I Made a Mistake Coming Here

November 2021, Belarus. Thousands of people from the Middle East have come in the hope of crossing the border into the European Union. Alexander Lukashenko, the country’s leader, “invited” them in order to create a migratory crisis at the EU borders. One Kurdish family decides not to risk their life and to apply for political asylum in Europe, helped by three Belarusian volunteers. These young women – an entrepreneur, a geologist and a journalist – do everything to make the family’s life better and risk their own safety to support them. While they discuss filial love together, homeland, culture and hope for freedom, arbitrary arrests become a daily occurrence in Belarus, and the three women are also forced to start contemplating exile.
Louis Beaudemont (France)
Esther van Messel (Switzerland)
First Hand Films
Les Steppes Productions
- Supporting Aziz’s family case to help them settle down in good conditions - it could pave the way for other migrants stuck in Belarus.
- To reveal the cynical strategy of political leaders who create or maintain a “migrant crisis” that has led to the death and displacement of thousands.
- Changing the ideas we have on ‘migration’ to ‘forced migration’, to highlight how it affects people on different levels.
- To reveal how the map of forced migrations has changed quickly over the last five years (Ukraine, Belarus, Asia).
- Media campaign (gathering a coalition of journalists we can trust and that have already investigated migrants' rights worldwide) to raise awareness on the situation of Middle Eastern forced migrants in Belarus, and of Belarusian forced migrants in Europe. And to show how States use migration for geopolitical and internal political purposes.
- Involve decision makers to raise the question of human trafficking created by the Belarusian government and to find tools to help forced migrants like Aziz's family.
- Involve lawyers to consider what kind of prosecution can be launched against the government.
- Support Aziz's family's legal situation and consider the security of the film crew and characters during the impact campaign and film distribution.
Organisations
Amnesty International
Reporters Without Borders – In talks
Funders IMS – International Media Support – In talks
Organisations
Amnesty International
Reporters Without Borders – In talks
Funders IMS – International Media Support – In talks