Cinema of Displacement: A Conversation with Andaç Haznedaroğlu on her 2017 film Misafir (A Guest from Haleppo to Istanbul) and Syrian Refugee Crisis

This roundtable conversation took place on October 9, 2024, at Erciyes University as part of the EU co-funded Migramedia project, which explores the intersections of migration and media representation. The session centers on Andaç Haznedaroğlu’s 2017 film Misafir (A Guest from Aleppo to Istanbul), being the first cinematic narrative focused on the lived experiences of Syrian refugees in Türkiye. Haznedaroğlu, who served as the film’s writer, director, and producer, reflects on her fieldwork in refugee camps, her use of Arabic as the film’s dominant language, and her casting choices, including Jordanian star Saba Mubarak and real-life Syrian refugee Rawan Iskeif. The conversation also raises urgent questions about trauma, realism, the ethics of child performance, and the role of cinema in reshaping public perceptions of displacement. With insights from international scholars and members of the Migramedia consortium, the discussion highlights how Misafir blurs the boundaries between documentation and fiction, making visible the invisible borders that shape the lives of women and children in migration.