26.000 gezichten - met onbekende bestemming vertrokken

started one-and-a-half years ago as a protest action on the part of over 150 Dutch filmmakers against the government's asylum policy. The Dutch government was attempting to send 26,000 asylum seekers home, after having made them wait years for a residence permit. The filmmakers wanted to give a face to this abstract number, by showing the people involved in a series of two-minute films. In doing so, they managed to rock the political balance on this issue. The project aroused a lot of attention with the television broadcast of the first 75 films. It certainly has helped to bring the issue back onto the political agenda. In addition, the government has given a residence permit to about 25% of the group of 26,000. Unfortunately, the overall policy has still not changed. This project shows the influence artists can have in the pursuit of a better world. At IDFA 2005, a new series of 21 film portraits will premiere. This last series deals with people who have chosen to resist deportation and are staying illegally in Holland. 10 films will be shown in the general program, 11 in the special children's section Kids and Docs.