An inspiring and surprising insight into the lives of migrants and refugees in a short documentary film that involved the collaboration of students, community members and partners. ‘Luz em trânsito: retratos de passagem’ (Light in transit: portraits of passage) premiered at the final event of the Puxar Pela Língua II Project on 19 December 2023 at the Fundação Cidade de Lisboa.
Directed by António Castelo, this short documentary was created as part of an initiative by the Puxar pela Língua II project, whose main objective was to promote the integration of migrants, refugees and beneficiaries of international protection in Portugal. Funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the project provided a platform for sharing the stories and experiences of these communities.
‘Luz em trânsito: retratos de passagem’ was the result of collaboration between students from Portuguese language courses and intercultural conversation groups at the Lisbon City Foundation, together with members of the community who responded to the call on social media. Filmed during September 2023, the documentary presents the narratives of six individuals who left their places of origin in search of new opportunities, facing challenges along the way.
To watch the exciting journey of these protagonists, view the full short film on YouTube via this link: Light in Transit: Passing Portraits.
This production would not have been possible without the effort and dedication of the team involved, including co-directors Ali Ahmed, Ali Pakdaman, Flora Peñarredonda, Kateryna Avdysh, Paul Abraham, and Samy Zeghmati, as well as the composer of the original music, Ali Pakdaman. Special thanks also go to all the partner organisations, the project’s intercultural mediators, the participating migrants and refugees, and the technical team and trainers from the City of Lisbon Foundation.
