The work we do together
is about reconnecting with humanity.
Sandrine, survivor injured in the Maelbeek metro station
Documentary "Au delà de nos larmes"
Film screening & debate at Cinema ZED
Leuven, 12 December 2024 at 19:30-22:00
Part of our #REstART initiatives on arts and restorative justice
As part of celebrations for Restorative Justice Week (#RJWeek) and EFRJ's REstART initiative, a film screening followed by a multi-lingual discussion has been organised in Leuven, the home of the EFRJ Secretariat.
The documentary "Au delà de nos larmes" depicts the experiences of the collective Retissons du lien (translation: Reweaving Connections), composed of individuals who have different lived experiences of the terrorist attacks in Brussels in 2016. Despite their different backgrounds - as victims, parents of the jihadist group, and frontline workers (e.g., social work, legal aid services, education, etc.) - on the day of the attacks they all lost something, or someone. As Isabelle Seret and Vincent de Gaulejac, two professionals who helped create the group, put it:
"[The group] was formed from one simple realisation: 'This isn’t right,' or in other words, 'Never again.'"
The attacks in 2016 encouraged the collective imagination of the Belgian people. Children of the country attacked other children of the country. What happened? How do each of them rebuild their lives? Retissons du lien understood that each of their members faced lasting and intense suffering that was difficult to share and have created a sacred, intimate and respectful place for them to share it, without judgement, in a dialogue that is not only intended to be constructive for themselves, but also for society as a whole.
Join us in Leuven at Cinema ZED on the 12th of December at 19:30 for this special screening of the group's story. This will be its first screening at a cinema in Flanders, and it will take place in Leuven Restorative City!
Ticket sales will open in mid-November on the website of Cinema ZED. The EFRJ is also offering some free tickets on a first-come-first-served basis (see details below).
The work we do together
Screening & debate
The film screening in Leuven will be followed by a discussion (in Dutch/ French/ English) with the protagonists of the documentary. Invited guests are:
- Fatima and Sophie, two mothers members of the group "Retissons du Lien" (read more);
- Katrien Lauwaert (moderator of the discussion), policy coordinator of the Flemish restorative justice service "Moderator vzw", professor of restorative justice at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and member of the international group "Encounter of the Encounters".
This initiative is organised as part of the celebrations for the International Restorative Justice Week (#RJWeek) and as part of the EFRJ initiatives related to arts and restorative justice (#REstART).
Practicalities & tickets
The screening is hosted by Cinema ZED (auditorium Vesalius) in Leuven on 12 December 2024 at 19:30-22:00
The film is screened in the original audio (French), with subtitles in Dutch and in English, thanks to the KU Leuven students (master of translation, Antwerp Campus).
The film is included in the Cinema ZED programming starting from half November. Tickets can be reserved directly from the cinema's website.
The EFRJ offers up to 5 free tickets for those for whom it is financially difficult to attend. Write an email to emanuela.biffi@euforumrj.org to be included in the EFRJ guest list (first come- first served basis; priority given to EFRJ members and young students).
#RJWeek 2024: Retissons du Lien featured in our new magazine!
The film screening has been organised as part of the celebrations for International Restorative Justice Week (#RJWeek). #RJWeek will be held from the 17th to the 23rd of November and the theme for this year is: "the promise of restorative justice in a polarising world". Reflecting the theme closely, two contributions from Retissons du Lien have been featured in the EFRJ's special Restorative Justice Week magazine - one from Isabelle Seret and one from Sandrine Couturier, a victim of the 2016 terrorist attack in Brussels.
The articles can be found on pages 23-30 of the magazine in both English and French.
Photo credits: "Retissons du lien" - rtbf.be
- banner: Sophie and Fatima in "Au-delà de nos larmes"
- photo: the memorial at the Maelbeek metro station shown in "Au-delà de nos larmes"
