Fifteen-year-old Igor helps his father Roger with his shady dealings in a Belgian provincial town. Roger rents rooms to undocumented migrants and profits from their vulnerable position. When one of the migrants dies in an accident, Igor is suddenly faced with a choice that severely tests his conscience and loyalty.

La promesse shows how the presence of undocumented workers becomes intertwined with the lives of local residents – and how exploitation, silence and guilt are inextricably linked to this.

Tuesday 28 October with lecture by Prof. Dr Marijke Leliveld (spoken in English) 
Prior to the screening of La promesse, behavioural scientist Marijke Leliveld will give a short lecture (15-20 min) on the mechanisms behind empathy. What enables us to empathise with others? How is it possible that we can be so empathetic towards one person and so cruel towards another? Is empathy a prerequisite for morally desirable behaviour?  And what role does fear play in this?

Marijke Leliveld is Professor of Consumer Ethics at the University of Groningen. Among other things, she studies the psychology of giving behaviour: why and when do we give to charity?