DOORS OPEN AT 7:30

Prolific British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom adds to his impressively diverse oeuvre with this harrowing account of two Afghan refugees’ passage to the West in search of a better life. The movie opens at a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan, where Afghans have sought refuge in the wake of the U.S. military campaign in their country following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The story follows Jamal, an orphaned teenager, and Enayat, his older companion, as they make their way from Pakistan to London. Traveling in the back of trucks, by bus, and on foot, the two cross Central Asia in an arduous journey punctuated by encounters with hostile border guards and shady smugglers. Even more traumatic is the ocean voyage from Turkey to Italy, during which Jamal and Enayat are forced to hide in a shipping container with other asylum seekers, including a terrified infant.

A stirring work of advocacy, this flawed but wrenching film won the Golden Bear at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival. (Note: The film is a fictional story based in reality, but it does have documentary-style sequences, one of which is a cow being slaughtered in the traditional local method. It is a short sequence – some people may want to look away for about 15 seconds).

Doors open at 7:30pm. Beverages, snack foods from Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey will be served. View the display of drawings/photos of the current Engineers Without Borders project.

Watch the Trailer

Sponsored by Engineers Without Borders Syracuse Professionals Chapter and SUNY ESF Chapter. Free to the Public.