Film event: Watandar My Countryman
Special Refugee Week Screening at Empire Cinema Bowral, 14 June
‘Watandar My Countryman’
The film makers from the documentary The Staging Post had such an overwhelming response in 2019 from Southern Highland’s residents, they decided to make the Empire Cinema in Bowral, one of their first stops in Refugee Week 2023 to launch their new documentary, Watandar My Countryman. The film follows former Afghan Refugee Muzafar Ali, as he discovers that Afghans have been an integral part of Australia for over 160 years, and begins to photograph their descendants in a search to define his own new Afghan-Australian identity. Then the Taliban take over Afghanistan and his old country comes calling.
The public screening will be on 14th June at 6.30pm with a Q & A afterwards with Muzafar ali and film director Jolyon Hoff. A positive, joyful film more than 200 Southern Highlands’ school students will be attending special schools’ screenings. Considered such an important film, it was recently discussed at length in parliament by the SA Arts Minister.
The film also explores the relationship with ancient indigenous culture, generational displacement, belonging and the strength of human connections across time and cultures.
Hoff says, ‘We absolutely love coming to Bowral. We rarely see a community embrace a documentary like the Southern Highlands crowd did last time – there was a line out the door onto the street! It was a beautiful community evening full of positive heart and energy. We can’t wait to come back with this new film to engage with the amazing people in the area.’ Rural Australians for Refugees are organising the screening and tickets can be bought online https://www.movietkts.com.au/selectsession.php?siteCode=BOWRAL&movieCode=QAWATANDAR
Trailer: www.watandar.com.au/trailer
Facebook: facebook.com/watandarfilm
Instagram: @watandarfilm
Contact:
- Sarah Clutton (Rural Australians for Refugees Southern Highlands) sarahlew@me.com 0414 282362
- Jolyon Hoff (Director) jolyonhoff@gmail.com