De blauw (première) - Lara Staal & NTGent

Police officers have to deal with a wide range of issues: from illegal waste to homelessness, and from noise pollution to drug-related crimes. After only one year of training, the Belgian police are expected to handle the most complex situations. How does a police officer determine what is ‘suspicious’? How does society ensure that it is not always the most vulnerable people who are targeted and arrested? And can the police truly be there for everyone? It is no coincidence that the police have come under regular fire in recent years. From unclear complaint procedures and officers who rarely appear in court to ethnic profiling and humiliating treatment… At the same time, we sometimes seem to forget that the police are made up of people who regularly have to make split-second decisions under immense pressure, often with traumatic consequences, not only for citizens but also for the officers themselves. Serdi Faki Alici, Armin Mola, Joram Kunde Boumkwo and Lara Staal create a multi-layered and musical portrait of the police in De blauw. Based on interviews with the police in Ghent, criminologists, youth workers and young people from various neighbourhoods in Ghent, De blauw dissects how the police operate today. ... Read more at https://www.theateraanzee.be