Still from animated film, The Scent of Geranium, by Naghmeh Farzaneh
FREE feminist film night for Refugee Week
As part of Refugee Week 2025, Women’s Voice Hastings is presenting an evening of powerful short films exploring refugee and migrant experiences, curated by Other Cinemas. Erica Smith encourages you to come along for a remarkable collection of international films.
The mini film festival will be screened on Tuesday 17 June at Central Hall, Hastings. The programme includes three short films followed by Fremont – a 90 minute film by Babak Jalali.
Filmed in stunning black and white, Fremont is about an Afghan translator in a Californian bedsit. The film’s focus is Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) who works at a fortune cookie factory, writing the words of wisdom and warning embedded in each cookie. But as she doles out fortunes for those around her, she struggles with her own future. The film is visually captivating and California’s East Bay is a character in its own right.
Still from Fremont.
Full programme:
Nanitic – Carol Nguyen (14 mins)
Nanitic are the first brood of worker ants produced by a queen using only the reserved nutrition in her body. Nine-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.
Burnt Milk – Joseph Douglas Elmhirst (10 mins)
Burnt Milk centres around a monologue by Una (voiced by Tamara Lawrance), an isolated Jamaican woman in London around 1985. As she takes a moment of solace to make Burnt Milk, she is flooded with spiritual imagery that takes her home.
The Scent of Geranium – Naghmeh Farzaneh (5 mins)
Naghmeh Farzaneh is an Iranian artist and filmmaker based in Chicago. Her background in painting led her to embrace animation as her preferred medium for storytelling and filmmaking. This animation is an autobiographical account of her experience with immigration.
Short break
Fremont – Babak Jalali (1h 30 mins)
Donya works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military, she struggles to put her life back in order. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie.
This is the second film screening that Women’s Voice has held at Central Hall this summer. The venue is accessible and refreshments will be provided. There will be an opportunity before the screening to meet some of the Women’s Voice volunteers and find out more about the organisation and how you can get involved.
Entry is free – donations towards Refugee Buddy Project are encouraged.
Venue: Central Hall, 6 Bank Buildings, Hastings TN34 1NG
7:00–9:30pm, doors open at 6.45pm
Refreshments are provided
All welcome.
You can find out more about Women’s Voice by visiting their website.
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