Film days organized to support refugees

ISTANBUL

With the financial support of the European Union, the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Turkish Health Ministry has organized the online “Leave No One Behind Film Days” for the first time to emphasize the importance of access to health services for refugees and migrants.

Six documentaries and one fictional film will be screened at the free event that started on April 5 and will continue till April 11.

The feature-length six documentaries and one fiction film portray one of the greatest challenges of our time and the experiences of refugees/migrants through the enchanting narrative of cinema.

The selection of the seven movies includes Karim Aïnouz’s winner of the Amnesty Award at the Berlin Film Festival, “Central Airport THF;” Gabrielle Brady’s multi-award-winning documentary, “Island of Hungary Ghosts;” and Wolfgang Fischer’s “Styx,” which features the award-winning actress Susanne Wolff playing the role of an emergency doctor who is forced to make decisions of life and death after she encounters a sinking boat filled with refugees out on the sea.

Other films in the selection include the Turkey premiere of Dea Gjinovci’s “Wake Up on Mars,” previously screened at the Tribeca Film Festival; American director Michelle Grace Steinberg’s “A Place to Breathe,” which uses a combination of cinéma vérité and animation to witness the experiences of people who overcome their struggles through healing others; Ala’a Mohsen’s “A New Beginning,” which follow the story of a Syrian father and his son’s journey from Syria to Norway; and Caroline Reucker’s “Amal.”

The online event, which is organized with the theme “Together for a fairer, healthier world,” will also be accompanied by talk sessions moderated by a renowned movie critic, Alin Tasçıyan.

Members of the film crew, Syrian health workers, representatives from the EU Delegation to Turkey, the WHO Country Office in Turkey, and Health Ministry officials will participate in the talks series that will broadcast on the WHO Turkey’s social media accounts.

All films will be shown with Turkish, Arabic and English captions.