New Film Series Highlights Refugee Crisis

Columbia Global Centers | Paris is partnering once again with the Columbia Maison Française to present a special film series

By
Joelle Theubet
January 27, 2017

First presented in October at the Columbia Maison Française, the series, “Filming at the Borders: Migrating to Europe Today/ Filmer à la frontiere : migrer vers l’Europe aujourd’hui,” is curated by author and filmmaker Nora Philippe and will feature six films from January to mid-May 2017.

Mostly French productions or co-productions, the featured films were largely made in reaction to French policies towards migration in order to offer alternative perspectives on the recent crisis, which is often treated by politicians and the mass media as a threat.

At each screening the directors of the film and/or an academic specialist from disciplines ranging from philosophy and history to sociology and gender studies will be present for an in-depth discussion.

The series debuts on January 30 with “Brûle la mer”, a collective narrative of the harragas, North African migrants attempting to find refuge in Europe in the wake of the Arab Spring.  Maki Bercache, who experienced these events first-hand, and his co-director Nathalie Nambot will speak about their collaboration and answer questions from the audience after the screening.

Other films in the series include “Les Messagers,” “Fuocoammare,” “La Cour de Babel,” “Kelly,” and “Mbëkk Mi.” All films are subtitled in French.