De Kiesmannen Film Route

Politzek: Voices that Defy the Kremlin is an inspiring and courageous story. This film fits with what we stand for; speaking up. In one of the world’s most repressive regimes, it takes a tremendous amount of courage to go out into the streets and speak up. This film is a stark reminder of the privilege we have living in The Netherlands and to be able to do this. We can’t even imagine ourselves having so much courage. It shows what is on the line when you speak out – a reason to take inspiration.

Alles Moet Beter shows the imperfections of the Dutch democratic system, and the ways in which young people are using their means to do more for the benefit of their society. It is a reminder that younger generations in the Netherlands must take the opportunities they are given to design their own future. However, too often than not young people feel politically indifferent or ignorant. Partly because young people have the feeling that the system is not designed for them; politics isn’t there to look out for them, people of colour are not well represented. Also, we take democracy for granted. We are not suffering from war, we have grown up privileged, so there is less at stake for us. But this does not mean that we should give up fighting. Democracy is a process built on collective action, not an end state.

We are interested in what Artificial Justice tells us about technology and our justice system, being sceptical of AI isn’t always the way. Many people argue there are a lot of biases in individuals, for example confirmation bias or selection bias. Artificial Justice is about taking away some of that human agency and depoliticising the legal system to have better outcomes. We are worried about big tech for many reasons, one of them being for our democracies. Big tech already possesses a massive accumulation of power, and its further implementation should be done with great care. It is normal and understandable to be sceptical of AI, but if cautiously implemented, it could benefit our society and our democracies.

It is important for us to mention the devastating situation in Iran. Women in particular are the most repressed group within the nation; the risk is highest for them. When they come together en masse, we have a moral duty to support them from wherever we are. Women and young people of Iran are an inspiration for democratic movements around the world. There is a tendency with these movements to grow and die quite quickly, but we need to continue to show what happens in Iran, and the people who are fighting. We love the multidisciplinary aspect of this exhibition, don’t miss out on it!