The documentary film The 2020 Rise Up deals with global protest movements: from local offshoots of the worldwide climate protests to rallies about the inhumane conditions in Greek refugee camps and anti-government mass protests in Hong Kong.
The admonition “By 2020 we rise up!” has been repeatedly addressed to politicians and corporations by various groups of activists in recent years. With the onset of the pandemic, public gatherings were banned under threat of punishment. The 2020 Rise Up raises questions about the impact of the pandemic on activists’ work, the extent to which the global shutdown has brought protest actions to a standstill, and the possibilities for generating attention in such an exceptional situation.
For the 30-minute documentary work, the three artists combine film footage of protests at the beginning of 2020 with interviews conducted via Skype during the shutdown with key figures in the protest movements.
The 2020 Rise Up was awarded a Young Professionals Honorary Mention in the u19-create your world category at the Prix Ars Electronica 2021.
The 2020 Rise Up / Gregor Franz (AT), Johannes Rass (AT), Julian Pixel Schmiederer (AT), Credit: tom mesic
Credits
HTBLVA Ortweinschule-Graz, Film and Multimedia Art
