Schengen: five short films on the human impact of borders, screened aboard the Princesse Marie-Astrid

Schengen, October 2026. Five short films explore the human impact of borders, migration and restrictions on freedom of movement: this is the heart of “Borders, Mobility, and their Human Impact”, the new film programme of the Schengen Museum, run by the Centre européen Schengen asbl. The screenings take place aboard the Princesse Marie-Astrid Europa in Schengen.

« What do borders mean for those who try to cross them, who are prevented from doing so, or who find themselves caught between different political and social systems? »

Made in different countries and at different times, the five films share this question. Through this programme, the Schengen Museum aims to open up different perspectives on these issues and give a voice to filmmakers with varied backgrounds and experiences. Meetings between the filmmakers and the audience are at the heart of the programme: most of the directors will attend.

The setting is no coincidence. It was in Schengen, on the Moselle, aboard a boat named Princesse Marie-Astrid, that the agreements that created the Schengen Area and free movement of people in Europe were signed on 14 June 1985. More than forty years later, on a boat bearing that name, the museum asks what borders still do to human lives.

Two dates, one programme

The opening evening takes place on Thursday 8 October 2026 at 6.30 pm aboard the Princesse Marie-Astrid Europa. It will include meetings and discussions with the filmmakers and the audience.

The following day, Friday 9 October 2026 at 9 am, there is a screening for schools and universities, also followed by discussions and an exchange with the audience.

The programme is shown from 9 October. Its total running time is about 2 hours 30 minutes.

Five films, five perspectives

Border Conversations

Directed by Jonathan Brunner (Germany, 2022, 30 min). In November 2021, thousands of people try to enter the European Union by crossing the border between Belarus and Poland. Two Polish activists receive calls for help every day and try to support the people in the border zone. The film explores the limits of humanitarian aid and the experience of powerlessness. Border Conversations won awards at DOK Leipzig and DOK.fest Munich, among others.

Invisible Border

Directed by Mark Gerstorfer (Austria, 2022, 27 min), Invisible Border completes this selection drawn from five different horizons.

Play Schengen

Directed by Gunhild Enger (Norway, 2020, 14 min). Two video game designers develop a game for children to explain the European Union and the Schengen Area. Players become a national bird that can only cross borders according to its visa. With humour and absurdity, the film asks whether the complexity and inequalities of borders can be turned into a children's game.

Bon Voyage

Directed by Marc Wilkins (Switzerland, Turkey, 2016, 21 min). A Swiss sailing boat comes across a refugee boat in distress in the Mediterranean. When some of the refugees manage to climb aboard, the situation quickly spirals out of control. This multi-award-winning short film received the Swiss Film Award for best short film and a jury prize at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. It was also shortlisted for the 89th Oscars.

An Orange from Jaffa

Directed by Mohammed Almughanni (Palestine, Poland, France, 2024, 27 min). Mohammed, a young Palestinian, tries to cross an Israeli checkpoint with a temporary Polish residence permit. After several drivers refuse, a taxi driver offers to help him. But when Israeli soldiers discover that Mohammed has already tried, unsuccessfully, to cross the checkpoint, the situation quickly escalates.

The film has received many international awards, including the Grand Prix of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, the Best European Short Film award at the Krakow Film Festival and the Louis Le Prince Award at the Leeds International Film Festival. An Orange from Jaffa was also shortlisted for the 2025 Oscar for best live action short film.

The directors meet the audience

The Schengen Museum puts the emphasis on dialogue: after each screening, filmmakers and audiences will be able to talk. The museum also offers the media an early preview of the programme and interviews with the directors.

Practical information

• Opening evening: Thursday 8 October 2026 at 6.30 pm, aboard the Princesse Marie-Astrid Europa
• Screening for schools and universities: Friday 9 October 2026 at 9 am
• Total running time: about 2 hours 30 minutes
• Schengen Museum, 1 rue Robert Goebbels, L-5444 Schengen (Luxembourg)
• Museum open Monday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm