Bloemstraat film event
Line up: Dir. Ornella Mutoni , Dir. Maria Marrone
Open: 19:00 - 22:00 hrs
Tickets: € € 5 / € 10 & € 15
Bloemstraat presents a fundraiser screening of two short films: The Things We Don’t Say (2024) and Rendered in Light (2025). The screening will be followed by a Q&A with directors Ornella Mutoni and Maria Marrone.
The Things We Don’t Say (2024)
Dir. Ornella Mutoni
30 years after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, there are thousands of young people who have suffered in silence for so long, they don’t know how to share their pain. This film documents a group of young adults in a community healing workshop leaning on each other to find the courage to confront family secrets at the heart of their difficult upbringings.
We witness 29 year old Thierry, as he begins his journey to let go of the weight he carries from the stigma of being conceived through genocidal rape. In a circle of supportive peers, the group opens up about the burdens they individually and collectively face. The workshop is led by Emilienne, a therapist and genocide survivor, who holds the pain of the next generation of Rwandans, whilst acknowledging the trauma she has passed on to her own daughters.
The Things We Don’t Say is a contemplative and layered short documentary that allows the audience to observe the individual and intergenerational legacies of mass violence, and the power of listening for collective healing.
Rendered in Light (2025) – Preview screening
Dir. Maria Marrone
When Mosab, a skilled software engineer, is separated from his wife and children as they evacuate Gaza for emergency medical care, he’s left behind with only uncertainty and a laptop. Alone in a city under siege, he begins building something extraordinary: a virtual reality program designed to help survivors of genocide cope with mental trauma.
As genocide rages around him, Mosab immerses himself in creating digital worlds of calm and reflection. The film follows his journey as he balances the emotional weight of his own loneliness with a relentless drive to serve others. Through acts of kindness and innovation, he finds a way to preserve his own mental health, turning grief into action, and despair into purpose. His work and the benefit it brings his community eventually makes him a target for Israel.
This film is an intimate portrait of resilience, exploring how one man’s compassion and creativity become tools for survival. It's a story about holding on to family through distance, building connection through technology, and refusing to let go of hope even when the world gives every reason to.
Ticket proceeds will be donated to TechMed Gaza, a Gaza-led initiative delivering psychological support through virtual reality (VR) to help children and other survivors cope with extreme trauma.
Bloemstraat is a community-driven platform hosting events that explore freedom, resistance, and liberation. We collaborate with other grassroots initiatives in Amsterdam to share independent film, music, talks, and workshops, creating small, joyful spaces that aim to spark solidarity and cross-movement collaboration.
