Missing Movies and beyond borders - stories of freedom and friendship
How do we go about making films for children fleeing wars and crises? What can such films accomplish? And, aside from the actual screening of the films, what inspiration can the cinema give these children for their future?
Can film work relieve suffering or even provide hope?
Eight young international film-makers say yes and shoot seven short non-verbal films that will be shown in refugee camps worldwide. Seven imaginative approaches conveying hope and vitality ...
Two years ago, the Goethe Institute launched the Missing Movies project. The plan is to shoot a number of nonverbal short films to be used in refugee camps. Following an international call for proposals, a group of 8 young filmmakers from Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, Colombia and Iran were selected to tackle these questions.
The initial ideas have led to the creation of seven outstanding cinematic concepts, each of which reflects a deep understanding for and addresses in its own highly unique way the needs of the refugee children – with genres ranging from short feature films and documentaries to animated productions. Each of these films examines a different aspect of life without a home or without a family, without friends, or without even without their familiar toys or a school – and ostensibly without a future. Each of these short films offers for a period of 8-12 minutes a glimpse of a brighter future, and hopefully even more than that. One film opens a window to a more colourful world, another conveys the notion that a loss is guaranteed to be followed by a renewed sense of hope while others give the refugee children the necessary tools to regain their courage, acquire greater self-awareness and express themselves more freely.
In the feature length film beyond borders - stories of freedom and friendship Birgit Schulz has woven the seven short features into an episode film, adding Khaled Nawal’s documentary material from Lebanon, Jordan and Greece. In this way, the wishes and dreams of the children reflected in the episodes meet with a reality that appears timeless, without denying them a future. This creates a near-poetic melancholy that is repeatedly broken up by the energy of the children – an energy that knows no bounds the world over.
beyond borders - stories of freedom & friendship is to be shown as an episode film (around 80 minutes in length) at festivals, in cinemas, refugee camps, schools, etc. around the world. The film has already attracted considerable interest and a number of children’s film festivals are planning to show it. Supporting programmes with accompanying material will be developed together with media educators.
The single films of the Missing Movies project can also be shown individually, on festivals, in short film programmes and on television.
The short films
A THING ABOUT ME / BY DIANA MENESTREY & CAMILO COLMENARES
ABDULLAH / BY KHALED MHZER
THE BREAK / BY MADELEINE DALLMEYER
GIANT / BY JOHANNA BENTZ
THE MAGIC BALLOON / BY SANDRA DAJANI
THE MAGNIFYING GLASS / BY NAZGOL EMAMI
SHADY /BY NADA RIYAD
beyond borders- stories of freedom & friendship / episode film
Festivals / a selection
A 80-minute non-verbal episode film and a collection of seven outstanding single films from filmmakers all over the world for children in refugee situations and for children all over the world.
A Bildersturm Filmproduktion production in co-production with WDR / Germany
subsidised by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and the BKM
in co-operation with the Goethe Institute
Producer: Birgit Schulz
beyond borders- stories of freedom & friendship
The Trailer
