Thursday, November 16

The Orange Story

7:05 p.m. | Narrative Short Film | United States (NY)
Directed by Erika Street Hopman

February 1942. President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, which authorizes the forced “relocation” of 120,000 ethnic Japanese from their homes and into incarceration camps throughout the U.S.

Koji Oshima is the proud owner of a small corner grocery store, but he must now abandon everything and report to an assembly center. His belongings, his business – everything must be sold or left behind, except what he can carry in one large duffel bag.

Up against a wall, Koji receives only one low-ball offer for his store, which he has no choice but to accept. The lone bright spot during this turmoil is the friendship Koji develops with a precocious nine-year-old girl. On the day of his departure, however, Koji is saddened to learn that even this friendship has been tainted by the larger forces of fear and wartime hysteria.

The Forgotten

7:18 p.m. | Narrative Short Film | United Arab Emirates (Dubai)
Directed by Dia Zaiem

An 18 years old man held in detention for 5 years. After being released, he is forced to accept the dramatic changes in his life in the aftermath of his tragedy.

A Share of Share

7:26 p.m. | Narrative Short Film | Islamic Republic of Iran
Directed by Kaveh Jahed

In a tent of refugee camp, man of the family protests to the problem that happened for their food’s share.

Unwelcome

7:28 p.m. | Documentary Short Film | United States (NY)
Directed by Ida Theresa Myklebost

The 2017 short documentary film “Unwelcome” takes an unusual approach in covering the Syrian war by giving the microphone to a six year old refugee boy and letting him narrate the film himself.

In “Unwelcome” we meet six-year old Menwar, who lives in a tent at a gas station in Greece. He and his family fled the bloody conflict in Syria, hoping to start a new life. But when they finally reached Europe, they found a continent that did not want them; a continent that had closed its borders.

“Unwelcome” brings you straight into the action, fear, drama and chaos these children are forced to live through while on the run – all of it narrated by Menwar, and shown through the eyes of a child.

Remember Everything, to Not Forget Anyone

7:43 p.m. | Documentary Short Film | Italy (Milan)
Directed by Paolo Caspani

A man is walking around Lampedusa, an Italian island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, reciting the names of the victims of October 3rd 2013, when more than 500 emigrants died while attempting to reach Europe. This man is Marco Pietrantuono. He is one of the very few established Italian hyperthymesiacs, people with an extraordinary autobiographical memory. If the victims’ names are declared by a person who will never forget their names, they will be remembered, thus symbolically alive, forever.

Here You Are

7:46 p.m. | Student Filmmaker | United States (CA)
Directed by Tyma Hezam

A film shedding light on the post-traumatic stress disorders and the mental health issues of refugees after their arrival to their destination.

Warehoused: The Forgotten Refugees of Dadaab

Second Night Feature

7:51 p.m. | Documentary Feature Film | United States (CA)
Directed by Asher Emmanuel & Vincent Vittorio

An estimated 12 million people live in refugee camps worldwide and only 0.1% are resettled, repatriated, or integrated into normal society each year. The feature-length documentary, “Warehoused”, explores the plight of long-term refugees through a glimpse into the lives of those living in Dadaab, Kenya, one of the world’s largest refugee camps.

We see the camp’s inner workings through one man’s journey to do everything in his power to provide for his family. This man’s story is not unique however; it accentuates the much larger problems that long-term refugees have faced for centuries. Organizations like the UNHCR work to provide assistance to refugees, but these are only temporary fixes to often protracted refugee crises.

“Warehoused” tells the story of these courageous men and women and how they struggle through hostile circumstances to find a place they can call home.

The Refugee Experience

Stories from our community’s former refugees
9:05 p.m. | Panel Discussion

Join filmmaker Asher Emmanuel as he shares his experiences traveling around the world and to Willmar, Minnesota to tell the stories of refugees living in Dabaab. Representatives from Willmar Senior High School will be on hand to share their experiences with cultural integration in a Minnesota High School, and former refugees will share their personal experiences as they traveled from around the world to now call Fargo-Moorhead their home.

Moderated by: Darci Asche
Panelist (may be subject to change): Asher Emmanuel, Dir. “Warehoused”; Paul Schmitz, Principal, Willmar High School; Mohamed Hassan, Cultural Liasion, Willmar High School; Hukun Abdullahi, Ex. Dir. Afro American Development Association; Laetitia Mizero Hellerud, Founder UBUNTU.