Behind the Scenes – RAMZ MEDIA

Behind The Scenes Is Where topics and themes relating to Ramz MEdia projects, past present and future are covered and discussed. Content on this page is created by Samaré Gozal.

Herr Erlich´s Books in Schöneberg (2024): A Life in Books

The way that this short documentary project came to be is curious as its inception was accidental. One rainy day, I found many boxes full of books and radio-scripts outside a funeral home. On the yellowed pages of the books the name ´´Erlich´´ had been written. From there a journey unfolded which resulted in this short film and it was finalized in early 2024.

Five Scenes By The Sea (2023), The Elusive nature of freedom

This year I was working on a few short film projects but the one I think is relevant for the themes highlighted by Ramz is Five Scenes by the Sea which looks at the elusive nature of freedom as a concept whether personal or systematic. There lie many contradictions in the mere idea of freedom and many of us stop at the notion that once a functional democracy is reached within a system then freedom is reached. Five Scenes, in its on experimental way, reflects on the other facettes of the term beyond the general. Although Five Scenes was not made under the banner of Ramz as such, the topic itself is quite close to the themes I´ve covered in other Ramz films.

Five Scenes premiered at INEFF in Manchester (UK), later screened at Malmö Filmbar (SWE) and a thank you should also be extended to Varsity Film Expo for their honourable mention of the film.

Moment of Fury in 2022

The timeless concept of public fury in the face of oppression

Another demonstration was held a few days back in Berlin in support of nationwide protests and unrest in Iran. This time it was in the form of a human chain demonstration on the streets around Tiergarten in the centre of the city. It was an autumn day when the streets around Tiergarten were filled with people holding signs and chanting alongside oneanother. Here are some scenes from that day.

For more info about the two demonstrations the Ramz videos are highlighting please consult PS752´s site and find out what support-events are taking place in your area. #freedomhumanchain

Oct – 2022: Last week marked 40 days since the death of Zhina Mahsa Amini in Iran. Widespread protests against the regime have been raging across the country since. These are scenes from Berlin where tens of thousands gathered recently, from all over Europe, to show support and solidarity with protesters in Iran. It is reported as being the be largest ever demonstration organized by Iranians living outside of Iran.

I was present in Berlin that day and it was heart-warming to see the support that demonstrators, from different walks of life and different groups, were showing the people in Iran.

The very first film that Ramz ever worked on, Moment of Fury, was a glimpse into the crushing restrictions on freedom of speech and expression in Iran and the history of anti-regime demonstrations in the country. The participants in that film testified to the devastating price that many have paid for voicing their discontent with the state of affairs in the country.

I hope, like millions more, to see the day when Iranians are free to choose their government and can enjoy the rights and liberties of a democracy. #womanlifefreedom

(Writer Samaré Gozal, / November 2022)

Refugium

Oct – 2021: Refugium started with the idea to simply show the lives of young refugees and immigrants in Norway and to raise awareness amongst the public about European refugee policies. Things have changed in Europe since we first started the project. With the 2015 European refugee crisis, areas of Europe which were otherwise homogenous and had not been subject to refugee groups entering were being asked to participate in an EU quota system and to accept their share of refugees. This led to the creation of The Classroom which is a continuation of the refugee rights debate that Ramz has been involved in since its conception.

First entry countries such as Greece and Italy were struggling to keep up with the numbers arriving monthly. The situation has not improved in recent years, in fact it has deteriorated and many refugees are stuck in difficulty and scarecity on the Greek islands. According to International Rescue Committee Greece is currently hosting approximately 50 000 refugees.

Samos refugee camp, Jan 2019

The Anatomy of Segregation

Nov-2020: There are a lot of different ideas about refugees and migrants in different parts of Europe. Often they are blamed for many of the ills of Europe such as social unrest and crime and these ideas don´t stop at first generation immigrants but often continue well into second and third generations. Ethnic segregation is not an isolated phenomenon but one which is connected to a variety of social issues such as immigration, income differences in society and education levels. In 2019-2020 Samaré was involed in a few different writing projects highlighting the links between ethnic segregation and crime rates. Initially she started with commissioned article which highlighted a neighbourhood she knows well Rosengård which has historically often been linked to crime and poverty. She was particularly interested in how the media portrays the area and if the portrayal itself has an effect on fear of crime. This idea then developed into a full on exploration of how fear of crime and actual crime rates are connected. Below you can read the articles that came out of this research.