Murder Ballads and Other Legends from Ladomírová

The Resurrection of a Nation(en)

The 20th century was the roughest in history for the Carpatho-Rusyns of Central Europe. After World War II, when they were declared Ukrainians by the new Communist regimes in every country where they live, Carpatho-Rusyns in Czechoslovakia and elsewhere became extinct overnight -- and this was their existence for more than 50 years. But with the 1989 Velvet Revolution, led by the playwright and former dissident Václav Havel, Carpatho-Rusyn ethnicity revived in every country - including the United States. This is the story of that revival.

Gates to the Lemkos' Land(en)

Dedicated to the Lemkos, who through their extraordinary love for the country overcame the trauma of massive deportations during the "Operation Vistula" and managed to return to their homeland. This film is a story about the fate of people from the annihilated Długie village, and it talks about Małastów village, where Lemkos, originally the dominant group, were transformed into a defenceless minority. Today, with admirable perseverance, they continue to fight for their rights. Above all, this is a film about love, which is the most precious thing.

Maryjka(pl)

In a mountain village one woman's beauty and popularity with the men incurs the wrath of the others. AKA The Stray.

Marijka the Unfaithful(cs)

“The Carpathians are medieval!” one character bellows, and this tale of the tree-chopper Petro, his faithless wife Marijka, and various scheming businessmen and foremen does little to disprove the assertion. Interestingly filmed with a nonprofessional cast recruited from the region, Faithless Marijka may have a neorealist conceit, but its direction is utterly futuristic, filled with the lightning-fast montage techniques and low-angle camera of the Soviet avant-garde (along with its invigorating agitprop).

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors(uk)

In the Carpathian Mountains of 19th-century Ukraine, love, hate, life and death among the Hutsul people are as they’ve been since time began. Ivan is drawn to Marichka, the beautiful young daughter of the man who killed his father. But fate tragically decrees that the two lovers will remain apart.

Annychka(uk)

In the dark days of Nazi occupation, a young Hutsul girl native to the Carpathian mountains falls in love with a wounded Soviet partisan. Their affair sets in motion a tragic chain of events, as her family turns against her with shocking results.

Maxmilián Švabinský(cs)

Pražská neděle(cs)

Dance to the End of Love(en)

"A 4 channel video installation based on youtube material made by individuals filming themselves in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Yemen, and Libya."

Risiko Polsprung - Wenn aus Norden Süden wird(de)

Prime Evil(en)

Eugene de Kock, nicknamed "Prime Evil," was South Africa's most notorious government assassin under the apartheid regime. A highly decorated and powerful man, he led police death squads against enemies of the state; his victims were mainly connected with the ANC. The film includes interviews with torture victims and with friends of de Kock.

Texas Trip, A Carnival of Ghosts(en)

Amidst the ruins of drive-in theaters, monsters and fears can no longer be seen on the screen. They haunt another margin. Using the freak figure to create their own myths, Texas artists question their role in this transvestite world. Masks and weird rituals lead us to an intimate view of their culture and the struggle to survive through poetry.

El Cacao: The Challenge of Fair Trade(en)

EL CACAO exposes the dark side of chocolate production in Latin America by examining the economics of Fair Trade from the point of view of the indigenous farmers as they attempt to sustain their community through the growth, harvest, and trade of cacao beans in the global market. This 20-minute documentary film highlights the life of an indigenous Ngabe farmer in Panama and his unconditional devotion to this so-called "superfood." The film threads together the themes of neoliberal ideology, human rights, and the economics of the chocolate industry. While the demand for chocolate in developed nations continues to raise, the farmers in developing countries, like Panama, are rarely awarded the economic incentive promised to them. The film utilizes cinema verite techniques with candid interviews. Most of the film hinges on intimate shots in personal working and living space within a small Ngabe community in the Bocas del Toro region of Panama.

Peel(xx)

In a hidden place, the daily routine of a retirement home unfolds as time seems to stand still. The penciled residents come to life on paper. Some are active, others rest or follow a fixed schedule that repeats each day: medication, meals, games… Around them, machines are flashing, caregivers are busy and crucifixes remind them of the death that lies in wait. Time fades away and a forest stretches out nearby.

Welcome to My Castle!(en)

Over 5 hours of full-length interviews with Nirvana, Tommy Chong, Sonic Youth, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Ron Jeremy, and many more. Includes videos of Nardwuar's band, The Evaporators, along with all sorts of bonus material!

Patch CV: Controlling Voltage(en)

This documentary film focuses on the rapidly growing modular synthesis movement, the diverse artists creating soundscapes of emotionally charged content, and the developers pushing the boundaries of sonic invention with their community driven creations. Capturing this immediate creative vision and personal process from patch to pulse will be the journey we share.

Dirty Money: Drug Short(en)

Wall Street short-sellers expose a scam that regulators overlook: how Big Pharma gouges patients in need of life-saving drugs.

The Grave's Sky(en)

Rotterdam regular John Gianvito (Vapor Trail (Clark), IFFR 2010) checks in with a sensitive, homebound film diary recorded in the pandemic years 2020-2022. The watchful, wary stance of deer outside his house triggers a series of fragments associated with death, burial, mourning and care: Gianvito calls it 'a requiem'. Snatches of classic soundtracks (including Renoir's Partiede campagne, 1936) and glimpses of news broadcasts expand the private, intimate context.

Ingresso animali vivi(it)

Animals from Eastern Europe for the Italian food/meat industry used to be transported to the towns along the state border in Northeast Italy. From those conveyor-belt spaces of death, only one animal managed to come in and out alive.

Prosinečki(en)