Industry: AMIR Project
The AMIR project (Amsterdam Media Initiative for Refugees) is a new initiative that allows young and talented newcomers (refugees) in the Netherlands to create short, compelling films. Most of them live on the GALAXY, a massive 9-story cruise ship remotely docked in the harbor of Amsterdam, which is a temporary home to 1500 people from around the globe. This is a world restricted to outsiders, where nothing much seems to happen. But that is merely a façade that is redefined in each film presented.
The aim of AMIR is to bring hidden stories to life, preferably in a way in which the subject becomes the storyteller. This season, AMIR students have been working alongside students from the Utrecht School of Journalism and together they have created a program with their teachers alongside mentors of MOONfilm productions, experienced filmmakers, writers and photographers.
AMIR’s students share that they were all born between 1990 and 2005. They come from all over the world. Their experiences in life are varied. Yet they have numerous dreams in common. The project is a means of coming together, discovering each other’s formerly separate worlds. AMIR documents and comments on the lives of determined people trying to develop all sorts of skills in an ever-evolving world. Some will eventually achieve their goals and for others their future remains a mystery. AMIR project turns out to be a friend, a teacher, a brother or a sister and a way of bridging the gap between different worlds and expectations. AMIR challenges a uniform way of looking at refugee life, creating new insights and opportunities within our society.
Programme
The program consists of personal stories ranging from 2- to 10-minute-long films, all created within the AMIR project between summer 2023 and spring 2024 and is hosted by a multifaceted team. A Q&A ends the one-hour program, after which a lively reception wraps up this official international project launch.
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