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hold on to her

Robin Vanbesien
festival
Tue 29 Apr 25 - Sat 3 May 25
  • Caution with children up to 16 years of age

In 2018, two-year-old Mawda Sahwri was shot and killed during a wild police chase. A tragic example of police brutality and a severe violation of human rights. 

Mawda Sahwri, a two-year-old girl, was shot and killed by the police in 2018 during a police check and a chase on a highway near the French border. At a hearing, a group of activists and immigrants dissect the case. Through testimonies and reports, it becomes clear that the official statements from the police and the prosecutor's office are based on lies and distortions. 

The hearing is intercut with experimental night time footage of highways, serving as a sinister and chilling backdrop. It is a serene documentary that boldly and artistically portrays the dramatic fate of a migrant child, using 8mm film footage and soundbites, while at the same time offering a powerful and urgent analysis of the plight of refugees as a whole. 

direction
Robin Vanbesien
cast
Aïsta Bah, Marcus Bergner, Thierno Dia
duration
80 min
year
2024
country
Belgium
language
Kurdish, Dutch, French, English
Subtitles
Dutch
  • Caution with children up to 16 years of age

festival

part of

Regisseur

Robin Vanbesien

director

"Vanbesien bewijst dat ook de documentaire vorm een grote vrijheid toelaat."- Ruben Aerts, De Standaard