One World Film Festival - I’m okay (“Alles gut”)
Two children who lost everything have to find a new life in Germany.
Interview with Writer/Director Pia Lenz
Watch I’m okay (“Alles gut”) on Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
In early 2015, everybody in Germany was talking about the “refugee crisis”. It divided the country in two parts: people who welcomed refugees warmly and wanted to support them - and people with fear and anger who wanted to close the borders and set a limit for refugees in Germany. We started talking about human beings, about thousands of children and parents as an undefined mass; we called them a “ refugee wave”. You could get the feeling that some people felt so overwhelmed by the whole “crisis” that they forgot about the fact that their new neighbours already lived in our country trying very hard to adjust to their new life.
At that point, we already knew that most of them would stay in Germany for a long time or even forever, but we did not really know them. I asked myself: How would it be possible to live together as one society, if we don’t even know each other? We have to see bits of ourselves in them not “the refugees”. I chose the children’s point of view for my film, because children are much faster with new beginnings, they go to school, they learn a new language, they make new friends, sometimes they fail, but they always continue.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film, if you are really interested in a point of view that you don’t know anything about. The camera provides not only access to people’s everyday life, but to their inner feelings. After watching this film you feel like you know Djaner (8), the boy from Macedonia, Ghofran (11) from Syria and her father Adel. I hate to say this, because it is so fundamental to our understanding, but these are people like any of us and I’M OKAY might help us to realize that in a very personal way. If we are able to feel empathy – we are able to take action and I think that’s necessary.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Who am I without my homeland, without my friends and without a chance to express myself with language? What do I keep and what am I willing to give off, when I have to start a new life? I’M OKAY starts as a film about refugees and it ends as a film about children and their families, telling their own but universal story about the search for a safe home, happiness and dignity in life.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
As this is a documentary, there wasn't a script when I started filming. The first idea was to film in one school class with different children from one refugee camp in Hamburg. Since I couldn’t plan which families arrived in the camp and which class the children would attend, I could not realize this plan. I had to be very spontaneous in the whole year of filming. I didn’t know the entire time what would happen one day to the next…
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far we only had our premiere at a German film festival and this audience reacted in a very emotional way. Many of them told me that I’M OKAY observes emotions, scenes and characters with a lot of patience and makes something visible that’s usually invisible. There were also people in the audience who work with refugees as volunteers. They told me that the film really shows what is going on behind the big headlines or news stories.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not until now. I am very much looking forward to have some discussions about the film when we are having our tour through German theaters, beginning March 23.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Hopefully giving the film more attention so that more people become interested in getting to know the people who had to flee from Syria or other countries. How do we give those people a real home who need it so desperately?
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Film festival directors, journalists, but also organizations or schools that are interested in showing this film or discussing it.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope it will raise more awareness in public opinion and it will also help to talk about problems, because it is necessary to face the big challenges of migration and integration in the next decade. And I personally hope that the protagonists are still there after the film ends, I want to leave the audience with the thoughts and emotions of them.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
It is almost one and a half years after chancellor Angela Merkel’s famous statement: “Wir schaffen das” (we can do it), when she said Germany was open to taking in those in need. With this film I want to say: Yes, we can really do it - but not until we ask ourselves some questions: What does it need to manage the new situation? What do we all have to contribute? It is not enough to trust in political decision making.
Would you like to add anything else?
For those who are interested in our film I’M OKAY: Please visit our homepage www.alles-gut-film.de or our Facebook page www.facebook.com/allesgutfilm/. If you have any questions or interest in the film, please write a message.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Right now I am working on two new ideas for long-term projects.
Interview: March 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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I’m okay (Alles gut)
Two children who lost everything have to find a new life in Germany.
Length: 95 Min.
Director: Pia Lenz
Producer: Carsten Rau, Hauke Wendler
Writer: Pia Lenz
About the writer, director and producer:
Pia Lenz is a German journalist and filmmaker, based in Hamburg. She is usually working as a one-woman-team with her camera and tells human stories.
Looking for film festival directors and journalists.
Funders: Pier53/ NDR/ SWR/ Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein
Where can I see it in the next month?
I’m okay (“Alles gut”) opens in German theaters on March 23. You can find a list of screenings in Germany on our website www.alles-gut-film.de
We are also very happy to attend the following upcoming festivals:
One World Film Festival in Prague on Feb. 11. and 12.
Full Frame Documentary Festival in North Carolina, US, April 6-9 2017
Dokfest München, Germany, May 3-14 2017