Refugee Documentary THE LONGEST ROAD from Matthew Charles Hall and Jennifer Salcido Gets UK and European Premiere

An acclaimed documentary about a group of American war veterans who return to the Middle East to try to help Iraqi and Syrian refugees trapped in the grasp of ISIS is to make its British and European debut next month.

The Longest Road – directed by Matthew Charles Hall and Jennifer Salcido - will have its UK and Europe premiere at the Dalston Rio in London on Saturday 18th February at noon.

There will also be a Q&A afterwards with the directors and Dr Nemam Ghafouri, a medic who helped the American veterans in their mission to aid the two million refugees trapped in camps in Kurdistan, who's featured heavily in the film.

Dr Ghafouri, a Kurd who was born in Iraq but later claimed asylum in Sweden, continues to run a clinic for refugees near the Syrian border.

Along with the directors, after the screening, she’ll be talking about the film as well as the situation in Iraqi Kurdistan and the future prospects for the refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs).

In the Northern Iraqi region known as Kurdistan, there are currently two million civilians who have been displaced by Isis, largely Iraqi Kurdish Yezidis, Iraqi Christian Arabs and Syrian Arabs.

The documentary – which has the tagline ‘The greatest journey of all is one you cannot make alone’ – features a group of American veterans who are struggling in the aftermath of serving in unresolved wars.

In an effort to deal with their mental turmoil, they have decided to pick up wheren foreign policy has left off. This is the story of Iraqi and Syrian refugees living in the shadow of ISIS, and a band of heroes returning to their former battleground to make a difference.

During their mission, they’ll meet a Catholic nun and a Muslim heart surgeon who will join forces with them as they strive for the betterment of these displaced people.

Together they’ll change the lives of countless minorities who have suffered from religious persecution. “A good companion shortens the longest road.” This film embraces the heart of this Kurdish proverb.

Filmed over a period of three years, on two continents and in four languages, The Longest Road has been described as “a breathtaking achievement in documentary filmmaking” and an “insightful look at the ISIS crisis that we aren’t seeing on the news.”

In addition to the footage captured overseas, the film features interviews with professionals who have served abroad, as well as archival news footage highlighting the region’s cultural upheaval.

Tickets for the screening are just £8, with additional donations encouraged for a project to build a school for Kurdish Yezidi children.

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