Screening: Limbo (12A)
Nominated for Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut at the 2021 BAFTA Film Awards, Ben Sharrock’s LIMBO is a wry, funny and poignant cross-cultural satire that subtly sews together the hardship and hope of the refugee experience. An offbeat observation of the refugee experience. Set on a fictional remote Scottish island, a group of new arrivals await the results of their asylum claims. Among them is Omar, a young Syrian musician burdened by the weight of his grandfather’s oud, which he has carried all the way from his homeland.
Performance: Oud played by Hemn Abdi
My name is Hemn, I am 21 years old and from Kurdistan in Iran. I started learning music at the age of 13 and am both a composer and stringed instrument player. I play oud, setar, divan, santur and guitar as well as violin and piano. I graduated from the University of Kurdistan in the field of instrumental and folk music in 2023 and qualified for Qeshm National Oud Festival in 2024.
I was forced to leave Iran and spent 40 hard days with many different and difficult experiences before arriving in England in September 2024. When I arrived in London and claimed asylum I didn’t have any instrument with me, but with the help of a Care4Calais volunteer someone willingly donated an oud to me that was not being used. I was so happy to have an instrument again. Since then, I have performed for a couple of small events including at the University of Westminster on the occasion of the Iranian festival, Yalda.
