The evacuation journey of Ukrainian families – thoughts and struggles
On a bitterly cold February morning, 12-year-old Niki and his family arrive at the Kharkiv metro station to take refuge from the terrifying war raging outside. For Niki's family, daylight is synonymous with mortal danger, and the boy is not allowed to leave the station, forcing them to live under the glow of the neon lights. While aimlessly wandering around the abandoned cars and full platforms, Niki meets a 11-year-old girl Vika, this opened the door of a new world for him. As their bond strengthens, the children find the courage once again to feel the sun on their faces.

Documentary/Docudrama / 2023 / 71 min / Ukrainian & Russian / Directors: Ivan Ostrochovský & Pavol Pekarcík / Subtitles: English and Japanese / Japan Premiere

Awards
Venice International Film Festival 2023 (Giornate degli Autori) – Winner of the Europa Cinemas Label Award
Warsaw International Film Festival 2023 – Winner of the Best Documentary
Ji. hlava International Documentary Film Festival 2023 – Winner of the Best Czech Documentary
Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) 2024 – Winner of the Documentary Youth Jury Prize
96th Academy Awards – Slovakia’s Official Submission for the Best International Feature (Nominee equivalent) 

Three young refugees fled to EU are now asking the meaning of “ibasho (home)”
Another Place offers harsh realities beyond dangerous refugee journeys, focusing on life after fleeing their hometown. Through the eyes of former Iranian refugee Jhizet Panosian, the film follows three people who fled war and persecution in Congo, Syria, and Afghanistan, trying to refuge to the European Union countries. In the aftermath of the 2015 migration crisis, it explores their struggles to rebuild life—finding job, education, and a new sense of ibasho, home. Panosian’s own experience fleeing Iran adds a personal perspective, connecting stories of loss, resilience, and the search for belonging. 

Documentary / 2024 / 80 min / English / Director: Jhizet Panosian / Subtitles:  Japanese / Japan premiere 

Awards
London Greek Film Festival 2025 – Finalist

The confusion of Syria after the end of the dictatorship－How do people react?
After the fall of President Bashar Al-Assad by insurgents from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syria faces a historic turning point. This film captures the early days of the transition, reflecting how citizens tried to balance hope and fear of the new society. From the presidential palace to the notorious Saydnaya prison, it reveals remnants of dictatorship and questions the intentions of the new jihadist rulers. As some exiles consider returning, others flee again, uncertain of the future for minorities under HTS. A unique look at a nation at a crossroads, oscillating between hope for a better future and fear of the unknown.

Documentary / 2024 / 52 min / English, French / Directors: Jahouar Nadi, Yael Goujon & Apolline Convain / Subtitles: English and Japanese / Japan premiere

Syrian refugee family arrived in a small town in France causing conflicts 
All is well in Paimpont, Brittany, where harmony reigns among the locals. There’s Joëlle, the schoolteacher who’s inclined to lecture people; Anne, who owns a convenience store and likes a good aperitif; Hervé, a plumber from Alsace who’s even more Breton than the locals; and Johnny, the local ranger and Johnny Hallyday fan. In a show of solidarity, the town enthusiastically votes to host some Ukrainian refugees. But the refugees, it turns out, are not Ukrainian after all. They are Syrian! Some of the folks in this charming little town are not very pleased with having non-Ukrainian refugee as their neighbors.
So, when all is said and done, who are the barbarians? 

*The film contains some sexual content.

Comedy Drama / 2024 / 101 min / French / Original Title: Les Barbares (International Title: Meet the Barbarians) / Director: Julie Delpy / Subtitles: English and Japanese / Japan premiere

Awards
Sonoma International Film Festival 2025 – Winner of Audience Award (Best Narrative Feature)
Göteborg Film Festival 2025 – Winner of Honorary Dragon Award (Julie Delpy)

Streaming from the refugee camp in Kenya! Climate change is threatening Africa
Dadaab is the world’s second largest refugee camp, home to hundreds of thousands since 1991. Once a refugee from the war in Somalia, it is now a shelter for people fleeing from climate disasters—drought, hunger, and environmental collapse. Fardowsa, born in the camp with no citizenship or rights, works as a journalist at a refugee-run radio station. She gives voice to those arriving with nothing, to herders losing livestock, and to children learning about climate change. She speaks not just for Dadaab, but to the world—demanding action, justice, and a future for those the world too often ignores. 

Documentary / 2023 / 25 min / English / Subtitles: English and Japanese

Awards
Social Media Impact Award 2024 Finalist

Eight friends saved the lives of 47 refugees in Italy cultivating the special bond
The Last Island is a documentary that narrates the extraordinary story of eight friends who accidentally find themselves caught up on the island of Lampedusa in one of the darkest moments in the history of the Mediterranean Sea. From a quiet evening on a boat, to the sudden rescue of hundreds of people in the sea, the film explores the power of friendship and human resilience in time of crisis, retracing that night, the enduring bonds it forged, and the lasting impact of a single act of courage.

Documentary / 2024 / 74 min / Italian / Director: Davide Lomma / Subtitles: English and Japanese / Japan premiere

Awards
Los Angeles Italia 2025 – Nominee (“Docu is Beautiful” section)
Biografilm Festival 2024 – Winner of Jury Prize (Contemporary Lives section) 

Our in person screening at the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo will take place at 18:30 on 2 December, 2025（Tue.).

Two best friends living under the Taliban regime are forced to make a life-changing decision.
Sofia and Nigina, two young Afghan women and best friends, work at a women-only beauty salon in central Kabul—one of the few remaining spaces where women can experience comfort, dignity, and fleeting moments of freedom under Taliban regime. Filmed from August 2021, the documentary follows their daily lives, quiet acts of resistance, and deep friendship amid mounting repression. As Taliban restrictions tighten—including the forced closure of 10,000 salons in July 2023—the possibility of staying becomes impossible. Ultimately, Sofia and Nigina flee Afghanistan, in search of safety, leaving behind not just a salon, but an entire way of life. 

Documentary / 2023 / 52 min / English, French / Directors: Margaux Benn & Solène Chalvon Fioriti / Subtitles: English and Japanese

Awards
Japan Prize 2024 (Japan) – Winner of the Best Film in Youth Division
Pordenone Docs Fest 2024 (Italy) – Winner of the SNCCI Critics’ Prize 

A lonely deaf boy trying to figure out who he really is
Lawand is a young Kurdish boy, deaf since birth. After a treacherous journey and a year in a Dunkirk refugee camp, the support of a deaf volunteer helps his family to resettle in Derby, where Lawand joins the Royal School for the Deaf. As he grows, the film follows his dramatic progress in learning British Sign Language, revealing a bright, charismatic and inquisitive boy discovering friendship and a new way to express himself.

Documentary / 2022 / 90 min / English, Kurdish, British Sign Language / Director: Edward Lovelace / Subtitles: English and Japanese


Awards
Hot Docs 2023 – Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Best International Film
BFI London Film Festival 2022 – Nominated for the Grierson Award for Best Documentary
Shine Global Film Awards 2023 – Winner of the Children’s Resilience Award

Our in person screening at the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo will take place at 18:30 on 3 December, 2025（Wed.).