Watch: ‘I Should Not Be Here Today’ – Powerful Video Perfectly Explains Why You Should Vote In The European Elections
It’s easy to get caught up in the daily motions of things and take democracy for granted… but ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections this June, this one four-minute video will perfectly remind you why you shouldn’t.
Published in the early hours of this morning, Pass It On is a mini-documentary which brings together seniors from all over Europe, together with a younger family member or friend, asking them to pass a message on democracy to the younger generations.
And with the stories of these people from the different Member States showing us just how much Europe (and the world) has fundamentally changed, it’s easy to see just how vital democracy is when you see it through their eyes.
“I should not be here today,” 96-year-old Parisian Monique tells her grandson Robin. “I should have died. On 17th June, 1940.”
Watch the full video below – or check it out with Maltese subtitles here.
Other pivotal moments from history brought up in the documentary include the 1968 Prague Sprint, the 1989 Baltic Way, the 1989 Romanian Revolution, and the day the Berlin Wall fell on 9th November 1989.
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“Always remember that freedom and democracy weren’t always here and that we can lose them very quickly. You have to fight for it, you always have to be vigilant and fight for it.”
In total, 54 people took part in the full documentary, with one senior and one younger travel companion (in most cases a grandchild) per EU Member State. Five of the nine videos which are being shared across social media as of today – including the four-minute documentary – are fully unscripted, and totally real and raw.
And considering the documentary was developed by the &Co advertising agency from Denmark and directed by Danish director Mette Carla Albrechtsen – the brains behind last elections’ powerful Choose Your Future video – it’s easy to see how Pass It On will hit in a nerve in more ways than one all across the continent.
So if you want to “live democracy, listen to one another, and take good care of democracy” (even when, in their own poignant words, the senior stars of this documentary will not be here anymore), use your voice and be heard on 8th June 2024.
Share this post if you think more people need to check out this powerful video.
This action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament’s grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
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