Den gamle mand og skoven
Vinicius is a young cellist who lives in the far east of the metropolitan region of São Paulo and is a member of the State Youth Orchestra. He talks about the contrasts he experiences every day as a musician in Latin America's largest city, the prestige of playing at the Sala São Paulo, one of the best in the world, and the human degradation that surrounds it, individual and collective artistic expression in an orchestra, the sublime of the concert and the harsh reality of life on the ground, about the continuous search for erudition, the role of his teachers in his career and the friendships and lessons he has learned along the way
Masao Adachi, the author and director of experimental works and pinku-eiga in the 1960s, was a member of the Japanese New Left that shifted from being a filmmaker to a guerrilla fighter. In 1974, he joined the Japanese Red Army in Lebanon, which worked closely with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Filmmaker Lutz Dammbeck met Adachi in Tokyo in 2018 and talked with him about a wide range of topics, including art, revolution, the influence of western avant-garde art and American underground; the Japanese Red Army; collaboration with secret services; the role of the Left after 1968; and the reasons for failures of leftist ideas and strategies.
Comedian and ventriloquist Nina Conti explores the world of new age and alternative therapies in a quest for self-knowledge, enlightenment and happiness. With her puppet Monkey as the voice of scepticism, Nina undergoes naked yoga, laughter therapy and shamanic ritual, before taking part in primal screaming and rebirth at a three-day retreat in the wilds of Scotland.
In a world where technology and humanity intertwine, Tiffany, a self-aware feminist "sex robot", embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Conversing with leading experts, Tiffany confronts the issues that have shaped her design and asks about queerness concerning sex tech.
A documentary following 12-year-old Paul and his brother Germain during a transformative summer in rural France. The film explores the loss of innocence as Paul confronts the harsh financial and physical realities of his family's farming livelihood, highlighting the father-son bond and an uncertain future.
This film is part of a project that has listened to over 40,000 people on masculinity issues and has resulted in a documentary and a tool book based on this publicly available study through an agreement with the Social Information Consortium (CIS) of the University of São Paulo.
Les Années 2000, la BO de notre vie
Tímamót, or Changes in English. An upbeat, heartwarming story about Gudjon, Sigurbjorn and Steinthor who lived together for decades along with several other inhabitants in the Tjaldanes Institution, in a peaceful valley close to Reykjavik. When a decision is made to close down the institution, their life takes an unexpected turn and they discover a new side to life and to themselves.
Rinzin Jurmey chose to join a monastery and dedicate his life to Buddhism at the age of 11, loving its rituals and traditions. Now 18, he moves harmoniously between mountain village and city, embracing tradition and pop culture, religion and hip-hop, prayer and video games. With guidance from cinematographer Cat Papadimitriou, Jurmey documents the ways in which he – and his country – are striving to preserve ancient practices while embracing modernity.
At 16, Max left with dreams and a GoPro slung over his shoulder for an exchange program at a high school in Oklahoma. Since then, Donald Trump has become president, the Capitol has been stormed, and abortion bans have gained ground. On the eve of Trump’s second term, Max goes back to see his friends to understand what their journeys reveal about the evolution of American society
THE PERFUMED GARDEN is an exploration of the myths and realities of sensuality and sexuality in Arab society, a world of taboos and of erotic literature. Through interviews with men and women of all ages, classes, and sexual orientation, the film lifts a corner of the veil that usually shrouds discussion of this subject in the Arab world. Made by an Algerian-French woman director, the film begins by looking at the record of a more permissive history, and ends with the experiences of contemporary lovers from mixed backgrounds. It examines the personal issues raised by the desire for pleasure, amidst societal pressures for chastity and virginity. The film discusses pre-marital sex, courtship and marriage, familial pressures, private vs. public spaces, social taboos (and the desire to break them), and issues of language.
Porn
As clichés go, in 1999 the World as we knew it was about to change - and we'd been expecting it. Since childhood we'd been promised that the 21st century would bring us dramatic new technologies like flying cars and Utopian cities. Instead it bought us the smart-phone, social media, and virtual societies. And as it turns out these technologies began to transform society almost as dramatically as the moon colonies we'd been expecting. Now over a decade into the revolution, 'DSKNECTD' explores how digital communication technology is profoundly changing the way we interact and experience each other - for the good and for the bad.
From the Bhutanese wilderness, scientist and yeti-hunter Mark Evans hears fresh reports of new sightings; Mark mounts a considerable expedition into the Himalayas and takes his search for the yeti further than ever before.
From Belgium, Jialai Wang maintains contact via smartphone and camera with her mother and grandmother in China. When her grandmother’s health deteriorates, Jialai returns to Shanghai, but when she arrives, her grandmother has already died, and she is left alone with her mother. A devout Buddhist, her mother seems to pay more attention to her daily prayers, Maoist past and dog Dongdong than she does to her daughter. She herself had been abandoned as a child by her own mother, when she divorced Jialai’s grandfather and moved to the city.
Why do people vent such toxic opinions online? Filmmaker Kyrre Lien spent three years travelling the world to find out who these anonymous ‘internet warriors’ are and why they do it.
Openland is an art film guided by issues surrounding micro states and its derivative definitions. Through intertwining interviews, meta-narratives, and digital landscapes, Openland unfurls a dialogue between consciousness, individuality and collectivity.
In his new film, Erwin Wagenhofer is looking for the good and beautiful in this world.
Advances in artificial intelligence are accelerating at a breakneck pace. A journalist connects these innovations to the changes they bring to our daily lives. A documentary that makes it easy to understand these technological upheavals.