Life Strategies of Young Migrants in Ageing Societies
Films
About Our Films
As part of the LYMAS project, participatory filmmaking workshops have been held in each of the four locations. These workshops guided participants through the entire filmmaking process, from developing an idea and crafting a storyline to technical training in filming, shooting, and editing.
Led by professional filmmaker and visual researcher Dr. Sezen Kayhan, young mobile persons created short documentary films that reflect their perspectives. Each participant chose their own story and film genre, allowing for a diverse range of personal expressions.
Featured Films
Watch Our Featured Films
Here are some selected films created by participants during the LYMAS workshops.
Methodology of the Workshops
How Were the Films Created?
Participatory research follows a holistic approach, aiming to involve people as much as possible in the research process and making them equal partners in knowledge production. The level of participation can vary—from inviting contributions at later stages to gathering feedback on research design and questions from the very beginning. Most importantly, participatory filmmaking allows perspectives and issues that might otherwise be overlooked to be expressed. However, as other authors have noted, participatory filmmaking “is not a magic bullet” (Gutiérrez Torres 2024: 430), and questions around visibility, representation, and ethical challenges must be addressed.
In the LYMAS project, questions that arose during the filmmaking process were continuously discussed with participants. Just as participants developed new skills in filming and editing, the research teams gained valuable insights from their perspectives.
In the Filmmaking Projects:
- Participants brought in their own thematic focus through their films and the discussions that followed.
- Through a series of workshops, they learned key documentary filmmaking skills, including scriptwriting, camera operation, and editing.
- Researchers and participants remain involved in discussions on how to share the final films.
- The films and joint screenings bring together participants’ experiences and perspectives across the different research sites.
The goal of the workshops was to provide participants with the tools to engage with topics and tell the stories that matter to them through film.
