Superdiversity on Screen: Children of Men (15)

Superdiversity on Screen is a series of free film screenings taking place at the Phoenix cinema. Each film will be preceded by a brief introduction, and followed by a 20-minute discussion / Q&A with University of Leicester academics and non-academic experts. Whether you're a film buff or a curious mind, this is your chance to watch, learn, and share your thoughts in a welcoming space.

As part of the 2025 ESRC Festival of Social Science, the University of Leicester’s Migration, Mobility and Citizenship Network (MMCN) is partnering with Phoenix Cinema, and the charities Trade Sexual Health and Leicester City of Sanctuary to bring you screenings of three excellent films. These screenings, which are also in association with the Festival of Media Stories at the University's School of Arts, Media and Communication, will spark discussion of different aspects of superdiversity. After each screening there will be a reflection on the film by a member of the MMCN and a non-academic representative. This will be an exciting informal opportunity for audience discussion on superdiversity, a topic of special significance in Leicester.

Event programme:

Joyland (15) Monday 3 November (7,45 pm)  Saim Sadiq’s award-winning 2022 film is set in Pakistan, and as it follows members of the Rana family, invites us to reflect on how social and gender norms are constructed and resisted through everyday acts. The film will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with two experts: Professor Katy Bennett (School of Geology, Geography, and the Environment, University of Leicester) and a representative from the charity Trade Sexual Health.

Children of Men (15) Thursday 6 November (7,45 pm)  Starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore, this film was released in 2006 and set in our now very near future of 2027. Children of Men depicts a dystopian world: society has broken down, women have somehow become infertile, and an activist must transport a secretly pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea. The film will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with two experts: Dr Alan Desmond (Leicester Law School) and Aleks Palanac (Head of Sanctuary) from the University of Leicester.

Babel (15) Friday 7 November (7.45 pm) Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, this 2006 film follows the stories of four families linked by a single event. The film will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with two experts: Dr Yan Ying (School of Arts, Media and Communication, University of Leicester) and a representative from the charity Leicester City of Sanctuary. 

The event is led by Zalfa Feghali, Associate Professor at the School of Arts, Media and Communication. Zalfa is a member of the University’s Migration, Mobility and Citizenship Network (MMCN) and a trustee at Citizens Advice Leicestershire. Zalfa will be joined for discussion of the films by MMCN colleagues including Dr Katy Bennett, Professor in the School of Geography, Dr Alan Desmond, Associate Professor at Leicester Law School, and Dr Yan Ying, Associate Professor at the School of Arts, Media and Communication, as well as Aleks Palanac, Head of Sanctuary at the University of Leicester, and representatives from charities Trade Sexual Health and Leicester City of Sanctuary.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but please be aware that the film shown has an classifications of 15.

The films screened as part of this series will appeal to anyone interested in superdiversity, migration, and identity and the complex array of issues they raise, from the personal to the political, from the national to the international.

This series forms part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science

Monday 3rd November 2025 (7.45 pm): Joyland

Thursday 6 November 2025 (7.45p pm): Children of Men

Friday 7 November 2025 (7.45 pm): Babel