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Films A-ZAIDS Young People’s Words / SIDA, paroles de jeunesGilles Perez / France / 2005 / 52 min. In a survey at the start of this film, French secondary school students
all agree that it is necessary to use a condom. Since their childhood, this
generation has heard about the dangers of HIV infection. But then how is it
possible that the rate of infection is increasing? This question is answered by
Crystal, Luc, Guillaume, Kumba and Elsa. Crystal is just experiencing her first
serious relationship but her boyfriend does not want to take a HIV test.
Guillaume is homosexual and in the eyes of many (including his father) he
belongs to the group that is most at risk. Luc has known about his illness for
three years – he was infected by his boyfriend. When Kumba discovered that she
was HIV positive, she left her family so as not to expose them to difficulties
in their neighbourhood. She was infected by her first lover, whom she now
hates. Thirty-two-year-old Elsa also trusted her partner after a year living
with him and stopped using protection. Now she has been living with HIV for
eleven years and works at a prevention centre. The manner in which she dealt
with her fate shows that AIDS is not a stigma and that it is possible to fight
against it like any other illness. We Feed the World Erwin Wagenhofer / Austria / 2005 / 98 min. What kind of life does a first–rate farmer lead today? If romantic
images of people in touch with nature come to mind, this film will definitely
make you think again. Unfortunately, you will not find any nostalgic images in
Erwin Wagenhofer’s documentary. Rather, the Austrian director’s aesthetically
composed scenes of machinery at work smack of irony. The European Union’s food
industry regulations, which endeavour to guarantee high standards of
agricultural products, are slowly pushing the human dimension out of farming.
Financially demanding changes in production methods are ruining small–scale
producers and those still surviving have to raise their prices, thus losing the
competitive edge over cheap imports from Asia or South America. Wagenhofer
contrasts European farmers, faced with absurd regulations, with the inhabitants
of poverty–stricken countries, exploited by multinational companies. The
vicious circle is closed off by the spokesperson for Nestlé, for whom the
argument of employment opportunities is an alibi for anything and everything. Workingman’s death Michael Glawogger / Austria, Germany / 2005 / 122 min. Is heavy manual labour disappearing or is it just becoming invisible?
Where can we still find it in the 21st century? Workingman’s Death follows the
trail of the Heroes in the illegal mines of the Ukraine, sniffs out Ghosts
among the sulphur workers in Indonesia, finds itself face to face with Lions at
a slaughterhouse in Nigeria, mingles with Brothers as they cut a huge oil
tanker into pieces in Pakistan, and joins Chinese steel workers in hoping for a
glorious Future. Meanwhile, the future is now in Germany, where a major
smelting plant of bygone days has been converted into a bright and shiny
leisure park. Michael Glawogger says: „Work can be many things. Often it is
barely visible; sometimes, difficult to explain; and in many cases, impossible
to portray. Hard manual labour is visible, explainable and portrayable. This is
why I often think of it as the only real work.“ Out of Balance – ExxonMobil’s
Impact on Climate Change Tom Jackson / USA / 2006 / 65 min. The second part of this film’s title emphasises the focal point of
director Tom Jackson’s area of interest, namely the impact that the commercial
activities of the American oil company ExxonMobil have on climate changes. The
relationship between global warming and the most prosperous company in the
world, which posted profits of almost forty billion dollars in 2006, is a
frequent target for environmental protection organisations. In recent times,
Tom Jackson (who actually loves driving) has been asking himself whether he has
also been contributing to environmental pollution. In order to be sure of the
answer to his question, he decides to visit America’s leading scientists and
other climate change experts so that they can personally explain the situation
to him. The answer he gets from people like Bill McKibben (who wrote the
celebrated tome The End of Nature) and the journalist Ross Gelbspan (who won
the Nobel Prize for his work on the environment) is unequivocal. Graphs
describing the greenhouse effect serve to clearly illustrate what the experts
are saying. Tambogrande: Mangos, Murder, Mining / Tambogrande: Mangos, Muerte, Minería Ernesto Cabellos, Stephanie Boyd / Peru / 2006 / 85 min. A Killer Bargain / Nar tilbud
draber Tom Heinemann / Denmark / 2006 / 57 min. Large retailers keep their prices low by importing products from Third World countries. North-west India is a region known for its production of cotton. Local families here are completely dependent on its growth and sale, and do their best to eliminate any potential danger to their crops. That includes using foreign anti-parasite chemicals, which they spray several times more often than is recommended. Labels warning against frequent usage are only in Danish. Such pesticides are banned in the European Union. Even their producer Cheminova does not use them in Denmark – only in India. The result of using cheap pesticides in terms of number of deaths is comparable with war casualties. However, the Danish chemical maker is none too concerned by this. After seeing a documentary on the practice the managers of a retail chain which buys cotton in India are shocked, but low prices are their chief selling point. Their customers, meanwhile, might be able to respond to such practices, but the majority has no idea what is going on. The chain declares publicly that it maintains high ethical, environmental and moral standards. ROMA AMONG US Blažena Lucia Nicholson and Martin Štetina / Slovakia / 2005 / 26 min. Blazena grew up in orpahnage. She is Romany and lives in a village
Lomno, near city of Zvolen, in ruins and tumbledown house. Living conditions
are terrible there. Divorced Blazena takes care of her 6 year old son, who’s
got cataract. However he needs to be operated, she has got no money to pay for
it. Black Word / Čierne slovo / Kálo
Láv Róbert Kirchhoff / Slovakia / 1999 / 37 min. The film Black word ventures into the unknown world of the Slovak Roma,
an ethnic group that lives on the margins of the Slovak society. Artist Fero
Guldan spends a couple of days at Hermanovce Roma settlement in eastern
Slovakia in an attempt to capture the fragments of Roma life on film. In their
own environment, the Roma talk openly about their nation that is rejected by
the majority population, and the problems that cause their dismal state of
affairs. Individual Roma, including a painter, journalist, musician and an
unemployed individual, have each demonstrated a will to become a full-fledged
member of society. They talk of romipen – the essence of what it means to be
Roma. While respecting the cultural norms of the majority population, the Roma
nonetheless hold on to their vibrant traditions and existential paradigm. Their
ideals are confronted with the realities of living in one of the most
poverty-ridden settlements in this country. From the author’s point of view, an
exploration of his own country turns into a journey into the world of the Roma,
and becomes an account of the Roma identity and their feelings of isolation. Children of the wind I / Deti vetra
I – ...vydali sa na cestu Martin Slivka / Slovakia / 1990 / 28 min. First episode of a 13-parts documentary film series about the past, the
present and the future of Roma ethnic minority in the European continent. Roma
folk music, their nomadic way of life, caravans, village life, conflicts with
police. Ancient epistolary documents, little Egypt near Pelopones, monasteries
on Atos Mountain, priceless historical records about Romas and their
architecture. Anthropological varieties, geographical divisions, archive
footage of Roma life and traditional caravans. Luxury cars versus life in
tents. Romas from Greece, Romania, UK, etc. Horses, interviews and other
attractions. Children of the wind II / Deti
vetra II – ...nenašli domov Martin Slivka / Slovakia / 1990 / 27 min.
Ghetto No. 1 / Ghetto Nr. 1 Ivan Pokorný / Czech Rep. / 2007 / 91 min. „There are more places like this one in the country but as far as size,
uniformity, and fame are concerned, we can rightfully claim that Chanov is our
Ghetto No. 1.“ – a quote from a new 90 minute documentary on one of the most
infamous Roma housing estates in the country. For almost a year, Czech director
Ivan Pokorny filmed the daily life of its residents and explored why Roma and
non-Roma Czechs find it so hard to co-exist. Chanov is a housing estate that
came to being in 1979 as a genuine attempt by the then Communist government to
solve the Roma integration problem. So they tried to bring the Roma and
non-Roma together by housing them in the Chanov district, which is about 2-3
kilometres on the outskirts of the northern town of Most. Naturally, after a
few years the non-Roma population moved away, leaving the Roma behind. The Roma
then started leading their own lives by their own rules and regulations and,
unfortunately, devastated the place. Violin Knight / Houslový rytíř Pavel Marek / Czech Rep. / 2006 / 52 min. Pavel Marek prepared this portrait of the outstanding Roma violinist
Marek Balog, who is striving to be successful in a white person’s world. The
young virtuoso happily agreed to the idea, but instead of simply being a
subject that was observed he decided to actively participate in directing the
film. He therefore tried to not only shoot a self-portrait but to also portray
the life of a frequently despised minority, as seen through the eyes of one of
its own members. This facilitates a viewpoint that is not distorted by other
people’s perspectives. The end result is a very original and playful
experiment. It produces a stylized documentary, which is a film about the
making of a film as well as a discussion on how to properly and innovatively
shoot a documentary about another person without diluting the very essence of
his being. At the same time Violin Knight portrays an impressive musical
landscape, which mixes the wild rhythms of a gypsy band with remarkably moving
violin solos. The social aspect of the film is also not neglected. The issue of
the Roma’s relationship with members of the majority population is depicted via
authentic testimony and one person’s story. When the Road Bends...Tales of a
Gypsy Caravan Jasmine Dellal / USA, Netherlands / 2006 / 110 min. Director Jasmine Dellal takes her camera on a spectacular concert tour
entitled Gypsy Caravan, which consists of the best groups from the four
countries that have the biggest Romany populations. The concert tour of North
America will last six weeks. Initially, the music groups from India, Romania,
Macedonia and Spain don’t know each other. Moreover, the only things their
performances have in common at first is their rhythm and atmosphere. After the
first few weeks, however, it appears as though the different strands of Romany
music are once again heading in the same direction. Away from the stage, the
musicians come together during their free time. They sample each other’s national
dishes and melodies. The documentary-maker combines sequences from the
successful tour with the far simpler reality of where the musicians come from.
Besides their musical affinity, they also find other similarities between
themselves, such as the way in which they prioritise the family and solidarity
over everything else. A Macedonian singer says that Roma people could set an
example for the entire world. Soňa and Her Family / O Soni a
jej rodine Daniela Rusnoková / Slovakia / 2006 / 35 min. The young director Daniela Rusnoková selected one of the families
living in the middle of the Rudnany Roma settlement, and followed their lives
from 2004 to 2006. This family gave her access to the very heart of the
community. The pivotal character in this testimony about the lifestyle of the
local Roma population is Sona, who is the mother of 15 children. She is a
strong, loving woman, who is also a good wife and mother. The film follows her
everyday concerns about getting by and her struggle with disadvantageous external
conditions, which is getting harder and harder. It consists of two levels: an
external view of a human journey and an annotated record of the working day is
interlaced with intimate confessions from Sona, which reveal her most deeply
hidden worries and fears, but which also uncover the little joys she has in
life. The film is an interesting portrait of a woman with a difficult destiny.
It shows how it is possible to get closer to a person who is far removed from
us whilst also describing the current situation of Romas in Slovakia. DEMOCRACY REPORT How to Plan a Revolution Ivan O’Mahoney / UK / 2006 / 60 min. Just like Ukraine, Serbia and Georgia, Azerbaijan saw a wave of popular
opposition in November 2005. A group of young people took inspiration from
their counterparts in those states and prepared mass demonstrations aimed at
leading to the overthrow of their country’s authoritarian regime. Slogans
calling for rights and freedom for citizens were chanted at several peaceful
demonstrations. An opposition coalesced and looked forward to elections. But
unlike the Orange Revolution in Ukraine or what became known as the Bulldozer
Revolution in Serbia, events in Azerbaijan never became the focus of the
Western media. It seems international support is what was necessary for
success. This film follows two of the main representatives of the opposition,
Murad and Emin. It shows preparations for a peaceful revolution, from the
training of activists by experienced Georgians, to political talks, to the
organisation of election monitoring. It also shows the methods by which the
regime fought to prevent its overthrow, this time with success. This unique
documentary made by the BBC maps the complicated situation in today’s Azerbaijan
from a number of different angles. Please Vote for Me Weijun Chen / China / 2006 / 55 min. On the first day of term at a Chinese primary school, teachers pick
three candidates in the first grade for the post of class monitor. The children
themselves have to elect one of them as their monitor. In a country where there
is no such thing as free elections, children are able to try out what it is
like to be a candidate or someone who can vote freely. In this class (which the
filmmakers observe throughout the pre-election period) two boys and one girl
have been nominated. What starts out as an innocent game soon turns into a
treacherous contest is worthy of real politics. The main advisers to the
candidates are their parents, who perhaps take the youngsters’ nomination more
seriously than the children themselves do. Underhand practices come into play,
such as bribing fellow students by promising them a certain job, vilifying
opponents, using flattery and threats, and, last but not least, by giving out
pre-election gifts. This amusing documentary will also send a chill down your
spine. What will become of children whose world is assailed so early in their
lives by the hard-bitten ways of adults? Please Vote for Me was made as part of
the „Why Democracy?“ project. Congo na biso – Waiting for
Democracy / Congo na biso Chuck de Liedekerke, Yannick Muller / France, Belgium / 2006 / 72 min. This film systematically maps the modern history of the Democratic
Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). It presents the country’s dictators and
bloody civil war, as well as disputes with neighbouring countries. The
directors have shot this film in an era when after almost 30 years of
dictatorship and decades of civil war with three and a half million victims the
first free elections are finally drawing near. But is Congo ready for
democracy? Not only presidential candidates but ordinary citizens now have to
learn what democracy is and what its limits and possibilities are. The film
presents a chronology of important events and is a brilliantly shot documentary
reportage on Africa’s problems and conflicts. It also shows the birth pangs of
democracy in one African state. A Lesson of Belarusian / Lekcja
białoruskiego Mirosław Dembiński / Poland / 2006 / 51 min. In 1990, Belarus declared its sovereignty and a year later it announced
its full independence after the collapse of the USSR. At the beginning of this
period, an elite national lyceum was established in Minsk. In 1995, Alexander
Lukashenko’s rise to power meant the end of freedom and democracy in Belarus as
well as the beginning of tough times for the lyceum. In 2003, this oasis of
freedom, which fostered the cultivation of the Belarusian language, was
outlawed. Neither the students nor the teachers refused to throw in the towel,
however, and they illegally continued to have lessons and to disseminate
freethinking views and opinions. Moreover, they began to rebel more and more
intensely. This documentary is an unusually dynamic description of the
oppressive situation in contemporary Belarus, which works by looking at the youngest
generation of students at the school. The film does not just provide engrossing
testimony of the situation in a totalitarian state, but also offers proof of
how young people have the power to influence their living conditions and to
protest against demoralising totalitarianism. The Square / Ploscha Jurij Chaščevatskij, Sjarhej Isakav / Belarus / 2007 / 87 min. Documentary film with humorous comentary describes recent political
situation in Belorussia during presidental elections in 2006. Demonstrants
beaten by police, manipulation by TV broadcasting, censorship and much more
under the leadership of Alexander Lukaschenko. Return to the Border / Au bord
du fleuve, sur la frontiere sino-coréenne Zhao Liang / China, France / 2005 / 56 min. Director Zhao Liang was born in southern China on the border with North
Korea. Until the 1990s, these two socialist states were allies and both
dictatorships actively cooperated with each other across their borders. But
then China concluded a trade treaty with South Korea. The people on opposite
sides of the Yalu River suddenly became enemies. Trade and cooperation was
terminated and a difficult battle for subsistence began. This film chooses the
specific personal story of someone from the given region who becomes an off-screen
commentator. A direct comparison of past and present is drawn through this
subjective perspective, and we are presented with a rich mosaic of personal
problems and attitudes to the newly established situation. The film shows how
it is possible for similar people and destinies to be forcibly plunged into
opposite camps. In view of how extremely difficult it is to shoot in this
country and how hard it is to make films about this state where the harshest
form of dictatorship reigns, Return to the Border is an invaluable contribution
to the debate on North Korea. Three Comrades / Drie Kameraden Masja Novikova / Netherlands / 2006 / 99 min. Three friends – Ruslan, Ramzan and Islam – cruise the streets of the
Chechen city of Grozny at the start of the 1990s with their car radio up full
blast. A few months later, Ruslan is arrested and executed by Russian soldiers.
Ramzan is the next one to die when he is killed during an air strike. The last
of the three friends – Islam the doctor – only survives the war as a result of
being deported to Holland. This is where director Mascha Novikova begins
shooting her documentary on the tragic destinies of the three cheerful
comrades. The film looks at the Russian-Chechen conflict from the point of view
of the Muslim inhabitants. As a result, it is primarily based on interviews
with survivors, who recall the three men who are the central figures in the
story. Fragments of the past are supplemented with a rich film archive that was
found in the estate of Ramzan, who was a cameraman. The film creates an
invaluable mosaic of intimate confessions and candid thoughts from a humiliated
citizenry, whilst also providing the neutral watcher with an unusually
authentic insight into a place where massacres occurred and into the life of ordinary
people in the middle of a war zone. The Operation / Die Massnahme Kerstin Nickig / Germany / 2007 / 42 min. When Alyosh went to have a smoke outside a club in December 2006, he
could not have imagined that he would be beaten up and taken away to spend the
night in a police cell. He was not alone – the night ended in a similar manner
for at least 347 other inhabitants of Blagoveshensk, a city in Bashkortostan,
which is an autonomous republic in the Russian Federation. They were victims of
a preventive raid ordered by the Ministry of the Interior. The official reason
for this operation was to reduce crime in the city. But Ludmila Alexeyeva, from
Moscow’s Helsinki Committee, sees it differently: at the time of the „Orange
Revolution“ in Ukraine, the authorities in Russia were allegedly afraid of
unrest in its autonomous republics. Consequently, they attempted to nip any
possible civil disobedience in the bud. Director Kerstin Nickig (who won the
short film award at last year’s One World Festival with Dear Muslim) moves away
from Chechnya to focus on another Russian region, where people have to fight
for their basic rights. Despite the fact that The Operation has not yet had any
post-production editing or a final sound mix, its director has chosen to show
it at the One World Festival. How It’s Done / Jak to sie robi Marcel Łoziński / Poland / 2006 / 86 min. Media advisor Piotr Tymochowicz has based his career on the assertion
that anybody can be made into a politician, if they follow certain techniques
and strategies. This idea is the basis for a course in the communication skills
needed to get ahead in the media sphere, as well as training in the
organisation and effective running of demonstrations. Thanks to the fact the
film’s maker has gone through the whole course with the other students, the
viewer becomes a direct participant. We have the chance therefore to watch the
development of the malleable Dariusz, who completely models himself on the
consultant. He enters politics and his career is developing promisingly. The
film shows that apparently spontaneous behaviour is nothing but a play of
trained gestures, attitudes, a perfectly structured dance in which not a single
movement can be changed. This film is proof not only of the fact that is very
easy to manipulate a crowd, but also that a manipulator can himself be a mere
puppet who is lead by a desire for success at any price. Burma’s Secret War Sarah Macdonald / UK / 2006 / 49 min. Using wartime news dispatches as a model, the experienced
documentary-maker Evan Williams goes on a trip to the border areas of Burma. He
intends to compile the most comprehensive report possible on a situation that
we could call a war even though official Burmese propaganda does not permit it
to be described in this way. At the end of the 1980s, the military regime
enjoyed a resurgence and clamped down on any opposition. The National League
for Democracy, which won elections in 1990, was not allowed to take power and
its representatives, including party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, were imprisoned.
Today’s resistance movement primarily represents ethnic minorities who want
independence. The suppression of this endeavour borders on genocide. Williams
joins up with a guerrilla group and experiences firsthand what the conditions
that these people live under are like. In Rangoon, he contacts supporters of
the National League for Democracy who risk imprisonment by meeting him. This
authentic footage of a life lived in fear is in stark contrast to television
programmes that are broadcast about military parades and the alleged progress
the country is making. Carla’s List / La Liste de Carla Marcel Schüpbach / Switzerland / 2006 / 100 min.
At the International Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, there is one woman fighting for justice and extradition of the last remaining war criminals on the run. Their names are Ratko Mladic, Radovan Karadzic and Ante Gotovina, wartime leaders of Bosnian Serbs. Her name is Carla Del Ponte, the Swiss-born chief prosecutor. Filmmaker Marcel Schüpbach was given an unprecedented access to the scenes behind the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in Hague. In an atmosphere of extreme tension, where everything looks like a difficult poker game, prosecutor Carla Del Ponte and her team relentlessly pursue notorious perpetrators of crimes against humanity, such as Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, still at large. Both Serbia and Croatia, as well as the International Community, pledge total cooperation in helping locate the suspects, but this does not seem to produce any concrete results. Children of Solidarność /
Piosenka i życie Rafael Lewandowski / Poland, France / 2006 / 74 min. In 1980, workers from a Gdansk shipyard began a strike against the
totalitarian Polish regime. A wave of intellectuals joined in with this first
impulse and the Solidarity movement came into being with the mass support of
the Polish population. People began to fight for the chance that their children
could grow up in a free country with better living conditions and hopes of a
better future. After 25 years, this generation of children has grown up. Young
people born in the same year as the movement that changed the history of their
country give their opinions on the struggle and ideals of their parents. By
comparing the different perspectives of two generations, the viewer is better
able to ascertain answers to questions about how the country is evolving along
with its politics and economy. This documentary – combining material from the
period in question as well as the memories and reflections of the present –
illustrates what is happening to the ideals that the solidarity movement set
for itself. It demonstrates how these ideals have been fulfilled and also
conversely shows the places where they have floundered. Ghosts of Abu Ghraib Rory Kennedy / USA / 2006 / 78 min. Filmmaker Rory Kennedy courageously attempts to survey the situation
surrounding the greatest scandal concerning the US Army in recent times. She
sets off on a journey mapping the history of Iraq’s Abu Ghraib jail and the
causes and effects of the terrible violence that was committed by American
troops in Muslim prisons. She begins by following the lies and diplomatic
machinations that strived to conceal these actions. She exposes the highest
political forces behind the abuse. This unbelievably thought-provoking
documentary concerning appalling practices consists of the testimony of both
the prisoners and their torturers as well as the public and private comments of
politicians, interviews with specialists and the opinions of psychologists and
sociologists. It not only produces a unique collection of secret material on
the affair and an insight into the thoughts of the victims and aggressors, but
also provides a universally valuable commentary on how and why any torture
protected by good intentions can occur. At the same time, it completely
challenges the ideas of a democratic system and shows how certain principles
are just the same as the most notorious catchwords of dictators. Jesus Camp Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady / USA / 2006 / 84 min. America’s Evangelical community is growing ever stronger. Its main aim
is not to lead God to earth but rather to return the whole of the earth to God.
Evangelicals believe that it is necessary to triumph over conservative
Christians, take possession of the government and set their own rules.
Alongside its political programme, this organisation focuses on the education
of children and new members. As well as receiving instruction at home children
also visit groups and camps where they are inculcated with the one true view of
the world. It is not possible to remain a neutral observer of these unshakable
truths, empty slogans and emotional speeches. The beliefs and speeches which
pass before the viewer are traditionally connected with positive values. Here,
however, they have grown into fanaticism. The film shows how free will is taken
from the children, how they are violently isolated and surrounded by
unequivocal claims, rules and opinions about which there can be no discussion.
The filmmakers tackle this issue with unusual courage and firmly integrate
themselves with this closed community in order to reveal the unknown and dark
side of a religious organisation. Jonestown: The Life and Death of
People’s Temple Stanley Nelson / USA / 2006 / 90 min. The People’s Temple sect was established in Indianapolis in the 1950s.
Its founder Jim Jones blended Christianity, Marxism and elements of eastern
religions into its doctrines. The burgeoning community of people surrounding
the sect moved to Guyana, where they established the settlement of Jonestown.
In 1978, Congressman Leo J. Ryan visited the community accompanied by
journalists. Upon departing, they were unexpectedly murdered by members of the
sect. On the same day, almost all the followers of Jones’s teachings committed
mass suicide. This horrifying mass manipulation entered the annals of history
and became the basis for this fascinating documentary, which seeks to find the
cause behind this act. This thought-provoking film consisting of interviews
with eyewitnesses and survivors in combination with archive documents is not
just an anthology of information on bygone events, but also an unusually
gripping story. Images of a dictator hiding behind the mask of a saviour
accompanied by his fanatical speeches and recordings of blindly trusting, hysterical
crowds make for a chilling experience, which has uncomfortable echoes in
today’s current political and economic scene. No Past to Speak of Jeremy Gans / Canada / 2006 / 55 min. No Past to Speak Of is a documentary that lays bare the shocking fact
of child rape in South Africa. In the film, director Jeremy Gans follows the
story of a five-months-old girl called Vyanna, who has been brutally raped in
one of Johannesburg’s slums. Ten days later, she is adopted by Claudia Ford, a
British scientist who has been living in South Africa for several years. We
follow the story of little Vyanna and her adoptive mother. Ford has decided to
not only provide the child with the love and care she needs but to also fight
against the stigma society attaches to her raped daughter. It also tries to
answer the question as to why child rape is so much more widespread in South
Africa than it is anywhere else in the world. Through interviews with South
African scientists and activists, the director gradually uncovers the terrible
myths that pervade South African society. What is even more shocking is that
there is evidence to suggest that the South African media contributes
significantly to the spread of these lies. A Story of People in War and
Peace Vardan Hovhannisyan / Armenia / 2006 / 70 min. As a journalist, Vardan Hovhannisyan was supposed to report on fighting
at the front in the Nagorno-Karabakh War over the course of five days, but
instead he ended up staying voluntarily for four years. When his son asked him
several years after the war if he had been a soldier, he didn’t know what to
answer. The complicated nature of the question prompts Hovhannisyan to try and
trace the uncertain whereabouts of the comrades he fought with in order to ask
them about their feelings regarding the past. He practically ignores the
political context and consequently the film not only deals with this war but
all military conflicts where neighbours suddenly become enemies because of an
unstable situation. „All of us were affected by the war,“ says Hovhannisyan and
his interviews with those whom he was able to find only serve to confirm this
statement. It is not possible to forget the painful past and its effects always
crop up somewhere – in one’s altered state of mind, in shattered family relationships
or in the effort to forget what happened, which ultimately doesn’t solve
anything. Echoes Across the Divide Adam Sebiré / Australia / 2006 / 52 min. In the Europe’s last divided city Turkish & Greek Cypriots prepare
to build a bridge through the no-man’s-land by a performance like no other,
from the rooftops of the old Venetian town. Through the performers we see what
it means to grow up in an island divided by fear, hatred, barbed wire &
minefields. Long Distance Call directed by a young Dutch composer Merlijn
Twaalfhoven brings together musicians from both sides in the U.N. buffer zone –
the infamous Green Line – until the project’s grand finale is rudely
interrupted by political reality... Palestine Blues Nida Sinnokrot / Palestine, USA / 2005 / 77 min. What is left for Palestinian farmers who learn that in 24 hours the Israeli Army will confiscate their lands for the construction of a Security Wall? What do people do when their very survival is threatened by one of the world’s most powerful armies? Palestine Blues tells the story of a village’s confusion, desperation, and resistance, their daily victories and wrenching defeats. Unexpectedly filled with moments of poetry and humour this films intimate access, unforgettable characters and story structure blur the line between documentary and narrative. Filmed at times with a hidden camera and at times under extreme duress, Palestinian-American filmmaker Nida Sinnokrot gives us a lasting chronicle of a people and their ancient life-giving orchards, ever threatened by destruction. WOMEN'S VOICE The Railroad All-Stars /
Estrellas de la línea Chema Rodriguez / Spain / 2005 / 90 min. In an impoverished area of Guatemala City, prostitutes sell their
bodies for derisory amounts of money in order to support their families. These
women have become victims of the social system and an establishment where the
police are more like another source of violence rather than protection. The
prostitutes decide to fight against constant degradation and to defend their
dream of an honest, decent life. They choose an unusual way of protesting by
establishing a football team. When they are refused admittance to a national
competition because of their social status, they begin travelling across the
entire country and participating in local competitions. This documentary is an
energetic and optimistic example of how in even the most difficult
circumstances a person still has a chance to fight for his or her freedom and
dignity. From harrowing testimony of a decaying society and the amoral way in
which it treats human beings, this film becomes a joyful game, which is just as
dramatic as a football match can be. Audiences are able to go on an
entertaining and authentic journey across Guatemala where they get to know not
just its landscape but also its soul. Thin Lauren Greenfield / USA / 2005 / 103 min. Anorexia and bulimia – these are the names of two of the most famous
eating disorders that appear on the pages of „women’s“ magazines. At the same
time, other pages of these magazines display photographs of models who don’t
weigh more than 50 kilos. Consequently, what message are we being given? Are we
really being warned against the disproportionate and dangerous desire for a
slim figure or are we being subliminally invited to go down this road? The
American photographer Lauren Greenfield makes her documentary debut with the
film Thin, which follows up on her previous photographic work. For six months
Greenfield filmed at a Florida centre for the treatment of eating disorders. Observing
the patients’ everyday routine gradually transforms into an open dialogue with
them. Troublesome morning weigh-ins, therapy sessions and humiliating but
necessary examinations by the staff are alternated with authentic interviews
with the girls. From these, we learn about the causes of their illness.
Regardless of the reasons, all the girls expected happiness and success from
having a thin body. Instead, they found themselves at rock bottom. Enemies of Happiness / Vores
lykkes fjender Eva Mulvad / Denmark / 2006 / 59 min. In 2003, Afghan woman Malalai Joya (who was then 24) appeared before
the lower house of the Afghan parliament, which is practically an all-male
body. She delivered a short but highly critical attack on Afghan society, which
she felt had not done anything to deal with the unjust oppression of Afghan
women. She was led out of the chamber within a few minutes and soon received
anonymous death threats, forcing her to wear the hated burka for her own
safety. Danish director Eva Mulvad follows Malalai Joya during the week leading
up to parliamentary elections, in which she is standing as one of three women
among forty one candidates. Her campaign is marked by threats but also by the
support of villagers for whom she is often the only authority they can turn to
with problems like domestic violence and forced marriage. Two years ago, the
BBC declared Malalai Joya to be the most famous woman in Afghanistan. In any
Western Country, this information would sound trivial, but in a country where women
were only able to participate in elections for the first time in 2005 it
deservedly attracts admiration. Fallen Angel / Gevallen Engel Masja Novikova / Netherlands / 2005 / 50 min. A Russian girl, Tatiana, went with her friend to the Netherlands after believing
promises that she would get a well-paid job. Instead, betrayal and humiliation
awaited her. Her boyfriend sold her to a pimp who forced her into prostitution.
After some time, she found the strength to stand up to the abuse and she sought
help from the police and the state authorities. Instead of salvation, however,
she became part of a protracted legal process, which did not afford her or her
family any protection from a criminal gang. Nevertheless, Tatiana did not give
up and continued to fight for her rights for several years. The non-traditional
style of this film underlines her dramatic life story of iniquity and
injustice, which has to be endured twice. Details of themes and scenes from the
life of this strong and independent woman complement the flow of her testimony.
The use of a collage of images is a more suitable illustration than a simple
interview. This very personal portrait exposes a mafia system that trades in
easy victims in developed countries. In particular, it lays bare the weaknesses
and deficiencies of a democratic establishment, which professes to help the
weak and the oppressed. Shame Mohammed Naqvi / Pakistan, USA / 2006 / 110 min. In June 2002, the Pakistani Mukhtaran Mai was raped by a group of men.
Her father, uncle and a dozen other men looked on. This was her punishment for
an offence her brother had committed. He had had a relationship with a girl
from a higher caste, and in so doing had defiled that girl’s honour; as
retribution, the honour of his own sister would be defiled. After the incident,
the entire family was burdened with an immense feeling of shame, and Mukhtaran
tried to commit suicide. But whereas many women who suffered such a fate would
never talk about it again, Mukhtaran ultimately decided to go public with her
story and press charges against her rapists. This set a whole chain of events
in motion. The men were arrested and later released. Shame tells the story of a
strong woman who not only managed to get two schools and a crisis centre for
women built in her village, but also became an example for victims of sex
crimes worldwide. Thin Ice Hakan Berthas / Sweden/ 2006 / 57 min. This dynamic story about tolerance and one’s own strength begins at the
moment when Dolkar, a young Buddhist student in Ladakh, north India, decides
that she wants to play ice hockey. She persuades her friends to come train and
builds an ice rink. She also convinces the local organisation that even a
women’s team can be entered in a national competition that had only been for
men up to that point. The audience witnesses a pulsating sports tournament full
of joy and revelry. They enter a game that not only erases gender divisions,
but also wipes out religious differences and breaks many taboos. By way of a
seemingly marginal theme, this documentary captures the entire atmosphere of
the mountainous Himalayan region. The film is an optimistic example of how even
the peculiar wish of one girl can break down prejudices. Nevertheless, at the
same time it is also proof of how it need not be a problem to unite completely
different religious groups and to overturn rivalries in a peaceful cup
tournament. The women’s match is also fascinating in the way its energy and
amateurism is so different from the clash of trained professionals that you see
in the Western world. Mekong Butterflies / Mariposas
del Mekong Pedro Barbadillo, Carlos Ayuso / Spain / 2006 / 57 min. Collecting butterflies in the Mekong Delta has two utterly different
meanings. Cambodia is „rich“ in both rare butterflies and young girls, who are
„hunted“ by white meat traders. From here girls are taken to Malaysia or
Thailand and forced into prostitution. Most of their clients are tourists from
Europe and the US. Sixteen-year-old Veasna tells her story to the French
anthropologist Pierre, who has followed events in the region for some years.
After being trafficked to a Chinese mafia in Malaysia, Veasna is forced into
drug addiction and sold to foreign tourists. Half a million young women have
suffered similar terrible fates in south-east Asia. After several attempts and
with the help of friends Veasna succeeds in escaping. In the second half of the
film two parallel searches begin. Pierre tries to find clues as to the
whereabouts of Veasna’s friends who remain in sexual slavery. Meanwhile, she
herself attempts to locate her family, which has been rent asunder by the Khmer
Rouge. Originally intended as a sociological report, this picture provides hope
that the life of a girl whose name means „fate“ can cease to be a nightmare. Rape for Who I Am Lovinsa Kavuma / RSA / 2005 / 27 min. This documentary reflects the voices of African lesbians, who have
decided to fight for their freedom, to spread awareness and to devote
themselves to charitable activities aimed at defending their sexual orientation
in a homophobic society and interceding strongly against the constant violence
committed against local women. Rape in this part of the world is often seen as
punishment for lesbian tendencies or even as a way of „curing“ this different
orientation. This film’s message is just as emphatic as the revolutionary
mottos demanding basic human rights in the opening sequence, which is
complemented by rhythmic drumbeats and dynamic images of a pulsating city. This
energy is then alternated with raw detailed studies of women’s faces and their
intimate, deeply personal stories. This film challenges people to assert
themselves in life and to make their own choices. It provides evidence of the
possibility of fighting against any kind of injustice or prejudice and offers
an example of how negative experiences can be remoulded to produce positive
outcomes, which can show the way forward for many others who have been
humiliated and degraded. MEETING CULTURES Agni Irena and Vojtěch Havel / Czech Rep. / 1996 / 44 min. A stroll around the hidden corners of India at the end of last century
is a silent poetic documentary film. Two Czech musicians – Irena and Vojtech
Havel composed their own soundtrack for this meditative music movie full of
impressive images from India’s everyday life, with lots of children, common
people, dusty streets and rolls of colourful textiles. Berkat a Maršo – Happiness and
Freedom / Berkat a Maršo – šťastie a sloboda David Čálek / Czech Rep. / 2007 / 70 min. The children’s dance group Marsho came into being in the Sputnik
refugee camp on the Chechen-Ingush border. Over 9,000 Chechen refugees have
been living here for more than five years. Following the massacre of civilians
in Chechnya, an organisation called Berkat was set up in the Czech Republic
with the aim of helping victims, in particular women. In 2003 Berkat set up a
tour by the Marsho dance group in the Czech Republic. The aim was both to allow
the children to experience something other than the horrors of war, and to draw
the attention of Czechs to the desperate situation in a country with a media
blackout. In 2006 Berkat decided to invite the children again. In the meantime
the Sputnik camp had been broken up and the children had been scattered around
Chechnya. Many things had changed in their lives. They themselves had also
changed and their reception in the Czech Republic was different too. They were
no longer pitiful war children grateful for cuddly toys. Suddenly they had
become demanding young people with an uncertain future seen by some as young
terrorists. The Prize of the Pole Staffan Julén / Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland / 2006 / 80 min. At the intersection of many different time and geographical zones
stands the young Eskimo Robert Peary II, who has begun tracing the story of his
great-grandfather Roberta E. Peary, the conqueror of the North Pole. After 23
years on bleak snow plains, Peary organised an exhibition on the Polar Regions
in New York. The main „exhibit“ is intended to be six Inuit people. However,
after arriving in a different climate and a world not their own they are struck
by various illnesses. Only Minik, the youngest member of the group, survived.
He settles down so firmly in the new world that he cannot rediscover his
original relationship to his home. The film points to the great aggression
inherent in „advanced civilisation“ and the tragic impact that it can have when
it clashes with native peoples. This descendant of Robert Peary searches for
traces of two completely different men, representatives of completely diverse
cultures. The picture features interviews with key figures; it also creates a
moving picture of Arctic cold and peace, mixing old photographs and rare
archive film. Japtik – Chese Edgar Bartenev / Russia / 2006 / 29 min. A group of nomadic Nenets lives in the Siberian tundra at „The End of
the World", as the territory is known in the local dialect. They travel
around the region with their herd of reindeer. These people have completely
adapted their lifestyle to their surroundings without knowing the rules of the
world that is far away from them. For a clearer understanding of many curious
details, an impressive collage of pictures is accompanied by subtitles, which
comment on fragments of everyday images with humour and a detached point of
view. This refreshing „commentary“ introduces the old shaman Iri Tadib, who may
be ninety according to our concept of time, but who is only thirty five according
to his own timekeeping. The film not only uncovers different living habits but
also reveals another concept of time and space. Edgar Bartenev’s film
poetically contemplates the rhythm of a life governed by the pulse of nature
and it is also a comparative statement on a different culture. The visual
material is illustrated in a very original way with a musical score. This film
contains an intimate portrait of a forgotten people and their thought-provoking
testimony, but it also offers a comprehensive statement on cultural diversity. Young, Nazi and Proud David Modell / UK / 2002 / 49 min. Reporter David Modell spends several months alongside Mark Collett, an
influential member of the British National Party. This university student
speaks of his sympathies for Nazi Germany and its leaders. He declares that he
would prefer to live in the 1930s in Hitler’s Reich than in many contemporary
cities of the democratic United Kingdom, and he peppers his speech with hateful
racist comments. Nevertheless, he is only genuinely open when he believes the
camera is switched off. The director also follows other events and gets under
the surface of the practices employed by politicians. The film illustrates the
affinity that the British National Party’s leadership has with Mark Colett as
he tirelessly prepares for the post of chairman of the party’s youth branch. A
shocking example of political and media machination unfolds in front of the
audience’s eyes. First and foremost, however, the film paints a chilling portrait
of a man who demonstrates that dangerous ideas have not lost their ability to
impress people, even after they have caused widespread genocide. It also shows
that latent violence is still alive and well in society. Bridge over the Wadi / Gesher
Al-Havadi Barak Heymann, Tomer Heymann / Israel / 2006 / 57 min. In the Wadi region, which is located in the centre of Israel, Jews and
Arabs live beside each other. After decades of violence, parents from both
sides of the divide decide to establish a common bilingual school for their
children from both nationalities. The atmosphere of the first school day shows
how the joy of their children manages to mollify parents who suddenly have to
put up with their „enemies“. Directors Barak and Tomer Heymann, however, do not
leave the scene as soon as they have shot some optimistic footage. For the
children’s teachers and parents every state or religious holiday throws up a
difficult decision as regards what is the correct thing to do and what they
should teach the children. While the Israeli children can understand praying
during Muslim holidays together with their Palestinian schoolmates and
conversely see it as another type of diversion, something like the state
holiday celebrating the declaration of Israel’s independence can give rise to
ethnic tensions between them. Despite this, the children, who as yet have
hardly any prejudices, challenge their parents with troublesome questions and
force them to reflect on their own opinions. Never Been Better / Nikdy nebylo
líp Ivana Milošević / Czech Rep. / 2006 / 65 min. After ten years living in exile, Ivana Milošević, a native of Sarajevo
with Czech citizenship, sets off on a trip to Bosnia Herzegovina. In order to
understand her homeland, she has decided to make this difficult journey and to
record it and make a film. This candid travelogue is composed of mini-profiles
of various inhabitants. It aims to draw a map of a socially and politically
divided country. Quickly alternating testimonies from members of different
nationalities annotate this pilgrimage through a devastated region and create a
swathe of questions and answers. While holding a mass funeral for the victims
of the war, Bosnian Muslims are convinced that the Serbian murderers have not
yet been punished for what they did. Orthodox Serbs pay their respects at a
monument to their modern-day martyrs. A Sarajevan woman lost both her children
in the war, but even today she would go and fight for her city. Music plays a
fundamental role in this documentary, which is not burdened by nostalgia. Every
passion and grievance is concealed in the songs that accompany the individual
nations. Losers and Winners Ulrike Franke, Michael Loeken / Germany / 2006 / 96 min. Several German engineers try to supervise the handover of an ultramodern
but economically uncompetitive Dortmund coke plant to a Chinese company. But
the assimilation of technologies and production processes proceeds in a manner
that is completely different to what the Germans imagined. For the Chinese,
revenues are the most important thing, while the environment and workers’
welfare come last on their list of priorities. The filmmaking duo Ulrike Franke
and Michael Loeken (whose Herr Schmidt and Herr Friedrich was shown in 2002 at
One World Festival) filmed the handover of the factory from the first day to
the last. Initially, the filmmakers listen mainly to frustrated German
specialists, but later they also get among the Chinese workers and find out
about the conditions they have to work under and how they are motivated. In television
reports, the Chinese president speaks to astronauts using language that sounds
as though he were sending them to battle for the honour of their country. He
makes similar appeals to the exhausted workers and their manager by invoking
the military philosophy of returning home with plunder and leaving a scorched
land behind. On a Tightrope Petr Lom / Canada, Norway / 2006 / 71 min. Eight million Uighurs live in the Chinese province of Xinjiang on the
country’s north-western border. But what is life like for the largest Muslim
minority in a country where any attempt at asserting a unique identity is
suppressed? In his documentary, Canadian director Peter Lom focuses on orphans
living in the city of Yengisar whose upbringing is entirely dependent on civil
servants totally loyal to the state regime. The local orphanage lies right
beside a mosque, where the singing of muezzins can be heard every day. The
Uighur children, however, are forbidden to take up any religion until they are
18. By alternating Muslim melodies with the Chinese drums that beat time during
school exercises, the director evokes the competing pressures of the different
belief systems. Rope dancing is another national tradition that has managed to
at least partially survive. The children learn this and expect a happier future
from it. The lightness they experience while „walking in the clouds“ contrasts
sharply with the stale socialist atmosphere of the schoolyard. The camera uses
ropewalking to make creative and emotive metaphors about wavering resistance to
Chinese oppression. The Substitute / Vikarien Asa Blanck, Johan Palmgren / Sweden / 2006 / 85 min. Every teacher must decide on a strategy as to how to maintain the
respect of students without becoming a tyrant whom children fear. Max Wejstorpem
has found his first position at a school in Stockholm which is attended by many
children from the immigrant community. After a few months of futile „battle“ with
the children, he turns to his former teacher Folke Silvén. A legend in the
Swedish schools system, Silvén is still teaching in his 70s. He also goes to
the gym, rides a bicycle and holds records in speaking backwards. If anyone can
control an unruly class, it is him. At the beginning it seems his old style
approach is working. But after a few days it is clear that his methods are not
enough – these children need much more. When the teachers understand the
problem and the children speak about their tough pasts and uncertain futures,
mutual aversion is overcome. The film gently approaches the heart of the divide
at the school. The teachers are capable and the children are not ungovernable,
but difficult circumstances can only be overcome by patience and mutual
respect. The film’s two directors show that drama and tension need not be
exclusive to feature cinematography. Dancing Kathmandu Sangita Shresthová / Nepal, Czech Rep. / 2006 / 41 min. Sangita was born in the Czech Republic but lived in Nepal with her
parents until the age of 18. Now she returns there to do research for a
dissertation on Nepalese traditional dances. The Himalayan kingdom has
undergone profound cultural changes. Beena Joshi, her teacher of tantric dance,
has been out of work for ten years due to the fact that the majority of dance
schools have given themselves over to flashy Bollywood choreography. The new
trend for undulating bodies has almost completely destroyed the spiritual
dimension of Nepalese dance. Through interviews with Beena Joshi, film
directors and dance school directors and students we learn about the fundamental
issues which have led to this transformation. The film Dancing Kathmandu tells
a story of nostalgia, desire and the fight for survival of both traditional
dance itself and its practitioners in an age of globalisation. Vorga – A Path of Two Banks / Vorga
– Cesta mezi břehy Zdeněk N. Bričkovský / Czech Rep. / 2006 / 69 min. Zdeněk Bričkovský’s work focuses on documentary films about the life
and culture of small disappearing nations. His Legend of the Bird’s Egg
described the life of the inhabitants of the Komi Republic and was presented at
last year’s One World Festival. Now the filmmaker has returned to the north of
Russia. On this occasion, he spends time with the nomadic Nenets people, who
follow a herd of reindeer for their livelihood. Nothing but an oil-company
helicopter appears every once in a while over this desolate land. In this way,
a journey begins to get to know a traditional, disappearing world on a route
that runs between modernity and tradition, a path between two banks. This
lyrical documentary is placed in a poetic framework. Lyrical panoramas of the
landscape are accompanied by the rustling of the wind and a traditional musical
score. Self-layered images in combination with the naive paintings of a local
amateur artist, folk legends and rituals bring the viewer to a point where the
past and the present merge in the centre of a magical world, which is so
different from contemporary life. ONE WORLD FOR CHILDREN Sari’s Mother James Longley / USA / 2006 / 22 min. While their children are still sleeping, women are lighting fires in
order to make breakfast from the milk they have just taken from their goats.
Another day begins at a small oasis in Iraq. At first glance it might seem to
be a calm life far from the reach of civilisation. Suddenly a US army fighter
plane flies over the village and children run for under the shade of a tree to
spot it. But little Sari isn’t able to get up so quickly. He is too weak to go
to school or to play with other children for any more than a few minutes. Sari is
HIV positive, after contracting the disease in hospital a few years earlier.
His condition is now in an advanced stage. Sari’s mother takes him to doctors,
though they can do nothing to help. She attempts in vain to win compensation
from the health ministry. At all times she maintains a determined expression
which proves a shelter and source of support for her son. This moving picture
by the renowned director James Longley gives us an insight into the world of an
Iraqi woman trying to ensure conditions of dignity for her son. As in his
award-winning Iraq in Fragments, Longley’s camera-work is intimate and moving. Get a chance / Dostať šancu Marek Kuboš, P Harum / Slovakia / 2007 / 30 min. Documentary of eRko and studio LUX brings us views of children and
young people from slums in Nairobi in Kenya. They presets positive stories,
effort and determination to improve their lifes. This determination is shown in
the story of a football player Patrick Oboy, who grew up in slum and
recently is a professional football player in Czech republic’s national
team. This documentary film is a simple message about making something out
of nothing. It presents the importance of achieving Millenium Development
Goals, which are focused on active help of developed countries to decrease the
world’s poverty.That’s a message for all of us. Shahin Minna Lindroos / Finland / 2004 / 14 min. Shahin lives with her mother in the Finnish town of Hakunila although
her name is not heard too often in Finnish. When she was three years old, her
mother (who was only nineteen) had a difficult decision to make: risk their
lives and stay in Iran or take the equally dangerous option of leaving the
country to flee persecution (both mother and daughter are Kurds). After several
years, they settled in Finland. Today, Shahin only vaguely remembers the times
when they were in danger and how she had to learn an incomprehensible language
in a new country. It took her four years before she began to think in Finnish.
She realises that it would undoubtedly have taken her twice as long as an
adult. Even though she claims that she does not sense any difference between
herself and the other children at her school, she „only“ feels like a Finnish
citizen and not like a Finn. Nevertheless, being conscious of her difference
does not spoil her carefree life at fourteen years of age. When she rehearses a
dance performance with her fellow pupils, the fear that she experienced as a
small child and her sense of difference disappear. |
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