A timely and provocative thriller that confronts religious and political freedom, Nigel Barker's The Refuge is the powerful story of two Kurdish men who smuggle themselves out of Iraq into London and take asylum in a land which promises them freedom and opportunities. Through a glitch in "the system" Mahmoud and Rezghar are sought by the police for deportation back to a country where they will surely be killed. Taking refuge in a church, the two fugitives plead their case to Father Michael, a compassionate priest who wants to do the right thing. As the pressure builds to release the boys to the authorities, Father Michael must not only confront anger and resentment from the police, church officials and his own congregation, but must also try to assuage the ever growing desperation of the two Kurds. As the tension rises outside the Church, those inside must content with personal convictions about trust, conscience, betrayal and faith.

Video ID: 62

Legacy Video ID: 62

Release Date: Jan. 18, 2003

Genre: Drama

Country: United Kingdom

Languages: EN_NATIVE

Runtime: 1h 36m

Trailers
Resolution: 720x478
Size: 24135799 bytes
Language: EN_NATIVE
Key Art
Key Frames
Credits
  • Director: Nigel Barker
  • Father Michael: David Bradley
  • Cynic: Frank Boyce
  • Ali Shamal: Tony Resta
  • Officer Reid: Gary Condes
  • Writer: Nigel Barker
  • Producer: Melloney Roff
  • Writer: Simon Ricketts
  • Gaffer : Iris Ng
  • Assistant Costume Designer: Magdalen Rubalcava
  • Production Companies: Constant Communication
  • Production Companies: Enterprise Films
  • Production Companies: Maximise Ltd.
  • Lana Baram: Dina Mousawi
  • John Hourihane: Mark Mooney
  • Mahmoud Nasdar: Nabil Elouahabi
  • Rezghar Farman: Fuman Dar
  • Costume Design: Rebecca Duncan
  • Cinematography: Alex Metcalfe
  • Original Music: Stuart Briner
  • Mark: Jake Seal
  • Assistant Camera: Dale Buckton
  • Digital Color Grader : Lise Mierca
  • Production Sound Mixer: Darko Mocilnikar
  • First Assistant Director: Jamie D. Allen
  • Associate Producer: Jackie Vance
  • Producer: Nigel Barker
Awards
  • 2006: (Winner) Cinequest San Jose Film Festival Director's Award
  • 2010: (Winner) San Francisco Sonoma WCFF Jack London Award for Best Screenplay
Reviews
  • Metroactive (5.0): "Real emotional depth..."
Film Festivals

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asylum authority betrayal boy case church church official compassionate priest congregation conscience country deportation faith father michael freedom fugitive glitch grow desperation iraq kurdish man kurds land london mahmoud mahmoud rezghar michael nigel barker nigel barker refuge opportunity personal conviction police powerful story pressure refuge religious political freedom resentment rezghar right thing system tension timely provocative thriller trust

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Creator Info
Directed by: Nigel Barker

DVD: $19.99

Digital: $9.99

Streaming (Limited): $2.99

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