Steve Thomas’ documentary, Freedom Stories, explores what life was like for people who experienced both mandatory detention and the uncertainty of temporary protection visas in their new home.

The lives of refugees after settling in Australia is not a commonly told tale.

Creating lives for themselves, after in some cases arriving as a child, they now participate in every facet of Australian life.

One former asylum seeker feature in the film is Canberra motor mechanic Mustafa Jawadi.

After fleeing Afghanistan with his family at the age of 10, the boat the family were on caught fire and sank during a stand-off with the Australian Navy before being rescued from the water. 

The documentary will be shown at Bega’s Funhouse Studio at 3 Hill St on Thursday, October 20 from 7pm.