Film Screening: ENCOUNTER

ENCOUNTER
A collaborative documentary on PROJEKT ENCOUNTER

Monday 23 June, 4.45 – 6.00pm
Grimond Lecture Theatre 3

The 30-minute film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the producing and research team, Kaveh Abbasian, Angie Varakis-Martin, Margherita Laera, chaired by Bahriye Kemal.

In 2024, the theatre company, PROJEKT EUROPA, collaborated with the School of Arts to host PROJEKT ENCOUNTER, a 20-week programme of workshops for asylum seekers, refugees, and first-generation migrants living in Kent, UK. Then, an all-migrant/refugee crew of Film and Drama staff, students and alumni of the University of Kent’s School of Arts made a collaborative documentary film about it, which we called ENCOUNTER.

In the film, we ask: How can collective creative experiences build a sense of community among a group of multilingual migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers? How can applied theatre-makers and documentary filmmakers ethically collaborate with 1st generation migrants?

This is a self-reflexive account of the last three weeks of the community theatre project, including the last two workshops, followed by the final performance held in Summer 2024. The documentary draws attention to itself and its processes, raising and addressing questions about the politics of making such a film.

Watch a trailer HERE.

If you would like to register to attend the film screening ONLY, then please email r.gregory-fox@kent.ac.uk.

Film Credits
Director: Kaveh Abbasian
Editor: Nidal Nasirudheen
Producers: Kaveh Abbasian, Angie Varakis-Martin, Margherita Laera
Researchers: Kaveh Abbasian, Angie Varakis-Martin and Margherita Laera
Co-Creators: Yousef Habis Abb, Jose Aceveno, Mamadou Lamarana Bah, Surya Chandra, Asdrubal Cuaces, Victor Hugo Gonzalez, Bandar Hammoud, Anna Henter, Ibrahim Jingo, Felix Klein, Jefferson Lopez, Daniel Lopez Valencia, William Stiuz Martinez Dioz, Tevin Mayansanussa, Ismael Nchoutnsu Nsangou, Jacob Palencia, Marlon Powell, Olha Smolyk, Francisca Stangel
Sound: Simon Kristensson, Karishma Sivabalah, Imani Waweru
Camera: Nidal Nasirudheen, Imani Waweru
Translators: Hur Ali, Leiny Caicedo-Ibarra, Eva Fernandez, Juliette Gill and Lucia Rowladson-Fernandez
Costumes: Yun Geng
Lights: Rosanna Ballinger-Drayton, Elliott Jedras, Alenya Sharpe
With thanks to: Maria Aberg and Anna Oggero at PROJEKT EUROPA, University of Kent’s School of Arts, Napier Friends, Wealden Wheels, University of Kent’s Sanctuary Programme
Funded by UKRI Participatory Research Fund and University of Kent’s Employability Fund