Migrant Odyssey
Dear MuslimKerstin Nickig / Nemecko, Po¾sko / 2005 / 35 min.
Dear Muslim, if we're not here anymore when you've grown up, never forget that you're a Chechen and it is your duty to help your people as best you can.” This is just one of many messages that Sacita has written in her diary for her three–year–old son Muslim. A year ago, she along with her husband and other surviving members of their family travelled to Poland where they applied for asylum. With them, they brought videotapes and photographs that provide a clear testimony of the war in their home country, but also contain many painful memories. Sacita's father and brother were murdered, probably because of her work as a journalist; the videotapes were most likely the reason why her sister was held in custody and tortured for several days; together, these were ultimately the reasons why her family had to leave Chechnya, although they would have preferred to stay at home. Now they are waiting to see whether Poland will grant them asylum, recollecting the past and hoping for a better future. But little Muslim also makes them think about the present – peace in Chechnya is nowhere in sight and their son will probably grow up in a foreign country. Through the personal story of Sacita and her family, director Kerstin Nickig reports on the endless and seemingly hopeless nature of the conflict in Chechnya, which has in one way or another been going on for two hundred years or so. Thanks to the unique footage obtained by Sacita and her husband, Nickig takes another look at the ill–fated fortunes of a small but defiant country in the Caucuses, which has been abandoned by almost half its inhabitants during the last ten years and where tens to hundreds of thousands of civilians have died.
Kontakt: nyucha@web.de
Might is Right
Patric Jean / Belgicko / 2003 / 85 min.
It is not long ago when the suburbs of Paris were full of street riots. Suddenly, the whole world was aware of the immigrant minorities. But this was Paris, and the cars burning were those of 'respectable citizens'. The film had been made two years before the violence in Paris started. Nevertheless, the tense atmosphere of the suburbs is present throughout the whole picture, the feeling that the violence must burst out at any moment. Director Patric Jean has travelled in many European cities, and not only the capital cities, and can now say that in a way all suburbs are very much alike. Pictures of grey blocks of flats, which have only a few years until their lifespan expires, and deserted factories are the proofs of his words. For a more detailed analysis, Patric Jean chose Lyon, famed for his industry and great number of universities – that's why it is called the city of students. But the authors of tourist guides must have omitted the suburbs of Lyon. Unemployed teenagers wondering along empty streets signing hip–hop and blues songs about buses that no longer go to their neighbourhoods. Might is Right unveils the reverse side of the 'tolerant' France, showing many a 'respectable' French citizen sneer with mistrust; we can often feel their racial prejudice that have excommunicated the numerous immigrant minorities to suburbs and branded them as 'problematic'. Might is Right is a film about the social status of so–called 'urban masterclass', about its fury and frustration that is sure to escalate.
Kontakt: claudine.vano@chello.be, th.detaille@wip.be, www.wip.be
Invisible People
Mykola Hejko / ÈR / 2005 / 56 min.
In the past, most Ukrainians spent their entire lives in their homeland; for political reasons it was almost impossible for them to even cross its borders. Although their country gained freedom after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, social deprivation followed soon after. Those who refused to eke out a miserable living at home decided to seek work in other parts of Europe in order to make money to feed their families. About twelve million Ukrainians live outside of their own country, travelling around and taking on menial jobs. Reporter Boris Chykulaj went on a journey in the footsteps of those who have become foreigners both abroad and at home and view their homeland as a lawless, mafia–controlled, third world country, a „rubbish bin“ or „a mother who cannot feed her children.“ He visits Ukrainian communities in Italy, Greece, Spain, as well as the Czech Republic, interviewing their members and offering the audience an insight into their miserable living conditions. Although we never see much of the Ukraine in detail, the mosaic of interviews and statements full of indignation in this highly dynamic and vivid documentary provides an accurate picture of the country. One–sided though it is, its focus on one particular social group is justified by the sheer numbers of Ukrainians working abroad, whose story deserves to be told.
Kontakt: dan@goldendawn.cz
Whatz up?
Bettina Braun / Nemecko / 2004 / 84 min.
Betty Brown's documentary follows several youths, second–generation Turkish and Albanian immigrants, living in Germany. The rappers wander through life, struggling for their daily bread while trying to 'make it' with the least possible effort and feeling happiest 'hanging around' on the streets or performing in clubs. „Whatz up“ follows their fortunes and life stories, involving the audience in the decisions they have to make, as well as their internal struggles with the fact that they are of a different origin than the society they live in. Often, it is a testimony to the way we underestimate ourselves and the opportunities offered by society, which, if grabbed, could lead to success. The director, a friend of the youths, penetrates their community's way of life and thinking. In her hands, the camera becomes a go–between in their private conversations, enabling the viewer to take part in the lives of the characters, rather than just being a cold outside observer, at the same time guaranteeing a degree of objectivity. This German documentary is not a detached social commentary, even though its theme is the life of a minority in a developed nation, but rather an endearing look at the potential in every human being.
Kontakt: festivals@icon–film.de, www.icon–film.de
