1st Prize in the category “Best Film Production” for our Erasmus project “European History Moving”! We are a team of six 1st Lyceum students—six very different individuals who developed a unique bond through an Erasmus project. The project that brought us together is titled “European History Moving” and aims to introduce cinematography as a tool for teaching European History. More importantly, it aims to help us embrace our European origins and heritage as members of a large multicultural European family. We participated in a cinematography competition together with four Erasmus partner schools:Gandhi School of Narni (Italy), IES La Zafra School of Motril (Spain), Jean Lurçat School of Perpignan (France), and Simeon Radev School in Pernik (Bulgaria). Our goal was to create a 5-minute short film and creatively communicate European values. We chose solidarity, as expressed through the implications of the Maastricht Treaty of 1992. The entire process went through many challenging phases—from planning our next steps to facing the devastating effects of COVID-19. However, we decided not to let difficulties break or discourage us. Instead, we redesigned our plot and produced the film in virtual conditions. We created a black satirical comedy in an effort to bring smiles to our audience and help them escape the difficult reality. Despite the challenges, we had great fun sharing ideas about the scenario and production process. Our film tells the story of five EU leaders debating how to handle a major political crisis: a cyberattack that disrupts a union of nations committed to shared values, forcing them to balance national interests with European solidarity. Ultimately, despite limited resources, we tried to express a central question: “How can we glue solidarity together?” This experience was invaluable for all of us because we won 1st prize for best film production—and more importantly, we learned to adapt, endure, and find alternative solutions to challenges. Perhaps this is the most important lesson: that despite adversity, life always finds a way. Film Creators and Producers:➢ Artemis Chaikali➢ Mary Yue Li Ma➢ Evaggelos Xylas➢ John Tzortzatos➢ Vassilis Trantalis➢ Iasonas Anastasopoulos Project Advisors:➢ Lina Tetradi➢ Tanya Petratou
