Director
Max, Emre, Jash, David and Hilson. Five friends from school, all born in the Netherlands, but each with different origins; Turkish, Surinamese, Syrian, Chinese and Dutch. For the close-knit group of friends, these differences do not matter, their daily environment is the same. They live at Heijplaat, a working-class district hidden in the immense port area of Rotterdam, literally between the sea containers and the huge ships. Here they spend all their free time. There is not much to do and this makes their friendship extra important.
Director
Taking part in The Voice Kids is already quite something, but for 11-year-old Merna it’s really something special. Her parents had to flee Iraq because they are part of the Christian minority, and IS was threatening to kidnap Merna. They now live in Lebanon, where one in three people is a refugee. The family has been waiting for two years for permission to move on. FaceTiming with her older sister, who stayed behind in Iraq, and cooking her favorite dishes with her mother make the situation more bearable. But what also really helps is singing – this calms Merna and makes her less afraid. She used to sing only in church, but since The Voice her beautiful, melancholy voice touches everyone. Because of her status as a refugee, Merna isn’t allowed to attend the foreign performances with the other finalists, but she’s now a national celebrity in Lebanon.
Director
Annegien is only sixteen years old, but already has more than 672.000 followers on Instagram. Her photo edits are checked by followers all around the world. When a commercial company approaches her to make money, she's in doubt.
Director
Sometimes Jovanna longs for a little dessert, even if it’s in a plastic container. At times like these, she thinks it’s stupid that she has to take the climate into consideration in whatever she wants to do. But everything this Dutch girl says, and the way she lives, shows that she does exactly that. She doesn’t eat meat, and she and her family live in an “earthship,” where they generate all the energy they use. And Jovanna goes on climate strike every Friday, right in the center of town. Like thousands of young people around the world, she was inspired by climate activist Greta Thunberg. Children can’t vote, so going on strike is the only way to make their voices heard. There are brief appearances from young bloggers from Australia, Curaçao and Japan, who all believe that something has to change. After summer vacation Jovanna is going to high school, and she won’t be allowed to strike anymore. So when will the grownups finally start doing something?
