Vanessa Redgrave Makes Her Directorial Debut

Sea Sorrow tells the story of what life is like for refugees

Local resident and acclaimed actress and political activist Vanessa Redgrave has made her directorial debut with a film about what it is to be a refugee in Europe.

Sea Sorrow includes interviews and historical footage that sets the current refugee crisis in a meaningful historical context.

'This film is a requiem for the thousands of refugees who have died through lack of support and protection. I hope the film may be of some help to the agencies who do their utmost to support the refugees who have survived, most especially to their children' says Vanessa.

On Tuesday 6 December at 7.30pm in Hammersmith Town Hall, the Oscar winner will present Sea Sorrow, her first film as director, using her personal story, as a two-year old evacuee from London during World War Two, to her involvement as a volunteer helping Hungarian refugees and her visit to the Middle East to see children in a refugee camp in Lebanon.

Sea Sorrow was filmed in Greece, Lebanon, Italy, Calais and Twickenham Studios. It is a free screening.

Other stars of stage and screen who contributed to the film include Ralph Fiennes, Emma Thompson and Simon Coates as well as Juliet Stevenson.

Lord Alf Dubs, who tabled the Dubs Amendment in the House of Lords, forcing the government to commit to taking 20,000 refugees is also involved. An unaccompanied child refugee himself, who travelled to the UK on the kinder transport, Lord Dubs is a former MP for Battersea.

Vanessa Redgrave's son, Sea Sorrow producer Carlo Nero lives locally in Hammersmith while Vanessa Redgrave lives in Chiswick.

Sir Peter Sutherland, who has been advising the UN General Secretary on international refugee protection explains why European governments must not break the conventions on asylum for refugees

Andrej Mahecic, the UK spokesperson for UNHCR, and Martin Sherman, a playwright whose grandparents fled from the pogroms in Tsarist-ruled Ukraine will join Cllr Stephen Cowan, Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, Vanessa and Alf Dubs for a Q&A after the film.

December 2, 2016