Hope: In the Aftermath of War

People's Child(fa)

After growing up in an orphanage, Abolfazl embarks on a journey to find his real mother. His path leads him through friendship, love, loss, and war—until he discovers where he truly belongs.

Nobody Can Stop the Revolution(en)

Combining collage animation and live action, this short depicts the achievements of the Chilean people under the Allende government and the subsequent reversal of this progress following the military coup. The collages were created by East German media artist Lutz Dammbeck; the Chilean artists Juan Forch and Vivienne Barry did the animation.

Birthday(gn)

Mercedes is an exhausted woman who faces the non-return of her only son, after the end of the Chaco War in 1935. A soldier returns to the same town looking for his girlfriend, and ends up accompanying this woman, discovering in turn the reason for her suffering.

Oh Brave New Home(uk)

A story about children and adults who migrated from eastern Ukraine because of the war and found themselves far from home in a hostel for displaced people. This is a film about the everyday life and pain of refugees, about the search for small details that give strength to live and about adults who are tired of war. It is a self-reflection of refugees who believe that they will soon return home, without a clear understanding of when this will be possible and what awaits them there.

Testament(uk)

As the war wages on, Ukrainians under everyday threat find ways to live. A soldier returns home, a chaplain grapples with the weight of responsibility, and a mother grieves the loss of her family. These stories, amidst others, are a testament of Ukraine’s history, perseverance and plea to be remembered.

Firefight(en)

A squad of Marines on a hilltop in Vietnam calls for a Medevac after a sniper wounds one of them. Before the Medevac helicopter can come down for a landing, the Marines are attacked by a large force of Vietcong. After a brutal battle, resulting in more wounded Marines, they're able to repel the attack, but then the helicopter is hesitant to land.

Reclaiming the Night(en)

In the aftermath of war, an extraordinary professor brings hope to children haunted by trauma-induced nightmares.

Sisa(tl)

The Philippines, 1902. The land is raw, wounded, occupied. Smoke clings to the trees. Blood soaks the soil. The war is over – but the violence lingers. Widows fill the villages. Mothers vanish into silence. Among them walks Sisa (Hilda Koronel), barefoot and broken, dismissed as mad by those who fear what they don't understand. But madness is only the surface.

Donga(ar)

“There was excitement in the air,” says Donga, now in his late twenties, describing his feelings when the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi’s rule broke out in 2011. He was 19, living in Misrata, and boldly went to film the fighting with a friend. A decade later, in a hotel in Istanbul, where he has been living since he was wounded in battle, he looks back on the past ten years through excerpts from his videos. And he reflects on how that period has affected him.

The Charge of Texel(fr)

1795, Holland. The French vanguard is pushing towards the north, through a strong blizzard, beyond the enemy lines. At the head of the cavalry, Major Lahure learns that a British fleet, seeking to escape to England, is trapped by the ice off the coast, and prepares one of the boldest ventures of its time.

Moschaisk(de)

War Theater(fr)

During a theatrical performance featuring puppets glorifying war, a wounded soldier is taken backstage where he unveils the truth about war.

Melodies of War(en)

In 1944 rural China, two young musicians, trapped inside an abandoned building by enemy soldiers, share one last song together.

Scars(en)

A combat medic veteran with PTSD fights to save himself and his family's wildfire-torn California vineyard.

Isänmaan vangit(fi)

An interview documentary about Finnish military court sentencing procedures after the Continuation War.

Suzana from the Cellar(bs)

A cellar-dwelling woman talks about her life to a camera during the devastating war in Bosnia.

Abo Jabal(ar)

It is May 8, 2024, and Israel is preparing to launch a destructive military operation in Rafah. Tahani, a Palestinian woman who has been internally displaced multiple times since the beginning of the attacks on Gaza, wonders where she and her children can find refuge once again. The film provides a glimpse into her family’s life before and after October 7, depicting the anguish of a mother who, marked by a painful loss, struggles to find peace.

Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley(en)

He had one chance to show the world he was still the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Discover the story behind Elvis Presley's triumphant '68 comeback special.

The Mousetrap(uk)

Anton is alone in a bunker on the front line when the entrance is hit and the bunker collapses. The soldier is trapped. All the initial optimistic efforts to escape the situation are hopeless. Attempts to establish radio communication with the outside world do not succeed. Fortunately, there is water, food, batteries, but it is becoming increasingly clear that... Then a companion comes from somewhere, a rat. Is this little creature the last living soul to witness the end of Anton?

Dosed(en)

The documentary follows one woman's quest to overcome anxiety, depression, and opioid addiction through the use of psychedelic medicines.