In a changing neighbourhood near Barcelona, locals and newcomers are navigating cultural and religious differences. “There are few of us left, born and raised here”, comments a shopkeeper in the documentary film by RTVE and the EBU Intercultural and Diversity Group. A comment we hear over and over in many European cities, though not often followed by the remark “Yes, people have changed, but in the end, they are not so different”, as Miguel says in “On the Other Side”.
Initially, Miguel was not enthusiastic about his new neighbours – he lives next door to the mosque of the Islamic centre “Camí de la Pau” and for months he was calling the police to complain about the noise coming from the main prayer room. Two years later, with the dividing wall made soundproof, relations have evolved to a respectful and careful coexistence.
Saima, one of the most active Pakistani women in the centre, also had to discover how to live between cultures and build a new sense of home. Together with other neighbours committed to intercultural and interreligious dialogue, she engages to open the doors of the mosque and make Iftar a neighbourhood celebration.
You can watch “On the Other Side” subtitled in English here. All nine films are being made available one after another via www.newneighbours.eu
