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View all events for category: Talks & debates

Arab Film Club: An Evening of Shorts and Q&A

Join us for a programme of exceptional short films curated by actress and writer Sarah Agha, exploring stories of migration and refugee narratives.

Part of Refugee Week
More details for Purcell Room
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The Arab Film Club returns this June for a special screening for Refugee Week, which this year has the central theme of ‘Community as Superpower’.

From poetry to dark comedy, drama and sci-fi, these films demonstrate the varied and inventive ways film-makers can use the power of cinema, art and storytelling to humanise struggle and raise awareness through art.

The screening is followed by a Q&A hosted by Sarah Agha with the film-makers on stage.

This event is part of our London Refugee Week programme and presented in partnership with Counterpoints Arts.

Programme

  • The Nobody by Razan Madhoon (11 mins, 2024)
    An airport immigration officer begins to question her role and institution when an unidentified passenger dies on an arrival flight from Egypt.
  • The Woman in the Wardrobe by Ruby Phelan (7 mins, 2024)
    Nadiya finds sanctuary inside her family wardrobe while in the final stages of her solo labour. Supported by the UNFPA and the Feminist Centre for Racial Justice.
  • Strange Cities Are Familiar by Saeed Taji Farouky (21 mins, 2019)
    A political refugee living in London tries to get back to his home in Palestine to see his dying son.
  • Submarine by Mounia Akl (21 mins, 2016)
    Under the imminent threat of Lebanon’s garbage crisis, Hala, a wild child inside of a woman, is the only one to refuse evacuation, clinging to whatever remains of home.

Need to know

Age guidance
For ages 14+. Under-14s must be accompanied by an adult.
Content warnings
This event contains references to war, death and trauma.

Image gallery

A woman stares straight into the camera holding a baby in her arms.
Saeed Taji Farouky
View larger image 1 of 8. A woman stares straight into the camera holding a baby in her arms.
Five men of various ages are sat around a table inside playing cards with beverages.
Saeed Taji Farouky
View larger image 2 of 8. Five men of various ages are sat around a table inside playing cards with beverages.
Film still from the 'The Nobody', of a plan grounded on a runway, with an unidentified body being moved by a stretcher.
Razan Madhoon
View larger image 3 of 8. Film still from the 'The Nobody', of a plan grounded on a runway, with an unidentified body being moved by a stretcher.
Two immigration officers stand together looking at something off screen.
Razan Madhoon
View larger image 4 of 8. Two immigration officers stand together looking at something off screen.
A close up shot of a woman's face in shadow, her head bent.
Ruby Phelan
View larger image 5 of 8. A close up shot of a woman's face in shadow, her head bent.
A close up shot of the side profile of a women's face in shadow, her left arm pressing against the surface in front of her.
Ruby Phelan
View larger image 6 of 8. A close up shot of the side profile of a women's face in shadow, her left arm pressing against the surface in front of her.
A woman, holding a window under her right arm, looks off of into the middle distance, while three men stand in the background wearing face masks with suitcases at their feel.
Mounia Akl
View larger image 7 of 8. A woman, holding a window under her right arm, looks off of into the middle distance, while three men stand in the background wearing face masks with suitcases at their feel.
A young woman walks through a mountain of refuse.
Mounia Akl
View larger image 8 of 8. A young woman walks through a mountain of refuse.

For your visit

This event is held at the Purcell Room Southbank Centre

The Purcell Room is located in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.

Concrete interior of Purcell Room entrance at Southbank Centre View larger image

Plan your visit

The Purcell Room is an auditorium located within our Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Getting here

Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.

The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues.  More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.

We’re cash-free

Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.

Access

We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.

All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.

All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.

Food & drink

From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.

Places to eat and drink whilst you’re here

Find more like this

More info for Refugee Week
British-American woman wearing an orange top and a big blue ring

Refugee Week

Thu 25 – Sun 28 Jun 2026
Music, talks, film and public programming centred on this year's theme of 'courage'