Presented with an after screening talk and food.

Soufra is the unlikely and wildly inspirational story of intrepid social entrepreneur, Mariam Shaar – a generational refugee who has spent her entire life in the Burj El Barajneh refugee camp just south of Beirut, Lebanon. The film follows Mariam as she sets out to change her fate by launching a catering company, ‘Soufra’ and then expand it into a food truck business with a diverse team of fellow refugee women who now share this camp as their home. Together, through the unifying power of food they heal the wounds of war and take the future into their own hands through an unrelenting belief in Mariam, and in each other. In the process, Mariam is breaking barriers, pulling together Syrian, Iraqi, Palestinian and Lebanese women to work side by side and form beautiful friendships while running this thriving business. 

The film will be followed by a panel discussion and Palestinian-inspired food made by the team at the St George’s cafe. The ticket price includes film, food and discussion.

Guest speakers on the panel will be Jeremy Bristow and Negat Hussein

Jeremy Bristow 

Jeremy has just returned from a research trip to Bethlehem and the surrounding refugee camps for a potential cinema release documentary on the city.  He has filmed in 71 countries including the Middle East and North Africa.  He has crossed the border of Iraq in the company of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, crawled  through the ISIS tunnels of Mosul, filmed the IDP camps of Kurdistan and interviewed Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Negat Hussein

Originally from Eritrea, Negat moved to Bristol 16 years ago and has been on a mission to empower refugee communities through the power of food. She works closely with Refugee Women of Bristol (RWoB), where she holds a lunch club and alongside this she works with 91 Ways. If that’s not enough, she also has her own catering company Food with a Twist, serving up Middle Eastern and East African food and working with volunteers who can share their cooking skills whilst learning how to run a catering company.

Throughout Negat’s work she uses food as a powerful tool to connect people across the city who might otherwise be isolated. The evocative nature of food can transport them back to their own homeland, instantly making them feel relaxed and comfortable.