'This is Exile’ is an extraordinary, intimate portrait of child refugees forced to flee from the violence of Syria’s civil war to neighbouring Lebanon. Filmed over a year by the Emmy-award winning director Mani, the documentary tells the stories of the childrens' lives in their own words and captures the moving truth of how they deal with loss, hardship and the poignancy of dashed hopes.

Fresh from the BBC Arabic Film Festival and the Document International Human Rights Film Festival and nominated for the International Jury Prize at the prestigious Glasgow Document Film Festival, this is an evening not to be missed. Panel discussion to follow, with the director of the film, Emmy award-winning Mani Benchelah, alongside Caroline Anning, Humanitarian Media Manager at Save the Children UK. We will furthermore have the privilege of being joined by Reem al Assil, a Syrian activist living in exile in the UK. Reem has a background as a well renowned academic and was studying for a PhD in immunobiology in Syria when the uprising began and her PhD was terminated. As an activist, was held for questioning twice in Damascus airport by the notorious Air Force Intelligence Branch and was kept for interrogation in the State Security Branch on account of her support and activism within the Syrian people’s uprising. As a result, she was banned from traveling, then when the ban was lifted in July 2011, she left the country and has been living in exile since.

Over the last five years, Reem's activism ranged from media and citizen journalism, human rights, civil society research, all the way long to peace building. She is a founding member of the Syrian Nonviolence Movement and was the head of its Media department. She is also a co-founder and co-manager of the Free Syrian Translators, and her most recent engagement has been with the Syrian Platform for Peace-UK, which she has been chairing for the last year.

There will be drinks afterwards. Donations to Save the Children UK and Amnesty International UK will be very much appreciated on the night.