The Days Before Christmas(1958)

Henri Matisse(fr)

Documentary film about artist Henri Matisse

Con Traje y Sin Zapatos(es)

Strade perdute - Filmmaker 23(it)

For Filmmaker Film Festival (2023), Fulvio Baglivi and Cristina Piccino asked some filmmakers (R. Beckermann, J. Bressane, D’Anolfi/Parenti, T. De Bernardi, L. Di Costanzo, A. Fasulo, F. Ferraro, M. Frammartino, S. George, ghezzi/Gagliardo, C. Hintermann, G. Maderna, A. Momo, A. Rossetto, M. Santini, C. Simon, S. Savona) to give us their own "lost road," that is, a sequence, scene or piece of editing that did not later find its way into the final version of one of their works. Each fragment has its own accomplished presence, often has a different title from the film it was made for, which is not necessary to have seen in order to find meaning; on the contrary, those who set out thinking they know the world they are walking through will find themselves displaced.

Under the Libertarian Sign(es)

Bajo el signo libertario is a propaganda documentary, with the script and direction of Les (known for his articles in Solidaridad Obrera and the magazine Espectáculo) whose central theme is the reconstruction of the development of life in a libertarian community in the Aragonese town of Pina de Ebro.

Tío Jess(es)

Two/2(en)

Music scores are atomized and recompiled into instructions for visual edits and cues. Ties are uncovered between sight and sound.

In the Ocean, on Land(en)

Panasonic PV-GS83 in a plastic bag thrown in the ocean.

A Staircase(en)

Single frames vectorized and stitched before processing through an analog EAB.

Water Theater(en)

White Rock Lake Water Theater in Dallas, Texas. Sculpture by Frances Bagley and Tom Orr. Video compiled from 35mm stills.

XYZ(en)

Oil spills around Oak Cliff, Dallas.

The Sun(en)

Compiled and animated from still images.

Dresden Oktober '89(de)

The Future Is Rotten(en)

A secret culture of foragers hunt the Matsutake, a coveted Japanese mushroom worth up to $1,000 a pound—although its true value lies underground as a brilliant networker and healer of ruined landscapes. The Matsutake might just be our last, best hope for an American forest system run amok.

Flora(es)

A metacinematic reflection on the nature of representation and the ongoing drug war in Mexico, Nicolás Pereda’s Flora revisits locations and scenes from the mainstream 2010 narco-comedy El Infierno, exploring the paradoxes of depicting narco-trafficking on film—its tendency both to romanticize and to obscure. To screen is both to project and to conceal.

Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays(en)

Superstar a capella group Pentatonix is struggling to find inspiration for their annual holiday album, and the clock is ticking. To make matters worse, their well-intentioned but misguided manager mistakenly locks them in a magic mailroom. But with the help of some Disney magic, we’re soon on a whirlwind tour around the world, discovering holiday traditions and inspiration from Pentatonix fans all around the globe: from Tokyo to Grenada, Ghana to Mexico and Iceland.

Lesser Choices(en)

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.

Rana esculenta (Ranidae) - Beuteerwerb(de)

The film shows the prey-catching behaviour of the edible frog at a small garden pond and at a gravelpit. The catching of creeping and (under experimental conditions) hanging earthworms, of flies sitting on the surface of the water and of egglaying dragonflies (Sympetrum spec.) in tandem position are visible.

Dancing for You(no)

Vilde (12) wants to be the first female 'Halling' folk dance champion. A traditional dance for men only. Her greatest challenge isn't the competition - she's convinced that her strength and passion for dance and life are helping her beloved grandfather to win his fight against cancer.

Alpine Hotel at Christmas(en)

Lap up the luxury and opulence of the festive season at Switzerland's Gstaad Palace hotel, as we discover one of the most exclusive hotels in the world, where staff and management work hard to ensure their guests enjoy the ultimate 5-star festive experience. Run by third generation hotelier Andrea Scherz, whose family have owned the hotel since 1938, the hotel is one of the last in Switzerland to close between the summer season and winter. When it reopens in mid-December, with rooms costing up to £18,000 per night, the pressure is on to provide a truly first class Christmas.

Gemeinsam(de)

The close ties and cooperation between the border troops of the GDR and the people of Thuringia are shown