„Global Day“ – Storytelling as an instrument of development policy

Kinosaal mit Leinwand

Presenting the documentary „We Exist“ ©DIE

What opportunities do audio-visual media and digital social media campaigns offer to sensitise the public to global problems and inform them about development policy approaches to combat them? This was the theme of the „Global Day“ on 15 October 2019 at this year’s Film Festival Cologne, to which Engagement Global, the Film Festival Cologne, MISEREOR, the German UNESCO Commission, the Deutsche Welle Academy and the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) had invited. Actors from Germany and Africa presented strategies, current projects and best practice cases. Two films were presented in the evening:

The Italo-Western „Bacurau“ takes a look into the future. The inhabitants of Bacurau are cut off from the water supply. However, not only the lack of water but also fascist politicians are a problem for the people. Mr. Kleber Mendonça Filho from Brazil deals with the topic of right-wing populism in his home country.

The documentary „We Exist“ tells the story of everyday life on the run. Director Lucian Segura refrains from using an explanatory narrative text. For minutes, the camera shows the face of a singing girl without any comment. A child singing about the loss of her mother who had been lost on the run. The 45-minute film combines music from countries in the Middle East and Africa with snapshots from everyday life in a refugee camp.

Director Lucian Segura will show his film „We Exist“ during a film tour until 30 November 2019 in eleven towns in Germany. In discussions after the film screenings, Segura wants to reflect and discuss about the film with the audience. The film tour is part of the programme ”Development Education in Germany” (EBD).