My personal reflections on the UK premiere of We Dare to Dream Movie (directed by Syrian journalist and filmmaker, Waad Al-Kateab), held at Cineworld, Leicester Square.
The movie was followed by a Q&A hosted by English actor and comedian, James Cordon with Waad, producer Joe Gebbia (co-founder of Airbnb), and Cyrille Tchatchet (Olympic weight-lifter and one of the stars of the movie).
This Q&A section added greater weight to an already deeply moving, compassionate film focused on several refugees' journeys to an Olympic Games, displaced from their homes and countries of origin to find safety, freedom and a better life.
A 5-STAR REVIEW * * * * *
Waad ensured the athlete stories were skilfully woven together – all uniquely their own; whilst all being collectively representative of the wider refugee experience – displacement from home and country.
The athletes of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team originate from all over the world – Iran, Kenya, Syria, Cameroon and beyond – yet find themselves sharing a collective story of grief, challenge and change.
It was important and impactful for the director to begin with her own story because it became a firm foundation for her to connect with the team who were probably more open with her because they knew she shared their stories in some way, too.
The theme of doing the hard thing, of being resilient, of pushing forward was a thread that showed up and resonated heavily with several people I spoke with afterwards; James Cordon remarked upon this on stage during the Q&A.
Yet their resilience stemmed not from character development through sport, but rather through the hardship of the refugee experience. Essentially, if you can get through that, you can get through this. You can get through anything. Keep going.
Their collective story is one that millions can relate to on a personal level, and millions more will be able to empathise with.
Finally, I appreciated that the heaviness was lifted at times with refreshing, much-needed moments of levity during the 1.5 hour movie (an ideal duration, in my opinion). At one point, the whole audience laughed loudly together for a good while.
Okay, okay… to provide a balanced review, let me share what I didn’t like…
I don’t like that I have to wait for at least a year for Part Two! 😉
How do you view refugees?
“We are not the crisis; we are the consequence of the crisis.”
Waad Al-Kateab, Director of We Dare To Dream
What an eye-opening statement of truth.
It compels a compassionate, open-armed response from all of us.
The crisis is the war she fled from.
The crisis is an oppressive, silencing political regime.
The crisis is the untold story, so dark it leads you to the brink of suicide.
These are all real stories of crises experienced by these displaced individuals.
And, as a consequence of crisis, they moved.
They ran. They fled. They fought for their lives, their voices, their freedom.
How do you view your privilege?
Lately, I’ve heard myself frequently repeating this comforting, yet challenging statement: Thank God for the privilege of my birth.
Where I was born is a privilege- England. It is a privilege to be born into the family I am a part of – Irozuru.
So often, we look at what diminishes us in terms of socio-cultural standards that, yes, do still need addressing, e.g. being a Black female still has its disadvantages in terms of the inequalities that exist in society, in the workplace, etc.
But that’s not the point here. That’s not the focus.
Lately, I have been choosing to focus on the many privileges and blessings I do have, particularly with the ongoing wars in Ukraine, now Gaza, the various conflicts and negative environmental impacts of climate change happening globally; with the most adversely affected being the nations across the continents of Africa and Asia.
Thank God for the privilege of my birth.
No war. No political oppression. No dark untold story.
This Movie compels you to Walk a Mile in a Refugee’s Shoes
This movie reminded me to put myself in their shoes for a moment. To walk the treacherous road Saeid Fazloula took; to take the narrow path Kimiya Alizade bravely chose.
How would I respond if I had to flee my bombed, destroyed home?
What would I do if my country had imprisoned me and threatened the death penalty (justified by the laws of the land) for choosing a different religion?
And, where would I go?
What nation would welcome me?
And if I finally landed in a new country, how would I reintegrate into society?
Would there be the support to help with my resettlement?
Or would I be cast aside as an additional nuisance number representing the failure of the nation’s political party’s promise to reduce immigration?
For additional info on the UK migration stats, check out this 2 minute Sky News report video analysis or read The Migration Observatory recent press release. (Significantly, less than 5% of migrants arriving in the UK were seeking asylum. Most were skilled workers supporting the NHS and students.)
There is more to the story
The IOC Refugee Olympic Team consisted of 29 athletes from 11 countries, competing across 12 sports.
Waad highlighted a handful of these 29 stories in her documentary.
Beyond that, she also shared a harrowing statistic: by 2024, there are estimated to be 120 million people worldwide forcibly displaced.
120 million.
The 29 Olympic Refugee athletes represented at the Tokyo Olympic Games are not even a drop in the ocean.
Their stories are 29 in 120,000,000 displaced people across the globe.
So, what can we do next?
Last night, I watched the UK premiere of the We Dare To Dream movie at London’s Leicester Square Cineworld on Sunday night with my university friend, Amina. This movie compelled me to reflect and share this post for posterity and as a signpost of something I am passionate about – proactive inclusivity.
- Now it’s out, I hope you’re encouraged to watch the film with friends and family, too and please share your thoughts with me if you do. I’d love to know how you find it.
- Read other Olympic refugee stories and listen to the stories of other refugees.
- Finally, I hope that we can be more compassionate in our response to displaced people, who are often moving as a consequence of the human-made and environmental crises unfolding in their home nations across the world.
Thank you to We Dare to Dream and Team GB for the invitation.
Thanks for reading!
Blessings,
Abs x
abigailirozuru 