The Messengers (Les Messagers; 2014, Hélène Crouzillat & Laetitia Tura, France). Documentary. 70 minutes. (Midwest Premier)
Tuesday, January 31st, 2017
Doors at 7:00... Screening at 7:30
@ The Mini - 1329 Main St.
Presented by the Center for Film & Media Studies at the University of Cincinnati.
In recent years, more than 3,000 migrants have lost their lives each year on the borders of Europe. This film considers the fine line between life and death in the voyages taken towards Europe via Africa. The directors allow migrants to recount their stories of passage from the Sahara to Melilla, a Spanish enclave in Morocco. Where are their bodies? Where are their graves? The “messengers” are those who have survived and who say their names. The Messengers is one of the first documentary on the subject and was shot during a fouryear long investigation in Northern Africa by the two directors. The film was theatrically released in France in 2015 and garnered several awards after screening at numerous festivals in Europe and Africa.
Preceded by:
Blue Sky from Pain (2016, Stephanos Mangriotis, Hyacinthe Pavlides & Laurence Pillant, Greece). 15 minutes.
Blue Sky from Pain considers the 2015 migrant and refugee crisis from the vantage point of a solitary man at a Greek migrant detention center. The directors draw on poetic voice over and stunning but stark imagery to retell a story with nuance and humanity that was often absent from media representations. The film has already screened at a few film festivals in Europe.