ALL INCLUSIVE (WT)

Some barriers are hard to overcome, especially the barriers set up in our minds. ALL INCLUSIVE tells a story of those who try to tear down the barriers between people living with, and without disabilities, with the aim of creating real inclusion in our society.

In the summer of 2023, around 7,000 people with intellectual disabilities from all over the world will meet in Berlin to participate in the Special Olympics World Games. When athletes take part in the Special Olympics competitions their goal is not to win, but to participate and forget about the barriers put up by society.

The film follows five athletes, who practice to qualify and ultimately to participate in the World Games.

Sports can have positive impact on the lives of athletes with disabilities, as well as on those close to them. The athletes gain higher self-esteem and better communication skills. They thrive through the challenge and find themselves performing better at their jobs and their private lives. But is this enough to achieve real inclusion? And do these efforts at inclusion carry on after the competition ends?

ALL INCLUSIVE sets out to present the challenges people with intellectual disabilities face in our society and to show, that to overcome them we need more than just determination.

Thorsten Ernst studied political sciences, philosophy and ethnology. He’s working as author and director since more than 11 years and created several documentaries and coverages for German public television. As head-author he manages the editorial work of the magazine TRACKS (arte) in Hamburg. His last TV documentary was the 90-minutes film AFRICA RISING in collaboration with Jean-Alexander Ntivyihabwa.

Tobias Lickes is a freelance journalist and film author in Hamburg. He has an MA in political sciences, sociology and communication studies and has been mostly working for the NDR since 2010, usually for the editorial staff of the ENTWICKLUNGSLABOR FÜR DOKUMENTARISCHES ERZÄHLEN (development lab for documentary narration). This summer his film 7 TAGE – AUF DER SUCHE NACH HANS was released in which he is looking for traces of his grand uncle Hans in Belorussia who has been missing since the second world war.

Malte Nieschalk is a D.o.P., author and owner of a film production company in Hamburg. He started to work in the camera department almost 20 years ago and was successfully trained as an audio-visual media designer at NDR. He is responsible for the cinematography of several reports, trailers, commercials and image films. Additionally, he films live broadcasts of concerts, tv shows and sport events.

Gordon Volk is a D.o.P., author and owner of a film production company in Hamburg. He finished his training as a media designer at the NDR in 2003. During his training, he realized several short films as D.o.P. and author which were screened at several international festivals. After his training, Gordon Volk established himself as a freelance D.o.P. and is particularly responsible for the cinematography of several commercials and image films as well as for documentaries.

Writers
Thorsten Ernst, Tobias Lickes, Malte Nieschalk & Gordon Volk

Directors
Thorsten Ernst & Tobias Lickes

Cinematography
Malte Nieschalk & Gordon Volk

Producer
Stefan Kloos

Line Producer
Maria Shilik
Bianca Laschalt

Production
Kloos & Co. Nord / Kloos & Co. Medien

World Sales
Rise and Shine World Sales

Development supported by
Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union
Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein