ACMRL, in cooperation with the Migration and Diversity Centre (MDC), screened the documentary "Purple Sea" at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The film documents how director Amel Alzakout crossed the Mediterranean by boat with 300 other refugees to reach Europe.
Following the screening, ACMRL hosted a panel discussion linking the film to the many ways in which not only the European Union but also other states of the so-called 'global north' prevent the irregular entry of refugees and migrants. In this way, we wanted to draw attention to the fact that existing legal and political structures encourage refugees to board boats to cross the Mediterranean in order to reach the EU's external borders in the first place.
The screening of "Purple Sea" marks the beginning of a series of migration-related films from around the world that the MDC will be screening at the VU Amsterdam in the coming months. The idea behind this initiative is to give cinematic expression to the fate of migrants in different places around the world, in order to stimulate a dialogue about the structural background of these circumstances.
Panellists:
- Thomas Spijkerboer (VU Amsterdam)
- Nebil Kusmallah (VU Amsterdam)