Off to Europe

In his documentary road movie, Auf nach Europa (Off to Europe), the former sans-papiers, Mohamed Mouaz, visits locations along his escape route from Tiaret in Algeria to Vienna. A film about the strength, the courage, the volition, the confidence, the friendship and the solidarity of refugees.

Istanbul, Svilengrad, Sofia, Bucharest, Budapest – these are just a few of the cities where the former sans-papiers, Mohamed Mouaz, made a stop along his escape route from Algeria to Europe in 2006. Almost ten years later, in his documentary road movie, Auf nach Europa (Off to Europe), Mouaz visits the stops along his past route once again. During the course of the movie, Mouaz not only describes several of his own experiences, but also interviews other activists with migration and refugee backgrounds who tell about their experiences and collective survival strategies.

Additionally, Auf nach Europa places the conditions under which the film originated on the agenda. For example, the film team's collective journey (cameraman, Gerald Rauscher, and production assistant, Monika Mokre) makes clear how much more difficult it is for an Algerian to cross borders in relation to a EU citizen – even with valid papers.

"The majority of the time, our history remains hidden," said Mouaz. "If it is told, then usually by Europeans who adapt it to the picture they have of us in their heads: such as that of the criminal foreigner or the pitiful refugee."

In contrast, Auf nach Europa is a documentary from the perspective of refugees and a many-voiced (counter-)narrative of coming, going and staying. In this way, a change of perspective is implemented that both takes an account of the fears and the precarious living conditions of refugees under the frontier regime of the EU and also focuses on the strength, courage, intentions, confidence, friendship and solidarity of refugees and those without papers.

Written and directed by: Mohamed Mouaz

Cinematography: Gerald Rauscher

Music: EsRap, Mohamed Mouaz

Production, post-production: Gerald Rauscher, Mohamed Mouaz

Production assistance: Monika Mokre