The history of exile is an endless story, experiencing one of its climaxes right now and in our immediate vicinity. Under the curatorial eye of film critic Diana Nenadić, the side program Fragments from the Exile will provide a small overview of the responses of renowned European directors to the diverse aspects of this implacable phenomenon affected by the current historical moment.

Zagreb Film Festival and CROSOL present the film program Fragments of the Exile on the occasion of Croatia’s presidency of the EU Council.

Migrations, refugees and global inequalities greatly determine today’s Europe. Our continent has become one of the most attractive continents for living on Earth due to the social model of governing in which efforts are being made, somewhere more successfully, somewhere less, for the protection of human rights, strengthening of the rule of law, lessening of socioeconomic inequalities and sustainable development.

It is therefore not surprising that people fleeing war, conflict, poverty or corruption choose Europe as their new haven. At the same time, refugees/migrants often do not have safe and controlled alternatives on their way to Europe, have to rely on smugglers and risk their lives. Upon arrival to the EU, many refugees/migrants are not treated as equal citizens, often not even as humans.

The cause of migrations/fleeing is inequality among people and communities on our planet. The seemingly simple and effective “solutions” of closing borders to migrants are unsustainable in the long run. As is the case with raising awareness about the existence of climate change and the need to invest more in combat them, it is equally important to strengthen the policies of migration management so people don’t have to pay with their lives.

Inequalities are not just present in the relationship towards refugees/migrants, but also in the huge economic differences between different communities, which is further deepened by uncontrolled exploitation of our planet’s resources, as well as the exploitation of workers.

Those are all the challenges to which the European Union — with its privileged position in the world and its large resources — can find answers. The presidency enables us to put some of these important topics on the leaders of member states’ agenda and find solutions.

Aside from politicians, these topics should also be addressed by the citizens from civil society organizations who have proposed their presidency priorities to the EU politicians. More information about the Croatian presidency of the EU Council and the presidency priorities can be found at: crosol.hr/eupresidency