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First Set of Films (18:30-19:15)
The Scent of Geranium (5 minutes, Animation)
Synopsis: By using her own experience as an Iranian international student in the U.S., Farzaneh gives voice to the fears, doubts, and complex range of emotions that immigrants face and makes a powerful call for a more compassionate approach.
Themes: Iran, Nature, Family, Compassion, Discrimination
Content Warning: Anxiety, Mental Health Issues
Los Comandos (30 minutes, Documentary)
Synopsis: As a result of extreme gang and police violence, El Salvador has the highest murder rate in the world. The emergency medical unit, Los Comandos de Salvamento, is one of the few institutions that is willing to take a stand against this reign of terror. 16-year-old Mimi, a high school student and volunteer paramedic, must decide if she will stay in the country or risk her life helping others.
Themes: Gang violence, Young people, El Salvador, Migration
Content Warning: Death, Violent Crimes, Gang Violence
Auscencias (10 minutes, Documentary)
Synopsis: Two trans women, one from Equatorial Guinea and one from Honduras, tell their stories of migrating to Spain.
Themes: Trans lives, Finding a new home
Content Warnings: Discussion of asylum, transphobia and homophobia
Second Set of Films (19:45-20:30)
Burnt Milk (10 minutes, Fiction)
Synopsis: Burnt Milk is a film named after the common Caribbean dessert made by boiling condensed milk until it’s caramelised. In the film, this dessert is one of the few comforts afforded to Una, an alienated and isolated Jamaican midwife living in the United Kingdom.
Themes: Migration, Jamaica, Food, Joy
Content Warnings: Displacement, Isolation
Nanitic (14 minutes, Fiction)
Synopsis: “Nanitics” are the first-generation worker ants, who sacrifice their lives for the survival of the colony. These symbols parallel the lives of immigrant families throughout the generations. 9 year-old Trang starts to shift out of oblivion as her aunt Ut tends to Grandma, who lies on her deathbed in the living room. What will happen when Grandma is gone?
Themes: Family relationships, childhood
Content Warnings: Grief, Death
–Journey Mercies (15 minutes, Fiction)
Synopsis: Inspired by Adepeju’s own experience as a Nigerian immigrant in London, the film explores his parents’ unfulfilled dream of returning to Nigeria to live in the house they built. Captured in the nostalgic VHS aesthetic of classic Nollywood, it beautifully portrays the immigrant experience and the deep longing for belonging.
Themes: Nigeria, Cultural identity
Content Warning: Depictions of Displacement
-Windswept (5 minutes, Fiction)
Synopsis: Created by a former staff member of LASSN, and informed by lived experience, this incredibly powerful film will close out this short film festival.
Themes: Displacement, Lack of Sability
Content Warnings: Sounds of War, Visible Distress
