About The March of Hope
A yellow van, a camera and no budget. With these unlikely tools, two friends set off from Berlin with the hope of learning about the refugee crisis in Europe. Little did they know that they were leaving during the defining period of modern European politics. As such, the filmmakers found themselves thrust into the heart of events.
With a “media fatigue” about refugees, they witnessed hypothermic children met by little international response as they arrived on the beaches of Lesvos. In Idomeni, they saw the camp swell from 3000 to 15000 in a few days after the Balkan borders were suddenly closed. With a futile governmental response they recorded as refugees bore the full front of winter with little more than summer tents. As hunger and sickness spread thousands of refugees departed and, followed by the filmmakers, made their way through the mountains only to be detained by the Macedonian military.
“The March of Hope” is a documentary created in the spirit of independence but defined by an experience of the deepest humanity - by a people who had lost everything. The film explores what it means to be a European and challenges the parameters of what a road movie can be. Shot in an environment of fear, hatred and suspicion in Europe, “The March of Hope” is a celebration of everything which makes us human, and a defiant protest in film to the xenophobia growing in modern Europe.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Jim Kroft is a film maker and musician. He has been working for the last 3 years on a documentary series called "Journeys". It is a 5 part series exploring the world with a focus on the power of culture to effect society. The most recent film "The March of Hope" has been focused on human rights in Europe.
"Journeys" has been a huge labour of love so far. The project began with a belief in the power of culture to effect society, and its topical heart seems to have gained in relevance as the political environment has become more divisive since 2014. The ethos of the project is "one man, one guitar, one camera" - and from the start has been an exploration of what is possible to do on your own and with little budget. My hope is to inspire people to have the courage to make their own leaps of faith - and beyond that to be a series which puts the humanitarian perspective front and central. It seems more and more that the challenge of our race is to over come our differences and get on with the business of living together. In "Journeys" I've been lucky enough to have my faith in people confirmed over and over.
