Breaking the Stigma

Exergo(eu)

A young woman who has just started a job at an art museum writes an email to a friend she lived with until recently. The other woman, also young, works as an artist and has just moved to a new city. A narrator reads this email, but we don't know which of the two women the voice belongs to, whether to the sender or to the receiver of the message. Neither are we aware of the details of this relationship; but what we do know is that, in addition to their interest in art, they share a concern for the difficulties of carrying out their personal and professional lives in the present. By focusing on the peripheral or hidden details of some paintings in the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, this narrator relates several stories linked to the social, economic and psychological conditions of the artists, both past and present.

Connecting the Dots(en)

Connecting the Dots takes on the subject of mental health through the voices of young people around the world.

Hold mig fast. Før jeg forsvinder(da)

Warrendale(en)

This ground-breaking cinéma-vérité classic documents five weeks in the lives of twelve residents of a home for emotionally disturbed children. It is the first in the form that King later described as actuality drama. All the action is spontaneous and undirected, with neither interviews nor narration. The theme is the outrage of life. The children asked the filmmakers, Why is it that whenever pictures of us are put in the papers, our faces are blacked out. What is so awful about us that we cant be seen? They wanted to be filmed so that they could be seen.

Brains in Danger(fr)

For the past 20 years, the world has seen an alarming decrease in IQ and a rise of autism and behavioral disorders. This international scientific investigation reveals how chemicals in objects surrounding us affect our brain, and especially those of fetuses.

Generation C(nl)

Due to the measures taken by the government, students have fewer and fewer prospects for a meaningful future. Life is on pause and society is kept in fear. The confidence in a bright future is gone. Even after 18 months, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel. The many promises have not yet changed this situation. In this moving documentary, young people give an idea of the impact of the measures on their lives. Is there still hope or has the damage already been done?

Pantry of Memories(en)

A mentally exhausted chef revisits memories she had long supressed through food, allowing her to find closure.

I'm Fine(en)

16 year old Josh, Opens up about his mental health problems in which he finds a community of people to support him

The Star of Therapy(en)

When Kendra is admitted into group therapy, she becomes overly competitive about completing her weekly goals.

You Okay?(en)

A depressed man spirals as he struggles to open up about his mental health. James, a mid-20s modern day man, has battled with anxiety and depression for an unknown amount of time. It’s unclear what caused is and the solution is even more ambiguous. While he has a loving group of friends and a caring partner, he cannot bring himself to open up, even when directly asked about it. This causes an inner conflict for James. He cannot speak about it, he can’t resolve his issues and the contemplative suicidal thoughts are too extreme to entertain. And so he is trapped with his life sentence, with his mind as his prison. He indulges in substance abuse and often imagines pretend scenarios to escape, but these fleeting feelings only make matters worse.

Sludge(en)

A young woman must confront her inner demons personified as a swamp monster in a battle for self- acceptance.

Salience(tl)

Jane is a 12-year old girl living with Childhood Schizophrenia. Her sister, Jessie, leaves her in the care of their Tita Hilda to study back in Manila. But during her stay, Aunt Hilda is having a hard time dealing with her niece’s illness because of her lack of knowledge of the situation.

Boots(en)

A teenager recounts a terrible night in the city where he ends up drunk and unhappy at a 24 hour diner. There, he has an encounter with a sweet, inviting family that leaves him feeling a little less lonely.

Matt Roberts The Battle Is Over (Depression Movie)(en)

The finale of the depression and suicide awareness trilogy, Matt takes on his final battle against his mind after the years of trauma.

Frank and His Dogs(en)

An aging Irishman lives a simple yet busy life amongst his friends and his dogs.

Ceburekai Sellers(lt)

"Hot Čeburėkai, cold beer" -- is probably the best known slogan of illegal Lithuanian bussines. The slogan comes as a set together with the vacation at the seaside resorts for more than twenty years. But who are those young people selling čeburėkai at the seaside? How many of Čeburėkai one needs to buy to collect a kitten? How many of čeburėkai needs to be taken to the policemen at the hotel so that the next time he wouldn't chase you through the sand dunes? These questions will be answered by three old friends -"Čeburėkai sellers" - Sigis, Asta and Rokas. They will lead us to the secret world of Čeburėkai sellers, where it's hard to get and even more difficult to get out.

The Gospel of Jesus' Wife(en)

It was announced today that a team of scholars has confirmed that a fourth century codex written in the ancient Egyptian Coptic language refers to the wife of Jesus. This is the first reference to Jesus being married that has been found in an ancient text, and while it is not evidence of the historical Jesus, it suggests some early Christians believed Jesus had a wife. Dr. Karen King, the Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School, unveiled her findings today at the Tenth International Congress of Coptic Studies in Rome.

Les geeks rient(fr)

Divergente(es)

Life in Loops (A Megacities RMX)(en)

Timo Novotny labels his new project an experimental music documentary film, in a remix of the celebrated film Megacities (1997), a visually refined essay on the hidden faces of several world "megacities" by leading Austrian documentarist Michael Glawogger. Novotny complements 30 % of material taken straight from the film (and re-edited) with 70 % as yet unseen footage in which he blends original shots unused by Glawogger with his own sequences (shot by Megacities cameraman Wolfgang Thaler) from Tokyo. Alongside the Japanese metropolis, Life in Loops takes us right into the atmosphere of Mexico City, New York, Moscow and Bombay. This electrifying combination of fascinating film images and an equally compelling soundtrack from Sofa Surfers sets us off on a stunning audiovisual adventure across the continents. The film also makes an original contribution to the discussion on new trends in documentary filmmaking. Written by KARLOVY VARY IFF 2006