The Staging Post x Hunar – Food, Film and Conversation

Hunar is teaming up with our Redfern friends, Improv Theatre Sydney, to bring you a very special evening of food, film and conversation. 

Join us for an immersive screening of the acclaimed documentary, The Staging Post, a documentary on what happened when Australia 'stopped the boats' ten years ago. 

The Staging Post x Hunar and ITS

Hunar presents an immersive evening at Improv Theatre Sydney. Prior to the film, join us for Afghan kitchen favourites from Bamiyan Afghan Restaurant as we listen to the classics of Ahmed Zair and experience photographic and video works from the Ciasarua Refugee Learning Centre as part of a one night only projection installation by the filmmakers.

After the screening of 'The Staging Post', we are honoured to have the filmmakers and protagonists Muzafar Ali, Nagina Tahir and Jolyon Hoff with us in Sydney for a post film conversation. Together, we will unpack the film and think through the long lasting impacts of Australia's Operation Sovereign Borders immigration policy ten years on, and the importance of the arts in in reconstructing social identities unbound by narratives of trauma. 

• Saturday September 30, 2023

• Doors open from 7pm

• Improv Theatre Sydney, 44-54 Botany Rd, Redfern NSW 2016

• General Admission $30 | Concession (Student/Unwaged/Pensioner) $15

Tix at Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/the-staging-post-film-screening-with-muzafar-ali-and-jolyon-hoff

About the film:

The Staging Post follows Muzafar Ali and Khadim Dai, two Afghan Hazara refugees, left in limbo in Indonesia following the controversial Australian Operation Sovereign Borders immigration policy of 2013.

Amongst the community of refugees gathered an hour south of Jakarta in the village of Cisarua, a place known as the 'staging post' for boats embarking on the journey for the offshore Australian territory of Christmas Island, photographer Muzafar meets young budding film-maker Khadim and encourages him to start filming his life on his mobile phone.

Through their eyes, we see Muzafar and Khadim create community, co-found the Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre, and in doing so, launch a refugee-led education revolution in Indonesia. This humble beginning has grown into 10 refugee-managed schools with 100 volunteer teachers and more than 1500 students, and the Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre continues to educate both children and parents to this day.  

The Staging Post cuts through the deep and toxic politicisation of the refugee experience to bring us a compelling story of the importance of friendship and community, and the power of agency and solidarity.

This feature documentary was the 14th most successful documentary at the Australian Box Office in 2017, and was awarded Highly Commended as ‘Best Stand-Alone Documentary’ by the Australian Director’s Guild in 2018.

Proudly supported by City of Sydney and Create NSW