Shadow Game: A documentary film with a discussion afterwards
Fleeing for a Better Future
The documentary ‘Shadow Games’ by Eefje Blankevoort and Els Van Driel shows the twilight world of teenage refugees. A modern odyssey through the dark sides of Europe. In search of safety, and in the hope of finding a better future, the refugees portrayed here endure months of hardship and danger. They themselves have taken to using gaming terminology, describing each border crossing as reaching the “next level”. It’s a dangerous game, because far too often it’s a matter of life and death.
Futurium
In the discussion that follows the film’s screening, we’ll be asking the filmmakers about their motivations and intentions and talking to them about the shooting conditions and the protagonists. We want to find out, from a scientific point of view, why people flee and in what way flight can be considered a form of an individual’s active shaping of the future.
The event will be divided into two parts. The documentary will be screened first; the discussion will take place afterwards.
- Greeting: 19:00 to 19:05
- Film screening: 19:05 to 20:35
- Panel discussion: 20:35 to 21:30
Information
- Venue: Forum
- Admission is free of charge
- Registration is required
- Event language: English
In Cooperation with SILBERSALZ Science & Media Festival.
This event is part of Berlin Science Week 2021.
About the Documentary
Shadow Game is a journey through the dark side of Europe with teenage refugees as our guides.
Everyday teenagers who have fled their war-torn countries try to cross Europe’s borders in search of protection and a better life. They travel through a shadow world we never see: a world of minefields, bears, fast-flowing rivers, smugglers and border guards. ‘The game’ is the bitterly ironic term for crossing borders that has become commonplace among these young refugees. Risking their lives, the teenagers undertake a treacherous journey that often takes months or even years. Along the way, they grow up fast. Shadow Game is a journey through the dark side of Europe with teenage refugees as our guides.
Shadow Game is an experimentally filmed account of the far-reaching consequences of European asylum policy. Now fences have gone up all over Europe, seeking asylum has become almost impossible. The teenagers cross snowy landscapes and meet aggressive border police on their way. Reaching their final destination has become more difficult than ever. Their journey takes them through the whole of Europe: from Greece to North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, from Italy to France and The Netherlands. The film was shot over a period of three years, partly by the main characters themselves on their phones.
Shadow Game is a mosaic story in which the experiences of many young refugees on the road are forged together into one universal tale: a modern Odyssey. Will they overcome the numerous obstacles they face? And will they find a new home?
The Filmmakers
Eefje Blankevoort (1978) studied History at the University of Amsterdam. Between 2002 and 2006 she regularly spent time in Iran where she studied, compiled an archive for the International Institute of Social History and worked on her book Stiekem kan hier alles (You can do anything here in secret). Since then, Eefje has developed into an all-rounder in journalism, writing articles and books, as well as creating interactive projects, exhibitions and documentary films. She is co-founder and director of documentary production agency Prospektor.
Els van Driel (Alkmaar, 1976) is an independent crossmedia journalist and director. She studied art history and social-cultural theology at the University of Amsterdam. She worked for almost 13 years for the Dutch Ecumenical Broadcasting company IKON television where she learned the skills and crafts of television- and documentary making. At IKON she initiated the award- winning youth documentary series ‘Just Kids’ (aka 'Mensjesrechten'); a series about children’s rights, which is broadcast in several countries around Europe on television and is shown at film festivals around the globe.
Speaker
Gerald Knaus is the European Stability Initiative's (ESI) founding chairman. After studying he taught university economics and spent ten years working for NGOs and international organisations in Bosnia and Kosovo. He is a founding member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and was for five years an Associate Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. In 2020 he published the SPIEGEL bestseller "Welche Grenzen brauchen wir?" ("What Borders Do We Need?") on the future of asylum and migration policy.
is a journalist and moderator specializing in foreign policy, Turkey, Europe. From 2015 to 2021, she was political editor at Süddeutsche Zeitung, responsible for Turkey and Greece. Before that, she was an editor at Internationale Politik magazine and worked as a freelance writer and translator. She studied European Studies and International Relations in Maastricht, Istanbul and Berlin.
Presenter
Luisa Seeling is a journalist and moderator specializing in foreign policy, Turkey, Europe. From 2015 to 2021, she was political editor at Süddeutsche Zeitung, responsible for Turkey and Greece. Before that, she was an editor at Internationale Politik magazine and worked as a freelance writer and translator. She studied European Studies and International Relations in Maastricht, Istanbul and Berlin.
Accessibility
- Futurium is a wheelchair-accessible venue.
- An induction loop system is available.
- We’ll keep seats free for those of you who wish to sit close to the stage because of your visual impairment.
- Spaces without seats will be available for wheelchair users.
The future is there for everyone! Futurium wants to be accessible to everyone.
If you have any other access-related needs, please feel free to let us know. We’ll try to fulfil them: info@futurium.de
Photography & Video
Photos will be taken during the event. If you don’t wish to be pictured, please let us know in advance.