MEDIA RELEASE

Film "Trouble Comes to Me" previews at NSW Artstart launch

Released 19 September 2003

Information and Cultural Exchange
PO Box 4033 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia
T: +61(2) 9897 5744 / F: +61(2) 9897 5766

Four friends are cruising the streets of Western Sydney.

A police report airs: “perpetrators of Middle Eastern Appearance..”

Sirens blare. Lebanese boys. Wrong place, wrong time… again.

“What’s his problem cuz?”
“It’s ‘cause we’re Lebo’s bro…”

Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) recently screened a short film exploring the contemporary climate of racialising crime in Western Sydney at the launch of the statewide ARTSTART Youth Festival at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art and at the Parramatta Riverside Theatres.

Trouble Comes to Me is a poignant drama about the racism faced by Arabic speaking young people and emerged from the Shifa: agents of change camp held earlier this year. It brought together mostly Arabic-Speaking young people from Western Sydney, empowering them to make a difference.

“An initiative of the Premier’s Department’s Youth Partnership with Arabic Speaking Communities, in partnership with community sponsor ICE, the camp utilised community workers, artists and filmmakers to provide training in leadership; provoke ideas on self and cultural identity; inspire them with possibilities to impact the community and to provide a place for the young people to be heard,” said ICE Director Lena Nahlous, who also attended the camp.

Camp guest speaker, Armed MC (aka Ahmad Arja), a musician and hip-hop artist from Western Sydney, volunteered his time to attend the camp, delivering an inspiring talk and an impromptu performance with the young people. Armed MC worked with the young people to develop the soundtrack for the film.

“The program and the young people were inspirational. We all agree that something needs to be done about the negative misconceptions towards young people in our communities. We need to eliminate borders—both on maps and in the mind—and work as a team to create our own positive images. We need to even challenge media within our own community to create these positive images,” said Armed MC (aka Ahmad Arja).

Copies of the video are available. Contact Fadia Abboud 02 9897 5744.

Media Enquiries:
Linda Mirabilio on 9897 5744 ext 6 / email