Film Screening and Discussion of Soufra
A screening and panel with Thomas Morgan and Quinn Konarska
October 1, 2018
4:00 pm - 6:15 pm
Weiser Hall - Room 1010
Sponsored by: Program in International and Comparative Studies
Contact Information: is-michigan@umich.edu
Soufra follows 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 against all odds to change her fate by launching a successful catering company, “Soufra,†and then expand it into a food truck business with a diverse team of fellow refugee woman who now share this camp as their home. Together, they heal the wounds of war through the unifying power of food while taking their 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. Soufra will shine a new and revealing light on people inside of the largest refugee crisis in human history, but ultimately this film is about hope, grit, passion and the common bonds created by bringing people together around food as a bridge to overcome all barriers. Though Mariam is officially considered “stateless†she is a beacon of hope and home for thousands upon thousands of women in the most unlikely of places. Mariam and her team will be just that for thousands more once her story is told through Soufra. The screening of the film will be followed by a discussion and Q&A featuring Soufra director and producer, Thomas Morgan and Quinn Konarska, U-M International Studies alumna and production coordinator, Rebelhouse Group, who helped produce the film. A reception with light appetizers and refreshments will follow the film discussion. The cookbook, Soufra: Recipes from a Refugee Food Truck, will also be available for purchase for $20.00 via cash or check.