Dag Ma(2023)

The Earth Is Blue as an Orange(uk)

Single mother Anna and her four children live in the front-line war zone of Donbas, Ukraine. While the outside world is made up of bombings and chaos, the family is managing to keep their home a safe haven, full of life and full of light. Every member of the family has a passion for cinema, motivating them to shoot a film inspired by their own life during a time of war. The creative process raises the question of what kind of power the magical world of cinema could have during times of disaster. How to picture war through fiction? For Anna and the children, transforming trauma into a work of art is the ultimate way to stay human.

Speeding, of Course(fi)

70-year-old Timo makes the most of his short ride to work. Speeding up on a bicycle ends up in a ditch, but the adrenaline rush leaves a feeling of pleasure.

Spotlight on Merna(en)

Taking part in The Voice Kids is already quite something, but for 11-year-old Merna it’s really something special. Her parents had to flee Iraq because they are part of the Christian minority, and IS was threatening to kidnap Merna. They now live in Lebanon, where one in three people is a refugee. The family has been waiting for two years for permission to move on. FaceTiming with her older sister, who stayed behind in Iraq, and cooking her favorite dishes with her mother make the situation more bearable. But what also really helps is singing – this calms Merna and makes her less afraid. She used to sing only in church, but since The Voice her beautiful, melancholy voice touches everyone. Because of her status as a refugee, Merna isn’t allowed to attend the foreign performances with the other finalists, but she’s now a national celebrity in Lebanon.

Family Life(de)

Biggi lives with her two daughters, four dogs and her exboyfriend Alfred on a dilapidated farm in a small village in Saxony-Anhalt. Biggi and Alfred are out of work and they live very modestly. The 14 and 17 year-old daughters Saskia and Denise should really go to school, but there are always reasons for them to stay at home. This gives rise to tension with Alfred. We accompany them during their conflict-ridden everyday lives and learn something about their dreams, fears and hopes. And how difficult it is to break out of a circle.

Shelley in Wonderland(en)

Shelley is a timid elderly lady who is competing in the Miss Senior USA pageant. Immersion in an extravagant world that also touches on the universal need for visibility, beauty and being included.

Hold mig fast. Før jeg forsvinder(da)

Alicia(nl)

"It’s not easy to find a foster family for you," an orphanage supervisor explains to nine-year-old Alicia. "After all, you are a very special girl." Alicia is crying. "I’m not special. I’m just a girl." This disturbing scene sets the tone for this film about Alicia, who was taken away from her teenage mother by the Child Welfare Bureau when she was 12 months old. She’s been living in an orphanage since the age of five, and they have never managed to find a foster family for her. In Alicia, we watch as she becomes a teenager, still craving safety and love. Over the course of three years, filmmaker Maasja Ooms follows her daily life up close. Alicia's yearning and powerlessness are palpable in these observations, which painfully reveal the effects of having no prospects.

Leaving Your Skin(en)

Wanda Seux, one of Mexico’s most emblematic actresses and showgirls during the 80’s, has fallen into an abyss, dragged down by the death of her mother, her solitude, and the passage of time. Wanda, however, struggles every day to rise from that vacuum and walk through that dark tunnel into the light of plenitude.

Good Tough Kid(en)

Kelly Finger-McNeela was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis her freshman year of high school. The only thing on her mind was living a "normal" life. Her disease threatened to make that impossible.

Overwinter(be)

Belarus, Vileika district of Minsk region. Lonely elderly people are leaving for winter to the home of seasonal residence. Each of them carries their own experience and beliefs, but they will have to stay the winter together. The days pass in sicknesses, conversations, watching TV... In mid-winter, there appears a new resident of the house, and the life inside changes.

A Life on the Farm(en)

A strange story from Somerset, England about a filmmaking farmer and the inspiring legacy of his long-lost home movies.

The Test(en)

A Ghanaian maintenance technician at a Virginia retirement community dreams of becoming an American citizen to provide a better life for his family. With their future at stake, he enlists the help of two elderly residents to prepare for the biggest test of his life: the US Citizenship exam.

Dancing with Maria(es)

María Fux spends her life training dancers, particularly those with disabilities. But now, at 90, she finds her toughest student may be herself.

Peace(ja)

What is peace? What is coexistence? And what are the basis for them? PEACE is a visual-essay-like observational documentary, which contemplates these questions by observing the daily lives of people and cats in Okayama city, Japan, where life and death, acceptance and rejection are intermingled.

Seems Like Only Yesterday(en)

Interviews with a dozen California centenarians against a montage of present day media reportage.

Dear Matthew(en)

The story of Tim Reilly (84) whose son Matthew disappeared in1999. All that remains of him today are his paintings, which his father, Tim, curates.

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer(en)

British documentarian Nick Broomfield creates a follow-up piece to his 1992 documentary of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was convicted of killing six men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Interviewing an increasingly mentally unstable Wuornos, Broomfield captures the distorted mind of a murderer whom the state of Florida deems of sound mind -- and therefore fit to execute. Throughout the film, Broomfield includes footage of his testimony at Wuornos' trial.

Mary and Bill(en)

Mary and Bill is a film focusing on Mary Stroebe and Bill Wambach. Mary is a 90-year-old triathlete and Bill an 83-year-old high jumper who holds the National record in his age bracket. Bill was also named "Male Athlete of the Year" by the National Congress of State Games. Mary appeared on the "Regis and Kelly Show" and as a result was nominated for and received a "Relly" award. The film follows Mary and Bill immediately after they experience serious health related problems. Mary brakes her leg while down hill skiing and Bill, who had smoked for 45 years, suffers a heart attack. Despite these physical ailments, both decide to train and compete in their respective events. Mary hopes to complete the Lifetime Fitness triathlon and Bill will attempt to win first place in high jumping at the National Senior Olympics. Through their amazing commitment, both Mary and Bill prove that age is just a number.

The Letter(sw)

Karisa’s city-life is interrupted when his Grandma back home is called a witch and receives a death threat. Returning to his rural village to investigate, he finds a frenzied mixture of consumerism and Christianity is turning hundreds of families against their elders, branding them as witches as a means to steal their ancestral land.

Please Remember Me(zh)

Hardly could anybody tell that 87 years old Lou has had Alzheimer’s disease. Over the years, Lou has forgotten almost everyone but firmly believes that 88 years old Feng is the one she is going to spend the rest of her life with.