Do you remember? The streets turned upside down. Baked air fed the stomachs. How many days we waited. Do you remember? Freedom is not a certainty. Now that Antwerp has been liberated for 76 years, the city asked DIFT to make a video about the liberation and freedom.
Antwerp commemorates: 76 years of liberation.
On Friday the 4th of September 2020 the city of Antwerp commemorated 76 years of liberation. On that particular day in 1944, the Allies were at the city gates, ready to expel the occupying forces for good after four hard years. Soon the people erupted in celebration. The people of Antwerp stormed out cheering and gave the soldiers a warm welcome.
Always free. Never taken for granted.
Antwerp was free, but then again, it was not. Immediately after the joy there was anger towards the suspected collaborators, the battle for the harbour broke out and there was grief for friends and family who were still imprisoned in foreign camps. It was not until the 8th of May 1945 (the end of WWII in Europe) that all Antwerp citizens could celebrate true freedom.
To honour the commemoration of this crucial day and to underline the importance of freedom and human rights, the city of Antwerp launched 'Antwerpen Herdenkt'. In addition to an app with interactive city walks (on e.g. the V-bombs and the persecution of the Jews) and an extensive website with history and testimonies, Antwerpen Herdenkt also organises the annual liberation celebrations. But in 2020 the coronavirus put the physical celebrations on hold.
Contrast
That's why the city challenged DIFT - as the communication agency of Antwerp - to create a video to replace those liberation celebrations in which we explain the different facets of liberation (joy, anger, conflict and sorrow) and pay attention to the understanding and importance of freedom. Or how we often take this for granted when it is not.
Do you remember? The relief after the war. It seems like a story from far away but it happened right here.
To put that freedom in the picture, literally and metaphorically, we chose to work with contrast. Between past and present, in word and image. Using split screens we placed contemporary images, where freedom and peace are symbolised by blue skies and a kite, against confronting archive images. In addition, we complemented the historical narrative with a contemporary interpretation using spoken word. The result is a mini documentary that does not leave many untouched.
Watch the video here:
Team
- Creative concept DIFT
- Production & project management DIFT
- Research archive images DIFT
- Scenario DIFT and Thomas Smolders
- Direction Jochen Decostere
- Camera Jens Vanysacker
- Spoken Word Hind Eljadid (text), Jesse Maes (music)
- Voice-overs Studio Helsinki
