0:58
SHADOW GAME
Play
"The truck game, the train game, the taxi game", Sajid (from Afghanistan, aged 15) lists the ‘games’ he had to complete to get into Europe. Especially the ‘pedestrian game’: walking, lots and lots of walking.
Everyday teenagers who have fled their war-torn countries try to cross Europe’s borders in search of protection and a better life. They travel through a shadow world we never see: a world of minefields, bears, fast-flowing rivers, smugglers and border guards. ‘The game’ is the bitterly ironic term for crossing borders that has become commonplace among these young refugees. Risking their lives, the teenagers undertake a treacherous journey that often takes months or even years. Along the way, they grow up fast. Shadow Game is a journey through the dark side of Europe with teenage refugees as our guides.
In Shadow Game we meet some of these young refugees. They guide us through the dark side of Europe.
Shadow Game is a transmedia project by Eefje Blankevoort and Els van Driel. It consists of a feature-length documentary (90 min), a series of short docs, an adventure game, a photo series in collaboration with photographer Cigdem Yuksel and an impact campaign.
The project will launch in Spring 2021. The screening of the short doc Jano & Shiro, a Brothers’ Journey at IDFA gives a sneak preview of what’s coming.