This week at Showroom Cinema we are welcoming back Sheffield’s Diaspora Multimedia Hub (DMH), as it invites first-time filmmakers to tell the stories of the people in the Steel City.

Somali Steel; Stories of strength & resilience amongst the citizens of Sheffield is the latest instalment in the DMH’s series of showcases, the first of which took place in 2021. Hosted by ISRAAC Somali Community Association and Sheffield Hallam University, the event will feature short films which explore Somali heritage and history and its place in our city.

These films have been made as a result of the Diaspora Multimedia Hub’s Summer Film School, a collaborative initiative that supports Sheffield’s diasporic communities to create, author, and tell their own stories through film – stories that are largely misrepresented or ignored. Consequently, the filmmakers capture our region at exciting new angles. Their work explores themes of belonging, migration, health, community, and healing.

Victoria Street, directed by Asma Kabadeh and Aaron Hopper is a spoken word film performed by Warda Yassin, Sheffield’s poet laureate which explores community and growing up in Broomhall. Made in collaboration with Screen Yorkshire and Sheffield Hallam University, it was the winner of the Welcome to Yorkshire inaugural film awards 2021.

Poetry also features in Introspection, by Directed Najma, which deals with the topic of healing and explores her feeling of calm in nature. We follow the director on a walk as she reflects and reconnects with herself in a bid to make sense of what’s going on around her within the context of climate change.

Meanwhile, Lloyd’s Story, directed by Sami Baghadadi, is a documentary about Lloyd Samuels: strategic lead for Sheffield Youth, Neighbourhoods & Communities and BBC Sheffield Radio presenter. The lens is turned towards childhood trauma resulting from years of racial oppression, family tragedy, and gang exploitation, exploring the hardships Lloyd has experienced throughout his life.  

Offering more insight into the work that went into the films on display, this showcase will be accompanied by an introduction from selected filmmakers, who will be in attendance for the day.  

The Diaspora Multimedia Hub will also bring an exhibition, which will be on display in our foyer. The exhibition is about Somali history in Sheffield which includes the first migration of Somali men who arrived here in the 1950s, having worked on merchant ships, and went on to work in the city’s steel industry. The exhibition also highlights some key figures in the community, including Burngreave councillor Safiya Saeed.

The showcase will take place on October 23. Tickets are on sale now. 

This screening is £2, but we recommend booking tickets in advance. 

This article first featured in the Sheffield Telegraph on Thursday 17 November 2022.