The Invisible City [Kakuma]Lieven Corthouts

Is it possible to build a house in a place called 'nowhere'? Director Lieven Corthouts spent more than 4 years in an African refugee camp by that name and discovered that 'nowhere' is also 'invisible' to the outside world.

Kenya's Kakuma camp (the name translates as 'Nowhere') has been around for 20 years and has grown into a kind of city with over 100,000 inhabitants, including many children without parents. Belgian director Lieven Corthouts, who has previously shot other fascinating documentaries in Ethiopia, lived there for several years, built friendships and shared the daily reality of the residents. When he wasn’t filming, he taught and worked in a store.

His long stay gave him an unprecedented opportunity to portray the lives of four young refugees in the camp. Claude and Nyakong have just arrived in the camp, while Khadijo and Nyamuch have lived there all their lives. Corthouts shows what the children are capable of and exposes the dynamics of the camp. The children seize every opportunity to build a new life and a future in the camp. But is that even possible? Can Kakuma offer them a new future or is it just a waiting room where your best option is a dangerous trip to Europe?



Refugee crisis Africa

Vertoond op editie(s) 2016
Screened at edition(s) 2016

Info

Directed by Lieven Corthouts
Belgium, Kenya
75 min.
Engels, Nuer, Somalian, Swahili
Subtitles: English

Programme

Belgian selection

credits
Director

Lieven Corthouts

Producer

Emmy Oost

Production company

Cassette for Timescapes

Cinematography

Lieven Corthouts

Editing

Jan de Coster

Contact info
Bekijk Contact info
(en screener)
(beschikbaar vanaf 20.03)