Screening of “Salam Neighbor” prompts $887 in donations

I was honoured to organize and host an April 15 screening of the documentary Salam Neighbor in Sechelt, BC. This by-donation event, held at St. Hilda’s Church, raised $887, which will go to the Syrian Refugee Sponsorship Committee and two other groups on the Lower Sunshine Coast working to bring Syrian refugee families to this area.

The 75-minute film, by twenty-something director/producers Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple, reveals inspiring stories of individuals rallying against huge odds to rebuild their lives and those of their neighbours in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp, only 11.5 kilometres from the Syrian border.  Embedded in the camp for a month, the two filmmakers form compelling connections with refugees of all ages, like street-smart imp Raouf, 10, whose almost-constant smile hides lingering trauma. Women like Um Ali struggle to overcome personal loss and cultural barriers. A Syrian husband learns to confront and release anger when his wife launches a successful microbusiness within the camp.

The filmmakers and refugees share food, music, tears, laughter and companionship. These are only a handful of the 85,000 Syrians trying to restart their lives in Jordan. More than 4 million people have fled Syria to escape the atrocities of war.

This film, a 2015 AFI Docs official selection, is released by 1001 Media. The filmmakers created the documentary Living on One Dollar  For two months, they subsisted as radish farmers in rural Guatemala to understand life in extreme poverty.

Many thanks to Clarence Li for providing the venue for the screening and to all the local people who volunteered to help with promotion, set-up etc. Thanks to Tugg for assistance with the film’s promotion, reservations, and online donations.