Refugee Week Film Fest

Honouring the Courage of People Seeking Sanctuary

At a time when some seek to divide and blame, Refugee Week 2026 calls us to come together to welcome and celebrate the courage and resilience of those fleeing war, persecution, and climate disasters. Together we can imagine new possibilities, dream, heal, and connect. Join us for a screen of four short films related to refugee experiences. The event is a partnership between the Mir Centre for Peace and the West Kootenay Local Immigration Partnership, with films provided by Refugee Week, the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

Film Synopses

• Aziza (13 min): Ayman, a Syrian refugee in Lebanon, teaches his wife how to drive—their car being the last remaining piece of home. What begins as a simple lesson transforms into a surreal and emotional journey through memory, longing, and displacement.
• Infancia Desterrada (16 min): Each year, thousands of children are forced to flee their countries alone, escaping violence with only what they can carry. This moving documentary sheds light on their journeys, resilience, and the urgent realities they face.
• Migrants (8 min): Driven from their habitat by climate change, two polar bears embark on a journey into unfamiliar territory, where they encounter brown bears and must attempt to coexist.
• Tskaltubo (24 min): After 30 years living as refugees in an abandoned sanatorium, Irakli and Nana are finally offered a new apartment. But as the possibility of change arrives, they must confront whether it is too late to begin again.

Cost

This event is free.