Reality(2019)

Hackney Marshes(en)

Artist John Smith tells stories about tower block life, editing in bold, unconventional fashion, cutting into the material and highlighting the components and conventions of the film form - yet an intimate portrait of the block's inhabitants still emerges.

Danchi Woman(ja)

85 years old and never married, Shizu has spent the past 3 decades living in one "Danchi" - the Japanese word for public housing - and filling it with the lifetime of souvenirs that have always kept her company. When the danchi is scheduled for demolition, Shizu and neighbors must say goodbye to their homes, and move into newer danchi that are too small to hold all of Shizu's mementos. This intimate documentary captures Shizu's sense of humor, and profound nostalgia, as she sorts through relics of her past, and chooses which memories she must fit into her new home, and which ones she can let go of.

The Flaw(en)

The story of the credit bubble that caused the financial crash. Through interviews with some of the world's leading economists, including housing expert Robert Shiller, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, and economic historian Louis Hyman, as well as Wall Street insiders and victims of the crash including Ed Andrews - a former economics correspondent for The New York Times who found himself facing foreclosure - and Andrew Luan, once a bond trader at Deutsche Bank now running his own Wall Street tour guide business, the film presents an original and compelling account of the toxic combination of forces that nearly destroyed the world economy.

Game Theory(zh)

This is a story about a five-year battle waged between the farmers of two villages and the local government over land-use rights. This documentary illustrates the subtle changes being made to the rules of the game between officials and citizens, and provides deep human insight into the loss, despair and increasing awareness experienced by common farmers in the pursuit of land-use rights.

Redefining China's Family: Women(en)

10 May 2007 - China's staggering economic growth has overshadowed a more subtle shift in Chinese society. In domestic life, many women are now ignore the advice of their mothers and grandmothers, turning instead to counselling hotlines and, increasingly, divorce.

Motel(en)

As Niagara Falls transformed from honeymoon capital of the world to Las Vegas North, corporate hotel chains and casinos cast a long shadow over the independent motels that once populated the town. The Continental survived the transition by converting its rooms into affordable housing units, becoming a home for those with few places to go. The night manager, Brian, once a freelance photographer who survived the horrors of war in Vietnam, shares his duties with his colleague Linda. Together they manage both the Continental and the individual struggles of its tenants, providing more than a roof over the heads of those who live under their supervision. Bringing a fresh focus to one of the most photographed places on Earth, director and cinematographer Jesse McCracken develops an intimate and caring portrait of the residents of this modest micro-community set against the backdrop of neon-lit tourist attractions.

Homeless(ko)

The young couple Han-gyeol and Go-woon are staying in a Sauna with their son Woo-rim. One day, Woo-rim gets badly hurt and to save hospital bills, Han-gyeol enters an empty house of the old lady he got to know while working on delivery. It’s a perfect home for the family but they can’t stay there forever. The sweet dream will end when the old lady comes back from trip.

Counterfeit Kunkoo(hi)

In a city overflowing with buildings and slums, Smita must find herself a house to rent. She is hard-working, honest and respectful - the ideal tenant - except for one glaring flaw. She is a middle-class Indian woman without a husband. An intimate perspective on the identity of the 'Ideal Indian Female' in urban India of today.

Shady Business(sh)

Residents of a shanty town are faced with its destruction. With the help of the local trickster, Paja "the Bighead" moves with his family to an empty flat in New Belgrade blocks. Everything goes fine until the real owner knocks at the door.

California Winter(en)

Young real estate agent Clara Morales encouraged risky loans to her clients during the housing boom. She must now rescue her father’s home from foreclosure - a consequence of the loan she advised him to take.

Southbound Train(sh)

A power-cut in a great apartment building brings the tenants together.

Dead on Appraisal(en)

Real estate agent John Dante has a problem. He's stuck with a house he can't sell. Despite his best efforts, he can't seem to overcome the house's past and the macabre tales that precede it in this haunting anthology. In the first story, THE MORNING AFTER, a group of friends wake up from the party of a lifetime to find a nightmare in the form of the worst bug invasion any homeowner has ever seen. Then there's Freddie Cooper and his band, FREDDIE AND THE GOBLINS; a tale of how Freddie's band mates try to kick him out and get caught up in the young singer's growing psychosis. With his hopes of selling the house fading, John is horrified to hear the story of Robbie, a young veteran of the war in Iraq, who returns home to live with his father Brad in FATHER LAND. Something isn't right, though, as Robbie's dark secret slowly bubbles to the surface. As the house's dark past comes to life, John becomes weary and is convinced the house is cursed and unsellable.

Das Auge Afrikas: Der Filmpionier Hans Schomburgk(de)

In 1898, barely 18 years old, the German Hans Schomburgk, a native of Hamburg, set foot on the black continent for the first time. In 1912, he was admitted to the Royal Geographical Society in London and convinced a production company to finance his first film expedition to Africa. Two years later, the apprentice director achieved immense success with the documentary "Hiking and trails in Africa". Tested by the two world conflicts - the Allies confiscated his reels during the Great War, just like the Nazis, in 1940 - Hans Schomburgk managed to bounce back by setting out again to film the endangered wildlife of Kruger Park or the ancient traditions of the San, until to his farewell to Africa in 1956.

Tardor Calenta(es)

How to Be an Ex-Prime Minister(en)

Michael Cockerell tells the story of how prime ministers have coped with life after Number Ten, after Tony Blair became the youngest member of the ex-PMs' club for a hundred years. The film reveals who left office bankrupt, who did TV commercials for Cheshire cheese, who had his own chat show and who has never had a single happy day since leaving Number Ten. Cockerell, who met the eight PMs prior to Blair, looks at what Tony planned do next and just how many millions he could make from being an ex-PM.

United We Stand - Musicians in Time of War(nl)

A documentary about the relation between music and war.

The Peony Pavilion(zh)

A young aristocrat is seduced by a young man who appeared to her in a dream one spring afternoon. Captive of this impossible love, the young girl is dying of melancholy. But the constancy of her love is stronger than death; she wins the pity of the judge of the underworld, manages to find her lover and come back to life. The opera "The Peony Pavilion" was composed in 1598 by the poet Tang Xianzu (1550-1617), one of the greatest playwrights of the Ming period. Of all the forms of Chinese opera that have followed one another since the 12th century, the kunqu is the one that best preserves the image of a classical art highly appreciated in educated circles for its musical, literary and gestural refinement.

Candy(nl)

Chaityabhumi(mr)

A documentary film that explores the history and cultural politics of how people commemorate december 6th at Chaityabhumi and its relevance in contemporary India.

eadem cutis: the same skin(de)

"I just want to be seen as who I am today!" John shares his thoughts on identity, body and gender and gives a very personal insight into his life–and an intimate proximity to his body.