This is not another refugee and migration story. With over 35,000 deaths, we are in urgent need of showing the bigger picture of the EU border system.
We no longer want to accept that people continue to suffer and die at our borders. Many documentaries exist that depict personal stories and tell the 'big story' through the lens of the individual. We believe it is urgent that we tell the 'big story' of the EU's external borders and the system behind it that has lead to recurring humanitarian emergencies at different 'hotspots' for over 25 years.
We embarked on a three-month research trip with our
camera in summer 2017 to some of these current and past
hot-spots in order to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of
EU border politics and gathered 60 hours of film material. We took
part in a NGO rescue mission in a small vessel off the
Libyan coast. We drove down the Western Balkan
route through Serbia to Northern Greece, and visited Chios
in the Aegean Sea off the Turkish coast. Finally, we travelled to
Morocco and Ceuta.
In our film, we explain that migration cannot and will not be stopped (through increased border enforcement) and examine the role of the security industry in keeping up this game. Only by showing the underlying mechanisms of recurring emergencies can we go beyond and give voice to people who have thought about humane alternative options to migration and border management and generate sustainable change.
A feature-length documentary film that increases awareness on the historical context of humanitarian emergencies along the EU borders. It will depict EU practices of border and migration management that may well have the intention on 'saving lives' but de facto have not prevented death and suffering at EU external borders for the last 25 years. Most importantly, the film will give a voice to individuals who have worked on alternative and humane solutions to sustainably reduce and prevent border emergencies. The viewer will not be left in shock but will be given options other than increased border security and can thus contribute to discussions about more humane and sustainable alternatives.
We know the feeling of having your mind over-saturated with horrific images from the EU borders, and the feeling that it is easier to look away and move on with our lives. Yet, these images are real and we are in urgent need to confront our societies with not only the underlying mechanisms, but more importantly the possibilities there are to shift the policy and public discourse from the 'walls-up' policies towards humane alternatives.
Help us to educate and raise awareness about
deadly practices and give voice to alternatives in order to move
forward and generate sustainable change.
The research travels and production so far have been financed through our own savings. We have gathered 60 hours of film material already and talked to 39 migrants, NGO staff, scientists and journalists about the situation along the border spots we visited.
With your help we want to continue our work and...
Behind this project are two motivated idealists who believe everyone can do their part to make this world a bit more just: Corinna (31 years) is an anthropologist and graduate of the London School of Economics, who worked in international development and quit her job to be able to give 100% to make this film happen. Dschafar (35 years) contributes his experience as a filmmaker. He has been involved in many film productions (feature and short film, documentaries, commercial and image film) all over Germany and Europe as a cinematographer since 2005. He is passionate about putting this urgent topic into aesthic images to make the movie impactful and attractive to audiences of all backgrounds and ages.
