I recently came across this initiative called “For A Thousand Lives: Be Human“, which has already gathered over 5,500 signatures. It is an appeal from European filmmakers and film professionals to governments and institutions of the European Union to address the current disaster happening at our borders with the refugee crisis.
Over 23,000 people have died in inhumane circumstances since the year 2000 because they fled horror to seek a life of dignity, and neither European governments nor the European Union have managed to find a viable solution to welcome these people.
All it took was one picture to wake up our collective conscience. As professionals of the industry whose job it is to make striking visuals, as artists and, quite simply, as human beings, it is our job remind our leaders that what we share, our humanity, is more important than whatever it is that we think separates us.
The 21st century has had a rough start: we’ve fallen into the trap of culture clash which has fed xenophobia and routine violations of human rights at our doors. This can’t go on any longer, and that is why I and all of us at Raindance wholeheartedly support this initiative.
For more information: www.for-a-1000-lives.eu
About Elliot Grove
Photo Credit Jay Brooks / BIFA 2015
Elliot Grove is the founder of Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards. He has produced over 700 hundred short films and also five feature films, including the multi-award-winning The Living and the Dead in 2006, Deadly Virtues in 2013 and AMBER in 2017. He teaches screenwriting and producing in the UK, Europe, Asia and America.
Elliot has written three books which have become industry standards: Raindance Writers’ Lab: Write + Sell the Hot Screenplay, now in its second edition, Raindance Producers’ Lab: Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking and Beginning Filmmaking: 100 Easy Steps from Script to Screen (Professional Media Practice).
In 2009 he was awarded a PhD for services to film education.
