MOOSHI FILM: Together We Won't Let The Truth Drown

Aim: EU border forces are killing thousands of asylum seekers. Help us create a short activism film to expose this hidden crisis.

MOOSHI is the first ever drama short film to shine a light on the dark secret of illegal and deadly ‘pushback’ operations by border forces. 

MOOSHI is a gut-wrenching yet heart felt short 30 minute film all through a young boy’s eyes - bubbling over with eagerness to get a pet bird.  However he first needs to traverse the vicious border of Europe with his family.

Their journey takes a dangerous turn when they're confronted by border control who 'push' them back by stealing their engine and damaging their vessel, causing them to capsize. 

This is the tragic truth for thousands who have died at the hands of border forces.

We will take this film and it's crucial message to the world's largest stages, alongside a petition created by a major charity partner. 

If you are interested in donating a larger amount for official accreditation or sponsorship please contact directly via: [email protected]

watch interview

The Writer & Director of MOOSHI, Neda Shadanlou is consulting with survivors at every step to  depict the truth about Europe's deadly border violence.

Above is an interview with a survivor.

Filmmaker, Actress & Activist  Maisie-Richardson-Sellers is Executive Producing MOOSHI. 

Coast guard or hired third parties; forcibly 'push' asylum seekers back outside of their territory, using deadly tactics.

A recent investigation showed border patrol throwing asylum seekers into the sea without a life jacket, sabotaging boats causing them to capsize, disabling engines, puncturing dinghies and even abducting & torturing asylum seekers.

Over 2000 deaths on the Mediterranean Sea are linked to border violence and illegal 'pushbacks' but the real number is believed to be far higher as 29,000+ refugees are missing along the Mediterranean Sea.

89% of the pushbacks documented use disproportionate and excessive force.

Particularly violent cases include kidnap, stripping asylum seekers naked, beatings and torture.

Pushbacks violate many Geneva Conventions, International Maritime Law, EU legislation & the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

But despite them being illegal the Greek Coast Guard are systematically continuing this deadly practice. 

And now UK funded french forces are employing the same tactics according to documents leaked by the Observer. 

Amir and his family's story reflects many real cases brought before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR);  the survivors of the Farmakonisi tragedy all attest to the Coast Guard damaging their vessel which lead to the death of 7 children.

Despite the ECHR ruling in favour of the victims, the practices of European border violence & deadly pushbacks on asylum seekers continue systemically.

For over a decade there has been footage of the Greek Coast Guard intentionally endangering lives when pushing refugees back.

As recently as March 2024, chilling footage has emerged of the French Coast Guard (allegedly financed by the UK government) employing tactics identical to those of their Greek counterparts. 

BUT the footage, and the news reports, have not been enough, we need to do something different - we need to humanise these stories to make a stand.

Together, with your help, we will use this cinematic film about a child and his family, who suffer at the hands of a deadly pushback, as a tool for activism and lobbying within the mainstream film world with screenings in festivals that specialise in Human Rights and a parliamentary screening.

Global Press channels will be invited to panel discussions with survivors at each regional screening, and a petition will accompany our PR launch.

In the UK, the Post Office vs Bates scandal, was on the news for many years.

But it was only through a TV dramatisation that the minds and hearts of the public were captured and this resulted in  the injustices finally becoming public discourse. 

• +20,000% increase in Google news searches on the Post Office scandal (despite the original story breaking in 2009)
  
  
• The Government debated the issue in parliament and has now begun exonerating the victims after the dramatisation.

We plan to do the same with Mooshi, raising awareness with an audience who otherwise are unaware of this harrowing truth about border violence.

Source * Guardian