Surprising Europe

For four years, documentary maker Rogier Kappers followed Ssuuna Golooba, a Ugandan migrant who lives in the Netherlands and has an unusual mission. 'Look before you leap!', is the message he wants to hold up to his compatriots. In his native country, Golooba used to be a successful photojournalist. Still, he was persuaded into trying his luck in Europe, and found out that the life of illegal immigrants can be brutal. In 2005, he watches the shocking images of the Schiphol fire that kills eleven illegal immigrants. Right then and there, he sets out to warn other ‘travellers’. With a borrowed video camera, he starts capturing the stories of other illegal aliens. Three years later, Golooba's plan has grown into a project that even involves the Arabic news station Al Jazeera. Still, it will not be easy to convince people in Africa with his story. That much is clear from the images that Kappers shot over there.