, and experiencing problems with her sponsor (a requirement for every refugee Lebanon post 2015), she escapes with her children to Istanbul.

Sham decides she must find a man to protect her and her children during the dangerous journey, so she meets Marwan, who shares the rest of the journey with them. Next comes the terrifying sea journey to the island of Lesbos, Greece. Neither Sham nor her children no how to swim.  The children describe the terrifying sea voya...