Refugee Stories Through Comics, Games, Videos, and Websites
Making Asylum Research Resonate with Broader Audiences
Date: December 22 (Sunday)
Time: 4:00–6:00 PM
Location: Sophia University, Room 301, Building 10
Format: In-person only
Registration: Not required
How do you tell refugee stories? How can you narrate the often-traumatic events of persecution, displacement, and flight in ways that are both truthful and impactful, yet respectful of the people involved? And how can you craft narratives that cut through indifference or fatigue to engage audiences who may feel they’ve already heard it all—or who prefer to turn away?
This event brings together three distinct approaches to storytelling that illuminate the realities of refugee life and transform those realities into compelling narratives for broader audiences.
Gregg Bucken-Knapp, Professor of Public Administration at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), will present the short graphic novel Messages from Ukraine and the serious game At The Crossroads. Both use arts-based methods to highlight the everyday experiences of Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
Rosa Barbaran, an independent filmmaker and producer based in Tokyo, will showcase her short films addressing work and labor issues, diaspora, and the longing for home. These films are part of her broader advocacy for refugees. Barbaran will also discuss the process of production and the human relationships that are central to storytelling.
David Slater, Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Sophia University, will present Refugee Voices Japan, a student-generated website and video archive capturing personal accounts of asylum seekers in the Tokyo area. Both Barbaran and Slater’s work stem from their involvement in the Sophia Refugee Support Group, which has over 100 members and supports more than 200 asylum seekers and migrants in Japan.
Each presenter will introduce their materials, share the creative and collaborative processes behind them, and offer actionable strategies for using these resources in educational and advocacy contexts.
Join us to explore how storytelling can make asylum research more accessible, relatable, and impactful.
This event is organized by the ICC Collaborative Research Unit Refugees and Migrants in Tokyo: An Oral Narrative Approach
