Worlds Away – Shorts 2022

Sunday, April 3, 3:00 PM

Away Yet Awake – The Immigrant Experience Director: Joyeuse Muhorakeye, Documentary, USA, 5 Min
A composite poem on on the immigrant experience written and performed by young refugees from Uganda, Burundi, Nepal and Syria.

Gefilte Fish Director: Yuliya Lanina, Animation, Austria, USA, 7 min
A family meal in the Bronx serves up past trauma, silenced truths, and a fish stuffed with secrets.

Don’t Get too Comfortable Director: Shaima Al Tamimi, Documentary, Yemen, 10 min
A heartfelt introspective letter to my deceased grandfather questioning the continuous pattern of movement amongst Yemenis in diaspora.

An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It Director: Lachlan Pendragon, Animation, Australia, 12 min
A young call centre employee uncovers the flaws in his stop motion universe with the help of a mysterious talking ostrich.

Freedom Swimmer Director: Olivia Martin-McGuire, Documentary, UK, 15 min
A grandfather’s perilous swim from China to Hong Kong during the Cultural Revolution rhythmically parallels his granddaughter’s participation in mass protests now, and the building pressure for her to escape Hong Kong as new National Security Laws set in.

Blind Body Allison Chhorn Director: Documentary, Australia, 15 min
Partially blind, grandmother Kim Nay depends on touch and sound to navigate her daily routine of eating, resting and listening to Khmer news. Time moves fluidly as Kim’s sense of self slowly begins to dilate, conjuring long-dormant memories.

More Than I Remember Director: Amy Bench, Animation, USA, 14 min
One night at her home in southeastern Congo, 14-year-old Mugeni awakes to the sounds of bombs. As her family scatters to the surrounding forests to save themselves, Mugeni finds herself completely alone. From there, she sets out on a remarkable solo journey across the globe, determined to reunite with her lost loved ones and lift up the Banyamulenge people.

Abdullah Director: Tianhui Huang, Narrative, China, 18 min
An 11-year-old Pakistani youth, relocates to Yiwu, China to live with his father Hussein. Hussein is too busy with his business to spend much time with his adolescent son, who misses his mother still in Pakistan and hopes to find a way to return home …