Film list

[abu--Film-image]
ABU 2017 80'
    RAI Basil Wright Directed by Arshad Khan .
Arshad always knew he was different. Soon after emigrating from Pakistan to Canada with his family, Arshad realized he was gay. With Abu, Arshad tells his own story self discovery at a cultural
[awake-a-dream-from-standing-rock--Film-image]
AWAKE, A Dream from Standing Rock 2017 89'
    RAI Basil Wright Directed by Josh Fox James Spione Myron Dewey .
The native-led resistance to the construction of a pipeline across the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, North Dakota, captured the world’s attention. Awake tells the story of the defiant Water
[be-jam-be-the-never-ending-song--Film-image]
BE' JAM BE the never ending song 2017 85'
    Directed by Cyprien Ponson Caroline Parietti .
In Sarawak (Borneo), “the ones who live upstream” are the first affected by deforestation. The Penan, (ex) nomadic hunters, must figure out how to go on living when one’s entire world is being
[ballad-for-syria--Film-image]
Ballad for Syria 2017 49'
    Directed by Eda Elif Tibet Maisa Al Hafez .
A musical documentary about Maisa Alhafez, a musician and a Syrian refugee living in Istanbul. Separated from many of her loved ones, she builds a multicultural community: “The Oriental Istanbul Mosaic Choir”.
[ballad-on-the-shore--Film-image]
Ballad on the Shore 2017 98'
    Intangible Culture Directed by Chi-hang Ma .
On the small isle of Tap Mun, Hong Kong, veteran fishermen sing ballads with pitches and tones that alternate and repeat themselves as if they were synchronising with the ocean waves. But as fewer
Hong Kong Hunting / Gathering / Fishing Music / Ethnomusicology
[between-islam-and-the-sacred-forest--Film-image]
Between Islam and the Sacred Forest 2017 52'
    Directed by Martin Gruber Frank Seidel .
An investigation into the rituals in a small village on the coast of Guinea, West Africa to commemorate a recently deceased woman (a Muslim celebration of the 40th day after death conducted by a
[bonfires--Film-image]
Bonfires 2017 6'
    Shorts Directed by Martin Bureau .
Huge bonfires are lit by Protestants in Northern Ireland on July 12 each year, as part of the celebrations of the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. They are made from wooden pallets, tires, and garbage. To
[cantadoras-musical-memories-of-life-and-death-in-colombia--Film-image]
Cantadoras: Musical Memories of Life and Death in Colombia 2017 70'
    Intangible Culture Directed by María Fernanda Carrillo Sánchez .
A portrait of life in rural Colombia, towards its Carribean coast, told through the words and songs of the resilient Afro-colombian singers that farm there. Through intimate interviews and the
[chasing-houses--Film-image]
Chasing Houses 2017 60'
    Directed by Justin Time .
The experimental road movie enters the contradictory space between home and mobility. Through the vastness of the US American West, CHASING HOUSES follows mobile homes on their journey from tear down
[a-delicate-weave--Film-image]
A Delicate Weave 2017 61'
    Intangible Culture Directed by Anjali Monteiro KP Jayasankar .
A fascinating tapestry of four different musical journeys across Gujarat, India: we meet a group of young men in Bhujodi who meet every night to sing the verses of 15th-century Indian mystic and poet
[elder-sister--Film-image]
Elder sister 2017 96'
    RAI Basil Wright Directed by Zheng Long .
From the 1970s, the "family planning" policies of the Chinese state limited its citizens to having one child. These policies are well-known. Lesser known are the smaller stories of how
[even-when-i-fall--Film-image]
Even When I Fall 2017 95'
    RAI Basil Wright Directed by Kate McLarnon Sky Neal .
Sheetal and Saraswoti met as teenagers in a Kathmandu refuge, both survivors of child trafficking to Indian circuses. They had been rescued and brought back across the border to Nepal- but what does
[fathers-prescription--Film-image]
Father's Prescription 2017 11'
    Shorts Directed by Enke Huang .
A personal exploration of traditional Chinese medicine that considers the importance of its sensory qualities. Huang vividly recalls the extreme bitter taste and smell of the teas consumed by her
[the-feel-of-history--Film-image]
The Feel of History 2017 29'
    Directed by Lise Zurné .
Each year, on the 1st of March, a historical society called the Komunitas Djokjakarta 1945 re-enacts one of the last battles with the Dutch colonizers of 1949 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Following
[a-feeling-greater-than-love--Film-image]
A Feeling Greater Than Love 2017 93'
  Directed by Mary Jirmanus .
In her directorial debut, Mary Jirmanus Saba deals with a forgotten revolution, saving from oblivion bloodily suppressed strikes at Lebanese tobacco and Gandour chocolate factories. These events from
[fire-mouth--Film-image]
Fire Mouth 2017 9'
    Shorts Directed by Luciano Pérez Fernández .
A film about a football match in Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil, in which we see none of the action, or even a single player. We only catch glimpses of the fans as they bake, rather sluggishly,
[flores-little-jamaica--Film-image]
Flores, little Jamaica 2017 49'
  Directed by Maude Katz .
The fact that a type of music specific to one place could touch a distant listener has always intrigued me. When I met young people of my generation who were fans of reggae music at Flores, a small
[gali-street--Film-image]
Gali (Street) 2017 52'
    Directed by Shabani Hassanwalia Samreen Farooqui .
Gali, delves into a world of hip-hop in Delhi, a community that role-plays participation, as well as, dissent, against a mainstream that continues to exclude them. The documentary catches them in
[the-granary-of-salcete--Film-image]
The Granary of Salcete 2017 37'
    Directed by Vince Costa .
Curtorim is located on the banks of the river Zuari, in Goa, India. The people of this village have over centuries built a bond with rice, so profoundly that it earned the village the title of
[green-river-the-time-of-the-yakurunas--Film-image]
Green River. The time of the Yakurunas 2017 70'
    Directed by Alvaro Sarmiento Diego Sarmiento .
Guided by ayahuasca chants, GREEN RIVER. THE TIME OF THE YAKURUNAS is a poetic journey into the depths of the Amazon. The film explores the perception of time in three small villages intertwined by
[gushegu-exile--Film-image]
Gushegu Exile 2017 52'
    Directed by Emil Nørgaard Munk .
In the shadow of a tree Salamatu separates pebbles from the beans she has found at the local market square. Nighttime is coming and her children are hungry. Gmanun is packing 14 years of life in
[i-am-sheriff--Film-image]
I am Sheriff 2017 28'
    Directed by Teboho Edkins .
“I am Sheriff” follows a young man as he travels the mountain kingdom of Lesotho showing his film in remote villages, schools and communities. Sheriff was born with a girl’s body, but as the
[kales--Film-image]
Kalès 2017 63'
    RAI Basil Wright Directed by Laurent van Lanker .
A film of wind and despair, of fire and solidarity, of hope and hell. An intimate and inside perspective of the ‘jungle’ of Calais, evoked through a polyphony of bodies, tales, and
Western Europe Migration Refugees / Displaced populations Squatter Settlements / Homelessness Participatory / Collaborative methods
[last-round-of-jaldi-five--Film-image]
Last Round of Jaldi Five 2017 26'
  Directed by Ellen Lapper .
2017 marked seventy years since the decolonisation and Partition of India, sparking one of the largest mass migrations in history. One particular community uprooted by this event were the
[la-forma-del-mundo--Film-image]
La forma del mundo 2017 88'
  Directed by David Delgado San Ginés .
A sound is born from the root of the earth. Those are the voices that sing for the animas of Purgatory. Every year for centuries los Cantadores de Arbejales, in the misty mountains of the island of
[the-life-of-others--Film-image]
The Life of Others 2017 45'
    Directed by Robert McNamara .
The film is a compilation of scenes from Kazakh Mongolian life outside of Bayan Olgii in Western Mongolia. It was made during a one month period where I lived with and filmed a group of families
[living-here--Film-image]
Living Here 2017 16'
    Shorts Directed by Sarah Baril Gaudet .
In Aupaluk, Northern Quebec, a small cluster of primary coloured buildings cluster amidst the blinding white tundra. We are introduced to the tiny town (population 200, mainly Inuit) by a thoughtful
[midnight-ramblers--Film-image]
Midnight Ramblers 2017 57'
    Directed by Julian Ballester .
Night after night, Kye, Tobie, Paul, Kim and Tattoo wander through the streets and alleys of Montreal. They support each other, and they are all drug users. It is their only way of escaping a harsh
[migrants-of-ther-dunes--Film-image]
Migrants of ther Dunes 2017 28'
    Directed by Erica Pomerance .
The dramatic sanding-over of arable land caused by climate change now threatens the very survival of many ancestral Dogon communities along the magestic Bandiagara Cliffs in Mali. The Dogon people
[namatjira-project--Film-image]
Namatjira Project 2017 87'
  Directed by Sera Davies .
An extraordinary first-hand account of the international battle to reclaim the artwork and heritage of one of Australia’s most important Indigenous figures: Albert Namatjira. Albert Namatjira was
Australia Art / Artists / Artisans Collective / Community identity Colonialism / Postcolonialism Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Law and Legislation / Bureaucracy Political Activists Race / Racism / Antiracism
[niishii-night-worlds--Film-image]
Niishii | Night Worlds 2017 22'
    Student Directed by Saranya Nayak .
What happens to a town after sunset? What happens to life and light? Niishii is an evocative tour through the night time hours in the town of Dubrajpur (West Bengal, India). Here, amidst inky
[other-fire--Film-image]
OTHER FIRE 2017 21'
    Directed by Guilherme Moura Fagundes .
A sensorial record of affinity and enmity relationships with fire in the conservation of the Cerrado biome. In the company is locals, hired to act as brigadiers and, more recently, as management
[of-love-law--Film-image]
Of Love & Law 2017 94'
    RAI Basil Wright Directed by Hikaru Toda .
Fumi and Kazu are partners in love and law; they run the first law firm in Japan set up by an openly gay couple. As lawyers driven by their own experience of being ​outsiders​, they attract a
[our-freedom--Film-image]
Our Freedom 2017 52'
    Material Culture Directed by Laura Kuen Yury Snigirev .
The inhabitants of the village of Pungino live mostly beyond the reach of the Russian state. Here, in this remote rural location, they create their own sphere of personal freedom. This film explores
[our-people-will-be-healed--Film-image]
Our People Will Be Healed 2017 97'
    Lifetime Achievement Award - Alanis Obomsawin Directed by Alanis Obomsawin .
The landmark 50th film for Alanis Obomsawin reveals how a Cree community in Manitoba has turned to education as part of their efforts of community healing cultural revival. The Helen Betty Osborne
[positive-women-heartache-hope-living-with-hiv--Film-image]
Positive Women: Heartache, Hope & Living with HIV 2017 30'
    Directed by Rebecca Devaraj .
In 2016, filmmaker Bex Devaraj and anthropologist Anne Lotter were given unique access to one of the biggest slums in Kampala, Uganda, where every day is a struggle for survival. In this intimate
[positive-youtubers-a-machinima-documentary--Film-image]
Positive Youtubers – A Machinima Documentary 2017 15'
    Special Interest Directed by Leandro Goddinho .
An experimental documentary made with footage material recorded from the computer desktop screen, about four Brazilians who have created Youtube Channels to talk openly about their HIV status. They
[remake-of-a-summer--Film-image]
Remake of a summer 2017 96'
    Directed by Magali Bragard Séverine Enjolras .
During a summer in Paris and it’s suburbs, two young directors attempt a remake of "Chroniques d’un été", fifty years after the cult film of Rouch and Morin. An offbeat portrait of
[solitary-land--Film-image]
SOLITARY LAND 2017 107'
  Directed by Tiziana Panizza .
A researcher found 32 documentaries filmed on Easter Island almost a century ago. They contain images of the island’s rock sculptures, the Moai, but they barely show the island’s inhabitants,
[sakhisona--Film-image]
Sakhisona 2017 27'
    Intangible Culture Directed by Prantik Basu .
Near Mogulmari in West Bengal lies a mound known locally as Sakhisona. Stories about it are interwoven with myth and still sung by local musicians. A dig nearby recently uncovered the remains of a
[the-scorpion-is-me-a-centennial-family-dance-group--Film-image]
The Scorpion is me - A centennial family dance group 2017 95'
    Directed by Juan Sebastián Alvarez .
Santos Ramírez “Santico”, the current 40 year old artistic director, hides behind the Carnival’s atmosphere, as he is fighting against all odds to keep El Alacrán's poison alive. "El
[silas--Film-image]
Silas 2017 80'
    Directed by Anjali Nayar .
Liberian activist Silas Siakor is a tireless crusader against illegal logging and corruption. Through this focus on one small country -- “Silas” warns of the power of politics, features the role
[tb-in-town-2--Film-image]
TB in Town 2 2017 46'
    Directed by Dr. Lianne (A.L.) Cremers .
This film tells the story of patients with tuberculosis living in Town 2, one of the biggest and most violent townships of South Africa. Treatment is available for free and tuberculosis patients can
[tribal-justice--Film-image]
TRIBAL JUSTICE 2017 87'
  Directed by ANNE MAKEPEACE .
TRIBAL JUSTICE is a feature documentary about a little known, under-reported but effective criminal justice reform movement in America today: the efforts of tribal courts to create alternative
[tabom-in-bahia--Film-image]
Tabom in Bahia 2017 52'
  Directed by Juan Diego Diaz Nilton Pereira .
There is a small community in Ghana who identify as Brazilians. Their name is the Tabom. They are the descendants of former enslaved Africans and creoles who resettled from Bahia to Ghana during the
South America West Africa Music / Ethnomusicology Collective / Community identity Memory Migration Popular Culture Race / Racism / Antiracism Tourism / Travel / Pilgrimage
[thank-you-for-the-rain--Film-image]
Thank You For The Rain 2017 87'
    RAI Basil Wright Directed by Julia Dahr .
Over the last five years Kisilu, a smallholder farmer in Kenya, has used his camera to capture his family life, his village and the impacts of climate change. He has filmed floods, droughts and
[those-who-come-will-hear--Film-image]
Those Who Come, Will Hear 2017 77'
    Directed by Simon Plouffe .
Those Who Come, Will Hear proposes a unique meeting with the speakers of several indigenous languages of Quebec – all threatened with extinction. The film starts with the discovery of these unsung
[vivre-riche--Film-image]
Vivre Riche 2017 53'
    RAI Basil Wright Directed by Joël Akafou .
“Rolex the Portuguese” has returned to Abidjan with one mission: to make lots of money. He seeks to emulates the hedonistic lifestyle of a new generation of West African music stars. He and his
[welcome-valentine-2017--Film-image]
Welcome Valentine 2017 2017 16'
    Student Directed by Dhruv Satija .
In a temple dedicated to Hanuman in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a priest flouts convention by marrying couples who are shunned elsewhere: mostly those who have eloped from families who disapprove of their
South Asia Marriage Love LGBTQI* Religion / Belief / Faith
[why-is-mr-w-laughingij--Film-image]
Why is Mr W. Laughing? 2017 76'
  Directed by Jana Papenbrook .
Jana Papenbroock with Horst Wässle, Michael Gerdsmann, Bernhard Krebs WHY IS MR W. LAUGHING? is a portrait of three members of a community of artists with different disabilities. Rather than
Western Europe Art / Artists / Artisans Collective / Community identity Elderly people Health / Health care / Healing Life Story / Life History Personal Narrative Social participation
[wives--Film-image]
Wives 2017 85'
    RAI Basil Wright Directed by Lisbet Holtedahl .
Alhajji Ibrahim is an Islamic scholar who has served as judge at the Sultanate of Ngaoundéré in Northern Cameroon for 46 years. The film follows Alhajji during the last years of his life, focusing
West Africa Family / Kinship Everyday Life Gender Role and Identity Marriage Personal Narrative Religion / Belief / Faith Social Norms
[women-of-freedom--Film-image]
Women of Freedom 2017 58'
    Directed by Abeer Zeibak Haddad .
Women of Freedom follows the stories of women who were murdered in the name of ‘honor killing', in the Arab and Palestinian society. This documentary aims to unravel the social and political
[wasi--Film-image]
Wási 2017 16'
    Shorts Directed by Sebastián Gómez Ruíz Amado Villafaña Chaparro .
As the sun rises on a village in northern Colombia, we glimpse its inhabitants as they begin their day. As the scene emerges from obscurity, a voiceover reflects on the nature of sight. It is the
South America Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Indigenous Filmmaking History of Anthropology Film / Photography / Mass media
[zawawa-the-sound-of-sugar-cane-in-the-wind--Film-image]
Zawawa - the sound of sugar cane in the wind 2017 50'
    Directed by Rupert Cox Angus Carlyle .
It is a strange and bitter irony that the US naval bombardment which launched the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 was called the ‘typhoon of steel’, invoking the turbulent winds that annually buffet
[the-world-is-round-so-that-nobody-can-hide-in-the-corners-part-i-refuge--Film-image]
The world is round so that nobody can hide in the corners – Part I: Refuge 2017 10'
    Student Directed by Leandro Goddinho .
The first instalment in a series of shorts that explore LGBTQ+ experiences across the globe, envisioning a queer diasporic community. In Refuge, we hear the moving account of a young man forced to
[the-world-is-round-so-that-nobody-can-hide-in-the-corners-part-ii-the-kiss--Film-image]
The world is round so that nobody can hide in the corners – Part II: The Kiss 2017 5'
    Student Directed by Leandro Goddinho .
The second instalment in a series of shorts that explore LGBTQ+ experiences across the globe, envisioning a queer diasporic community. The Kiss stages an act of public sensuality at the Gay Holocaust