Directed by
Roel Swierenga
Country of Origin
Netherlands
Runtime
2:58
Category
On the borders of Europe a humanitarian drama unfolds. Boat refugees trying to safely reach land are being pushed back into the open sea, causing many people to die. This must stop now. Don’t look away.
Director Biography – Roel Swierenga
Roel Swierenga is the founder of the Hansa Green Tour Foundation in The Netherlands and organizer of sustainability events, study trips & trade delegations, and speaker at conferences. As director of the annual Hansa Green Tour event in Europe, an epic road trip with electric and alternative energy vehicles through Northern Europe, he decided to have these inspiring sustainability road trips documented and filmed from the very beginning in 2011 for personal use and to share with all partners and participants.
Over the years these video documentaries have become more professional and nowadays Hansa Green Tour organizes re-union events where these documentaries are proudly presented to participants, partners and sponsors. As event director however Roel Swierenga was mostly guiding the camera crew, busy behind the scenes but not behind the camera himself. Due to the covid pandemic and all events & traveling being cancelled, Roel Swierenga started to train himself in mobile filmmaking, editing and drone flying skills.
In 2021 he started to make a first series of short films, to gain experience and learn the art of mobile filmmaking with smartphones, smartphone lenses and drones. With the ambition to grow as a filmmaker and make impactful productions.
The short film PUSHBACK is his first time entry as a filmmaker and received multiple awards. Honoured, proud and strengthened in his believe that film is a powerful tool to tell stories that can make an impact, he will launch his next film in 2022.