"THE FORTRESS", a documentary on European border externalisation

Documentary, 106 minutes
France, 2026
Director: Romain Kosellek
Production: L’image d’après, Nakama Films
Film website: https://thefortress-lefilm.work

Synopsis:

In the border regions of the European Union, the Exile moves from country to country in search of stability. Between attempts, he talks with his fellow travelers about their experiences: the locations of squats, areas that are more or less under control, smugglers’ fees… Around him, landscapes and faces come and go. His journey constantly takes unexpected turns, slowed down by barriers, drones, patrols, and other checkpoints that dot the route.

The Exile entrusted his story to a volunteer with an NGO assisting migrants at the French-British border. She, in turn, shares his story with us. Between Istanbul, Dakar, Grande-Synthe, and Subotica, a shifting geography takes shape: that of solidarity on the roads of exile and their dead ends as they wind through the fortress that the European Union is gradually building.

Trailer:

In this film, the “fortress” is Europe, which several exiles attempt to reach via different routes, where they face the violence of migration policies and the consequences of the externalization of European borders. The film travels through various border regions: Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, then Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco. This broad-scale view of the militarization of the EU’s borders is what makes the film unique and powerful; its decentralized, critical approach—centered on the lived experiences of migrants—mirrors that of the Migreurop atlases.

This film was the result of a collective effort supported by several members of the network. It notably features maps by Lucie Bacon, an individual member and cartographer with Migreurop. Other members contributed to the film’s production through their advice or contacts, and the AMSV, a Moroccan association and member of the network, represented by Hassane Amari, also appears in the film.

🗓️The preview screening will take place on September 14th, 2026 in Paris, at la SCAM (5 avenue Vélasquez, 75008), at 6.30 pm (screening in French).
(Reservations required: find here the contact adress to make a reservation).