Videos
Dawit Isaak Library
On September 15th, 2020, the Malmö City Archives in Sweden opened the Dawit Isaak Library- a library for literature written by authors who, due to their vocation, have been subjected to cencorship, repression, and/or forced exile. The Dawit Isaak Library, where the works of many current and former ICORN residents are represented, is a collaboration between the Malmö City Archives, Swedish PEN, and ICORN.
The Hour of Freedom at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2019
The Hour of Freedom – Facts, fiction and freedom of expression, with the SSO quartet/Mansur Rajih, UN rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Karima Bennoune, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Ine Eriksen Søreide, political cartoonist Khalid Albaih, and musician Hamid Sakhizada.
Shelter
An animation by Afghan film creator Mohsen Hossaini. Mohsen Hossaini arrived in Drøbak City of Reguge in September 2015, where he continues his work. Internationally recognised for his animations, Hossaini was the winner of the Kabul Short Film Festival 2007 for his film Shelter (2006). It was screened at the Hiroshima Animation Film Festival 2006, the NAAF Film Festival 2007 in Bosnia, as well as the 2007 Leipzig Film Festival. His other short films include Perfume (2009), Hitler (2009), and Solitude (2002).
A question on artistic freedom - A UNESCO film
This short film was developed in conjunction with an interactive documentary project aiming to mobilise the international debate on freedom of artistic expression. The project confronts policy makers, artists, and cultural actors from different countries and backgrounds with critical issues around the status of artistic freedom in societies. ICORN residents, including cartoonist Eaten Fish/Ali Dorani, poets Fatemeh Ekhtesari, and Mehdi Mousavi, poet and journalist, Manal Al Sheikh, and ICORN Protection Manager, Marianne Hovdan feature in the film.
UNESCO understands artistic freedom as a complex area of issues to promote the right of artists and cultural professionals to create, produce, and distribute diverse cultural expressions and the right of citizens to have access to these works. For more info visit en.unesco.org/creativity.
Bangladesh: a country where blogging can get you killed
Secular writers and bloggers are being hacked to death in the streets of Bangladesh for sharing their views online. But the government seems to tolerate the violence. Tutul, who came to Skien City of Refuge, Norway, through the ICORN programme, fled his country after he was brutally attacked. He tells a short version of the story here.
This video was published by The Economist on August 22nd, 2017.
The Camp - PJ Harvey and Ramy Essam
PJ Harvey and Ramy Essam have come together to write and record ‘The Camp’ - a track which they hope will raise awareness and much needed support towards the health and educational well-being of displaced children in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon.
Generation of faithless monks - Irakli Kakabadze
Irakli Kakabadze is a Georgian writer, performer, and human rights activist. As ICORN resident in Barcelona, he participated in Synesthesia, Barcelona’s second video poetry exhibition, with his Generation of Faithless Monks. His poem performed in the film expresses a strong critique of the church, but also of the behaviour and attitude of society in general.
#180sec Barcelona: Writer in Exile
Pursued by Hamas, the Palestinian writer Basem Al-Nabriss found in Barcelona the peace that he wishes for his country. Waiting impatiently for a better future, he writes.
Svetlana Alexievich on the conditions for writers and artists in exile
Svetlana Alexievich received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2015. She was the ICORN resident in Gothenburg from 2006-2008 and godmother to the ICORN General Assembly. In this film, she addresses the participants at ICORN's 10th anniversary at the General Assembly in Paris in 2016.
ICORN: la liberté d'expression à l'honneur à Paris
ICORN celebrated its 10th anniversary during the ICORN General Assembly in Paris in 2016. Here is a little glimpse of what happened and what was discussed.
Ramy Essam: concert and interview
In 2011, Ramy Essam (Egyptian musician) achieved international fame as the voice of the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir Square chanting, the song "Irhal" (Pars) in which he called for the resignation of Mubarak. After leaving Egypt and through ICORN,he is hosted in Sweden in Malmö since 2014. He is able to with work his music in peace and security and building up a professional carreer.
Khaled Harara: El Horia
Rapper Khaled Harara is considered an 'enemy of the state' of Palestine. His lyrics criticise the humanitarian situation in Palestine and lack of freedom of expression under Hamas rule. While living as a refugee in Gaza, he organised hip-hop workshops for youth with a focus on writing and self-expression. The workshops, his artist organisation, and his group 'Palestinian Unit' were banned, and Khaled was subjected to interrogations, imprisonment, and torture. Khaled was ICORN resident in Gothenburg City of Refuge, Sweden from 2013 to 2015.
Writing Freedom: 2013
A film from the joint ICORN Network Meeting and PEN International Writers in Prison Committee 2013 in Krakow. Interviews with Peter Ripken (ICORN), Chenjerai Hove (ICORN), John Ralston Saul (PEN), and Robert Piaskowski (Krakow Festival Office and ICORN).
Directed by Marion Stalens and produced by Bellota Films with the support of Fritt Ord and the multiannual EU Culture project 'Shaharazad - stories for life', amongst others.
