This much I know is true - short documentary restoring faith in humanityUser's  Anrike Piel project in the category Film & Photo

One of these days volunteering in a refugee camp in Greece, we went to Athens to hand out food and other necessities to the homeless. We met a couple who had previously lived a lavish life in Germany but for one reason or another, were now living in a cardboard shelter. We met young teenage boys, without their parents, alone in a strange city, scared, confused but at that moment so high on drugs that we had to triple-check to make sure they're alive. We handed a sandwich, tea, and some clean shirts to a man with both legs amputated, him praying and thanking us made it nearly unbearable to hold back the tears. A mother, quite clearly high on heroin, probably constantly abused on the streets in front of her two little daughters that were running after her. Many of these people were refugees, but to my surprise, many were local.

That night on our drive back to Chalkida, I began thinking what a mockery all these binding principles of EU member states are for leaving Greece and Germany on their own. This question led to many more, and the investigation brought me back to my home country Estonia to see how it is contributing to assisting this global crisis.

After nearly a decade living elsewhere, in October 2018 I got back home. Living abroad, I proudly told people of my beloved Estonia, its long dire history and its level-headed people. Can you imagine my shock when I heard the phrase "if (they're) black, show the door", or being told that hijabi wearing women refugees get spit on or sworn at in the city center by Estonians.

Shortly, after a period of feeling extremely disappointed, I understood that in order to analytically look at the country and understand the natives here, I need to learn how the country has grown while I was growing up somewhere else. I proceeded to talk to politicians, activists, humanitarian aid workers, and locals. The lies and misleading information by our politicians was driving me mad and I was preparing the angriest film ever made of a small calm country. But for the sake of my sanity, I put the political noise aside and began getting to know these communities of different nationalities here, including the ones that moved here during the Soviet Union. No matter their origin, culture or religion, each story resembled so much of the ones my grandma has told me of wartime in Estonia.

Estonia hasn't been a monoethnic and unilingual nation for a long time. It is widely documented that when you know someone of a different background, ethnicity, etc., your perspective on that "group" changes. "This Much I Know Is True" is a short documentary film that brings together a group of women and children from different nationalities and generations that live in Estonia. They bond in a safe place at a cottage among nature, where they share their personal experiences of war, migration, and integration. It takes a close look into the everyday lives of the foreigners who are rebuilding their lives in Estonia or tackling integration the best they can. It provides a challenge to the political rhetoric that seeks to divide people, create fear and provoke discrimination, by giving a voice to women who are often left out of the conversations, yet are the ones raising our next generations. These are stories about fear and loss, struggle and hope, and the profound resilience of the human spirit. The film allows the viewer to witness these moments of compassion and solidarity while also critically examining the harmful myths around difference and migration.

The thing is, so many of these women and children could be in situations such described from Athens, but Estonia gave them a second chance. What should we as a society value more - the unreasonable fear of change or the lives of the people just like us, who are as entitled to basic resources and empathy as we are? This is a conversation for not only Estonia but the entire Western world to hear.
 


 

My primary goal as a storyteller is to tell stories that I believe need to be heard and that are not simply important, but unique. I have spent the past three years working with refugee aid organizations and learning about war and politics in Lebanon, Greece, London, and Estonia.

As much as I want to multiply myself into ten people, I can't. In order for me to deliver at the quality that this film deserves, I need the help of other professionals that I can hire with the help of your donations, in order to bring these beautiful stories with captivating visuals to life.

The production will begin as soon as we receive the funding and we aim to premiere the film in the beginning of 2020.

Join our effort to unify our society and empower the refugee communities that desperately need global support. Word-of-mouth is incredibly important to the success of this film. Whether or not you're in a position to contribute funds, we need your help to get the word out about this campaign. So, please share this campaign with your friends, family, and professional networks. Share us on Facebook and tag #thismuchiknowistrue #niipaljukuiminatean to help spread the word!

If you have any questions regarding the rewards, email info@anrike-piel.com

Below is a photo of t-shirts and artwork 
 

  • 226 backers
  • 10640€raised of 10500€ goal

Successful project

This project was funded on 14.Oct.2019

Related projects

Episode 2 of Oksana Herradi's Project "The World of a Woman"

  • 75%raised
  • 4505€pledged
  • 3 days to go

BFM Creative Doc Collective – 10 talents, 10 films

  • 99%raised
  • 5365€pledged
  • 7 hours to go