The status of refugees and displaced people continues to worsen since the European refugee crisis first gained widespread attention in 2015. In the news refugees may be portrayed as powerless victims, but the tremendous strength they show in taking strides toward a better future is anything but. The U.N.'s Refugee Agency hopes to tell those stories through film.
Taking place in Sendai, Sapporo, Tokyo and Osaka, the 11th UNHCR Refugee Film Festival will run from Sept. 17 to Oct. 23. Thirteen films will be screened in total, focusing on countries such as Syria, Germany and Congo. The festival does not feature a competitive component, as its mission is to raise public awareness regarding refugees, displaced and stateless people.
"This year's Refugee Film Festival is more important than ever before," says Dirk Hebecker, the UNHCR representative in Japan. "There is more conflict and displacement around the world today, and at the end of 2015 we saw the highest number of refugees since World War II with over 65 million. We may easily hit the 70 million mark at the end of 2016."
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