This evening explores the power of storytelling—not only as a personal act, but as a political tool, legal testimony, and collective memory. What role do stories play in making injustice visible? How can film and documentation drive real change? And what is the value of archiving experiences that might otherwise go unseen?
We begin with a panel discussion that delves into the broader legal and political context of migration. Activists, legal experts, and storytellers will reflect on the intersections between narrative and systems of power—and how film, law, and public action can reinforce each other.
Following the panel, we will screen the short film “We komen van ver” (“We Come From Afar”) by Common Frames. In this film, four young newcomers share their journeys and the process of rebuilding their lives in the Netherlands. A Q&A with the filmmakers and participants will follow the screening.
This programme is part of the Awareness & Critical Reflection pathway to practice Radical Hope. Explore the full Refugee Welcome Week 2025 program and discover events happening across the Netherlands centering Radical Hope here.
About the speakers
Idris Elhassan is an artistic researcher, intercultural mediator, and engineer whose work explores dialogues across borders. With a lived refugee experience, he brings a critical lens to policy advocacy and challenges colonial structures through innovative, research-based methodologies. Currently pursuing a Master of Film at the Netherlands Film Academy (AHK), Idris also leads Illuminare Coaching and Training, empowering individuals and organizations through strategic coaching. His diverse background spans engineering, business development, and social impact, reflecting a commitment to community building, inclusion, and transformative change.
Lisa-Marie Komp is a lawyer involved in a court case against Frontex, which focuses on the question: can the European border agency be held responsible for human rights violations?
Mohammad Lheman is a survivor of the Pylos disaster and shares his story as an expert by experience: what does this border regime do to people who experience it from the inside?
Romy van Baarsen is a journalist researching border violence and its normalisation. She is working on a book about how pushback becomes legally legitimised – and asks the question: now that this violence has already been extensively documented but hardly leads to political change, what can we still do?
