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 33 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.

Interested in having ASK WHY? Docs bring a screening to your class or school?

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Some films from the 2023/2024 season

Girl Gang

Susanne Regina Meures

Likes and followers are the currency in the new media reality, and with the right mix of luck and talent you can become an influencer star working from your teenage room. This is the life of 14-year-old Leonie, better known as Leoobaly to her fans. Sh lives in Berlin with her parents, who have quit their jobs to boost their daughter's comet career on social media. More than a hundred kilometers away, her biggest fan, 13-year-old Melanie, lives and fantasizes about Leoobaly's perfect life.

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.

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 2023/2024 season include:

Yaqoub Ali

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

Popal Naseri

Popal Naseri, the eldest brother in the documentary 'Follow Me Home'. He fled Afghanistan as a teenager because the Taliban attempted to recruit him as a suicide bomber.

Mary Consolata Namagambe

Social activist, lawyer, entrepreneur and debater. Founder of She for She and the company #GirlsWillBeGirls!

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. Has filmed extensively near the frontline in Ukraine, prior to the 2022 invasion.

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 reached nearly 6000 students across Denmark.