Denmark 2019, 52/72 min, A Hansen & Pedersen Production
by Jonas Bruun
Humanity on Trial
When the refugee crisis hits Europe, a young Dane travels to Greece to volunteer rescuing refugees from the Aegean Sea. One night, while trying to find a family lost at sea, Salam is arrested and charged with human smuggling. If he is convicted, he might spend the rest of his life behind bars in prison. In Greece, where democratic values were born, Salam’s case sets the future of Europe’s humanity: is saving lives a crime?All these years, and culminating in a ground-breaking trial, we follow Salam’s case and witness what happens to our European values and legal systems under the pressure of the refugee crisis.
After having spent two nights in jail the four others, another Dane and three Spaniards, are allowed to travel back to their families, but being the captain of the boat our protagonist is not granted his freedom. Under bail of €10,000 he is released from jail, but denied the right to leave Greece before the trial. So he stays in the country following the refugee crisis around the nation helping where it’s needed the most. After 20 months at last, burned out financially, physically and mentally, he is allowed to go home. But the impending trial still hangs over him like a dark cloud. So he starts his preparations with lawyers in Greece and Denmark, and goes around Europe giving talks and interviews, meeting with politicians, all trying to bring awareness to his case.
CPH:DOX Opening Film JUSTICE and International Premiere, Nordisk Panorama (nom. New Nordic Voice, Winner Audience Award), HumanDocs, MiddleEastNow