Screening: Hard Way Home

The collapse of Iraq into sectarian violence after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein drove more than four million Iraqis from their homes. Many of the country’s middle class are now refugees in Syria and Jordan. If these engineers, teachers, doctors and shop owners are not helped to survive in exile and eventually return to their homes, Iraq may never recover.

Hard Way Home follows three refugee families on of which struggles to survive on the income from rent on their flats in Baghdad. Recovering the money however requires a long and risky journey back to the Iraqi capital…

Ahlam was kidnapped in Baghdad and cannot go home. She does whatever she can to help other refugees in Syria but sees an entire future generation at risk. Fayez has to take his family back to Baghdad because he is bankrupt, but finds a divided city where he cannot work. Afrah is a Shia married to a Sunni; they cannot live together in Baghdad and have run out of money in Damascus.

Hard Way Home is an Out There News production, directed by Paul Eedle. Out There News is an independent television production company specialising in factual programming from and about the Middle East. Its documentaries and features are produced by a bilingual Arabic/English team which includes a bureau in Baghdad.

Producer and Director: Paul Eedle
Camera and Executive Producer: Ken Kirby
Editor: Simon Ardizzone
Length: 45 mins
2008

New event pricing: As of July 1st the Frontline Charitable Trust will increase ticket prices for all events. Screenings will now cost £8 and discussions £10. This reflects a financial necessity and we would like to remind you that the Frontline Charitable Trust is a UK registered charity and all proceeds raised are reinvested in the programme.