Beyond Borders - Documentary

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...

• talk to people who have worked on alternatives to deadly border security policies;
• travel to Africa and look at projects that actually worked for the people and allowed them to stay at home;
• cooperate with a group of journalists, who would look into the role of security and defense enterprises in making money off of each new emergency and their policy-recommending role
• finance post-production (Musician Tim Ströble, Editing, Colour-Grading)
• get licenses for historical, archive material/footage (it is crazy expensive!)