The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Korea on Friday kicked off an online film festival showcasing documentary films themed on the lives of displaced refugees in various countries.
The UNHCR Online Film Festival: Hope Away From Home presents seven documentary works via the festival website (unhcrkoreafilms.com), available for free viewing during its two-week run until June 23.
The festival aims to share with audiences the experiences of people forced to flee their homes as they strive to rebuild lives in foreign places. It also aims to shed light on the messages of hope that arise along their journey to find their new homes.
The works include "Dodomu," directed by Neil George, which follows three refugees from Ukraine as they navigate the challenges of starting anew in Poland after Russia's aggression into their homeland. Dodomu means "home" or "homeward bound" in Ukrainian.
"Belonging," directed by Paul Wu, was filmed in South Korea and Sweden, and looks at what belonging means especially to those who have been displaced in some way. "Writing to Reach You" is a short documentary exploring the lives of four refugees trying to find new lives in South Korea.
Six of the seven works available for viewing features the participation of South Korean actor Jung Woo-sung, a longtime goodwill ambassador of UNHCR.
To mark the opening of the festival, UNHCR Korea held an offline screening of "Dodomu" in Seoul.
"We wanted to share the stories of many individuals who had to leave their hometowns for various reasons through the language of film. These individuals face inevitable challenges as they build new lives in unfamiliar places," UNHCR Korea Representative Jun Hai-kyung said.
Kang Joo-yeon, director-general for international organizations at Seoul's foreign ministry, said in her congratulatory remarks that South Korea "promises to actively participate in international efforts to address refugee issues" as it serves as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council starting next year.
Source: Yonhap News Agency