Eight refugees with very different backgrounds meet, developing and producing short films together on the festival theme „JETZT / NOW“. That was the content of this year's experimental film workshop THE ISLAND.  

The idea for THE ISLAND originated in 2016 as part of the Refugee Class at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. Since then, the workshop has been led by Jean Boué, this year for the first time in cooperation with FILM OHNE GRENZEN, with Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF acting as a cooperation partner. 

„THE ISLAND has an open outcome; due to a very brief creation process, its results are always experimental. Exactly that is what makes it so appealing—the participants work together, wrestle with one another, and complement each other in their ideas—in the end, they succeed as a team,“ says Jean Boué about the workshop that took place in Kuhbrücke, a remote location on the German-Polish border.

„This time, filmmakers who fled their home countries due to political persecution were among them; from Ukraine and Iran, from Syria, Russia, and Pakistan. A colorful bunch Artists in Exile.Working with such diverse personalities is intense, which is why a team accompanied the process. This year, Angelina Urbanzcyk (storytelling), Carmela Daza (camera), and Lambert Regel (sound design) participated.

In 2024, FILM OHNE GRENZEN is presenting two short films created as part of DIE INSEL: „MILA“ and „ABSOLUTELY NOTHING“. We look forward to the premiere of the films on September 13 at 8 p.m. as the pre-program to A GOOD JEWISH BOY.