CAN’T BE SILENT
MON, 22.07.
10 am
EVANGELISCHES GEMEINDEHAUS
D 2013 · Dokumentary · 87 Min.
Director Julia Oelkers
Language German with engl. SUB
At night they meet on stage: young rappers join together with an experienced jazz pianist, a reggae singer with a German singer-songwriter, an African percussionist with accomplished Romani musicians, a beatboxer with Greek roots. Despite their differences, they gather in a respectful way – meeting each other eye to eye. Next morning they are back in the isolated reality that is a German refugee camp: not being allowed to leave camp and living in cramped spaces where there is no privacy or the possibility to practice one’s instrument. The film accompanies songwriter Heinz Ratz and his band “Strom und Wasser” featuring “the Refugees” as they try to develop a common language through music.
Director
Julia Oelkers
Screenplay
Julia Oelkers, Lars Maibaum
Director of Photography
Lars Maibaum, Thomas Walther, Mathias Neumann, Line Kühl
Editing
Lucian Busse
Score
Heinz Ratz feat. The Refugees
Sound design
Pierre Gaulke, Andreas Grodzik, Arne Jannsen, Jan Rieger
Lighting
–
Producer
Thomas Walther
Studio
autofocus videowerkstatt & out of focus Filmproduktion

Director's biography
Since the beginning oft he 90s Julia Oelkers works as a freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker for various broadcasting services and production companies. The emphasis of her work lies on current issues of racism, refugees and migration. CAN’T BE SILENT is her first feature-length documentary.
Director's filmography
- Viele habe ich erkannt, Gedächtnisprotokoll eines mosambikanischen Vertragsarbeiteres aus Hoxerswerda,
- Frohsinn, Fernsehen und Faschicmus,
- Neuss Deutschland
- Westberlin 1968
- Can′t Be Silent
Web dokumentaries
- Hoyerswerda-1991.de
- Eigensinn im Bruderland