Hollywood actor Martin Sheen toured the Peace Lab in Hal Far and met migrants this afternoon, soon after he arrived for the premier of his movie The Way.

He was shown around by the founder-director, Fr Dionisius Mintoff OFM and the US Ambassador Douglas Kmiec

The premier is being screened to raise funds for the Peace Lab on the initiative of Mr Kmiec.

The event marks two firsts: the first time the Peace Lab in Ħal Far, which provides shelter to asylum seekers, has ever asked for funding since it was set up in 1971 and the first time international film stars are attending a local premiere in over 30 years.

Mr Sheen, known also for his landmark film Apocalypse Now and his award-winning role in the NBC TV series West Wing, is a devout Catholic activist who has been a promoter of social justice over the years, championing the causes of poverty and homelessness, among others.

The Way produced by Sheen's son Emilio Estevez, tells the story of an American doctor, played by Sheen, who goes to collect the remains of his son killed in a storm on the Camino de Santiago.

Driven by profound sadness, he decides to undertake the historical 800-kilometre pilgrimage from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, with his son’s ashes in a backpack, leaving the “California bubble life” behind. As he walks what is also known as The Way of St James, he discovers his faith and the greater meaning of life.

Mr Sheen and Prof. Kmiec have also worked together on a series of televised conversations in support of Barack Obama’s run for the Presidency.