Mene Tekel (1997)

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By the year 2000, half of all young people in Amsterdam will be of immigrant origin. The government aims to promote integration requiring that 70 percent of newly hired employees of the Municipality of Amsterdam be either of immigrant background or women. Mene Tekel examines the consequences of this policy within the Amsterdam Fire Brigade. Without using interviews, and instead relying on observation and a narrative structure resembling a feature film, the documentary shows how the policy affects recruitment and training. Sons from long-established firefighting families are no longer automatically eligible for a position. Meanwhile, newcomers of immigrant background often find themselves entering the fire brigade almost as a result of well-intentioned efforts by social support agencies. Once there, they undergo extensive testing and initiation, because when the alarm sounds they may be confronted with death, and firefighters must be able to trust one another completely.