As World Humanitarian Day approaches, the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Prague hosted a screening of the compelling documentary Another Summer. The film tells the stories of Afghan and Ukrainian refugees who were forced to flee their homes after the Taliban's takeover in 2021 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The documentary features interviews filmed by Afghan and Ukrainian students and refugees, who, after a one-week training, travelled to various cities across Europe to capture the experiences of those who, like themselves, had escaped violence and oppression.
The film touches on sensitive and critical issues, particularly the perspective of parents who, through migration, might have secured a safe future and a new home for their children but often struggle to find a sense of home and future for themselves.

Directed by documentary filmmaker and researcher Alžběta Kovandová-Bartoníčková and anthropologist David B. Edwards, "Another Summer" was created from over 100 hours of footage. 

The project began with a week-long training session in Geneva, where students were taught basic filmmaking skills through practical exercises, discussions, and screenings, including the influential Chronicle of a Summer (1961) by Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin. Led by professors David Edwards, Alzbeta Kovandova-Bartonickova, Victoria Fontan, and Alessandro Monsutti, the students were then divided into teams and sent to seven countries (Czech Republic, Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) to observe and interview war-displaced refugees. After two weeks, the group reconvened in Prague to review and discuss the footage. With over 100 hours of multilingual footage, David and Alzbeta spent the next year editing the material into a feature film, completed with sound designer Martin Styblo’s postproduction work. The final version of the film was completed in early 2024.

The event opened with remarks by Petr Gandalovič, Director of the Department of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and Ajmal Khybari, Head of the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency office in Czechia.

After the screening, the audience engaged in a brief discussion with the directors, as well as with Magda Faltová, Director of SIMI (Association for Integration and Migration), and Petr Čáp, Head of Office of IOM in Czechia.

Magda Faltová emphasized the importance of providing humanitarian assistance to all refugees and migrants, regardless of their origin.

Petr Čáp remarked:

"As humanitarian workers, we cannot bring people the homeland they lost. But in the spirit of humanity, we can assist them in building a new home."

Humanitarian work goes beyond delivering aid where people are objects of help - it’s about empowering people to become agents of change for themselves as well as becoming subjects of ongoing help passed to others.

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For more information, please contact fstowasser@iom.int.