The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art will take part in this year's World Refugee Day on June 20 by showing Human Flow, a film by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, whose Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads sculptures were exhibited at the museum last year. The United Nations Refugee Agency and civic groups around the world host World Refugee Day events in order to draw the public's attention to the millions of refugees and internally displaced people worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict and persecution.

Human Flow is an epic journey that gives a powerful visual expression to this massive human migration. The documentary exposes the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. Weiwei filmed in 23 countries, including Kenya, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Gaza and northern Greece. Individuals and community groups are encouraged to mark the day by attending local World Refugee Day events, watching and sharing World Refugee Day videos, and raising awareness for refugees on social media. This year’s theme explores the global impact on refugees, and calls for investment in communities that host refugees to help ease the pressure on the host, while prompting refugees to become self-reliant.

The film will be shown June 20, 2019, at 5 p.m. in the Chao lecture hall of the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art. The cost is $5 and members are free; tickets can be reserved here.