Curtis Essel

In support of World Refugee Day, We Were Here is an original documentary series from YouTube and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, that seeks to challenge stereotypes and perceptions about refugees by focusing on what unites us rather than sets us apart - our shared passions. Spanning Wales, Uganda and Germany, this episode sees vegan chef, permaculture enthusiast, and YouTuber Gaz Oakley meet permaculture expert Bemeriki Dusabe, a Congolese refugee who has been living in a settlement in Uganda for the last 16 years, where he has set up a foundation teaching others how to grow their food - a testament to the incredible strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. A poignant film about self-sufficiency, growth, community and connection.

A conceptual film following musical artist Jords’ quest to serendipity. The Tree of Life’ is the cornerstone of the film as he battles to triumph through grief.

A Luta Continua // Ataraxy 44 tells the poignant story of Hif Belowi Anga, a Congolese saxophonist who once played in President Mobutu’s band but fled Congo in the early 1990s, disillusioned by the regime. His melancholic melodies blend with archival audio of Patrice Lumumba, whose words remain strikingly relevant today. Anga’s reflection, “Everything fell apart when Lumumba was gone,” anchors the film, highlighting the enduring impact of neocolonial powers on Africa. Yet, amidst the sorrow, the film offers a message of resilience and hope, captured in the enduring phrase “a luta continua,” the fight continues.

The film documents the everyday life of people from a town in Ghana called Jamestown - also known as 'Sodom & Gomorrah’, a place that seems to have fallen by the wayside. Brief portraits of the inhabitants reveal a life marked by hopelessness and the struggle to move forward.

Allumuah explores the way the internet enables a lineage of aesthetics passed between African diaspora artists.