Disorientation Is Not a Crime (2016) - full transcript

Fall 2014: two women, a journalist and an activist, are slowly losing their coherent worldviews. After a chance encounter, their perspectives on the refugee crisis, on politics, work and capitalism collide. What emerges is a road movie through rural Greece, in pursuit of invisible borders and an attitude toward our present times.

So you're in charge of PR, here.
- Yes, I am.

Make the future look promising,
not threatening.

Well, that's quite a challenge.

So what's the idea? How do you
sell fences, how do you package that?

Storytelling. It's what you do, too!

Be creative with the truth.

OK. Explain “Democracy”
in three sentences: Make it a story.

Democracy?

I forgot.

It's just like cooking.

Like sausage meat?



The thing with a garden fence
and good neighbours.

Strong fences help you
get on with the neighbours.

Get them off!

Got any kids?

What do you tell your kids
about these corpses?

Which wash up
in Greece, Italy and Spain?

It's not like that. And evil
is simply the lack of good.

People say borders, fences, sealing
yourself off is evil and immoral.

I mean, just look at our men.
They're a great crowd.

Do you really think, they'd want

to see people perish near the border?

Getting sick, or drowning?

Those poor buggers.

We're doing fine. We're just
protecting our democratic values.



It's about emancipation,
equal rights, human rights.

Values we stick up for.
That's the real interest.

I'll get us two beers.
- Super.

Hey, guys!

Get them off, get them off!

Down!

Down with those trunks!

Disorientation Isn't A Crime

Greece, 2014

You're the cook, right?

What's it like, cooking in this camp?

It isn't a problem.
- Not a problem.

We're not cooking for them.
- But you did cook there?

Not yet. I cook for the police,
who also stay here.

Right. So how many police are there?
- 17, currently.

Seventeen.
- We'll do the catering soon.

For them?

How many are there, currently?
- Now? 600.

It'll be 1200 soon.

The UK government...

Foreign terror suspects
who cannot be deported,

can be held in prison
for an indefinite period.

The law breached EU human rights law,
and had to be rescinded in 2005.

Can I hitch a lift?

You don't know where I'm going.
- Where, then?

Straight ahead.

What happened?

Someone didn't turn up.

Now I have to travel by myself.

Your boyfriend?

What's your view
of how people are treated?

Detaining them?

Well,

I can't find the right word.

Greece is like...

What's this pot
for draining Spaghetti?

Draining off the water...?

A colander.
- Right, that's what Greece is like.

It all washes up in Greece.

That's the European perception.

It's not how we see it.
- Quite.

But people should be left to stay and work in Europe?
- Why not?

Greece is in Europe, why can't
they be in all of Europe as well?

There are many Greeks in Germany,
and in the rest of the world.

Why do you speak German so well?

Do I speak German well?
- Yes, you do.

I lived there for a while.

What for?
- Worked in catering.

As a cook as well?

As a cook as well. - Where?
- In Dortmund.

Will you give me another lift?

No problem.

More bad news?

There's another ultimatum
for this school.

A refugee squat in Berlin.

Everyone counts on a forced eviction.

You're an activist there?
Or how do you know?

You heard about the school?

Yes.

It's not the school.

It's about human beings,
who don't want to be kept in camps.

We don't want our movements
to be restricted, we want work.

Right, you can't evict
an entire movement.

True.

But you can disrupt a movement.

What's your plan in Evros?

I want to go to the cemetery.

At Sidiro.

Anyone who died
crossing the border is buried there.

Where shall I set you off?
- Somewhere in the centre.

What are you actually doing here?

Taking a holiday...
and doing research.

So you're a journalist?
- Yes.

Why didn't you say so?
Don't write about me, right?

What do you write on?
- Borders, migration...

the security industry.
- On how brilliant it is?

No, I try and talk to people,
who invest millions in it.

As they do in Europe,

You may imagine how hard it is
to get these people to talk.

They're not too keen on the press.
- Of course not.

And now you're
incorporating me in your story?

I have no interest in activists.

Come along.

Great view from the balcony,
so tranquil, just birds.

But the other tourists were so noisy.

H. A., Switzerland

Listen, can you lend me some money?
- Is that how you do it?

Yes, I borrow money
when I haven't got any.

When I've got it,
I lend, occasionally.

Will I get it back?

If you insist.

What's the logo
on your back actually mean?

It's the tent on Oranienplatz.

In Germany, it's now the symbol
for the refugee movement.

I'll sum it up for you.

Two years ago...

they started a
Break-Isolation-Campaign.

They entered camps,
and occupied public spaces.

All over Germany.

Draw attention to the suicides.
Staged hunger strikes in protest.

Then they marched to Berlin, in this
“March to Berlin for Freedom”.

There they occupied Oranienplatz,

where the movement
stuck it out for two years.

Yes, but it
started on Heinrichplatz.

And then...

There was this circus tent.

It was used for meetings,
public talks, and discussions.

Sometimes just for
informal coffee meetings etc.

There was an arson attack.
The tent was rebuilt.

Then there was the forced eviction.
The group was split.

One group, from Lampedusa,
outmanoeuvred the others.

To move into a proper building,
which the others didn't want.

The regional government incited
the groups against one another.

The tent needed to be rebuilt again,
and there was another arson attack.

Why are you
taking these photographs?

“Kids playgrounds
in Greece after the crisis.”

A report I can flog
to a parent-child relations magazine.

What do you live on?
- Is this an interrogation?

No, just interested.
It's hard for me to imagine.

What?

Travelling without any money.

I'm not entirely without money.

I just got my master's degree.

Luckily my parents bought a flat
where I can live rent-free.

I have two lodgers,
to pay for maintenance and service.

How privileged.

I never claimed otherwise.

So actually,
your parents pay for your upkeep.

Are you happy
being so dependent on your parents?

Dependent?

My parents aren't interested
in letting the apartment.

For financial gain.

They're happy for me to be there.
So who am I to say no.

What about your lodgers?
- Their rent isn't excessive.

A fair one, at least.

You're exploiting them, still.

You might let them
share in your own luxury.

Give them free accommodation.

I might, but I don't...

Or you could take in refugees.

Right, again...

So that's how you can do your work.
How you give support.

Yes, I can afford to do so.

Well, I have to earn my living.

But it's work that needs doing.

It just happens not to get paid.

So the only people
who can afford to do it...

exploit themselves,
or they're millionaires' kids.

Look.
Come and join in!

I'm not saying I'm doing any good,
or the world is fair.

But...

What would be the good
of me doing a proper job?

Work in some call centre?
There wouldn't be a point.

I'd still have my privileges as well.

If you really wanted to change things

you'd enter politics.
Deal with some awful chaps.

You'd have to make deals
with even nastier chaps.

But you prefer cleaning up
after them, like aid workers.

You abet their failures.

Why do you think
I'm taking you on?

You take me on?

That's one view on it.

I want your bloody paper to report
on our work, and on resistance.

Take advantage
of your mainstream forum!

Exploit it!

You remind me
of one of my friends.

She was the same.

In what way?

I just don't get it; don't you want
to be independent eventually?

I am autonomous.

Would I be more independent
if I did any old job?

You are so dogmatic!
- Yes, of course.

Honestly!

You try build a future, and
you're accused of being a Puritan.

It's not an accusation.
You started it!

You asked me how I survived.
And twisted it into an accusation.

No, I thought
you lacked solidarity.

Why do I lack solidarity?

Would having a proper job
express my solidarity?

Yes, it would be in solidarity
with the rest of society.

You live off
your property, hence others.

While claiming to save the world.

You profit from a system,
which you want to abolish.

It'll change nothing.

You just don't approve of me
being an overt activist.

Your concept of work
is so old school.

And even women now try to go for it.

The rat race!

Fulfilment at work and money
aren't necessarily linked.

That's exactly
what I've come to think.

I've been a reporter for 25 years.

Next year they're
scrapping 20 jobs at work.

That's my solid foundation.

Some young intern on her parents'
drop feed will do my job then.

Go on benefits?
- Social security...

That's not an option. It reduces
my job prospects further.

No!

It bothers me how I
built up 20 years' experience.

Which is now worth nothing.

For you money is
just always available.

I can't afford that.

I want to work for my money,
the old fashioned way.

Wow, you got amazingly close.

How did you get there?
- Anyone can go.

Just drive up the mountain,
and there's a plush hotel.

A hotel?
- Yes.

You get an amazing panoramic view.

As you look downhill
you glimpse the deportation camp.

You get an immediate impression
of how operations are structured.

Yes, there's a perimeter walk.

For the police controls. They
don't enter, unless they have to.

Quite. And you can see
the individual tracts.

They're separated
by barbed wire.

Right.

You can cordon these off, too.

If there's rioting...

You can shut off
each individual section.

So they can't leave their courtyard.

Did you conduct any interviews there?

Not really,
I just chatted with inmates.

It's not just a chat,
not from that perspective.

It's an interview.

Or did they ask you too,
who are you? Where are you from?

Actually I wanted to interview
someone in charge, who stood me up.

So I posed as an innocent tourist,
went up to the hotel.

Sipped some soup,
and took these pictures.

Until the police arrived.
- The police?

You know the “Break Isolation”
campaign in Germany?

Activists enter camps
to mobilise inmates.

There were riots
and hunger strikes in the camps,

which made it easy
for activists to get close.

They got in touch.

Shouting slogans outside.
No border! No nation!

Etc.

So I'm not getting in touch,
talking to inmates?

Well, in a way you are, but...

It matters to take a stance
and express solidarity.

Against confinement.

I would, if I was there.

Do me a favour
and get in position over there.

No, that's boring.

Can't you...?

Like shouting your slogans.
Like... No border!

Are you serious?

Well, raise your fist and scream.

I'm not posing as an activist
for your stupid holiday snap.

It's not a holiday snap,
you're an activist at work.

But I'm not being active here!

I'm with a silly journalist
being pointless in the wilderness.

You're not pointless.

This is ridiculous.
There's nothing here!

Yes, it's the demise of democracy.

You can protest against that.

Against the invisible forces
destroying democracy, now, in real time.

Your activism
would make some sense.

What is your perception of activism?

Go on! Do something.

A journalist at work.

Reporting on the invisibility
of the border regime.

Something you can't depict on film.

Which that can't be captured.

No nation! No border! Fight!

Yes, you!
Isn't it great?

Go on! What about it?
I'm filming you now!

Do something!

Like, no nation! No border!

It's up to you! Go on, you!

Go on, now!

I'm not going to do anything!

Come on, get in.

What, then, is your idea of activism?

Some kind of femen activism?

You're into that!
It's what you believe in. Right?

Get in!

You love the femen, right?

So radical, so effective!

The media attention.

All those clicks!

Now listen.

I'm cast in the evil role
while you personify good.

Don't push it too far!

If I was rougher,

I'd have scratched your eyes out,
tore your limbs,

and thrust you
in a cess pit long ago.

But you can see it in my eyes

that I'm open to reason,
before calling in the army.

Yet you taunt me!

And insult me!

What are you getting at,
you little fury?

Let go! You're hurting me!

Let go of me!

Let go! You're hurting me!

No! I'm stronger now,
and I'm taking advantage!

Me, I'll continue.

I'll continue the good work.
- Hurry up, then.

Yes, daddy, I understand.

But dad, it's not what you think.

I don't get you.

But daddy, you were German!

You wouldn't be deported!

No, dad, they're not
even allowed to work!

Dad, this is ridiculous.

You wouldn't be deported,

you were German, you were Christian.

And... right.

It's pointless to make the comparison.

You also had work permits!

It's just a fruit delivery, right?

Or could it be police?
- Just fruit.

Really we have to
go on the hill again.

See if there's a position there...

There is something.
- Duck down.

I'd think they
can see us quite clearly.

Let's go back.
- There's a military car!

What have you got there?
What is it?

Well, it's...

It's this activist organisation...

They publish this
in several languages...

A guide for refugees and migrants.

For a number of countries.
I had the Greek one printed out.

There's also this language guide...

and stuff like, what are my rights...
who can I consult?

Where am I, as I arrive?

You can check on the map,
pages sixteen/seventeen.

Look up where you are...

Then there's hints on what to do,
how and where.

Then, the language guide...

“Nekrotafeio” means cemetery.

And: “where” is...

wait, here...

right. You'd say...

Here's “refugee”:

It says, prósfygas.

It's like a picture book.

It's not actually on here.

Smaller roads.

This one's more precise...

as it's for tourists,
bird-watching in the Evros Delta.

It makes sure you don't get lost
and come anywhere near the border.

There is Kipoi.

So we could...
What do think?

Either we go to Gemisti or Tychero.

Gemisti is somewhere else.

It's right by the Evros river.

Where is the Evros river?

Thanks.

Obvious.
- Of course, it's where we just went.

Thanks.

There's soldiers patrolling
every day, Greek soldiers.

Turkish ones on the other side.

People come from...

Pakistan,

Iraq.

They come from Iraq and Afghanistan.

There were so many.

50, 100, 200 men...

With small kids, it was awful.

The little ones, a year old.

Where did they want to go?
To Europe, they said.

Germany, England,
France, Belgium, or...

How many days
did these kids not eat?

3 or 4 days at least.

Now they only come by sea.

There's even more soldiers now.

Not soldiers as such...
- Frontex?

Right, Frontex!

They're from Germany,
the Netherlands, Denmark...

They have planes and cars.

And many people die.

It's not normal, it isn't.

He took us there, because
he needed to get it off his chest.

Exo means get lost!

Hello.

Do you know where the cemetery is?

The refugee cemetery.

Thanks.

Water!

Right, on the hill, after the water!
- Right.

Ah! The Mufti has the map
with where the dead are buried.

I thought there'd be a plaque...
some kind of signpost.

They're just interred here.

Where are you going now?

What's your next step?

I might go to Lesbos.

Perhaps we'll meet again.

You know where to find me.