Soukeina, 4400 days of night

For The Lives of Others

In a country that prides itself on democracy, a group of activists, known for chalking messages and holding signs, faces a terrifying escalation: repression so severe that their right to speak freely becomes their last, desperate stand.

Iwianch, the Devil Deer

An enigmatic presence haunts the depths of the Amazon rainforest, where an indigenous Achuar teenager has disappeared. During the search for the young man, his family decides to consult with a Shaman, who, immersed in trance, reveals that the young man was taken by the devil, but that he has intervened by showing him the way back to his home. While waiting for his return, secrets of the rainforest and Amazonian visions of life after death are touched, vanishing the documentary filmmaker’s concepts of reality.

Madrepérola

In a tide oblivious to diversity, pearl oysters live under attack for not fitting into the standards and sizes. This is the story of how their pearls are born.

Feminino e Barulho

The cinema of Pernambuco is considered one of the most complex components of Brazilian cinema, particularly for its potency and creative style. The presence of women in filmmaking seldom holds the same historical notoriety as that of men, and the Pernambuco scene is no exception. In the context of "Amor, Plástico e Barulho" (Love, Plastic, and Noise), we find a film that serves as a testament to the marginalization of women in the creative industry, intertwining themes of consumption and the production of brega music. Hence, we use "Feminino e Barulho" (Feminine and Noise) as a means to share what we've learned. Renata Pinheiro has inspired us to craft a narrative that gives voice to those who need to be heard. We are here to showcase a glimpse of them and what they represent. "Feminino e Barulho" is a short film about love, femininity, sisterhood, and empowerment.

Ellas en la ciudad

"Ellas en la ciudad" (Them in the City) focuses on the first settlers of the neighborhoods on the outskirts of Seville. Through their stories, we discover that they have been the backbone of a city that has turned its back on them.

Parasisi

On the border of Surinam and French Guyana, indigenous Wayana territory is overrun by intruders. Illegal gold miners poison the river, missionaries repress indigenous identity, and even doctors with the best intentions leave marks that are often silently violent. The Wayana call these intruders Parasisi.

A State of Passion

A feature-length documentary film by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi. After 43 horrific days working round the clock under constant bombardment in the emergency rooms of Gaza’s Al Shifa and Al Ahli hospitals, British-Palestinian reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, emerged to find himself as a face of Palestinian resistance.

Born Freak

Jinsuk & Me

I have been pretty satisfied with my life before I got on the bus. When I do in June 2011, my whole life turns upside down. I am just a regular passenger at first. Like other people I was sorry, and felt obliged to help and care for other passengers. Then I begin to film these common heroes with my camera. Those who speak about hope, who provide it and get on the bus, Ms. Kim Jin-suk, and other crane laborers who risk their safety while demonstrating for their rights on high. She, while stationed insecurely on high, begins interacting with the world through Twitter and makes friends. Then I realize I really love her. Will we have her back safely?

Lesser Choices

The bleached palette and home-movie aesthetics of Super 8 footage provide the image track for this testimonial about an illegal abortion in Mexico City in the 1960s, delivered in voiceover by the filmmaker’s mother. In its account of this intimate and disorienting memory, Lesser Choices summons a time of profound uncertainty—a moment from an era without rights—and offers a warning to the present.

Rebellion for Future

Rebellion for Future depicts the activities of the Extinction Rebellion community from the inside. What price must one pay for criticizing prevailing social practices? How does it feel to face the authorities and their heavy-handed tactics? This feature-length documentary closely follows events over a two-year period, both in the marshlands of Lapland and on the streets of Helsinki. In their efforts to curb the climate crisis and the destruction of nature, the rebels use their own bodies to block factories, production equipment, and streets. Clashes with the authorities are tense, and the rebels are sometimes thrown in jail, brought before the courts, and even subjected to violence.

Pussy Riot: Rage Against Putin

Pussy Riot make a comeback after a long absence to stand with Ukraine. Their story and their struggle are told through archival footage and interviews with the group’s members.

1989

Such changes took place in Poland over a period of several months - from the end of 1988 to the end of January 1990? Michał Bielawski, through the prism of official and underground archives, shows the then state of mind of Poles, their fears, hopes and reflections. Film materials from the 1988-1990 period are in harmony with the photographs and diaries written by Poles at that time, as well as with the messages about the changes taking place. We observe the most important political, social and moral events of that period, confronted or reinforced by the comments of their active observers: ordinary people, politicians of the government camp and oppositionists.

En el valle de la luna

69 Minutes of 86 Days

A 3-year-old girl and her family's long journey from a Greek refugee centre to Uppsala.

Chuy, The Wolf Man

Jesus 'Chuy' Aceves and a dozen living members of his extended family suffer from the very rare condition of congenital hypertrichosis, meaning they were born with excessive hair on their faces and bodies. Due to their appearance, they suffer from discrimination in all areas of their lives: the children are made fun of at school and abandoned by their 'non-hairy' parents, and the adults cannot find work unless they choose to exhibit themselves as freaks in circuses. This moving and visually arresting documentary is a portrait of Chuy and his family members. It examines their day-to-day lives and their struggle to find love, acceptance and employment.

Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story

Everyone knows the phrase “Black is Beautiful,” but few know of the man who helped popularize it. Little known Harlem based photographer - freedom fighter and activist - Kwame Brathwaite took 500,000 photos across his 70-year career, always devoted to celebrating the joy and beauty of African American life. This feature documentary tells the story of Kwame and the “Black is Beautiful” movement.

America's War Against Women

In America women can go to jail for their husbands’ crimes, men are allowed to marry ten-year-olds, and abortions in some states are illegal, even in cases of rape. Documentary filmmaker Brice Lambert journeys through the American South and meets women who are at the receiving end of the attack on women’s rights since Donald Trump’s return to power.

Claire

Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Nick Reed & Ryan Azevedo, the film tells the story of activist and Claire’s Place Foundation Founder Claire Wineland through interviews and footage, exploring her fight with cystic fibrosis and how she has inspired millions to find purpose and to live proudly.

Free Space

Under pressure from activist groups, art is increasingly being cancelled for ideological reasons, because of 'cultural appropriation' or because of the desire for a 'safe space'. The colour and gender of the artist seem to be all-determining in this. How do you relate to this as an artist? Is this a disturbing development or a sign of emancipation? And what does it mean for freedom of expression? Director Karin Junger investigates this with Anne-Fay Kops, Ted van Lieshout, Angel-Rose Oedit Doebé, Raymi Sambo, Boris van Berkum, Marian Markelo, Stephan Sanders and Thomas Chatterton Williams.