Announcing comedy web series Two Refugees and a Blonde – Media Release

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Announcing comedy web series Two Refugees and a Blonde

Launching at Refugee Week from 15 June Benefit screening 24 June

A new web series has been created by Iranian and Iraqi Australian refugee artists Shahin Shafaei and Osamah Sami and Australian actor and writer RainFuller.

The comedy investigates what happens when an outspoken blonde attempts to live with two erratic Muslim refugees.

Legendary news anchor George Donikian covers a breaking news story: radio host Zoe Hunter has made some blunt challenges to the Minister for Immigration.

She proclaims LIVE ON AIR that she would offer refugees her spare room. Two Iraqi refugees arrive on her doorstep. Chaos ensues as the mismatched trio struggle to share her townhouse.


Two Refugees and a Blonde will launch during Refugee Week with events atFederation Square Melbourne (15 June) and a performance at Amnesty Refugee Network’s Festival of Hope on World Refugee Day (20 June), while simultaneously premiering globally online via YouTube.

A special benefit preview screening of Season One will occur on 24 June at Classic Cinemas Elsternwick Melbourne, with proceeds going to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. The benefit will include live entertainment and a chance to meet the cast and director. Tickets are available here.

Osamah Sami is an actor, writer and stand-up comedian born in war-torn Iran to Iraqi parents. His memoir, Good Muslim Boy, has recently been published by Hardie Grant and is available in bookstores Australia wide and globally via Booktopia and Amazon. He is recognised as a ‘notable Australian Muslim’ by the Commonwealth.

“Refugees have been filling our news feeds. For the wrong reasons. But not for long — we hope. This series aims to remove the sombre stigma synonymous with refugees and to replace it with a dose of laughter, Iraqi-style hip-hop, and the occasional traditionally cooked sheep’s head,” says Osamah.

With a BA in Communications and Anthropology, Rain Fuller has worked as an actor on stage and screen in India, California, New Zealand as well as her home country of Australia. She recently starred in indie dramedy, Pretty Good Friends, which had a cinema and VOD release this year.

“If we took the time to hear refugees’ stories we might discover how similar they are to us. I learnt this through working with refugee artists and asylum seekers, who have become real friends of mine,” says Rain.

“We’re hoping our crazy comedy might play some small part in unhinging the culture of fear and mistrust around the world’s most vulnerable people.”

An acclaimed actor and playwright in his native home of Iran, Shahin Shafaei fled his country after having his work banned. He found his way to Australia in 2000 through Indonesia on a boat, and ended up spending 22 months at Curtin immigration detention centre in WA – 10 of those months in isolation.

Shahin continues his creative work in Australia and empowers others to share their own amazing stories through the arts, and has toured his own one-man show about his experience as an asylum seeker, which premiered at the Sydney Opera House. He is the director of Two Refugees and a Blonde.

“This show is all about giving a human face to Australian people who are trying to do good for refugees,” says Shahin.

“Because let’s face it; asylum seekers get a world of publicity, news headlines and front pages. But these decent human beings who have to swim against the current in order to validate refugees’ status, get nothing but the utter validation on their own puzzled status quo.”

Two Refugees and a Blonde stars Rain Fuller, Behrouz Harvasi and Osamah

Behrouz Harvasi is an award-winning comic actor and street theatre performer from Iran with strong Kurdish roots. Since arriving in Australia as a refugee in 2009, he has been active in promoting refugee rights. In 2012, he was the recipient of an Appreciation Award during Refugee Week. During his 15-month tenure in Manus Island, he formed a performing arts group for the asylum seekers to help them deal with the harsh conditions.

 

Website: www.tworefugeesandablonde.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tworefugeesandablonde

Twitter: https://twitter.com/refugees_blonde

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/refugees_blonde/

Tickets to our benefit screening:

https://www.classiccinemas.com.au/movies/two-refugees-and-a-blonde

 

Synopsis

Zoe Hunter, an idealistic radio host who thinks she’s worldly challenges a prominent politician: why isn’t Australia embracing refugees? When he turns the question back at her, Zoe proclaims she would gladly take refugees into her own home. Live on Air.

Her listeners and media applaud her and the “Wake Up with Zoe” Facebook page goes wild with thousands of new likes. Just as she begins to bask in the limelight, the doorbell rings. Sami and Muncle, two Iraqi asylum seekers, arrive on her doorstep, suitcases in hand: “Which room is ours?!”

Chaos ensues as the mismatched trio struggle to share Zoe’s boho townhouse, with hazardous consequences.

 

About the ASRC

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) protects and upholds the human rights, wellbeing and dignity of asylum seekers. They are the largest provider of aid, advocacy and health services for asylum seekers in Australia. Most importantly, at times of despair and hopelessness, they offer comfort, friendship, hope and respite.

They are an independent agency. They don’t receive any direct program funding from the Australian Government and instead rely on community donations and philanthropy for 95 per cent of their funding.

 

Donate to the ASRC Winter Appeal #WhereHopeThrives