REFUGEE FILM FESTIVAL

For guests who are not Kroc School students, staff, or faculty, film festival tickets are available for purchase here.

A Fire Within | April 13 at 6:30pm |

A FIRE WITHIN chronicles the incredible true story of three Ethiopian women who immigrate to the U.S. after surviving torture in their home country, only to discover that the man responsible for their torture is not only living in the US but is employed at the same midtown Atlanta hotel as one of the women.

Simple as Water | April 20 at 6:30pm |

Simple As Water is a love story celebrating the bonds of family. Oscar®-winning director Megan Mylan documents Syrian families filmed over five years in five countries to reveal the impact of war, separation, and displacement. The film follows: Yasmin, a mother of four living in a tent in the port of Athens; Samra, a widow on the Turkey-Syria border grappling with the decision to leave her children in an orphanage in hopes of giving them a better chance in life; 22-year-old Omar, who's taken on the role of parent to his younger brother in Pennsylvania; Diaa, who's remained in Syria while tirelessly searching for her "disappeared" son; and Safwan, who lives in temporary housing in Germany and laments lost milestones with his children. Epic in scope but intimate in feel, Simple as Water underscores the universal importance of family.

Chèche Lavi & Distinguished Lecture with Guerline M. Jozef | April 27 at 6:30pm |

Chèche Lavi is a lyrical portrait of two Haitian migrants, Robens and James, who find themselves stranded at the US-Mexico border with no way forward and no one to depend on but each other. The quiet, unexpected tenderness of their friendship shines in the eye of an incomprehensible geopolitical storm, even as the two men drift towards drastically different futures… and a new wall rises on the horizon.

The Chèche Lavi film screening will be followed by a Kroc IPJ Distinguished Lecture with Guerline M. Jozef, a leading human rights advocate. Guerline is the Founder & Executive Director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, the only Black-led, womxn-led, Haitian-American-led organization serving migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border with offices in Tapachula, Tijuana and San Diego focusing people of African Descent in migration and beyond. She is the creator of “Tales from the Borderlands and Beyond” as well as the co-founder of the Black Immigrants Bail Fund (BIBF) and the Co-Founder of the Cameroon Advocacy Network.

Ms. Jozef was named one of POLITICO’s 2021 40 Most Influential People on Race, Politics, and Policy in the United States for her leadership and is the recipient of prestigious awards—most recently, the Las Americas’ 2021 Border Heroes Award, the 2021 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, the 2022 National Haitian-American Elected Officials Network Community Champion Award, the 2022 American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award, and was named one of the Haitian Times' Newsmakers of 2022 and received the prestigious Dutty Boukman award.

Guerline has also testified in front of the United Nations, the United States Congress and the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to demand the humane treatment of Black immigrants and all peoples of African descent. She went to the Border for the Haitians but she stayed for everyone seeking safety and protection.

WHEN

A Fire Within: Thursday, April 13 at 6:30 PM

Simple as Water: Thursday, April 20 at 6:30 PM

Chéche Lavi: Thursday, April 27 at 6:30 PM

Guests are encouraged to arrive at 6 PM to allow enough time for parking and taking the USD tram. 

Location

Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice

5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110

Directions and Parking

We suggest that you enter campus through the West Entrance. You will see an entrance kiosk and can ask for directions there too. From the West Entrance, follow the road (Marian Way) to the second stop sign. Make a left into the West Parking Structure.

Event attendees can park on campus in the West Parking Structure.

1. Be sure to note your license plate prior to approaching a pay station. It may be helpful to take a picture of your license plate with your smartphone.
2. Upon approaching the pay station, push “Start” on the keypad if the screen is black, which will bring up the home screen.
3. Push option “2” on the keypad for Enter Validation Code.
4. Enter your license plate number, and push the green “ENTER” button with a check mark on the keypad.
5. Enter the validation code 3725, and push the green “ENTER” button with a check mark on the keypad.
6. The expiration time will be displayed, and the transaction is complete. A receipt will be printed for your reference, but there is no need to place anything on the vehicle’s dashboard.

USD trams are available in the West Parking Structure to take guests to the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice. Once you arrive, check in at the Peace and Justice Theatre. 

Event Cost

$15 per night, or $35 for all three nights for the general public. 

This event is free for Kroc School students, staff, and faculty who register at the form above. 

Who can attend the event?

This event is open to the public and all proceeds benefit IRC. Purchase tickets here.