The Longest Run
With unique access in a Greek juvenile prison and courtroom, The Longest Run follows Alsaleh and Jasim, two teenage boys from Syria and Iraq who fled war only to be detained and accused of migrant trafficking. Intimate verité scenes depict their daily life behind bars, the deepening friendship between them, and heartbreaking phone calls with their parents still in conflict zones. Without legal support or an interpreter, and facing the prospect of 25 years in prison, their anxiety mounts as their court date approaches. With courtroom drama and a tension-driven narrative, the film exposes an overlooked aspect of migration and how vulnerable youth are caught in a web of desperate circumstances and injustices.
Year
2015
Category
Documentary
Duration
74’ (77’ DCP, 24fps), 55’
Director, Script
Marianna Economou
Editor
Chronis Theocharis
Cinematography, Sound
Giannis Misouridis, Chronis Pechlivanidis
Original Music
Nikos Portokaloglou
Production manager
Rachel Manoukian
Production
Spiros Mavrogenis / Stefi & Lynx Productions
Co-production
Doc3 & Marni Films with the support of The Greek Film Centre
World Sales
Anemon
Screenings
ERT, ARTE, SVT
Awards
•Honorable Mention in the International Competition & VER.DI Award - Dok Leipzig|•Selected for the European Film Awards 2016|•Nominated for the Greek Film Academy Awards 2016|•Best Social Documentary - Beyond Borders|•Honorary Mention - Aegean Docs|•Best Documentary - Hellas FilmBox, Berlin|•Audience Award - Peloponnese Documentary Festival|•Honorary Mention - DocFest|•Best Doc in Progress - Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
Festivals
Leipzig, DocPoint, Helsinki & Tallin, Tempo festival, One World Festival, Thessaloniki Documentary festival, Docsbarcelona, Crossing Europe, Linz Festival , Guth Gafa, Lemessos Film Festival, Budapest film festival, Films Femmes Méditerranée, Docs & Talks, Tbilisi FF, LAGFF, Cevennes festival,LGFF
Press & Reviews
*“The Longest Run is an important film the jury wishes to be seen all over the world, a very emotional and coherent documentary that brings current affairs to another level by telling its story with a tender approach to its characters."* |Leipzig jury || *“The film gives a human face to current tragedies of war, immigration and the crisis in European society, dealing fairly with these issues”* |Thessaloniki Festival jury || *“Marianna Economou’s riveting film is watched breathlessly — like a thriller written by life itself, beyond the reach of the most imaginative fiction”*|FLIX || *“The Longest Run tells the grueling story of those who have escaped a war only to see their dreams shattered, yet the film beautifully depicts the power of friendship”*|Docpoint Helsinki
