Samer Fallaha : « I love helping people, I love seeing them smile! »

PostED ON OCTOBER 18 AT 4:15PM

Copyright Institut Lumière / Laure Lépine

« I like meeting people, but most of all, I love helping and seeing them smile! »

With overwhelming enthusiasm, Samer Fallaha, 46, is working as a festival volunteer for the second year in a row. Whether he is welcoming the public at the Halle Tony Garnier or the Auditorium of Lyon or handing out newspapers and programs, Samer does his best to accommodate festivalgoers. These missions are part of his work as a member of SINGA, an association that endeavors to build a sense of community between refugees and locals. In 2016, Samer left his hometown of Aleppo, Syria for France. After landing in Paris, this interior designer settled near Mâcon before finding a permanent home in Caluire. Always ready to help others, Samer is involved in many local associations, from Action Réfugiés or Ecosila at the Bonnefoi social center to La Petite Cantine and the Réfugiés Food Festival. The former interior designer turned caterer is generous with his time when it comes to helping others with translations, meal preparation or cultural activities: “I like to help others and it’s also a way for me to thank France for welcoming me. I do what I can at my level.” It’s hard not to crack a smile when you run into Samer, whom some epicureans already know as “Sam Cuisine.”

Laure Lépine