'Hope' the story of Amal, one of 400 Iraqi refugees on the ill-fated SIEV X, and one of only seven who survived when the boat sank between Indonesia and Australia, premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2008. It was also screened to very receptive audiences in commercial
cinemas in major capital cities.
'Hope' is an excellent example of the difficulty for refugees to restore their lives and to live with respect and dignity in Australia. It also shows the compassion and work of many individuals and organizations who work tirelessly to change the situation.
To take the film to a wider community, an education and outreach program has been devised to enable screening of the film outside metropolitan areas. Community groups campaigning on refugee issues have been engaged to host screenings of the film and Steve Thomas, the filmmaker, travels with the film to present Q&As at the screenings.
Steve Thomas outside the parish hall in Rosebud, Victoria where screenings of 'Hope' were held.