I was crossing the French border to go on holiday, and I saw two white sheets on the street. Later, I found out that these were two migrants hit and killed. A group was crossing the highway near a rest area when a van hit them full on. I was shocked. I lived in Italy for almost 20years and I crossed that street endless times and I have never seen something like this before. I started checking Google and read articles about it and, sadly, I found out that was not that uncommon. Simply, was just something that people don’t talk about.
“Shadow Game” is a scream in this deep silence. It is an experimental film focused on unaccompanied minors trying “the game” to get to Europe. The film was shot over a period of three years, partly by the main characters themselves on their phones. This documentary shows the consequences of European asylum policy and the tough life of these teenagers crossing snowy landscapes and meeting aggressive border police on their way. The film’s aim is to raise public awareness around this dystopic dark “game” that occurs every day under the indifference. This modern odyssey takes them through the whole of Europe: from Greece to North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, from Italy to France and The Netherlands.
I watched the movie completely speechless. Not only for the raw implications and imagery but also for the attitude of these young boys. Most of the time they have a huge smile, hope in the eyes and restless mind. Most of those stuck somewhere being on the move for months declared they didn’t realise completely what they were doing at the beginning, what it would have been like. Hence the name “the game”. They are aware of the high risk of their actions, but they take it as a game because in this way it is psychologically easy to face it. To do it.
As one of the interviewed said (smiling) “do it or die”. The war in their country is a sentence to death, with the “game” you gain a low possibility of success that is enough to fight this inhuman condition, the violation of their human rights, the violence that they will take on.
The screening ended with the intervention of Leandro, a volunteer of “No Name Kitchen” an independent movement working alongside the Balkans and the Mediterranean routes to promote humanitarian aid and political action for those who suffer the difficulties of extreme journeys and violent pushbacks. As he said they are trying “to plant a seed to make feel these people more welcomed”. They provide the basic needs (water, food, showers, cloths, laundry etc.) but also, they advocate for the illegal abuse and violence committed by the police on the borders. During the Q&A session they answered to many questions about how to help them and if you are willing to do so you can visit their webpage here: nonamekitchen.org.
Also, you can visit the shadowgame homepage to find out more about the film, the main characters lives, what you can do, and much more.
The event finished with a call for actions with a list of organisations and associations that are trying to help people in distress because “it relies on us, people like us, to help them integrate and guarantee their civil rights” until it will be commonly undeniable that what is happening is wrong and unfair. Because all these people are not just helpless drops in the ocean. We are a whole, and we must take care of each other.