While was a general buzz around all of the Refugee Week Scotland events, the GFT Pop-Up! Programmers screening of Spirited Away, a Japanese animated fantasy film, was a more low key event in that it offered the chance to sit back and relax.
The film was screened in Garnethill Multicultural Centre and, whilst Glasgow’s huge multiplex cinema was close by, the nearly full house shows the interest and commitment that people have in making life better for asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland.
Spirited away
Spirited Away follows the journey of a young girl, Chihiro Ogino, enters a parallel universe where the she must survive to save her parents and herself. Through the alternate reality where Chihiro finds herself lost, the film highlights the issues which arise when being moving to a new place and leaving your home behind; it is in this respect that Spirited Away is able to make a great impact in representing many of the difficulties faced by refugees.
Not fantasy
The film is directed at children as the main audience but on Friday the film was perceived well by all. In particular, Spirited Away captured the feelings of being lost and the lack of identity which can be felt when attempting to settle into a new place. The protagonist must find work in this alternate world and when she does but of her contract is having her name revoked. For a time Chihiro even forgets her original name.
Clever choice of film
Unfortunately the reality of Chihiro’s situation is known to many people when trying to find refuge in the another country, often your culture, traditions and even name are unrecognisable to others and thus creating the feeling of not belonging.
It is these common themes of loss and struggle that were presented in Spirited Away that made is so suitable for a Refugee Week Scotland event. Whilst Chihiro’s journey doesn’t end quite perfectly she does return to the human world with her parents and emerges from the alternate reality with much more hope and positivity.
The attendance at the screening is what really showed that people recognise such issues and want to make Scotland a place which can welcome refugees and different cultures.
