SPECIAL EVENT: screening of Limbo & Q+A

Riverbank Arts Centre is partnering with Dublin International Film Festival to present a screening of LIMBO by Ben Sharrock on Monday 18th October, a witty and poignant film about wanting to belong.

LIMBO tells the story of Omar (played by Amir El-Masry), a young Syrian musician stationed upon a fictional remote Scottish island, where he and a group of new arrivals await the results of their asylum claims.

“Ben Sharrock’s extraordinary debut film Limbo is a powerful and timely reminder of the plight of refugees in Europe.” states Grainne Humphreys, Director of Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival.

Omar, the fictional central character in LIMBO,  is struggling with a loss of identity.  Isolated from his family and any sense of belonging in a strange land, a broken arm leaves Omar feeling further adrift. An accomplished musician, he carries his grandfather’s oud (the ‘king’ of Arabic musical instruments) everywhere and is yet unable to play it. Omar shares his accommodation with Farhad, a Freddie Mercury fan who fled Afghanistan; Wasef, a Nigerian who dreams of footballing glory; and Abedi, a reluctant realist.

LIMBO is at Riverbank Arts Centre on Monday 18th October at 8pm and the screening will be followed by a Q&A – the panel includes Zoryana Pshyk, Rosemary Kunene & Bulelani Mfaco and will be chaired by Liam Herrick (ICCL).
BOOKING

Biographies of panel for Q & A: 

Rosemary Kunene
Rosemary Kunene is a community activist and a social entrepreneur. She is involved in various social integration initiatives in Co. Laois. She has B. A degree in Applied Addiction Studies and Community Development, which she acquired while living in Direct Provision and now completing Masters in Cooperatives and Social Enterprise with University College of Cork. Her expertise is on personal development and community work. With over 5 years’ experience of organising and facilitating workshops on personal development, entrepreneurship, and integration for migrants. She is passionate about community empowerment and participation for migrants and seats on a number of boards and committees. She founded Dignity Partnership, a social enterprise that promotes and supports entrepreneurship and personal development for people living or who have lived in Direct Provision. 

Bulelani Mfaco
Growing up in the apartheid ghetto of Khayelitsha in Cape Town, Bulelani Mfaco became involved at an early age in protests for adequate housing & access to land with Abahlali BaseMjondolo, health care in the Khayelitsha Health Forum, and improved policing in neighbourhood watches. In 2017 he claimed asylum, seeking protection from violence and targeted killings of LGBT+ people. He is one of the Spokespersons at MASI – the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland where he is campaigning for the right to work for all asylum seekers, and to end Direct Provision. Bulelani is on the board of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, and is also part of Equinox, a coalition of anti-racist campaigners in the EU.

Zoryana Pshyk
Zoryana Pshyk is an ex-asylum seeker.  She is a core part of the Community Education team, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board where she works as an outreach worker supporting local community groups. She also works with Partners Training for Transformation as a facilitator and is an associate lecturer with the Department of Adult and Community Education, Maynooth University. Zoryana is a current representative of Newbridge Asylum Seekers Support Group (NASSG) on Public Participation Network (PPN), as well as a Chair for the Kildare Integration Network (KIN). She is an active participant in local community development with the emphasis on Social Inclusion and a board member of the County Kildare Leader Partnership.

Liam Herrick (CHAIR)
Liam Herrick was appointed Executive Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) in November 2016.  Prior to his appointment, he worked as Advisor to President Michael D. Higgins for almost three years. Liam was Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) between 2007 and 2014. He has also worked as the first head of legislation and policy at the former Irish Human Rights Commission and with the Law Reform Commission and the Department of Foreign Affairs. He is a member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), a former Board member of the Children’s Rights Alliance and the Minister for Justice and Equality’s Strategic Review Group on Penal Policy (2012-2014). Liam graduated from University College Cork with a BCL and LLM and from University College Dublin with a Diploma in Human Rights Law.

This screening of Limbo and Q&A is presented by Riverbank Arts Centre in association with Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, access>CINEMA and Irish Council of Civil Liberties.