Welcome to everyday life? A touching cinematic document accompanies refugees and helpers as they start a new life. In 2014, the village of Strackholt, a community of 1,500 people about 20 kilometers from Aurich and embedded in the seemingly endless expanse of East Frisia, receives an unusual message: a small group of Eritrean refugees has been stranded in this rural area and is waiting for the outcome of their asylum proceedings – a moment characterized by hope, uncertainty and the desire for community. Lisei Caspers's STRANDED delves deep into this everyday life. Helmut, a retired school principal, and Christiane, a dedicated journalist, take on the five newcomers. With German lessons, persistent visits to government offices and homemade cakes, they try to make it easier for the refugees to start in this strange and often hostile environment. The film paints an authentic picture of bureaucratic hurdles that can be overcome with human warmth and solidarity. The conflict between the cool strictness of administrative procedures and the warmth of simple everyday gestures becomes tangible. STRANDED offers a deep insight into the challenges of a new beginning and encourages us to reflect on the value of solidarity in a globalized world that is, at the same time, rooted in the regional.
In 2014 a small group of Eritrean refugees are "stranded" in Strackholt amidst the East Frisian emptiness.
Welcome to everyday life? A touching cinematic document accompanies refugees and helpers as they start a new life. In 2014, the village of Strackholt, a community of 1,500 people about 20 kilometers from Aurich and embedded in the seemingly endless expanse of East Frisia, receives an unusual message: a small group of Eritrean refugees has been stranded in this rural area and is waiting for the outcome of their asylum proceedings – a moment characterized by hope, uncertainty and the desire for community.
Lisei Caspers's STRANDED delves deep into this everyday life. Helmut, a retired school principal, and Christiane, a dedicated journalist, take on the five newcomers. With German lessons, persistent visits to government offices and homemade cakes, they try to make it easier for the refugees to start in this strange and often hostile environment. The film paints an authentic picture of bureaucratic hurdles that can be overcome with human warmth and solidarity. The conflict between the cool strictness of administrative procedures and the warmth of simple everyday gestures becomes tangible.
STRANDED offers a deep insight into the challenges of a new beginning and encourages us to reflect on the value of solidarity in a globalized world that is, at the same time, rooted in the regional.