Urban Forests

Wild Amsterdam(nl)

The city from the unique perspective of the many wild animals and plants that inhabit it. Seen through the eyes of the adventurous urban cat, Abatutu.

Losing Touch(en)

Searching for life in daily rituals, Losing Touch undertakes a shift in perception and presents the city as an ugly yet ecologically rich landscape. The film depicts the internal dialogue on coping with the grief and fear of ecological degradation, using the local streets of Berlin as a means to materialise and confront these emotions. As both the body and mind begin to wander, encounters with the landscape over a 24 hour period are transformed into an overstimulating and emotionally charged journey. Camcorder footage, film developed in beer and cyanotype create sensational and playful depictions of the surroundings, joining the rats scurrying on the ground and fleeing the night lights with the moths. Creatures of metal and flesh interact within and between the frames, coming together as an ugly yet vibrant community. Subverting the nature-culture dichotomy, a new image of nature is formed, not only as a romantic, distant place, but rather a dirty, omnipresent force.

One Crow Sorrow(et)

A personal city symphony where an eco-anxious soul explores the intersections of natural and artificial. The filmmaker’s internal conflicts are reflected through the contradictions of early spring. This experimental short documentary invites the viewer to take the time and truly pay attention to one’s surroundings.

Roof on the Moonway(lv)

In the early 1980’s two hundred pairs of common terns (Sterna hirundo) were forced to abandon their last natural nesting place on a river island near a major European capital Riga. Looking for a new habitat, the birds chose the flat pebbled roof of a concrete island – a printing house – in the middle of the city. The first generation of birds to grow up on this roof and fly to Southern Africa every winter have covered the distance from the Earth to the Moon. During the film various human attitudes towards the terns will emerge. The attitude of the birds is clear – they view things form above.

Darwin in Times Square: The Science of Urban Evolution(de)

Mr. Bug Goes to Town(en)

The happy tranquility of Bugville is shattered when the populace learns that a colossal skyscraper is to be built over their tiny town.

Chaos(en)

Whether political, sociological or social questions. In one's own life and that of others. Living, eating, loving. In art and philosophy. Everywhere man asks the question of "naturalness". How do I behave naturally? Do I have to behave naturally? What is natural? What is nature? This question occupies the most diverse people, have the most varied traits and characteristics. Man and woman as natural order or structures created by man? Meat consumption as natural predator behavior or factory farming? Nature-related living and urban planning? The topic covers all questions of human life. In this short film, this question should be discussed abstractly. Not by specific subject-relatedness, but by the juxtaposition of subjective ideas about the abstract nature of nature from the perspective of a Western white man.

Renacidos: El Padre Pío cambió sus vidas(es)

José María Zavala returns to directing to produce the sequel to the feature film The Mystery of Padre Pío. On this occasion he will once again address the life of Saint Pio de Pieltrecina, a priest known for his miraculous gifts, both in life and post mortem. However, this second part is more focused on testimonials and more specific cases. Zavala will delve into the experience of 24 people, who, like him, were blessed by the religious, and who, according to what they say, as a result of that moment, their lives changed completely.

Dude Perfect Trick Shots: Untold Stories(en)

Recognized as one of the most influential and most watched content creators in the world, Dude Perfect is a group of 5 best friends who have given a whole new meaning to the term sports entertainment. Now, for the first time ever, they are telling never before told stories behind 10 of their favorite trick shots. This behind-the-scenes look includes special, exclusive commentary from Dude Perfect as well as an all-new, never-before-seen trick shot.

Witness Theater(en)

Aron is 88 years old, Eazek is 94 and Claudine is 89. Over seventy years ago, although they lost their entire families, they survived the holocaust and resettled in New York City. Now they are sharing their stories in a unique program led by a drama therapist with high-school students in Brooklyn. The hope is that this sharing will sensitize the students and give some closure to the adult survivors after all these years. The Witness Theater workshop they participate in culminates in the performance of a play based on Survivor stories.

Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston(en)

Overcoming the seemingly insurmountable odds that life threw his way, Liston became heavyweight champion of the world when he knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962. Eight years later, he died but friends questioned the cause of his death.

One Year in Germany(en)

Four young people from Tanzania and Cameroon complete a year of weltwärts voluntary service in Germany. For each of them, it is their first visit in Europe. The film follows the volunteers throughout their year of service, it expresses different expectations, enthusiasm, goals and challenges. The volunteers describe subjectively their personal experiences as well as their view of Germany. The documentary is a thoughtful and exciting vision of the exchange program seen by four young people.

Mechanical Monsters(en)

This extraordinary documentary poses questions that still resonate today - will the machines we build to save humanity end up replacing us or even destroying us? Historian Simon Schaffer tells the stories behind some of the most sensational engineering wonders of past centuries. Images of designs and remnants spark questions that cut to the heart of our ever-advancing technological civilization.

Toys(es)

This short film, filmed at the Rural Exhibition, is a testimony that, based on 70 interviews with girls and boys of 9 and 10 years old, investigates the behavior guidelines imposed by conventional education and the results obtained. Boys are educated in a specific way, with very different life goals, and toys reflect this discrimination: kitchens, dolls, hairdryers, cosmetic equipment, the whole domestic world for girls. Creative games, those that awaken the imagination (trains, cars, building games, men in space), are intended for boys.

Britain's Child Drug Runners(en)

Children as young as seven are being groomed to sell drugs for 'county lines' drugs gangs in towns and villages all over the UK. This film follows four young people trapped in this world.

Echoes of Silence(en)

What does space sound like? In fact, like nothing at all—sound waves can’t travel through the interplanetary void.

Founders(en)

Under the leadership of its first and only president, Sinte Gleska University on South Dakota’s Rosebud Reservation has been a model for Indian-controlled education for 50 years, paving the way for other tribal colleges with a series of historic accomplishments and an eye towards continued innovation.

Magic Mud(da)

The world is facing a gigantic challenge: ensuring a more sustainable food production for a growing population on a decreasing cropland. A radical idea might strengthen sustainable agriculture - and at the same time reduce climate change

Summer Love: The Documentary(fr)

Za mřížemi(cs)