Jesa

The Shipibo-Konibo people of Peruvian Amazon decorate their pottery, jewelry, textiles, and body art with complex geometric patterns called kené. These patterns also have corresponding songs, called icaros, which are integral to the Shipibo way of life. This documentary explores these unique art forms, and one Shipibo family's efforts to safeguard the tradition.

A fearless horse bonds two men to each other and to the traditions that define their community.

Dríades

Essence of Healing is a documentary exploring the life journeys of 14 American Indian nurses - their experiences growing up, their experiences in nursing school, and their experiences on the job. They are part of a larger story - a historical line of care and compassion that has run through hundreds of indigenous tribes for thousands of years.

“Kalikangiaroi” (also called Skalapountari) are Cypriot fantasy creatures. Mischievous, funny-looking, thin, hunchbacked creatures, sometimes wearing a long pointy hat or even having big bat-like wings, Cypriots were terrified of Kalikangiaroi. Kalikangiaroi hide in the depths of the earth all year long and rarely come above the ground. However, come Christmas day they surface and their crazy reign begins for 12 long days and nights. Their favorite pastime is to play pranks, tease and cause trouble to humans and create mayhem with the sole purpose of having fun! They playfully tease people by tugging at their clothes, scare them with their screeching voices or frighten domestic animals. One thing Kalikangiaroi loves more than teasing is a piece of “loukaniko” traditional sausage.

Every New Year, and in celebration of their Independence, Haitian families gather together to feast in honor of a line of ancestors that fought for their freedom. The centerpiece of the festivity is the joumou soup—a traditional soup dating back centuries ago. The joumou soup is a concretization of war and victory, oppression and emancipation, and the deeply rooted celebratory traditions of the Haitian culture.

The horses in Denys Colomb Daunant’s dream poem are the white beasts of the marshlands of the Camargue in South West France. Daunant was haunted by these creatures. His obsession was first visualized when he wrote the autobiographical script for Albert Lamorisse’s award-winning 1953 film White Mane. In this short the beauty of the horses is captured with a variety of film techniques and by Jacques Lasry’s beautiful electronic score.

Khaïma

A Zen priest in San Francisco and cookbook author use Zen Buddhism and cooking to relate to everyday life.

Remy, a resident of Paris, has quite a sophisticated palate. He would love to become a chef so he can create and enjoy culinary masterpieces to his heart's delight. The only problem is, Remy is a rat. When he winds up in the sewer beneath one of Paris' finest restaurants, Remy finds himself ideally placed to realize his dream. He forms an unusual alliance with the restaurants rookie employee, and together they work through challenges stemming from Head Chef Skinner, Remy’s colony, and renowned food critic Anton Ego, who strikes fear in the hearts of chefs all throughout France.

British home cook Mary Berry prepares the ultimate Christmas feast with all the trimmings; chefs Angela Hartnett and Monica Galetti share favorite festive recipes; Mary and television host Rylan Clark try to convert some children to Brussels sprouts.

The Kalaallit people of Greenland have been intimately connected to the eternal ice for millennia. These massive glaciers stand as records of ancient eras of the planet – but recently they began disappearing. As the foundation of their traditions literally melts beneath their feet, members of the Kalaallit community work with artists to capture the images and stories of a vanishing landscape and way of life.

When a Mongolian nomadic family's newest camel colt is rejected by its mother, a musician is needed for a ritual to change her mind.

Bernard Bovet le vieil homme à la caméra

Viking chieftains, flaming torches and outlandish costumes liven up a dark January day in Lerwick, Shetland, as the townsfolk celebrate 'Up Helly Aa'.

Cuisine libanaise : Chiche ou pois chiche ?

The documentary proposes a unique meeting with the speakers of several indigenous and inuit languages of Quebec – all threatened with extinction. The film starts with the discovery of these unsung tongues through listening to the daily life of those who still speak them today. Buttressed by an exploration and creation of archives, the film allows us to better understand the musicality of these languages and reveals the cultural and human importance of these venerable oral traditions by nourishing a collective reflection on the consequences of their disappearance.

Through the memories of former scouts, the short film explores the mystical traditions that shaped their experiences, from the magic that captivated them in childhood to the tensions and questions that arose over time. A reflective look at the relationship between customs, identity, and generational change.

Cuisine indienne : À toutes les sauces !

A short documentary that celebrates Dene cultural reclamation and revitalization, in which a father passes on traditional knowledge to his child through the teachings of a caribou drum.