The revolutionary events of 1989 made headlines all over the world. Since then, have Europe’s expectations come true? Is Europe still divided, or has it overcome its division? And where does Europe end?
In 2009, 20 years after the fall of the Iron curtain, EUNIC Netherlands organised the 1989+20 festival. This festival consisted of various debates, exhibitions and films, featuring artists, scholars, politicians and witnesses of 1989. The festival looked back on the fall of the Iron curtain and discussed the momentous changes of the ’89-’09 period, and reflected on the future of a united Europe.
The exhibitions and debates covered the photographic history of Central and Eastern Europe, the economic lessons of 1989, the borders of Europe and the current state of the European Union. Participants included amongst others Frans Timmermans, André Gerrits, Jan Urban and Tsveta Andreeva.
It was accompanied by a cinematic programme, A New Europe in Twenty Years of Film, which consisted of 14 movies and documentaries about life in Europe since the fall of the Iron curtain.
