Watandar, My Countryman - Online Screening 22 Dec

You are warmly invited to another ONLINE movie session. This will be streamed across zoom.  This session is on 24 Nov at 3.30 PM (AEST) to raise funds for refugees. This includes an Afghan journalist waiting in limbo in Pakistan, a homeless woman persecuted by her government and refugees around the world.  Tickets are $20 for adults  and $10 for children. Click on the ticketing button above to purchase tickets.

These movie nights will happen each month from now on - I will find and obtain more movies we can use. Thanks to the generosity of many Australians we easily exceeded our target for the Qanbari Family. Thank you all! I know people will continue to be generous and we will exceed targets for this and future fundraising

We are asking people to respectfully buy a ticket to this movie night whether you can come or not. Some might have seen this movie - we would then appreciate you buying another ticket. It is, however, the sort of movie you can see more than once and get more out of it - but it does not really matter if you don't come.  I do understand that things are very tight for many people, and maybe you can't afford the $20. I would respectfully ask then that you donate any small amount, even a couple of dollars, to one of our chuffed fundraisers at https://chuffed.org/project/ma..., or https://chuffed.org/project/10... . I know money is limited so just do what you can: we appreciate people being generous but no donation is too small. Crowd funding is based on the concept of a lot of people giving a little. It all makes a difference. If you cannot donate - and we do understand this - please share the event and the fundraisers like crazy.

Think about your life in Australia.

What did you study?
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Where do you live?
Where do you work?
Who are your family & friends?
Do you have pets?
Do you have children?

Think about having all those freedoms taken away from you.
Imagine living in a country that doesn’t respect those freedoms.

Imagine witnessing them murder your:

1. Parents.
2. Your children.
3. Your family & friends.

Imagine not having simple freedoms to:

1. Study.
2. Work.
3. See your loved ones.

                                                                                  A family in Limbo in Pakistan

Imagine:

Your children not being able to be educated.
Your children never having a job because they are not allowed to work.
Your children having no future except a continuing cycle of poverty.

We can help break this cycle for the African journalist and a homeless mum waiting in limbo, as well as many others.

For the next movie night  on 24 Nov we will be streaming across Zoom the award winning and acclaimed documentary: Watandar, My Countryman. This will be at 3.30 PM (AEST). Please click on the button at the top of the page and please purchase a ticket. All the proceeds will go to refugees.

Watandar tells the story of the Afghan Cameleers who opened up Australia’s outback. Muzafar Ali, an ex-Afghan refugee travels throughout the outback interviewing their descendants in a search for his identity as an Afghan-Australian. He discovers a resilient people, who have experienced much trauma and have linked Australia and Afghanistan for 160 years. Some married First Nations women, and their children were taken and became part of the stolen generation. Descendants describe the pain of being stolen and tell the stories of crying for their mother while in a children’s home or in foster care.

The link is made between the displacement of the stolen generation and the displacement felt by people seeking safety today.

                     Children in limbo in Pakistan

The single mum's children always ask her why they can't go to school like other children and why they can't play with other children. By fighting, and raising money, there is a chance we can wipe away these children tears.

One final point: people seeking safety are just like us. They have the same hopes and dreams and the same wishes for their children. Some are talented artists, poets, musicians and composers. Some are not so talented. Among them will be those that become leaders in the world of business, medicine or science. Yet others, will do labouring work or become tradespeople. In every way, they are just like us, some skilled and some unskilled, involved in all different types of work. Please purchase a ticket!

Hassan is an accomplished journalist who only wants to contribute to Australia and keep highlighting and fighting for human rights issues around the world. I have already found work for him (not in his field) so that he can start saving and contributed as soon as he arrives in Australia. The single mum we are fighting for is a women's human rights defender and is danger from her government and fleeing domestic violence situation with her husband. If any money is left that will go to meeting the needs of other refugees around the world.

I will remind you, we appreciate everyone's support: please purchase a ticket whether you can come or not. We also welcome donations to the fundraisers mentioned above. No donation is too small!

With heartfelt thanks;

Chris, Chloe, Hassan and Lisa

                                                               Masuma Safdari

This screening takes place on the stolen lands of First Nations peoples. Always was, always will be.

Enquiries Chris Schmidt:
Ph: 0459 573 941
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chris.schmidt1966
Email:schmidtiris102@gmail.com

Watch the movie trailer: Watandar, My Countryman

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