>>> TURNING TO THE REFUGEE; CRISIS FOLLOWING A TRAGEDY AT SEA, DOZENS DIED WHEN THE BOAT SANK OFF THE COAST OF GREECE.

THE INCIDENT IS A REMINDER OF THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE IN SEARCH OF SAFETY.

NOW , A NEW DOCUMENTARY, WE DARE TO DREAM, AIMS TO BE A BEACON OF HOPE.

THE AUTHOR TURNS HER LENS ON FIVE ATHLETES AS THEY DARE TO COMPETE.

>> THANKS.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

FIRST, I THINK PEOPLE HAVE HEARD ABOUT YOUR WORK BEFORE FROM A RIVETING DOCUMENTARY THAT WON SO MANY AWARDS AND I WONDER , BEING A REFUGEE YOURSELF UNCOVERING THIS IDEA OF ATHLETES WHO ARE ALSO REFUGEES, WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU?

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS QUESTION.

IT WAS A PROCESS OF DISCOVERY FOR ME.

WHEN I DECIDED TO DO THIS FILM AS A DIRECTOR WHEN YOU'VE DONE A WORLDWIDE SUCCESS YOU ALWAYS WANT TO DO SOMETHING AFTER TO BE ALSO IMPORTANT, TO BE ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT AND FINALLY I STARTED WORKING ON THIS.

I WAS EMOTIONALLY STUCK IN [INDISCERNIBLE] AND I COULDN'T ACCEPT THAT.

FOR ME, THIS PROCESS OF TWO YEARS WORKING WITH THESE AMAZING ATHLETES AND I LEARN FROM THEM, FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE AND JUST LIKE IT WAS KIND OF A THERAPY FOR ME.

I WAS ABLE AFTER THIS TO ACCEPT WHAT I AM, TO BE A PROUD REFUGEE, TO FEEL I BELONG, NOT WHAT I LOST BEFORE BUT TO THESE HUNDREDS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.

JOE, YOU ARE ONE OF THE COFOUNDERS OF AIRBNB WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO BE A PHILANTHROPIST AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT CAUSES.

WHY THIS DOCUMENTARY IDEA?

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE TOPIC IN THE FIRST PLACE?

>> I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE REFUGEE TOPIC FOR MANY YEARS NOW GOING BACK TO THE EARLY DAYS OF AIRBNB.ORG WHERE WE HELPED PEOPLE IN THE GREATEST NEED WHICH COULD BE NATURAL DISASTERS OR THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN THE SPACE MOST RECENTLY.

WE HELPED OUT 100,000 UKRAINIAN REFUGEES IN PARTS OF EUROPE AND HELPED HOUSE 80,000 REFUGEES AS THEY RESETTLED IN THE UNITED STATES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO, AND IT IS REALLY FROM THIS IDEA THAT IF YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO FALSELY [INDISCERNIBLE] THAT MEANS YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP THOSE WHO DON'T SO THIS OPPORTUNITY CAME UP TO USE ENTERTAINMENT TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF REFUGEES, FOR ME IT WAS A NO-BRAINER, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE STORIES ARE SO RICH, THEY ARE SO POWERFUL AND SO INSPIRING AND IT IS THE KIND OF STORY THAT JUST HAD TO BE TOLD, SO I CAN HAVE BEEN LUCKIER TO PAIR UP AND BRING OUR STORIES.

>> TO REPRESENT ALL THE PRIVILEGE PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.

WE ALSO NEED TO SHOWCASE OUR REFUGEES AND ATHLETES WHO COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

>> I THINK WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THIS IS MAYBE ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THAT YOU ARE SEEING REFUGEES IS KIND OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL HUMANS, BECAUSE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT , AMERICANS AND I GUESS PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, THEY SEE REFUGEES IN A VISUAL AND NARRATIVE FRAME OF SOMEONE STANDING IN LINE FOR FOOD OR SOMEONE WHO IS EMACIATED OR SOMEONE WHO IS RUNNING WITH CLOTHES ON THEIR BACK AND YET, WE ARE WATCHING TAE KWON DO ATHLETE AND WE ARE WATCHING A RUNNER, AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE FILM WAS THAT FILMING WAS YOUR WAY OF FIGHTING BACK.

>> I GOT THIS ONCE.

IT IS STILL HARD FOR ME TO REALIZE WE SURVIVED IT.

FILMING WAS MY WAY OF FIGHTING BACK.

I FILMED TO PROTECT MY MEMORIES, TO PRESERVE THE HOME I MISS, AND TO SAVE THE PEOPLE I LOST.

>> I THINK WE ARE BREAKING STEREOTYPES.

WE'RE SHOWING PEOPLE WHO WE ARE , NOT THE BELIEFS THAT HAVE USUALLY BEEN ATTACHED TO US IN FINDING REPRESENTATION.

YESTERDAY WE WERE IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN NEW YORK WITH THESE AMAZING ATHLETES AND ONE OF THE STUDENTS, I THINK AN EIGHT-YEAR- OLD BOY, STOOD UP AND SAID I WANT TO TRANSLATE BECAUSE ICE BEGAN HER BACK AND CAME FROM YEMEN .

TO SEE YOURSELF REPRESENTED IN SUCH AN AMAZING WAY, I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE WERE FIGHTING FOR.

>> YES.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THESE DIFFERENT ATHLETES?

>> MOST DIFFICULT DECSION I MADE AND WE DUG THROUGH 56 SCHOLARSHIP REFUGEE ATHLETES AND ACROSS DIFFERENT PHOTOS AND DISHES UNTIL WE AGREED ON THESE FOR ME, ONE OF THE STORIES , ONE OF THE ATHLETES WHO DID NOT MAKE IT WAS ONE WHO WAS VERY IMPORTANT, PEOPLE WHO ARE LEFT BEHIND.

IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT ESTEEM.

IT IS ABOUT THE HOPE THAT HE SHARED WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND THEN IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT STORIES.

I DID NOT WANT TO SHOW THE REFUGEE IS ONE PICTURE.

THERE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, AND DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.

>> JOE, WHETHER ATHLETES IN DIFFERENT STORY LINES THAT RESONATED WITH YOU?

>> I GOT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.

I WAS ABLE TO FIND A CUTTER FOR THE REFUGEE TEAM WAS STAGED BEFORE THEY LEFT TO TOKYO FOR THE GAMES SO WE WERE ABLE TO MEET THE ATHLETES FIRSTHAND IN THE CREW AND OTHERS.

THERE WAS STORIES OF UNIMAGINABLE , AND I THINK WHEN YOU SEE THESE STORIES PLAY OUT IN THE FILM, YOU REALLY SEE THE UNDERDOG SIDE.

YOU SEE THE WILLPOWER THAT THESE ATHLETES HAVE TO BE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, TO PARTICIPATE IN LIFE, AND IN THIS CASE, THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SPORT.

>> ONE OF THE ATHLETES YOU PROFILE IS A FEMALE IRANIAN , AND SHE FLED IRAN AND SHE COMPETED IN TAE KWON DO FOR THE OLYMPIC REFUGEE TEAM, AND SHE WAS ALREADY AN ACCOMPLISHED ATHLETE WHO WON MEDALS ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE BEFORE , AND THERE'S A FANTASTIC SORT OF TENSION THAT BUILDS RIGHT AT THE FIRST MATCH THAT SHE HAS.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO SHE HAD TO FIGHT, AND WHAT SHE WAS GOING THROUGH IN HER HEAD.

>> WOULD SAY , MOST EMOTIONAL MOMENTS, LIKE MAYBE IN MY LIFE IN TERMS OF LIKE LOOKING AT SOMEONE IN THAT SITUATION.

IT IS EVERY POSSIBILITY IN THIS COUNTRY IT IS THESE PEOPLE HOME COUNTRIES AND YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE FIND THEM ACROSS THE CORNER OR WHILE YOU HAVE COFFEE OR SOMETHING.

THE SYRIAN TEAM COMING IN WITH THE SYRIAN FLAG ON I WAS JUST VERY HEARTBROKEN.

I CAN'T GET BACK TO MY COUNTRY.

I AM NOT REPRESENTED BY THIS COUNTRY ON THIS FLIGHT BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT THE OFFICIAL TEAM AND SEE THEIR PRESENTATION AND LIKE FOR ME SHE WAS MY HERO.

THE FIRST MATCH WHEN SHE HAD TO GO AGAINST HER COUNTRY, AGAINST AND THE ATHLETE WAS HER BEST FRIEND SAID SHE STARTED TAE KWON DO.

I THINK , AS MUCH AS IT IS HARD AND CHALLENGING, AS MUCH AS YOU CAN SEE THE STRINGS AND LIKE, THERE WAS NO ONE WORD TO REPRESENT IT I THINK IT'S JUST AMAZING.

IT SHOWS THE REALITY TO THE POINT THAT EVEN SOMETIMES THIS CHALLENGE COULD BE INTERNAL, BETWEEN YOUR AND EMOTION BUT IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN SHE AFFORD YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE THEY WANT TO GIVE UP AND THEY COULD GIVE UP SOMETIMES BUT IT IS ABOUT HOW CAN YOU STAND UP AND FIGHT AGAINST EVEN YOUR OWN FEAR.

>> ONE OF THE ATHLETES YOU PROFILE WAS A SOUTH SUDANESE REFUGEE AND HER STORY WAS FASCINATING BECAUSE SHE LITERALLY HAD NOT SEEN HER PARENTS AND SO MANY YEARS AND YOU KNOW, SHE HAD GONE TO A TRAINING CAMP AWAY FROM HER LITTLE BOY, AND I MEAN, SHE HAD A LOT ON THE LINE.

>> I HAVE BEEN REALLY TRAINING HARD, SACRIFICING A LOT SO I CAN GET ONE MORE CHANCE.

>> THIS IS ONE MORE STORY OF SO MANY PEOPLE WHO LIKE, THEY FACE THESE DIFFICULTIES IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND I WAS VERY CONNECTED TO ANGELINA BECAUSE WHEN I HAD TO DO MY OWN JOURNEY FROM TURKEY TO THE UK, I HAD TO LEAVE MY SECOND DAUGHTER BEHIND IN TURKEY FOR SIX MONTHS AND AT THAT TIME, I DID NOT KNOW IT WOULD BE SIX MONTHS, SO IT COULD HAVE BEEN HER STORY OR HER PARENTS STORY AND I THINK IT IS A LOT OF --IT IS ABOUT MOTHERHOOD AND LOVE.

IT IS ABOUT NOT GIVING UP.

I LEARNED A LOT FROM ANGELINA.

>> ONE HIGH COMMISSIONER SAID IN 2021, 89 MILLION PEOPLE WERE DISPLACED.

THAT IS THE HIGHEST SINCE WORLD WAR TWO, AND I THINK IT IS A HARD IDEA AND NUMBER TO VISUALIZE, CONSIDERING THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS REFUGEE JOURNEY.

HOW DO YOU CONVEY EITHER THE SCALE OF THE CAMPS THAT PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN ?

SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN LIVING THERE SINCE EIGHT YEARS.

NOW THAT IS NOT JUST A CAMP, THAT IS A TOWN IN JORDAN.

>> YES, THAT IS THE REALITY.

YOU LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY AND LOOK AT REFUGEES AROUND THE WORLD AND IT SHOWS THAT THE NUMBERS GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER AND WITHIN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT GOVERNMENTS AND PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE FOR GOOD.

IT IS ABOUT WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR US.

WHETHER IT IS A REFUGEE CAMP IN JORDAN OR [INDISCERNIBLE COUNTRY NAME] WHO BECAME BRITISH THIS YEAR.

THERE IS A LOT AND SO MANY OTHERS WHO WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT.

I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD AND LOOK ABOUT HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS LIFE BEING MORE ABOUT DIGNITY AND RESPECT FOR LIFE.

HOW DO WE WANT TO BE FACING IF SOMETHING HAPPENED WITH US TODAY.

>> YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE REFUGEE ISSUE FOR A WHILE, AND HOW DID THIS FILM, DO YOU THINK, FIT RIGHT NOW INTO THE GLOBAL POLITICAL CLIMATE WHERE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE MEANS ARE TRYING TO TIGHTEN THE BORDERS , WHETHER THAT IS IN EUROPE, HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE , THERE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE NATIONALISM AND PROTECTIONISM ON THE RISE AND SOMETHING EXPLICITLY DIFFERENT.

>> THAT IS ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THEMES OF SPORT, IS THAT IT DOES TRANSCEND BORDERS AND CULTURES AND DEVICE VISIBLE IN POLITICS AND THE OLYMPICS, IN AND OF ITSELF, IS A BEACON OF PEACE, GOING BACK TO WHEN WE STARTED IN 1996.

IT WAS A TIMELINE WHEN COUNTRIES WOULD PUT DOWN THEIR WEAPONS, WHEN IT WOULD BE A TIME FOR THE WORLD COME TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE WITH THE MOST ELITE ATHLETES ON THE PLANET AND SO THIS IS AN INNOVATION OF THAT.

I HOPE IT TAKES THAT SPIRIT AND IS ABLE TO GET INTO THE LIVING ROOMS OF AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE AS MANY DEVICES AS WE CAN REACH AROUND THE WORLD TO SHOW THIS UPLIFTING, VERY HUMAN STORY.

>> WHAT DO YOU WANT REFUGEES WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING THIS FILM TOGETHER FROM IT?

>> I WANT PEOPLE TO SEE THEMSELVES, ESPECIALLY LICHEN CAMPS, IN A SITUATION LIKE TODAY , FOR ME I HAVE TWO LITTLE GIRLS, SEVEN AND SIX YEARS OLD.

I WANT THEM TO FEEL INSPIRED AND DRIVEN BY THIS AND I WANT, REFUGEES ARE NOT THE ISSUE.

THEY ARE NOT THE PROBLEM.

WE ARE THE RESULT OF OTHER ISSUES AND PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE A REALLY DEEP LOOK ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE ISSUES.

WHETHER IT IS GLOBAL WARMING, WAR, CRIMES AND PEOPLE HATE AND SOMETIMES EVEN LOATHE --IT IS A LOT OF THINGS, BUT WE ARE NOT THE ISSUE.

WE ARE ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF SO MANY OTHER ISSUES AND THAT IS WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK AND FIND DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS.

>> YOU DESCRIBED THIS PROCESS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THERAPY FOR YOU.

HOW DID IT HELP?

>> IT WAS A BIG CHALLENGE.

I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE WORLD AFTER THE FIRST TIME.

WITHIN THAT I WAS CARRYING IN MY SHOULDERS A VERY HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY .

IN SYRIA, FOR MY PERSONAL SURVIVAL, I NEEDED TO TELL THE WORLD WHAT CRIMES I'VE WITNESSED, WHAT THINGS HAPPENED.

FOR ME, I AM VERY PROUD.

I CAN BE EVEN MORE PROUD OF MYSELF, BUT NOW IN MY CAREER AS A REFUGEE DIRECTOR, I WAS ABLE TO DO A FILM LIKE THIS IN OVER 10 COUNTRIES WITH PEOPLE WHO SPEAK SO MANY LANGUAGES AND WITH AN AMAZING CREW WHO SUPPORTED ME, AND I THINK THAT IS ANOTHER MESSAGE THAT REFUGEES SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE WHAT THEY CAN DO.

>> JOE, YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE OLYMPIC REFUGEE FOUNDATION AND THEIR MISSION IS IN PART TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO SAFE SPORT FOR 1 MILLION PEOPLE AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHY IS SPORTS SO IMPORTANT?

ACCESS TO SPORT, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT DOES IN THE LIFE OF A REFUGEE?

>> WELL, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED.

SO I SPORT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS UNIVERSAL AND ACCESSIBLE AND VERY WELL UNDERSTOOD.

IT IS A WAY TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND A WAY TO BUILD CONNECTIONS WITHIN THESE GROUPS AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IS A PROVEN WAY TO HELP DEAL WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN CERTAIN CASES.

SPORT CAN BE THERAPY IN AND OF ITSELF.

IT IS A WAY TO REALLY CREATE CONNECTIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND ONE SOCCERBALL IN ONE FLAT SPACE IS AN EASY WAY TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.

>> WAAD AL-KATEAB AND JOE GEBBIA DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER OF WE DARE TO DREAM THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.

>> THANK YOU HARI