Steven Janssens

What is possible when we have guaranteed money to meet our basic needs? No requirements. No stipulations. No paybacks. We look to the village of Busibi to discover what’s possible when we give money directly to people. No strings attached. The answer lies in the residents’ personal stories. Their successes and tribulations illustrate the impact of one of the most daring projects in contemporary development cooperation. Their life stories unexpectedly prove to be all too familiar. They make us laugh. They move us. Blending in together, they create a colorful and poetic reality portrait, illustrating the big consequences of a small sum of money …

The film travels from a classroom in Uganda to a Belgian train station, showing how education, culture, and institutions shape our way of thinking and acting. At the center of the story are the students in history teacher Godfrey's classroom. Their questions and research serve as the driving force as they unravel, challenge, and try to overcome colonial mindsets and racist systems.

Labelled disabled or autistic as teenagers, Brian, Jason, Jules and Kieran faced fewer opportunities and lost their self-confidence. Now in their twenties, they are at a crossroads in their lives. Will they have an independent future? Will they ever find a job, meet a partner, or start a family? The film, on which the young people have been actively collaborating for years, is a creative process and an emotional journey that aims to strengthen their self-image and prospects.