Programme

What is a pushback? | Nagehan Uskan, RePlito collectives, 2023, Greece, Turkey, 8’
Created during the Visual Storytelling as Resistance workshop on Lesvos, “What Is a Pushback?” presents migrants’ firsthand accounts of pushbacks and the human impact of European border practices. A number of pushback images and testimonies are shown. By foregrounding personal testimony, the film highlights how these actions erode trust in state institutions and this point to the impossibility of migrants to enter the social contract and participate fully in society. The film places migrants’ voices in stark contrast with the silence of the previous film. ‘What is a Pushback’ encourages viewers to reconsider how ‘advanced democracies’ deal with migration, often in disregard of human rights.

Teen Angst | Inga Pylypchuk, 2024, Germany and Ukraine, 29’
"Do you remember the feeling of living without war?" Nine stories about growing up in times of war come from three refugees and six internally displaced Ukrainian teenagers. These nine testimonies from those who either live in a war zone or have to deal with the consequences of war show how migration allows people to rebuild trust in the present and in the future of society. But how are they to care for themselves, when fear for family, death, separation and trauma are omnipresent? Migration helps to endure the difficulties of war. They speak of a search for security and happiness, for everyday life and hope.

O homem do lixo | Laura Gonçalves, 2022, Portugal, 11’
“O Homem do Lixo” is an animated documentary short about a Portuguese man who emigrated to France during the dictatorship, where he worked as a garbage collector. When returning to Belmonte, he brought back objects considered trash in France but still useful at home. The film explores, in both concrete and symbolic ways, how a migrant’s experiences build resilience, which they bring back to their country of origin. Resilience is a quality that migrants contribute to both their host and home countries, helping foster the social contract during times of transition or ‘crisis’. They also contribute to the renegotiation of social-economic relations by drawing on both local and foreign ways of living.

Outra ilha | Eduardo Saraiva, 2024, Portugal, 32’.
“Outra Ilha” portrays a community of Cape Verdeans who settled on the outskirts of the port of Sines in the 1980s, gradually building the houses, streets, and gardens that became the Amílcar Cabral neighborhood. The film shows how these migrants put down roots in Portugal even as their children have never seen the land of their ancestors. Through stories of resilience, dignity-building and (re)existence, it prompts reflection on how migration transforms territories and contributes to rebuilding local society. Migrants thus voluntarily contribute to the social contract, before being recognised as legitimate stakeholders or able to articulate social demands.

Aneni | Jack Hawkins, 2019, United Kingdom, 17’
“Aneni” follows a Zimbabwean cleaning woman living in the United Kingdom who faces financial hardship as she struggles to provide for her daughter back home. The film highlights the migrant’s challenges to dignity, her resilience in barely surviving on low wages, and the (dis)trust that shapes her relationship with local society and institutions. “Aneni” shows how migrants’ dignity and fundamental rights are denied or dependent on contractual conditions they have little control over. Migrants thus contribute to the construction of society, maintaining dignity despite the challenges posed by the disadvantaged position they hold in society.

Adnan's Father | Sylvia Le Fanu, 2017, Denmark, 25’
“Adnan’s Father” recounts the experience of Sayid, a Syrian refugee doctor, as he strives to settle in a rural area of Denmark with his son, Adnan, after receiving his residency permit. This is the story of a decisive and empathic father who strives to learn a new life(style) while defending his and his son's dignity, refusing shortcuts and special favors. This earns his son’s admiration and respect. The film highlights how migrants strengthen humanity and dignity in their host society by defending the equality of human beings, no matter their qualifications and the hardships they face.

Under The Endless Sky | Alexandra Dzhiganskaya, 2022, Ukraine, 4’
In “Under the Endless Sky,” Alexandra Dzhiganskaya reflects on her childhood memories before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, emphasizing that “our memories play an important role in the construction of identity and self-awareness.” The film highlights the resistance of the civilian population, who are victims of war, and shows how preserving memory becomes a vital form of personal survival and social re-existence. Migrant memories allow individuals to reconnect with their pasts, families, and former lives. While refugees look forward to a new life, many bring their “memory” diaries with them to help navigate and survive the new reality of their host countries. Migrants construct post-war societies.

Voice Notes from Palestine | Amal Al-Agroobi, 2024, Palestine, 10’
“Voice Notes from Palestine” reports the voices of Palestinian students with special needs at the University of Gaza. The students use social media to share their suffering, loss, hope, and resilience throughout the many months of bombardment and forced displacement of the Gaza Strip, caused by the Israeli occupation and violence. The film highlights different ways to strengthen resilience, (re)existence, dignity, and (dis)trust in international institutions. Amid multiple layers of disadvantage and injustice, migrants resist destruction and keep society alive. They portray a vision beyond colonialism, war and destruction, aiming to reconstruct a social contract that enables dignified living conditions.

MIGRANT | Ezequiel Dalinger, Daniel Iezz, 2019, Argentina, 6’
Emigration can be understood from many perspectives, as each emigrant has a unique experience. Expectations, desperations, and dreams often clash with urgent needs, the pressures of survival, or the pursuit of political ideals. These complex realities are not always visible when encountering a migrant. “Migrante” is an animated short film with a powerful message about the unique opportunities provided by migration. It is based on real testimonies and animated by more than 50 artists from 11 Latin American countries, brought together by Anima Latina. The film showcases the many ways migration fosters resilience,  generates resistance to social challenges and (re)existence after social transitions, shaping resilient societies and social contracts.