Shorts Special: mbo

About the programme
Two families in two different parts of the world. Two very ordinary appointments that turn out to be anything but ordinary. In this Shorts Special, we look at two short films about how rules, boundaries and systems affect the daily lives of ordinary people.

Why these films? Because they show how systems can work against people, even if you haven’t done anything wrong. Because they make you feel how frustrating it is when you have no control over your own life. After the films, we continue the discussion: How does this make you feel? What would you do in such a situation? And what does this say about freedom, security and rules – not only in the films, but also here in the Netherlands?

About the films
The Present
Yusef is a Palestinian father who lives in the West Bank. On his wedding anniversary, he sets out with his young daughter Yasmine to buy a refrigerator – a gift for his wife Noor. However, such an everyday task turns out to be much more complicated than you might think. They encounter walls, checkpoints and strict soldiers who severely restrict their freedom.

A Lien
Sophie and Oscar are in a relationship and have been going through the immigration process in the United States for years. Finally, it is their turn for their interview: an exciting but calm conversation that will determine whether Oscar will receive a residence permit (green card) and be allowed to stay in the US with Sophie. But while the interview is going as it should, something shocking happens: suddenly, the immigration service ICE storms into the building. Without warning, other people are arrested and taken away — people who are there because they have an appointment, just like Sophie and Oscar. What ICE is doing is actually illegal: this place is supposed to be safe for people in the process.

Prepare your class well for the cinema visit
Teaching materials are available to prepare students prior to the cinema visit. This is important in order to properly understand the context of the films and their themes. Classes that have done the preparatory lesson often enjoy the cinema visit more, because they already have some prior knowledge. We recommend setting aside one lesson hour to prepare properly for the cinema visit.