Ask Why? Docs

Human Rights Education - In the Cinema

Using film to teach lessons on human rights and expand horizons

Using the cinema as the classroom, ASK WHY? Docs encourages school students to engage with contemporary social and environmental issues through watching critically acclaimed documentary films from all corners of the world.

Three times during the academic school year, ASK WHY? Docs invites students from 20 Danish municipalities to local cinema screenings of thought-provoking documentary films that all center on human rights issues.

Map of Denmark with pin markers on cities which have hosted ASK WHY screenings.

Where ASK WHY? Docs held screenings and Q&As in the 2022/2023.

Some films from the 2022/2023 season

Oleg and the War

Simon Lereng Wilmont

Ten-year-old Oleg lives in warzone Ukraine with his loving Grandmother. He often plays with his younger cousin Yarik and older neighbor Kostya. The children find joy in everyday adventures - constantly laughing, exploring, playing - doing what kids do. They don’t realize that their playgrounds are different from what other children have.

Bucharest Hidden Children

Joost Vandebrug

Nicu lives with a gang of friends in the sewer tunnels of Bucharest in Romania. They are part of the growing number of homeless children living on the streets of the city. Nicu meets "Bruce Lee" the notorious "King of the Underworld" who takes him under his wing. Filmed over six years, this film follows the plight of Nicu and the other street children of Bucharest, and the challenges they face.

An Army of Sons

Talal Derki

Brothers Osama and Ayman both love and admire their father and obey his words, but while one seems to follow the path of Jihad, the other wants to go back to school. The film captures the moment when the two kids have to let go of their youth and are finally turned into Jihadi fighters. First lesson: one must not cry.

Expert guests

Every screening is followed by a Q&A session with an expert on the subjects handled in the film. Examples from the 2022/2023 season include:

Yaqoub Ali

Former head of an extremist Muslim group in Denmark. Today he works to prevent other young people from becoming radicalized

Nicolaj Laue Juhl

Former political spokesperson of the Danish LGBT+ youth organization, LGBT+ Ungdom, and author of the first ever report on the well-being of queer you in Denmark.

Anusha Samia

First girl to join 'Panna house' in Denmark. She works actively to include more girls and women in the world of sports.

Daniel Høybye

Has lived on-and-off the streets of Copenhagen since he was 14. A board member of SAND - an organization for the homeless.

Simon Lerang Wilmont

Oscar nominated director of the film Oleg and the War.

Learning in the cinema

Additionally, ASK WHY? Docs provide the schools with educational material, encouraging them to continually explore the themes back in the classrooms, both before and after screenings.
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Our latest impact report found that ASK WHY? Docs has a positive effect on both the community and the individual:

99% of participating teachers say they enjoyed our sessions and the educational material.
90% of participating students say they enjoyed ASK WHY? Docs with nearly three-fourths stating they have learned something new.
In 2022-2023 ASK WHY? Docs reaches nearly 6000 students across Denmark.