Program
The Making of Justice (film + after-talk / Q&A)
Sarah Vanhee
60 min
Dutch spoken, English and French subtitles
The Making of Justice is a movie about seven prisoners working on the
scenario for a crime film together with Sarah Vanhee. Like the main character in the
film, they are all guilty of murder. To shape the story, they draw on their own
experiences, ideas and desires. We, the viewers, can only guess whether they are
using fiction as a means of confirming, transcending or transforming their present
situation. In the course of the film they discuss criminality as a parallel reality, what
the nature of justice is, and what a society would be like if it was oriented towards
healing rather than retribution. ‘The justice system is not synonymous with justice
itself. The justice system means the application of rules, but justice is a human
capacity’, says one of the men. The image of ‘the criminal’ is always elusive, both in
terms of form (because the lens always remains out of focus) and content, because
the authors and their character appear first as people and only then as offenders.
7 December 2018
20:00
The Making of Justice by Sarah Vanhee is presented at Veem House in collaboration with TAAK.
After the film screening, a moderated talk will follow together with Sarah Vanhee in dialogue with Veronique Achoui (TAAK).
TAAK is a collective that initiates and produces art projects within the public domain. One of the projects is developed together with (ex) prisoners, artists and thinkers. Instead of socializing detainees, they explore how we can socialize the prison system itself.
Veronique Achoui is working with TAAK on ‘A Hole and A Wall’, where she organizes projects around the stories of family members of detainees. Next to that, Veronique is also founder of Stichting CHAINS and program manager at the Netherlands Helsinki Committee.
Awards
At Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival (CZ), “The Making of Justice” was granted an award by the student jury: “The student jury of the First Lights section grants the award to a filmmaker whose clear vision, confident directing style and a profoundly human insight allowed her to defy the conventional portrayal of those who have been sentenced to prison. The stories of the individual characters combined with minimalist filmic language compel us to reflect on the general character of justice.”
Press and texts
Filmmagie, The Making of Justice verlegt de focus – Bjorn Gabriels (01/2017)
De Standaard, Ook al zitten mensen opgesloten,hun verbeelding is nog steeds vrij – Filip Tielens (16/02/2017)
Knack Focus, Wie kan beter advies geven bij het maken van een misdaadscenario dan een ex-misdadiger? – Els Van Steenberghe (25/07/2017)
De Volkskrant, Making of Justice: moeizaam kijkje in hoofden van moordenaars – Annette Embrechts (22/08/2017)
Die Presse, Noch einmal vor dem Richter stehen dürfen – Elisabeth Postl (25/08/2017)
Modern times.review, Guilty of Murder – Sverre Sand (12/10/2017)
Berlin Art Link – Kimberley Budd (16/10/2017)
Jihlava IDFF, video interview (27/10/2017) (in English)
Bruzz TV, video interview (in Flemish) (08/12/2017)
Metropolis M, The emotional and its political infrastructures – Jack Segbars (31/05/18)
ADN Cultura, Se presenta “The making of justice” en el MUAC – Miguel Benitez (31/07/2018)
Directed by:
Sarah Vanhee
Camera:
Fairuz
Editing:
Jan De Coster
Sound recording and mix:
Kwinten Van Laethem
Transcription:
Sabien Van Moorter
Translation:
Patrick Lennon
Produced by:
Sarah Vanhee & Manyone vzw
Co-production:
Kunstencentrum BUDA (Kortrijk), in the frame of apap-Performing Europe 2020 – co-founded by Creative Europe Programme of the European Union
Thanks to:
Bart Schoovaerts, Kevin De Coster, Marie Logie, Kristof Jonckheere, Agnes Quackels, Franky Devos, Berno Odo Polzer, Francis van Remoortel, Marika Ingels, Sarah Vanagt, Christine de Smedt, Pieter-Paul Mortier, Susanne Weck, Mette Edvardsen
Special thanks to:
the seven participants
In collaboration with:
TAAK
After-talk moderated by:
Veronique Achoui (TAAK)