Catalogue IDFA 2015

BELEEF

MET DE

volkskrant.nl/idfa

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL AMSTERDAM 2015

IDFA VOLKS KRANT

Catalogue International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

BELEEF

MET DE

volkskrant.nl/idfa

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL AMSTERDAM 2015

IDFA VOLKS KRANT

Catalogue International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Het IDFA laat de hele wereld zien Het documentairefestival IDFA bouwt bruggen tussen werelden. Tussen actualiteiten en achtergronden. Tussen kunstenaars en kijkers. Tussen ideeĂŤn en kansen. IDFA brengt de wereld samen. Daarom steunt VSBfonds dit festival.

Ook mooie plannen voor kunst en cultuur? Kijk op vsbfonds.nl

vsbfonds.nl adv_VPRO_IDFA_catalogus_28-10-15.indd 1

28-10-15 10:53

de bezoekers van het Over het IJ Festival, de ouderen van Zona’s Kiosk, de studenten van de beurs, de vrijwilligers van d Voorleesexpress, de acteurs van Toneelvereniging NieuwLeven, de dansers van Venl Danst, de vrouwe van het Tienermoederproject, d bezoekers van de Kunsthalkade, de leerlingen van Pri sHeerlijk, Het pub liek van Holland Opera, de reizige van Zeereis in het Scheepvaartmuseum, de zangers van Popkoor The Happening, de buurtgenoten de Vonk, de kinderen Hoedje van Papie de gebruikers van Dorpshuis Schingen-Slapterp, de jonge talenten van het Grachtenfestival, de deelnemers aa de Lang Eettafel, de bewonderaars van de Hermitage jongeren van het Young Art Festiva de kanshebbers o de Nationale Zorg vernieuwingsprijs

Het IDFA laat de hele wereld zien Het documentairefestival IDFA bouwt bruggen tussen werelden. Tussen actualiteiten en achtergronden. Tussen kunstenaars en kijkers. Tussen ideeĂŤn en kansen. IDFA brengt de wereld samen. Daarom steunt VSBfonds dit festival.

Ook mooie plannen voor kunst en cultuur? Kijk op vsbfonds.nl

vsbfonds.nl adv_VPRO_IDFA_catalogus_28-10-15.indd 1

28-10-15 10:53

de bezoekers van het Over het IJ Festival, de ouderen van Zona’s Kiosk, de studenten van de beurs, de vrijwilligers van d Voorleesexpress, de acteurs van Toneelvereniging NieuwLeven, de dansers van Venl Danst, de vrouwe van het Tienermoederproject, d bezoekers van de Kunsthalkade, de leerlingen van Pri sHeerlijk, Het pub liek van Holland Opera, de reizige van Zeereis in het Scheepvaartmuseum, de zangers van Popkoor The Happening, de buurtgenoten de Vonk, de kinderen Hoedje van Papie de gebruikers van Dorpshuis Schingen-Slapterp, de jonge talenten van het Grachtenfestival, de deelnemers aa de Lang Eettafel, de bewonderaars van de Hermitage jongeren van het Young Art Festiva de kanshebbers o de Nationale Zorg vernieuwingsprijs

FILMS SCREENED AT IDFA 18 – 29 NOVEMBER 2015 Competition for Mid-Length Documentary Life of a Butterfly by Piotr Bernaś Competition for First Appearance

Alisa in Warland

by Alisa Kovalenko And Liubova Durepko Bests of Fests

Call Me Marianna

by Karolina Bielawska

K2. Touching the Sky

by Eiza Kubarska Panorama

Dybbuk. A Tale of Wandering Souls

by Krzysztof Kopczyński

Find also other Polish films at Docs for Sale

www

PROJECT COFINANCED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND NATIONAL HERITAGE OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND AND THE POLISH FILM INSTITUTE

Photo: Golden Horn Award for the best documentary film

.polis hdoc s.pl, kata rzyn a@k

DO NOT MISS IT!

f f. c o m.pl

Krakow Film Festival is an Oscar® and EFA qualifying festival

13DOC AG_IDFA 92x92.pdf

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WWW.ITSALLTRUE.COM.BR | INFO@ITSALLTRUE.COM.BR WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ETUDOVERDADEOFICIAL | TWITTER.COM/ETUDOVERDADE

THE ARCHIVE FOR DUTCH DOCUMENTARIES Beeld en Geluid IDFA Award for Dutch Documentary 2015

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Contents

6 8 9 10 10 12

Introduction Organization Thank You! Partners of IDFA Catalogue Credits Jury members

Competition Programs 19 IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary 35 IDFA Competition for First Appearance 51 IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary 67 IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary 73 IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Documentary Storytelling 83 IDFA Competition for Student Documentary 93 IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs 101 IDFA DOC U Competition

Non-Competitive Programs 105 Masters 119 Best of Fests 143 Panorama 167 Paradocs 177 Music Documentary

Special Focus 187 DocLab: Seamless Reality 197 Paradocs: Amsterdam Art Weekend 205 Errol Morris’s Top 10 213 Errol Morris Retrospective 219 Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015 223 Sounds Real 233 Don’t Blink: Robert Frank 241 Dutch Docs 65-90 and Their Shadows Offscreen Activities 252 Docs for Sale 252 IDFA Forum 253 IDFA Bertha Fund 254 IDFAcademy 255 Education 256 IDFA Media Talks Index 258 262 272 275 278 280

ward Winners 1988-2014 A Addresses Print & Sales Premieres Films by Country Directors Films

5

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Introduction That the documentary genre is alive and kicking is amply demonstrated by the wide range of high-quality productions completed during the past year. In preparation for this year’s festival, the viewing committees and I had the great pleasure of watching more than 3,000 documentaries from all over the world, covering a huge variety of styles, topics, cinematic approaches and ways of storytelling! In the end, we were able to make a selection from this huge wealth of material and proudly present the resulting festival program in this catalogue.

The documentary genre is most certainly as vital as ever; in fact, its position is still improving. Ten years ago, the word documentary was still associated with boring, long-winded, intellectual, unexciting fare.

Today, public broadcasters in the Netherlands show a documentary every day and big players such as Netflix and HBO are financing and buying documentaries to screen and distribute through their own channels worldwide. And audiences love them. In addition, big film festivals such as Cannes, Sundance and Toronto have embraced documentaries and included them in their official selections. All of which is fantastic, especially when you consider that IDFA was founded with the aim of getting documentaries back on TV and into cinemas.

There is, however, a downside to all this. The A-list festivals and big, commercial channels want the bigger, more commercial documentaries. There is little or no space for new, emerging talent. Also, it is primarily documentaries from the United States that are being bought. There is a real lack of diversity. More fragile or experimental documentaries rarely make it onto a screen.

photo: Bert Nienhuis

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All of which makes festivals like IDFA so essential. For 28 years now, we have been devoting attention to the development of talent through workshops, the IDFAcademy and IDFAcademy Summer School—educational facilities that place their emphasis firmly on the creative documentary. We see the documentary as an art form led by the maker’s vision of reality. Our Student and First Appearance competitions present the best films made by young directors during the past year—often uniquely individual, personal films packed with talent. Films that cut new paths, just like the experimental work included in the Paradocs program.

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

IDFA also plays a crucial role in terms of diversity. The IDFA Bertha Fund has been financing documentary filmmakers and festivals in developing countries for almost 20 years now. The fruits of this are clearly visible: more than 500 documentaries have been realized with assistance from the Fund. This year, we are screening 13 IBF-supported films across various program sections. More than 60 countries from all continents are represented throughout the IDFA program.

Usually, films of a non-standard length do not find slots in cinemas or on TV. Fortunately, we are able to program these; this year, we have selected films ranging in length from 10 to 190 minutes. What we can also do is cluster films around themes, placing them in a broader context, providing explanation and increasing their impact. This year, we once again have a number of great theme programs, supported by interesting and authoritative special guests.

IDFA continues to play a key role. It is a festival of the future—not only as a stage for young, promising film directors, but also as a place for the documentary in all its latest forms. Many great examples of this, both live and online, can once again be found in our innovative DocLab program. Also online, at IDFA.tv, you can watch many fascinating documentaries from the festival programs of past years.

Of course, we hope as many of you as possible will be able to see the films on the big screen—with one another, and with the people who made them.

I wish you a fantastic, inspirational festival!

Ally Derks IDFA Director

For example, renowned sound designers and composers are coming to Amsterdam for the Sounds Real program, which focuses attention on sound and sound designers: what is the role of the sounds we hear in documentaries, and how are these actually created? Media historian Bert Hogenkamp has put together a program of seven Dutch documentaries from the period 1965-1990 and paired them with seven foreign documentaries that correspond to them in terms of form or theme. Errol Morris, one of the most important directors of our era, has selected this year’s Top 10 and is being honored with a retrospective of his work; he will also be on hand to talk about both during the festival. Another prestigious guest is the American political scientist Benjamin Barber, whose 1995 book Jihad vs.

McWorld forms the basis of a special program. This visionary selected a number of films from the IDFA program that reflect on both his celebrated book and his later work, which concentrates on the functioning of democracy. Then there is the influential photographer and filmmaker Robert Frank—the subject of a new documentary portrait, and whose own photographic and film works can be seen during the festival.

In all of these programs—and throughout the festival as a whole— there is a great deal of space for discussion in the form of Q&As, panel discussions and other meetings. This, as far as I am concerned, is one of the most important elements of IDFA—something there is rarely or never space for on TV and at regular film screenings.

7

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Organization IDFA Board Chairman Derk Sauer Treasurer Anton Kramer Members Sonja Barend, Jacqueline Gerritsma, Arend Jan Heerma van Voss, Marischka Leenaers Advisors Jan Rofekamp, Jess Search, Diane Weyermann Recommending Committee H.C. Becht, Prof. Ir M. van den Berg, E.I.R.M. de By, M. van Heijningen, Dr M de Keizer, B. Lubberhuizen, Dr Ir J.M.M. Ritzen, F. Rottenberg, Prof. Dr A. de Swaan

Director Ally Derks Managing Director Cees van ’t Hullenaar

Program Department Head of Program Department Martijn te Pas Senior Programmers Joost Daamen, Raul Niño Zambrano Special Programs Coordinator Laura van Halsema Junior Programmers Roos Hekkens, Jasper Hokken Assistants Veerle Egbers, Ena Omerovic, Anne Schumacher Producer IDFA.tv Jasper Hokken Contributing Programmers Advisors Isabel Arrate Fernandez, Ilma van de Beek, Kees Brienen, Peter van Bueren, Henk Camping, Callum Cooper, Cees van Ede, Jan Pieter Ekker, Anna Germanidi, Mariska Graveland, Wessel van der Hammen, Ingrid Harms, Jannie Langbroek, Ot Louw, Andrea Manneke, Andrea Meuzelaar, Rada Sesic, Meike Statema, David Teigeler, Wotienke Vermeer, Randy Vermeulen, Frans Westra Top 10 Errol Morris Dutch Docs 65-90 and their Shadows Bert Hogenkamp Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015 Benjamin Barber, Laura van Halsema Don’t Blink: Robert Frank Laura Israel, Melinda Shopsin Paradocs: Amsterdam Art Weekend Adriana Gonzalez Hulshof, Bart Rutten New Media Head of New Media/IDFA Doclab Caspar Sonnen New Media Researcher & Producer Wotienke Vermeer Contributing Programmer IDFA DocLab Veerle Devreese DocLab Events Producer Jonas van der Kraft DocLab Exposition Producer Lara Coomans Assistant Producer DocLab Effelayne van Troost Website Doc Lab Upian Education Head of Education Meike Statema Education Producer Marije Veenstra IDFAcademy Producer Eva Laurillard Assistant Producers Christel de Bruijn, Eline Makker, Emma Siebelink Tutors IDFA Mediafonds Workshop Marjoleine Boonstra, Boris Gerrets Tutor IDFA Kids & Docs Workshop Coco Schrijber

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Industry Office Head of Industry Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen IDFA Industry – IDFA Forum Coordinator Yorinde Segal IDFA Industry – Docs for Sale & Guest Services Coordinator Laurien ten Houten Industry Office Coordinator & Industry Panels Stien Meesters Guest Services Manager Dymme Plomp IDFA Forum Producers Marloes den Hoed, Malka Jonas, David Leenders, Charlotte Reekers Docs for Sale Producers Rudolf Kats (Coordinator a.i.), Jacob van Niftrik Industry Office Producer Maartje van Merwijk Guest Services Producers Clémence Girard, Noortje Koster, Duygu Özer de Kruijf, Lara Sitruk, Jorinde van der Veen Delegate Guide Producer Lauren Murphy Carservice Producer Roos Rodenburg First Aid Doc Clinic Consultants Jannie Langbroek, Marijke Rawie Industry Office Matchmaker Hanna Mattes Sponsoring & Fundraising Sponsor & fundraisers Suze van Bohemen, Martijn van Dijk Assistant Annejuul Jans Communication Head of Communication Cathalijne de Wilde Press Coordinator Laura van Halsema Communication assistants Silvie van Oost, Dimphy Severijnen Press assistant Maartje Piersma Web Editor Liselotte Brand Editor Industry Office Joost Broeren Editor IDFA.tv Nicole Santé Assistant Web Editor Robin Jay Boekhout Catalogue Coordinator Sasja Koetsier Design Sjoukje van Gool, Gerald Zevenboom IDFA Poster Cape Rock IDFA Logo Design Jan Bons, Jeroen Bons IDFA Website 3PO IDFA commercials and leader Cape Rock IDFA Daily BAFA, Mark Baker, Nick Cunningham, Olga van Ditzhuijzen, KEES Driessen, Melanie Goodfellow, Sasja Koetsier, Omar Larabi, Geoffrey Macnab, Sietse Meijer, Maricke Nieuwdorp, Nicole Santé Photographers Bram Belloni, Nichon Glerum, Felix Kalkman Design Sjoukje van Gool, Gerald Zevenboom, Laurenz van Gaalen Online Daily Marjanne de Haan Production, Finance & IT Head of Production, Finance & IT Dirk Blikkendaal Production & HR Coordinator Annabet Langkamp Producers Roos Dickhout, Nelleke van Erven, Lisanne van Wijk

Festival Location & Infrastructure Producer Misja Starink Volunteers Producer Rosa Lohman Volunteers Assistant Dorrit Jorritsma Supervisor Pathé Cinema’s Erik Pijpers A-team Coordinator Laura Springer Festival Dressing Maurice Potemans Jury Assistants Pieter-Jan van Damme, Lieven Heeremans, Andrea Manneke, Ena Omerovic, Rada Sesic (Coordinator), David Teigeler, Rafaella Wang Audience Award Producer Roman Coldenhoff Office Manager Hanneke Heeremans Office Producer Janske Stoop Office Assistant Irene uit den Bosch Application Manager Ilja Loonstijn Application Assistant Eline Makker Audio-Visual Manager Jason Langdon Financial Controller Clarissa Riemersma Administration Edgar Witteveen Box Office Coordinators Annekoos Logtenberg, Marco Oudewortel Festival Tickets Marie-Louise Calame, Mark Stegweg Active Tickets Arvid van Bokhorst Filmtechniek BV Martin van Broekhoven, Dick Moesker Technical Supervisors Rembrandt Boswijk, Frank van der Horst Film Control Coordinators Polona Kuzman, Kathinka Verhoeven Talks Extended Q&A’s Devika Partiman, Ans van de Weerdhof Q&A’s & Premières Franka van Hengel (Coordinator), Jolien Merks, Philipine van ‘t Zet

IDFA Bertha Fund Board Chairman Walter Etty Members Ally Derks, Adrienne van Heteren, Jan Hoekema, Marischka Leenaers, Marijn Wiersma Managing Director Isabel Arrate Fernandez Project Manager Mélanie de Vocht Assistant Producer Malka Jonas Selection Committee IBF Classic 2015 Isabel Arrate Fernandez, Carmen Cobos, Don Edkins, Fleur Knopperts, Peter Jager, Rebecca Lichtenfeld, Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen, Orwa Nyrabia, Iikka Vehkalahti, Elizabeth Wood Review Committee 2015 Isabel Arrate Fernandez, Joost Daamen, Laura van Halsema, Laurien ten Houten, Malka Jonas, Judy Kibinge, Yorinde Segal, David Teigeler, Mélanie de Vocht, Raul Niño Zambrano Selection Committee IBF Europe 2015 Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen, Isabel Arrate Fernandez, Iikka Vehkalahti, Peter Jager

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Volunteers Aaltsje Visser, Abbey Hurley, Adela Buruzan, Adrienne Kwak, Agnes Salverda, Aleid Bisterbosch, Alessia Acone, Alexandra Mantovanelli, Alexandra Zeitlin, Alina Ozerova, Alizée Musson, Alwin Helmink, Alyssa Reiziger, Amanda Perino, Amber Nefkens, Amy MacLeod, Anchorette Koolman, Andrea Spoon, Angela Hartsink, Angela van de Pol, Angela Redzepi, Angeline Lim, Anita Mizrahi, Anita Verhoeven, Anje Wiering, Anke Söentken, Anna Palffy, Anna Dekker, Anna de Vries, Anne Oudheusden Stodel, van, Anne Kleisen, Anne de Roo, Anne Fehres, Anne Lugthart, Annebel Albers, Anneke de Leeuwe, Anneke Willemse, Anneke Mulder, Anneke Sontrop, Annelies Koning, de, Annelous Stiggelbout, Annike Kaljouw, Anton Visser, Anton Corbal, Antonio Laforgia, Arand Hovakimian, Arianne Haan, den, Arlette Lafère, Arlette Lafère, Asia Dér, Astrid Brummer, Aubéry Escande, Babette Pöll, Barbara Lommen, Barbara Beek, Barbara Wijn, de, Bart Mackenzie, Bart Hendrikx, Bart van Maanen, Bas Roos, baukje faber, Bee Gee Giri, Ben Bunink, Benjamin Snippe, Bep Duys, Bernadette Kroon, Bert Bouquet, Bert van der Hall, Bianca Rhemrev, Bob Aronds, Brandt van der Gaast, Brit De Jong, Britt van Teijlingen, Bruno Chambel, Calvin Hoogland, Camille Janssen, Carla Navarro, Carlijn Ros, Carlin van ‘s-Gravenmade, Carlo Valerio, Carlo van der Weiden, Carlotta Casamassima, Caroline CHAUMAZ, Caroline Lapidaire, Catherine Nael, Charlotte van Buuren, Charmaine Eleni Bogte, Chiara Feliciani, Chris Rooijen, van, Christina Siamagka, Christopher de Gast, Chun Lai, Cintia Taylor, Claire Verplanke, Clarels Zwetselaar, van, Claud Biemans, Claudia Goehnert, Connor Blackmore, Conny van Manen, Corrine Huet, van, Daan Faber, Daan Sleiffer, Dan Dulvac, Danai Papadaki, Daniel Ham, van den, Daniela Navarrete, Daphne Krijnen, Dasha van Amsterdam, Davinia Croes, Denisha Folkes, Dette Glashouwer, Dian Permatasari Prasantio, Dick Muller, Diede Claassen, Diego Meyer, Dirk van der Wel, Dok van Dijk, Dolf MOL, Dominique van Varsseveld, Donny Sandel, Durk Jellema, Dyan Jakupovic, Edward Conder, Eline Jansen, Eline Makker, Eline Starmans, Eline Warnier, Elinor Gittins, Elise Cochin, Ellen Eijk, van, Ellen Romeijn, Elroy van der Leij, Els Oost, van, Elsbeth Saane, van, Else Harting, Emke de Vries, Emma Asbeck, van, Ems Magnus, Esther Ruijter, Esther Wouters, Esther Verkaik, Eva van Laar, Eva Damave, Evangelina Loguercio, Evelien van de Sanden, Eveline Duijvendijk, van, Evert Engwerda, Ezz Saleh, Fabian Philippo, Faison Janzen, Faydim Ramshe, Felicia Tielenius Kruythoff, Femke Paling, Fernando Hernandez, Fidel Kamiel Siebert, Fiona Müller, Fleur Beentjes, Floor van den Biesen, Fran Jongsma, Frank van den Bogaart, Frans Rodenburg, Frederik Danjo, Frieda Jacobowitz, Gabriel Rojas Caton, Gabriela Gutierrez Gomez, Gabriëlla van der Linden, Garan Hobbelink, George Aronia, Gerrie Buijze, Gertie Ligtermoed, Giacomo Tirelli, Giusy Chierchia, Gonnie Bouwhuis, Greetje de Jong, Guus Bruin, Halbe Kuipers, Hannah Fraza, Hans Dortmans, Hans Knikman, Haris Mujovic, Harro Presser, Heleen D’Haens, Heleen Visscher, Helen van Gorkum, Helen Okkerman, Helena Westermann, Helen-Anne Ross, Helge Prinsen, Henny Kingma, Henri Grotens, Henrique Franssens, Henry Kuipers, Hidde Bisschop, HJ Sandee, Ieva Barsauskaite, Ika Dirks, Ilaria Bonini, Ilon Lodewijks, Ilya Brodsky, Ineke in ‘t Veld, Inge Persoon, Ingrid Piet, Irena Krištofiaková, Irene Hagemans, Irina Toma, Iris Grob, Iris Mikulic, Iris van Seben, Irma Koning, Jacqueline Koole, Jahaga Bosscha, Jaks Schuit, Jakub Wyszkowski, Jamie Betz, Jan Planthof, Jan Muiser, Jan Bergmans, Janica Draisma, Jasmijn Schrofer, Jasna Bastic, Jasper Jacobs, Jeanette Gerritsma, Jelle Bosma, Jelle Tigchelaar, Jeroen Komen, Jesse Hellendoorn, Jesse Jägers, Jessica Ritsema, Jessica Tangelder, Jessy van Adrichem, Jet Homoet, jillis boost, Jitske Kuiper, Joanne van Altena, Johan Zoutberg, Johan Zwaan, John Grantham, Joost Meijer, Joram Pach, Jorge Duarte, joris compiet, Joris Hallensleben, Jory Tousijn, Josephine Timmers, Joukje Krol, Julia Moreira, Julianne Rooney, Julietta Tiemeijer, Julius van Blokland, Jur Kous, Jurgen Albers, Justina Nekrasaite, Kai Kok, Kannakee Bhuyan, Karen Knottenbelt, Karim Ouri, Karin Meerkerk, Karla Hari, Kas Linden, van der, Katja Mirck, Katrine Balancourt, Kattie Schoot, Kemal Rijken, Kiek Bigot, Kim Bakker, Kim Wielens, Kimberley Tammenga, Konstantin Stell, Kostana Banovic, Kuno Slagmolen, Kurt Aert, van, Lane Reckman, Larae Malooly, Larissa Quaak, Laura Kemp, Laura Jacob, Laura Slager, Laura Polderman, Laura Iqbal, Laura Faas, Laura Cristina Frontera, Lauren Comiteau, Laurens van der Vlist, Lea Kloosterman, Lenie Pols, van der, Leo Valk, Letty Reimerink, Levar Matroos, Lian Schouten, Lidi Horst, Lieke Kessels, Liesbeth Loon, van, Lilian van Ooijen, Linda Duits, Linda Neuteboom, Linda Vermaat, Linda Zwart, Lisanne Kuhne, Lisette Molenaar, Loes Alphen, van, Lorenzo Schmidt, Lu Yu, Luc Leijtens, Luca Duyvendak, Lucia Perona, Lucia Bergh, van den, Luciano Baarn, Luuk Adema, Lydia Unsworth, Lydia Ruijter, de, Lynette Peeters, Maartje Hensen, Maartje Nevejan, Macarena Iglesias Gualati, Macha Beusekom, van, Machiel Heuvel, van den, madeleine leermakers, Magda Naskret, Majanka Timmers, Malou Wagenmaker, Manjit Kaur, Manuella Van Baar, Marc Neuman, Marcel Visbeen, Marco Aurelio Miranda, Margo van der Werf, Margreet Lijn, van der, Margreet Duinker, Maria Boer, de, Marieke Baljé, Marieke Zoodsma, Marieke Bak, Marielle Prick, Mariëls Braat, Mariette Groenland, Marije Peute, Marijke Jongbloed, Marina Kopier, Marjan Kruize, Marjolein Sprenger, Marjolein Boelens, Marjolijn Heijnen, Marjon Boost, Marjon Wier, van, Mark Zask, Marleen Slot, Marlijn Sonne-Gooren, Marly Suur, Marry Straathof, Marta Lillioja, Marthe Zeldenrust, Martien Weber, J, Martijn de boer, Martje Bakker, Mathieu Henry, Mathieu van der Sluis, Maurita Dumbill, Max Frederiks, Meia Oei, Melanie Langen, de, Melle Berg, van den, Menno van Rosmalen, Merel Wijnen, Merna Elgohary, Micha Groot, de, Michael Muller, Michalis Androutsopoulos, Michèle Thijssen, Michiel Graaff, de, Mieke Gorter, Mieke Groenestijn, van, Mijke Joosten, Milan Hulsebosch, Milou Sanders, Miriam Vries, Miriam Hafkemeijer, Miriam Oort, van, Monique Terwindt, Monique Reijnen, Moon Rijven, Moon Rijven, Myrto Muller, Nadav Vissel, Nan Ni, Nancy Degger, Narcis Zohrehnassab, Nathalie Noach, Neeltje Vlugt, Van der, Neven Devies, Nicolien Janssens, Nienke Dongen, van, Nienke Schippers, Nikki Ywema, Niko Cutugno Lancia, Noelia Nicolás, Nurah Abdulkadir, Oana Koulpy, Odille Bos, Pabe Hulsenbeck, Pat Shak, Patricia Gravemaker, Paul Dijken, van, Paul Tongeren, van, Paul Kangangi, Paula Huijer, Paula Scholl-Schneider, Pauline Feitz, Perla Thissen, Perry Mulder, Peter Düker, Petra Mulder, PG Vonsée, Pieter Mol, Pieter van der Laan, Pietsje Wijbenga, Pjotr Berge, ten, Proesha Ahmad, Rachelle Monsieurs, Rachid Belboukhari, Rafael Ferreira, Reidar Plokker, Reinier Schat, Reinier Schat, Remco Dam, Renata Tavares Furtado, Renate Bongaards, Renate Roze, Rene Rood, Renske Luca, Ria Gaanderse, Richard Dols, Richard Smolenaers, Rieke Evegroen, Rieke Evegroen, Robin Aelmans, Rodrigo Cortes Rios, Rogier Jacobs, Roland Simons, Rolf Hoekstra, Ron van der Bolt, Roos Korrel, Rosa van der Velde, Rosa Kip, Rosa Stienstra, Rosalinde Brouwer, Rosanne Veger, Roswitha Kamps, Ruben Hendrix, Ruth van der Grift, Ruth Sweeney, Sabrina Kurum, Sako Sugata, Salina Berentsen, Samantha Robinson, Samer Al Adib, Sander Veeneman, Sandra Bolz, Sanne Hoenjet, Sarah Schönberger, Sarah Strebelow, Sarah Hilkemeijer, Sarah Vasen, Sarah Fitterer, Sascha van der Mark, Saskia Boerma, Saskia van den Kieboom, Satrina Reinhild Wilske, Selma Boesenkool, Selma Zwiers, Senna Geerman, Shivaya Soenessardien, Sidney van Pel, Sietske Bosma, Simone Twelkemeijer, Sinah Truffat, Sjoerd Louwaars, Soek Yi Tong, Sofia Lovegrove Pereira, Sofia Oreel, somar albish, Sonja Claassen, Sophia Slemeck, Sophie Weggen, Stella Capel, Stéphan Heins, Stephanie Welvaart, Sterre Jong, de, Susannah Herman, Susanne Donders, Susanne Schieving, Suzy Raber, Sven Jonker, Svetlana den Heijer, Sylvia Frankena, Tanja de Vette, Tanne Maassen, Tatjana Bozic, Tess Petersen, Tessa de Kruijk, Tessa den Hartog, Theo Maandag, Thomas Verra, Thomas Verhagen, Tim Vries, de, Timo Millitz, Tineke Oosterhof, Tineke Stuifzand, Titia Vuyk, Tomas Rooimans, Ton Jager, de, Tonnie Bakkenist, Toos Vos, Toufik Ben Ali, Valerie Verkerke, Vera Gichaporean, Veronique Achoui, Vincent Harmsen, Vincent Middleton, Willem Rossum, van, Willemien Jacops, Willy Bakker, Wilma Geemert, van, Wojciech Jankowski, Wouter Knol, Wouter Hoek, Yet Villeneuve, de, Yukino Osawa, Yula Altchouler, Yvette IJland, Yvon Scherf, Yvon Stefess, Yvonne Liew-On

Thank You! Absaline Hehakaya, Amsterdam; Ada Ushpiz, Israël; Alex Claude, Tel Aviv; Alex Kelly, Alice Springs; Alexander Dudarev, Saint Petersburg; Amagi Yukihiko, Tokyo; Amy Dotson, Silverspring; Anaïs Clanet, Paris; Andrea Posthuma, Amsterdam; Andrea Prenghyová, Praag; Andreas Koefoed, Copenhagen; Andy Schocken, New York; Andy Whittaker, London; Angela Bosch, Palma de Mallorca; Anna Pedroli, Amsterdam; Anne Marie Kürstein, Copenhagen; Anne Vierhout, Amsterdam; Annette Brejner, Malmö; Apostolos Karakasis, Thessaloniki; Åsa Ekman, Stockholm; Astrid Guger, Vienna; Atze de Vrieze, Amsterdam; Axel Arnö, Stockholm; Barbara Truyen, Amsterdam; Bahram Sadeghi, Amsterdam; Benjamin Barber, New York; Bill Nichols, San Francisco; Bojan Bajic, Vlieland; Boris Gerrets, Berlijn; Bureau Lommer, Amsterdam; Carmen Cobos, Amsterdam; Catherine Le Clef, Paris; Cathy Gulkin, Toronto; Cecilia Lidin, Stockholm; Cecilie Bolvinkel, Copenhagen; Charlie Philips, London; Chris Keulemans, Amsterdam; Chris Kijne, Amsterdam; Christilla Huillard-Kann, Paris; Christina Jul Gregersen, Copenhagen; Christine Camdessus, Paris; Cilia Erens, Amsterdam; Daan Roovers, Amsterdam; Daan Vermeulen, Amsterdam; Daniela Elstner, Paris; Daphne Bunskoek, Amsterdam; Dasha van Amsterdam, Amsterdam; David Bernet, Berlin; David Kleijwegt, Amsterdam; Debra Zimmerman, New York; Diana Holtzberg, New York; Diane Weyermann, New York; Don Edkins, Cape Town; Ed Lachman, New York; Edwin van Andel, Amsterdam; Elena Fortes, Mexico DF; Elif Rongen, Amsterdam; Elizabeth Wood, London; Elvira Pouw, Amsterdam; Erik Gandini, Stockholm; Errol Morris, Cambridge; Ester Gould, Amsterdam; Esther van Messel, Zürich; Eva Rink, Hamburg; Eva Tomanova, Prague; Fako Kluiving, Amsterdam; Fleur Knopperts, Rotterdam; Fleurie Kloostra, Amsterdam; Florine Wiebenga, Amsterdam; Floris Parlevliet, Amsterdam; Frank Scheffer, Amsterdam; Frans Westra, Groningen; Freddy Neumann, Copenhagen; Geert van Itallie, Amsterdam; Geneviève Felgueiras, Brussel; Georges Mutsaerts, Bussum; Gerald Zevenboom, Amsterdam; Gitte Hansen, Zürich; Hans Beerekamp, Amsterdam; Hans Kerkhof, Amsterdam; Henk Klein-Wassink, Groningen; Hester Tiggeloven, Amsterdam; Ido Haar, Tel Aviv; Iikka Vehkalahti, Helsinki; Ingeborg Beugel, Amsterdam; Ingrid van Tol, Amsterdam; Iris Hogendijk, Amsterdam; Is Hoogland, Arnhem; Jaïr Tchong, Amsterdam; Jan Douwe Kroeske, Amsterdam; Jan Herman den Hertog, Amsterdam; Jan P. Albrecht, Brussel; Jan Pieter Ekker, Amsterdam; Jan Roekens, Amsterdam; Jan Röfekamp, Lorraine; Jan van Aert, Amsterdam; Jannie Langbroek, Amsterdam; Jeltje Hillen, Amsterdam; Jess Search, London; Jin-Hee Kowan, Seoul; Joep Wijffels, Amsterdam; Jon Heemsbergen, Amsterdam; Joost den Hartog, Unley; Julien Naudin, Paris; Jurgen de Jonge, Amsterdam; Karolina Lidin, Copenhagen; Kees Fopma, Amsterdam; Ken-Ichi Imamura, Tokyo; Kristian Eidnes Andersen, Copenhagen; Laura Hermanides, Amsterdam; Laura Israel, New York; Leo van Hee, Amsterdam; Lieke Beentjes, Amsterdam; Lisa Linde Nieveld, Amsterdam; Luca Jacob, Berlin; Madelinde Hageman, Amsterdam; Mani, Paris; Mar Medir, Barcelona; Marc Hautvast, Amsterdam; Marc Schwinges, Johannesburg; Margreet Cornelius, Amsterdam; Marianne Eijgenraam, The Hague; Marijke Rawie, Amsterdam; Marjoleine Boonstra, Amsterdam; Marlies Pinksterboer, Amsterdam; Martichka Bozhilova, Sofia; Melinda Shopsin, New York; Meral Uslu, Amsterdam; Michel Schöpping, Amsterdam; Michelle Sheppard, Toronto; Mijin Lee, Seoul; Mikael Opstrup, Copenhagen; Mirjam Marks, Amsterdam; Monserrat Sanchez; Naomi Boxer, Toronto; Natalie Beckers, Amsterdam; Nathalie Scholten, Amsterdam; Nicolas Rapold, New York; Nicole Lefever, Amsterdam; Nicole Schafer, London; Olivier ten Kate, Amsterdam; Orwa Nyrabia, Berlin; Ove Rishøj Jensen, Copenhagen; Patrick Janssens, Amsterdam; Patrick Reed, Toronto; Paul Pauwels, Copenhagen; Peter Jager, Vienna; Philippa Kowarsky, Tel Aviv; Pien Houthoff, Nijmegen; Pieter Fleury, Amsterdam; Pieter van Huystee, Amsterdam; Rada Sesic, Utrecht; Rebecca Lichtenfeld, New York; René Wolf, Amsterdam; Rima Mismar, Beirut; Robert Frank, New York; Roberto Payer, Amsterdam; Rokhsareh Ghaem Maqhami, Tehran; Ronald Vendelmans, Amsterdam; Rudy Buttignol, Toronto; Ryan Harrington, New York; Salma Abdalla, Vienna; Sander Pleij, Amsterdam; Sanne van Rijswijk, Amsterdam; Sara Rüster, Stockholm; Saskia Wielinga, Hilversum; Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Karachi; Sigrid Dyekjaer, Copenhagen; Simone Catania, Turin; Sjoukje van Gool, Amsterdam; Skip Skinner; Cambridge; Sonita Alizadeh, Utah; Sonja Henrici, Edinburgh; Sparkle Marple, London; Stanley Nelson, New York; Stefan Kloos, Berlin; Stéphane Goël, Lausanne; Stine Jensen, Amsterdam; Susanne van Voorst, Amsterdam; Thea Aboud, Johannesburg; Thomas Jaeger, Copenhagen; Tom Fassaert, Amsterdam; Tom Paul, New York; Tony Tabatznik, London; Tue Steen Müller, Copenhagen; Twan Huys, Amsterdam; Victor Kossakovsky, St. Petersburg; Victoria Belopolskaya, Moscow; Vitali Mansky, Ukraine; Vladi Antonevicz, Tel Aviv; Wendy Bernfeld, Amsterdam; Wessel van der Hammen, Hilversum; Willem van Zeeland, Hilversum;

Organizations

3PO, Rotterdam; Allrent ICT Solutions, Almere; Alvero, Oosterhout; Art Support, Amsterdam; Beamsystems, Amsterdam; Boels, Amsterdam; Burgerbar, Amsterdam; Café de Paris, Amsterdam; Cape Rock, Amsterdam; Captain Video, Amsterdam; Citroën, Amsterdam; CJP, Amsterdam; Cramgo B.V., Utrecht; Cultuurfabriek, Amsterdam; Drukkerij Damen, Werkendam; Eetcafé de Brakke Grond, Amsterdam; Event Engineers, Enschede; Festivalroosters.nl; Filmtechniek BV, Rotterdam; Flowerpower, Amsterdam; Food Jazz & DJ’s, Utrecht; Festivaltickets, Rotterdam; Gerda’s bloemen, Amsterdam; Haghefilm Digitaal, Amsterdam; Hapéco, Weesp; IndyVideo, Utrecht; KPN Event, Utrecht; Lichtwerk, Amsterdam; Lux, Nijmegen; MacBike, Amsterdam; Mausolos, Amsterdam; Mediafonds, Amsterdam; MeneM Systemen, Amsterdam; NH Hotel Group; Rex International, Weesp ; Ristorante Isola Bella, Amsterdam; Sieraad, Amsterdam; Salsa Shop, Amsterdam; Scooterrent, Amsterdam; Stichting Cultuurpalet, Bodegraven; The Screening Factory, Cannes; Theoneminutes Jr. Foundation, Amsterdam; Toltech Solutions B.V., Amsterdam; Unbranded, Hilversum; Unicef International, New York; UNIGLOBE Perfect Travel, Amsterdam; VBVB Cultuurautomatisering, Amsterdam; Videodock, Amsterdam; Vrachttaxi, Amsterdam; Wagamama, Amsterdam;

Special thanks to

All co-operators of Bijlmer Parktheater; Booking.com; Brasserie Harkema; Café De Jaren; Compagnietheater; Concordia, Enschede; De Balie; De Kleine Komedie; DeLaMar Theater; EYE Film Institute; Filmhuis Den Haag; Filmschuur Haarlem; Groninger Forum; Hampshire Hotel Prinsengracht; Het Ketelhuis; Internationaal Danstheater; Lux Nijmegen; Melkweg; Nederlandse Film & Televisie Academie; Parkfilmhuis, Alphen aan den Rijn; Pathé de Munt; Pathé Tuschinski; Podium Mozaïek; Podium Vlieland; Sociëteit Arti and Amicitiae; Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; Sluizer Restaurants; Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; Tolhuistuin; Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond.

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International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Partners of IDFA Main partners of the 28th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

BDDA

Partners

IDFA is subsidized and funded by

Catalogue Credits Coordinator Sasja Koetsier Assistent Coordinator Dimphy Severijnen Editors Saskia Gravelijn Andrew Maggiore Mark Mallon

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Film Description Writers Leo Bankersen Florence van Berckel Joost Broeren Edo Dijksterhuis Olga van Ditzhuijzen Tisha Eetgerink Paul van de Graaf Mariska Graveland Mirjam Groen Marjanne de Haan

Nienke Huitenga Pauline Kleijer Wendy Koops Auke Kranenborg Resi Lankester Omar Larabi Sanne de Maijer Sietse Meijer Maricke Nieuwdorp Marijke Ottema Lot Piscaer

Ronald Rovers Jelle Schot Annelotte Verhaagen Wotienke Vermeer Kelli van der Waals AndrĂŠ Waardenburg Kim van der Werff Karin Wolfs

Contributors Joost Broeren Jan Pieter Ekker Bert Hogenkamp Sietse Meijer Nynke van Verschuer Photo Coordinator Joost Daamen

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

The festival program is supported by

IDFA-Mediafonds Workshop is supported by

IDFA Forum is supported by

Club IDFA

ABN AMRO Bank NV, Cardano, De Breij Evers Boon, De Nederlandsche Bank, Houthoff Buruma, JBR, Jean Mineur Mediavision, M.N. Léons BV, Rabobank Amsterdam, Rotaform, Van Caem Klerks Group BV, Weekbladpers Media

Donations to IDFA

AVROTROS, BNNVARA, De Gijselaar Hintzen Fonds, Embassy of Israel, EYE International, Embassy of the United States of America, Goethe-Institut, HUMAN, IKON, Institut Français des Pays-Bas, Kattendijke/Drucker Stichting, KRO-NCRV, NPO Sales, OUTtv, P.W. Janssen’s Friesche Stichting, Stichting Elise Mathilde Fonds, Stichting VEVAM Fonds, Stichting Zabawas

Suppliers IDFA Bertha Fund is supported by

3PO, Arti and Amicitiae, Art Support BV Theaterproductiebureau, Bijlmer Parktheater, Brasserie Harkema, Café de Jaren, Citroën, Compagnietheater, De Balie, De Kleine Komedie, DeLaMar Theater, Event Engineers, EYE Film Instituut, FestivalTickets, Haghefilm Digitaal, Het Ketelhuis, Het Internationaal Danstheater, IndyVideo, Lichtwerk, MacBike, Melkweg, MeneM Systemen, NH Hotel Group, Podium Mozaïek, Rex International, The Screening Factory, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Tolhuistuin, VBVB Cultuurautomatisering, Videodock, Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond

Festival Trailer

Cape Rock, Jean Mineur Mediavision

IDFA would like to thank all friends of the festival.

Translators Mark Baker Steve Green Andrew Maggiore Kirsty Sharwood Titus Verheijen Auke Woldhuis Design Sjoukje van Gool Gerald Zevenboom

Printing Drukkerij Damen, Werkendam Acquisition Daily Productions International Sales Nick Cunningham

Editorial Adress International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam Frederiksplein 52 1017 XN Amsterdam phone: +31 20 627 33 29 fax: +31 20 638 53 88 email: info@idfa.nl website: www.idfa.nl

This is a publication of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.

No part of this publication may be reproduced by print, photo print, microfilm, or by any other means, without the permission of the authors and IDFA. ISBN 978-90-78741-07-7

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International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Jury Members

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary Maite Alberdi is a Chilean director and producer who studied Film and Aesthetics at Universidad Católica de Chile. As a director, she has developed a highly particular style that achieves an intimate portrayal of the characters she works with, concentrating on everyday stories in small-scale worlds. In 2011, her first feature film The Lifeguard premiered at IDFA. Her second film Tea Time premiered at IDFA 2014, where it won the EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Film. Tea Time went on to garner best documentary awards at other festivals, including Miami International Film Festival, EIDF-EBS Korea, DocsBarcelona, FICCI Cartagena, FICG Guadalajara and SANFIC Santiago. Alberdi is currently working on her third documentary, The Grown-Ups, about a group of adults with Down syndrome who have grown tired of attending the same school for 45 years. She works as a teacher at several universities in Santiago and is co-writer of the book Teorías del cine documental en Chile: 1957-1973 (Documentary Film Theories in Chile: 1957-1973).

Laurent Bécue-Renard is a French director and producer. He studied at the ESSEC school, was a Fulbright Visiting Fellow at Columbia University and graduated from the Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris. During the last year of the war in Bosnia, Bécue-Renard was in charge of the Internet magazine Sarajevo Online. In 1995 and 1996, while living in Sarajevo during the siege, he served as editor-in-chief of Sarajevo Online and published a series of short stories called “The Sarajevo Chronicles.” After the conflict, he began exploring war’s enduring impact on three widows at a rural therapy center. The documentary he wrote, directed, and produced about them, War-Wearied (De guerre lasses), screened at dozens of festivals and received the Berlin International Film Festival’s Peace Film Award, among others. He continued his exploration of war’s psychological aftermath with American war veterans, which resulted in 2014 with Of Men and War. The film premiered in the Official Selection at Cannes 2014 and won the VPRO IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary half a year later.

Polish filmmaker Hanna Polak has directed, produced and shot several films that have won international awards, including the Oscarnominated, Emmy-nominated, IDA-awardwinning short documentary The Children of Leningradsky (2005). Railway Station Ballad (2003), which she shot and co-produced, won her the

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Best Producer Award at the Krakow Grand Prix, the Prix du Jury des Jeunes Européens in Biarritz, France, and Best of Show and Audience Award in Volda, Norway. In 2006, Polak’s photography won her third prize in the UNICEF Photo of the Year competition. She founded her production company Hannah Polak Films, which produced Love and Rubbish (2012) for the Why Poverty? initiative. Her latest, awardwinning documentary Something Better To Come premiered at IDFA in 2014. Polak has also offered visiting lectures at many universities worldwide, including the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, the North Texas University and Middlebury College in the United States.

Jonathan Rosenbaum was the principal film critic at the Chicago Reader from 1987 until early 2008, when he retired. He is the author of numerous books on film, including Film: The Front Line, Placing Movies: The Practice of Film Criticism and Movie Wars: How Hollywood and the Media Limit What Movies We Can See. He translated and edited André Bazin’s Orson Welles: A Critical View and edited Orson Welles and Peter Bogdanovich’s This Is Orson Welles.

Throughout his career he contributed to many film publications, including internationally-renowned film magazines Cahiers du cinéma and Film Comment. He currently writes the Global Discovery column in the film journal Cinema Scope. Rosenbaum was a visiting professor of film in the Department of Art History at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and he has been teaching as a visiting lecturer at Bela Tarr’s Film.factory in Sarajevo.

Dutch visual artist Barbara Visser studied photography and audiovisual arts at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, the Cooper Union in New York and the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht. The relationship between registration and dramatization is a key element to her work, in which she interrogates the status of original and copy. By questioning the authenticity of images and their interpretation by the viewer, she simultaneously influences the shape and the content of the work. Her projects use an array of media: photography, film, video, text, printed matter and performance. Visser’s work has won multiple awards at home and abroad, including the Charlotte Köhler Prize (1996), the Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart Preis (2000) and the Dutch Cultural Media Fund Documentary Award (2010).

She has also participated in a number of international art exhibitions, including Manifesta, Trento, Italy (2008), Architecture Biennale, Dutch Pavillion, Venice, Italy (2010), and Art Biennale, Dutch Pavillion group show (2011). Visser also wrote and directed the film C.K. (2012).

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Jury Members

IDFA Competition for First Appearance Gábor Hörcher was born in Budapest, Hungary.

He studied psychology, law and film studies, and has lived and worked in England, Greece, the United States and France. While in Cambodia, he taught courses on human rights at a local university. In early 2008, he started working with director and producer Marcell Iványi, with whom he founded the production company KraatsFilm.

KraatsFilm produces film and theater performances in Hungary and engages in international co-productions. The company has made video installations and commercials for TV and Internet as well as fiction and documentary works for various media. Hörcher’s first feature film project Drifter won the Robert Bosch Co-production Prize in 2011 and premiered at IDFA in 2014, winning the IDFA Award for Best First Appearance. His fiction short film titled Ricsi premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival and won the Best Hungarian Short Fiction Prize at the Mediawave Film Festival in 2015.

Menna Laura Meijer is self-taught and became a director by accident. While doing research for an article on a group of graffiti artists in Rotterdam, TV producer Bob Visser suggested that she write a documentary film plan instead of an article. In 1997, Tags premiered in Rotterdam at an illegal rave party that was shut down by police during the closing credits. Tags was Meijer’s first film and the beginning of an 18-year collaboration with editor Albert Markus, cameraman Bert Haitsma and sound recordist David Spaans. Later, films such as Real Men (2005), Girls (2003) and 69: Love Sex Senior (2013) still refer to Tags in style, use of music and editing. Even though Meijer began filming by chance, she has been making acclaimed films ever since. That said, she’s convinced that one day it will end as unintentionally as it started.

Philippa Kowarsky graduated with an M.A. in Communication Policy Studies from City University of London. She has been working in the film and TV industry in various fields since 1993. In 1997, Kowarsky established Cinephil, an international sales and consultancy firm with a well-established reputation for securing distribution deals and financing for documentaries from around the world on behalf of film producers and directors.

Cinephil also acts as a strategic advisor, co-producer and executive producer. Recently, Cinephil produced and represented the Oscar nominee The Gatekeepers by Dror Moreh, and it is representing The

Look of Silence and The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer, By Sidney Lumet by Nancy Buirski, which premiered in Cannes 2015, and The 50 Year Argument by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi, in addition to many other projects.

Scott Macaulay is a film producer and co-president of the production company Forensic Films. With his partner Robin O’Hara, he has produced or executive-produced many award-winning features, including Harmony Korine’s Gummo (as co-producer) and julien donkey-boy. Forensic Films has been involved as a co-producer in many European productions as well. Most recently, Macaulay helped develop Hello Fat Larry, a “fast storytelling” mobile app that won the 2015 POV Hackathon. He is also the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Filmmaker magazine, a quarterly print publication and website devoted to independent film. He created and continues to teach the IFP Narrative Labs, still the only filmmaker mentorship program specifically focused on post-production, festival strategy and distribution. Macaulay has lectured on independent film and taught seminars for filmmakers at CPH:DOX Lab in Copenhagen, the Dubai International Film Festival and the Venice Biennale College Cinema. He and O’Hara received an Independent Spirit Award for their work producing independent film.

David Wilson, together with Paul Sturtz, founded the Ragtag Film Society in 1998, the Ragtag Cinema in 2000 and the True/False Film Fest in 2004, where they continue to serve as co-conspirators. As director of True/False, Wilson has been invited to festivals around the world to serve as a panelist, moderator and juror, including Sundance, the Toronto Film Festival, CPH:Dox and IFP Film Week. He has also served as a consultant for the Creative Capital Foundation, the LEF Moving Image Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts. As a filmmaker, Wilson had his national TV premiere on PBS and premiered his first feature, We Always Lie to Strangers (directed with A. J. Schnack), at SXSW in 2013.

He is a 1996 graduate of Hampshire College in Massachusetts and a lifelong resident of Columbia, Missouri.

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International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Jury Members

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary A native of Colombia, Diana Bustamante is the founder of the production company Burning Blue. Focusing on independent cultural and audiovisual projects, she has led the internationalization of Colombian cinema in the past years. Through Burning Blue, she has produced acclaimed films such as The Wind Journeys (2009) by Ciro Guerra, Crab Trap (2009) by Oscar Ruiz Navia and La sirga (2012) by William Vega. Bustamante also produced Ruíz Navia’s film Los hongos, winner of the Locarno Film Festival’s jury prize. Her latest film Land and Shade, directed by Cesar Acevedo, was recently awarded with the Camera d’or award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Burning Blue has co-produced films including Los mejores temas (2012) by Nicolas Pereda and Refugiado (2014) by Diego Lerman. Simultaneously, Bustamante developed and managed the film department of Caracol Televisión between 2008 and 2012. Since 2013, she has been a part of the International Film Festival of Cartagena de Indias (FICCI), where she started working as creative director in 2015.

Filmmaker and producer Tone Grøttjord holds a master in directing from the National Film and Television School in the United Kingdom, graduating in 2003. Her graduation film Brothers (2002) won the Student Award at the Norwegian Documentary Film Festival in Volda in 2003, and it also received an Honorable Mention at the Norwegian Short Film Festival in Grimstad. After her debut film Prirechnyy – The Town That No Longer Exists (2006), she started Sant & Usant Documentary Film and has worked as CEO and producer for the past 10 years.

Dutch filmmaker Oeke Hoogendijk studied at the Utrecht School of the Arts, where she graduated as theater director in 1990. In 1996, she successfully completed a documentary filmmaking course at the Media Academy. Her documentary The Saved (1998) won a Golden Calf Award (the Dutch Oscar) and the EuroComenius Award in Vienna (1999). From 2005 to 2013, she worked on The New Rijksmuseum, a four-part documentary on the large-scale alteration and renovation of the most famous Dutch museum, as seen through the eyes of those directly involved. The separate parts

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landed Hoogendijk a number of national and international awards, and the entire four-part series won the Golden Calf Special Jury prize for best documentary. The feature-length documentary The New Rijksmuseum – The Movie premiered at IDFA in 2014 and won the Beeld en Geluid IDFA Award for Best Dutch Documentary.

Stanley Nelson is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. Nelson has directed and produced numerous acclaimed films examining the history and experiences of African Americans, including Freedom Summer, Freedom Riders, Jonestown: The Life and Death of People’s Temple and The Murder of Emmett Till. Currently in production is Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which is the second in a series of three films Nelson will direct as part of a new multi-platform PBS series entitled America Revisited. Nelson is also co-founder and Executive Director of Firelight Media, a non-profit that provides technical education and professional support to emerging documentarians, and co-founder of production company Firelight Films.

Canadian documentary filmmaker John Zaritsky worked as a newspaper reporter—winning a National Newspaper Award for his investigative reporting for The Globe and Mail—prior to entering the film business. As a filmmaker, he often takes on strong topics. His documentary Just Another Missing Kid (1981) won him an Academy Award. Three of his films, Broken Promises, Born in Africa and Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo were nominated for Emmy Awards. Zaritsky has won seven Geminis, Canada’s national television award. In 1995-1996, he was an artistin-residence at the graduate school of journalism at the University of California at Berkeley. From 2002 to 2006, Zaritsky taught documentary film at the University of British Columbia as an adjunct professor. In 2011, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Whistler Film Festival. In 2014, he was “The Focus On” filmmaker and had a four-film retrospective at Hot Docs.

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Jury Members

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary Documentary filmmaker Emel Çelebi was born and raised in Istanbul. She studied English literature and worked as an editor, translator and writer for various magazines.

Her first film Housekeeper won the Best Documentary Award at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and first prize at the Women’s Film Festival in Seoul. Her second documentary Sisters of Lilith won the Best Balkan Documentary Award at the Dokufest Documentary and Short Film Festival in Prizren, Kosovo. She is also one of the organizers of DOCUMENTARIST-Istanbul Documentary Days. Ain’t no Cinderellas! (2014) is her latest documentary.

Amy Dotson holds a B.A. in Communications and Welding from Wake Forrest University and a Masters in Media Ecology from NYU. She is the Deputy Director and Head of Programming for IFP, a 37-year-old organization that champions the future of storytelling by connecting U.S. and international artists with essential resources at all stages of development through distribution.

Before joining IFP 10 years ago, Dotson held the position of Associate Programmer/Special Programs Producer for the Silverdocs Film Festival (now AFI DOCS), the AFI Silver’s Latin American Film Festival and the AFI Silver’s European Union Film Showcase in Washington, DC. She previously worked at Curious Pictures and Miramax Films and collaborated with producer Fred Berner (Pollock) as well. Dotson also produced Brad Beesley’s feature documentary, Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo (HBO/BBC 2009).

Filmmaker and producer Don Edkins was born in Cape Town and left South Africa in 1976 for political reasons. In 1994, he returned to South Africa to vote in the first democratic elections. With an academic background in Development Studies and African Languages, he has extensive work experience in the field of media and development. In Lesotho, he published a national popular educational magazine, and he founded a mobile video cinema in 1993 that distributes and screens films at a community level. His films include Goldwidows (1990), The Colour of Gold (1992) and The Broken String (1996). He produced the Southern African series on truth and reconciliation Landscape of Memory (1998), and the

multi-awarded documentary project Steps for the Future (2001-04).

He is executive producer of the international global documentary project Why Democracy?, consisting of 10 long and 18 short films.

Diana El Jeiroudi is a Syrian independent documentary filmmaker and the co-founder and general manager of DOX BOX, a non-profit association in Berlin aimed at support and education of a new generation of documentary filmmakers in the Arab World.

This is an heir to the DOX BOX documentary film festival she co-founded in Syria. As a director, El Jeiroudi made The Pot (2005), Dolls – A Woman from Damascus (2007) and co-directed Morning Fears, Night Chants (2012). She co-founded Proaction Film, an independent film production outfit in Damascus and then in Berlin. Most recently she co-produced Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait, directed by O. Mohammed and W. S. Bedirxan, which premiered in the Special Screenings section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Her overall work earned her the European Documentary Network Award and the Catherine Kartlidge Award. She was recently on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival’s first documentary film competition for the Golden Eye Award.

Richard Liang has been a documentary film producer, distributor and event organizer in China for over 10 years. Liang founded the company Galaxion Films in 2010 and is currently one of the most active producers building bridges between talented independent filmmakers and international broadcasters. His first production, The Next Life (2011), is the first international co-production led by a Chinese company that pitched to international broadcasters and received financial support from them. Liang has produced several documentaries with international partners, including Song of the Mulberries (2011), The Rest of My Life is for Sale (2012) and The Road (2015). In addition to being a producer, he is also a distributor. He runs the distribution company Cloud Thinker, a leading copyright agency for feature documentaries in China. Liang also organizes a monthly event that screens feature documentaries in Wuhan, the largest city in central China. The screenings have attracted thousands of viewers to the cinema to watch documentary films.

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International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Jury Members

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling Hay Kranen creates digital things, combining in-depth technical knowledge with a pragmatic approach and a creative angle, tinkering and operating on the thin line between art and technology.

He studied at the Utrecht School of the Arts (Design & Technology) and did the EMMA-master program in Hilversum, graduating with a thesis about narrative history in digital media. Currently he’s working as a newsroom developer with the Volkskrant, the leading quality newspaper in the Netherlands. Hay is also one of the founders of Hackastory, a network of developers, designers and storytellers that tries to innovate interactive storytelling by experimenting. He lives and works in Amsterdam.

French producer Margaux Missika entered the project development department of the production company CALT after getting a degree in English, economy and business and working in IT at Brainsonic. In 2010, she joined Upian to develop online productions.

Founded in 1998, Upian is a web studio and interactive production company that has produced some of the most noteworthy web documentaries, including Thanatorama (2007), Gaza-Sderot (2008), Prison Valley (2010), Alma, a tale of violence (2012, co-produced with Arte), Génération Quoi? (2013, co-produced with France Télévisions) and Do Not Track (2015, co-produced with Arte).

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Oscar Raby is an award-winning multimedia artist from Chile. His work has ranged from feature documentary to installation and live performance.

Raby’s interest is in using interactive media to create works that explore the relationship between the individual experience and larger historical narratives. Raby has worked with the Memory and Human Rights Museum in Chile and the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia. In this work, he explores how history is built by institutions. His virtual reality documentary Assent (2015), about the Chilean dictatorship, has been exhibited worldwide, including screenings at Sundance New Frontier, IDFA DocLab and Sheffield Doc/Fest, where it received the audience award for cross-platform project.

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Jury Members

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary Jiri Konecny is a Prague-based producer of fiction and documentary films. He graduated in International Affairs from the Prague University of Commerce and in production from the FAMU Film Academy in Prague. He is a graduate of EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs) and took part in Producers on the Move at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Konecny is the founder, owner and chief executive of the independent film production company Endorfilm, established in 1999. Endorfilm focuses mainly on producing films for cinema and is one of the leading companies in the Czech Republic in the field of international co-productions. Its films have been screened at numerous international festivals, including two at the Berlinale: A Night Too Young by Olmo Omerzu in 2012 and Matchmaking Mayor by Erika Hnikova in 2011 (Best Forum Film).

Prerana Langa holds a Masters degree in Management and completed an Executive Development Program in Corporate Social Responsibility from the World Bank and the Harvard University South Asia Institute. She is the founder of the YES Foundation, which works towards empowering India through innovative changes and social transformation. She created and developed YES! i am the CHANGE, a project that uses the medium of film to ignite the spirit of driving positive social change among young people. Within two years, YES! i am the CHANGE has emerged as India’s largest social film movement, with over 1,900 films and the participation of over 50,000 kids all over the country. She also helped set up the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Development and has worked on a wide range of social programs, community engagements and communications for ICICI Bank, McDonald’s India, Monster India, Hindustan Lever Limited and Emirates Airlines. In 2013, Langa was awarded the Swedish Government’s SIMP program grant to study in Stockholm, and she has been a panelist at various industry forums.

Dutch documentary filmmaker Maria Mok studied psychology at the University of Amsterdam. With her documentary film partner Meral Uslu, she has made a number of fly-on-thewall-style documentaries about people who operate on the edges of society: illegal immigrants (Cross Aid Post, 2007), mentally disturbed prisoners (Longstay, 2009), criminal suspects defended by the Anker lawyer twins (Anker & Anker, 2009), juvenile delinquents (Juvenile Judge, 2011), children and families who have a hard time dealing with life (The Family Guardian, 2012) and the lawyers in the biggest child abuse case in the Netherlands (The Defence of Robert M., 2013). She also made a radio documentary about the effects on her state of mind after a brain tumor operation (Narcose, 2011). She is currently working on two projects: a documentary about a triple murder by two adopted brothers from Brazil and another about the Dutch embassy in Beirut.

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International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Jury Members

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs Jon Bang Carlsen has written and directed more than 40 films, both in documentary and fiction. The director’s signature hybrid style often combines documentary and fictional interpretations, and many of his documentaries are visually and symbolically powerful, often staged portraits of marginal figures and milieus. He has called himself an “inventor of reality,” often writing dialogue for the people playing themselves in his documentaries. The staging of real characters plays an important part in his productions, a method that is detailed in his meta-film How to Invent Reality (1996).

Mischa Kamp studied communication before turning to filmmaking. After directing several shorts and documentaries, as well as series and films for Dutch TV, she made the children’s movie Winky’s Horse (2005), about a little Chinese girl trying to adjust to her new life in Holland. Shown around the world, the film was successful enough that Kamp had the opportunity to film a sequel in 2007 entitled Where Is Winky’s Horse? Her latest feature film Boys (2014), a coming-of-age tale about a gay teen athlete, has won awards at various film festivals around the world.

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Teodora Ana Mihai was born in Bucharest under Nicolae Ceausescu’s dictatorship.

In 1989, she moved to Belgium, later completing her last two years of high school in San Francisco. Upon returning to Belgium, she first started working as a script supervisor and assistant director, followed by an interlude in Belgian TV. With training as a scriptwriter and with the support from the Flemish Audiovisual Fund, she wrote the feature film Little Lies with co-writer Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem. Mihai has directed several documentary films.

Waiting for August (2014) won awards at both Hot Docs and Visions du Réel. She is now developing The Disposables, a film about teenage orphans of the Mexican drug war.

COMPETITION PROGRAMS IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Fourteen documentaries are competing in the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary. A five-member international jury (see page 12) evaluates the films and selects the winners of the VPRO IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary (€12,500), provided by Dutch broadcaster VPRO, and the IDFA Special Jury Award for Feature-Length Documentary (€2,500).

Four of the films are eligible for other IDFA Awards as well. Both A Strange Love Affair with Ego and this year’s opening film A Family Affair are also selected for the IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary (see page 67); the latter is also selected for the IDFA DOC U Competition (see page 101). Both Sonita and Thru You Princess are also selected for the IDFA DOC U Competition; the latter is also screening in the Music Documentary section (see page 177).

Ukrainian Sheriffs is also part of the Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015 theme program (see page 219).

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Uruguay, 2015 DCP, color, 70 min Director: Mariana Viñoles Cinematography: Mariana Viñoles Editing: Damian Plandolit Sound Design: Daniel Yafalián Production: Stefano Tononi for Cronopio Film Screening Copy: Cronopio Film

Carolina’s World

WORLD PREMIERE

El mundo de Carolina Mariana Viñoles

Carolina, the titular heroine, gets a fit of giggles at the start of the film—to the mild disapproval of her mother. It was because of the silence, explains Caro, one of those silences that sometimes fall in conversations when she has to come up with an answer to a question. Caro is 20 and she has Down syndrome. She met documentary director Mariana Viñoles five years ago, and now here they are making a film together at Caro’s mother’s kitchen table. The method is utterly transparent: the camera points constantly at Caro, exploring her face, her arms and her hands—as if, together, they formed a landscape. Viñoles asks questions and Caro responds. In addition to discussing her life, being in love and Pablo’s wonderfully long kisses, she talks about what it’s like to be making a film. All the time, life goes on as usual around them: a baby is slid into the frame; Caro gets a kiss from her mother; conversations carry on in the background. Caro visibly grows in stature before the eye of the camera—and actually becomes a little older and wiser. As the friendship deepens between the filmmaker and her subject, Viñoles explains that her contact with Caro also touches her deeply for another reason.

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Mariana Viñoles: Story of a Dream (2005) Uruguayans (2006) Tabaré, a Rock ‘n’ Roll Story (2008) Exiles (2011)

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Belgium, 2015 DCP, color, 75 min Director: Frédéric Guillaume Cinematography: Frédéric Guillaume Editing: Frédéric Dupont Sound: Maxime Coton Production: Frédéric Guillaume for Images d’à côté Screening Copy: Images d’à côté

Clear Years

WORLD PREMIERE

Les années claires Frédéric Guillaume

Frédéric Guillaume is constantly filming. He’s got no choice, he explains, because it’s his way of getting a grip on life. So when the love of his life Claire gets pregnant, he of course documents it—exploring his own ideas about fatherhood along the way. His camera travels with him to Peru, where he undergoes an ayahuasca purification ritual to prepare for his new life as a dad. The camera is there again in the delivery room.

Frédéric tells his story as if he’s writing in his diary. His sharp and candid observations are often poetic and amusingly self-mocking. Touching animations introduce each new chapter, highlighting every new phase in his relationship with Claire. Frédéric keeps on filming even when things get painfully difficult—especially when the tears flow after Claire says she has doubts about their relationship and wants to leave him. He explains at one point that he films so that he has “something to hold onto in troubled times.”

Shot over the course of a decade, Clear Years (Les années claires) is an intimate and frank account of a man watching through his camera lens as his family falls apart.

Frédéric Guillaume: Krash (fiction, 2000) The Circle of Luxury (fiction, 2001) D.U.R. (fiction, 2001) Heron City (2002) I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone (fiction, 2003) Don’t Leave Me Argh (fiction, 2004) Knokke the Doubt (2005) René, Boris and Me (2007) Waiting for Juliette (2008) Almost Like in My Dreams (2012) With and Without You (2014) www.fredericguillaume.com

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IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Sweden, Finland, 2015 DCP, color, 92 min Director: Jerzy Sladkowski Cinematography: Wojciech Staron Editing: Jakub Sladkowski, Agnieszka Bojanowska Music: Timo Hietala Production: Antonio Russo Merenda for Ginestra Film Co-Production: MADE Screening Copy: Swedish Film Institute Involved TV Channels: ARTE, SVT, YLE

Don Juan

WORLD PREMIERE

Jerzy Sladkowski

Twenty-two-year-old Oleg doesn’t live up to his mother Marina’s idea of a real man.

She thinks he’s an autistic loafer. He’s enrolled at the University of Nizhny Novgorod and is supposed to be watching online lectures, but his mother says all he actually does is hang around watching TV. Oleg doesn’t have any need for friendships, either.

Marina wants him to improve his life and subjects him to a series of unconventional treatments. In one particularly uncomfortable scene, we see the therapist riding him as if he were a horse. Another psychiatrist tells Oleg how useless he is and that he will always be alone. Strangely enough the camera seems to be welcome everywhere, and it closely follows these dramatic developments. This gives this documentary a slapstick feel—with a nice dose of satire for good measure. Nonetheless, heated kitchen table conversations between Marina and her own mother reveal the bitter seriousness of the matter, and Marina’s mother wants her to adopt a more positive attitude towards Oleg. Don Juan raises questions about the distinction between introversion and autism.

When will Oleg be allowed to be himself at last? Salvation eventually comes from an unexpected source. It is an encouraging victory for humanity, as well as a comment on mental health care.

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Jerzy Sladkowski: The Triangle of Death (1990), Aral – The Vanishing Lake (1991), Wild Siberia (1994), Vendetta (1995), Secret Russia (1998), Swedish Tango (1999), Gawrylo´s Last Temptation (2000), Noble Virgins (2002), My American Family (2003), Best Friends (2006), Paradise (2007), Two Rembrandts in the Garden (2009), Vodka Factory (2010), The Real End of the Cold War (2011), Amnesia (2015) a.o.

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 110 min Director: Tom Fassaert Cinematography: Tom Fassaert Editing: Claudio Hughes Narration: Tom Fassaert Narrator: Tom Fassaert Production: Wout Conijn for Conijn Film Co-Production: Danish Documentary, Clin d’oeil films Distribution for the Netherlands: Mokum Filmdistributie Screening Copy: Conijn Film Involved TV Channels: NCRV, DR, EPB

A Family Affair

WORLD PREMIERE

Tom Fassaert

“Marianne Hertz: Model and Perfect Mother.” This is how filmmaker Tom Fassaert’s grandmother was presented in a 1950s magazine. His father, uncle and aunt smile awkwardly when he makes them read it out loud: their childhood was far from perfect.

Her two sons ended up in a children’s home at a young age, and the relationship with their now 95-year-old mother remains troubled. Not long after his father broke off all contact with her, Marianne invites Fassaert to visit her in South Africa, where she started a new life years ago. He accepts and takes his camera, hoping to find the missing pieces in the family history. Why is there so much disappointment and resentment on both sides, and why was it never discussed? But while Marianne eagerly embraces his interest in her, she blatantly refuses to talk about “that family affair.”

Grandma will not be directed, and in an extraordinary and completely unexpected way, she dismisses the very role her grandson is trying to bring into focus: that of a mother and grandmother.

Tom Fassaert: An Angel in Doel (2011)

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IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Denmark, 2015 DCP, color, 97 min Director: Christian Sønderby Jepsen Cinematography: Christian Sønderby Jepsen Editing: Rasmus Stensgaard Madsen Sound Design: Svenn Jakobsen Music: Jonas Colstrup Production: Sidsel Lønvig Siersted & Malene Flindt

Pedersen for Moving Documentary Aps Co-Production: Medieoperatørene, Zuidenwind Filmproductions, docLander World Sales: DR International Sales Screening Copy: Danish Film Institute Involved TV Channels: DR, EPB, RUV, IKON, UR

Natural Disorder

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Naturens uorden

Christian Sønderby Jepsen Jacob Nossell is a 27-year-old journalism student with a normal intellect but an impaired body. He has cerebral palsy, which means he has difficulty talking and moving, and he suffers from muscle cramps and stiffness. Mentally, he’s on par with his fellow students, and that’s the crux of the matter. He’s too disabled for society to accept him as normal, but too normal to simply lie down and accept his fate. And what exactly is “normal” anyway? Natural Disorder follows Jacob directing a play for the Royal Danish Theater, in which he explores the meaning of identity and normality and asks what life is all about. He goes out on the streets with a camera and microphone, stopping people to ask what they consider normal. He talks with a doctor of philosophy and neuroscience and gets his brain and his DNA scanned. Producing the play takes its toll on Jacob, and he often comes face to face with his own limitations. This is very hard on him—for 27 years he has been struggling against those limitations, and his greatest and most constant fear is that he might turn out to be that disabled person he so wants to avoid becoming.

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Christian Sønderby Jepsen: Side by Side (2009) My Cousin the Pirate (2010) Convicted for Terror (2010) Blood Ties (2013)

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Greece, 2015 DCP, color, 91 min Director: Apostolos Karakasis Cinematography: Apostolos Karakasis Screenplay: Apostolos Karakasis Editing: Chronis Theoharis, Apostolos Karakasis Music: Stavros Gasparatos Production: Marco Gastine for Minimal Films Co-Production: Lichtblick Filmproduktion World Sales: Visible Film Screening Copy: Minimal Films Involved TV Channel: ERT

Next Stop: Utopia

WORLD PREMIERE

Apostolos Karakasis

On February 12, 2013, a group of fired factory workers reopened their deserted workplace in Thessaloniki. They started a product line of cleaning products, based on the principle that any form of hierarchy was forbidden—everyone was equal. In the presence of the media, this unauthorized relaunch was named Day of the Occupation.

Filmmaker Apostolos Karakasis follows these events closely, continuing to do so as the cooperation becomes the public face of solidarity and sovereignty during the Greek financial crisis. Makis Anagnostou, their eloquent spokesman, claims the factory owner, Christina Philippou, was convicted several times for company neglect. From her villa, Philippou in turn contends that their use of her production facilities is against the law.

In order to keep the constant threat of administrators and creditors at bay, Anagnostou seeks support from likeminded people in Europe. They contact Greek politicians in the hope that the factory can stay open. But now that Anagnostou is in the spotlight, his colleagues fear that he’ll become an instrument of foreign politics. Meanwhile, factory workers wonder what they’re getting out of all this. Will their dreams of a better world withstand the harsh economic reality?

Apostolos Karakasis: The Greek, the Foreign and the End of the 60s (1992) How to Live Successfully on Your Own (1994) 98 Years (1998) Employed by Life (2002) The Fascinating Puzzle (2003) National Garden (2009) a.o.

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IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Colombia, 2015 DCP, color, 70 min Director: Jorge Caballero Cinematography: Lukas Jaramillo Screenplay: Carol Ann Figueroa Rueda Editing: Jorge Caballero, Ivan Guarnizo Sound: Alejandro Molano Sound Design: Alejandro Gallón, Alejandro Castillo Music: Alejandro Gallón Production: Jorge Caballero & Rosa Ramos for Gusano Films Co-Production: Señal Colombia World Sales: Rise and Shine Screening Copy: Gusano Films Website: www.pacientedoc.com

Patient

WORLD PREMIERE

Paciente

Jorge Caballero A caring mother risks losing her daughter to an aggressive form of cancer.

Observational and stripped of any sentimentality, Patient grows into a monumental indictment of the heartless bureaucracy that has Colombian health care in its grips.

The camera films from three perspectives. One is a tripod at the end of a long white hospital corridor, a door to the right opening into the room where the daughter lies dying; we see cleaners mopping the floor and nurses and doctors going about their daily duties. The second follows the exhausted, limping mother, who time and again must trudge the endless corridors to pry life-saving medication from the system’s clutches, and spend hours in waiting rooms only to be sent back and forth once more.

The third camera films the loving mother’s face in close-up, as she cares for her child, talks to her, moves her from place to place, or just keeps watch. And she does it day and night, because the system won’t provide for this kind of care. Director Jorge Caballero’s decision not to film the patient is an inspired one. Here, it’s the mother who’s the paciente. Yes, she’s a victim of the system, but first and foremost she’s a paragon of infinite patience who leaves everyone around her speechless.

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Jorge Caballero: Bagatela (2008) Birth (2012)

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

China, Denmark, 2015 DCP, color, 95 min Director: Zanbo Zhang Cinematography: Zanbo Zhang Editing: Zanbo Zhang, Steen Johannessen, Jean Tsien Sound: Zanbo Zhang Production: Richard Liang for Galaxion Films Co-Production: Plus Pictures, CNEX, Let the

Chairman Go First, Blackfin Productions Screening Copy: Galaxion Films Involved TV Channels: DR, IKON, SVT, NHK Pitched at the Forum 2013

The Road

WORLD PREMIERE

Da lu chao tian Zanbo Zhang

In four chapters, director Zanbo Zhang documents the abuses surrounding the construction of a giant highway through Hunan province from the perspective of the local population, the construction company and the laborers. In 2008, the Chinese government decided to invest $586 billion on infrastructure in an effort to stimulate the economy. The new highway is part of President Hu’s three-stage strategy, a process of modernization that has been underway for some 30 years now. In reality, the project is being run by corrupt Party members, bad employers and local gangsters.

Many homes belonging to local people have been damaged by explosives, and the private construction company is endlessly dragging its feet when it comes to paying its employees. Behind the scenes at the construction company, we hear their plans to deal with dissent: “If people obstruct the construction with no reason, we must strike back without mercy and arrest them if needed.” Meanwhile, a building inspector has discovered that the construction of the highway is both unsound and completely illegal.

It also turns out that many of the laborers haven’t been paid, and on a neighboring highway construction site 19 get killed in an explosion in a tunnel. Everyone is at odds— it would seem that building a highway is a little like fighting a war. Nevertheless, the Xu-Huai Highway was opened with great fanfare in 2013.

Zanbo Zhang: Falling from the Sky (2009) A Song of Love, Maybe (2010) The Interceptor from My Hometown (2011)

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IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Australia, Norway, 2015 DCP, color, 150 min Director: George Gittoes Cinematography: George Gittoes, Waqir Alam Screenplay: George Gittoes Editing: Nick Meyers Sound Design: David White, Serge Stanley Music: Hellen Rose, Hugo Race Production: George Gittoes for Gittoes Films,

Lizzette Atkins for Unicorn Films Co-Production: Piraya Film AS World Sales: Cinephil Screening Copy: Unicorn Films

Snow Monkey

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

George Gittoes

The Australian artist and filmmaker George Gittoes has been living in a compound in Jalalabad with his wife since 2011. The Yellow House is an Afghan refuge that also serves as a film set. It’s an assembly line for cheap Pashtun films that don’t shy away from violence. In one particularly amusing scene, a shoot is disrupted by the noise of megaphones used by a gang of young ice cream sellers. Dressed in traditional Afghan dress, Gittoes approaches them and then decides to get the boys together with two other youth gangs from the city by getting them to act in and make a film. This is how “Baba,” as he is affectionately known, attempts to create a better future for destitute young people, forced into work by their parents. It garners him a compliment from a visiting local Taliban leader: “All Afghans love him,” he explains. What follows is a non-judgmental collage of scenes of joy and brutality, with only the aspect ratio giving away whether what is happening is acted or real. On and off set, the street urchins act like Mafiosi, while their hashish and heroin addict fathers waste away in the nearby park. The constant threat posed by drones and ground attacks make little impression on the youth—life goes on.

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George Gittoes: Bullets of the Poets (1986) Warriors & Lawmen (1987) Soundtrack to War (2005) Rampage (2006) The Miscreants of Taliwood (2009) Love City Jalalabad (2013) a.o.

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Iran, Germany, Switzerland, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami Cinematography: Behrouz Badrouj, Ali

Mohammad Ghasemi, Mohammad Haddadi, Arastoo Givi, Torben Bernard Editing: Rune Schweitzer Sound: Mohammad Salehi, Hadi Saed Mohkam, Ali Alavi Sound Design: Benjamin Benoit Music: Sonita Alizada, Sepandarmaz Elahi Shirazi, Moritz Denis, Guillaume Wuhrmann Production: Gerd Haag & Kerstin Krieg for TAG/TRAUM, Aline Schmid for Intermezzo Films, Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami World Sales: CAT&Docs Screening Copy: TAG/TRAUM Involved TV Channels: NDR, ARTE, RTS, SRG/ SSR, DR, NHK, KBS, PTS TV

Sonita

WORLD PREMIERE

Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami

If 18-year old Sonita had a say in things, Michael Jackson would be her father and Rihanna her mother. She captures her dream of being a famous rapper in her scrapbook.

For the time being, her only fans are the other teenage girls in a Tehran shelter. There, Sonita, a refugee from Afghanistan, gets counseling for the traumas she has suffered and guidance in shaping her future. Her family has a very different future planned for her: as a bride she’s worth $9,000. What’s more, women aren’t allowed to sing in Iran.

How can Sonita still succeed in making her dreams come true? Director Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami ends up personally involved in answering that question, reigniting the discussion as to how documentary makers should relate to their subjects. This is just one of the many unexpected twists in an exciting journey replete with the setbacks and successes of a young women looking for her own path. The film’s core consists of Sonita artistically arguing against the disastrous forced marriage practices that obstruct her freedom in an impressive, dramatic rap video.

Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami: Cyanosis (2007) Going up the Stairs (2011)

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IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Ester Gould Cinematography: Jean Counet Screenplay: Ester Gould Editing: Katarina Türler Sound: Rik Meijer, Gideon Bijlsma Sound Design: Marc Lizier Music: Marc Lizier Production: Joost Seelen for Zuidenwind Filmproductions Executive Production: Estelle Bovelander

for Zuidenwind Filmproductions

Distribution for the Netherlands: Cinema Delicatessen Screening Copy: Zuidenwind Filmproductions Involved TV Channel: VPRO

WORLD PREMIERE

A Strange Love Affair with Ego Ester Gould

Ever since she was a young child, filmmaker Ester Gould has been amazed by the sheer self-confidence of her older sister Rowan, whose boundless creativity and natural beauty tended to make everyone around her jealous. She has the world at her feet, and the universe is her playground. But can such a well-developed sense of your own worth go too far? Self-assurance is greatly valued—until it spills over into an unhealthy overestimation of the self. In this incisive, personal visual essay, Gould explores our society’s increasing obsession with the self. Thanks in part to social media, the pressure to have a fantastically successful life is ever greater; personal development seems to be the only thing that counts. The filmmaker follows a number of seemingly successful people going out, socializing and participating in the art world, as they reflect in conversations or interviews on the level of self-confidence they display and how this relates to their actual “self.” Meanwhile, dreamy reenactments tell the story of the filmmaker’s sister Rowan, illustrated by excerpts from correspondence between the sisters. How marvelously everything is going; how fantastically she’s doing; she’s taking yet another inspirational course; she gets so many invites that there’s simply no time.

Gould gradually starts to question her interesting sister’s stories, which leads to a disconcerting denouement.

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Ester Gould: Soy optimista (2007), Altijd maar dat gezeik (2008), Flink oud (2009), David de ster (2010), We komen even sorry zeggen (2012), Bikkels (2013) Ester Gould & Sarah Sybling 50 Cent (2007), De rekening van Catelijne (2012) Ester Gould & Sabine Lubbe Bakker: Shout (2010)

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Israel, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: Ido Haar Cinematography: Ido Haar Editing: Ido Haar Sound Design: Rotem Dror Music: Kutiman Production: Liran Atzmor for Atzmor Productions,

Stephen Apkon for Reconsider Executive Production: Esther van Messel & Gitte Hansen for First Hand Films World Sales: First Hand Films Screening Copy: Atzmor Productions Involved TV Channels: Yes Docu, FRANCE 4, CBC, SVT, VPRO Website: www.thruyouprincess.com Pitched at the Forum 2014

Thru You Princess

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Ido Haar

The Israeli musician and artist Kutiman rose to fame in 2009 with his “Thru You” project. In his audiovisual symphonies, he mashes up samples of YouTube clips featuring amateur musicians who have posted their videos online. They are like virtual bottles in the boundless sea that is the Internet, ones that the musicians hope will be found and treasured. Samantha is a nurse living on her own in one of the tougher neighborhoods of New Orleans. She is trying to make it as a musician under the name Princess Shaw. In addition to sharing her own songs on YouTube, Samantha also uploads episodes from her candid video diary. Director Ido Haar documents her attempt to make it in the music scene in her hometown and mixes these scenes with footage of Kutiman at home on a kibbutz, watching Samantha online, singing her a cappella vocals and sampling them in a “Thru You” video. Samantha couldn’t possibly imagine that halfway around the world, there’s someone who believes in her and her original music—and someone who is about to expand her audience to numbers beyond her wildest dreams.

Ido Haar: Melting Siberia (2004) 9 Star Hotel (2007) Enlistment Days (2012)

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IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

USA, Italy, 2015 DCP, color, 72 min Director: Antonio Tibaldi, Alex Lora Cinematography: Antonio Tibaldi Editing: Alex Lora, Antonio Tibaldi Production: Enrica Capra for GraffitiDoc, Antonio

Tibaldi for No Permits Produktions World Sales: CAT&Docs Screening Copy: CAT&Docs

Thy Father’s Chair

WORLD PREMIERE

Antonio Tibaldi, Alex Lora

The elderly Orthodox Jewish twin brothers Abraham and Shraga have to deal with a violation of their privacy when a team of cleaners arrives to clean up their house.

The family home in Brooklyn has become filthy since their parents died: rubbish is stacking up and vermin are taking over. When the tenant in the upstairs apartment stops paying rent because of the problems and the twins are in danger of losing their home, Abraham is forced to open their door to the men in the white suits. In seven chapters, the apartment is gradually transformed under the strict supervision of Hanan, who is also Jewish. It goes from being a place you wouldn’t want to set foot in, where for shame the curtains are permanently closed, into a clean, tidy and light home. The process doesn’t always go smoothly, however; a third brother refuses point-blank to cooperate, Shraga shirks his chores and Abraham tries to cling on to every single object the cleaners want to remove. Will he manage to keep his father’s chair? Is he actually worthy of siting in it himself? A tired, intimidated Abraham—a slovenly but gentle man whose arms are covered in flea bites—fights bravely to retain the tangible incarnations of his memories in a film about helplessness, religion and loss of control in a life circumscribed by rules.

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Antonio Tibaldi: On My Own (fiction, 1992), Running Against (fiction, 1995), Little Boy Blue (fiction, 1997), Claudine’s Return (fiction, 1998), Werewolf (fiction, 2001), Joan Crawford, Helen Garber (2003), Tales from the Tsunami (2005), The Roundabout of Mushrooms (2007), Kino-Dream (2008), Looking (fiction, 2009), Pro-trusion (fiction, 2011), [S]Comparse (2011) Alex Lora: Without Wings (fiction,2004), Rim (fiction, 2005), (En)terrados (fiction, 2009), Y y x (2011), Odysseus Gambit (2011), Us (fiction, 2011), Gravity (fiction, 2012), Matches (fiction, 2012), Only Solomon Lee (fiction, 2013) Antonio Tibaldi & Alex Lora: Godka cirka (2013)

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Ukraine, Latvia, Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: Roman Bondarchuk Cinematography: Roman Bondarchuk Screenplay: Darya Averchenko Editing: Roman Bondarchuk, Kateryna Gornostai Sound: Boris Peter Sound Design: Boris Peter Music: Anton Baibakov Production: Uldis Cekulis for VFS Films, Darya Averchenko

for SOUTH, Tanja Georgieva for Taskovski Films World Sales: Taskovski Films Screening Copy: VFS Films Involved TV Channels: ZDF/ARTE, SVT, LTV, ERR

Ukrainian Sheriffs Roman Bondarchuk

In a rural village in southern Ukraine, the tragicomic sheriff duo Viktor and Volodya has to solve crimes such as the theft of two ducks. The other main problems are neighbor disputes, drunkenness, physical abuse and car breakdowns, and many of them have their roots in the prevalent unemployment, poverty and illiteracy. When the mayor gives a speech, his audience consists mainly of children and old women. The filmmakers follow the adventures of Viktor and Volodya with a keen eye for the comical side of everyday situations. Driving in their yellow Lada flying its own little Ukrainian flag, they travel from incident to incident—calming an angry neighbor, investigating the discovery of a body, struggling to unfold a stroller and attempting to re-integrate Vova, the freeloader who eats other people’s dogs but actually longs for a normal existence— just like everyone else here. The seasons pass until political developments reach the village by way of the TV screen, sowing separatist discord. The only music comes from the radio or when someone breaks into a folk song about a goat. Around the time of the celebrations for the country’s 70th Independence Day, the men of the village are drafted into the army.

WORLD PREMIERE

IDFAcademy Results

Roman Bondarchuk: Walls and Doors (2003) The Beach for an English Lord (2005) Mykola and a German (2005) Kateryna (2005) Taxi-driver (2007) Radunytsya (2007) Polina (2011) Cafe Voyage (2013) Euromaidan. Rough Cut (2014) Dixieland (2014)

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Early Bird registration available for only ÂŁ249+VAT until 18 March 2016

Feature doc, short & interactive project submissions open until 7 February 2016 MeetMarket project submissions open 5 January 16 March 2016

www.sheffdocfest.com

COMPETITION PROGRAMS

IDFA Competition for First Appearance Fifteen documentaries by directors making their first or second feature-length documentary are competing in the IDFA Competition for First Appearance, aimed at supporting talented new filmmakers. A five-member international jury (see page 13) evaluates the films and selects the winners of the IDFA Award for Best First Appearance (â‚Ź7,500) and the Special Jury Award for First Appearance, in memory of Peter Wintonick (â‚Ź2,500).

One of the films, When the Earth Seems to Be Light, is also selected for the IDFA DOC U Competition (see page 101).

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Poland, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 90 min Director: Liubov Durakova, Alisa Kovalenko Cinematography: Liubov Durakova, Alisa Kovalenko Screenplay: Liubov Durakova, Alisa Kovalenko Editing: Weronika Blawut Production: Miroslaw Dembinski for

Doc’n’World Foundation Co-Production: TVP 2, Polish Television Belsat World Sales: Doc’n’World Foundation Screening Copy: Doc’n’World Foundation Involved TV Channel: TVPTelewizja Polska S.A. Website: www.alisa.org.pl Pitched at the Forum 2014

Alisa in Warland

WORLD PREMIERE

Alisa w krainie wojny

Liubov Durakova, Alisa Kovalenko Alisa is a 26-year-old student at the film academy in Kiev. Her life is pretty normal until the day that President Viktor Yanukovych refuses to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Suddenly, everything changes: protests erupt in the capital, with the inhabitants demanding the president’s resignation. Alisa witnesses the demonstrations and embarks on a trip through Ukraine in an attempt to understand the war. Her journey takes her to the east of the country, where she comes across demonstrations again, this time of a pro-Russian character. Along the way, she faces shootings, explosions and the searing consequences of the war for the people of her country.

Very much against her will, Alisa is then personally caught up in the war when she is arrested by separatists for spying. The risks she is taking also jeopardize her romantic relationship with a French journalist. This candid self-portrait shows us a sensitive, concerned woman in search of answers. The direct, often handheld camerawork gives us an impression of Ukraine in the wake of the protests and of the tensions that arose among the various population groups.

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Liubov Durakova & Alisa Kovalenko: Sister Zo (2014)

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Russia, 2015 DCP, color, 76 min Director: Beata Bubenets Cinematography: Beata Bubenets Editing: Beata Bubenets Production: Marina Razbezhkina World Sales: Ksenia Gapchenko Screening Copy: Marina Razbezhkina

Chechen

WORLD PREMIERE

Beata Bubenets

Ruslan Arsajev has seen quite a few wars already. He’s a born fighter, he says, scion of a long line of Chechen fighters. One of his brothers was once a member of the Chechen government; another took part in an infamous plane hijacking in 2001. Arsajev, who refers to himself simply as “Chechen,” can generally be found where there’s trouble and strife. If given the choice, he prefers to fight against the Russians. Director Beata Bubenets followed Arsajev during the Ukrainian crisis of 2014. As a volunteer soldier, he protected the demonstrators in Kiev before going east to the Donbass region, where pro-Russian separatists were fighting against government troops. Chechen is an intimate observation of this strange, displaced mercenary, whose soft side comes out in his constant search for true love. Bubenets and her camera are on hand at some significant historical moments. She manages to distill the Ukrainian crisis down to the individual human scale, while at the same time showing how big it is. She does this for example by capturing the discussions on the streets, in which the gulf between the pro-Russian inhabitants of Ukraine and their opponents seems insurmountable.

Beata Bubenets: God’s Will (2014)

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IDFA Competition for First Appearance

China, 2015 DCP, color, 96 min Director: Feiyue Wu, Xiaoyu Qin Cinematography: Jinliang Liu Editing: Renbo Zhong Production: Qingzeng Cai for Eternity Co. Ltd. Screening Copy: Eternity Co. Ltd. Awards: Golden Goblet Award for Best Documentary Shanghai International Film Festival

Chinese Verses

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Feiyue Wu, Xiaoyu Qin

In contemporary China, the once-celebrated art of poetry is no more than a relic of a bygone age. If you want to live the coveted “Chinese dream,” you simply have to work for it—and very hard. The exceptions to this rule are the migrant workers in this film, and the poems they write express feelings about the daily hardships they face. Through poetry they rediscover their own sense of dignity and offer subtle insight into their innermost thoughts. We see them in the factory, in their dormitory and with their families, with whom they talk about their struggles and their love of writing. A young woman working the nightshift in a clothing factory writes about her daydreams of sun and freedom as she irons summer dresses. A mineworker reflects on his lightless existence in the depths of the earth. An employee at one of Apple’s assembly factories secretly wrote hundreds of poems, but then he killed himself. Now, all that remains of him are his somber thoughts. We read extracts in the form of text that rolls across the screen and hear it performed at a poetry evening, giving a rare and personal voice to the people behind this anonymous and mind-numbing work. This unique approach offers a telling perspective on a rising nation and the future of humanity in a globalized society.

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Feiyue Wu: directing debut Xiaoyu Qin: directing debut

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Israel, Russia, 2015 DCP, color, 85 min Director: Vladi Antonevicz Cinematography: John Cherny Screenplay: Vladi Antonevicz Editing: Vladi Antonevicz, Neta Braun Sound: Michael Goorevich Sound Design: Michael Goorevich Narration: Vladi Antonevicz Narrator: Vladi Antonevicz Production: Vladi Antonevicz for Mockofiction Executive Production: Gabriel Romanov Screening Copy: Mockofiction Involved TV Channels: Hot – Israeli

Cable Television, Channel 8

Awards: Best Cinematography Award

DocAviv International Film Festival

Credit for Murder

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Vladi Antonevicz

In 2007, a shocking video appeared on YouTube, showing two boys being brutally murdered by Russian neo-Nazis, marking the starting point of a series of extremely bloody incidents in Moscow. The Israeli filmmaker Vladi Antonevicz decided to investigate this case, which gradually became an obsession for him. Together with his friend Shuravi, he spent six years searching for the truth behind this double murder.

A painstaking analysis of the video itself leads to more questions than answers, so the pair decides to push further. Their search for the truth takes them into the dark recesses of the violent Russian neo-Nazi scene. Antonevicz infiltrates one of the groups, even though this involves first having a knife fight with one of its leaders. As he forces his way through a web of intrigue, he becomes increasingly aware of the disturbing question at the heart of the matter: what exactly is the role of the Russian secret service in combatting neo-Nazi violence? And why did the series of murders that followed the appearance of the video abruptly cease in March 2008? The meaning of the images from the YouTube video shifts as the search progresses. Credit for Murder is an attractively stylized documentary thriller that slowly worms its way under the skin, and then refuses to budge.

Vladi Antonevicz: In the Company of a Dead Cat (2006)

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IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Azerbaijan, Germany, Romania, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: Imam Hasanov Cinematography: Sarvar Javadov Editing: Philipp Gromov Production: Stefan Kloos for Kloos & Co. Medien GmbH Executive Production: Veronika Janatkova for Kloos &

Co. Medien GmbH, Andra Popescu for Conset Films

World Sales: Rise and Shine Screening Copy: Rise and Shine Involved TV Channel: ARTE Deutschland

Holy Cow

WORLD PREMIERE

Imam Hasanov

Tapdyg leads a simple life with his wife and children in a remote mountain village in Azerbaijan. But he has come up with a revolutionary plan that he thinks will make a better life for himself and his family. He plans on buying a European cow that produces more milk than traditional cattle. As well as having to save for a long time and borrowing money from acquaintances to make the purchase, Tapdyg also needs permission from the village elders. They are completely against it: in their minds, any kind of foreign influence would be bad for this isolated village, and they wonder whether this kind of beast could survive there anyway. Even his wife begs him not to do it—what would the neighbors think? This increasing resistance only strengthens Tapdyg’s resolve to follow his dream. Full of determination, he pins a magazine photo of his dream cow on his wall and starts setting up a cowshed. It’s not long before Tapdyg infects the other villagers with his little act of courage and his burgeoning success.

This magical and uplifting celebration of single-minded tenacity is a feel-good movie about making our dreams come true. It shows how human beings handle change and react to globalization when it affects them directly—even in the smallest village in the Caucasus Mountains.

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Imam Hasanov: directing debut

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

France, 2015 DCP, color, 78 min Director: Charles Redon Cinematography: Charles Redon, Klaudia

Reynicke, Mathilde Froustey, Gérard Redon

Screenplay: Charles Redon Editing: Suzana Pedro Sound: Jean-Guy Veran, Thomas Robert Production: Claude Redon, Charles Redon for The Open Reel World Sales: The Open Reel Screening Copy: The Open Reel

In California

WORLD PREMIERE

Charles Redon

A tribute to a tormented love story by the young French filmmaker Charles Redon, who adores and constantly films his girlfriend, an ambitious professional ballerina named Mathilde Froustey. Mathilde eats, trains and sleeps while Redon acts as her assistant.

He is fascinated by her physical form and her discipline until he finds out that she is abusing her body. This completely changes the way he sees her: in his eyes, she is transformed from an admirable dancer into a dance-obsessed person with no mercy for her own body. When she starts to avoid him and no longer wants to cooperate with the film, Redon becomes obsessed with the issue that has become a taboo subject in their relationship. Made up of private recordings, the film concentrates on the time surrounding the French couple’s move to San Francisco, where Mathilde is pursuing a career as prima ballerina. Redon uses many different camera techniques to document his life with Mathilde in diary style—from a spy cam to a camera mounted on a selfie stick and a drone. He also delivers poetic commentary with enchanting images of jellyfish, a heron and a crocodile.

Charles Redon: directing debut

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IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Brazil, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: Paula Gomes Cinematography: Haroldo Borges Screenplay: Paula Gomes Editing: Andrea Kleinman Sound: Pedro Garcia Production: Haroldo Borges & Ernesto

Molinero for Plano 3 Filmes Executive Production: Marcos Bautista for Plano 3 Filmes Screening Copy: Plano 3 Filmes

WORLD PREMIERE

Jonas and the Backyard Circus Jonas e o circo sem lona Paula Gomes

Thirteen-year-old Jonas’s great passion is the circus in his backyard. Together with his friends, he practices clown acts and acrobatics—he even manages a Michael Jackson impersonation. Jonas’s shows have an enthusiastic audience of local children, and his grandmother encourages him to continue. But his mother has her reservations—after all, wasn’t she the one who gave up her job as a circus artiste to ensure a good future for Jonas? And now, here he is, neglecting his homework! When director Paula Gomes asks what he considers more important, school or circus, Jonas says school, but his eyes tell a different story. Gomes’s calm and affectionate observations highlight how difficult it is for Jonas to integrate his two worlds. This gulf is even apparent in the contrast between the poetic shots of the boy’s leafy neighborhood and the impersonal atmosphere of the school, with all its rules and regulations. Jonas clings to his dream, but reality imposes itself on him more and more. He is concerned about his future as a circus artiste and feels responsible for the film being made about him—a film that turns out to be as much about the bewildering adventure of growing up as it is about a child’s circus.

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Paula Gomes: directing debut

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

China, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 146 min Director: Yun Ye Cinematography: Yun Ye Editing: Ching-Sung LIAO, Yun Ye, Gu Tao Production: Ruby Chen for CNEX Studio

Corporation, Wen Chang for Yeyun Studio Screening Copy: CNEX Studio Corporation

Look Love

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Dui kan Yun Ye

Two Chinese children, Linsheng and Xinyuan, grow up in completely different circumstances, but both are confronted with a similar situation. Linsheng lives with his impoverished father and two younger brothers in a village in Hunan, where he works the land. To secure a better future for Linsheng, his father sends him out of his familiar surroundings to a public school through a charity project. Xinyuan lives in Beijing where she attends an expensive boarding school, thanks to her mother. Although both parents just want the best for their children and love them dearly, the children feel lost and abandoned. Director Yun Ye observes the day-to-day lives of Linsheng and Xinyuan in a calm and loving manner. Look Love shows the consequences of failing family values and high expectations. While the rebellious Xinyuan would like to see her mother more often, her mom is already making plans to send her to college abroad. After all, money is no object. Meanwhile, Linsheng becomes intolerable and disobedient. He’s disruptive in class, runs away from school and looks on as his father seeks solace in alcohol. In some heartbreaking scenes in which Yun Ye manages to come very close to both children, we watch misunderstanding and powerlessness grow.

Yun Ye: directing debut

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IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Belgium, 2015 DCP, color, 77 min Director: Marie Brumagne, Bram Van Cauwenberghe Cinematography: Marie Brumagne,

Bram Van Cauwenberghe

Editing: Marie Brumagne, Bram Van Cauwenberghe Sound: Marie Brumagne, Bram Van Cauwenberghe Sound Design: Marie Brumagne, Bram Van Cauwenberghe Production: Marie Brumagne & Bram Van

Cauwenberghe for Rocky&Estrella asbl World Sales: Rocky&Estrella asbl Screening Copy: Rocky&Estrella asbl

WORLD PREMIERE

Remember Your Name, Babylon Marie Brumagne, Bram Van Cauwenberghe

Waiting, waiting, waiting. This is the main feature of the lives of a group of men and women, brought together by fate, who crossed the sea in search of a better life.

They live in a no man’s land, somewhere on the coast of Spain between long rows of hermetically sealed greenhouses. Every now and again they get some work, but most of their time is spent in little ramshackle shacks built from pallets, bits of tarpaulin and anything else they can lay their hands on. They have no interaction with the rest of the world at all, although they occasionally refer to some shady lawyers who are supposed to be working on residence permits. The camera underlines this exercise in patience by always observing from the same position. Wait and see what happens. A woman sits next to a bottle of water. A man lies on a bed, or folds some children’s clothes into a tiny pile. Calling home is a highlight: things are going well, I don’t have much work, I don’t have my permit yet, I’ll have to stay another year, I miss you. During such conversations, their inertia falls away and the migrants become human again.

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Marie Brumagne: Broken mirrors (2008) Bram Van Cauwenberghe: directing debut

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Estonia, Palestine, 2015 DCP, color, 74 min Director: Toomas Järvet Cinematography: Maksim Golomidov, Toomas Järvet Editing: Qutaiba Barhamji Production: Eero Talvistu for Exitfilm, Eero Talvistu

for Kinoport Film, Tõnis Liivamägi for Kinotehnik World Sales: Visible Film Screening Copy: Exitfilm

Rough Stage

WORLD PREMIERE

Karmil pinnal Toomas Järvet

Maher is a Palestinian man with a dream. An electrical engineer by trade, in his heart he’s a dancer. He wants to put on the first modern dance production at the cultural center in Ramallah, but those around him view this art form with incomprehension and disapproval. To make matters worse, the dance tackles the subject of freedom, a particularly risky subject for this former political prisoner. Maher’s parents are bewildered by their son’s plans; all they want is for him to get married. His brother believes that the country simply isn’t ready for such abstract art and advises him to provide more explanation. Money is desperately short, and the authorities aren’t being very cooperative. Nonetheless, Maher perseveres, because “We have to change something during our lifetime. If not, what is the meaning of one’s existence?”

Rough Stage follows this passionate artist rehearsing with four other dancers, attempting to get his family behind him and performing the dance itself. These scenes are interspersed with solo dances performed at spectacular outdoor locations: on a hill above the city and on the street in the middle of traffic.

Toomas Järvet: Over and Out (2011)

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IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Algeria, France, Lebanon, Qatar, 2015 DCP, color, 100 min Director: Hassen Ferhani Cinematography: Hassen Ferhani Screenplay: Hassen Ferhani Editing: Hassen Ferhani, Narimane Mari,

Corentin Doucet, Myriam Acayguer Sound: Djamel Kerkar Sound Design: Antoine Morin Production: Narimane Mari for Allers Retours Films Co-Production: Centrale Electrique Screening Copy: Allers Retours Films Awards: Grand prix French Competition FID Marseille

Roundabout in My Head

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Fi rassi rond-point Hassen Ferhani

The men working at an abattoir in Algiers are mostly busy at night, and what they most love to talk about is the life from which they are so far removed. We see the workers in their bloody overalls surrounded by animal hides. Every once in a while one of the men peeks into the camera, which moves only on very rare occasions. The observational scenes of the men going about their work are interspersed with highcontrast shots of carcasses hanging in rows reminiscent of vanitas paintings—and accompanied by powerful Algerian folk music. Rarely has the unpleasant atmosphere of a slaughterhouse been rendered in such an extraordinarily beautiful way. The abattoir is a microcosm, a world within a world; during their breaks the men discuss politics, the refusal of some French-Algerian soccer players to sing “La Marseillaise,” and their own expectations for the future. And something of the history of the country also seeps into the film through conversations with “Uncle” Ali and Youssef. Ali was born during French colonial rule and lived through the bloody war of independence; Youssef comes from the generation inspired by the Arab Spring, but his hopes for a better future have been dashed. These scenes from everyday life in the slaughterhouse gradually segue into social critique.

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Hassen Ferhani: Afric Hotel (2010)

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Israel, 2015 DCP, black-and-white, 110 min Director: Nirit Aharoni Cinematography: Nirit Aharoni Editing: Ron Goldman Sound Design: Alex Claude Music: Ophir Leibovitch Production: David Mandil for Movie

Plus productions Tel Aviv Screening Copy: Movie Plus productions Tel Aviv Involved TV Channel: YES Awards: Van Leer Award for Best Director of a

Documentary Jerusalem Film Festival

Strung Out

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Bat zona

Nirit Aharoni Behind “The Door of Hope” in a dingy building in Tel Aviv lies a safe haven for drugaddicted prostitutes. Here, no demands are made of the women; the words on the door read, “This is not a brothel.” They can rest. In this raw debut shot in grainy black-andwhite, director Nirit Aharoni films the women at their most vulnerable, when they are shooting up, crying, dying, or singing about love. She gets in close at intimate moments, but she films from a distance when they are hustling on the grim streets of nocturnal Tel Aviv. Taking her time, the director works her way ever deeper into the women’s lives—and discovers many things about herself along the way. Her addicted biological mother deserted her at an early age, so her observations of the lives of these women are actually part of the search for her own origins. Just like her mother, many of the women here suffered abuse and violence in childhood, but Aharoni has broken the cycle. The scenes of the director and her daughter provide the only light in this dark film. The intense and moving climax provides a glimmer of hope, though death is never far away.

Nirit Aharoni: directing debut

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IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Pakistan, 2015 DCP, color, 81 min Director: Ammar Aziz Cinematography: Danyal Rasheed Editing: Khushboo Agarwal Sound: Waqas Saad Music: Rakae Jamil Production: Ammar Aziz, Rahul Roy for Aakar Executive Production: Rahul Roy for Aakar Screening Copy: Ammar Aziz

A Walnut Tree

WORLD PREMIERE

Ammar Aziz

An old man looks back on his life. With sadness he tells his grandson about his native land in the Tirah valley. He describes green hills where there was much merriment and music: a video played on a smartphone shows images of an idyllic place. Now the man lives in a makeshift tent in Jalozai, a refugee camp in Pakistan where residents wouldn’t survive without aid from the UN. The man explains how he lives like an animal, like a nomad in limbo. He longs for a country that no longer exists: back in his homeland, blissful pastimes like reciting poetry are forbidden and friends and family left years ago.

In poems he reads aloud, he expresses his displeasure. He wonders who are the true Muslims—the Taliban or the army. Is he a sinner? Everyday scenes that include peeling potatoes and the laughter of his grandchildren emphasize his melancholy. The old man stands still while the world around him keeps turning. Time and again, the question arises as to whether he’ll risk a return to his motherland.

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Ammar Aziz: directing debut

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

USA, 2014 DCP, color, 92 min Director: David Dawkins Cinematography: David Dawkins Editing: David Dawkins Narration: David Dawkins, Ketut Mariyati Production: David Dawkins, Ketut Mariyati Executive Production: D.A. Pennebaker & Chris

Hegedus for Pennebaker Hegedus Films

Screening Copy: David Dawkins Website: www.theweddingcontract.net

Awards: Audience Award for Balinese Culture

Bali international Film Festival

The Wedding Contract

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

David Dawkins

The American film and theater director David Dawkins has been living on the Indonesian island of Bali for a year now. He speaks the language, has been accepted into the local community and has been given a Balinese name. He is also head-overheels in love with his young Balinese girlfriend Mariyati and wants to marry her, but first he needs her father’s permission. When her father refuses to listen, the couple resorts to a traditional method of resolving such issues: they draw up a “wedding contract” before the man kidnaps his lover and takes her to his village to get married.

It is a complex procedure involving the entire community. Using video footage he has recorded over dozens of years, Dawkins illustrates his Balinese love story, which he tells from start to finish in voice-over: how he was first enchanted by the music and beauty of the island; the whole business of marriage and the lack of understanding for one another’s customs and traditions; right up to how the couple is doing now, years later.

His film is both a personal love story and an immersion in Balinese culture, full of dance, music and sacrifices to appease the gods and the ancestors.

David Dawkins: Floodstage (1986)

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IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Georgian Republic, Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 75 min Director: Salome Machaidze, Tamuna Karumidze, David Meskhi Cinematography: David Meskhi, Tamuna Karumidze, Levan Maisuradze Editing: Tamuna Karumidze, Salome Machaidze Production: Goslab, Jörg Langkau Co-Production: Zazarfilm, Temur Ugulava World Sales: Taskovski Films Screening Copy: Zazarfilm Website: www.whenearthseemstobelight.tumblr.com

WORLD PREMIERE

When the Earth Seems to Be Light Rotsa dedamitsa msubukia

Salome Machaidze, Tamuna Karumidze, David Meskhi Young Georgian skaters, artists and musicians feel trapped between the powers of the church and the political world. They create their own open spaces beneath viaducts and at other “non-places” that lend themselves to romantic notions of a free existence.

Questions are posed to them about God, love and freedom, but these boys would much rather just be skating—for many of them it has grown into an obsession. They may be unfazed by painful falls, but narrow-mindedness really gets to them. One of them was bullied because of his hairstyle, and he explains that Georgians simply won’t accept people who look different. Many of their friends share their bleak vision of their country. The way they see it, Georgia is all about the old rather than the new. They get no acknowledgement here, so they spend their evenings throwing Molotov cocktails at a concrete slope. Their tattoos are “a diary you can’t escape from. You tattoo what you feel; what’s important for you at that moment.” The portraits of the skaters are based on a series of photos by David Meskhi, one of the three co-directors. This impression of their daily lives is intercut with news footage of demonstrations in Georgia.

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Salome Machaidze: Trigger Tiger (2008) Tamuna Karumidze: Zahesi 708 (2003) David Meskhi: directing debut

COMPETITION PROGRAMS IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Fifteen documentaries between 40 and 60 minutes in length are competing in the IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary. A five-member international jury (see page 14) evaluates the films and selects the winners of the IDFA Award for Best MidLength Documentary (â‚Ź10,000) and the IDFA Special Jury Award for Mid-Length Documentary (â‚Ź2,500).

Two of the films are eligible for other IDFA Awards as well. My Cancer is also selected for the IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary (see page 67). This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees is also competing in the IDFA DOC U Competition (see page 101).

At Home in the World, For Kibera! and This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees have also been selected by Benjamin Barber to be part of the Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015 theme program (see page 219).

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Brazil, 2015 DCP, color, 62 min Director: Aline Portugal, Julia De Simone Cinematography: Victor Melo Screenplay: Julia De Simone, Aline Portugal Editing: Clarissa Campolina, Luiz Pretti Sound: Marco Rudolf Sound Design: Pedro Aspahan, Hugo Silveira Production: Julia De Simone & Aline Portugal

for Mirada Filmes, Caroline Louise & Pedro Diógenes for Alumbramento Screening Copy: Mirada Filmes

Aracati

WORLD PREMIERE

Aline Portugal, Julia De Simone

The old man by the stream in northeastern Brazil tells us that it takes four hours for the wind to blow across from Aracati to Icó. The same wind drives the windmill farm, sways the sparse trees and chases the dust across the parched earth into the vast expanse of the reservoir. Power lines now crisscross this realm of earth, air and water. This calmly paced and somewhat experimental documentary follows the wind, allowing the landscape time to speak its own language. Along the way, filmmakers Julia De Simone and Aline Portugal encounter people who know what it used to be like around here.

A woman sits with a child on the riverbank, pointing to where the road once ran—now there is only water. In an old village, all the houses have collapsed, and only traces now remain of buildings near the reservoir. A cross can be seen poking through the water’s surface. A horseman searching for a stray cow explains that he has always lived in the wilderness. Everything has changed, but the wind and the stories remain. We explore time and space, examine relationships between people and their surroundings, and even reflect on the nature of reality.

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Aline Portugal & Julia De Simone: Symphony (2010) Study for the wind (2011) Tribune of Honor (2014) Aline Portugal: Phryne (fiction, 2012) Julia De Simone: Enchantment (2007) Bildungsroman (2011) The Harbor (2013)

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Denmark, 2015 DCP, color, 58 min Director: Andreas Koefoed Cinematography: Sophia Olsson, Niels Thastum Editing: Jacob Schulsinger, Marion Tuor Sound Design: Morten Groth Music: Bo Rande Production: Sara Stockmann for Sonntag Pictures Screening Copy: Sonntag Pictures Involved TV Channel: TV2 Denmark Website: www.athomeintheworld.com

At Home in the World

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Et hjem i verden Andreas Koefoed

In the schoolyard, Magomed quietly watches from the sidelines as his classmates fight over the soccer ball. The shy, pensive boy is no different in the classroom, where he studies Danish with full concentration. The 10-year-old Chechnyan refugee and his fellow classmates at the Red Cross school in the Danish town of Lynge are hoping to get a residence permit. This observational, poetic documentary follows Magomed’s class as they sing, do arts and crafts, play and argue, just like kids do at any other school.

The difference is that these children all bear their own painful memories. Among them is Ali from Afghanistan, who, like his traumatized father, is plagued by nightmares.

There’s restless Amel, who misses his friends back in Bosnia, and a Chechnyan named Heda who’s preparing for the exciting transition into a regular school with the help of her dedicated teacher. This same teacher believes that Magomed is very bright and is ready to take that step as well, but Magomed is hesitant. A conversation between the teacher and his father reveals that the boy isn’t only haunted by a traumatic memory, but also faces the frightening prospect of his dad not being able to stay in Denmark.

Andreas Koefoed: Albert – A Big Brother to Be (2005) Beg, Borrow or Steal (2006) 12 Notes Down (2008) A Day in the Smoke (2008) Alberts Winter (2009) Pig Country (2010) The William Blakes – To the End of the World (2011) The Ghost of Piramida (2012) The Arms Drop (2014) Andreas Koefoed & Christian Bonke: Ballroom Dancer (2011) www.andreaskoefoed.com

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IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Bulgaria, 2015 DCP, color, 64 min Director: Eldora Traykova Cinematography: Emil Christov Screenplay: Assen Vladimirov Editing: Stefan Bojadjiev Sound: Yuri Tsolov Production: Assen Vladimirov for ProFilm Screening Copy: ProFilm

Cambridge

WORLD PREMIERE

Eldora Traykova

The Bulgarian village of Dolni Tsibar is known as the “Roma Cambridge.” This is because its predominantly Roma population enjoys a relatively high level of education.

Cambridge is a year in the life of the local elementary school, where dedicated teachers try to give the children the best possible education with limited resources. In a calm, observational style and without any voice-over, filmmaker Eldora Traykova introduces us to the village and its residents. The teachers, the children, parents and villagers talk about their everyday lives, their backgrounds and their dreams. Along the way, it becomes clear that the school itself is not so very different from any other—it’s the circumstances that are exceptional. The Roma are still treated as second-class citizens and face discrimination on a daily basis. Many of the children have parents who are working in other countries, and poverty is commonplace. Meanwhile, the kids have to perform extra well if they want to have any chance of a better future. One father is angry with his twins because both of them got all A’s and one B—the lower mark could put their dream of going to college in jeopardy. As punishment, they have to take care of a goat during summer vacation.

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Eldora Traykova: A Poem about the Cock-Roaches (1987) Black Chroniche (1989) Neon Light Tales (1993) Of Men and Bears (1996) Displacement (1994) Born with the Century (2000) Dancing Bear Park (2004) Positive Emotions (2007) Transition Stories (2013)

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Belgium, 2014 DCP, color, 51 min Director: Christophe Reyners Cinematography: Thierry Stickaert Editing: Laurence Vaes Sound: Thierry Stickaert, Christophe Reyners Production: Julie Frères for Dérives World Sales: Wallonie Image Production Screening Copy: Wallonie Image Production

Coups de foudre

WORLD PREMIERE

Christophe Reyners

Five women explain how their romantic relationships descended into violence. Taking turns, the young women provide a chronological account of their dramatic story—the growing cracks in the relationship and their partner’s transformation from lover to tormentor. They allowed the situation to continue out of shame, out of fear of losing a child, and in the hope that the situation might improve. “I lived in a kind of constant fog I was lost in,” one of the women explains. A permanent fixture in all their lives is an intolerably cruel partner who alternates brutal violence with psychological games.

One woman was in a coma for months after the love of her life beat her up, while another attempted suicide. We hear how one of them woke to find her husband shaving her head: “He called me Auschwitz.” These compelling interviews are accompanied by unhurried scenes in the women’s shelter shot in black-and-white and muted color. The women articulate the horror and try to work out how they could go so far in allowing love and pride to take precedence over their own dignity. What does this mean with regard to their future?

Christophe Reyners: Mariette (2005)

55

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Latvia, Georgian Republic, 2015 DCP, color, 56 min Director: Ugis Olte Cinematography: Valdis Celmins, Uldis Cekulis Editing: Ugis Olte Sound: Artis Dukalskis Sound Design: Gatis Zakis Music: Reinis Sedans, Janis Sipkevics Narration: Ugis Olte Narrator: Ugis Olte Production: Uldis Cekulis for VFS Films,

Anna Dziapshipa for Sakdoc Screening Copy: VFS Films Involved TV Channel: LTV

Double Aliens

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Ugis Olte

Samtskhe-Javakheti is a region in the south of the Georgian Republic that borders both Turkey and Armenia. It’s a beautiful, rugged area where the roads are bad at the best of times, but impassable in winter when covered with huge layers of snow. Throughout history, it has been home to a large Armenian population. Although this causes continuous underlying tension, it has never led to any manifestations of violence. The Georgian photographer Daro Sulaukari set out to make a photo series here and invited director Ugis Olte to tag along. Their collaboration led to the making of a road movie that not only captures a particular region and its inhabitants, but also reflects their own personal choices. With associative, poetic and breathtaking imagery, Olte and Sulaukari convey the stories of people who appear to cross their paths arbitrarily. They meet a man at a cemetery by the grave of his ancestors who invites them to his home, where he and his two children willingly pose for Sulaukari’s camera. Somewhere in the field, three young men explain how the harsh climate and the bleak economic situation cause many young people to leave. Despite the fact that their stories are recognizable and their situations are often similar, neighbors live in discord because one of them has Armenian blood and the other Georgian.

56

Ugis Olte: Stuck in Stikine (2006) KK2678 (fiction, 2008) Red Spot (fiction, 2009)

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Scotland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 60 min Director: Samir Mehanovic Cinematography: Samir Mehanovic Editing: Laura Carreira Sound: John Cobban Production: Samir Mehanovic for Paradiso

Films Documentaries Ltd. Screening Copy: Paradiso Films Documentaries Ltd. Website: www.thefogofsrebrenicafilm.com

The Fog of Srebrenica

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Izmaglica Srebrenice Samir Mehanovic

What happens to you when you live in a society riven by civil war, when you’re forced to entertain the inconceivable thought that your neighbors are out to kill you? Hatidza, one of the mothers of Srebrenica, sums up this sense of disillusionment: “Because of what happened in World War II, we thought people must have been uncivilized back then. We thought civilization had progressed and that we understood each other now.”

And the disillusionment was followed by fear. Survivors of the 1995 siege of Srebrenica talk about the events leading up to the mass murder of 8,372 Bosnian men. Women and children were carried off in buses, and along the way they saw “their” men, half-naked on a soccer field. One of the girls was the then-13-year-old Zinahida. She thought they were being driven to her deaths while the men played soccer. The Fog of Srebrenica presents interviews that are structured in chapters, each of which handles a new phase of this atrocity: the chaos and desperation, the starvation, the severely weakened Bosnian militias marching through the woods—a hellish ordeal that few survived.

The sometimes-shocking images of the past drag up the horrors of a nightmare that just won’t end.

Samir Mehanovic: Pigs Flying Pink (fiction, 2002) Game Over (fiction, 2004) The Way We Played (fiction, 2005) Richard and I (2008) Class Enemy: A Message from Sarajevo (2008) Anant (fiction, 2013) Silent War Beqaa Valley (2014)

57

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Finland, 2015 DCP, color, 56 min Director: Kati Juurus Cinematography: Jouni Soikkeli Screenplay: Kati Juurus Editing: Antti Isoaho Sound: Martin Makasi Music: Jimi Tenor Narration: Kati Juurus Narrator: Abdallah Musa Production: Erkko Lyytinen for YLE World Sales: YLE Screening Copy: YLE Involved TV Channel: YLE

For Kibera!

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Kati Juurus

Boy Dallas lives in Kibera, a famous slum in Nairobi, Kenya with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, making it the second largest in Africa. Here, Dallas works as a radio personality and is known as “the voice of Kibera.” He’s inundated with stories of injustice, and Dallas increasingly starts to wonder why it is that he’s so poor. “A human life is cheap in Kibera. We are born, we survive and we die. We are just slum people.”

Kibera is a “celebrity slum” where more than 200 NGOs are active and many famous people have paid a visit. Nevertheless, rape and murder are business as usual, the streets are filthy and there are no sewers. The little river where Dallas played as a child has dried up and is full of trash. What use are the new apartment buildings (with parking spaces!) to the residents of Kibera? As a self-taught cameraman, Dallas sets out to find out why a neighborhood that has received so much help for so long is still in such a terrible state. He talks to ambassadors and donors and sees just how different their world is from his. With his handheld camera, he reveals the harsh reality of living in Kibera.

58

Kati Juurus: Fingerprints (2009) One Man Peace (2012) Two Men From China (2012) Emissionary Men (2014) Women on the Border (2015)

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Russia, 2014 DCP, color / black-and-white, 54 min Director: Ivan S. Tverdovskiy Cinematography: Ivan I. Tverdovskiy, Ivan

Alferov, Evgeny Kokusev, Alex Mikeladze

Screenplay: Ivan S. Tverdovskiy Editing: Andrey Demidov Sound: Evgueny Kadimsky Sound Design: Evgueny Kadimsky Music: Evgueny Kadimsky Production: Ivan S. Tverdovskiy for Point of View Executive Production: Mihail Gridin for Point Of View World Sales: Point Of View Screening Copy: Point Of View Awards: Best Documentary Artdocfest Moscow

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Grumant: Island of Communism Grumant: ostrov kommunizma Ivan S. Tverdovskiy

“An island of communism” is how tourists refer to Barentsburg, a settlement on the island of Svalbard where Russian seasonal workers live. The filmmaker follows a group of miners from their home country, where they say an emotional farewell to their loved ones, to bleak Barentsburg, where Lenin stands lonely and freezing on his pedestal, and where cash money doesn’t exist—all purchases are deducted from the workers’ salaries.

“There’s nothing good here,” one of the miners tells us. And he’s by no means the only one who thinks so. Nevertheless, most of these Russians have been coming here since the 1990s to work the mines in a place where the sun never shines, even aboveground.

The miners find warmth in a former ski chalet that’s used as a church. Their funny traditions and rehearsals for the New Year’s party provide a welcome diversion. The candid stories of the miners are told in voice-over alongside those of other workers, including a music teacher from Ukraine who runs the recreation center, a surgeon who didn’t like the pressure of working in Moscow, and a married couple who keeps livestock and talks with great melancholy about the old days on the island.

Ivan S. Tverdovskiy: The Long Vacations of the 30’s (2003), A Little Victory War (2005), Between Dept and Feelings (2005), Marshals of the Victory (2005), 40’s. Pages From the Memory Notebook (2006), Rihard Zorge’s Riddles (2006), Loyalty to the Soldier’s Memory (2007), Leonid Solovyev. Troublemaker (2007), Quiet Boris Barnett’s Film (2008), The Incident of Town M (fiction, 2008), Volunteer. 2 Parts (2009), General Douglass.

Interrupted Flight (2009), Sokha and Cross of Vasiliy Belov (2009), Gosfilmofond (2010), From the Notes of the Old Pianist (2010), Area of Silence (2011), The Russian Road (2012), The Town of the Sun in a Russian Style (2012), Mordovya Through the Millennium (2013), Trough, Skis, Bike (2013), Dmitriev (2014)

59

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

France, 2015 DCP, color, 63 min Director: Jérôme Clément-Wilz Cinematography: Jérôme Clément-Wilz Editing: Ael Dallier-Vega Sound: Jérôme Clément-Wilz Sound Design: Vincent Villa Music: Benjamin Morando Production: François-Pierre Clavel for Kidam Co-Production: Vice Media France Screening Copy: Kidam Involved TV Channel: France Télévisions

Horse-Being

WORLD PREMIERE

Être cheval ou Pony Girl Starfighter Jérôme Clément-Wilz

The main character of Horse-Being is Karen, a 50-year-old French former teacher and father of a daughter. Karen is currently training with an American cowboy for her transformation into a horse. In this form of role-play, known as “pony play,” Karen dresses up as a “horse-being.” As she undergoes physical training for dressage and pulling a cart, the boundary between reality and dream blurs. An associative montage of handheld footage in which Karen works with the cowboy among the horses segues into lyrical shots that finally dissolve into dream images of a mythical, paradisiacal forest. The recurring androgynous voice of a male soprano on the soundtrack, singing Thomas Morley’s song “Sweet nymph, come to thy lover,” gives an aural representation of the reverie that allows Karen to escape from the everyday world, which she finds hard to bear. On the National Day of the Horse, she meets another “pony” who dreams of being a unicorn. Between the almost magical training sessions, Karen reflects—in the kitchen of her lodgings or outside with a cigarette—on the meaning and value of pony play in her life. A poetic reflection on humanity, gender, life, love and nature.

60

Jérôme Clément-Wilz: A Baptism of Fire (2014) Spring (2014)

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Italy, 2015 DCP, color, 58 min Director: Valeria Testagrossa, Nicola Grignani, Andrea Zambelli Cinematography: Andrea Zambelli, Valeria Testagrossa Screenplay: Valeria Testagrossa, Nicola Grignani, Andrea Zambelli Editing: Luca Gasparini Sound: Nicola Grignani Sound Design: Salvatore Tagliavia Production: Enrico Pacciani for Alkermes Screening Copy: Alkermes Involved TV Channel: BOS

Irrawaddy Mon Amour

WORLD PREMIERE

Valeria Testagrossa, Nicola Grignani, Andrea Zambelli

Young street vendor Soe Ko lives in a small village on the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar.

He’s in love with Saing Ko, a quiet mason from another village, and dreams of a wedding with all the trimmings: beautiful clothes, jewelry and makeup. But Myanmar is governed by a military regime and marriage between two men is strictly forbidden.

Homosexuality isn’t accepted and many homosexuals suffer stigmatization and discrimination. In this particular little community, however, there is an exceptional, small circle that does welcome homosexuals. There are regular meetings at which young people can tell their sometimes-heartrending stories of exclusion by family and other villagers, and find support within the group. Among them are a human rights activist, a schoolteacher, a shaman and a beautician. They decide to make a marriage between the two young lovers a reality. The film follows and observes them closely during the preparations for the wedding. Even though everything has to be done in secret, they receive help from all sides. Housewives from the village prepare a wedding meal and Buddhist monks perform the official ceremony. The wedding cumulates in an exuberant celebration that shows that love refuses to be oppressed.

Valeria Testagrossa, Alberto Mussolini, Luca Scaffidi & Andrea Zambelli: Striplife (2013)

61

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Poland, 2015 DCP, color, 50 min Director: Piotr Bernas Cinematography: Marcin Laskawiec, Piotr Bernas, Lukasz Zal Screenplay: Piotr Bernas Editing: Marcin Latanik, Pawel Laskowski,

Piotr Bernas, Ziemowit Jaworski Sound: Piotr Pastuszak, Dariusz Wancerz Sound Design: Piotr Pastuszak Production: Marta Golba for Endorfina Studio, Piotr Bernas Screening Copy: Endorfina Studio

Life of a Butterfly

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Zycie motyla Piotr Bernas

Nicknamed Rózal, the Polish professional heavyweight Marcin Rózalski looks menacing with his shaved head, tattoo-covered body and his two pit bulls Stalin and Satan. This is an image that generates considerable popularity among the audience. Meanwhile, he wins a lot of fights and earns a good living. For this portrait, filmmaker Piotr Bernas went searching for the person behind this bellicose mask and attempted to discover what motivates this man to train day in and day out, making his money by fighting.

Beautiful close-ups of the training, preparations for a match and the triumph and pain that follow are interspersed with footage of Marcin’s private life with his girlfriend Marta and her young son. He is 33 and realizes that his martial arts career can come to an end at any moment. “My expiration date is coming soon,” he says without any hint of sarcasm. On the one hand, he longs for the day when an opponent beats him to a pulp and he can start another chapter. On the other, he feels resigned to his fate.

“I’m vulgar, I’m aggressive, I’m unpredictable, I’m a 200 percent freak.”

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Piotr Bernas: Paparazzi (2011) Arena (2013)

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 55 min Director: Meral Uslu Cinematography: Meral Uslu Screenplay: Lies Janssen Editing: Floor Rodenburg Sound: Meral Uslu Sound Design: Mark Meewis Production: Meral Uslu for CEM media Screening Copy: CEM media Involved TV Channel: NTR

My Cancer

WORLD PREMIERE

Mijn kanker Meral Uslu

Meral Uslu has an aggressive form of breast cancer. As a filmmaker, she wants to document her treatment, but not by placing a camera between the doctor and the patient. In My Cancer, the camera is the patient, giving viewers the feeling that it is they who are being treated. At the start of the film, one of Uslu’s doctors summarizes the options for treatment: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, breast and armpit surgery, and hormone therapy. What follows are conversations with an assortment of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other health workers involved in Uslu’s treatment.

These conversations—all of them with empathetic practitioners who are sincere in their appraisal of her chances—combine to form an intimate account of the relationship between doctor and patient, offering a lucid perspective on a complex subject. The main focus is on Uslu’s body, the body that has betrayed her and that she no longer trusts. Unselfconsciously, Uslu shows us what she must go through in order to get better. We see her IV getting inserted, radiation burns and surgical scars inspected and her breast implant massaged. After all the violence done to the physical self, the end of the treatment is just a first step on the long road to recovery, for both body and spirit alike.

Meral Uslu: Roos & Rana (2001) Chess King Ali (2002) My Father’s Children (2003) Black Tulip (2005) Be Mocro (2005) Snackbar (fiction, 2012) a.o.

Meral Uslu & Maria Mok: Farewell VMBO (2004) Longstay (2007) Cross Aid Post (2007) Anker & Anker (2009) Juvenile Judge (2010) The defence of Robert M.(2013)

63

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Russia, 2015 DCP, black-and-white, 40 min Director: Ruslan Fedotow, Alexandra Kulak Cinematography: Ruslan Fedotow, Alexandra Kulak Editing: Ruslan Fedotow, Alexandra Kulak Sound: Andrey Dergachev Narration: Olga Polevikova Production: Pavel Karykhalin for Stereotactic Screening Copy: Beat Films

Salamanca

WORLD PREMIERE

Ruslan Fedotow, Alexandra Kulak

For generations, the Salamanca community of Mennonites has been living in the same modest and rigidly organized way. The inhabitants live in houses built by their forebears, and work in fields first planted by the same ancestors. All the men in this small community in Mexico wear dungarees, check shirts and Stetsons, while the women wear dark dresses and hats with ribbons. In the school classroom, boys sit on the left, girls on the right, all their hats hanging neatly, and separately, on the rear wall. Their only textbook is the Bible. The stylized shots—some silent and still as photographs, others scanning the scene—capture the daily life of a family with eight children. The sisters braid each other’s hair, schoolboys play tag on a sand-covered square, and all the children eat in silence at the lamp-lit dining table. Black-and-white shots of modern-day scenes are accompanied by a voice-over narrating a man’s recollections of his youth. “As soon as I close my eyes,” he explains, “I go back to the past, to the moment when I made the choice that shaped my entire life.” Speaking in the Plautdietsch language, he talks calmly of the strong curiosity he felt as a young boy about the world beyond Salamanca and the Mennonite faith—a curiosity for which he paid dearly.

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Ruslan Fedotow & Aleksandra Kulak: Christmas (2014) Ruslan Fedotow: Simonova (2011) Aleksandra Kulak: OK Good (2015)

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Italy, 2015 DCP, color, 52 min Director: Mattia Epifani Cinematography: Giorgio Giannoccaro Screenplay: Mattia Epifani, Francesco Lefons Editing: Mattia Soranzo Sound: Gianluigi Gallo Sound Design: Gianluigi Gallo Music: Gabriele Panico Production: Giovanni Antelmi & Massimo

Modugno & Cristina Piscitelli & Davide Barletti for Fluid Produzioni – Ubulibri World Sales: Deckert Distribution GmbH Screening Copy: Deckert Distribution GmbH Website: www.thesuccessor.net

The Successor

WORLD PREMIERE

Il successore Mattia Epifani

Who’s to blame for the deadly devastation that landmines cause? Is it those who lay the mines in the ground, or perhaps the manufacturer? Should the engineer who devises the technology bear moral responsibility for the victims? Vito Alfieri Fontana is grappling with these and other existential issues of guilt and punishment. This Italian engineer is the former owner of the arms company Tecnovar, which produced antipersonnel and anti-tank mines for about 30 years. Fontana succeeded his authoritarian father in the company, and at first he asked no questions. Old promotional material for the Tecnovar extols the durability of the product and illustrates how the mines can be dropped thousands at a time, rolled out like carpets of death. They may be easy to place, but the job of clearing them is dangerous, difficult, and time-consuming. Fontana travels to Bosnia-Herzegovina to reckon with himself. There he meets Nijaz Nemic, a paralympic skier. The two men look back on decisive moments in their lives, such as when Fontana’s son confronted him with the consequences of his occupation. Their subdued and reflective conversations are accompanied here and there by impressionist imagery, while archive footage illustrates the madness and destruction of war.

Mattia Epifani: Rockman (2011) Ubu R1E (2014) The Best (2015)

65

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

UK, Lebanon, Switzerland, 2015 DCP, color, 56 min Director: Mani Y. Benchelah Cinematography: Mani Y. Benchelah Editing: Mariko Montpetit Music: Marios Takoushis Production: Charly Feldman for MAKE Productions Executive Production: Sian Kevill & Sarah

MacDonald for MAKE Productions

Screening Copy: MAKE Productions

WORLD PREMIERE

This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees Mani Y. Benchelah

Over the course of a year, Emmy-award-winning director Mani Yassir Benchelah made this intimate portrait of Syrian refugee children forced to flee from the violence of civil war to neighboring Lebanon. It tells the stories of the children’s lives in their own words and captures the moving truth of how they deal with loss, hardship and dashed hopes.

While her younger brother fetches water, Aya talks about how a soldier pressured her to provide information about her father. Little Nouredine lived through the siege of Homs and, stuttering, explains how he believes that President Assad’s soldiers are following him everywhere. Thirteen-year-old Layim harbors feelings of vengeance, although he actually likes nothing better than to help people, for example by handing out rations.

Nearly all the children look forward to returning home one day, but Fatima, who is disabled, is thriving in Switzerland where she feels fully acknowledged for the first time. Mustafa desperately wants to study, but he has to work for the money his family needs so badly. Through the prism of their testimony, we gain perspective on the fate of millions of Syrian refugees, half of whom are children.

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Mani Y.Benchelah: Battle for Syria: On the Ground with the Farouk Brigade (2012), The Syrian Town Caught Between Assad and AlQaeda (2012), Syria’s Video Journalists Battle to Tell the “Truth” (2012), The Horror of Homs (2012), Hostages of the Gunmen (2013), With the Muslim Brotherhood, From Coup to Crackdown (2013), The Syrian Refugees Seeking a Safe Haven to Sweden, Turkey, Greece (2013), Syria’s Kurds, Fighting a War Within a War (2013), Under Kurdish Rules (2014)

COMPETITION PROGRAMS

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary Dutch documentaries have always occupied an important position at the festival, which is highlighted with this dedicated competition. A five-member international jury (see page 15) evaluates the 11 films in this competition and selects the winner of the Beeld en Geluid IDFA Award for Dutch Documentary (€7,500), provided by The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, and the IDFA Special Jury Award for Dutch Documentary (€2,500).

Four of the films are also eligible for another IDFA Award and can be found in the respective sections of the catalogue. Both A Strange Love Affair with Ego (see page 30) and this year’s opening film A Family Affair (see page 23) are also selected for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary; the latter is also competing in the IDFA DOC U Competition.

My Cancer (see page 63) is also selected for the IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary.

Boudewijn de Groot – Come Closer is also screening in the Music Documentary section (see page 177)

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

Boudewijn de Groot – Come Closer Boudewijn de Groot – Kom nader Suzanne Raes

WORLD PREMIERE

Boudewijn de Groot never planned to be a singer. As a student at the film academy in the early 1960s he dreamed of success as an actor or director, but it were his melodies and his voice that brought him fame and many hits. Now, 50 years later, he is giving a concert to say farewell to the songs that took the Dutch charts by storm. Boudewijn de Groot is known to be introverted, even mysterious. This film shows a calm and inscrutable man in the run-up to his farewell concert. He says little and displays few emotions, but his personality takes shape through the reflections and recollections of family members and friends. Old pals like singer Henny Vrienten and actor Jeroen Krabbé recall the past and discuss the somewhat estranged relationship between the singer and his longtime songwriting partner, the lyricist Lennaert Nijgh. De Groot’s elusive personality and well-known and lesser-known songs from his substantial oeuvre come to life in beautiful archive material that includes original interviews, TV performances and concerts, as well as original film footage shot by De Groot and Nijgh themselves.

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 89 min Director: Suzanne Raes Cinematography: Benito Strangio Screenplay: Suzanne Raes Editing: Elja de Lange Sound: Alex Booy Sound Design: Alex Booy Music: Boudewijn de Groot Production: Fabie Hulsebos for Docmakers Screening Copy: Docmakers Involved TV Channel: NTR

Suzanne Raes:

A Small Revolution (1995), Een krokodil in de woestijn (1996), Het einde van het kind (1997), Haagse klasse, op school in de Schilderswijk (1997), Gouden tijden, over geld en karakter (2000), Stars of Europe (2001), Haagse klasse, 5 jaar later (2002), Hoe meer zieken, hoe meer winst (2003), Na de vogelpest (2003), Ruis (2003), Jolieke (2004), Joëlle (2004), Pain (2005), Heir of Elsschot (2006), The Houses of Hristina (2007), The Rainbow Warriors of Waiheke Island (2009), Hold on Tight – De Dijk (2011), The Successor of Kakiemon (2012) a.o.

A Boy’s Dream

De jongensdroom Walther Grotenhuis, Cinta Forger

WORLD PREMIERE

Each year, the artist Theo Jansen tests out his latest strandbeesten (“beach animals”) on the Dutch coast. These are almost mythical beings made from manipulated plastic tubes, tie wraps and sails. Powered by the wind, these PVC arthropods can move independently across the sand. In A Boy’s Dream, we follow the philosophically inclined artist as he carries out his impressive tests on the beach and during his travels to Japan and the United States, in the hope that his creations will not only garner public recognition, but will also attract the interest of museum curators. In the meantime, Jansen always speaks animatedly about the evolution of his creations and the sometimes fragile balance between his work and his private life. The film is also a portrait of the master at work, creating great feats of technology: from mini-strandbeesten to insane-looking colossuses that wouldn’t be out of place in a sci-fi film.

And all of them powered only by the wind or air pressure from plastic bottles.

Slogging along, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of PVC creaking, the oftenhuge strandbeesten patrol the coastline. Impressively, as Jansen himself still thinks: “I am creating a new piece of nature, adding a new species.” The fact that his strandbeesten can’t live without him is disconcerting, as is his own mortality.

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The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 75 min Director: Walther Grotenhuis, Cinta Forger Cinematography: Adri Schrover Screenplay: Sarah Vos Editing: Mario Steenbergen Sound: Hens van Rooij Production: Walther Grotenhuis for Olympic Films Executive Production: Cinta Forger Screening Copy: Olympic Films Involved TV Channel: NTR

Walther Grotenhuis & Cinta Forger:

Tajiri’s Labyrinth (2000), Motormania, the Heartbeat of a Dutch Village (2002), Boundless Love (2004), The Cool Rage of Bernhard Willem Holtrop (2007), Jeanne (2011), It Might Be Dark Tomorrow (2011), Ghosts from the Past (2014) a.o.

Walther Grotenhuis:

A Truth With Many Faces (1993), Bab al Yemen (1993), The Electronic Curtain (1996), Enjoy Your Meal! (2011)

Cinta Forger:

The Exchange (1992), The Roseseller (1994), Double Life (1997)

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

Eritrea Stars John Appel

WORLD PREMIERE

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 55 min Director: John Appel Cinematography: Erik van Empel, John Appel Editing: Mario Steenbergen Sound: Mark Wessner Sound Design: Hugo Dijkstal Production: Nicoline Tania for VPRO Screening Copy: VPRO

John Appel:

Radio Daniëlle (1987) Johnny Meijer (1993) Vredenhof (1997) Little Lithuania (1997) Trench of Death (1999) André Hazes – She Believes in Me (1999) The Promised Land (2000) Senegal Surplace (2003) The Last Victory (2003) Holland in Speeches (2004) There Goes My Heart (2005) The Last Honour (2005) The Player (2009) Wrong Time Wrong Place (2012) a.o.

In 2012, the Eritrean soccer team defected during a tournament in Uganda. Two years later, the players turn up in the Dutch city of Gorinchem. The local cop and the soccer team immediately conscript the refugees: they are given a place to stay, clothing and of course soccer training—after all, the local team wouldn’t mind a shot at the Africa Cup. Team members are filmed practicing, in Dutch class and at the apartment they share, while their trainer and others discuss the situation. The players talk about what they think of the Netherlands and what their expectations for the future are. Fear of reprisals at home means they don’t talk about their flight stories, but an Eritrean journalist uses interview excerpts to explain what life in a dictatorship is like. While the soccer team dreams of success, the players have other things on their minds. They are impatient and want to lead their own lives outside the realm of soccer. This provides some wonderful but painful insights into micro-level aid: good intentions can’t compete with high expectations. Will the players make their dreams come true?

Garage 2.0

Catherine van Campen WORLD PREMIERE

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 85 min Director: Catherine van Campen Cinematography: Jean Counet, Jefrim Rothuizen Editing: Albert Markus Sound: Mark Wessner Sound Design: Marc Lizier Production: Joost Seelen for Zuidenwind Filmproductions Executive Production: Monique Lesterhuis World Sales: NPO Sales Screening Copy: Zuidenwind Filmproductions Involved TV Channel: NTR

Catherine van Campen: Eternal Mash (2007) Drona & Me (2009) Flying Anne (2010) Painful Painting (2011) Joan’s Boys (2013)

In this funny, abrasive and moving portrait of the Kooijman car dealership, we watch as the company struggles to survive during the recession. Anyone accustomed to working in an office environment is certain to find many scenes familiar—and funny in a cringeworthy way. The viewer is invited to sit in on a performance review meeting between the boss and one of his employees. The auto mechanic gets to hear that “There’s never much of a friendly expression on your face—unless you’re in a bar, that is.” A lack of friendliness is most certainly not a good thing, and “customer experience” is what it’s all about. When it comes to marketing strategy, the Nespresso machine is Kooijman’s great example.

Elsewhere, the camera follows the daily lives of several employees. And so we learn about life outside the world of targets, customer experience and customer satisfaction in scenes filmed with a photographic eye, dialogues that seem to have been written for the stage, and just the occasional voice-over. It raises the issue of how “work” is viewed in this sector—or perhaps all sectors—in the Netherlands. The filmmaker also questions the high price we are prepared to pay for status and recognition. Images of damaged cars brought into Kooijman’s garage contrast sharply with glamorous shots of car shows, leather gearshift knobs and glistening race cars.

69

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

Inside the Chinese Closet Sophia Luvara

WORLD PREMIERE Instead of being proud of his son, the father of a successful Chinese architect named Andy is worried. Andy, who lives in Shanghai, has come out of the closet, and his father is overcome with shame. Cherry’s mother is struggling with a similar issue because her daughter is attracted to women. Cherry’s family comes from rural China where homosexuality is widely regarded as unacceptable. So the parents of both protagonists start looking for some way of covering it up, and both conclude that their suffering would be eased by a marriage of convenience—followed by children.

The film follows Andy and Cherry in their frantic efforts to find “acceptable” partners.

They can be themselves when they’re out with friends, but then we see them at a “fake marriage fair” where gay men and women attempt to make matrimonial deals with one another. It leads to some rather awkward dates for Andy and his candidate spouses, followed by the unavoidable phone calls to update his increasingly impatient father. Andy and Cherry are courageous and extraordinarily candid in their presentation of a thorny issue in China, and one that is usually hidden from view. Their stories shed light on a nation in transition. China is modernizing rapidly, but older generations are still clinging to old-fashioned values.

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 70 min Director: Sophia Luvara Cinematography: Ton Peters Editing: Diego Gutierrez, Stefan Kamp, Patrick Schonewille Sound: Mike Hough, Qiao Xin, Amos Ho Sound Design: Jeroen Goeijers Music: Alex Simu Production: Boudewijn Koole & Iris Lammertsma & Jantien Ekkes for Witfilm World Sales: Films Transit International Inc. Distribution for the Netherlands: Herrie Film & TV Screening Copy: Witfilm Involved TV Channel: NTR

Sophia Luvara:

Road to Fureidis (2011) Ishmael’s Forgotten Children of Israel (2011) Soldiers (2012) Zaatary (2013)

Jheronimus Bosch, Touched by the Devil Jheronimus Bosch, geraakt door de duivel Pieter van Huystee

WORLD PREMIERE

In 2016, the Noordbrabants Museum in the Dutch city of Den Bosch will be holding a special exhibition devoted to the work of Jheronimus Bosch, who died 500 years ago. This late-medieval artist lived his entire life in the city, causing uproar with his fantastical and utterly unique paintings in which hell and the devil always played a prominent role. In preparation for the exhibition, a team of Dutch art historians crisscrosses the globe to unravel the secrets of his art. They use special infrared cameras to examine the sketches beneath the paint, in the hope of discovering more about the artist’s intentions. They also attempt to establish which of the paintings can be attributed with certainty to Bosch himself, and which to his pupils or followers. The experts shuttle between Den Bosch, Madrid and Venice, cutting their way through the art world’s tangle of red tape, in a battle against the obstacle of countless egos and conflicting interests. Not every museum is prepared to allow access to their precious art works. And Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam and Prado in Madrid have scheduled their own Jheronimus Bosch exhibitions to run simultaneously with the one in Den Bosch.

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The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 83 min Director: Pieter van Huystee Cinematography: Hans Fels, Gregor Meerman, Giuliano Andreotti, Erik van Empel, David de Jongh Editing: David de Jongh, Chris van Oers, Tim Wijbenga Sound Design: Mark Glynne Music: Paul M. van Brugge Production: Pieter van Huystee for Pieter van Huystee Film World Sales: Films Transit International Inc. Screening Copy: Pieter van Huystee Film Involved TV Channel: NTR

Pieter van Huystee: directing debut

Pitched at the Forum 2011

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

Mr. Hu and the Temple Yan Ting Yuen

WORLD PREMIERE

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 55 min Director: Yan Ting Yuen Cinematography: Wiro Felix, Reinout Steenhuizen, Joewi Verhoeven Editing: Noud Holtman, Katarina Türler Sound: Fokke van Saane Sound Design: Mark Glynne Production: Arjen Oosterbaan & Jia Zhao for China Europe Docsalon World Sales: China Europe Docsalon Screening Copy: China Europe Docsalon Involved TV Channel: Buddhist Broadcasting Foundation

Yan Ting Yuen:

Chin.Ind: Leven achter het doorgeefluik (2001) Yang Ban XI, the 8 Model Works (2005) Dinner with Murakami (2007) The Secret of Hema (2012/2013) Don’t Shoot the Messenger (2013)

Mr. Hu has a dream: to build a Buddhist temple in the Netherlands. This will bridge the gap between the Chinese population in China and in the Netherlands. A businessman himself, Hu knows very little about this philosophy that is practiced by monks with shaved heads and orange robes. What he does know is that most Dutch Chinese work in restaurants from morning to night and could really benefit from the calming element of Buddhism. The temple should be built in collaboration with an established complex in China. He chooses Mount Putuo, a complex on an island southwest of Shanghai.

The camera switches between China and the Netherlands, resulting in contrasting images of old and new, East and West, peace and chaos. A monk waters the plant on Mount Putuo, while Mr. Hu races around a newly built suburb in search of a suitable location. A number of monks travel to the Netherlands to offer advice. Which Buddha figures should go where, and what type of interior design is suited to modern times without compromising tradition? Thanks to the Chinese community, the nearly €500,000 needed for the endeavor is easily secured. But things become tense when the project gets held up. Will East and West be able to agree on the practical implementation of Buddhist values?

The World According to Monsieur Khiar De wereld volgens Monsieur Khiar Sjors Swierstra

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 55 min Director: Sjors Swierstra Cinematography: Erik van Empel Editing: Menno Boerema Sound: Mark Wessner Sound Design: Mark Glynne Music: Wouter van Bemmel Production: Cécile van Eijk & Sherman De Jesus for Memphis Film & Television World Sales: Memphis Film & Television Screening Copy: Memphis Film & Television Involved TV Channel: NTR

Sjors Swierstra:

Heart of the Neighbourhood (2006) The Sugarcycle (2007) Stainless (2009) KBTR (2012)

WORLD PREMIERE

After ten years of working in war zones as a documentary photographer for the New York Times and Vanity Fair, the Dutchman Jeroen Robert Kramer decided to start a new life as an artist in Lebanon. In his hometown of Beirut, he meets Monsieur Khiar, an elderly gentleman in whom he recognizes a better version of himself. “Khiar is the hero I could never be,” Kramer states. “He is the most impressive person I’ve ever met in my life.”

Their walks through the old neighborhoods of Beirut, their talks about art, literature and the beauty of small things become a source of inspiration for Kramer. He still feels shame and remorse about photographing people in the worst moments of their lives, without asking their permission. Instead of focusing on the spectacular, Kramer is now attempting to tell an everyday story—one that can help him transform the scars of his past into a work of art. As Monsieur Khiar refuses to be photographed, Kramer’s fascination turns into an obsession.

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EUROPEAN FILM MARKET  IT ALL STARTS HERE.

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Online Film Submission until December 22.

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21.10.15 22:54

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COMPETITION PROGRAMS IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

IDFA explores the cutting edge of digital and interactive documentary in its new media program DocLab. Fifteen interactive documentary projects are competing in the IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling. A three-member international jury (see page 16) selects the winners of the IDFA DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling (€5,000). The jury also selects the winner of the new IDFA DocLab Immersive Non-Fiction Award (€2,500), for which projects in the DocLab: Seamless Reality Program are also eligible.

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

The Deeper They Bury Me Angad Bhalla, Ted Biggs

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Ever since a controversial conviction for the murder of a prison guard in 1972, Herman Wallace has been living in solitary confinement in Louisiana State Penitentiary. This interactive documentary allows the user to look around both his cramped cell and the imaginary home he was asked to design by the artist Jackie Sumell, who was curious about what sort of dream house such a long-term prisoner would come up with. Wallace’s world opens up, step by step, as the user moves around it. Behind some of the objects in the cell and the house we find a short video clip in which Wallace provides information, as if in a telephone conversation. He talks about the consequences of his isolation, the permanent camera surveillance, the lack of privacy and his mental deterioration. Animations depict his dreams and desires, while archive footage and clips from interviews with those who were there illustrate the bizarre penal system in the United States. Wallace’s temporary relocation to a communal dormitory is a high point in his existence. But it’s also a short stint, because soon afterwards he’s back living under the harsh daily regime of 23 hours in his cell and one hour of exercise. We’re allowed to walk wherever we want, but for no longer than 20 minutes, which is the maximum amount of time a prisoner can spend on the phone each day.

Canada, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Angad Bhalla, Ted Biggs Sound Design: Daniel Pellerin Animation: Nicolas Brault Web Development: Heather Grieve, Mike Robbins Production: Anita Lee for National Film Board of Canada, Lisa ValenciaSvensson for Storyline Entertainment Executive Production: Ed Barreveld for Storyline Entertainment World Sales: National Film Board of Canada Screening Copy: National Film Board of Canada Website: www.acallfromherman.nfb.ca

Angad Bhalla:

U.A.I.L. Go Back (2003) Writings on the Wall (2007) Herman’s House (2012)

Ted Biggs:

directing debut

DMZ: Memories of No Man’s Land Hayoun Kwon

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE The Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) is one of the last remnants of the Cold War. The strip, 150 miles (250 kilometers) long and 2.5 miles (four kilometers) wide, separates North and South Korea and is one of the most heavily guarded areas in the world. It’s estimated that some two million land mines are buried there, and border guards peer at one another across the strip day and night. At Panmunjom, there are hundred-meter-tall flagpoles flying the flags of both nations, and loudspeakers spit out propaganda 20 hours a day. DMZ: Memories of No Man’s Land uses virtual reality to explore this strip of land, which ordinary citizens aren’t permitted to enter. You can zoom in on guard towers, the barracks where the neighboring nations have been locked in ineffectual negotiations since the ceasefire of 1953, and the muddy paths where soldiers go on risky nocturnal patrols. Korean government officials talk about the origins and history of the zone. In letters, military personnel report on their tours of duty on the border. The paranoia and constant sense of threat are almost palpable, but curiosity drives us to push ever deeper into this impenetrable piece of no man’s land.

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South Korea, 2015 cross-platform, color, 20 min Director: Hayoun Kwon Production: Balthazar Auxietre for InnerspaceVR Screening Copy: InnerspaceVR

Hayoun Kwon:

Lack of evidences (2011) Model village (2014)

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Drawing Room

Jan Rothuizen, Sara Kolster WORLD PREMIERE

The Netherlands, 2015 cross-platform, b&w, 7 min Director: Jan Rothuizen, Sara Kolster In Collaboration with: Juul Spee and Harm van de Ven for Zesbaans Music: Roald van Oosten Narration: Eelco Smits Screening Copy: Jan Rothuizen

Jan Rothuizen:

The Soft Atlas of Amsterdam (crossplatform, 2009), The Soft Atlas of the Netherlands (cross-platform, 2011), Refugee Republic (cross-platform, 2014)

www.janrothuizen.nl Sara Kolster:

Sound Transit (cross-platform, 2005-2010), Het Beloofde Land (cross-platform, 2009), T-Visionarium (cross-platform, 2009), Sochi Project (cross-platform, 2012), Hidden Wounds (cross-platform, 2012), Westermoskee (cross-platform, 2014), Love Radio (cross-platform, 2014), Imperial Courts (cross-platform, 2015)

The visual artist Jan Rothuizen seems to be successful in every medium. Having perfected his half-drawn, half-written maps of the city of his birth in The Soft Atlas of Amsterdam last year, he effortlessly implemented an interactive version of his drawing style in Refugee Republic. Now he’s taking on virtual reality. Drawing Room is his first “drawn reality,” inspired by the tower room on the roof of De Bijenkorf department store in Amsterdam. The oldest department store in the city invited Rothuizen to spend some time there: to take in the view, to wave to the people down on Dam Square, or just to do nothing for a while. Starting this year, De Bijenkorf is inviting creative people of all stripes to find inspiration and create. This is part of a new strategy that’s geared less to the goods and more towards having a “premium experience.” What that exactly is, Rothuizen can tell you in his “drawn reality,” in which real and not real seamlessly merge. However “premium” this location may be, the view doesn’t immediately grant any insight. Take a good look around you: Rothuizen’s sharp observations are playfully spread across his virtual canvas.

www.sarakolster.com

Exhausting a Crowd Kyle McDonald

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

USA, 2015 cross-platform, color, 720 min Director: Kyle McDonald Web Development: Jonas Jongejan Production: Kyle McDonald Website: www.exhaustingacrowd.com

Kyle McDonald:

Empathy (cross-platform, 2004’), Please Remember Me When I’m Gone (cross-platform, 2008), Portrait Machine (cross-platform, 2009), keytweeter (cross-platform, 2009), Only Everything Lasts Forever (crossplatform, 2008-2010), Social Roulette (cross-platform, 2013), Conversnitch (cross-platform, 2013-2014), Sharing Faces (cross-platform, 2013-2014), pplkpr(cross-platform, 2014-2015)

www.kylemcdonald.net

George Perec’s 1974 experimental literary work An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris records observations of details that normally go unnoticed. Exhausting a Crowd does something similar, but this process has now been automated. The result is an absorbing tableau vivant of crowds at Piccadilly Circus in London; users can provide as many “tags” as they want containing observations. Our eye is drawn to the tags already placed by fellow observers who have pointed out details, invented dialogues or ascribed thoughts to passersby. They also offer amusing comments about people’s appearance, pose the occasional philosophical question, refer to well-known figures (Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who and Mad Max) and affix onomatopoeic texts to cars, buses, taxis and pedestrians.

Quite a few of the tags point out people taking selfies or staring at their cell phones: “Caught up in virtual reality,” reports one tag at 11:04 p.m. This artwork reflects on a future when surveillance is an entirely automated combination of machine and human intelligence. It is a beautiful record of life in the common space that offers some alarming insight into the potential for control in a dystopian society.

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IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Imperial Courts

Dana Lixenberg, Eefje Blankevoort WORLD PREMIERE Imperial Courts is the name of a social housing project in the Watts neighborhood of South Los Angeles. The majority of its residents are black Americans. In 1993, just a year after the Rodney King riots raged there, Dutch photographer Dana Lixenberg went to Imperial Courts to take a series of black-and-white portraits. Fifteen years later, she went back to photograph the local people again, and she has been returning yearly ever since. This web documentary takes you into “the projects” to encounter the residents through Lixenberg’s lens. The portraits she took over the course of many years are linked to one another, allowing the user to, for example, browse from an old photo of Tanya K. to far more recent pictures of her, her grandson and her now-adult sons. Her son Floss is a poet, and he pops up again in one of the videos in the section titled “Stories.” Here you can thumb through several pictorial narratives, subdivided into subjects such as “Spoken Word,” “Growing Up in the Courts” and “R.I.P.,” to which residents contribute their own images as well. Lixenberg maintains a distance by always shooting in the public space—the uniform, blue-green low-rise buildings are a recurring motif in her tightly-framed shots, in which a lingering tension is always palpable.

The Netherlands, 2015 cross-platform, color / b&w

Dana Lixenberg:

Director: Dana Lixenberg, Eefje Blankevoort Co-director: Sara Kolster In Collaboration with: Thomas Roebers and Laura Stek Cinematography: Dana Lixenberg Sound: Björn Warning Webdesign: Sara Kolster, Studio Parkers Web Development: Edgar Vijgeboom, Thomas van der Meer Production: Eefje Blankevoort for Stichting Traktor Executive Production: Laura Verduijn Screening Copy: Prospektor

Nieuw (2014) Love Radio (2014)

directing debut

Eefje Blankevoort:

Lahore Landing Jeremy Ho

In Lahore, the cultural heart of Pakistan, a new generation of citizen activists is working to enact change in their embattled country. Four media students from Singapore visit Lahore, where they encounter a Pakistan beyond the violence and terrorism dished up by the media. In words and pictures, their interactive online documentary shows what has moved Lahoris to invest in a better, safer future for their country. The wake-up call for many was the 2014 attack in Peshawar, where seven gunmen killed 132 schoolchildren. Their response to extremism is to make art and give workshops—take the jam session at Olomopolo Media Center or the antiterrorism workshop led by Risham, who’s hoping to make Pakistan a more inclusive and tolerant society for Christians, Hindus, Hazaras and other persecuted communities.

Photos, films and texts introduce us to these and other unlikely optimists in five chapters with titles such as “Dream Worlds,” “The Attacks” and “Rise.” In the words of one citizen activist, “Change is stewing and we are the chefs of that change.”

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Singapore, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Jeremy Ho Cinematography: Andre He Editing: Jeremy Ho, Andre He Webdesign: Jemimah Seow Web Development: Ng Yi Qi Production: Taahira Ayoob for Lahore Landing Team Executive Production: Nikki Draper Screening Copy: Lahore Landing Team Website: www.lahorelanding.com

Jeremy Ho:

The Watchmen of Rochor (2014)

www.ieremv.com

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Life on Hold Reem Haddad

Qatar, 2015 cross-platform, color

Reem Haddad: directing debut

Director: Reem Haddad Co-director: Dima Gharbawi Shaibani and Ralph Dfouni Cinematography: Houssam Hariri Editing: Dima Gharbawi Shaibani Sound: Christelle Franca, Ramzi Mady Webdesign: Kevin Lo Web Development: Ghassan Fayyad Production: Reem Haddad & Abir Hashem for Al Jazeera English World Sales/Screening Copy: Al Jazeera English Involved TV Channel: Al Jazeera English Website: lifeonhold.aljazeera.com

Over a million Syrians have flooded into Lebanon, where they now make up a quarter of the population. We share their experiences in 10 powerful Internet videos from Al Jazeera, supplemented by a graphic representation of their escape route. Young Mohammad works with his father in a kebab shop and reflects on the bodies he saw and his friend, who was killed in a bomb explosion. “I wish it was me who was killed,” he tells us. A celebrated poet sees the refugees above all as people who have lost their purpose in life. As a former employee of the Syrian Ministry of Education, it’s extra hard for him to watch his son missing school. “A whole generation is being lost.” For a 17-year-old Syrian soldier who fought against government forces in Syria, it was kill or be killed. “After I killed the first one, I felt invincible.” He’s now in Lebanon being treated for a gunshot wound and can no longer work. An idealistic young doctor was repeatedly imprisoned for his opposition to the Syrian regime. He finally fled Syria and had to give up his dream of a career in medicine.

LoVR

Aaron Bradbury

UK, 2014 cross-platform, color, 4 min Director: Aaron Bradbury Cinematography: Aaron Bradbury Editing: Aaron Bradbury Music: Jon Hopkins Production: Aaron Bradbury Screening Copy: Luniere

Aaron Bradbury:

Loetzinn (fiction, 2004) The Fool Looks at the Finger that Points to the Sky (fiction, 2006) Twinklebox (fiction, 2010) Lumitone (fiction, 2011) v01 (2012) Vortex (fiction, 2012) v02 (2013)

www.luniere.com

Every second, more than 100,000 chemical reactions take place in your brain. But what does that brain activity look like, and what do all those neurons do when you meet the man or woman of your dreams? LoVR is a four-minute virtual reality experience about the staggering moment that you fall in love. Creator Aaron Bradbury not only wants to show us what the brain does when it’s in love, but he also wants us to feel it. He invites us to float around in virtual reality and slightly lose control, just like it feels when we’re head over heels. By day, Bradbury works at the British National Space Centre as a computer graphics designer for planetarium films. This is reflected in the virtual space journey that LoVR offers. Bradbury built his journey on the basis of an electronic track by John Hopkins titled ”Vessel.” Using that music as a leitmotif, he takes us through the poetic storyline of two lovers who find each other’s gaze. He shows us the chemical neural activity that arises—love hormones—and uses data that’s generated by an EEG scan to measure brain activity. In this way, he forges his overwhelming love trip—a poem written in data.

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IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Network Effect

Jonathan Harris, Greg Hochmuth WORLD PREMIERE This interactive collage featuring a never-ending torrent of video clips, messages, figures, lists and other visual noise plays with our natural desire to see and follow everything. A click on one of the keywords at the top of the screen sets off tens of thousands of Internet search results. The word “sing,” for example, triggers a wave of singers and a cacophony of read-aloud Twitter messages about the pleasure of singing. An antagonizing counter indicates how many people are singing at that moment, while graphics illustrate the frequency of the word on the Internet, and a rolling newsfeed announces topical singing-related matters. The sense of urgency we experience is further enhanced by the agitated hubbub of the tweets being read aloud and a background heartbeat. There’s an overwhelming sense that time is running out. The data can only be watched once every 24 hours, and viewing time is limited to around seven minutes—depending on the average life expectancy in our country. But a random piece of trivia still catches our attention, and before we know it we’re trawling through a list of synonyms for “sing.” This is a provocative encounter, with the Internet taking on the role of seducer, mirage and intoxicant.

USA, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Jonathan Harris, Greg Hochmuth Production: Jonathan Harris for There There Screening Copy: There There Website: www.networkeffect.io

Jonathan Harris:

I Love Your Work (cross-media, 2013) Balloons of Bhutan (cross-media, 2011) I Want You To Want Me (cross-media, 2008) The Whale Hunt (cross-media, 2007) We Feel Fine (cross-media, 2006) 10x10 (cross-media, 2004)

www.therethere.is Greg Hochmuth: directing debut

www.grex.nyc

Quipu Project

Proyecto quipu Maria Court, Rosemarie Lerner

WORLD PREMIERE

In the 1990s, during his 10-year reign as president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori launched a new family planning program that resulted in the sterilization of 272,000 women and 22,000 men in only four years. They were almost exclusively rural and indigenous, and thousands have claimed this was done without their informed consent. In many cases the operations weren’t only involuntarily but they were also done poorly, and many suffered from painful complications afterwards. Because indigenous communities often live in isolated villages and are illiterate, it wasn’t until long after Fujimori’s resignation in 2000 that the injustice came to light, and even then only in dribs and drabs. Quipu Project gives these people a tool to make their voices finally heard.

Quipus are knotted cords used by the Incas to convey complex messages, and this interactive documentary project of the same name is a contemporary incarnation of this system. Through a specially established phone line connected to a website, the testimonies of 150 sterilized people have already been collected, and the number of voices continues to grow. The project is being presented publicly for the very first time at IDFA 2015, and its creators intend on making a feature-length documentary the year after next.

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Peru, UK, Chile, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Maria Court, Rosemarie Lerner Webdesign: Helios Design Labs Web Development: Ewan Cass-Kavanagh Production: Sandra TabaresDuque for Chaka Studio Executive Production: Sebastian Melo, Maria Court, Rosemarie Lerner World Sales: Chaka Studio Screening Copy: Chaka Studio Website: www.quipu-project.com

Rosemarie Lerner:

Passion Fruit Grandma (2009) NEM Art Contest Barcelona (2010) Tatá (2011)

Maria Court:

All Ground is Holy (2011) Corsham Street (2013) The King of Instruments (2014)

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

RecoVR: Mosul, a Collective Reconstruction Ziv Schneider, Laura Chen WORLD PREMIERE

USA, 2015 cross-platform, color / b&w

Ziv Schneider:

Director: Ziv Schneider, Laura Chen Production: Project Mosul, The Economist Media Lab Screening Copy: The Economist Media Lab

www.zivschneider.com

Facing the Nameless (2014) Museum of Stolen Art (2015)

Laura Chen:

directing debut

With more than 3,500 archeological sites, including centuries-old religious and historic excavations, Iraq’s second-largest city Mosul has the majority of the country’s archaeological wealth. On June 10, 2014, Mosul was occupied by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Images of the destruction of historic sites and artifacts in the city’s museum made international headlines and shocked the world. RecoVR: Mosul, a Collective Reconstruction is a virtual reality installation created in response to this destruction, allowing us to visit the museum again and find out what happened to some of its key pieces. While walking through the museum we see the destroyed artifacts, digitally reconstructed through crowd-sourced imagery. This virtual environment was created by new media artists Ziv Schneider and Laura Chen. Apart from bringing the historical collection back to life, it also sheds light on ISIL’s war on cultural heritage. The project was in part inspired by the Museum of Stolen Art, an earlier virtual reality project by Schneider that will be released online soon.

The Unknown Photographer Loïc Suty

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Canada, 2015 cross-platform, color / b&w Director: Loïc Suty Production: Louis-Richard Tremblay for National Film Board of Canada, Claire Buffet for Turbulent Executive Production: Marc Beaudet for Turbulent, Hugues Sweeney for National Film Board of Canada

Loïc Suty:

directing debut

The Unknown Photographer is a virtual reality project built around hundreds of photos and drawings dating from World War I, found in a deserted house in the Canadian province of Quebec. The project draws us into the heart of the First World War—into the trenches of the memory of an unknown war photographer. The life-size photos are placed in a computer-animated, abstract and surreal landscape while the photographer talks in voice-over about his memories, and how unreliable they are. We viewers roam this landscape, finding our own way. A steam train thunders past; later, we wander through an endless cemetery. The images and sounds provide an overwhelming experience with a deeper philosophical, poetic level. The Unknown Photographer asks questions about the role of photography in war: people need to be informed of its horrors, but there’s also a risk of desensitization. If there are too many photos, at some point they all start to look the same, losing their meaning. Doesn’t a drawing represent reality more effectively?

The most impressive aspect of this project isn’t the grisly images (nowhere are they really explicit), but the questions these evoke, and the sense of being submerged in the inevitable.

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IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Waves of Grace Chris Milk, Gabo Arora

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE The outbreak of Ebola in West Africa that started in December 2013 was the biggest Ebola epidemic ever. Waves of Grace places us, virtually but convincingly, in the shoes of Decontee Davis, a Liberian woman who recovered from the disease. In West Point, the densely populated township of the Liberian capital of Monrovia where she lives, she talks about the experience of becoming ill and fighting for her life.

She also discusses the many obstacles she has faced after her recovery and how she is using her immunity to the disease to help other patients. Waves of Grace is a collaboration between the leading virtual reality producer VRSE, the United Nations and the media company VICE. Chris Milk co-directs for VRSE. Milk’s background is in directing music videos (including for Arcade Fire, U2 and the Chemical Brothers), but he has been focusing for several years now on innovative cross-media projects, such as The Wilderness Downtown with Arcade Fire and the film made for virtual reality goggles Sound and Vision, with Beck. Gabo Arora (Clouds over Sidra) directs for the UN. Alongside the poignant message, this collaboration results in a highly cinematic virtual experience characterized by surprising camera angles and editing techniques not normally seen in this genre.

USA, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Chris Milk, Gabo Arora Production: Samantha Storr for VRSE, Shane Smith for Vice Films Co-Production: VICE Media Screening Copy: VRSE

Chris Milk

The Johnny Cash Project (cross-media, 2010), The Wilderness Downtown (cross-media, 2010), Hello Again (cross-media, 2013), Walking New York (cross-media, 2015), Clouds Over Sidra (cross-media, 2015), Millions March (cross-media, 2015), Evolution of Verse (cross-media, 2015)

www.milk.co Gabo Arora

Keep the Oil in the Ground (crossmedia, 2014), Clouds Over Sidra (cross-media, 2015)

Witness 360: 7/7 Darren Emerson

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE On July 7, 2005, London was rocked by a series of devastating bombings. Four Al-Qaeda suicide terrorists blew themselves up in the underground and on a bus.

Fifty-two people died and more than 700 were injured in the attack—the most devastating on British soil since a bomb brought down Pan Am Flight 103 in Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. Witness 360 makes it clear what the attacks meant on an individual level. One survivor recounts her experience on that day, but much more how these events continue to haunt her. This makes this form of virtual reality journalism much more than a re-enactment or a recording of eyewitness accounts. The subconscious fear that continues to grow after the attack is perhaps even more devastating than the actual explosions. Clever use of associative images grants us insight and allows us to feel what cannot be shown, or even easily described.

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UK, 2015 cross-platform, color, 13 min Director: Darren Emerson Cinematography: Jem Talbot, Darren Emerson Editing: Conan Roberts Sound Design: Liam Milner Production: Darren Emerson for East City Films Ltd Executive Production: Ashley Cowan Screening Copy: Darren Emerson

Darren Emerson: directing debut

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

word.camera Ross Goodwin

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

USA, 2015 cross-platform, color, 5 min Director: Ross Goodwin Webdesign: Ross Goodwin Web Development: Ross Goodwin Production: Ross Goodwin Screening Copy: Ross Goodwin Website: www.word.camera

Ross Goodwin: directing debut

www.rossgoodwin.com

The creative applications of artificial intelligence technology are becoming increasingly refined. A perfect example is this algorithm that, without human intervention, uses imagery to generate prose and poetry. Take any sort of photo you want, upload it, and the word.camera app will transpose the image into ornate text. A picture of a dead pigeon on a sidewalk might trigger a reflection on mortality; wearing a funny party hat might inspire the app to come up with a joke. This multimedia project uses artificial intelligence algorithms to generate textual descriptions of images. This could be the beginning of a new kind of camera, or a new kind of photography. There are two physical versions of this lexographic camera. The first, built using an old-fashioned film camera, prints texts and relevant passages from novels on the basis of the images it captures. The second is a fully automated pan-tilt-zoom surveillance camera that looks around for faces and describes what it sees in “spoken” words. Ross Goodwin’s word.camera is the harbinger of robots that will interpret and describe their surroundings using human terminology.

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CineLink

CineLink Industry Days 15 - 20 August 2016 Regional Forum

Our coproduction market and work in progress presentation

Major conference for the film industry in Southeast Europe

Docu Rough Cut Boutique

Industry Terrace

Selection of finest docs from the region in rough cut stage presented to the industry

where art meets business - A fast-growing market place - Your space for networking during the festival - Meetings coordination offered

AvantPremiere

- Our platform for the distribution and exhibition sector - Presentations of 25 local films ready for distribution in former Yugoslavia - Strong lineup of companies attending - Cineplexx, Cinestar, Continental Film, Blitz Film & Video, MegaCom Film and more

For the latest news: www.sff.ba | #22ndSFF

A FILM BY

YAN TING YUEN

PRODUCED BY JIA ZHAO ARJEN OOSTERBAAN

Specialized in cultural documentary productions between Europe and China

CONTACT US info@chinaeurope-docsalon.com

Mister Hu and The Temple.indd 1

29/10/2015 17:00

COMPETITION PROGRAMS

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary Fifteen international graduation films are competing in the IDFA Competition for Student Documentary. A three-member international jury (see page 17) evaluates the films and selects the winners of the ARRI IDFA Award for Best Student Documentary (€5,000), provided by manufacturer of motion picture equipment ARRI, and the IDFA Special Jury Award for Student Documentary. ARRI will lend out an Amira camera for the IDFA Special Jury Award winner’s next production.

Three of the films are eligible for other IDFA Awards as well. Arlette – Courage Is a Muscle and The Mute’s House, are also selected for the IDFA DOC U Competition (see page 101).

Into Darkness is also selected for the IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs (see page 93).

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Aida

Maysoon El-Massry WORLD PREMIERE Bright sunlight shines into the shabby little apartment as Aida slowly wraps a scarf around her head. There are stains on her crumpled skirt, and black and gray hairs protrude from her chin. With difficulty, the 86-year-old woman rises from her chair and shuffles in house slippers over to the stairs, dragging a white plastic bag.

Clinging to the bannister, she makes her way down to a wheelchair, which she then pushes along in front of her like a shopping cart, the full bag on the seat. Filmmaker Maysoon El-Massry follows this frail old lady, at times in stylized extreme close-up, then more casually, from a distance. Every day, she battles through the busy streets of Alexandria, Egypt to sell goods no one wants; a Sisyphean task she has kept up for 50 years. The film observes mostly without words as the old woman passes by stationary cars, trying to sell roses to the people inside. One man tries to pay with a cigarette, holding a fresh one up—but she grabs the almost-finished stub he is smoking instead and moves on. She is clearly a familiar sight on these streets—people frequently help her out, but the contact is always fleeting.

Egypt, 2015 DCP, color, 20 min

Maysoon El-Massry:

El Bostan El Saeed Street (fiction, 2014)

Director: Maysoon El-Massry Cinematography: Ibrahim Bekhit Screenplay: Maysoon El-Massry Editing: Maysoon El-Massry, Ikon Chiba Sound Design: Michael Fawzy Music: Samir Nabil Production: Mohamad El-Hadidi for Rufy’s Screening Copy: Rufy’s

Arlette – Courage Is a Muscle Arlette – Mut ist ein Muskel Florian Hoffmann

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Fifteen-year-old Arlette trades her home in the Central African Republic for medical treatment in Berlin. Her knee got injured years ago during the fighting in her country, and a German benefactor has decided to pay for the operation she needs so badly. The teenager is scared stiff, knows no one and doesn’t speak a word of German, but she embarks on the journey all the same. Arlette – Courage Is a Muscle simply follows the courageous young lady along the way. Initially, she hides behind her headphones and just takes it all in. In the midst of culture shock, she also discovers snow, strange food and people she can trust. Arlette approaches this new world with trepidation and homesickness, but she is also full of wonder. She photographs her exotic environment using her Polaroid camera. At the rehabilitation center she goes to after the hospital, many of the older Germans can’t help but stare at her; Arlette becomes restless and defiant. The transition from child to adult is sudden and accelerated, both physically and psychologically. In the meantime, Arlette can’t wait to return to her family, but when the time comes, the rebels have taken up arms again and circumstances force the girl to make another very grown-up decision.

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Switzerland, Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 84 min Director: Florian Hoffmann Cinematography: Katharina Diessner, Matilda Mester Editing: Sven Kulik Sound: Gian Suhner Sound Design: Hannes Marget Production: Peter Spoerri for PS Film GmbH, Tim Oliver Schultz & Isis Struiksma for Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (dffb) Screening Copy: Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (dffb) Involved TV Channels: SRF, 3sat

Florian Hoffmann:

The Dictators´ Hotel (2015)

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Boxeadora Meg Smaker

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 15 min

Meg Smaker:

Director: Meg Smaker Cinematography: Meg Smaker Editing: Meg Smaker Production: Meg Smaker Executive Production: Meg Smaker Screening Copy: Meg Smaker Website: www.boxeadorathemovie.com

Meg Smaker & Veronica Lopez:

Pistols to Porn (2013) Methel Island (2013)

Gender Games (2013)

www.megsmaker.com

Awards: Best Short Documentary Jury Award South By Southwest, Best Short Documentary Jury Award Sarasota Film Festival, Best NonFiction Jury Award USA Film Festival

For 38-year-old Namibia, Havana’s oldest boxing club is a paradise where she forgets all her woes. “In another country she’d be the national champion,” says the former trainer of the national team, but in Cuba Namibia has to watch matches from the stands.

Nevertheless, she defies the ban on women’s boxing introduced under Fidel Castro to make her dream of winning an Olympic medal come true—the sole woman in a country of 19,000 male boxers. Namibia gleans hope from the rumors that the boxing committee is considering lifting the ban. There’s also an invitation from Chile to box professionally there, though that would require an exit visa. Energetically filmed in bright colors, this portrait follows the resilient Namibia visiting her family in a village outside Havana and praying for a good outcome. Point-of-view helmet cam footage puts viewers in Namibia and her opponents’ shoes during fights. A drug-fuelled night out with friends flies by in a rapid succession of shots. Finally, Namibia addresses the viewer with a powerful message of hope and perseverance.

Coal India

Felix Röben, Ajay Koli WORLD PREMIERE

Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 47 min

Felix Röben:

Director: Felix Röben, Ajay Koli Cinematography: Ajay Koli Editing: Felix Röben Production: Felix Röben for Hochschule OWL Screening Copy: Felix Röben

directing debut

directing debut

Ajay Koli:

This contemplation of the cyclical movements of intense physical labor was filmed in the coalfields near Dhanbad, India. The contrast could hardly be greater between the sundrenched Bollywood-style company promotional film that opens this documentary and the gray veil that conceals the monotonous manual labor in the Kusunda coalfields.

The cheerful musical song from the promotional film makes way for a sonorous and melancholy a cappella as we are introduced to life at two main locations: Loader Area 6, where men carry chunks of coal in baskets on their heads; and Kusunda Area, where children climb like pirates onto trucks to claim their booty of rubble. A considerable portion of the film takes place at night, lit by the headlights of a seemingly endless line of passing trucks, and by the many small raw-coal fires. It’s a film with a keen eye for a form of strenuous work that has all but vanished from view in our technologized century.

The largely observational shots are occasionally interrupted by a short monologue, but no one is complaining; there is work, so there is food. An elderly lady recalls that this brown-black desert was once green and that tigers and spirits lived here.

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IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Coming of Age Teboho Edkins

Lesotho is the highest (in terms of altitude) and lowest (in terms of affluence) mountain kingdom in the world. For two years, director Teboho Edkins followed four teenagers in this country, which is completely surrounded by South Africa: brothers Mosaku and Retabile, who are growing up in a family of shepherds, and BFFs Senate and Lefa from the village of Ha Sekake. Scenes with the two duos alternate in this observational film, in which the young protagonists also talk to the filmmaker. One of the brothers tells him what he would most like to have: at least 10 cows, 100 sheep, two horses and a few donkeys. With this, he would be able to take care of himself and his family. The village where the two girls are growing up is equally short on resources. But at least the best friends have their voices to sing with and to chat and fantasize together—about how they’d rather be boys, for example, because boys dress better. Their lives change dramatically when both pairs can no longer be together 24/7. The best girlfriends are split up because one does better at school than the other, while in the severe mountain landscape the two brothers continue to watch their flock—also separated from one another, but in this case by an old initiation ritual.

South Africa, Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 63 min Director: Teboho Edkins Cinematography: Samuel Lahu Editing: Rune Schweitzer Sound: Retabile Putsoane Production: Teboho Edkins for Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (dffb) Executive Production: Don Edkins for Steps World Sales: MAGNETFILM Screening Copy: Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (dffb)

Teboho Edkins:

Ask Me I’m Positive (2004) Looking Good (2005) True Love (2005) Gangster Project 1 (2006) Kinshasa 2.0 (2008) Thato (2011) Gangster Project (2011) Gangster Backstage (2013)

Awards: Golden Gentian Best Film Trento Film Festival 2015

Iceberg

Juliana Gabriela Gomez Castañeda WORLD PREMIERE Teresa is a fisherwoman in her sixties, leading an isolated life on a small, unnamed island. Rain or shine, most of her days are spent on the water, fishing on a rickety, self-made raft together with her dog Diana. The light of her otherwise lonely life is her granddaughter Maria, whose mother left her with Teresa on the island. But Maria is only home sporadically—with pain in her heart, Teresa accompanies her granddaughter to the boat that takes her to the private school across the water. In an attempt to relieve her loneliness once Maria has gone again, she visits the grave of her recently deceased mother, which is also on the other side of the water. Weeping, she asks her mother to be sure to watch over Maria. But the best medicine turns out to be singing and dancing together with other island dwellers—pouring out her soul in emotional folksongs. Together, the careful framing, elliptical storytelling style and gorgeous use of light yield a lyrical, intimate portrait that dwells in that ambiguous realm between documentary and fiction.

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Cuba, 2015 DCP, color, 27 min Director: Juliana Gabriela Gomez Castañeda Cinematography: Adrien Peter Script: Juan Dartizio Editing: Eduardo Resing Sound: Victor Quintanilha Production: Alexandra Cedeño for Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión EICTV Screening Copy: Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión EICTV

Juliana Gabriela Gomez Castañeda:

Para que crezca el rebaño (2013) De paso (2013) Las niñas necesitan jugar todos los días (fiction, 2013) Knot (2014)

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Into Darkness Rachida El Garani

WORLD PREMIERE

Belgium, 2015 DCP, color, 31 min Director: Rachida El Garani Cinematography: Kris van den Bulck Screenplay: Rachida El Garani Editing: Erika de Korte Sound: Zineb El Ouarzazi Production: Lai Kin Chang for Rits Filmschool Brussel Screening Copy: Rits Filmschool Brussel

Rachida El Garani:

Het offerfeest: Is verdoving een stap te ver? (2011) Het jongetje met twee zielen (2014) Marokkaanse Belg (2014)

Mohamed is a little Moroccan boy who has very poor eyesight, due to a hereditary condition that ultimately leads to blindness. His family is poor and the future looks bleak for them, as another 10 family members are suffering from the same disease. One of them is Mohamed’s father, who has no choice but to go begging. He suffers greatly from the fact that his blindness means he cannot support his own family. Mohamed’s Aunt Naïma is also blind. She is studying in Marrakesh and hopes to earn a good living one day, but all her efforts come to nothing when it turns out that she can’t afford the study materials she needs. Mohamed’s sighted mother is the linchpin of the entire household.

This short film is an intimate portrait of the family from Mohamed’s perspective— sometimes literally, such as when the image becomes blurred, as if the filmmaker wants us to see through Mohamed’s eyes. The young boy dreams of a day when his eyes will be better, but he lives in great fear of going completely blind. The family remains optimistic in spite of it all; their faith is strong, as are the ties between them. Using their scarce resources, they make the best of their lives.

The Load

La carga Victor Alexis Guerrero

Cuba, 2015 DCP, color, 25 min Director: Victor Alexis Guerrero Cinematography: Saurabh Monga Editing: Gilberto Amado Production: Marco Olmos for Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión EICTV Screening Copy: Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión EICTV

Victor Alexis Guerrero: directing debut

WORLD PREMIERE

This Cuban “rail movie” beautifully depicts how film emerges on the cutting edge of light and darkness. During a blackout, accompanied by a lot of swearing, the electricity aboard a freight train is temporarily restored with a piece of cardboard and some metal wires. The tone has been set: life aboard this train isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s a maledominated microcosm where conversations are loud and crass, but there’s also a sense of companionship. As the train thunders over the tracks, the camera moves through the sleeping quarters where men rest after their shift. In a messy kitchen, lunch is prepared in a big pan. Sometimes the train makes an extended stop. When the load comes in late, there’s a lot of time to kill. A game of dominoes goes a long way, as do the lengthy conversations about women, but eventually boredom sets in. The striking camera work adapts instantly to the situation at hand, the dynamics of the moving train glide into the dreariness of waiting, but things come to life again in the evening when a cheerful ode to loneliness is sung.

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IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

The Mute’s House Beit ha’Ilemet Tamar Kay

WORLD PREMIERE

Eight-year-old Yousef and his deaf mother Sahar are the last Palestinian residents of the Israeli part of the city of Hebron. Their island within the Jewish quarter has been renamed “The Mute’s House” by Israeli soldiers, even though Sahar isn’t mute at all.

Travel agencies have included the rest of the deserted property in their tours. Yousef makes good use of his privilege to cross the border when he goes to school. He learns Hebrew words from friendly Israeli soldiers, who turn a blind eye to his beer can trade on the Palestinian side. Through the tour guides’ explanations, we learn the story of Yousef and Sahar, who bravely withstand all the threats and bullying. None of Yousef’s Palestinian classmates can come to his house, and filmmaker Tamar Kay isn’t allowed to cross the border to film the Palestinian quarter with Yousef. Despite his disability— Yousef was born with one arm—he amuses himself with the chickens, goats and rabbits that forage among the ruined neighboring houses, and he plays the guitar and video games. Only TV images of attacks disturb Yousef’s seemingly carefree days.

The remarkable situation elegantly illustrates the absurdity of the endless conflict.

Israel, 2015 DCP, color, 31 min

Tamar Kay:

directing debut

Director: Tamar Kay Cinematography: Zvi Landsman Screenplay: Tamar Kay Editing: Shira Mazuz Music: Alon Peretz Production: Tamar Kay & Ariel Richter for The Sam Spiegel Film & TV School World Sales: Cinephil Screening Copy: The Sam Spiegel Film & TV School

My Aleppo Melissa Langer

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE The young Abdullah family fled the Syrian civil war and settled in Pretoria, South Africa. There, in their little one-room apartment, the Internet is all that connects them with Aleppo. As long as the Wi-Fi is working back in Syria, they can Skype with family and friends in their home city. Although happy to be able to stay in touch, it’s agonizing for them to witness from afar how their city is suffering. Lama, the mother of the family, explains how after civil war broke out the buildings crumbled like cakes.

News photos show the buildings they knew even more disintegrated—the post office on the corner, and there, that hotel. The city was once so busy it would take an hour just to cross the street, and now it’s deserted. But the greatest disappointment of all is seeing the changes in people whom they were close to. They hear about the deaths of family members, of how they got drawn into the conflict and the unexpected things they did. There’s great sorrow in the eyes of the Abdullah family, all of them looking into the camera. “I said farewell, Aleppo. If I see you again, God only knows what you will look like.”

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USA, 2015 DCP, color, 18 min Director: Melissa Langer Cinematography: Melissa Langer Editing: Melissa Langer Sound: Catharine Axley Sound Design: Melissa Langer Production: Melissa Langer Screening Copy: Melissa Langer

Melissa Langer:

Hauled Out (2013) Treasure Island (2014) Terms of Intimacy (2014)

www.melissalanger.com

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

My Silicone Love Sophie Dros

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 27 min Director: Sophie Dros Cinematography: Boas van Milligen Bielke Editing: Erik ten Brinke Sound: Brandon Grötzinger Sound Design: Gijs den Hartogh Music: Thomas Goralski Production: Eleanora de Rijke for Nederlandse Film Academie Screening Copy: Eleanora de Rijke

Sophie Dros:

Vet mooi (2012) Leven zonder tranen (2012) Op=Op (2013) Rubber Romance (2014)

www.sophiedros.com

Everard is a British man in his fifties, and he has 12 gorgeous women who never say no—each and every one of them is a very pricey silicone doll. He talks to them, buys them nice clothes and has sex with them. There’s a communist spy named Anoushka, a voluptuous blond and a young Asian woman—and he genuinely loves them all. But is he happy with this way of life, or does he secretly long for a real woman? Without seeking to sensationalize, director Sophie Dros follows Everard in his daily interactions with the dolls. They almost come to life in dreamlike and sometimes touching scenes. Everard discusses his inability to communicate with other people and the loss of his mother, an important figure in his life. Drost shows him to be a lonely man who has found a way of life that makes him happy. Everard reflects on his life with the dolls with great openness and eloquence. He knows that they are not real, but somehow it works for him. Everard’s fantasy world contrasts starkly with “real life” when he goes on a date with a live woman.

When’s the right moment to tell her that you live with 12 dolls? How do you get those big, cumbersome ladies into a car? And should they buckle up?

Awards: Haghefilm Digitaal Publieksprijs Keep An Eye Filmacademie Festival

New York Cuts Luke Lorentzen

WORLD PREMIERE

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 77 min Director: Luke Lorentzen Cinematography: Luke Lorentzen Editing: Luke Lorentzen Sound: Luke Lorentzen Sound Design: Luke Lorentzen Production: Luke Lorentzen for Stanford University Executive Production: Jamie Meltzer for Stanford University Screening Copy: Luke Lorentzen

Luke Lorentzen:

Santa Cruz del Islote (2014)

www.lukelorentzen.com

The camera records conversations between hairdressers and their customers in six New York City hair salons. The overwhelmingly well-to-do clients of a chic hairstylist in Manhattan get a hand massage along with their trim—and enjoy a complimentary drink while their shoes are polished. The conversations are about children and money matters.

It all contrasts starkly with the Brooklyn salon where the regular customers savor their haircut sessions in soporific silence. By contrast, the conversation among a group of West African women at a Harlem hairdresser ascends into a cacophony. This wide range of situations shines a light on the city’s multicultural character and the striking contrast between rich and poor and black and ºwhite. The mundane conversations reveal a great deal about the lives of the customers and their coiffeurs. For some, a haircut is sheer luxury, while for others it’s purely functional. While the affluent customers want a unique, all-encompassing experience, visitors to a Spanish-language establishment are quite satisfied with burritos from the takeout next door. There’s a range of interiors, too.

The richer businesses may look like luxurious nightclubs, while the Brooklyn hairdresser has to toil away in an un-air-conditioned basement. But the salons do have at least one thing in common: they are all places where the community comes together.

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IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

OK Good

Alexandra Kulak, Yulia Kurmangalina, Anna Kornienko INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE A tranquil, atmospheric observation of a hamlet somewhere in Russia. The title card at the beginning provides the latitude and longitude of the place and tells us that we’re 900 kilometers (560 miles) from St. Petersburg and 700 from Moscow.

The three St. Petersburg film and theater students Alexandra Kulak, Anna Kornienko and Yulia Kurmangalina convey their sense of alienation about this phlegmatic, unpretentious place with an opening shot in which the surroundings are reflected upside down in the hood of their car. While the camera meanders past fields and over paths to capture the place in panoramic shots or the beauty of a detail, we meet some of the residents, whose musical contributions serve as a leitmotif for the film.

Unsteady renditions of old songs show that public performances belong to a distant past. The population of the village has aged considerably—nowadays, only the cattle are young. But the place itself is timeless, and the directors have edited together images and sounds with a wonderful sense of color, shape and rhythm, offering up a soothing and sometimes humorous rural meditation.

Russia, 2015 DCP, color, 20 min Director: Alexandra Kulak, Yulia Kurmangalina, Anna Kornienko Cinematography: Alexandra Kulak Editing: Anna Kornienko Sound Design: Dmitry Wolfe Production: Pavel Karykhalin for Stereotactic Screening Copy: Beat Films

Alexandra Kulak & Ruslan Fedotow: Christmas (2014) Salamanca (2015)

Yulia Kurmangalina: directing debut

Anna Kornienko: directing debut

Sempervirens Raphaël Dubach

WORLD PREMIERE When Claude Jacot fell off his bicycle, his life changed forever. The brain damage he suffered had a huge impact on him: he is barely able to move, has difficulty speaking and can’t remember the names of his children. He has been admitted to a neurological rehabilitation facility to recuperate. A group of professional and highly motivated doctors, nurses and physiotherapists are trying to put Claude back on track.

The road is long, and tremendous effort is required every step of the way. Claude and his caregivers work with a great deal of patience to ensure his recovery, and he gradually gains more movement by playing simple games and using ingenious technology. With this intimate portrait, director Raphaël Dubach captures both the decline and the path to recovery. He closely follows the process to which Claude must devote himself if he is to return to his former self. Slowly but surely, he learns how to use his body again; memories return, and more and more of his personality resurfaces.

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Switzerland, 2015 DCP, color, 46 min Director: Raphaël Dubach Cinematography: Raphaël Dubach Editing: Raphaël Dubach Sound: Aude Sublet Music: Adriano Koch Production: Lionel Baier for ECAL – Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne Screening Copy: ECAL – Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne

Raphaël Dubach:

Crossed Lines (fiction, 2013)

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

A Tale of Love, Madness and Death Un cuento de amor, locura y muerte Mijael Bustos Gutiérrez

Chile, Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 22 min Director: Mijael Bustos Gutiérrez Cinematography: Álvaro Anguita Screenplay: Mijael Bustos Gutiérrez Editing: Mijael Bustos Gutiérrez Sound: Esteban Jara Music: Karim Habib El Fakih Production: Mijael Bustos Gutiérrez & Paulina Moya for DobleRetina Films, Iván Nakouzi for Luminaria Co-Production: Verdolaga World Sales: Luminaria Screening Copy: Luminaria

Mijael Bustos Gutiérrez: The Final Scene (2013)

Awards: Best Documentary Short Lakino Latin American Film Festival Berlin, Silver Dragon Best Short Documentary Film Kraków Film Festival, No Budget Audience Award Optimistic Vision Hamburg Short Film Festival

Carlos, the uncle of director Mijael Bustos, is schizophrenic. Although an adult—middleaged, in fact—he still lives with his elderly parents, who have always refused to place their son in an institution. Carlos stumbles around the house, babbling angrily as he goes.

Most of the time he’s speaking incoherent Spanish (without subtitles), but every once in a while he bursts into a jolly Beatles song. He’s a heavy smoker, and cigarette butts and empty packets are lying all around the house. His addiction caused his mother to have lung problems, and she had no choice but to move in with her daughter. Ever since, Carlos’s father has been shuttling back and forth between his mentally ill son and his wife, whose physical health is rapidly deteriorating. There’s not much talking in this short documentary, as the obviously tragic situation needs little explanation. We see the face of the elderly man many times in close-up, and he seems less angry than defeated. He’s powerless, so he cooks his son’s daily meal of spaghetti and tomato sauce before taking the subway to his wife, coughing on the couch while she watches telenovelas. Sadly, he’s a prisoner caught between the forces of love and duty.

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COMPETITIONS

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs In its long-standing program section Kids & Docs, IDFA presents the best new international youth documentaries. For the first time, 12 documentaries are competing in the IDFA Competition for Kid & Docs. A three-member international jury (see page 18) will evaluate the films and select the winner of the IDFA Award for Best Children’s Documentary. The award consists of a sculpture and a cash prize of €2,500.

Several of the selected titles are a result of IDFA’s annual Kids & Docs Workshop (see page 246), which offers directors the opportunity to develop a documentary for young people.

Into Darkness is also selected for the IDFA Competition for Student Documentary (see page 83).

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

Dancing for You Dans for livet Erlend E. Mo

WORLD PREMIERE

Halling is a remarkable Norwegian folk dance traditionally performed by only men, as a display of physical prowess. Twelve-year-old Vilde is training hard to become the first female Norwegian champion. In a fantastic outdoor scene, she and her dance coach get up to some fascinating antics, dancing on an excavator in a quarry, along tree trunks, through waterfalls, up mountain slopes and on riverbeds. And they always move in the same, calm cadence. In other scenes, the vast natural expanses play a crucial role as well—Vilde clearly feels a strong connection to them. She’s also very close to her sick grandfather, who tells her that family and friends are the most important things in life—and feeling good about yourself is essential, too. The scenes with the two of them together clearly show how strong the bond is between them. Vilde continually leans against her grandfather or sits on his lap, stroking his cheek. She hopes that the strength she needs to win the championship will also be a stimulus for her grandpa; perhaps seeing how much she enjoys life will help him keep fighting the cancer.

Norway, Denmark, Sweden, 2015 DCP, color, 30 min Director: Erlend E. Mo Cinematography: Lars Reinholdt Siem, Tore Vollan, Erlend E. Mo, Egil Håskjold Larsen Editing: Stefan Sundlöf Music: Anne Hytta Production: Anita Rehoff Larsen for Sand & Usant AS Co-Production: Final Cut for Real, Story AB Executive Production: Tone GrøttjordGlenne for Sant & Usant World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Screening Copy: Norwegian Film Institute Involved TV Channels: NRK, DR

Erlend E. Mo:

Forbidden Love (1998) Welcome to Denmark (2003) Can You Die in Heaven (2005) My Eyes (2006) Sannhetsjegeren – historien om Tore Sandberg og Fritz Moen (2009) Four Letters Apart – Children in the Age of ADHD (2014)

Erlend E. Mo, Jens Loftager & Sami Saif: Paradis (2009)

Full of Dreams Hoofd vol dromen Marinka de Jongh

The bubbly 10-year-old Anne Fee lives in a residential community consisting of her parents, her brother and eight men with developmental disabilities. She loves it, because whenever there are no peers to play with, all she needs to do is go to one of her housemates. They play games together, watch clouds and chat about life.

Together with the relaxing, intimate conversations about subjects such as girls, Anne Fee also—perhaps unwittingly—poses more challenging questions. “Do you mind being disabled?” she asks. When the house plays host to a neighborhood party, Anne Fee, 24-year-old Bob and 25-year-old Olivier decide to start a glitter and glamor band and write a special song for the occasion. But what should it be about?

A brainstorming session proves they have some common ground, but there are clearly some differences between them as well. Anne Fee has no idea what Olivier’s talking about when he starts discussing government cutbacks. The eloquent and sometimes endearing cinematic snapshots that make up Full of Dreams help bring to life the world inhabited by Anne Fee and the community’s residents. The house is a safe haven to all of them. But while Anne Fee knows that she will leave the nest one day, it’s by no means sure that her friends will do the same.

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The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 20 min

Marinka de Jongh:

Director: Marinka de Jongh Cinematography: Wilko van Oosterhout Editing: Luuk van Stegeren Sound: Gideon Bijlsma, Erik Schuring Sound Design: Tim van Peppen Music: Arend Bruijn Production: Hasse van Nunen & Renko Douze for Een van de jongens Screening Copy: Een van de jongens Involved TV Channel: NTR

www.viamarinka.nl

My Dear Cancer Dog (2012) This Summer Is Mine (2015)

IDFAcademy Results

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

Home Sweet Home Katrine Philp

Denmark, 2015 DCP, color, 25 min Director: Katrine Philp Cinematography: Katrine Philp, Talib Rasmussen, Sturla Brandth Grøvlen Editing: Signe Rebekka Kaufmann Sound Design: Lea Korsgaard Music: Jonas Colstrup Production: Katrine Sahlstrøm for Good Company Screening Copy: Good Company Involved TV Channel: DR

Katrine Philp:

Book of Miri (2009) 5 Beats Before Death (2010) Susannes Gods (2010) Dance for Me (2012) Suitable (2013)

Salimah had only just been born when her family fled to Malaysia from Myanmar. After her first birthday, her father and her older sister immigrated to Denmark. Her mother remarried, but Salimah wasn’t happy with her mother and her hostile stepfather. She lived with an aunt until the age of 10, when she was finally able to move to Denmark to be with her father. Home Sweet Home follows Salimah from the moment she leaves her country, traveling alone to Europe and meeting her father and sister for the first time. We then stay with her during her first two years in her new country. What’s it like for Salimah to live with this family she has never met before? Is it difficult to learn a new language?

And how do you make new friends in a country that’s still completely foreign to you? By 13, Salimah is able to look back and discuss how she felt during those tense years, which she does for us in voice-over. We hear about how she gradually learned to trust her father, and how she came to grips with her new life in a country that—except for the heavy rainfall—bears no resemblance whatsoever to the country of her birth.

I’ll Fly Higher Volando voy Isabel Lamberti

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 22 min Director: Isabel Lamberti Cinematography: Jeroen Kiers Screenplay: Isabel Lamberti Editing: Sabine Maas Sound: Floris Werver Sound Design: Jelle van Osenbruggen Music: Christian Pabst Production: Maya Perez for Nederlands Film en Televisie Academie World Sales: Some Shorts Screening Copy: Some Shorts Involved TV Channel: Human

Isabel Lamberti:

Shimmy (2012) Mr. Nobody (2013) Flaming Red (2014)

Awards: Torino Award San Sebastian International Film Festival

Two boys are walking along a winding country road through an arid part of Spain.

They are wearing small backpacks. All kinds of things attract their attention along the way. A Playboy magazine on a pile of trash; cars speeding along a highway under a viaduct; an high-voltage tower to climb; a soccer game they get caught up in as they pass by. But there are also fences almost everywhere that keep them away. Observed without commentary, this journey through an undefined no man’s land starts to look like a metaphor. The boys see an exciting world full of temptation and activity right before their eyes, yet they are excluded from it all. They are forced to play their own games.

They scratch their names into a rock, fantasize about flying with real wings and about the trains they would like to take to far-flung destinations. They experience curiosity, pleasure and dissatisfaction. It’s not until evening falls that their real destination becomes clear.

A newspaper article provided the inspiration for this graduation film in which documentary and fiction interact.

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IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

Into Darkness Rachida El Garani

WORLD PREMIERE Mohamed is a little Moroccan boy who has very poor eyesight, due to a hereditary condition that ultimately leads to blindness. His family is poor and the future looks bleak for them, as another 10 family members are suffering from the same disease.

One of them is Mohamed’s father, who has no choice but to go begging. He suffers greatly from the fact that his blindness means he cannot support his own family.

Mohamed’s Aunt Naïma is also blind. She is studying in Marrakesh and hopes to earn a good living one day, but all her efforts come to nothing when it turns out that she can’t afford the study materials she needs. Mohamed’s sighted mother is the linchpin of the entire household. This short film is an intimate portrait of the family from Mohamed’s perspective—sometimes literally, such as when the image becomes blurred, as if the filmmaker wants us to see through Mohamed’s eyes. The young boy dreams of a day when his eyes will be better, but he lives in great fear of going completely blind. The family remains optimistic in spite of it all; their faith is strong, as are the ties between them. Using their scarce resources, they make the best of their lives.

Belgium, 2015 DCP, color, 31 min Director: Rachida El Garani Cinematography: Kris van den Bulck Screenplay: Rachida El Garani Editing: Erika de Korte Sound: Zineb El Ouarzazi Production: Lai Kin Chang for Rits Filmschool Brussel Screening Copy: Rits Filmschool Brussel

Rachida El Garani:

Het offerfeest: Is verdoving een stap te ver? (2011) Het jongetje met twee zielen (2014) Marokkaanse Belg (2014)

Ninnoc Niki Padidar

WORLD PREMIERE Ninnoc doesn’t like cliques. Why do they all have to behave—and look—the same?

Ninnoc has big blue eyes, she dances and sings, and she is a strong-willed girl.

She can’t describe herself, but if she feels excluded, this is the sound it makes: “Wawawawawawawawa.” Then her hair trembles, she gets a headache and a constant ringing sound in her ears: “Aaaaaaaaahhh.” She didn’t fit in at her old school, and she keeps to herself at the new one. She doesn’t want to join in with those other people, but she’s also afraid of being shut out. “People only see who I appear to be.

There are only a couple who know who I am. You can only see what I want you to see, and there’s lots behind that smile that you don’t even know about.” Ninnoc ruminates on the question of what’s “normal” and “different” and “popular” (the quotation marks are hers), and we see her moving around an empty school, in a classroom full of children and in a classroom full of Ninnocs. The film’s camerawork and editing echo Ninnoc’s feelings, helping the viewer to understand why such a bright young girl would find some things so difficult.

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The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 18 min Director: Niki Padidar Cinematography: Jefrim Rothuizen, Niki Padidar Screenplay: Niki Padidar Editing: Albert Markus Sound: Eva Nijsten, Taco Drijfhout Sound Design: Albert Markus Production: Joost Seelen for Zuidenwind Filmproductions Executive Production: Anjet Blinde & Nienke Korthof for Zuidenwind Filmproductions Screening Copy: Zuidenwind Filmproductions Involved TV Channel: NTR Website: www.ninnoc-film.com

Niki Padidar:

Bagage (fiction, 2013)

www.nikipadidar.com

IDFAcademy Results

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

Opposites Tegenpool Marta Jurkiewicz

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 14 min Director: Marta Jurkiewicz Cinematography: Ben Geraerts Screenplay: Marta Jurkiewicz Editing: Leonie Hoever Sound: Richard Wilder Sound Design: Richard Wilder Production: Anja Cloosterman & Niek Koppen & Jan de Ruiter for Selfmade Films Executive Production: Anja Cloosterman & Anke Hellebrand for Selfmade Films World Sales: Selfmade Films Screening Copy: Selfmade Films Involved TV Channel: Human

Marta Jurkiewicz:

What a Difference (2004) Agatha (fictie, 2005) Calypso Road (2006) Daughters (2011) 10 (2014)

WORLD PREMIERE

When five young friends are asked what it means when a person is your “polar opposite,” they all know it’s someone very different from them. Mayra, Precious, Hanna, Esmee and Aya all come up with ideas about what kinds of people are least like them: someone who lives in a village, someone who’s really spoiled, a lazy racist, or someone who likes vegetables and is a good cook. Eleven-year-old Mayra thinks her personal polar opposite is a criminal who has no contact with his family and hates hamsters. The very next moment, the camera crew is at the door of Silas, a former convict, and we see Mayra timidly entering his house. Will her ideas about people like Silas survive the encounter?

When he starts talking about his life, it quickly becomes clear that there were good reasons for him going off the straight and narrow. Unlike Mayra, he never had anyone to fall back on. And although Mayra still thinks Silas is her polar opposite, she can see that he’s very kind to his pet snake. He also draws really well and serves delicious ice cream.

This cinematic experiment helps Mayra and her friends find out that it’s possible to learn from someone who’s totally different from you.

IDFAcademy Results

Ruth

Hanna Heilborn INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Sweden, Norway, Denmark, 2015 DCP, color, 27 min

Hanna Heilborn:

Director: Hanna Heilborn Cinematography: Ania Winiarska Editing: Svein Olav Sandem Music: Jonas Colstrup Production: Malin Hüber for Story AB Executive Production: Tobias Janson Screening Copy: Autlook Filmsales Involved TV Channels: NRK, DR Ultra, ARTE

Big Mike (2004)

The Wave (2012)

Hanna Heilborn & Håkan Berthas: Hanna Heilborn & David Aronowitsch: Hidden (2002) Slaves (2008) Sharaf (2012)

Ruth ties the laces of her white sneakers, combs her hair in front of the changing room mirror and tries on different bows. This Swedish teenager has just been selected to compete for Twisters, her cheerleading team, and today is her first day with her new teammates. Ruth is passionate about her sport and she socializes easily, so she quickly feels at home among the other athletic girls—munching on their apples as they chat about annoying muscle aches. In this youth documentary, we follow Ruth with her team and at home. Even when surrounded by her family Ruth finds time to focus on her beloved sport—in between squabbling with her brother Johan and joking around with her more levelheaded parents. She practices somersaults in the garden with her mother, trying again and again to get it just right. “I get so angry at myself. I know I can do it, but I still fail,” she says through her tears. Ruth’s mother goes along to her daughter’s first competition. “Go Twisters, go Twisters” chants the team during their performance, but the bravado belies the tension in the girls’ faces, each of them set in a forced smile. The winners will go on to the national championship, but will Ruth and her team make the cut?

97

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

Skatekeet Edward Cook

“You only have eyes for your skateboard,” Keet’s girlfriends always say when the conversation turns to romance. And it’s true, skating is what this tough 10-year-old likes best of all. This is beautifully illustrated for us in a slow-motion shot that zooms in on her face, pure enjoyment plastered all over it, the wind in her hair, the sun on her skin. Every now and then she drops out of the frame to push off and accelerate. In the meantime, we hear her voice: she says that she gets teased a lot by other girls for acting like a boy. She tries to ignore them as much as possible. Skatekeet follows her in skate parks, on a half-pipe, being chased away from chic office buildings or roaming around deserted, graffiti-covered neighborhoods. Skating is her thing—that much is clear. She also tries to connect with other skaters, but being a girl doesn’t make this easy. Boys are wilder and make stupid jokes, she says—and the film confirms this. Nevertheless, the levelheaded and talented Keet is able to make her way in the boy-dominated world of skating, looking for her place.

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 15 min

Edward Cook:

Director: Edward Cook Cinematography: Jefrim Rothuizen Editing: David Spaans Sound: Tim Roza Sound Design: Bart Jilesen Production: Willem Baptist & Nienke Korthof for Tangerine Tree Screening Copy: Tangerine Tree Involved TV Channel: IKON

www.edwardcook.nl

Best in Town (2008) Los (2009)

IDFAcademy Results

Suburban King/Top-girl Aakash Bhatia

EUROPEAN PREMIERE How high can you go in the slums of India? Somewhere among the dank alleys of Jogeshwari, Mumbai’s skyscrapers rising in the distance, a group of young people are preparing for the annual Dahi Handi festival. Central to the festival is the formation of huge human pyramids, traditionally with the aim of grabbing and breaking an earthen pot hung high above the ground—an imitation of Krishna, who, according to legend, used the same method to steal butter from his neighbors. “This is a game of faith,” explains the coach who has been doing this work for 20 years. The participants need to be willing to make big sacrifices for the reward of local fame. They have to wake up early, work hard and risk their lives balancing at great heights.

“I’m not scared of anything,” says Vidyadhar, who stands at the peak of the pyramid.

“I can die anytime, anywhere. That’s why I choose to be fearless.” But the most fearless of all is little Prapti, who stands on Vidyadhar’s shoulders and forms the absolute pinnacle, her arms outstretched. Everyone holds their breath as the pyramid is built, human by human, layer by layer, until they stand nine high. But what goes up must come down again.

98

India, 2015 DCP, color, 7 min Director: Aakash Bhatia Cinematography: Deepak Thomas, Anthony Karbhari, Harshvir Oberai Editing: Aakash Bhatia, Aneesh Malankar Sound Design: Abhishek Ramesh Music: Donn Bhatt Production: Zina Khan for Story-tellers Screening Copy: Story-tellers

Aakash Bhatia: directing debut

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

Ten

Tien Nathalie Crum

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 17 min Director: Nathalie Crum Cinematography: Aafke Beernink Editing: Barbara Hin Sound: Carla van der Meijs Sound Design: Hugo Dijkstal Music: De Kift Production: Joost Engelberts for Bureau Voorlichting Executive Production: Siebren Hodes & ElseMarie Rombouts for Bureau Voorlichting World Sales: Bureau Voorlichting Screening Copy: Bureau Voorlichting Involved TV Channels: KRO, NCRV

Nathalie Crum:

For the Sake of Peace (2013) Homeland (2014)

Martinus’ Plak is a campsite in the Dutch province of Brabant, and its name hides a touching, personal story. The regional word plak means “pasture,” and Martinus is the first name of its former owner, the father of 10-year-old Jolijn. Speaking in voice-over, she introduces us to her family and her home—to the campsite, the animals, her sisters and her mother. She also explains that she can’t remember much about her father, who died when she was two. Jolijn misses him every day, and she’s concerned that Martinus (“Tien,” for short) is going to be forgotten—especially now that her mother is about to remarry. “I’ve got everything,” she laments, “except for my father.” But he’s not about to be forgotten. Her sisters bring up memories of him, and her future stepfather explains how he feels connected to Tien. The camera is an understated presence in the intimate conversations that paint a loving portrait of Tien. The summery scenes at the campsite, the liveliness of the family and the sense of solidarity between the sisters combine to form a subtle counterweight to the seriousness of the subject. And Jolijn has a great idea about how to solve her problem.

IDFAcademy Results

Varicella

Victor Kossakovsky INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, 2015 DCP, color, 25 min Director: Victor Kossakovsky Cinematography: Victor Kossakovsky, Ben Bernhard Editing: Victor Kossakovsky, Ainara Vera Music: Ivan Bessonov Animation: Vlad Grishin Production: Tone Grøttjord-Glenne & Anita Rehoff Larsen for Sant & Usant Co-Production: Story AB, Final Cut for Real World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Screening Copy: Autlook Filmsales Involved TV Channels: NRK, DR

Victor Kossakovsky:

Losev (1989) The Other Day (1991) The Belovs (1992) Wednesday 19.07.1961 (1997) I Loved You (2000) Russia from My Window (2003) Tishe! (2003) Svyato (2006) Vivan las antipodas! (2011) Demonstration (2013)

Seven-year-old Polina and her 13-year-old sister Nastia live and breathe ballet. Both of them are studying at the Boris Eifman Dance Academy in frigid Saint Petersburg. They’re currently awaiting their grades to find out if they’ve done well enough to be promoted to the next year, with Nastia lovingly guiding her little sister through the process. But in the meantime, Nastia also has to deal with the high demands that the academy places on its students. Director Victor Kossakovsky has had a long association with IDFA, and he was the festival’s guest of honor in 2012. Here he uses only sparse dialogue, choosing to let the partly animated images speak for themselves. The gorgeously styled shots are sometimes calm, even clinical, and sometimes warm, lively and funny. But there are also moments of sadness, because anyone who wants to make her dream come true has to work hard for it, and confront her own limitations along the way. Varicella is about passion and success, and about the tender bond between two sisters who share a dream.

“Dance with an open soul,” Nastia says to Polina when she starts doubting her abilities. In the end, even the roller blinds in the rehearsal room dance along with them.

Pitched at the Forum 2014

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A Family Affair van Tom Fassaert IDFA openingsfilm

Mediafonds stimuleert

Mogelijk gemaakt door het Mediafonds, net als 20 andere Nederlandse documentaires op IDFA 2015 www.mediafonds.nl/idfa

COMPETITION PROGRAMS IDFA DOC U Competition

Nine films from IDFA’s competitive and non-competitive programs are selected for the IDFA DOC U Competition, aimed at introducing young audiences to documentary cinema. The selection is made by a panel of young people. A five-member jury between the ages of 15 and 18 evaluates the films and selects the winner of the IDFA DOC U Award, worth ₏2,500.

IDFA DOC U DOC U Competition

DOC U DOC U introduces young audiences to documentary cinema. In consultation with young people, nine films have been selected from the entire IDFA 2015 program to compete in the DOC U Competition.

During the festival, five jury members ages 15 to 18 watch and evaluate the selected films and present the winner with the IDFA DOC U Award, which consists of a cash prize of €2,500.

IDFA DOC U also offers several special events:

CJP Serves CJP Serves is the perfect IDFA kick-off. For this day-long program, CJP (the Dutch Culture Youth Pass) has cherry-picked three of the finest IDFA films. On the menu: A Family Affair, Ukrainian Sheriffs and Sonita. Tasty side dishes: a Q&A, and beers & Dutch bitterballs afterwards! This event serves as an aperitif for the other 300 IDFA documentaries.

Extended Q&A: Sonita

As part of IDFA’s program of Extended Q&As, a screening of Sonita (selected for both the Feature-Length and the DOC U Competitions) is followed by an in-depth conversation with the film’s director as well as a performance by Sonita herself.

A Family Affair

102 192

IDFA DOC U Competition DOC U

When the Earth Seems to Be Light

2015 DOC U Selection

Arlette – Courage Is a Muscle (Florian Hoffmann, Switzerland/Germany) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Student Documentary. See page 84.

Driving with Selvi (Elisa Paloschi, Canada) Also screening in Best of Fests. See page 124.

A Family Affair (Tom Fassaert, The Netherlands) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary and the IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary, and screening as IDFA’s opening film. See page 23.

The Mute’s House (Tamar Kay, Israel) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Student Documentary. See page 88.

Rebels (Kari Anne Moe, Norway) Also screening in Panorama. See page 161.

Sonita (Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami, Iran/Afghanistan) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary. See page 29.

This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees (Yassir Benchelah, United Kingdom) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary. See page 66.

Thru You Princess (Ido Haar, Israel) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary and screening in the Music Documentary program.

See page 31.

When the Earth Seems to Be Light (David Meskhi, Salome Machaidze & Tamuna Karumidze, Georgian Republic/Germany) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for First Appearance.

See page 50.

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Stichting Dioraphte steunt projecten van hoge kwaliteit op het gebied van kunst en cultuur met een landelijk of internationaal bereik.

Steun IDFA ook.

Als bezoeker, als vriend of als dikke vriend.

Ook IDFA mag rekenen op onze steun om de creatieve documentaire bereikbaar te maken voor een breed publiek.

Niet straks maar nu. Omdat cultuur rijkdom is die je met elkaar deelt.

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NON-COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS Masters

In Masters, the festival keeps track of its favorite documentary filmmakers. This year, the program is presenting 27 new works from renowned auteurs, including new films by 2013’s guest of honour Rithy Panh; Frederick Wiseman, winner of IDFA’s first Living Legend Award in 2009; and the final films by the genre’s luminaries Albert Maysles, Eduardo Coutinho and Les Blank, who all passed away recently.

Five films are part of other programs as well. Checks and Balances by Malek Bensmaïl, Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine and Sean McAllister’s A Syrian Love Story are also screening in the theme program Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015 (see page 219). Amy Berg’s Janis: Little Girl Blue, Liz Garbus’ What Happened, Miss Simone? and Les Blank’s A Poem Is a Naked Person are also screening in the Music Documentary program (see page 177).

Masters

About Heaven Fragments du paradis Stéphane Goël

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Some people think of Switzerland as a heaven on earth, but what do the Swiss themselves imagine life after death will be like? To answer this question, documentary filmmaker Stéphane Goël spoke with large numbers of his compatriots—all of them in the twilight of their life—about how they picture the hereafter. The result is a series of remarkable, poignant and funny conversations in which the interviewees open up about their dreams, passions and fears. One of them doesn’t believe there’s anything at all—and anyway, such a serene existence with no problems would be terribly dull. And what if you got to heaven and you had to meet all those people you loathed on earth? Others expect everything to be better after they die, imagining the next world to be a vast garden full of flowers and plants, or a lush landscape where people and animals live in harmony—and don’t need to eat one another. One woman is particularly looking forward to the pleasurable feeling she hopes awaits her. “It’ll be something like an orgasm,” she says. “Not all the time, but in waves.”

Switzerland, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 85 min Director: Stéphane Goël Cinematography: Stéphane Goël, Camille Cottagnoud, Dylan Perrenoud, Sébastien Reichenbach Screenplay: Claude Muret Editing: Karine Sudan Sound: Céline Pernet Sound Design: Jérôme Cuendet Music: Jean-Philippe Zwahlen Production: Stéphane Goël for Climage World Sales: Doc & Film International Screening Copy: Climage Involved TV Channel: RTS

Stéphane Goël:

West of the Pecos (1993) This Boy’s Name was Apache (1995) Lost Countryside (1997) The Poison: The Maracon Murders (2003) In the Land of the Black Pharaohs (2005) Qué Viva Mauricio Demierre (2006) The Twilight of the Celts (2008) Labour Court (2010) From the Kitchen to the Parliament (2012)

Becoming Zlatan

Den unge Zlatan Fredrik Gertten, Magnus Gertten

WORLD PREMIERE

The decisive years of Swedish soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic, told through rare archive footage in which a young Zlatan speaks openly about his life and challenges.

The film closely follows him, from his debut with the Malmö FF team in 1999 through his conflict-ridden years with Ajax Amsterdam, and up to his final breakthrough with Juventus in 2005. Becoming Zlatan is a coming-of-age film that captures the complicated journey of this young, talented and troubled player as he becomes a superstar in the international football world. It’s a story about a young talent living under constant pressure: from teammates in Malmö who think he’s too egoistical and only plays for himself; from the tough managers at Ajax who send him to the bench, where he loses his self-confidence; and from his father, who tells the 18-year-old Zlatan: “You’re nothing. You’re nothing special until you’ve succeeded internationally.”

Throughout his journey, Zlatan stays true to himself. When he finally succeeds in Italy, he also becomes much more private. Soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an enigma, but in this story from his breakthrough years, he gives us a glimpse at who he really is—if even just for a moment.

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Sweden, The Netherlands, Italy, 2015 DCP, color, 110 min Director: Fredrik Gertten, Magnus Gertten Cinematography: Jon Rudberg, Caroline Troedsson Editing: Jesper Osmund Production: Margarete Jangård for WG Film AB, Lennart Ström for Auto Images Co-Production: Indyca, KeyDocs World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Screening Copy: WG Film AB Involved TV Channels: SVT, VPRO, RAI, NRK, YLE

Fredrik Gertten:

True Blue (1998), Walking on Water (2000), Bye Bye Malmo (2002), The Way Back: True Blue 2 (2002), An Ordinary Family (2005), The Socialist, the Architect and the Twisted Tower (2005), Bananas!* (2009), Big Boys Gone Bananas!* (2011), Bikes vs Cars (2015) a.o.

Magnus Gertten:

True Blue (1998), The Way Back: True Blue 2 (2002), Rolling Like a Stone (2005), Long Distance Love (2009), Harbor of Hope (2011), A Thousand Pieces (2014), Every Face Has a Name (2015)

Masters

Behemoth Bei xi mo shou Liang Zhao

China, France, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Liang Zhao Cinematography: Liang Zhao Editing: Fabrice Rouaud Sound: Yao Chen, Mengchu Hu Sound Design: Laurent Thomas Music: Alain Mahé, Hu Zi Production: Sylvie Blum for INA World Sales: INA Screening Copy: INA Involved TV Channel: ARTE

Liang Zhao:

Paper Airplane (2001) Return to the Border (2005) City Scene (2005) Farewell Yuanmingyuan (2006) Crime and Punishment (2007) Petition (2009) Together (2011)

In the Old Testament, the mountains are the domain of a monster named Behemoth; in modern times the vast mining industry has taken the monster’s place. With a violent roar, the mountain spews iron ore and coal with infernal billowing smoke that leaves those working there struggling against fatigue and suffocation. The silence of the dreamlike Chinese landscapes is broken only by the thundering cacophony of explosions set to create a new entrance to the mine. The iron ore wheezes and cracks as it’s transformed into steel; growling trucks enveloped in black clouds carry their loads to and fro. The sheep farmers and their herds have been driven off the bright green pastures to make way for the ever-expanding mining industry; sick miners with ruined lungs are lying, dying, in the hospital. The “monster’s minions” have transformed a mountain paradise into an industrial zone surrounded by ghost towns of brand-new, deserted apartment blocks. Panoramic shots of the changing landscape and industrial activity alternate with silent close-ups of the workers in their shabby quarters or their hospital beds. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, director Liang Zhao shares in voice-over his poetic reflections on China’s search for a paradise, one that has ended up being something a lot more like hell.

Could the mythical monster have ever dreamed of this?

Best of Enemies

Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon

USA, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 88 min Director: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon Cinematography: David Leonard, Graham Willoughby, Mark Schwartzbard Editing: Aaron Wickenden, Eileen Meyer Sound Design: Al Nelson Music: Jonathan Kirkscey Production: Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville for Tremolo Productions World Sales: Magnolia Pictures Screening Copy: Magnolia Pictures Involved TV Channel: ITVS Website: www.bestofenemiesfilm.com

Morgan Neville & Robert Gordon: Muddy Waters – Can’t Be Satisfied (2003), Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story (2007), Johnny Cash’s America (2008)

Morgan Neville:

Shotgun Freeway: Drives Through Lost L.A. (1995), The Songmakers Collection (2001), The Cool School (2008), Search and Destroy: Iggy & The Stooges’ Raw Power (2010), Troubadours (2011), Twenty Feet From Stardom (2013), Keith Richards: Under the Influence (2015), The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (2015) a.o.

In the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in 1968, which would see Richard Nixon becoming president, ABC TV invited two leading thinkers to discuss the state of the nation. In the resulting series of spectacular live broadcasts, the ultraconservative journalist William F. Buckley and the progressive author Gore Vidal hurl increasingly violent verbal abuse at one another—on personal as well as political issues. What starts off as an exemplary display of the art of classical intellectual debate spirals into a demoralizing record of the first American example of on-air political mudslinging. Although Buckley and Vidal thoroughly despise one another, they do have common concerns when it comes to the state of their nation. They initially express their loathing for each other’s opinions through eloquent taunts and repartee, but by the end this highbrow brawl between two talented debaters has degenerated into an exchange of vulgarities. The color archive footage is accompanied by voice-overs of passages from the memoirs of the two intellectual giants, while others who were there reflect on this sensational political debate that marked the beginning of a new era in TV.

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Masters

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution Stanley Nelson

Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party in 1966 as a response to the excessive police violence against and intimidation of African-Americans. The rise of the Black Panthers was a radical departure for the Civil Rights Movement. The powerful, militant manner in which the Panthers announced their demands and defied the police exerted an irresistible attraction. Young African-Americans, women in particular, felt inspired and joined in large numbers, and a national movement of black leather jacket-clad activists developed. After a few years, internal divisions, diverging priorities, but mainly insidious police pressure and attacks by both local authorities and the FBI caused the party to fall apart. The rapid growth and revolutionary ideology of the Panthers instilled fear in conservative white Americans. FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover called the movement the “greatest threat to the internal security of our country.” Prominent former members, allies, politicians and others look back on the tumultuous rise and fall of the Black Panthers. Their personal testimonies and anecdotes alternate with archive footage from an era that the funky soundtrack brings to life. At the same time, the protagonists emphasize how necessary their fight remains today.

USA, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 114 min Director: Stanley Nelson Cinematography: Antonio Rossi, Rick Butler Editing: Aljernon Tunsil Production: Laurens Grant for Firelight Media Inc. World Sales: PBS International Screening Copy: PBS International Involved TV Channel: PBS Website: www.theblackpanthers.com

Stanley Nelson:

The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords (1999), Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind (2000), A Place of Our Own (2004), Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise (2004), Jonestown: The Life and Death of the Peoples Temple (2007), Wounded Knee (2009), Freedom Riders (2010), The Autotune Effect (2012), Freedom Summer (2014)

Awards: Audience Choice Award RiverRun International Film Festival

Checks and Balances Contre-pouvoirs Malek Bensmaïl

It’s spring 2014. The Algerian presidential election is in full swing when documentary filmmaker Malek Bensmaïl gets permission to film the newsrooms of the independent French-language daily El Watan. He encounters a microcosm that, as the hours pass by, increasingly resembles a pressure cooker. With a deadline looming, the editors feverishly seek content and meaning. We listen in on discussions about hot political topics and overt doubts about the country’s established order. El Watan is anything but an extension of the incumbent regime. One of the journalists openly protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid for a fourth term. The wheelchair-bound president rarely appears in public during his presidential campaign.

Bouteflika isn’t only a symbol of the country’s political stagnation, but he’s also associated with the aftermath of the violent civil war of the 1990s that cost Algeria 200,000 lives. Below the surface of relative peace, the trauma of the war still rages.

Hundreds of journalists were persecuted, murdered or banished at the time. Checks and Balances is a tribute to them and their contemporaries, who fight for freedom of speech and try to convey the reality of Algerian life with their talented, intellectual and humorous writing.

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Algeria, France, 2015 DCP, color, 97 min Director: Malek Bensmaïl Cinematography: Malek Bensmaïl Editing: Matthieu Bretaud Sound: Hamid Osmani Sound Design: Phil Marboeuf Music: Phil Marboeuf, Camel Zekri Production: Malek Bensmaïl for Hikayet films Co-Production: Magnolias Films, INA Executive Production: Hachemi Zertal for Hikayet films World Sales/Screening Copy: Hikayet films Website: www.contre-pouvoirs-le-film.com

Malek Bensmaïl:

Territoire(s) (1996) Decibled (1998) Boudiaf, A Hope Assassinated (1999) Dêmokratia (2000) Holydays Despit Ill (2001) Algeria’s Bloody Years (2003) Alienations (2004) China is Still Far Away (2010) Secret War of the FLN (2012) Ulysse (2013)

Masters

The Confessions of Thomas Quick Brian Hill

UK, 2015 DCP, color, 94 min Director: Brian Hill Cinematography: Roger Chapman Editing: Mags Arnold Music: Nainita Desai, Malcolm Laws Production: Katie Bailiff for Century Films Executive Production: Sam Lavender, Anna Miralis World Sales: Independent Film Company Screening Copy: Independent Film Company

Brian Hill:

Drinking for England (1998), Killing Time: The Millennium Poem (1999), The Tyre (fiction, 2000), Cow (2001), Robbie Williams: Nobody Someday (2002), Falling Apart (fiction, 2002), Feltham Sings (2002), Pornography: The Musical (2003), Bella and the Boys (fiction, 2004), Slaughterhouse: The Task of Blood (2005), The True Voice of Murder (fiction, 2006), The True Voice of Rape (fiction, 2006), The True Voice of Prostitution (fiction, 2006), Consent (fiction, 2007), Songbirds (2007), The Not Dead (2007), Climate of Change (2010)

In 1992, Sture Bergwall was in a psychiatric hospital when he confessed to the murder of a young boy who had disappeared in 1980. In subsequent years, he went on to confess to more than 30 other murders of varying degrees of gruesomeness. Bergwall called himself Thomas Quick, as he thought that was a better name for a serial killer. He tortured his victims and ate parts of their bodies: a Swedish Hannibal Lecter, you might say. He was sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. Over time, however, doubts about his guilt increased: was Quick really the serial killer he claimed to be, or had he led therapists and the police astray? The fascinating true story of Thomas Quick is told by Sture Bergwall himself, his brother Sten-Ove and the investigative journalists who finally revealed the truth. The film also uses archive footage, such as video recordings made by the police during reconstructions of the murders and dramatizations of the events from the story.

The director is wary of adding cinematic effects, as the story is exciting enough as it is.

Déjà vu

Jon Bang Carlsen INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Denmark, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 85 min Director: Jon Bang Carlsen Cinematography: Jon Bang Carlsen Screenplay: Jon Bang Carlsen Editing: Molly Stensgaard Sound: Henrik Langkilde Narration: Jon Bang Carlsen Production: Jon Bang Carlsen & Marianne Christensen for C&C Productions Executive Production: Jon Bang Carlsen for C&C Productions Screening Copy: Danish Film Institute Involved TV Channels: DR Danish Broadcasting Corporation, YLE, SVT

Jon Bang Carlsen:

Stupid Sara (1972), Wounded Knee (1974), Jenny (1977), A Man from Hanstholm (fiction, 1977), A Rich Man (1979), Hotel of the Stars (1981), Phoenix Bird (1984), The Long Day (1984), First I Wanted to Find the Truth (1987), Baby Doll (fiction, 1988), Ich bin auch ein Berliner (1990), It’s Now or Never (1996), How to Invent Reality (1996), Addicted to Solitude (1999), My African Diary (1999), Portrait of God (2001), Zuma the Puma (2002), Purity Beats Everything (2008), Just the Right Amount of Violence (2013), Cats in Riga (2014) a.o.

To what extent does a director stay objective and anonymously hidden behind the camera? The Danish director Jon Bang Carlsen knows for sure that the choices he makes in his films aren’t accidental. Several excerpts from his own work show that events in his personal life have a major influence on his work. In fact, he appears to be using images that he recognizes in particular. It’s a revelation for this filmmaker, who used to think he could stay objective and invisible. Topics such as doubting his faith, his runaway father and impressions from a carefree childhood are recurring themes in his diverse oeuvre.

Showing us individual scenes, Carlsen comments in voice-over on the images and muses about his life and work. Like when he tells us that while filming a blind man, he was touched by the latter’s perception of the world, and he discovered that this fascination is mirrored in other films as well. In this autobiographical self-examination that spans over 40 films in several genres, the work of Carlsen is a moving photo album.

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Masters

France Is Our Mother Country La France est notre patrie Rithy Panh

Echoes of dance music resound, accompanying images of an overgrown ruin. Then we see silent black-and-white footage of dancing French people from the time of Cambodia’s occupation by France (1863-1953) and incorporation into the colonial empire of Indochina. Rithy Panh, who was nominated for an Oscar for The Missing Picture, allows history’s voiceless to speak in this disturbing alternative history. He critically examines the French motherland’s “purely fraternal intentions” by re-editing silent propaganda films and their title cards. France Is Our Mother Country is a combined history lesson and cinematic collage on representation. A title card that reads “dedication to the mother country” is juxtaposed with images of Cambodian forced laborers flanked by their armed, white overseers. Unsettling sounds accompany images of semi-naked Cambodian women and tied-up livestock. In this way Panh illustrates how a land, culture and society were destroyed in the name of liberty, equality, fraternity and progress. When idyllic colonial life finally ends in a bloody war of independence, the original titles are replaced by Panh’s: “Open your eyes, young sons of France.” Then he returns to the beautiful ruins, where the jungle has started to recover.

France, Cambodia, 2014 DCP, color / black-and-white, 74 min Director: Rithy Panh Cinematography: Rithy Panh Screenplay: Christophe Bataille Editing: Rithy Panh Music: Marc Marder Production: Catherine Dussart for Catherine Dussart Production (CDP) World Sales: Catherine Dussart Production (CDP) Screening Copy: Catherine Dussart Production (CDP) Awards: Best Feature Or Medium-Length Documentary It’s All True Film Festival

Rithy Panh:

Site 2 (1989), Cambodia: Between War and Peace (1991), The Rice People (fiction, 1994), Bophana: A Cambodian Tragedy (1996), One Evening After the War (fiction, 1998), The Land of the Wandering Souls (2000), Que le barque se brise, que la jongue s’entrouve (fiction, 2001), S21, The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine (2003), The People of Angkor (2003), The Burnt Theatre (2005), The Sea Wall (fiction, 2008), The Catch (fiction, 2011), Duch, Master of the Forges of Hell (2012), The Missing Picture (2013)

Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr Patrick Reed, Michelle Shephard

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE In 1995, eight-year-old Omar Khadr moved with his parents from Canada to Afghanistan. Seven years later, at the age of 15, he was captured by American troops, accused of having links to Al-Qaeda. The teenager ended up in the Guantanamo Bay prison camp without any legal representation or trial, and he was subjected to many years of torture. Following transfer to a Canadian prison, he was unexpectedly released in May 2015. From his new home, he and his attorney look back on his role in the war. We see footage of his arrest and listen in on interviews with the Canadian secret service and conversations with cellmates. Along the way, we begin to wonder if Omar is just a naive boy, a defenseless child who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Former soldiers dispute this—they are convinced that he’s a merciless terrorist.

This is also the opinion of the Canadian Prime Minister and a range of news organizations, which do their utmost to make sure Omar remains guilty in the public eye, especially in the wake of 9/11. Gradually, the philosophical question arises of whether a child can be held accountable for his actions.

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Canada, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: Patrick Reed, Michelle Shephard Cinematography: John Westheuser Editing: Cathy Gulkin Sound: Sanjay Mehta, Peter Sawade Music: Mark Korven Production: Peter Raymont & Patrick Reed & Michelle Shephard for White Pine Pictures Inc. Executive Production: Peter Raymont for White Pine Pictures World Sales: Films Transit International Inc. Screening Copy: White Pine Pictures Inc. Involved TV Channels: CBC, Al Jazeera

Patrick Reed:

Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma (2008) Pet Pharm (2009) The Team (2010) Fight Like Soldiers, Die Like Children (2012)

Patrick Reed & Michelle Shephard: Omar Khadr: Out of the Shadows (2015)

Pitched at the Forum 2013

Masters

Hot Type: 150 Years of The Nation Barbara Kopple

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

USA, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 93 min Director: Barbara Kopple Cinematography: Gary Griffin Editing: Richard Hankin Sound: Michael Jones, David Cassidy, Steve Clack Music: Max Avery Lichtenstein Production: Suzanne Mitchell, Barbara Kopple for Cabin Creek Films Executive Production: Hamilton Fish Screening Copy: Cabin Creek Films

Barbara Kopple:

Harlan County U.S.A. (1976), Keeping on (1983), American Dream (1990), Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy (1992), Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson (1993), Prisoners of Hope (1995), Wild Man Blues (1997), Woodstock ‘94 (1998), A Conversation with Gregory Peck (1999), My Generation (2000), Bearing Witness (2005), Havoc (fiction, 2005), Shut Up and Sing (2006), High School Musical: The Music in You (2007), The House of Steinbrenner (2010), A Force of Nature (2011), Running from Crazy (2013), Miss Sharon Jones! (2015) a.o.

Two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple takes a lively behind-the-scenes look at The Nation, America’s oldest progressive liberal weekly magazine. Its influential history is a testament to independent, thorough, critical journalism. After an introductory scene juxtaposing headlines from 150 years of American political history alongside the evolution of the tools of publishing, we are introduced to the editorial team, staff members and interns working in-house and out in the field. Infused with humor by way of The Nation’s writers, the film also shows how past, present and future are closely interwoven. A scene in which a reporter talks to farmers who are affected by climate change is followed by a 1935 article and archive footage about the Dust Bowl. The re-election of unpopular Wisconsin Republican Scott Walker is coupled with the 1952 re-election of fanatical Communist-hunter Senator Joseph McCarthy; the homelessness caused by the earthquake in Haiti with a 1963 article titled “Can Haiti Be Helped?”; and a report on voter suppression in North Carolina with an opinion piece written by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965. Hot Type shows The Nation to be a committed and tightly-knit journalistic family behind a magazine that places social debate center stage, and has an aversion to sensation-seeking, mainstream opinions and those in power.

In Jackson Heights Frederick Wiseman

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 190 min Director: Frederick Wiseman Cinematography: John Davey Editing: Frederick Wiseman Sound: Frederick Wiseman Production: Frederick Wiseman for Moulins Films LLC Executive Production: Karen Konicek World Sales: Zipporah Films Screening Copy: Zipporah Films

Frederick Wiseman:

Titicut Follies (1967), High School (1968), Hospital (1970), Basic Training (1971), Juvenile Court (1973), Primate (1974), Welfare (1975), Manoeuvre (1979), Model (1980), Racetrack (1985), Deaf (1986), Missile (1987), Blind (1987), Near Death (1989), Aspen (1991), Central Park (1991), Zoo (1993), High School II (1994), Ballet (1995), Public Housing (1997), Belfast, Main (1999), Domestic Violence (2001), Domestic Violence 2 (2002), State Legislature (2007), Boxing Gym (2010), Crazy Horse (2011), At Berkeley (2013), National Gallery (2014) a.o.

Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens where immigrants of many nationalities live together in relative harmony. Walk into a beauty salon and you’re in India; visit the community center and you’ll hear Mexican immigrants telling their escape tales. The area is home to a whole gamut of minority groups, with Hari Krishnas, transgender people, Koran-studying children in hijabs, and elderly Jews commemorating the Holocaust. But Jackson Heights is only 20 minutes by subway from Manhattan, and local businesses are concerned about the neighborhood’s future; perhaps it’s about to suffer the same fate as nearby Brooklyn, where the hipsters have taken over and the threatened invasion of major retail chains have sparked skyrocketing rents. After previous films about big organizations such as a hospital, a prison and a ballet company, the acclaimed director Frederick Wiseman has turned his focus on the panoply of subcultures in this little corner of New York City. He takes the viewer along on his visits to a halal butcher, a nail studio, a dog grooming parlor, a belly dance lesson and meetings in the community center. In his customary fly-on-the-wall style, Wiseman films the goings-on in Jackson Heights without comment. Despite the differences between them, the residents are all happy to join forces to preserve their beloved neighborhood and battle against rent hikes.

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Masters

In Transit

Albert Maysles, Lynn True, Nelson Walker, Ben Wu, David Usui Direct Cinema pioneer Albert Maysles died in March 2015 at 88. He and his brother David, who predeceased him, left a treasure trove of iconic documentaries such as Gimme Shelter (1970), Salesman (1968) and most recently Iris, which screened at IDFA in 2014. In Transit is the final addition to Maysles’s rich filmography. A collective of five directors filmed passengers onboard the much-used Empire Builder train that connects Chicago to Seattle. The makers employed small cameras and inconspicuous sound equipment and relied on natural lighting. This results in snippets of accidentally overheard conversation, in-depth interviews with passengers and wordless observations. Maysles and the others paint a loving, almost timeless picture of America. Children play in the carriages, the conductor reminisces about his youth in a village along the railway and an extremely pregnant woman hopes she won’t give birth onboard. Spending days on the train creates a temporary, mini-society. It’s the perfect place for revelations and reflection. Outside, the endless prairies, majestic mountains, snow-covered oil fields and cities glide by. Inside, everyone is in transit: on their way to new jobs, lovers, insights and lives.

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 76 min

Albert Maysles:

Director: Albert Maysles, Lynn True, Nelson Walker, Ben Wu, David Usui Cinematography: Albert Maysles, David Usui, Nelson Walker, Ben Wu Editing: Lynn True Sound Design: Ruy Garcia Production: Erika Dilday for Maysles Documentary Center, Lynn True & Nelson Walker for True Walker Productions Screening Copy: Maysles Documentary Center Website: www.intransitfilm.com

Albert Maysles & David Maysles:

Psychiatry in Russia (1955), Russian Close Up (1957), Iris (2014) a.o.

Anastasia (1962), Showman (1963), Orson Welles in Spain (1963), What’s Happening (1964), IBM – A Self Portrait (1964), Cut Piece (1965)

Albert Maysles, David Maysles & Charlotte Zwerin: Salesman (1968), Gimme Shelter (1970) a.o.

Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Ellen Hovde & Muffie Meyer: Grey Gardens (1976) a.o.

www.mayslesfilms.com

Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words Jag är Ingrid Stig Björkman

Ingrid Bergman took film more seriously than she did life, a fact that becomes apparent in this intimate portrait of her. Using home movies, diaries and letters, Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words sketches the personal and professional life of this great actress and long-distance mother. According to her own diary, if she isn’t filming, she’s only living half a life. Her four children explain that they often didn’t get to see much of her when she was on the set for an extended period of time or off in a foreign country with a new love. Years later, Bergman described herself as more of a friend than a mother to them. Her unorthodox ideas about family life garnered her considerable criticism in the media. Her relationship with Italian director Roberto Rossellini caused a huge scandal because it caused her to leave her daughter Pia behind in the United States—Bergman informed the teenager of her plans in a heartbreaking letter. Pia justifies her mother’s great love for the camera with the fact that young Ingrid’s own father filmed her frequently and fondly; later, Bergman hoped to find love through the camera. After his untimely death she led a sad and lonely existence that was only rendered tolerable by creating characters that would talk back to her. This is how Ingrid Bergman explains her exceptional film career.

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Sweden, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 114 min Director: Stig Björkman Cinematography: Malin Korkeasalo, Eva Dahlgren Screenplay: Stig Björkman, Stina Gardell, Dominika Daubenbüchel Editing: Dominika Daubenbüchel Sound: Mario Adamson Music: Michael Nyman Production: Stina Gardell for Mantaray Film World Sales: TrustNordisk Screening Copy: Swedish Film Institute Involved TV Channel: SVT

Stig Bjorkman:

I Love, You Love (fiction, 1968), Georgia, Georgia (fiction, 1972), Den vita väggen (fiction, 1975), Gå på vattnet om du kan (fiction, 1979), Kvindesind/Elva timmar i en kvinnas liv (fiction, 1980), Bakom jalusin (fiction, 1984), Imorron och imorron och imorron (1989), Alla våra morgondagar (1994), I Am Curious, Film (1995), Tranceformer – A Portrait of Lars von Trier (1997), Images from the Playground (2009), ...But Film Is My Mistress (2010), Fanny, Alexander and Me (2013)

Masters

Last Conversations Últimas conversas Eduardo Coutinho

Brazil, 2015 DCP, color, 87 min Director: Eduardo Coutinho Cinematography: Jacques Cheuiche Editing: Jordana Berg Production: João Moreira Salles for Videofilmes Executive Production: Maria Carlota Bruno for Videofilmes World Sales: Videofilmes Screening Copy: Videofilmes

Eduardo Coutinho:

Cabra marcado para morrer (1964 – 1984), Santa Marta: Duas semanas no morro (1987), Volta Redonda – Memorial da Greve (1989), O Fio da Memória (1991), Boca do Lixo (1992), Os romeiros do Padre Cícero (1994), The Mighty Spirit (1999), Babilônia 2000 (2000), Master, A Copacabana Building (2002), Metal Workers (2004), The End and the Beginning (2005), Playing (2008), Moscou (2009), A Day in the Life(2010), Songs (2011)

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Just before his death in February 2014, famous Brazilian filmmaker Eduardo Coutinho recorded a series of casual conversations with teens who enter an almost empty space one by one. He hopes to find out how they think, dream and live. His simple, empathetic questions about parents and school soon elicit very candid stories. There are girls growing up without a father or mother, because their dad has disappeared and their mom is always at work. There’s a boy who is bullied and has now fallen victim to a deep sense of boredom, and a teenage girl who feels threatened by her stepfather. But there are also plenty of light-hearted moments: a tough, teenage girl who sings Roxette’s “Listen To Your Heart,” another who writes poetry and a seven-year-old who fantasizes about what the world was like before she was born. “Adolescence is just miserable, that’s why I should have filmed kids,” concludes Coutinho, who did what he did best, listen, to the very end.

Last Conversations was completed after Coutinho’s death by João Moreira Salles.

No Home Movie Chantal Akerman

Belgium, France, 2014 DCP, color, 115 min Director: Chantal Akerman Cinematography: Chantal Akerman Editing: Claire Atherton Sound: Chantal Akerman Production: Chantal Akerman for Paradise Films, Patrick Quinet & Serge Zetitoun for Liaison Cinématographique World Sales: Doc & Film International Screening Copy: Doc & Film International

Chantal Akerman:

Blow up My Town (fiction, 1968), La chambre (1972), I, You, He, She (fiction, 1974), Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (fiction, 1975), News from Home (1977), New York, New York bis (fiction, 1984), Golden Eighties (fiction, 1986), The Hammer (1986), Letters Home (fiction, 1986), Night and Day (fiction, 1991), From the East (1993), A Couch in New York (fiction, 1996), The Captive (fiction, 2000), From the Other Side (2002), Tomorrow We Move (fiction, 2004), Down There (2006), Almayer’s Folly (fiction, 2012) a.o.

“My mother is the focal point of my work,” Chantal Akerman explains in a documentary that fellow filmmaker Marianne Lambert recently made about the Belgian director.

In 2014, Akerman documented the final days of her mother Natalia’s life. Not a lot happens. This Auschwitz survivor suffered from chronic anxiety and rarely left her Brussels apartment. She resists recalling past events, preferring small talk. Akerman films with a handheld video camera, but she also uses Skype and smartphone footage. The less-than-ideal image quality and occasionally downright awkward perspective—the camera sometimes flung down somewhere while still on—lends the film an uneasy, almost voyeuristic intimacy. The domestic scenes are interspersed with shots of a dry landscape where an uncontrollably hard storm rages, symbolizing Natalia’s romantic desire to be elsewhere. Emotions are only visible in rare moments of friction between mother and daughter. Just like in her 1975 breakthrough feature Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, which meticulously records the life of a housewife, here Akerman documents the routines of another invisible woman. Less than a year after her mother’s death, Akerman also died.

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Masters

Over the Years Über die Jahre Nikolaus Geyrhalter

Year in, year out, the small and antiquated textile factory in the Waldviertel region of Austria struggles to keep its head above water. The equipment is ancient, bookkeeping is still done using pen and paper, and the cotton diapers it produces— despite a distinct lack of demand—are packed by hand by a solitary employee.

It quickly becomes clear that things can’t continue like this for much longer. The inevitable bankruptcy soon follows, and former employees are forced to go in search of a new occupation. One of the older women starts looking after her neglected grandchildren, while another embarks on a new career selling Tupperware. And the former accountant, who loved his old job so much because it meant he could be alone, turns to his hobby of collecting and archiving hundreds of German folk music CDs. Spanning a period of some 10 years, this sedate observation of factory life slowly transforms into a unique and sensitive record of the ups and downs in the lives of a group of people. At its core, the film examines the extent to which one’s job defines one’s self-image. But more than anything, Over the Years is about life, happiness, sorrow and death.

Austria, 2015 DCP, color, 188 min Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter Cinematography: Nikolaus Geyrhalter Editing: Wolfgang Widerhofer Sound: Andreas Hamza, Ludwig Löckinger, Oliver Schneider Sound Design: Florian Kindlinger, Peter Kutin Production: Nikolaus Geyrhalter & Michael Kitzberger & Wolfgang Widerhofer & Markus Glaser for Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion GmbH World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Screening Copy: Austrian Film Commission Involved TV Channel: ORF Website: www.overtheyears.at

Nikolaus Geyrhalter:

Washed Ashore (1994), The Year After Dayton (1997), Pripyat (1999), Elsewhere (2001), Our Daily Bread (2005), 7915 km (2008), Allentsteig (2010), Abendland (2011), Danube Hospital (2012), Cern (2013)

Awards: Best Austrian Documentary Film & Best Artistic Editing Of A Documentary Film Diagonale Festival Of Austrian Film, Best Film Human Rights Competition Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival

The Pearl Button El botón de nácar Patricio Guzmán

Chile’s coastline is 2,670 miles (4,300 km) long. In spite of this, modern-day Chile has few links, either economic or psychological, to the sea. In his previous film, Nostalgia for the Light (2011), Patricio Guzmán used the desert sand and the stars to investigate Chile’s dictatorial past. This time around, he takes us along on a quest for the secrets of the deep. We hear the stories of the last descendants of the original inhabitants of the Patagonian coast, and learn of the crimes committed under the regime of dictator Augusto Pinochet. Guzmán captures the landscape in beautiful long shots, supplemented by aerial footage—images of majestic mountains transitioning into thousands of islands, glaciers and meandering rivers—and extreme close-ups of water droplets and vegetation. These are all interspersed with excerpts from interviews, old archive footage and stories about the water nomads, whose culture was all but annihilated by the arrival of the colonists. He films divers looking for traces of the many political prisoners who were dumped in the sea in the late 1970s. The title refers to two buttons that were found on the seabed during such a search.

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Chile, France, Spain, 2015 DCP, color, 82 min Director: Patricio Guzmán Cinematography: Katell Djian Editing: Emmanuelle Joly, Ewa Lenkiewicz Sound Design: Jean-Jacques Quinet Production: Renate Sachse for Atacama Productions Co-Production: Valdivia Film, MEDIApro, France 3 Executive Production: Adrien Oumhani for Atacama Productions World Sales: Pyramide International Distribution for the Netherlands: Cinéart Nederland BV

Patricio Guzmán:

La tortura y otras formas de diálogo (1968), El paraíso ortopédico (1969), La respuesta de octubre (1972), Primer año (1973), The Battle of Chile I (1975), In the Name of God (1987), The Southern Cross (1992), Chile, Obstinate Memory (1997), The Pinochet Case (2001), Madrid (2002), Salvador Allende (2004), My Jules Verne (2005), Jose Maza, el viajero del cielo (2010), Chile, una galaxia de problemas (2010), Nostalgia de la luz (2010) a.o.

Pitched at the Forum 2013

Masters

Pelota II

Jørgen Leth, Olatz González Abrisketa

Spain, Denmark, 2015 DCP, color, 71 min Director: Jørgen Leth, Olatz González Abrisketa Cinematography: Dan Holmberg Screenplay: Olatz González Abrisketa Editing: Imanol López, Camilla Skousen, Olatz González Abrisketa Sound: Luis Baranda Music: Kristian Leth Narrator: Jørgen Leth Production: Carlos Juárez for Basque Films Co-Production: Sunset Productions Inc. Executive Production: Carlos Juárez for Basque Films World Sales/Screening Copy: Basque Films Involved TV Channel: ETB

Jørgen Leth:

Stars and Watercarriers (1973), Good and Evil (1975), Sunday in Hell (1976), 66 Scenes from America (1981), Haiti Express (fiction, 1983), Notes on Love (fiction, 1989), Traberg (fiction, 1992), Haïti. Untitled (1996), Søren Ulrik Thomsen – Poet (1999), New Scenes from America (2002), Dreamers (2002), Aarhus (2005), Erotic Man (2010), I Am Talking to You (2013) a.o.

Jørgen Leth & Lars von Trier: The Five Obstructions (2003)

Olatz González Abrisketa:

Danish filmmaker Jørgen Leth and anthropologist Olatz Gonzalez Abrisketa introduce us to the world of the ballgame Basque pelota, a centuries-old sport that’s similar to squash. Leth made another film about pelota more than 30 years ago, but he has now returned to the subject to focus in particular on the mysteries of the balls: “Each ball is an individual with its own life.” And every player has his own special relationship with the ball. In voice-over, Leth tells us about the production and the special selection procedures of the balls. Before each match, supervisors test the balls—first by bouncing them, to test their elasticity and listen to their sound, then by playing against the wall. Having tested dozens of balls, the finalists finally play twice with two balls. Leth and Gonzalez Abrisketa’s focus is on the ball at all times—makers, testers, selectors, players and veterans all talk about the ball, not about the rules, winning or losing. Leth also resists the temptation to use footage from his 1983 film Pelota. We stay in the present; the camera shows us that every Basque village has its own authentic frontón (wall), and how the young people are brought up with this exceptional sport.

directing debut

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine Alex Gibney

USA, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 128 min Director: Alex Gibney Cinematography: Sam Painter Editing: Michael Palmer Production: Alex Gibney for Jigsaw Productions, Viva van Loock Executive Production: Stacey Offman for Jigsaw Productions, Vinnie Malhotra for CNN Films, Amy Entelis for CNN Films Screening Copy: Park Circus Limited Involved TV Channel: CNN Website:

www.stevejobsthemaninthemachine.com

Alex Gibney:

Behind Those Eyes (2005), Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005), Taxi to the Dark Side (2007), Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008), Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer (2010), My Trip to Al-Qaeda (2010), Magic Trip (2011), Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012), We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks (2013), The Armstrong Lie (2013), Finding Fela (2014), Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014), Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) a.o.

Why did so many people who didn’t know Steve Jobs personally cry when he died? Oscar winner Alex Gibney offers a well-considered answer to this question in this fascinating portrait of Steve Jobs, which invites you to “think different” about the achievements and complex persona of Apple’s legendary co-founder. Gibney unearths the contradictions between Jobs’s public image and private character, and uses them to illuminate a critical analysis of the influence of his products on the relationship between humans and machines. He goes on to account for the depth of love people feel for the creator of the iMac and the iPhone. Gibney leads the search in voice-over, loosely following the chronology of Jobs’s successful career, and pausing to reflect on the sacrifices that had to be made along the way. To make his case, the director interweaves archive footage and eye-opening email quotes with interviews with co-founder Steve Wozniak, marketing specialist Regis McKenna, Jobs’s spiritual guru Kobun Chino Otogawa, his former girlfriend Chrisann Brennan, journalists and former employees. We learn about the man behind the myth, and discover the extent to which Jobs’s “core values” survived his transformation from a charismatic rebel into a powerful figure who created his own reality.

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Masters

The Swedish Theory of Love Erik Gandini

Sweden is typically portrayed as having a perfectly organized society in which everyone has equal opportunities for an independent existence. One upshot is that people don’t need to ask anyone else for help or favors, bringing contact between individuals to an absolute minimum. Half the population lives in single households, and more and more women are choosing for single motherhood through artificial insemination. Meanwhile, the number of people dying alone is continually on the rise. The woeful succession of sperm banks, deserted neighborhoods and forgotten deaths casts a disturbing light on the downside to an independent society in which the only truly social activity appears to be searches for missing persons. The film raises the fascinating question of why a life lived in such security and safety should turn out to be so unsatisfying. Some Swedes are putting up courageous resistance: young people are organizing gatherings in the woods to surrender to emotions and caresses; a successful surgeon moved away to Ethiopia, where despite the lack of material wealth he relearned the value of community. In conclusion, maverick sociologist Zygmunt Bauman explains why a trouble-free life isn’t necessarily a happy one.

Sweden, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 80 min Director: Erik Gandini Cinematography: Vania Tegamelli, Carl Nilsson Editing: Johan Söderberg Production: Erik Gandini & Juan Pablo Libossart for Fasad Co-Production: Zentropa Entertainment, Indie Film World Sales: First Hand Films Screening Copy: Swedish Film Institute Involved TV Channel: SVT

Erik Gandini:

Raja Sarajevo (1994) Amerasians (1999) Sacrificio – Who Betrayed Che Guevara? (2001) Surplus – Terrorized into Being Consumers (2003) GITMO (2006) Videocracy (2009)

A Syrian Love Story Sean McAllister

Amer and Raghda met in a Syrian prison 20 years ago. Amer looked on as the injured Raghda was dumped in the cell next to his. For months, they communicated through a tiny hole they secretly made in the wall. They fell in love, and after leaving prison they married and had children. In 2009, Raghda is once more jailed as a political prisoner. When she is unexpectedly released, the Syrian Revolution is in full swing.

Soon after, the family has to flee, but the revolutionary in Raghda can’t be tamed. Her relationship with Amer comes under increasing pressure: it seems that freedom for one person is captivity for the other, and love of the family and the country struggle for priority. Sean McAllister films the family for over five years and almost becomes part of it. When he himself is arrested, the raw family saga ends up getting a new, tragic twist. McAllister’s tried-and-true, unpolished, dynamic style of filmmaking provides frighteningly powerful insight into what it means to be on the run.

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UK, 2015 DCP, color, 76 min Director: Sean McAllister Cinematography: Sean McAllister Editing: Matt Scholes, Johnny Burke Sound: Sean McAllister Music: Terence Dunn Production: Sean McAllister & Elhum Shakerifar for 10Ft Films Executive Production: Lizzie Francke for British Film Institute, Hoshang Waziri for 10Ft Films Screening Copy: 10Ft Films Involved TV Channels: SVT, BBC, DR TV Website: www.asyrianlovestory.com

Sean McAllister:

Working for the Enemy (1995) The Minders (1998) Settlers (2000) Hull’s Angel (2002) The Liberace of Baghdad (2005) Japan: A Story of Love and Hate (2008) The Reluctant Revolutionary (2012)

www.seanmcallister.com

Awards: Grand Jury Award Sheffield Doc/Fest, Jury Prize Salina Doc Fest Pitched at the Forum 2013

Masters

Under the Sun Vitaly Mansky

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Russia, Latvia, Germany, Czech Republic, North Korea, 2015 DCP, color, 106 min Director: Vitaly Mansky Cinematography: Alexandra Ivanova, Mikhail Gorobchuk Editing: Andrej Paperny Production: Vitaly Mansky & Natalia Manskaya for Vertov, Filip Remunda for Hypermarket Film, Simone Baumann for Saxonia Entertainment GmbH Co-Production: Korea Film Export and Import Corporation World Sales: Deckert Distribution GmbH Screening Copy: Deckert Distribution GmbH Involved TV Channel: MDR

Vitaly Mansky:

Boomerang (1988), Post (1990), Etudes About Love (1995), Lenin’s Body (1991), Cuts of Another War (1993), Bliss (1995), Private Chronicles: Monologue (1999), Gorbachev: After the Empire (2000), Yeltsin: Another Life (2001), Putin: The Leap Year (2001), Broadway: The Black Sea (2002), Anatomy of t.a.T.u. (2003), Gagarin’s Pioneers (2005), Wild, Wild Beach (2006), Virginity (2008), Dawn (2008), Sunset.

Dalai Lama 14 (2008), Beginning (2009), Nikolina Gora. Epilogue (2009), Motherland or Death (2011), Pipeline (2013), The Book (2014)

Zin-mi lives with her hardworking parents in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a country where the country’s deceased leaders continue to watch over them—their ubiquitous portraits are hanging in living rooms, at school and even in the metro.

Zin-mi is about to join the Korean Union for Children, which means she is on the verge of becoming part of this ideal society where grownup stuff like hard work and taking responsibility for yourself are essential. Director Vitaly Mansky was able to film her and her family over the course of a year, though the government watched him like a hawk throughout the entire shoot. In various scenes, we watch as the family gets instructions from above on how they can come across even more ideally as a patriotic entity. It becomes increasingly clear that this film isn’t capturing the real life of a North Korean family, but rather reveals how propaganda is made. And despite everyone’s inexhaustible attempts to showcase that ideal society, Mansky still manages to film the real deal behind it all: from smalltime comrades who fight against sleep during official events to the tears Zin-mi cries at a grueling dance lesson.

Welcome Home Welkom thuis Frans Bromet

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 90 min Director: Frans Bromet Co-director: Silvia Bromet Cinematography: Frans Bromet Screenplay: Frans Bromet Editing: Silvia Bromet Sound Design: Erik Griekspoor Music: Ruben Bromet, Jesper Ankarfeldt Production: Niek Koppen & Jan de Ruiter for Selfmade Films Executive Production: Anja Cloosterman for Selfmade Films Screening Copy: Selfmade Films Involved TV Channel: NCRV

Frans Bromet:

Het gaat om het spel, maar de knikkers zijn ook niet onbelangrijk (1963), De 1, 2, 3 Rhapsodie (1964), Het drielandenpunt (1974), Een tip van de sluier (1979), Buren serie (1991-1999), Opvoeden (1997), Victoria (1997), Gemeenschap en goederen (2001), Haven geveild (2000), Met de vuist op tafel (2000), Het algemeen belang (2001), Cor Boonstra (2001), Dilemma (2001), De achtste dag (2003), De verbouwing (2006), 7 dagen: Lijsttrekkers (2002), Late liefde (2008), Alles van waarde (2011), a.o.

www.bromet.nl

WORLD PREMIERE

Despite having a Jewish father, filmmaker Frans Bromet doesn’t consider himself a Jew, and he’s highly critical of Israel’s political stance. He travels to Israel in an effort to discover the cause of a feud within his family. There he meets up with his aunt and two second cousins whom he has never met because of the family conflict. Bromet is well known for his brazen, some would say naive interview style, and he uses it here to interrogate family members and other Dutch Jews who have made aliyah, the move to the holy land. Why would they want to live in a country at war? Is Israel really all that much safer than an Amsterdam suburb? And why do all the conversations run aground in accusations of anti-Semitism? As he gradually disentangles the roots of the feud, it strikes the filmmaker that his quarrelling relatives seem a lot like the warring parties in Israel. If such minor misunderstandings can lead to conflicts in his own family that span generations, what hope can there ever be of solving the Middle East’s problems? Bromet’s personal journey and his questions about Israel make for an original approach to the subject, yielding new insights into an ancient conflict.

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NON-COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS Best of Fests

In Best of Fests, the festival is presenting 46 documentaries that have made an impact on the international festival circuit this year. Highlights include The Chinese Mayor (supported by IDFA Bertha Fund and pitched at IDFA Forum in 2012), Sundance winner The Russian Woodpecker, A Flickering Truth (pitched at IDFA Forum in 2013) and Surire (supported by the IDFA Bertha Fund).

Several films are part of other programs as well. Among the Believers, Cartel Land, The Chinese Mayor and Welcome to Leith are also part of the theme program Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015 (see page 219). Driving with Selvi is also selected for the IDFA DOC U Competition (see page 101).

Best of Fests

Among the Believers

Hemal Trivedi, Mohammed Ali Naqvi A unique, disturbing glance inside the Red Mosque movement, a network of schools in Pakistan that is a breeding ground for radical, militant Islam. The recipe is very simple: offer free education and meals in a poverty-stricken country. The schools’ curriculum consists of memorizing the Koran. “At this age, children are malleable,” explains the network’s leader Abdul Aziz Ghazi during a tour of one of the schools, where young girls are required to wear black burkas. Aziz’s interpretation of the Koran boils down to jihad against the infidels, and he sees it as his mission to introduce Islamic law. The children in his rapidly growing movement are basically soldiers, like Talha, an insecure boy who risks being converted into an Islamic fighter. Aziz is opposed by village head Tariq, whose school fights a brave battle against poverty and ignorance. Tariq also finds support in religion, but his values are the opposite of Aziz’s as he believes in tolerance, understanding and striving for knowledge. Zarina is one of his pupils and she flourishes. In the meantime, tensions in Pakistan are mounting.

USA, Pakistan, India, 2015 DCP, color, 84 min

Hemal Trivedi & Mohammed Ali Naqvi:

Director: Hemal Trivedi, Mohammed Ali Naqvi Cinematography: Sardar Habib Ur Rehman, Haider Ali Screenplay: Jonathan Goodman Levitt Editing: Hemal Trivedi Production: Jonathan Goodman Levitt for Changeworx, Hemal Trivedi for Manjusha Films Executive Production: Whitney Dow World Sales: Cinephil Screening Copy: Cinephil Website: www.amongthebelieversfilm.com

Hemal Trivedi:

Shabeena’s Quest (2012) Tell Me a Story (2006) Beyond Mumbai (2011)

Mohammed Ali Naqvi:

Hide (2004) Shame (2006) Behind the Scenes of “Big River” (2006) Pakistan’s Hidden Shame (2014)

Beyond My Grandfather Allende Allende mi abuelo Allende Marcia Tambutti Allende

Almost 42 years have passed since a military coup in Chile deposed the democratically elected government of President Salvador Allende. The death of Allende and the years of military dictatorship that followed have left deep scars in both the country and in Allende’s immediate family. In Beyond My Grandfather Allende, his granddaughter Marcia Tambutti Allende goes in search of Salvador Allende the man. She attempts to reconstruct the past through informal interviews with her family, quickly discovering that they don’t talk about “Chico,” as he was affectionately known. Memories of him have been buried deep and seem too painful to drag up. Nevertheless, the filmmaker’s aged grandmother slowly but surely becomes accustomed to her compassionate but sharp interviewing style and starts to talk more about Allende, her marriage and her role as the president’s wife. Other members of the family, many of whom never knew Allende personally, also start to talk. Marcia goes in search of family photos and videos, and as a result we get to know the kind of man her grandfather was. The film also provides a thorough impression of the complex political situation of the Allende family over the past 40 years.

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Mexico, Chile, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 98 min Director: Marcia Tambutti Allende Cinematography: David Bravo, Eduardo Cruz Coke Editing: Coti Donoso, Teresa Viera-Gallo Production: Paola Castillo for Errante Producciones Co-Production: Mart films, Fragua Cinematografía World Sales: Doc & Film International Screening Copy: Doc & Film International

Marcia Tambutti Allende: directing debut

Pitched at the Forum 2009

Best of Fests

Bolshoi Babylon Nick Read

UK, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 83 min Director: Nick Read Cinematography: Nick Read Editing: Jay Taylor, David Charap Sound: Vasily Amochkin Sound Design: Dan Weinberg Music: Colin Smith, Simon Elms Production: Mark Franchetti for Red Velvet Films Executive Production: Simon Chinn for Red Box Films, Maxim Pozdorovkin World Sales: Altitude Film Sales Distribution for the Netherlands: Cinéart Nederland BV Screening Copy: Altitude Film Sales Involved TV Channels: HBO, BBC, BR, MDR

Nick Read:

Naked Sports: Four Portraits (1993), Aftershock: The Untold Story of the Birmingham Pub Bombings (1994), Rawhides (1997), The Royal Court of Thailand (1998), The Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain (2000), Warren Zevon: Keep Me in Your Heart (2003), Indira Ghandi: The Death of Mother India (2004), Inside Israel’s Jails (2005), Return to Tiananmen Square (2009), Slumdog Children of Mumbai (2010), Return of the Lost Boys (2011) The Condemned (2013), a.o.

In 2013, the artistic director of the prestigious Bolshoi Theater, Sergei Filin, got acid thrown in his face. The former ballet dancer received third-degree burns and was blinded in one eye. The bizarre story spread around the world. Why would anyone hold a grudge against someone involved in the world of high culture? Nick Read offers us a revealing, disconcerting look behind the scenes of the world-famous Moscow dance theater.

Intrigues, envy and sabotage seem commonplace in this world, which comes across as even more treacherous than the one portrayed in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. Add in the flourishing culture of corruption and patronage—which extend all the way up to the Kremlin—and the drama is complete. Various players in this insular world—from soloists to members of the corps de ballet and from administrators to teachers—talk about what it means to aim for a life as a professional dancer in Russia’s leading ballet company: what you have to do, and what you must give up. “There’s no one that can’t be replaced,” one of the ballerinas states, justifiably concerned. A lack of connections, an injury or just advancing age: they could all spell the end of a promising career. Knowing all this, even the most stunning contemporary recordings and archive footage of dancers in action become tinged with unease.

Pitched at the Forum 2013

Call Me Marianna Mów mi Marianna Karolina Bielawska

Poland, 2015 DCP, color, 75 min Director: Karolina Bielawska Cinematography: Kacper Czubak Screenplay: Karolina Bielawska Editing: Daniel Gasiorowski Sound: Jacek Pajak Music: Natalia Fiedorczuk Production: Zbigniew Domagalski for Kalejdoskop Film Studio World Sales: Film Republic Screening Copy: Film Republic Involved TV Channel: TVPTelewizja Polska S.A. Website: www.callmemarianna.com

Karolina Bielawska:

6 Bielinskiego Street (2005)

Karolina Bielawska & Julia Ruszkiewicz:

Warsaw Available (2009)

Awards: Golden Centaur Grand Prize & The Russian Press Jury Prize Message To Man International Film Festival, Best Documentary Film Queer Lisboa, Zonta Club Locarno Prize Festival Del Film Locarno, Golden Horn & Maciej Szumowski Award & Best Documentary Film Producer & Audience Award Film Krakow Film Festival a.o.

After spending the first 40 years of her life as a son, husband and father, the Polish Marianna has been reborn as a woman. Finally making this transition to womanhood involved dragging her parents, who didn’t accept her choice, before the court. Marianna’s children also refuse to visit her, despite repeated attempts at reconciliation. With the exception of a couple of female friends and a handful of colleagues, Marianna lives a solitary life in a society that’s far from accepting of transgender people. In spite of it all, this brave woman struggles on towards the final gender reassignment operation, which she hopes will open the way to real happiness—but then fate intervenes. This intimate debut film is an empathetic portrait of a protagonist who finally chooses to live for herself, braving all the dreadful consequences this choice brings. Marianna’s exceptional story is told through recordings of everyday events, major and minor, and making use of archive footage, intercut with sequences in which Marianna and two actors read through the script of her life. These intelligent scenes answer the natural but complex questions the viewer may have. What’s the real price Marianna has to pay to finally be herself?

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Best of Fests

Cartel Land

Matthew Heineman Every year the death toll rises in the drug war along the Mexican-American border.

The government cannot guarantee safety in the border region, and some inhabitants see no alternative but to take matters into their own hands. Risking his life, filmmaker Matthew Heineman follows two groups fighting the cartels. On the Mexican side, the charming doctor Jose Mireles and his autodefensas hunt gang members; back in the United States, veteran and former drug addict Tim “Nailer” Foley tracks Mexican immigrants and smugglers in the inhospitable desert of Arizona, then hands them over to the authorities. Heineman penetrates deep into the shadowy world of organized crime. We watch masked men make crystal meth, experience frenetic gunfights and gain insight into the personal lives of the vigilantes. Their objective is to fight crime, but in the heat of battle, morals get lost and the line between good and evil isn’t always clear.

USA, Mexico, 2015 DCP, color, 98 min Director: Matthew Heineman Cinematography: Matthew Heineman, Matt Porwoll Editing: Matthew Heineman, Matthew Hamachek, Bradley J. Ross, Pax Wassermann Sound Design: Tom Paul Music: H. Scott Salinas, Jackson Greenberg Production: Tom Yellin for The Documentary Group Executive Production: Molly Thompson, David McKillop, Robert Debitetto World Sales: Dogwoof Screening Copy: Dogwoof Website: www.cartellandmovie.com

Matthew Heineman:

Overcoming the Storm (2006)

Matthew Heineman & Matt Wiggins: Our Time (2009)

Matthew Heineman & Susan Froemke:

Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare (2012)

Awards: Directing Award & Special Jury Award For Cinematography Sundance Film Festival, Tim Hetherington Award Sheffield International Documentary Festival, Silver St George Award For Best Documentary Moscow International Film Festival

Censored Voices Mor Loushy

In June 1967, Israel and its Arab neighbors spent six days at war. The Israeli victory resulted in Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. A week later, a group of kibbutz inhabitants led by Avraham Shapira and author Amos Oz recorded a series of candid interviews with returning soldiers.

The recordings were censored by the Israeli army and 70 percent of them were never made public. This film features them, uncensored, for the very first time. Director Mor Loushy accompanies the interviews with a selection of archive material: from propaganda songs to international news reports. She also films the veterans years later as they listen to the recordings of their own stories for the very first time. We don’t get their verbal reactions, but their facial expressions say it all. The interviews constitute the universal story of the horrors of war. The soldiers speak of the fear they felt, their shock and their pity or contempt for the enemy. They also convey their ambivalence to the war. This is the tragic paradox of a people in search of freedom who become the occupiers.

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Israel, Germany, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 84 min Director: Mor Loushy Cinematography: Itai Raziel, Anver Shahaf Editing: Daniel Sivan Sound Design: Yoss Appelbaum Production: Daniel Sivan & Hilla Medalia & Neta Zwebner-Zaibert for kNow Productions Executive Production: Dan Cogan, Danna Stern, Dagmar Mielke, Nick Fraser, Morgan Spurlock, Jeremy Chilinick, Ethan Goldman World Sales: Dogwoof Screening Copy: Dogwoof Website: www.censoredvoices.com

Mor Loushy:

Israel Ltd. (2009)

Awards: Yafo Award For Best Debut Film & Best Research Award DocAviv Film Festival

Best of Fests

The Chinese Mayor Hao Zhou

China, 2015 DCP, color, 87 min Director: Hao Zhou Cinematography: Hao Zhou, TianHui Zhang Screenplay: Qi Zhao, Hao Zhou Editing: Matthieu Laclau, Xiaochuan Yu, Xinming Lin, Tom Hsingmin Lin Sound: Jing Xiao Production: Qi Zhao for Zhaoqi Films Executive Production: Michelle Ho for Zhaoqi Films World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Distribution for the Benelux: IDFA Bertha Fund Screening Copy: Zhaoqi Films Involved TV Channels: Knowledge Network, DR, BBC, NHK Enterprises Inc., SVT

Hao Zhou:

Houjie Township (2005), Senior Year (2006), Using (2008), The Transition Period (2009), Cop Shop (2010), Cop Shop 2 (2011), A Village Life (2011), Emergency Room China (2013), Cotton (2014)

Awards: World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Unparalleled Access Sundance Film Festival, Best Documentary River Run Film Festival, Silver Prize Millennium Film Festival, Best Documentary Newport Beach Film Festival

Yanbo Geng is the communist mayor of Datong in China, and he has put his heart and soul into realizing his dream project of restoring and reconstructing the monumental city wall. He’s convinced that when this gigantic project is complete the tourists will come pouring in, ensuring the economic future of the city. The project has led to nearly half a million residents being forced to move. In Direct Cinema style, director Hao Zhou follows the mayor over a period of two years as he attempts to balance general public interest and a sense of justice for individuals. This doesn’t prove easy, for how should one go about rehousing people who are residing illegally in the first place? This prompts debate and demonstrations. Although Geng doesn’t shy away from confrontation, he does warn, “We have our rules. Don’t try to challenge the government.” Geng is also hard on himself, which drives his wife to distraction. We discover that he is at the mercy of the party leadership, whom he believes is unsympathetic to his Buddhist outlook. But when all is said and done, temporary personal ambitions are irrelevant, because “Datong will write a significant page in China’s history!”

Pitched at the Forum 2012

Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah Adam Benzine

Canada, UK, USA, 2015 DCP, color, 40 min Director: Adam Benzine Cinematography: Alex Ordanis Editing: Tiffany Beaudin Sound: Daniel Hewett Music: Joel Goodman Production: Adam Benzine for Jet Black Iris America Executive Production: Nick Fraser for BBC World Sales: Cinephil Screening Copy: The Rolling Picture Company Involved TV Channels: HBO Enterprises, ZDF, ARTE, DR

Adam Benzine: directing debut

In 1973, Claude Lanzmann started shooting Shoah, a nearly 10-hour film that many regard as the most important ever made about the Holocaust. The Frenchman worked for a full 12 years on the documentary, which was commissioned by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But making Shoah left its mark on Lanzmann. He filmed 200 hours of material in 14 countries, before spending five years editing it. And then there was the infamous confrontation with a former Nazi and his henchmen. The director described his documentary as “a film about death, not about surviving.” He explains in Spectres of the Shoah how it wore him out and almost deprived him of his will to live. Lanzmann experienced the completion of Shoah as a death, and it took a long time for him to recover from it. The now almost 90-year-old filmmaker discusses his warm friendship with Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, and his teenage years in the French resistance during the Second World War. The film also features unseen material from his magnum opus.

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Best of Fests

Crocodile Gennadiy Steve Hoover

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE The modern-day superhero Gennadiy Mokhnenko made a name for himself kidnapping homeless child addicts in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. There, the married pastor—who alongside his own three progeny has 32 adopted children—has been running his Pilgrim Republic shelter since 2000. He confronts dealers and violent criminals, organizes public protests against drug trafficking and appears on talk shows. Mokhnenko says that he is simply filling the void left by a failing state, but he’s not without his critics. A speech given to inmates at a women’s prison about every child’s right to a stable family life serves as a framework for this committed, observational narrative covering 15 years in the life of a pugnacious man. News report montages provide the political background that is at least in part responsible for the children’s suffering: from the collapse of the Soviet Union and Yanukovych’s contested electoral success to the Russian invasion that ultimately reached Mariupol. The sweet, child-helping Soviet cartoon character Crocodile Gena serves as a metaphor for the ever-optimistic priest’s work. Meanwhile, Mokhnenko provides us with ironic commentary on the awful situation in his country.

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 96 min Director: Steve Hoover Cinematography: John Pope Editing: Steve Hoover Sound Design: Dallas Taylor Music: Atticus Ross, Bobby Krlic, Leopold Ross Production: Danny Yourd for Animal Executive Production: Terrence Malick, Nicolas Gonda, Kathy Dziubek & Michael Killen & Jim Kreitzburg for Animal World Sales: ro*co films international Screening Copy: Animal Website: www.gennadiyfilm.com

Steve Hoover:

Blood Brother (2013)

Awards: Golden Rock Award For Best Documentary Feature Little Rock Film Festival

Driving with Selvi Elisa Paloschi

At present, there are more than 700 million women around the world who’ve been forced into arranged marriages before the age of 18. A third of these child brides come from India, and one of them is a taxi driver named Selvi. She was married off on her 14th birthday, and subsequently abused by her older husband. She was able to escape and then made a choice of life not common for women in India: she learned to drive a car, moved to the city and became the first female taxi driver in the south of the country. Driving with Selvi follows her over an extended period of time, during which she talks candidly about her life. How can you deal with a traumatic past full of rejection and violence? How can you make a new life with a social support network when your family no longer exists? Selvi has managed to do this: she also finds love, and now she has a young daughter. This shows the remarkable journey undertaken by a woman who swims against the tide, striving to break with the long tradition of arranged marriages for children—starting with her own daughter. This is a tragic and poignant yet also energetic and inspirational portrait of an extremely tough Indian woman.

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Canada, 2015 DCP, color, 54 min Director: Elisa Paloschi Cinematography: Elisa Paloschi Screenplay: Elisa Paloschi Editing: Dave Kazala, Mahi Rahgozar Sound: Elisa Paloschi Sound Design: Daniel Pellerin Music: Ken Myhr, Pascal Fricke Production: Elisa Paloschi for Eyesfull Screening Copy: Eyesfull Website: www.drivingwithselvi.com

Elisa Paloschi:

Barabba di Mondello (1992) Radhamma’s Dream (2007) Embracing Voices: The Woman Behind the Music of Jane Bunnett (2012)

www.elisapaloschi.com

Best of Fests

Every Face Has a Name Magnus Gertten

Sweden, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 76 min Director: Magnus Gertten Cinematography: Caroline Troedsson, Adam Makarenko Editing: Jesper Osmund Sound Design: Audun Røstad, Jørgen Meyer Music: Hans Appelqvist Production: Lennart Ström & Magnus Gertten for Auto Images World Sales: Rise and Shine Screening Copy: Rise and Shine Website: www.everyfacehasaname.com

Magnus Gertten:

Get Busy (2004) Rolling Like a Stone (2006) Long Distance Love (2009) Harbour of Hope (2011) A Thousand Pieces (2014) a.o.

Magnus Gertten & Fredrik Gertten:

Becoming Zlatan (2015)

Awards: The Angelos Award Göteborg International Film Festival

After the Second World War, 15,000 concentration camp refugees arrived in boats in the south of Sweden. On April 28, 1945, Swedish national television showed nearly 2,000 men, women and children arriving in the port of Malmö. Barely aware of their regained freedom, they obligingly went along with reception and processing, which included showering outdoors. Director Magnus Gertten used this impressive and very successfully restored footage for his documentary Harbor of Hope (2012), in which he looked for three of the war survivors in the footage. He has since managed to track down more of the faces that appear on-screen. Some of these survivors are interviewed in Every Face Has a Name. As they study the images, they’re surprised to recognize family members, friends and themselves. This sparks personal and shocking revelations about the war. Gertten compares this event to the current flow of refugees into Europe. He shows the viewer how, just like 70 years ago in Sweden, there’s a mixture of happiness, fear and disbelief in the faces of hundreds of refugees as they arrive in Sicily after their harsh boat journey.

Meanwhile, Gertten manages to discover who some of them are as well.

Exotica, Erotica, Etc. Evangelia Kranioti

France, 2015 DCP, color, 73 min

Evangelia Kranioti:

Director: Evangelia Kranioti Cinematography: Evangelia Kranioti Screenplay: Evangelia Kranioti Editing: Yorgos Lamprinos Sound: Jérôme Gonthier Music: Eric Neveux Production: Charlotte Vincent for Aurora Films World Sales: Aurora Films Screening Copy: Aurora Films

Awards: Emerging International Filmmaker Award Hot Docs International Film Festival

directing debut

The sound of the wind, waves lapping the shore, an engine throbbing, the sunset’s colors, a huge ship on a boundless ocean—why some men choose a life at sea is readily apparent to the viewer. “I wanted to penetrate the heart of the ocean,” explains one sailor. The usually Greek and South American men alternate their lives onboard that are both exciting and mundane with visits to the women in bars. And then they quickly leave, for sorrow over a woman is out of the question. Once you start, it ruins everything: “Then every new destination loses its meaning.” The men’s quest for freedom stands in marked contrast to the needs of the women who—sometimes after the first glance at their handsome sailor—devote their hearts to them. Sandy was once one of these ladies of the night. Now retired, she reminisces about her favorite Greeks with melancholy and unabashed desire, lying naked on her couch. “Rusty and damaged like an old ship,” as she puts it.

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Best of Fests

A Flickering Truth Pietra Brettkelly

Ibrahim Arify had to flee his homeland of Afghanistan because of jihadist guerillas.

Now a resident of Germany, he returned in 2012 to lead the Afghan film institute in its cataloguing and restoration of Kabul’s dilapidated film archive. The journey through 8,000 hours of dusty film reels yields new surprises every day. Watching rediscovered material sparks youthful recollections among the archive staff—of the films they saw or made, and of the society they have lost. Mahmoud the gardener recalls how some films were saved from the Taliban at the risk of life and limb. “Uncle Isaaq,” a wizened old man who has been living in the building for 31 years, is the link between the archive and the living history it contains. The films are his memory and his family.

We witness Afghanistan rediscovering its own turbulent history and cultural heritage: a report of King Amanullah’s journeys from 1927, the first romantic drama from 1936 and footage of President Najib’s execution in 1996. But when Arify is forced to leave the country again on the eve of the presidential election in 2014, the fragility of Afghan democracy—and the safety of its film archive—is all too clear.

New Zealand, 2015 DCP, color, 91 min Director: Pietra Brettkelly Cinematography: Jacob Bryant Screenplay: Pietra Brettkelly Editing: Irena Dol, Margot Francis, Jacob Schulsinger, Cinzia Baldessari, Cushla Dillon, Ken Sparks Sound: Dick Reade Music: Benjamin Wallfisch Production: Pietra Brettkelly for PBK Ltd World Sales: The Film Sales Company Screening Copy: The Film Sales Company

Pietra Brettkelly:

Beauty Will Save the World (2003) The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins (2008) Maori Boy Genius (2011)

www.pietrabrettkelly.com

Pitched at the Forum 2013

Flotel Europa Vladimir Tomic

As a teenager, the Bosnian filmmaker Vladimir Tomic fled from the bombs of Sarajevo with his mother and brother to Copenhagen, where he spent two years living on an enormous ship in the city’s harbor. In 1992, Flotel Europa, as the ship was called, housed around a thousand Bosnian refugees. Tomic uses his literary and nostalgia-tinged voice-over to tell the story of his coming-of-age in this surreal environment. The people living on the ship filmed their daily lives using VHS cameras, intending to use the footage as video messages for the home front. This collection of remarkable, personal material forms an unembellished reflection of life aboard this floating refugee center.

There’s music and folk dancing, and the children go to school. But beyond the view of the camera, the reality of war invades this world through calls conveying bad news from back home. Tensions also rise between the various ethnic groups; the endless waiting, the tedium and the consistently awful news lead to a rise in drug use and general rowdiness. The residents start losing their patience with the poor hygiene and living conditions onboard the vessel. But from the perspective of this young fellow, all these issues are no more or less important than working out the best way to chat up a girl, or waiting for the moment when he can finally start making a life for himself.

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Denmark, Serbia, 2015 DCP, color, 71 min Director: Vladimir Tomic Screenplay: Vladimir Tomic Editing: Srdjan Keca Sound Design: Alex Pavlovic Production: Selma Jusufbegovic, Srdjan Keca Screening Copy: Vladimir Tomic

Vladimir Tomic:

Dead Nature and Movements (2004), The Pianist (2004) The Mailman (2004) Echo (2005) The Valley of Shadows (2006) My Lost Generation (2009) Unfinished Journeys (2012)

www.vladimirtomic.com

Awards: Tagesspiegel Readers’ Jury Award Berlinale International Film Festival, Jury’s Special Prize Documenta Madrid, Best Documentary Crossing Europe, Best Serbian Documentary Beldocs

Best of Fests

A German Youth Une jeunesse allemande Jean-Gabriel Périot

France, Switzerland, Germany, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 93 min Director: Jean-Gabriel Périot Editing: Jean-Gabriel Périot Sound Design: Etienne Curchod, Laure Arto-Toulot Music: Alan Mumenthaler Production: Nicolas Brevière for Local Films Co-Production: Blinker Filmproduktion GmbH World Sales: Films Boutique Screening Copy: Films Boutique Awards: The Scam International Award Cinéma Du Réel, Prix du Jury SSA/Suissimage, Best First Feature Award Lima Independiente

Jean-Gabriel Périot:

Gay? (2000), Intimated Diary (2001), 21.04.02 (2002), Before I Was Sad (animation, 2002), We Are Winning Don’t Forget (2004), Dies Irae (2004), Undo (2005), Under Twilight (2006), Even if She Had Been a Criminal (2006), Nijuman no borei (2007), Between Dogs and Wolves (2008), The Delicate Art of the Bludgeon (2009), The Barbarians (2010), Looking at the Dead (2011), The Devil (2012), L’optimisme (2013), We Are Become Death (2014), Si jamais nous devons disparaitre ce sera sans inquiétude mais en combattant jusqu’à la fin (2014) a.o.

The award-winning short film director Jean-Gabriel Périot cuts between footage of the Third Reich and excerpts from 1960s German TV debates to contextualize the rise of the Red Army Faction, the revolutionary terrorist group founded by Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof. Both of these figures played a role in public life, especially Meinhof, who was a TV interviewer. In this sociogenesis of the RAF, Périot uses exclusively found footage to track how the rise of discontent with police violence and the balance of power radicalized Baader, Meinhof and many others. His sharply observed montage of news footage shows a young democracy held back by a centuries-old hierarchy and inevitably clashing with the Marxist rhetoric of a new generation, with kidnappings, hostage-takings and killings as the result. There are appearances from other directors including Godard, Antonioni and Fassbinder, because of what their films expressed about the radicalism of their era.

We see how extremists to the far left and far right are much more closely embroiled with one another than what we might have imagined. The director leaves it up to us to decide to what extent the political context and social discontent resonates with our own times.

www.jgperiot.net

Grozny Blues Nicola Bellucci

Switzerland, 2015 DCP, color, 104 min Director: Nicola Bellucci Cinematography: Simon Guy Fässler Screenplay: Nicola Bellucci, Lucia Sgueglia Editing: Anja Bombelli Production: Frank Matter for soap factory GmbH World Sales/Screening Copy: ANTIPODE Sales & Distribution Involved TV Channel: SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen Website: www.groznyblues.com

Nicola Bellucci:

Era la nostre fonte (fiction, 1989) Situationsansatzkonkret (1994) Do It (2001) Onoma (2002) In the Garden of Sounds (2010)

In Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, the camera follows a group of female human rights activists, a group of musicians and the owner of a blues café. Portraits of dictator Ramzan Kadyrov, his father Achmat and the Russian president Vladimir Putin are displayed prominently on the buildings along the bleak gray promenade in the center of the city.

The women wittily refer to the three despots as the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

The decades-long struggle between Chechen freedom fighters and the Russian army has claimed countless victims, but humor keeps the women going. Using home videos, they tell us how they risked their lives in the 1990s to film the aftermath of the ethnic cleansing and bombardments that devastated the city. The barkeeper complains: there are hardly any musicians or fans of music left. He desperately clings onto his café and, as a distraction, takes care of a young singer. After sundown, he accompanies the deliberately unveiled woman home so she won’t be bothered by male locals; increasingly strict Islamic rules imposed by the regime are also impairing the quality of life.

In this portmanteau film, director Nicola Bellucci captures brave men and women who are confronting a shady regime.

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Best of Fests

How to Change the World Jerry Rothwell

In 1971, it took a group of rebellious, longhaired friends on a rickety boat to get the topic of the environment on the global agenda. They fell short of their primary goal—to block nuclear weapon testing on the volcanic island of Amchitka—but the young Canadian organization Greenpeace discovered plenty of other threats to keep fighting for Planet Earth. Armed with genuine idealism, a hunger for adventure and a brilliant media strategy, activists left the mothership to explore the seas in small boats. Not just to thwart their targets, but also to record and share images of whales being slaughtered and seals being beaten to death with the rest of the world. For this fascinating documentary, Jerry Rothwell selected some of the overwhelming amount of footage taken over a period of nearly 45 years. The written works of one of the founders, the late Bob Hunter, serve as a narrative thread. It’s about an organization that acquired superstar status but, like many other social constellations, was faced with clashing ambitions and dividing spirits. Rothwell managed to interview many of the original members of Greenpeace. They reflect upon their collective past in which they transformed from flower children into “a seagoing gang of ecological bikers.”

UK, Canada, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 110 min Director: Jerry Rothwell Cinematography: Ben Lichty Editing: James Scott Sound: Daniel Hewett, Chris Miller Music: Lesley Barber Production: Al Morrow for Met Film Production, Bous De Jong for Daniel Films Co-Production: Insight Productions World Sales/ Screening Copy: Met Film Production Distribution for the Netherlands: Cinema Delicatessen Website: www.howtochangetheworldmovie.com

Jerry Rothwell:

Deep Water (2006) Heavy Load (2008) Donor Unknown (2010) Town of Runners (2012)

www.jerryrothwell.com

Awards: World Doc Special Jury Award Editing & Candescent Award Sundance Film Festival, Best Feature Sebastopol Documentary Festival, Best Feature Film Portland EcoFilm Festival, Best Environmental Documentary Sheffield Doc Fest Pitched at the Forum 2013

Human

Yann Arthus-Bertrand French photographer, journalist and ecologist Yann Arthus-Bertrand got thousands of people from different cultural backgrounds to give answers to a lot of life’s questions.

Many of the resulting personal anecdotes are included in his ambitious film project Human. While staring straight into the camera, men, women and children from all over reveal themselves. There are no distractions from what they’re saying, as the background is black. Their countries of origin and names aren’t shown, although they may be referred to in their stories. These are categorized by themes such as happiness, love, marriage, sex, revenge, violence, freedom, homosexuality, poverty and death.

Impressive aerial nature shots—Arthus-Bertrand’s trademark—mark each transition to a new theme. From light-hearted reminiscences to extremely painful memories; from passionate pleas to world leaders to intimate revelations; from released emotions to held-back tears, each person delivers a unique story in a unique tone. As they speak, the filmmaker often shows the silent faces of others, also looking into the camera: a veiled face, only bright green eyes visible; a tear running down a cheek; a creviced face with a toothless mouth; the ghost of a smile. The looks and the stories reveal the pain, fears, desires and strength of man.

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France, 2015 DCP, color, 190 min Director: Yann Arthus-Bertrand Cinematography: Yann Arthus-Bertrand Editing: Françoise Bernard Music: Armand Amar Production: Florent Gilard for Humankind Production World Sales: Humankind Production Distribution for the Netherlands: September Film Distribution Screening Copy: The Festival Agency Website: www.human-themovie.org

Yann Arthus-Bertrand:

Earth from Above (2006) Home (2009) 6 Billion Others (2009) Méditerranée, notre mer à tous (2014)

Yann Arthus-Bertrand & Michael Pitiot: Planet Ocean (2012)

www.yannarthusbertrand.org

Best of Fests

I Am Dublin

David Aronowitsch, Ahmed Abdullahi, Sharmarke Binyusuf, Anna Persson

Sweden, 2015 DCP, color, 75 min Director: David Aronowitsch, Ahmed Abdullahi, Sharmarke Binyusuf, Anna Persson Cinematography: Anna Persson Editing: David Aronowitsch Production: David Aronowitsch for Story AB Executive Production: Annika Rogell for Story AB Screening Copy: Swedish Film Institute Involved TV Channel: SVT

David Aronowitsch:

Hidden (2002) Slaves (2008) Facing Genocide (2010) Sharaf (2012) Dublin (fiction, 2012)

Ahmed Abduallahi: directing debut

Sharmarke Binyusuf: directing debut

Anna Persson: directing debut

This story of Ahmed, a young Somali refugee, is more topical than ever. Ahmed arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa in a fragile boat six years ago and was fingerprinted there. According to the Dublin Regulation, Italy was the designated country to handle his request for asylum. But Ahmed found life in Italy too tough, left for Sweden and went into hiding. When filmmaker David Aronowitsch found him, he had been in hiding for three years. Aronowitsch asks Ahmed to play the role of a young asylum seeker called Daoud, the main character in his short fiction film Dublin. Daoud’s story is a reflection of Ahmed’s own story. What the fictive Daoud goes through, Ahmed went through in real life. In parallel to the making of Dublin, Aronowitsch and his co-filmmakers produce a documentary about Ahmed himself. Ahmed and others in his situation embody a failing political system. He might look like a regular teenager who likes hanging out with friends and checking out girls, but the truth is that he has been in a paralyzing deadlock for six years. “I’m mentally broken,” he says. “I don’t feel anything at all. I should have stayed in Somalia. Six years down the drain...”

K2 – Touching the Sky K2 – Dotknac nieba Eliza Kubarska

Poland, UK, Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 72 min Director: Eliza Kubarska Cinematography: Radek Ladczuk Editing: Bartosz Pietras Sound: Mariusz Bielecki Music: Michal Jacaszek Production: Monika Braid for Braidmade Films, Katarzyna Slesicka for Wajda Studio Sp. z o.o.

Co-Production: Inselfilm Produktion, HBO Poland, HBO Europe, Vertical Vision Executive Production: Monika Braid for Braidmade Films World Sales/Screening Copy: Rise and Shine

Eliza Kubarska:

What Happened on Pam Island (2011) Walking Under Water (2014)

Hanna wasn’t born yet when her father came crashing to his death in 1986. He was attempting to conquer the notoriously dangerous K2, the second-highest mountain on earth. Lukasz was four when his mother died on the same mountain; Chris and Lindsay’s mom was the first British woman to reach the summit of K2, but she didn’t return, either.

During the “Black Summer of 1986,” some 10 other climbers perished as well. Almost 30 years later, director Eliza Kubarska traveled with Chris, Lindsay, Lukasz and Hanna to the plateau where the fatal climbs began. Are they able to comprehend the lure of the mountain? If so, can it help them accept their loss? Despite everything, one of them has become a mountain climber himself. Kubarska has her own very personal reason for embarking on this enterprise, as she reveals at the start. She has been addicted to climbing for 18 years, and now she wants to have a child. But is it acceptable for a parent to take such risks? Archive footage of ascents and testimonies from survivors underline the passions and the dangers. While past and present draw ever closer to one another in this enchanting and intimidating landscape, Kubarska reflects on her own future, as a mountain climber and a potential mother.

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Best of Fests

The Ladino Ladies’ Club Boris Missirkov, Georgi Bogdanov

Sephardic Jews had lived in Spain since time immemorial, but in 1492 they were given the choice of either converting to Christianity or leaving the country. Some of them went to Bulgaria, and after the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, nearly all of their 45,000 descendants emigrated to their promised land. The Ladino Ladies’ Club is about a gathering of nine Bulgarian Sephardic Jews. They are probably the only people in Bulgaria still able to speak the official Sephardic Jewish language of Ladino, a form of Spanish that is peppered with Hebrew vocabulary. The film underlines the importance of keeping memories and traditions alive. These elderly women—who include a professor of biochemistry, an opera singer and a microbiologist—tell each other stories from their youth and discuss their shared history. The subjects they cover include their religious background, the Second World War and the inferior status of daughters with respect to sons. The women also sing Sephardic songs, discuss the Ladino aria in Verdi’s La Traviata and share their recipe for perfect marzipan.

Bulgaria, USA, 2015 DCP, color, 26 min Director: Boris Missirkov, Georgi Bogdanov Cinematography: Boris Missirkov, Georgi Bogdanov Screenplay: Boris Missirkov, Georgi Bogdanov Editing: Georgi Bogdanov, Boris Missirkov Sound Design: Momchil Bozhkov Music: Ivaylo Milenkov Narration: Edward Serotta Narrator: Edward Serotta Production: Martichka Bozhilova for Agitprop Executive Production: Edward Serotta for Centropa Screening Copy: Agitprop

Boris Missirkov & Georgi Bogdanov:

’94 Forever (2008) I Am a Bulgarian (2009)

Lampedusa in Winter Jakob Brossmann

A radio distress call from a refugee boat: the passengers haven’t eaten for three days and are exhausted. It’s winter on Lampedusa. The tourists have all gone home and it’s cold on the windy Italian island, which lies some 110 kilometers (68 miles) from the coast of North Africa. There’s a feeling of unease on the small island, which is the first port of call for African migrants looking to reach Europe. Not only are they protesting against the poor treatment they receive, but the local fishing community is also restless. The cargo capacity of the new ferry—the only way onto and off of the island for its 5,000 inhabitants—isn’t sufficient to transport their catches to the mainland. Angry, the fishermen block the arrival of the boat. Stocks on the island are slowly running low, and store shelves are frightenly bare. There’s division among the inhabitants of the island, and the garbage is piling up—as are the leaky, abandoned immigrant boats in the harbor. In the meantime, a lawyer from Palermo is trying to arrange a place of burial for those who have died, and the mayor is trying to keep everyone calm. Eventually, the fishermen get back to work and the ferry is allowed to dock again. The island gets back to business as usual—until the next call to the coastguard: once again, an overloaded boat is bobbing on the waves.

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Austria, Switzerland, Italy, 2015 DCP, color, 93 min Director: Jakob Brossmann Cinematography: Serafin Spitzer, Chris Flatzek Editing: Nela Märki Sound: Axel Traun, Jakob Brossmann Sound Design: Max Liebich Production: Jakob Brossmann for Finali Film & Wortschatz Produktion Co-Production: Miramontefilm World Sales: Taskovski Films Screening Copy: Finali Film & Wortschatz Produktion

Jakob Brossmann: Call Back (2010) A Day’s Work (2011)

Awards: Boccalino d’Oro Independent Critics’ Award Locarno Film Festival

Best of Fests

Live from New York!

Bao Nguyen

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Bao Nguyen Cinematography: Bao Nguyen, Caleb Heller Editing: Mari Keiko Gonzalez , David Osit Music: Lenny Pickett Production: JL Pomeroy for Jumpline-Group World Sales: Visit Films Screening Copy: Visit Films Website: www.livefromnewyorkmovie.com

Bao Nguyen:

Motoo (2009) A Three Falls in a Forest (2011) Julian (2012)

Ever since the very first episode in 1975, the satirical TV show Saturday Night Live has held a crucial place in the American TV landscape. With its blend of short sketches, parodies and musical interludes, it’s a show that not only mocks America’s pop culture, but also continuously contributes to it. In addition, it’s a leading training institute for American comedians. The list of stars who’ve had their breakthrough on the show goes on and on—from Dan Akroyd and John Belushi to Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey. Forty years later, stars from the present and the past reflect on four decades of unforgettable TV. Original cast members talk about how the show became the hottest thing in town overnight.

Live from New York! pays considerable attention to the countless legendary sketches that are engrained in the memories of millions of viewers. But the show has always received criticism as well—on its lack of diversity, for one thing. Black artists such as Garrett Morris found it hard to hold his own among all the young white men. And female artists like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who later hit it big with Seinfeld and Veep, were rarely given the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano Joshua Seftel

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 27 min Director: Joshua Seftel Cinematography: Naiti Gámez Editing: Colin Nusbaum, Marc Vives Music: Tyler Strickland Production: Joshua Seftel & Jill Landaker Grunes for Seftel Productions Executive Production: Steve Tisch for Escape Artists, Regina Scully for Artemis Rising Foundation, Geralyn White Dreyfous Screening Copy: Seftel Productions

Joshua Seftel:

Lost and Found (1992), Old Warrior (1994), The Real Russell (1996), Ennis’ Gift (2000), Breaking the Mold: The Kee Malesky Story (fiction, 2003), War, Inc. (fiction, 2008), Future Files (2012), Annie: It’s the Hard-Knock Life, from Script to Stage (2013), The Home Team (2014), Tom Scholz: Sound Machine (2014)

www.seftel.com

Awards: Best World Shorts Documentary Little Rock Film Festival, Audience Award Montclair Film Festival

The work of British conceptual photographer Phil Toledano has won awards all over the world. He has taken portraits of celebrities including Mark Zuckerberg and Alec Baldwin, and shot countless magazine covers. This documentary follows him on a long-term project that sees the camera being turned on the photographer himself—his future self.

Make-up artists and prosthetics allow him to turn the gloomiest visions of the future into reality. He “becomes” partially paralyzed following a stroke, a drunkard lying in the street, a lonely millionaire sitting at a table with his Chihuahua, and a vain man addicted to plastic surgery. The inspiration for this project was Toledano’s own father, whom he photographed deteriorating into senility. It made Toledano terrified of his own demise.

He decided that the best approach would be an all-out confrontation with his own fear, so he immerses himself in unpleasant and dark visions of the future supplied by doctors and fortunetellers. Fellow artists shower him with praise, but his wife and his motherin-law are less happy with the situation and share their fears with the camera. Will Phil’s gloomy visions of the future overshadow a far more positive reality?

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Best of Fests

Master and Tatyana Meistras ir Tatjana Giedre Zickyte

The Lithuanian photographer Vitus Luckus (1943-1987) is considered one the most influential artists of his time by his contemporaries, but he barely received any recognition during his lifetime. The Soviet authorities stood in the way of his exhibitions, even though he was the most successful commercial photographer in the country. And when he jumped to his death from his Vilnius apartment at the age of 43, he disappeared into oblivion. It wasn’t until after Lithuanian independence in 1990 that his photos, mostly taken during his long journeys to all corners of the Soviet Union, were publicly exhibited. With a vast amount of archive material, fellow photographers, friends and his wife Tatyana look back on his tumultuous life. They share nostalgic memories of the long days and nights in Luckus’s apartment in Vilnius, where he lived with Tatyana and their lion cub and received artists from all over Lithuania. They fondly describe his kind nature. “An innocent, honest child,” they call him, someone who was always there for his friends and lived for his art, devoted and uncompromising in his search for the truth.

Lithuania, 2014 DCP, color / black-and-white, 84 min Director: Giedre Zickyte Cinematography: Audrius Kemezys Screenplay: Giedre Zickyte Editing: Danielius Kokanauskis, Dominykas Kilciauskas, Giedre Zickyte Sound: Giedrius Aleknavicius, Algimantas A. Apanavicius Sound Design: Vytis Puronas Music: Giedrius Puskunigis, Jurga Seduikyte Production: Dagne Vildziunaite for Just a Moment World Sales: Just a Moment Screening Copy: Just a Moment Involved TV Channel: STV

Giedre Zickyte:

Born Innocent (fiction, 2005) Europe (2006) Baras (2009) How We Played the Revolution (2011)

Awards: Best Documentary Film & Best Director & Best Cinematography & Best Editing National Film Awards, Silver Crane for Best Cinematography Lithuanian Association Of Cinematographers

Meru

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin Wherever they are and whatever happens, they keep filming. In an avalanche, during a serious skiing accident, in the ambulance, during a storm at 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) while hanging onto a precipice in their tent, when their climbing buddy suffers a stroke and when they have to return, frustrated because they didn’t manage to reach the top. Together with director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk go into the archives to capture their climbing history. They put those close to them in front of the camera so they can talk about their loved ones’ passion, and they tell us about their education, experiences and why they continue even after accidents. It’s precisely this honesty and vulnerability that makes Meru go beyond the usual collection of images of exhaustion, snow and arguing at high altitude. This is a story about friendship, trust and risk assessment, and it shows why the trio—Chin, Ozturk and climber Conrad Anker—is at the top of their league, as climbers and as cameramen. With their spectacularly crisp images from the mountains, supplemented by crane shots, time lapses and 3D animation, they show us how overwhelming and not necessarily cool it is to climb to the top of the Himalayas.

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USA, 2015 DCP, color, 89 min Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin Cinematography: Renan Ozturk, Jimmy Chin Editing: Bob Einsenhardt Music: J. Ralph Production: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi for Little Monster, LLC, Jimmy Chin for Itinerant Media Screening Copy: Little Monster, LLC Website: www.merufilm.com

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi: Incorruptible (2015) Touba (2013) Youssou N’Dour (2008) A Normal Life (2003)

www.ecvasarhelyi.com Jimmy Chin:

directing debut

www.jimmychin.com Awards: Audience Award U.S. Documentary Sundance Film Festival

Best of Fests

My Enemy, My Brother Ann Shin

Canada, 2015 DCP, color, 17 min Director: Ann Shin Cinematography: Brendan Uegama Screenplay: Ann Shin Editing: Steve Guise Sound Design: Alex Bullick Music: Ari Posner Production: Ann Shin for Fathom Film Group Executive Production: Melanie Horkan for Fathom Film Group, Jason Spingarn-Koff for New York Times World Sales: Fathom Film Group Screening Copy: Fathom Film Group Involved TV Channels: Bravo, New York Times Website: www.myenemymybrother.com

Ann Shin:

The Fall of an Asian Tiger (1999) Western Eyes (2000) Almost Real: Connecting in a Wired World (2003) The Defector: Escape from North Korea (2012)

www.annshin.com

Awards: Sapanta Award Best Documentary Short Film Iranian Film Festival, Founders Prize Best Documentary Short Film Traverse City Film Festival

The war between Iran and Iraq spanned almost the entire 1980s and cost 1.5 million lives.

As young men, Iranian Zahed and Iraqi Najah fought on opposing sides of the front. They survived the war, both physically and mentally, because of each other. When Najah was badly wounded on the battlefield, Zahed risked his own life to save him. It was a decision that gave Zahed back his sense of humanity—he was still just a child at the time, and he had been forced to carry out unimaginable cruelties. Now, after 25 years and many trials and tribulations, they meet again by chance in Canada. Zahed and Najah each tell their own story of loss, destiny and redemption. In subdued tones, the film reveals their gripping and miraculous tale. With great creativity and subtlety, the filmmakers use animations and photographic effects to bring the two men’s recollections to life.

The result is compact and lucid. My Enemy, My Brother also exists as a web series and is currently being developed into a feature-length documentary about Zahed and Najah and their search for lost loves.

Nice People

Filip & Fredrik presenterar Trevligt Folk Anders Helgeson, Karin af Klintberg

Sweden, 2015 DCP, color, 92 min

Anders Helgeson:

Director: Anders Helgeson, Karin af Klintberg Cinematography: Erik Vallsten, Erik Persson, Simon Rudholm, André Lindholm Screenplay: Filip Hammar, Anders Helgeson, Karin af Klintberg, Fredrik Wikingsson Editing: David Andersson, Anders Helgeson, Richard Rost Music: Jon Rekdal Production: Karin af Klintberg for Thelma/ Louise, Lars Beckung for Mexiko Media World Sales: First Hand Films Screening Copy: Swedish Film Institute

Ebbe: The Movie (2009)

directing debut

Karin af Klintberg:

Nice people live in the Swedish town of Borlänge, if you believe the town’s motto. But not all the locals appreciate the presence of a large group of Somali immigrants. This prompts idealist Patrik Andersson to recruit a group of young Somalis for his bandy team (bandy is a kind of ice hockey). Eight months ahead of the 2014 world championship, the Somali national bandy team is formed. This is a new development, as no African country has ever taken part before. The hope is that the initiative will contribute to greater integration of the players. A good performance in Siberia, where the tournament is to be held, may bring about better understanding within the community. The results include cartoon-like scenes with Somalis, far from home, trying to skate for the first time, and drily comic discussions with locals who express their doubts: aren’t Somalis traditionally rather lazy? In the meantime, the camera follows the goofy Andersson’s search for sponsors.

Making phone calls from a swimming pool, at times it seems like he’s more interested in generating media attention than helping his players. When the young men don’t turn up for training one day, however, he decides to take action: the team must perform. This is characteristic of the film’s slightly flippant undertone. Will the young men be received as heroes?

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Best of Fests

The Nightmare Rodney Ascher

Sleep paralysis is a serious sleep disorder linked to extreme hallucinations that feel very real. People who suffer from this relatively obscure and often misunderstood disorder have the most horrific experiences just before falling asleep or during the night. A number of them talk about this in The Nightmare. For some of them, it started without any demonstrable cause early in childhood; others make a link to a lack of love during their early lives or a problematic adolescence. Initially, the symptoms seem like “ordinary” nightmares—but the stories become ever more extreme and terrifying. The interviewees talk in great detail about the presence of an evil spirit, sometimes in the form of a man with a hat, a shadow or more abstract frightening figures. This evil spirit talks to them—there are frightening sounds and sometimes even physical pain caused by instruments of torture. All sufferers explain that they are unable to move or to talk—which makes the experience all the more terrifying. The film brings their stories to life in a very realistic way: the interviews are held in dimly-lit bedrooms and the stories re-enacted with all the resources of a horror film director, leading to the birth of a new sub-genre: the horror documentary.

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Rodney Ascher Cinematography: Bridger Nielson Editing: Rodney Ascher Sound Design: Jonathan Snipes Production: Glen Zipper for Zipper Brothers, Ross M. Dinerstein for Campfire Executive Production: Kevin Iwashina, Jamie Carmichael for Content Media Corporation World Sales: Content Media Corporation Screening Copy: Content Media Corporation

Rodney Ascher: Room 237 (2012)

www.rodneyascher.com

Only the Dead

Bill Guttentag, Michael Ware EUROPEAN PREMIERE “You deserve better than tyranny and corruption and torture chambers. You deserve to live as free people. And I assure every citizen of Iraq: your nation will soon be free.”

These were the words with which President George W. Bush announced the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the U.S. invasion of Iraq intended to rid the country of its dictator Saddam Hussein. The Australian journalist Michael Ware reported on these events for Time magazine. The initial sense of adventure and excitement gradually gave way to fear and obsession when rebels started resorting to suicide bombings— the freedom that Bush promised never arrived. Instead, the country became embroiled in hopeless conflicts involving ever-greater numbers of rebel groups. The horrors are palpable in this compelling and deeply shocking documentary drawn primarily from Ware’s own footage. In voice-over, he explains how he made contact with insurgents, got permission to attend secret meetings and ultimately appeared on the radar of the Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Al Zarqawi, who would later become the second most wanted man on the planet, sent Ware videos of kidnappings and beheadings. Ware had thus become the messenger for Al Zarqawi’s holy war, and this fact threw him into a deep personal crisis.

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Australia, 2015 DCP, color, 77 min Director: Bill Guttentag, Michael Ware Cinematography: Michael Ware Screenplay: Michael Ware Editing: Jane Moran Music: Michael Yezerski Production: Patrick McDonald & Michael Ware for OTD Productions Executive Production: Justine A. Rosenthal World Sales: Dogwoof Screening Copy: Dogwoof Website: www.onlythedeadmovie.com

Bill Guttentag:

You Don’t Have to Die (1988), Death on the Job (1991), The Cocaine War: Lost in Bolivia (1992), Blues Highway (1994), Memphis PD: War on the Streets (1996), The Last Days of Kennedy and King (1998), Images of Life (1998), Hate.com: Extremists on the Internet (2000), Twin Towers (2003), Nanking (2007), Live (2007), Soundtrack for a Revolution (2009), Knife Fight (2012) a.o.

Michael Ware: directing debut

Best of Fests

Poverty, Inc.

Michael Matheson Miller

USA, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 91 min Director: Michael Matheson Miller Cinematography: Simon Scionka Editing: Simon Scionka Production: Michael Matheson Miller, Mark Weber, Anielka Munkel, James Fitzgerald for Coldwater Media World Sales: ro*co films international Screening Copy: Tugg, Inc. Website: www.povertyinc.org

Michael Matheson Miller: directing debut

www.michaelmathesonmiller.com Awards: Emerging Filmmaker Award Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, Audience Choice Award Anthem Film Festival, Spirit of Freedom Award for Best Documentary Bahamas International Film Festival, Audience Choice Award FirstGlance Film Festival Philadelphia, Special Jury Prize Social Impact Media Awards, Most Creative Documentary International Christian Film Festival a.o.

How can you compete with people giving stuff away? That is one of the biggest problems for small businesses in developing countries, where aid organizations are undermining markets for food and other products by handing goods out for free. This is just one of several unintended negative consequences of development aid that Poverty, Inc. examines. Several of the interviewees point out that although benefactors might feel good about helping poor people, they’re actually participating in a paternalistic system that perpetuates the poverty. A highly lucrative “poverty industry” has come into being, and it’s paying lots of people lots of money. This documentary touches on many sensitive issues, using animated graphics to clarify the complex material and make a convincing argument about how the system can and must change. Given that Poverty, Inc. is a project of the U.S. organization PovertyCure, founded by director Michael Matheson Miller, the filmmakers themselves are not impartial. In an earlier six-part DVD series, they argued the case for completely overhauling the existing system of development aid. So it’s no coincidence that the visual style is sometimes reminiscent of educational films.

Racing Extinction Louie Psihoyos

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Louie Psihoyos Cinematography: John Behrens, Shawn Heinrichs, Sean Kirby, Petr Stepanek Editing: Lyman Smith, Jason Zeldes, Geoffrey Richman Sound: Mickey Houlihan Music: J. Ralph Production: Fisher Stevens for Insurgent Media, Olivia Ahnemann for Oceanic Preservation Society Screening Copy: Oceanic Preservation Society Website: www.racingextinction.com

Louie Psihoyos: The Cove (2009)

www.psihoyos.com Awards: Catalyst Award For Best Call to Action Boulder International Film Festival, Global Citizen Award Telluride Mountainfilm Festival, Audience Award Maui Film Festival, nspirational Documentary Award Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival, Act Now Award Crested Butte Film Festival, Viewer’s Choice Award Baikal Environmental Film Festival a.o.

Oscar-winning director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a team of artists and activists on an undercover operation to expose the hidden world of endangered species and the race to protect them against mass extinction. Endangered animals are filmed alive in the wild and dead at the illegal marketplaces where their poached carcasses are sold. Scenes showing slaughtering practices and the remains of animals on display are intercut with stunning shots of the living natural world. Academics show the extent of the slump in the diversity of ocean life, with a resulting decline in oxygen production.

They predict that in 100 years, only 50 percent of animal species will still be alive. It’s a prospect that leaves little room for optimism, but reminds us all of the wonder of nature. The creatures portrayed here range in size from a giant blue whale to minuscule plankton, in every color of the rainbow. This film is an attempt to raise global awareness and integrate that awareness in our lives: by eating less meat, opposing the extraction of fossil fuels and pushing for legislation against poaching.

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Best of Fests

Requiem for the American Dream Peter Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, Jared P. Scott

EUROPEAN PREMIERE The American linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky is one of the most influential intellectuals of our time. In a series of long interviews—recorded over a period of four years—he describes the end of the American Dream, an ideal that he believes was partly symbolic and partly realistic. “During the Great Recession there was a real sense of hopefulness,” he asserts. “There isn’t today.” He claims the difference between the 1930s and the present is that today’s inequality results from the concentration of wealth, which erodes democracy. Whereas in previous centuries society was in the hands of traders and manufacturers, nowadays financial institutions and multinationals reign supreme. Chomsky lists “the 10 principles of concentration of wealth and power,” which he believes are the underlying cause of this phenomenon, and describes the shift from a natural solidarity to individualism. He explains how the democratization movement of the 1960s, in which he was a left-wing activist, suffered a subsequent backlash and how a “precariat” is emerging in American society. Watching Requiem for the American Dream is like attending a powerful lecture by a leading intellectual, one who doesn’t hesitate to point the finger.

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 75 min

Peter Hutchinson:

Director: Peter Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, Jared P. Scott Cinematography: Rob Featherstone, Michael McSweeney Editing: Jared P. Scott, Alan Canant Sound Design: Malcolm Francis Music: Malcolm Francis Production: Peter Hutchison for Naked City Films, Kelly Nyks & Jared P. Scott for PF Pictures World Sales: Films Transit International Inc. Screening Copy: PF Pictures Website: www.requiemfortheamericandream.com

Kelly Nyks:

Finland, Germany, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 110 min

Mika Taanila:

Luxury Is the Richness of Experience (2010)

Split: A Divided America (2008) Split: A Deeper Divide (2012)

Jared P. Scott:

The Artificial Leaf (2013)

Jared P. Scott & Kelly Nyks: Do the Math (2013) Money Is Material (2013) Impossible (2014) Disruption (2014)

Return of the Atom Atomin paluu Mika Taanila, Jussi Eerola

In the Finnish town of Eurajoki, the construction of a nuclear reactor has been underway since 2004. It would be the first in Western Europe since the Chernobyl disaster. This expansion of the existing nuclear power station should ring in a new atomic age, at least in the minds of some. The local government is delighted with the prospects of cheap energy and job opportunities, and the village has already been treated to a beautiful ice hockey stadium and Christmas lights all over. But what begins as an ambitious project degenerates into a village farce that reveals the entire gamut of human weaknesses.

Though the reactor was supposed to be completed in 2009, a series of setbacks has led to one delay after another. The mayor continues to justify himself to the city council while the once unanimous investors squabble about the poor planning, construction flaws, employment scandals and security leaks. A few still stubbornly protest against the storage of nuclear waste, but most of the residents patiently resign themselves to the fact that big money always wins. Meanwhile, plans for the construction of a fourth reactor have already been approved. Return of the Atom follows the complications surrounding the reactor over the course of 10 years and sketches an occasionally hilarious but primarily disturbing picture of naive managers, shameless pride and appalling greed.

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Director: Mika Taanila, Jussi Eerola Cinematography: Jussi Eerola Editing: Mika Taanila Production: Cilla Werning & Lasse Saarinen for Kinotar, Meike Martens for Blinker Filmproduktion GmbH World Sales: Deckert Distribution GmbH Screening Copy: Deckert Distribution GmbH Involved TV Channels: YLE, ARTE, WDR, ZDF Pitched at the Forum 2005

Thank You for the Music – A Film About Muzak (1997), Pori (1998), Futuro – A New Stance for Tomorrow (1998), RoboCup99 (2000), A Physical Ring (2002), Future Is Not What It Used to Be (2002), Optical (2005), The Zone of the Total Eclipse (2006), Twilight (2010), The Most Electrified Town in Finland (2012), Six Day Run (2013)

Jussi Eerola:

Refugees of Technocracy (2009)

Best of Fests

The Russian Woodpecker Chad Gracia

UK, USA, 2015 DCP, color, 82 min Director: Chad Gracia Cinematography: Artem Ryzhykov Editing: Chad Gracia, Devin Tanchum Music: Katya Mihailova Production: Mike Lerner for Roast Beef Productions, Ram Devineni for Rattapallax, Chad Gracia for Gracia Films World Sales: Cinetic Media Screening Copy: FilmBuff Website: www.russianwoodpecker.com

Chad Gracia:

directing debut

Awards: World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize Sundance Film Festival, Bruce Sinofsky Prize For Documentary Feature Montclair Film Festival, Special Jury Prize Documentary Competition Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, Life Tales Award & Hera Award Biografilm Festival

The eccentric Ukrainian artist Fedor Alexandrovich was just four years old in April 1986, when the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl exploded. He was evacuated following the disaster, but the radiation had already permeated his bones. He returns to what is now a ghost town with radiation readings 10 times higher than normal to visit the gigantic Duga 3 radar station, which stands next to the former nuclear power station.

Duga 3 was part of a radar system that became famous for interfering with world radio communications by emitting a repetitive tapping noise that sounded like a woodpecker.

Despite having cost billions, Duga was never as effective as had been anticipated, and Alexandrovich stumbles on a conspiracy theory that links the huge antenna with the nuclear disaster. Was the explosion caused on purpose? Putting his own life in danger, the artist is determined to unravel the truth behind the disaster. But The Russian Woodpecker is about much more than Chernobyl alone: the sense of paranoia and foreboding accompanying Alexandrovich’s search for the truth is reflected in the increasing unrest and threat of war in Kiev. The roots of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine are revealed— from the 1930s genocide in the gulags to the recent uprisings. Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary.

A Sinner in Mecca Parvez Sharma

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 79 min Director: Parvez Sharma Cinematography: Husain Akbar Editing: Alison Amron Production: Parvez Sharma for The Film Sales Company Executive Production: Andrew Herwitz for The Film Sales Company World Sales: The Film Sales Company Screening Copy: The Film Sales Company Website: www.asinnerinmecca.com

Parvez Sharma:

A Jihad for Love (2004)

Filmmaker Parvez Sharma is both a devout Muslim and gay. To fulfill his religious duty, he goes on a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia: one of the most repressive countries in the world, where homosexuals are whipped and can be sentenced to death. “The soul of Islam lives in Saudi Arabia,” Sharma says. “An Islam of fear.” It’s a pretty nerve-racking destination for the filmmaker, to say the least. What’s more, Sharma just can’t help filming, even though it’s strictly prohibited in the kingdom. The result is a unique report on his visit to the holiest city for Muslims and the bizarre world of pilgrimage. There’s a huge shopping mall right next to the Great Mosque and the Kaaba. The old holy sites have either been replaced by new buildings or—if not to the liking of the orthodox Saudis—destroyed. Believers seeking a mystical experience find a religious industry of mythical proportions. It’s both disconcerting and completely overwhelming. Sharma’s journey is also one of introspection: a long-postponed examination of his relationship with his mother in India, who gave him his faith but disapproved of his sexuality. As a devout believer, Sharma struggles with the question of whether he can be both gay and a good Muslim. Can Islam accept him? He searches for an answer while carrying out the seven rituals of the pilgrimage.

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Best of Fests

The Siren of Faso Fani La sirène de Faso Fani Michel K. Zongo

For many years, Koudougou was the textile capital of Burkina Faso. Faso Fani (“Fabric of the Nation”) was a famous textile plant that brought the city employment, prosperity and vitality. Its employees were always the first in line for luxury goods such as motorbikes and refrigerators, and the company was Burkina Faso’s national pride and joy in the wake of independence. Director Michel K. Zongo grew up in Koudougou, and he remembers hearing the factory whistles heralding the day—all the boys dreamed of working at Faso Fani one day. Everything changed when the country fell into recession—independence hadn’t provided enough of an economic foundation. In exchange for helping Burkina Faso with its debts, the IMF demanded the privatization of all state-owned enterprises, including Faso Fani. Zongo shows us the empty and impoverished city that Koudougou became when the factory had to close. “They broke the future as soon as they closed the factory,” according to former employees, who sadly watch archive footage. The well-oiled machines at Faso Fani may have gone, but Zongo films men and women weaving in the open air on squeaky looms. They carry on the tradition and work to develop their community, hoping for a revival of Koudougou’s heyday.

France, Burkina Faso, Germany, 2014 DCP, color, 89 min Director: Michel K. Zongo Cinematography: Michel K. Zongo Screenplay: Michel K. Zongo, Christophe Cognet Editing: François Sculier Sound: Moumoumou “Jupiter” Sodre Production: Michel K. Zongo for Diam Production, Christian Lelong for Cinédoc films Co-Production: Perfect Shot Films Screening Copy: Cinédoc films

Michel K. Zongo:

Ti Tiimou (2009) Sibi, l’âme du violon (2009) Espoir voyage (2011)

Awards: Special Mention of the Jury Cordoba African Film Festival, Prix UEMOA de l’intégration documentaire and LONAB Prix de la chance FESPACO

Surire

Bettina Perut, Ivan Osnovikoff While researching locations for their 2009 film Noticias, documentary filmmakers Bettina Perut and Ivan Osnovikoff stumbled upon Salar de Surire, a salt flat in the Chilean Andes at an altitude of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). “It was like being on the moon,” they explained in an interview. The vast, barren landscape and the thin mountain air left them feeling intensely alienated, and in Surire they make that sensation palpable. The long observational shots capture a desolate landscape in which human life at first seems to play only a marginal role. But the camera challenges this first impression, focusing on the wealth of flora and fauna in the foreground, while off in the distance a colorful convoy of transporter trucks takes away the salt—which, despite Salar de Surire’s protected status, is mined with the approval of the authorities. Perot and Osnovikoff document this disappearing world using their characteristic and highly articulate visual idiom, particularly recognizable for its grand wide shots and the pin-sharp extreme close-ups. The last original inhabitants of the region look on in resignation from a distance at the exploitation of their habitat. Meanwhile, they tend to their llamas, subject the dog to a risky-looking trim and prepare for a trip into town.

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Chile, Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: Bettina Perut, Ivan Osnovikoff Cinematography: Pablo Valdés Editing: Bettina Perut, Ivan Osnovikoff Sound: Ivan Osnovikoff Sound Design: Roberto Espinoza Production: Tanja Georgieva Executive Production: Ivan Osnovikoff & Bettina Perut for Perut + Osnovikoff Ltda., Irena Taskovski for Taskovski Films, Dirk Manthey for Dirk Manthey Film Distribution for the Benelux: IDFA Bertha Fund Screening Copy: Perut + Osnovikoff Ltda.

Bettina Perut & Ivan Osnovikoff: Martín Vargas de Chile (2000) Un hombre aparte (2002) El astuto mono Pinochet (2004) Welcome to New York (2006) Noticias (2009) La muerte de Pinochet (2011)

Awards: Silver Nanook International Documentary Film Festival Flahertiana

Best of Fests

Tell Spring Not to Come This Year Saeed Taji Farouky, Mike McEvoy

UK, 2015 DCP, color, 82 min Director: Saeed Taji Farouky, Mike McEvoy Cinematography: Saeed Taji Farouky Editing: Gareth Keogh Music: Joe Lewis Production: Saeed Taji Farouky for Tourist With A Typewriter, Michael MCevoy, Elizabeth C. Jones Executive Production: Scott Brown, Robert Elliott, David Kennedy, Nick Quested Screening Copy: Tourist With A Typewriter Website: www.tellspringfilm.com

Saeed Taji Farouky:

I See the Stars at Noon (2005) The Runner (2013) There Will Be Some Who Will Not Fear Even That Void (2014)

Saeed Taji Farouky & Laila El-Haddad: Tunnel Trade (2007)

Mike McEvoy:

directing debut

Awards: Amnesty International Film Prize & Panorama Audience Award Berlin International Film Festival, Best Feature-Length Documentary Madrid International Documentary Film Festival

NATO pulled out of Afghanistan in 2014, leaving Afghan army units to carry on fighting without support. Each of the young soldiers has his own reasons for fighting the Taliban.

One wanted to study but wasn’t accepted to university, while another was looking for an action-packed life. All of them are convinced that they will succeed where the Americans failed and bring peace and prosperity to their nation.“We should defend our own country,” says one. We watch like flies on the wall as the soldiers play cards in the army tents, and listen in on their interrogations of suspected Taliban members. There is little talk of fear and sorrow, but we learn all we need to know from the moments of unguarded expressions on the boys’ faces. When the Taliban begin an offensive against the strategic city of Sangin, the young soldiers are promised that their mission will be over in 24 hours; it ends up lasting 45 days. We quickly become immersed in the situation: the continuous hail of bullets, the rushing around, the shouting and the barely concealed panic when one of the soldiers is seriously wounded. The film takes a subtle approach to examining not only the point of war, but also the effect of NATO’s interventions and the achievability of peace in Afghanistan.

Thank You for Playing David Osit, Malika Zouhali-Worrall

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: David Osit, Malika Zouhali-Worrall Cinematography: David Osit Editing: David Osit, Malika Zouhali-Worrall Sound: David Osit, Malika Zouhali-Worrall Sound Design: Abigail Savage Music: David Osit Production: David Osit & Malika ZouhaliWorrall for Kinematic Films LLC Executive Production: Simon Kilmurry for P.O.V. American Documentary, Sally Jo Fifer for Independent Television Service World Sales/Screening Copy: Cinephil Website: www.thankyouforplayingfilm.com

David Osit:

Building Babel (2012)

www.davidosit.com Malika Zouhali-Worrall: Call Me Kuchu (2012)

www.malikazw.com

Pitched at the Forum 2014

Ryan and Amy have three children when one day, they receive devastating news: their youngest son, one-year-old Joel, has incurable cancer. The next few years of their lives are dominated by hope and fear, and at the same time they make every effort to enjoy their family to the fullest. Ryan designs video games for a living and finds a remarkable outlet for his fear and sorrow: he starts creating a new game called That Dragon, Cancer, in which Joel and his parents play the lead roles. The film follows the family over a long period of time, including the process of creating the game. The result is a candid impression of illness and grief—with all the fear, doubt, sadness and anger that come along with it—but it also looks at the role and purpose of art and modern technology.

A lot of people have positive opinions about these, but the critics say you can’t deal with something as terrible as cancer through a superficial form of entertainment like a video game. Ryan also has his doubts, but personally all he can do is use his creativity to express his emotions. The video game That Dragon, Cancer is also featured in IDFA’s DocLab: Seamless Reality program.

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Best of Fests

This Changes Everything Avi Lewis

“Can I be honest with you? I have always kind of hated films about climate change,” reveals journalist-activist Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine, at the start of this film inspired by her eponymous book and directed by her husband Avi Lewis. Klein doesn’t believe that a desperate polar bear or a melting ice cap is going to spark people into action—something she clearly wants to do. So in this film she has chosen to strike a very different tone. The climate crisis offers opportunities to change a reprehensible economic system by shifting the focus from growth and profits to human values and the natural world. In voice-over, Klein underpins her story with portraits of communities at the front line of climate change. We see groups resisting large, polluting projects such as gold mines in Greece, oil sand mining in Canada and coal-fired power plants in India. The calmness of the threatened natural and living environments is rendered in deliberate and beautiful shots, as are the intense emotions expressed by those involved. All these people believe in a better world and in combating the political conviction that economic interests should always prevail, and sometimes they even succeed. This stance of resistance is clearly something Klein wants to encourage.

Canada, USA, 2015 DCP, color, 89 min

Avi Lewis:

The Take (2004)

Director: Avi Lewis Cinematography: Mark Ó Fearghaíl Editing: Nick Hector, Mary Lampson Sound: Christopher Miller, Daniel Hewett Music: Dave Wall, Adam White Production: Avi Lewis for Klein Lewis Productions, Joslyn Barnes for Louverture Films, LLC, Anadil Hossain for Dillywood, Inc. World Sales: FilmBuff Screening Copy: FilmBuff Website: www.thischangeseverything.org

Tig

Kristina Goolsby, Ashley York EUROPEAN PREMIERE The American stand-up comic Mathilde “Tig” Notaro has short hair, boyish clothes and an irresistible sense of humor. She shot to fame after a show in which talked about her breast cancer. She had only just gotten the diagnosis and had barely prepared her jokes, but she quickly garnered acclaim from all over the country, for her sincerity and sense of fun when tackling the subject of disease and death. Fans include comedians Louis C.K. and Sarah Silverman. Speaking on camera just as honestly and mockingly as she does onstage, Notaro discusses her overnight success, her illness, the death of her mother and her desire for children—a wish made more complex by the fact that pregnancy would heighten the risk of the cancer’s return. The camera also films her Skype conversation with a possible surrogate mother. Some of Notaro’s anecdotes are supplemented with earlier audio recordings, voicemails and on-screen tweets and texts. They all contribute to a complete and intimate portrait of a woman who, despite some bizarre misfortunes, is continuing to do what she does best: be herself.

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USA, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Kristina Goolsby, Ashley York Cinematography: Huy Truong Screenplay: Jennifer Arnold Editing: Mary Manhardt Music: Ryan Miller Production: Michael Clark & Alex Turtletaub & Kristina Goolsby & Ashley York for Beachside Films Screening Copy: Beachside Films

Kristina Goolsby & Ashley York: directing debut

Best of Fests

Time Suspended Tiempo suspendido Natalia Bruschtein

Mexico, 2015 DCP, color, 64 min Director: Natalia Bruschtein Cinematography: Mariana Ochoa Screenplay: Natalia Bruschtein Editing: Natalia Bruschtein, Valentina Leduc Sound: Abril Schmucler, Carlos Olmedo, Pablo Demarco Music: Alejandro Castaños Production: Karla Bukantz & Henner Hofmann for Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (C.C.C.) Executive Production: Abril Schmucler Iñiguez World Sales/Screening Copy: Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (C.C.C.)

Natalia Bruschtein:

Finding Víctor (2004)

Awards: Iberoamerican Documentary Jury’s Special Award & Fipresci Award & Special Mention Mezcal Award Guadalajara Film Festival, Public Prize Festival De La Memoria, Lets Face Aging Main Award Budapest International Documentary Film Festival

Director Natalia Bruschtein’s 86-year-old grandmother Laura Bonaparte used to know the difference between right and wrong. She was an outspoken political activist against the military junta that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. Now, she has Alzheimer’s and is bedridden in a nursing home. One moment, she’s full of praise for the nurse who brings her milk and cake; the next, she’s complaining that the same nurse is mean and never gives her anything good to eat. She no longer recognizes members of her own family, and she has even forgotten that her husband and children were kidnapped by the dictatorial regime, never to return. In that respect, her disease is a blessing. This is a tribute to a courageous woman, who for many years was one of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo protesting in Buenos Aires, holding up photos of her “disappeared” children. In archive footage Laura lucidly tells her story, explaining how she fled to Mexico, only to hear from neighbors back home that her daughter had been taken by the military police while breastfeeding her newborn. While Laura looks on, enchanted, as children blow out candles—it’s her birthday; they are her own great-grandchildren—letters and clippings tell the story she has now forgotten.

Welcome to Leith

Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 86 min

Michael Beach Nichols & Joshua Woltermann:

Director: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker Cinematography: Michael Beach Nichols Editing: Christopher K. Walker Sound Design: Evan Benjamin Music: T. Griffin Production: Michael Beach Nichols & Christopher K. Walker for No Weather Productions, Jenner Furst for The Cinemart World Sales: Submarine Entertainment Screening Copy: No Weather Productions Involved TV Channel: ITVS Website: www.welcometoleithfilm.com

Michael Beach Nichols & Deidre Schoo:

The Man Behind the Curtain (2010) Flex is Kings (2013)

Michael Beach Nichols, Joshua Simpson & Christopher K. Walker: Delivery (2014)

Awards: Filmmaker To Filmmaker Award Hot Docs Film Festival, Special Jury Award For Editing and Cinematography RiverRun International Film Festival a.o.

Leith was always a peaceful little hamlet in North Dakota. The 24-strong community got along just fine, until the arrival of a new resident. For the first few months Craig Cobb appeared to be just a somewhat eccentric man who didn’t like to share much of himself with his new neighbors. But what none of them knew was that Cobb is one of the most notorious racists in the United States. When it got out that Cobb’s master plan was to transform Leith into a community for neo-Nazis, documentary filmmakers Michael Nichols and Christopher Walker decided to follow developments in this tiny city. Cobb starts stirring up trouble and demands his rights at council meetings. The villagers would like nothing more than to get him out, but they don’t know how. With the atmosphere turning increasingly nasty, the older villagers start panicking. What can they do to turn the tide? The directors move fluidly between the two opposing parties, building the story with consummate precision and maintaining the tension right up to the final frames.

The interviews are intercut with scenes revolving around the confrontation between Cobb and his fellow townsfolk, raising uncomfortable questions about freedom of expression and the limits of democracy.

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Best of Fests

Women in Sink Iris Zaki

The northern Israeli city of Haifa is home to Fifi’s, a popular hair salon. Like many of her clients, Fifi, the owner, is an Arab Christian, but her loyal clientele also includes many Jewish women. Although they may live separately elsewhere in the country, Jews, Muslims and Christians all come together in the warm and welcoming atmosphere of this local melting pot. The Israeli filmmaker Iris Zaki placed her camera above the basin where the clients enjoy a head massage, and then asked them questions about their lives and the current political situation. The ladies come from different generations and backgrounds, and their opinions about life in Haifa and Israel vary widely, but what they have in common is their genuineness, candor and humanity. The static, minimal close-ups keep the focus on the subject—on the tough, wise and often hope-filled stories. In between the conversations, sequences showing the salon’s goings-on offer a lighter note. In the end, even Zaki lays her own head in the basin, confiding that directing the film made her feel hopeful as well. The further we’re removed from politics, the easier it gets to live together.

UK, Israel, 2015 DCP, color, 37 min Director: Iris Zaki Cinematography: Iris Zaki, Ofir Peretz Editing: Iris Zaki, Tal Cicurel Music: Souad Zaki Production: Iris Zaki Screening Copy: Iris Zaki

Iris Zaki:

My Kosher Shifts (2011)

Awards: Most Innovative Award for Mid-Length Film Vision Du Reel

A Young Patriot Du Haibin

Nineteen-year-old Xiao Zhao is a patriot through and through, and a great fan of Mao Zedong. He often marches in an old Red Army uniform through the streets of his hometown of Pingyao, inciting his comrades to rise up against the Japanese “occupation” of the Diaoyu Islands. He dreams of first studying photography at university, then serving his country in the army. Not as an officer, but as a regular soldier in a restive border region. Only then can he realize his full potential in the service of the Chinese people. During the four years that we follow Xiao, many of his ideals are dashed. He watches, dispirited, as corruption continues to dominate local politics and the Chinese urge to build impacts his family’s prosperity. Slowly but surely, he’s transformed from a die-hard supporter of the Communist Party into a cynic. An intriguing and at times astonishing portrait of a young man who initially comes across as a fanatic, but thanks to his openness, honesty and emotional candor quickly wins our sympathy.

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China, France, USA, 2015 DCP, color, 106 min Director: Du Haibin Cinematography: Aiguo Liu Editing: Mary Stephen Sound: Yuanqiang Sun Sound Design: Delphine Ameil, Pierre Carrasco Production: Ruby Chen for CNEX Studio Corporation Co-Production: 24 Images Executive Production: Ben Tsiang & Chaowei Chang for CNEX, Sally Jo Fifer for ITVS Screening Copy: 24 Images Involved TV Channel: ITVS

Du Haibin:

Along the Railway (2000) Under the Skyscraper (2002) Life in Beijing (fiction, 2003) Little Red Flowers (2004) Beautiful Men (2005) Stone Mountain (2006) Umbrella… (2007) 1428 (2009)

Awards: Jury Prize Hong Kong International Film Festival

NON-COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS Panorama

In Panorama, the festival is presenting 44 films from all over the world that are thoughtprovoking in their form and choice of theme.

Some films are part of other IDFA selections this year as well. Rebels is also selected for the IDFA DOC U Competition (see page 101). 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets, The Dybbuk: A Tale of Wandering Souls, Land Grabbing and We Are Not Alone are also selected for the theme program Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015 (see page 219).

Panorama

10 Billion – What’s on Your Plate?

10 Milliarden – wie werden wir alle satt?

Valentin Thurn

In 2050, the population of the world is set to hit a staggering 10 billion. This is a huge increase on today’s figure of seven billion, and according to a range of experts and the food industry, it will contribute to serious food shortages. In his search for solutions to this acute problem, filmmaker, bestselling author and self-proclaimed “food fighter” Valentin Thurn travels the world in search of ecologically and economically responsible alternatives to the mass means by which most of our food is currently produced. This includes a visit to a seed bank in India, where the local population claims that their own crop varieties are much more resistant to constant flooding than the genetically modified crops of multinationals such as Bayer and Monsanto. In Thailand, he visits an insect farm. He also looks at several private initiatives and urban farming projects in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. Everyone he speaks to argues for small-scale agriculture and eating locally produced food as often as possible. According to Thurn, these are the only viable options in resolving the problems of the future.

Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 102 min Director: Valentin Thurn Cinematography: Hajo Schomerus Screenplay: Sebastian Stobbe Editing: Henk Drees Sound: Ralf Weber Sound Design: Kai Tebbel Production: Jürgen Kleinig & Tina Leeb for Alte Celluloid Fabrik GbR Co-Production: Prokino, Thurnfilm World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Screening Copy: Autlook Filmsales

Valentin Thurn:

Der Trail Der Toros (2003), Papa liebt einen Mann (2003), Innocent Behind Bars (2009), A Guide for Life (2009), The Whistleblower (2009), Unschuldig im Knast (2009), Der aufsässige Staatsdiener – Ein Beamter packt aus (2009), Guillaume Depardieu – “Es ist die Hölle!” (2010), Fresh on the Trash (2010), Taste the Waste (2011), Die Essensretter (2013) a.o.

www.thurnfilm.de

31/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets Marc Silver

On November 23, 2012, 45-year old Michael Dunn reprimanded 17-year-old Jordan Davis and his friends about their loud music in a gas station parking lot. The argument escalated, Dunn allegedly felt threatened and fired 10 shots. This story of a white male murdering an African-American teen gave rise to questions. In court, Dunn testified that he saw a weapon during the confrontation. This led to two takes on the shooting: either Dunn acted in self-defense or he was a hotheaded racist.

Attempting to uncover the truth, filmmaker Marc Silver intersperses courtroom footage with a plethora of background information representing both parties. An interview with Davis’s parents at their kitchen table alternates with Dunn’s collect calls from prison. 911 recordings from that fateful day serve as the voice-over for footage of the crime scene, including closed-circuit TV footage from the gas station.

We even get to watch Dunn’s interrogation. The two versions of what happened increasingly intertwine, resulting in a collage on the huge divide in the United States with regard to gun ownership, vigilantism and racism.

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USA, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 98 min Director: Marc Silver Cinematography: Marc Silver Editing: Emiliano Battista, Gideon Gold Production: Minette Nelson for The Filmmaker Fund, Carolyn Hepburn for Motto Pictures Executive Production: Orlando Bagwell, Bonni Cohen, Julie Goldman, Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann World Sales: Dogwoof Screening Copy: Dogwoof Website: www.3andahalfminutes.com

Marc Silver:

Global Protest (2000) The Leech and the Earthworm (2003) Los invisibles (2010) Who Is Dayani Cristal? (2013) When Loud Music Turned Deadly (2014)

www.marcsilver.net

Awards: Jury Award for Social Impact Sundance Film Festival, Youth Jury Award Sheffield Doc/Fest

Panorama

According to Protocol Volgens protocol Anne-Marieke Graafmans

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 49 min Director: Anne-Marieke Graafmans Cinematography: Diderik Evers Screenplay: Anne-Marieke Graafmans, Sarah Vos Editing: Ruben van der Hammen Sound: Evelien van der Molen Sound Design: Evelien van der Molen Music: Mihkel Zilmer Production: Katja Draaijer for BALDR Film Screening Copy: BALDR Film Involved TV Channel: Human

Anne-Marieke Graafmans: Als ik jou niet had (2011) Alles is gezegd (2014) Wibi (2015)

IDFAcademy Results

Before we even see the two emergency call operators, we get to hear them swearing their professional oath. They promise to carry out their duties in a responsible and reliable manner, to always prioritize the interests of the callers in need of help and to devote themselves to the good of society. According to Protocol explores the key dilemma faced by those working in an increasingly commercialized Dutch health care sector. How can they best provide care in a system that is so focused on job performance? After following Esmeralda and Inge as they enter the emergency call center, the camera delivers close-up shots of their faces as they ask callers for information, send help and dispense advice.

As we listen to the callers’ voices at the other end of the line, Esmeralda and Inge’s faces betray their practical and emotional responses. In a performance review meeting with their manager, we learn that the introduction of a new protocol at the end of 2012 imposed new quantitative demands on emergency call operators, meaning that they will now be given a score for their often demanding work. Although all the calls did actually take place, they were later re-recorded with actors’ voices to maintain the callers’ privacy.

Afghanistan Night Stories Alka Sadat

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Afghanistan, 2015 DCP, color, 60 min Director: Alka Sadat Cinematography: Sina Saboory Editing: Alka Sadat Sound: Zabi Fahim Sound Design: Samir Samir Production: Alka Sadat for Roya Film House Executive Production: Fawad Dehqanpour for Roya Film House World Sales: Roya Film House Screening Copy: Roya Film House

Alka Sadat:

First Number (2005) We Are Post-modernist (2005) May By for You (2006) 1,2,3? (2006) Half Value Life (2008) oo God (2008) A Woman Sings in the Desert (2009) Mohsen Namjoo: Echos of Iran(2009) Kabul Sea (2010) After 35 Years (2011) Eyewitness (2012) a.o.

A special commando unit was set up within the Afghan army to fight against the Taliban and other violent militia. Filmmaker Alka Sadat, who as a woman had to obtain permission from the mullah before shooting among the troops, records everyday life in the Afghan commando camp and follows the men on their dangerous, often nocturnal, missions. These military operations, for which the soldiers are constantly on standby, contrast starkly with the everyday routine of the camp. Whistling, a soldier fixes his hair at the bathroom mirror; outside, men are playing volleyball and messing around with the pigeons, which coo loudly in the otherwise mouse-still surroundings. In the cramped dormitory, soldiers play board games and flip channels from a singer to Barack Obama, who is announcing the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. Sadat also places the men individually in front of her camera, where they reticently talk about their loves, their families, the opportunities of the modern age and their big dream of a secure future. Everything is punctuated by the recurring orders and helicopters arriving to drop the soldiers into some unfamiliar area, where they have only two options: kill or be killed.

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Panorama

Atlan

Moein Karimoddini Ali’s 90-year-old grandfather always told his family, “A Turkmen without a horse in front of his house is not a Turkmen at all.” The whole family lives by this motto; every day, twenty-something Ali, his brothers and their father work as horsemen, training and caring for these noble beasts. In this portrait of Ali, he’s convinced that his favorite horse Ilhan will bring him victory at the horse races. After a few wins, however, Ilhan becomes unmanageable, and no one knows why. Atlan follows Ilhan, Ali and the other riders and stable hands over several seasons: at home in the stalls and during training, as well as at important races—where time and again Ilhan refuses to perform. While Ali talks in voice-over, the diary-like narrative is accompanied by beautiful, broad vistas showing the inhospitable Turkmen landscape, impressions of the well-attended races and images of powerful horses. The montage showing the endless efforts to get the recalcitrant Ilhan back to work is particularly impressive. At times, it seems that even the cameraman is in danger. What will it take to lift the curse from this horse, and how long can Ali try to keep his favorite in the race—or even in the stables?

Iran, 2014 DCP, color, 62 min Director: Moein Karimoddini Cinematography: Saman Lotfian Editing: Moein Karimoddini Sound: Taher Pishvaei Music: Arya Aziminezhad Production: Moein Karimoddini for Documentary and Experimental Film Center Screening Copy: Documentary and Experimental Film Center

Moein Karimoddini:

When the Clouds Come Down (2012)

Awards: First Prize Full Length Documentary Cinema Verite Iran International Documentary Film Festival

Austerlitz Stan Neumann

How is a forgotten past reflected in the subconscious? That’s something that the main character discovers in Austerlitz, the 2001 novel by W. G. Sebald. In the novel, the narrator becomes fascinated with the art historian and amateur photographer Jacques Austerlitz, who in turn has a fascination with 19th-century monumental architecture. Director Stan Neumann adds another layer to it, as a filmmaker who’s intrigued by the book. He mixes fact with fiction: Austerlitz is played by French actor Denis Lavant, while Neumann acts as the book’s narrator in a voice-over, to which he also adds his own observations. Gradually Austerlitz’s history surfaces: in 1939, he was brought from Prague to England as a little boy and started a new life in Wales and later in London—without any knowledge of his roots. Only when he discovers his backstory do things fall into place. In the person of Austerlitz, the narrator of the book recognizes himself; he too was brought to safety as a child from Prague. The kinship that the filmmaker feels stems from the fact that his father was imprisoned in Theresienstadt, just like Austerlitz’s mother. More than anything, Austerlitz is about the intimate relationship between the book and the filmmaker, and between people who don’t know each other but have a strong bond all the same.

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France, 2014 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Stan Neumann Cinematography: Ned Burgess Screenplay: Stan Neumann Editing: Louise Decelle Sound: Sylvain Copans Sound Design: Sylvain Copans Music: Dominique Pifarély Narration/Narrator: Stan Neumann Production: Richard Copans for Les Films d’Ici Screening Copy: Les Films d’Ici Involved TV Channel: ARTE France

Stan Neumann:

Les derniers marranes (1990), Paris, le roman d’une ville (1991), Culture(s) Commune(s) (1992), Louvre le temps d’un musee (1993), Nadar, photographe (1994), Une maison a prague (1998), Apparatchiks & Buisinessmen (2000), La langue ne ment pas (2004), Buren et le guggenhem de New York (2005), L’expressionnisme allemand (2006), L’oeil de l’astronome (fiction,2010), Leonard de Vinci, la restauration du siecle (2012) a.o.

Panorama

Banking Nature

Nature, le nouvel eldorado de la finance Sandrine Feydel, Denis Delestrac

France, 2014 DCP, color, 90 min

Sandrine Feydel:

Director: Sandrine Feydel, Denis Delestrac Cinematography: Michel Anglade, Guillaume Quignard Screenplay: Sandrine Feydel Editing: Guillaume Quignard Narration: Denis Delestrac, Sandrine Feydel Narrator: Lisa Jacobs Production: Jean-Pierre Devorsine for Via Découvertes Production World Sales: Java Films Screening Copy: Java Films Involved TV Channels: ARTE, SVT, RTS, YLE

Denis Delestrac:

Pitched at the Forum 2013

Jacques et l’espadon (2004), Oceans de plastique (2009) a.o.

Human Rights (2003), The Mission to Educate (2003), Recovering the Past (2003), Pax Americana and the Weaponization of Space (2010), Le sable, enquete sur une disparition (2013) a.o.

Awards: Grand Prize Of The City Of Innsbruck Innsbruck Nature Film Festival, The Award Of The Faculty of Forestry And Wood Sciences Life Sciences Film festival a.o.

That the climate is changing drastically and plant and animal species are dying out at a steady rate is an ominous reality. But one man’s global ecological disaster is another man’s economic opportunity. In recent years, nature conservation has become a flourishing business sector where huge sums of money change hands and endangered organisms are transformed into financial products. In the investigative documentary Banking Nature, Sandrine Feydel and Denis Delestrac delve into the wondrous world of green banking. Investors buy up the habitats of endangered species and then sell them in the form of shares. The pros and cons of these remarkable developments are examined through a riveting montage of breathtaking images of nature, reflective voice-overs and interviews with bankers, economists, activists and policymakers. According to renowned economist Pavan Sukhdev, nature can best be protected by sticking a price tag on it.

Nonetheless, critical thinkers like Pablo Solon see this subjecting of nature to free market forces as a “license to kill” it. After all, such quantification of an endangered status makes it financially attractive to create ecological shortages. The term “green economy” may have an idealistic ring to it, but this too could just as easily collapse like a house of cards.

Bird Skin

Pele de pássaro Clara Peltier

Brazil, 2015 DCP, color, 20 min Director: Clara Peltier Cinematography: Daniel Lima Screenplay: Clara Peltier Editing: Marilia Moraes Sound Design: Bernardo Uzeda Production: Clara Peltier for Eterna Filmes Executive Production: Clara Peltier for Eterna Filmes, Anna Rita Peltier Screening Copy: Eterna Filmes

Clara Peltier:

Isa dos ventos (fiction, 2008) Silent Desert (fiction, 2009) Grace (2014)

Awards: Best Short Film Rio De Janeiro Film Festival

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Tuane is a Brazilian dancer living in the favelas of Rio. While her parakeets stay in their cage, she has been spreading her wings—as witnessed by all the fridge magnets from faraway lands. Dressed for her dazzling shows in sequins and feather headgear, she takes center stage at weddings, sporting events and of course during Carnaval. Wearing wings taller than herself and a phenomenal headdress, she is more peacock than person as she shakes her hips while perched on impossibly high heels. But inside the sparkly packaging, there’s a determined woman lurking. Onstage, she presents a dream of perfection; backstage, we see her preparing, dressing and attending to her hair and then catching her breath after the show. Without comment, the camera follows Tuane as she dances through life. She laughs off the heat and her aching muscles with a beaming smile, the stirring samba rhythms penetrating the post-performance calm. The many unusual perspectives and close-ups give a unique impression of Brazilian Carnaval and dance culture, dismissing any preconceptions that slum dwellers live a life without hope.

Tuane’s sense of pride simply leaps from the screen, in all its colorful, glossy glory.

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Panorama

Birobidzhan Guy-Marc Hinant

1934 saw the founding of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, an independent communist state for Jews in a remote corner of Russia near the Chinese border. Its capital was Birobidzhan, and its language Yiddish. Communist Jews from all over the world were encouraged to move there. Did Jewish pioneers come up with this idea and get approval from Stalin, or did the Russian totalitarian leader have his own reasons for supporting this migration? The Belgian director Guy-Marc Hinant went to Birobidzhan to explore this remarkable slice of history. What’s left of Jewish culture there, and who’s living in the city nowadays? Hinant focuses on some now-elderly people whose parents settled in Birobidzhan. Their memories tell a story that’s very different from the scenes shot in the city as it is today. The modern population is finding it difficult to preserve their traditional practices and their Yiddish—despite the language lessons for young people and the celebration of Jewish holidays.

Intercut shots of bleak landscapes reveal an empty region crisscrossed at high speed by improbably long freight trains. The soundtrack of old Yiddish songs—played on records and sung directly into the camera—forms a melancholy musical echo of times past.

Belgium, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 125 min Director: Guy-Marc Hinant Cinematography: Vincent Pinckaers Editing: Simon Arazi Sound: Laszlo Umbreit Sound Design: Laszlo Umbreit Production: Bibas Cyril for Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles Screening Copy: Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles

Guy-Marc Hinant:

Cœur de charbon (1993), The Garden Is Full of Metal (1996), Éléments d’un Merzbau oublié (1999), What Will Become of Us? (2015) a.o.

Guy-Marc Hinant & Dominique Lohlé:

Le plaisir du regret, portrait de Leo Kupper (2003), Hommage au Sauvage, portrait de Henri Pousseur (2005), I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, a Portrait of David Toop (2007), Fuck You, a Portrait of Zbigniew Karkowski in China (2008), Ecce Homo, portrait de Célestin Deliège (2011), Whisky Time, a Portrait of Charlemagne Palestine (2013) a.o.

Calling Ukraine Jean Counet

A Skype conversation really brings home the daily struggles of a family living in war-torn eastern Ukraine. An elderly woman in Latvia calls her sister and daughter, who are trying to live normal lives while bombs explode in the background and electricity is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity. The video conversation is intercut with recent footage of residential areas that have been shot to pieces, and photos from a family album that speak of better times and crushed dreams. The sisters share memories of the Christmas cards they sent to one another in the Soviet era. “We wished each other happiness, love and a peaceful sky over our heads. Those words sounded so trivial then, now we’re really beginning to understand their meaning. Having a peaceful sky over your head is so important.” This is the kind of detail that makes war almost tangible. The sister talks about dogs whining so loudly that they start howling, about the paycheck from which “army tax” has been deducted, about grandchildren with nightmares that should be beyond their years, and about a rocket passing overhead while she’s on her way to work.

The agitated voice of the woman in Ukraine betrays her constant anxiety; her sister on the other end of the line is visibly powerless as she looks for words among the growing despair—a despair that touches us as well.

148

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 12 min Director: Jean Counet Cinematography: Jean Counet Screenplay: Jean Counet Editing: Jean Counet Sound: Jean Counet Production: Jos de Putter for DeepFocus Web Docs Co-Production: TAM Films World Sales: TAM Films Screening Copy: TAM Films Involved TV Channel: De Correspondent

Jean Counet:

L’Été prochain (2000) Apuha (2002) Là-bas (2002) AFMIN (2004) Trulichka (2005) Je joue (2006) Don’t Stop Loving (2009) Inhale Exhale (2010)

Panorama

Cecilia

Pankaj Johar WORLD PREMIERE

India, Norway, 2015 DCP, color, 85 min

Pankaj Johar:

Still Standing (2012)

Director: Pankaj Johar Cinematography: Pankaj Johar, Hirak Das, Vidhi Sharma, Nirmit Shahi Screenplay: Pankaj Johar Editing: James Valiakulathil, Pankaj Johar Sound: Sunaina Kapoor Sound Design: Niraj Gera Music: Avinash Baghel Narration: Pankaj Johar Narrator: Pankaj Johar Production: Pankaj Johar for Penny Wise Films Co-Production: Lightsource Film Productions Screening Copy: Penny Wise Films

Documentary maker Johar Pankaj from Delhi has a close bond with his 54-year-old housekeeper Cecilia. As the years have passed, she has become part of the family—she even joins them when they go on vacation. It comes as an immense shock when they hear that Cecilia’s 14-year-old daughter has died in mysterious circumstances in the city.

The police believe that this live-in maid for a wealthy family committed suicide, but no one can explain to Cecilia what might have driven her to do such a thing. Likewise, there is no answer to the question of why her daughter wasn’t simply at home in her village in northeastern India. Pankaj and his wife follow Cecilia and help her to find answers and justice. But her efforts seem doomed to fail in the face of complex family disputes, criminal gangs, corrupt police officers and a rotten judicial system. The human trafficker whom they believe is responsible is being protected—by officialdom and by Cecilia’s very own flesh-and-blood family. Continual threats and promises of large sums of hush money don’t make it any easier to get a grip on the situation—for either Cecilia or the filmmaker.

Chemsex

William Fairman, Max Gogarty INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

UK, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: William Fairman, Max Gogarty Cinematography: Benjie Croce, William Fairman, Max Gogarty Editing: Marta Velasquez, Graham Taylor Music: Daniel Harle Production: William Fairman & Max Gogarty for VICE Executive Production: Al Brown & Kevin Sutcliffe & Jacqueline Edenbrow for VICE World Sales/Screening Copy: VICE

William Fairman:

Rule Britannia: The Deer Hunter (2009), Rule Britannia: Fraud (2011), Rule Britannia: The Debt Collector (2013), Rule Britannia: Giants of Iceland (2013) a.o.

Max Gogarty:

directing debut

Chemsex delves deep into London’s contemporary gay scene, where synthetic druginduced sex parties are causing an alarming rise in HIV transmission and drug addiction.

A group of gay men share their personal stories, offering insight into what motivates them to use these dangerous drugs as part of their sex lives. Chemsex is an emotional journey that contains powerful footage of what goes on behind the scenes. The story begins with a young man who mainlines £400 ($600) worth of drugs each week yet claims he isn’t really an addict. This makes it immediately and painfully clear how denial can increase the scale and destructive effects of drug use. Furthermore, it’s kept largely hidden because the drugs are illegal and the parties are private. In each individual story, scenes of domesticity alternate with those in clubs and treatment facilities. We meet Enrique, whose addiction has turned him from a college-educated professional into a homeless person who sells his body for drugs. Mark takes us on a tour of his gay sauna and the preventative measures he has taken there. And Simon, a drug user, receives help from David, who runs a sexual health clinic.

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Dear Araucaria Matt Houghton

EUROPEAN PREMIERE Under the name “Araucaria,” John Graham had been creating cryptic crosswords for the UK’s Guardian newspaper for over 50 years when he was told that he had an incurable form of cancer. He started placing little clues in his puzzles, telling his fans about his illness and how it was progressing. English filmmaker Matt Houghton was fascinated by this story and decided to make a film about Graham, filming him regularly during the months leading up to his death. The result is a poignant, charming short documentary in which we hear only Graham’s voice. He reads aloud letters from fans, who tell him they feel a personal connection to him, and he talks about how he puts his puzzles together. We see him working or looking out across the broad English landscape. In combination with these poetic images, Graham’s calm voice makes Dear Araucaria feel like a puzzle itself—the solution is gradually revealed.

UK, 2015 DCP, color, 10 min

Matt Houghton:

Director: Matt Houghton Cinematography: John Craine Screenplay: Matt Houghton Editing: Matt Houghton Sound: George McMillan Sound Design: Christopher Barnett Music: Noah Wood Narrator: John Graham Production: Francesca Boyce & Alistair Payne-James & Nicole Jackson for Pulse Films Co-Production: The Guardian Executive Production: Graham Hodge, Julia Nottingham for Pulse Films, Merope Mills Screening Copy: Pulse Films

www.itsmatthoughton.co.uk

Germany, France, 2015 DCP, color, 100 min

David Bernet:

Wavelengths (fiction, 2011) Inheritance (fiction, 2014)

Awards: Short Doc Audience Award Sheffield Doc/Fest

Democracy David Bernet

WORLD PREMIERE Few things are more unwieldy and lacking in transparency than European politics.

Who’s really running the show in Brussels? What’s the true role of the European Parliament or the Council of Ministers? And how do the new laws and regulations that apply to all 28 member states get made? For two years, Democracy followed several key figures behind the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, a controversial issue among European policymakers. The film starts in 2014 with the European Parliament approving the new regulation, and then leaps two years back to the start of the negotiations. Rapporteur Jan Philipp Albrecht is the German Green Party politician tasked with steering and overseeing the entire process. We see him talking with lobbyists and civil rights activists, joining fringe gatherings and debates, participating in think tanks, talking with colleagues in the corridors of power, and reporting to EU Commissioner Viviane Reding. Often patient but sometimes visibly frustrated, he counters opponents’ arguments about a new regulation that met particularly intense resistance from big businesses working with large amounts of personal data.

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Director: David Bernet Cinematography: Marcus Winterbauer, Francois Roland Editing: Catrin Vogt Sound Design: Nathalie Vidal Production: Arek Gielnik & Sonia Otto for Indi Film GmbH Co-Production: Seppia, Atmosfilm World Sales: Doc & Film International Screening Copy: Indi Film GmbH Involved TV Channels: SWR, ARTE, NDR, Human, RTS, YLE

Archimob (2002) Regard en Arriere (series, 2004) The Whisperers (2005) Jew By Choice (2007) Famine (2011) Raising Resistance (2011)

Pitched at the Forum 2011

Panorama

The Dybbuk: A Tale of Wandering Souls Krzysztof Kopczynski

Poland, Ukraine, Sweden, 2015 DCP, color, 85 min Director: Krzysztof Kopczynski Cinematography: Jacek Petrycki, Serhiy Stetsenko Screenplay: Krzysztof Kopczynski Editing: Michal Leszczylowski Sound: Oleg Goloveshkin Production: Krzysztof Kopczynski for Eureka Media Co-Production: Momento Film, National Cinemateque of Ukraine Executive Production: Kuba Kosma for Eureka Media, Gennady Kofman for MaGiKa Film Company Screening Copy: Krakow Film Foundation Involved TV Channel: STV

Krzysztof Kopczynski: Stone Silence (2007)

Awards: Silver Hobby-Horse for the Director of the Best Documentary Film Krakow Film Festival, FIPRESCI Prize for Feature Length Film Odessa International Film Festival

Every year, some 30,000 Hasidic Orthodox Jews travel from over 70 countries to the Ukrainian city of Uman, to celebrate the New Year by the grave of their leader Rebbe Nachman. But Nachman isn’t the only revered historical figure in this poor, postcommunist place. One of the locals’ biggest heroes is Ivan Gonta, an 18th-century rebel leader who the Ukrainians believe freed their country, but slaughtered tens of thousands of Jews and Poles in his bloody revolt. The Dybbuk: A Tale of Wandering Souls was shot in 2013 just before President Yanukovych was overthrown following demonstrations in Kiev.

It depicts the mounting tension between the local population and the flocks of visitors to Uman. Striking symbols, including the statues of Jesus and of Gonta, as well as many properties in Uman purchased by rich Hasidic Jews, evoke aversion and heated confrontations. Filmmaker Krzysztof Kopczynski follows the pilgrimage 60 miles outside Uman, where Rebbe Nachman worked in the 19th century. Nowadays, an elderly Ukrainian named Volodya bridges the gap between the population and the visitors through his upkeep of a Jewish cemetery.

Every 28 Days Alle 28 Tage Ina Borrmann

Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 89 min Director: Ina Borrmann Cinematography: Ina Borrmann Editing: Dorothee Broeckelmann Music: Jeremy Bullock Production: Cordula Kablitz-Post for Avanti Media, Marc Waechter & Ina Borrmann for Shoot From The Hip World Sales: Deckert Distribution GmbH Screening Copy: Deckert Distribution GmbH Involved TV Channels: ARTE, MDR, RBB

Ina Borrmann:

Glotzt nicht so romantisch (1997) Hände hoch! (1999) Versuchte Nähe (2000) Texas (2002) Mike Figgis – The Seduction of the Eye (2007) The Disappearance of Time (2009) 16 X Deutschland (2013)

Awards: AOK Film Award Filmfest Emden-Norderney

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Filmmaker Ina Borrmann put her wish for a child off until the last possible biological moment. Looking back, she realizes her mother only had children because that’s what all the girls did. She was fortunate enough to be brought up to be a liberal-minded, independent young woman. She enjoyed her freedom, went to college, worked for a while and then enrolled in a film academy. And then she met Marc. Along with the security she felt with him came the desire for a child, suddenly and unexpectedly, from the darkest depths of her psyche, as she puts it. But after many unsuccessful attempts, Ina and Marc realize there’s a problem. Is it her ovaries, or his sperm? The doctor at the IVF clinic is optimistic. We become closely involved as Ina brings the camera to the clinic, determined to film everything. She documents the medical machinery, but also her openhearted journey of self-exploration. We witness the involvement of her sister who does have children, as well as the emotions and tension it causes in her relationship with Marc. Perhaps the wisdom of Simone de Beauvoir can provide some guidance?

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Panorama

Fassbinder

Annekatrin Hendel INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE The German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder stirred up a lot of controversy with his cult films. Renowned and reviled, he worked like a man obsessed on his oeuvre of 42 feature films, a long-running TV series and 26 plays—until his sudden death at the age of just 37. The provocative filmmaker would have turned 70 in 2015. In this biopic, actors and friends look back at his life and work. Fassbinder’s reputation was cemented by films such as The Marriage of Maria Braun, Effi Briest and the TV series Berlin Alexanderplatz. He had an unerring talent for engaging the soul of post-war Germany with his daring treatment of themes such as emancipation, sexuality and xenophobia. His play Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod (1975) plays with anti-Semitic sentiment, and decades later it is still provoking heated discussion. His films likewise refused to acknowledge taboos, and he often included his own personal experiences of love, homosexuality and drug use in them. Candid interviews with his favorite actors and colleagues sketch an impression of a multifaceted, determined genius, while scenes from his films and previously unpublished autobiographical audio clips, drawings and animations impressively illustrate just how closely interrelated Fassbinder’s life and work were.

Germany, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 92 min Director: Annekatrin Hendel Cinematography: Martin Farkas Screenplay: Juliane Lorenz, Annekatrin Hendel Editing: Jörg Hauschild Sound: Patrick Veigel Music: Flake Production: Maria Wischnewski for IT WORKS! Medien GmbH Co-Production: Rainer Werner Fassbinder Foundation World Sales: R.W.F. Werkschau GmbH Screening Copy: IT WORKS! Medien GmbH Involved TV Channels: SWR, ARTE, WDR, BR, RBB

Annekatrin Hendel:

Mit Fantasie Gegen Den Mangel (2008) Flake (2011) Vaterlandverräter (2011) Anderson (2014)

I Am Sun Mu Adam Sjoberg

Sun Mu is one of the first North Korean artists who can share their work with the world. He fled to South Korea in the 1990s and has since created moving paintings: red, white and blue pictures of dictator Kim Il-Sung and sweet portraits of the country’s indoctrinated youth. Despite his depressing past, he is not out for revenge.

He still hopes to see both Koreas reunited. In I Am Sun Mu, a curator encounters his highly politicized work and wants to exhibit in his gallery in Beijing. Tensions gradually mount as it becomes clear that showing Sun Mu’s work is a risky business.

The artist and the curator fear North Korean embassy intervention, and due to the country’s excellent ties with China, the latter’s government might ban the exhibition.

Sun Mu is also scared of repercussions against his family in North Korea and refuses to be filmed. While the camera records everything from his slogans to his unmade bed, his face remains a mystery. Animations of his artistic creations ingeniously underscore his life story.

152

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 87 min Director: Adam Sjoberg Cinematography: Adam Sjoberg Editing: Mariana Blanco Music: Joel West Animation: Ryan Wehner Production: Adam Sjoberg for Required Reading Screening Copy: Required Reading Website: www.iamsunmu.com

Adam Sjoberg:

Shake the Dust (2015)

Panorama

In Limbo

Dans les limbes Antoine Viviani

France, 2015 DCP, color, 85 min Director: Antoine Viviani Cinematography: Antoine Viviani Editing: Pierre-Alain Giraud Sound: Pierre Bariaud, Raphaël Hénard Sound Design: Pierre Bariaud, Raphaël Hénard Narration: Jérémy André, Alain Damasio, Antoine Viviani, Léa Todorov, Bojina Panayatova Narrator: Nancy Huston Production: Antoine Viviani & Emilie Arlet for Providences Screening Copy: Providences Involved TV Channels: ARTE Website: www.inlimbothefilm.com

Antoine Viviani:

Little Blue Nothing (2009) Insitu (2011)

We are increasingly outsourcing our memories to devices. We record our entire lives in the photos and videos we take with our smartphones. But what does the fact that all these wonderful, sad and at times painful memories are being stored in anonymous data warehouses mean? And what about the fact that all of these computer systems now know us better than we know ourselves? These are the questions that filmmaker Antoine Viviani investigates from the point of view of a mysterious spirit, roaming around a maze of data servers. Accompanied by the spirit’s poetic voice-over, spoken by Nancy Huston, the camera moves in slow tracking shots past the computers where all our memories are stored. The voice elbows its way through the endless data mounds, reporting poetically on what it finds: fragments of a proposal of marriage, a vacation—the moments we want to be able to recall at any cost. In the maze of data machines, the spirit also encounters the people who were once at the forefront of the digital revolution—digital shades of a far-off past. In interviews, they talk about history and the underlying ideals of that revolution. The film is a poetic, essayistic contemplation of time, memory and the nature of technology. The first part of this documentary project, In Limbo Interactive, was in IDFA’s 2014 Doclab competition, which Viviani won in 2011 with Insitu, an essayistic web documentary on artistic interventions in the urban environment.

Jungle Sisters Chloe Ruthven

UK, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: Chloe Ruthven Cinematography: Chloe Ruthven Editing: John Mister Music: Simon Russell Production: Chloe Ruthven for Roast Beef Productions Executive Production: Mike Lerner & Martin Herring for Roast Beef Productions World Sales: Taskovski Films Screening Copy: Taskovski Films

Chloe Ruthven:

Boys on the Edge (2001) Surrey Girls (2006) Mario and Nini (2008) Death of a Hedge Fund Salesman (2011) The Do Gooders (2013)

www.chloeruthven.com

With TV images of abuses in the Asian textile industry searing through her mind, artist and filmmaker Chloe Ruthven expressed criticism of her sister Orlanda, who works in India. Orlanda told her to come and see for herself. In India, Ruthven filmed Orlanda at work, asking her questions while doing so. Orlanda has lived in India for 15 years and works for an organization that recruits girls from rural areas to work in one of the big textile factories in Bangalore. The girls are first given some vocational skills, then they say farewell to their families and make the journey. Once in the city, they are put up in hostels where there are strict rules about going out and receiving visitors. They work hard for meager pay. As Chloe becomes more involved with the various aspects of the story— and with the two girls Bhuntu and Banu in particular—she recognizes the dilemmas her sister faces and realizes that it’s all more complicated than she thought. Although Orlanda works for the big factories, which are in urgent need of cheap labor, she does her best to empower the girls, make them stronger and improve their living conditions. In the meantime, Banu and Bhuntu are considering returning home, even though this means they will soon face arranged marriages.

153

Panorama

Katsuo-bushi Yu Nakajima

EUROPEAN PREMIERE “There is no room for carelessness,” says the elderly man who, since he was 15, has dedicated his life to making an indispensable ingredient in Japanese cuisine: katsuo-bushi. The contrast between the modern Japanese food industry (fast, cheap manufacturing) and the traditional katsuo-bushi workshop central to this observational documentary could not be more striking. Not only is the workshop staffed by aging artisans, but time has also scarred the equipment. It’s rusty and it rattles, but it still works. Katsuo-bushi patiently records the time-consuming, complex preparation of a type of fish called bonito: from cutting the fish into a specific shape and trimming the belly to the multi-day smoking process in special machines to drying it in the sun.

Director Yu Nakajima captures other links in the katsuo-bushi trade, such as the fish auction and a Michelin-starred restaurant, but he never loses sight of the workshop for very long. In that small, clear-cut world, these senior citizens continue to work with full concentration, but they aren’t ignorant of the economic interests and the fishless seas that make their immediate future insecure.

Japan, 2015 DCP, color, 23 min Director: Yu Nakajima Co-director: Mika Nishide Cinematography: Koichi Takagi, Yu Nakajima Editing: Yui Aoki Production: Mika Nishide for Beethoven World Sales: Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy Screening Copy: Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy

Ya Nakajima:

Shikaku-Kei (2009) Remind (2011) The Eve (2014) Paper Crane (2014) January, 2015 (2015) The Apology (2015)

www.yunakajima.com

Kingdom of Shadows Bernardo Ruiz

EUROPEAN PREMIERE According to the latest official figures, over 26,000 people have “disappeared” in Mexico since 2007, though many journalists and activists believe the toll to be much higher. One of them is the 67-year-old nun Consuelo Morales, who takes a firm stand for the families of those killed or made to disappear in the violence of Mexico’s narcotics conflict. She works in Monterrey in Mexico, once one of the safest cities in the world but plagued by extreme violence in the past decade. Consuelo’s story is interwoven into the film with the stories of Oscar Hagelsieb and Don Henry Ford, Jr. The heavily-tattooed Hagelsieb worked undercover in a Mexican cartel and is now a Homeland Security Investigator on the U.S.-Mexico border. Ford, now a farmer in Texas, worked as a drug smuggler at the height of the U.S. “Just Say No” era. Through their stories, we get a disturbing look at the human side of an ongoing crisis, which reveals how the situation has gone from bad to worse. The portraits of the three protagonists are interwoven with others talking about the immense daily impact of the drug war. Most disturbing is an interview in which a member of the ruthless “Zetas” cartel describes the smell of burning bodies. The multiplicity of perspectives creates a kaleidoscopic and layered picture of the U.S.-Mexico drug war.

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USA, Mexico, 2015 DCP, color, 73 min Director: Bernardo Ruiz Cinematography: Claudio Rocha, Antonio Cisneros, Juan Hernandez Editing: Carla Gutierrez Music: T. Griffin Production: Katia Maguire Executive Production: Diane Weyermann & Jeff Skoll for Participant Media, Carlos Gómez Andonaegui & Jimena Martí Haik for Boiling Pot Screening Copy: Participant Media

Bernardo Ruiz:

Reportero (2012)

Panorama

Land Grabbing Landraub Kurt Langbein

Austria, 2015 DCP, color, 94 min Director: Kurt Langbein Cinematography: Wolfgang Thaler, Attila Boa, Christian Roth Screenplay: Kurt Langbein Editing: Andrea Wagner Sound: Armin Koch, Martin Stiendl Music: Thomas Kathriner Production: Kurt Langbein for Langbein & Partner Media GmbH & Co KG World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Screening Copy: Autlook Filmsales Involved TV Channel: ORF Website: www.land-grabbing.com

Kurt Langbein:

Patient Public Health (2008), The Brain and I (2008), Miracle of Healing (2012), The Roots of Violence (2013), The Tricks of the Pharmaceutical Industry (2013), Healing Without Pills and Scalpel (2014), Without Borders: Where the Curtain Fell (2014), Land of Smugglers (2014), In All Fairness (2014), Healing Beyond Traditional Medicine (2014) a.o.

Ever since agriculture started becoming an attractive investment, local farmers all over the world have been losing ground to international businesses. It’s a phenomenon with far-reaching implications. Land Grabbing is a beautifully filmed journey taking in grain fields and tomato hothouses, investors and lobbyists, the EU Parliament in Brussels, a five-star hotel in Dubai, investors and dispossessed land users. In short, it’s a wideranging lesson in neocolonialism. National governments lease land to foreign companies for a pittance, leading to former land users going hungry while the food that they help to produce as underpaid laborers is exported to affluent customers in the EU and elsewhere.

We see Danish investors in Romania, Vietnamese in Cambodia, a Dutchman in Ethiopia and the multinational Cargill in Indonesia. Director Kurt Langbein listens to investors talking of a “heaven on earth” before he pays a visit to the farms themselves to talk with proprietors, as well as workers and locals. They tell of another, darker side of the story; of land taken from them, destroyed homes, felled rainforests, intimidation and exploitation.

German agricultural scientist Felix zu Löwenstein sheds light on the underlying trends: the area of agricultural land around the world leased to investors since 2000 is two million square kilometers (772,000 square miles)—an area greater than all European farmland combined.

Lyari Notes

Maheen Zia, Miriam Chandy Menacherry WORLD PREMIERE

India, Pakistan, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min

Maheen Zia:

Director: Maheen Zia, Miriam Chandy Menacherry Cinematography: Maheen Zia Editing: Monisha Baldawa, Sankalp Meshram Production: Miriam Chandy Menacherry & Maheen Zia for Filament Pictures Co-Production: apnakam Distribution for the Benelux: IDFA Bertha Fund Screening Copy: Filament Pictures Involved TV Channel: Al Jazeera Int. Website: www.lyarinotes.com

Circles in the Sand (2003) Back to the Floor (2004) Stuntmen of Bollywood (2005) Mee Koli (2005) Robot Jockey (2008) A Light Burns (2009) The Rat Race (2011)

directing debut

Miriam Chandy Menacherry:

Lyari is a neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan. It’s the most violent part of the city, terrorized by gangs engaged in armed conflict with the police. Each week, 11-year-old Aqsa and her three friends get a ride from here to the Music, Art and Dance School in another part of town. The school was founded by the famous Pakistani rock musician Hamza Jafri and his wife Nida Butt, whose mission is to use music as a creative means of expression and a tool for communication in a country under constant attack by extremist forces. For the children from Lyari these lessons are free, but first their parents have to be convinced; after all, music is sinful according to Islamic law. In Lyari Notes, the school is preparing for a performance while various external threats become increasingly worrisome. A sound check for a music festival gets interrupted because of security concerns, and everyone is taken aback when the Taliban attack a school in Peshawar, killing 135. Nevertheless, the kids go to music lessons every week. It’s an act of rebellion and a clear ray of hope in their dire circumstances.

IDFAcademy Results 155

Panorama

Maiko – Dancing Child Åse Svenheim Drivenes

Maiko’s fate was sealed before she was even born; her Japanese name means “dancing child.” Now a ballet dancer, she has over-delivered on that promise, but she and her family have had to make many sacrifices along the way. At the age of 15 she moved from Japan to London to attend a prestigious dance school. In order to pay the tuition, her mother sold their house and her parents denied themselves any form of luxury. Failure just wasn’t an option. In her early thirties now, she’s right where she wants to be, with the Norwegian National Ballet as the company’s prima ballerina. But Maiko’s starting to get a little uneasy—she wants a child. Is it possible to combine motherhood with keeping a place at the top of her profession? In the ballet world, whether it’s for maternity leave or any other reason, if you stand up you lose your seat; there’s always young talent waiting in the wings to replace you. What’s more, pregnancy is a real attack on the body for a dancer, so Maiko is facing a real dilemma. Or is she? This balanced portrait shows how tenacious Maiko can be when it comes to realizing both dreams. Gorgeous shots of performances and observational shots during training sessions are intercut with more intimate scenes from Maiko’s domestic life. In voice-over she talks about her special bond with her mother and the choices she made.

Norway, 2015 DCP, color, 70 min Director: Åse Svenheim Drivenes Cinematography: Håvard Fossum Editing: Stefan Sundlöf Production: Anita Rehoff Larsen for Sant & Usant World Sales: Wide House Screening Copy: Wide House

Åse Svenheim Drivenes:

Our Man in Kirkenes (2010) I am Kuba (2014)

Pitched at the Forum 2011

Martha & Niki Tora Mårtens

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE In 2010, Swedish friends Martha Nabwire and Niki Tsappos were the first ever female hip hop dance duo to beat all their opponents (men included) at the most important international street dance competition, Juste Debout in Paris. Armed with boundless energy and huge amounts of talent, they annihilated the opposition. The two girls love to dance, to be together and to travel. They intuitively understand one another.

But what happens when you don’t come out on top? After one such disappointment, the first cracks start to appear in their friendship. In spite of their shared passions, the girls have very different backgrounds, different lives and different personalities.

Martha moved from Uganda to Sweden as a teenager, while Niki was adopted from Ethiopia as a baby. But whereas Niki wants to grow up together and sees her African side reflected in Martha, Martha increasingly feels the need to withdraw into her shell, alone with her homesickness. This documentary not only films two successful dancers in action, but also two young adults who are grappling with very different life questions. Where are your roots, and what elements of your culture do you bring with you from your homeland? How can you keep your cultural heritage alive, and how can you deal with all of these things within an ambitious friendship?

156

Sweden, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Tora Mårtens Cinematography: Tora Mårtens, Senay Berhe, Erik Vallsten, Niklas Nyström Editing: Tora Mårtens, Therese Elfström Sound Design: Red Wood Production: Tora Mårtens for Neo Publishing AB Screening Copy: Swedish Film Institute Involved TV Channel: SVT

Tora Mårtens:

Tommy (2008) Bye Bye C’est Fini (2008) Colombianos (2012)

www.toramartens.com

Panorama

Moriom

Francesca Scalisi, Mark Olexa INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Switzerland, 2015 DCP, color, 12 min

Francesca Scalisi:

Director: Francesca Scalisi, Mark Olexa Cinematography: Mark Olexa Editing: Francesca Scalisi Music: Olivier Verleye Production: Mark Olexa & Francesca Scalisi for Dok Mobile Executive Production: Mark Olexa for Dok Mobile World Sales: Dok Mobile Screening Copy: Dok Mobile

Kebabandbathtubestories (2007) Kde Jsem? (2008) Sabda Nagari (2008) Dea ( 2009) Heart-Quake (2010) Stratagema (2014)

Bath People (2015)

Mark Olexa:

Somewhere in rural Bangladesh, a teenage girl rubs a toothbrush on her face and then leaves a darkened room. Something’s wrong with Moriom, but what is it? Talking to her counselor, with a camera pointed at her, she alleges that her parents torture her and keep her chained up. “Put them in prison,” she cries. But then it’s her parents’ turn and they have a completely different story, one that has to do with a major trauma. In the meantime, Moriom lives in a fantasy world of revenge: “I came from Heaven. I came to destroy all bad things in the world. I’m a flower angel. I got a job at the police station. I will punish them. I will put them in jail.” The majority of crimes against women and girls in Bangladesh are not reported and the rape figures that appear on-screen at the end are shocking. This acutely observed film is dedicated to Moriom.

Motley’s Law Nicole Nielsen Horanyi

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Denmark, 2015 DCP, color, 85 min Director: Nicole Nielsen Horanyi Cinematography: Henrik Bohn Ipsen Editing: Steen Johannessen, Nicolaj Monberg Sound: Brian Dyrby Sound Design: Kristian Eidnes Andersen Music: Kristian Eidnes Andersen Production: Helle Faber for Made in Copenhagen World Sales: LevelK Screening Copy: Made in Copenhagen

Nicole Nielsen Horanyi:

The Devilles (2009) Au Pair (2012) Naked (2014) Dagbog fra Porn Valley (2014)

Pitched at the Forum 2013

When Afghanistan adopted its first democratic constitution in 2004, a formal legal system was implemented and combined with the informal sharia law. Kimberley Motley is the only foreigner and the only woman authorized to take legal action within this system. She defends a wide range of clients, from a British soldier who has been imprisoned for two years for fraud without a fair trial to an Afghan girl who risks punishment for fleeing from her husband. The rampant corruption and lack of respect for human rights have made her combative. What’s more, she has become a role model.

In addition to her work, she gets phone interviews and glamorous photo shoots. Motley is honest about her original motives. “I came here for the money, like everyone else here. I didn’t even know where Afghanistan was on the map.” She grew up in poverty and is determined to secure her children’s financial future. Motley is fearless: just days after someone throws a grenade into her home, she returns—her security guards are more afraid than she is. But when the peacekeeping troops are sent home, the situation becomes more dangerous. Should Motley stay put?

157

Panorama

Mr. Gaga

Tomer Heymann A tribute to the Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, whose own movement language, Gaga, and eccentric views on choreography have contributed greatly to the development of modern dance in recent decades. Even though director Tomer Heymann and Naharin have known each other for more than 20 years and Heymann planned to make a documentary about the choreographer before, he only got Naharin’s approval eight years ago. Heymann attended rehearsals of the Batsheva Dance Company, where Naharin has been artistic director and choreographer since 1990. He interviewed Naharin’s friends, colleagues and dancers from the company, compiled over 1,200 hours of footage and devised a multifaceted biography that reflects a love for dance. Surprisingly, Naharin only started his formal dance training at the age of 22.

He danced in several renowned companies, including the Martha Graham and Maurice Bejart dance companies, but it wasn’t until he became a choreographer that he truly flourished. With a chronology that includes stunning dance excerpts, Heymann shows how Naharin turned Batsheva Dance Company into a leading international dance institution when he returned to Israel. What drives Naharin is a deeply rooted conviction that dance, a combination of exertion and pleasure, should be accessible to everyone.

Israel, 2015 DCP, color, 100 min Director: Tomer Heymann Cinematography: Itai Raziel Editing: Ido Mochrik, Alon Greenberg, Ron Omer Production: Barak Heymann for Heymann Brothers Films Screening Copy: Heymann Brothers Films Involved TV Channels: AVRO, SVT, ARTE/ZDF Website: www.mrgagathefilm.com

Tomer Heymann:

Laugh till I cry (1997) It Kinda Scares Me (2001) Aviv-Fucked-up, Generation (2003) Cinderellas (2006) Bridge over the Wadi (2006) Paper Dolls (2006) Black Over White (2007) Out of Focus (2007) Debut (2007) The Way Home (2009) I Shot My Love (2010) The Queen Has No Crown (2011) Aliza (2014)

NapolIslam Ernesto Pagano

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Claudia’s new name is Zeynab. Danilo’s is Alì. Salvatore and Francesco are both called Muhammad now. At Dino’s hair salon, there’s a copy of the Koran on the coffee table next to the local paper. In the predominantly Catholic city of Naples, some are converting to Islam, and not everyone is happy about it. There are protests from husbands, wives and other family members. The concerned mother of Alessandra (now Amina) has plenty of questions. “Are you sure you’ve made the right choice?

Is it your own choice? Are you still allowed to eat Nutella?” She also tries wearing a headscarf. “It feels like my ears are blocked.” And the converts have questions of their own. How many different sorts of meat are you allowed to put in a kebab? How do you make a halal version of casatiello, the traditional Neapolitan Easter bread? In part, NapolIslam is also an investigation into European interest in Allah’s message.

Dino thinks it’s because women in the Western world of today are losing their values, but is there a deeper sense of disappointment at work here? In this Mafia-riddled region plagued with huge unemployment, people feel they can draw little hope from the Catholic Church.

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Italy, 2015 DCP, color, 75 min Director: Ernesto Pagano Cinematography: Lorenzo Cioffi Editing: Matteo Parisini Sound Design: Francesco Amodeo Music: Marzouk Mejri, Danilo Marraffino Production: Lorenzo Cioffi for LADOC srl Co-Production: Isola Film Screening Copy: LADOC srl

Ernesto Pagano: directing debut

Awards: Biografilm Italia Award Biografilm Festival

Panorama

Need for Meat Vleesverlangen Marijn Frank

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 74 min Director: Marijn Frank Co-director: Suzanne Raes Cinematography: Adri Schrover Editing: Riekje Ziengs Sound: Tim van Peppen Sound Design: Alex Booy Music: Alex Simu Narration/Narrator: Marijn Frank Production: Carolijn Borgdorff for IDTV Docs Executive Production: Jorinde Sorée for IDTV Docs Distribution for the Netherlands: Herrie Film & TV Screening Copy: IDTV Docs Involved TV Channel: NTR

Marijn Frank:

Pappa is weg en ik wilde nog wat vragen (2007) Bente’s stem (2012)

WORLD PREMIERE

Marijn is a young mother from Amsterdam attempting to kick her addiction to meat by becoming a slaughterer’s apprentice and getting counseling from a psychologist. Why does being a meat junkie leave you with a nagging sense of guilt? And why is there such a conceptual gulf between the animal and the abstracted slice of meat that comes from it? In her search for answers, TV director and food journalist Marijn Frank embarks on a personal, eye-opening, funny and courageous quest on which she encounters neurologists, in vitro meat developers, 100,000 broiler chickens, a sexy chef and her daughter Sally’s meat-free plate. New impressions start reverberating around her mind as she daydreams about meat, mashes up her daughter’s food or bites into a meat sandwich while on the move. The two leitmotifs running through the film are her weeks as an intern at an abattoir—where she rises up the deboning hierarchy—and the subsequent sessions with her psychologist about the progress she’s making. Then the day comes that Marijn has to take up the cattle gun and decide once and for all where she stands.

This film examines moral values, hypocrisy and the symbolic value of meat—and stops to think about the 500 million animals slaughtered in the Netherlands each year.

Old Wives

Galina Krasnoborova INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Russia, 2015 DCP, color, 26 min Director: Galina Krasnoborova Cinematography: Alexey Romanov Screenplay: Galina Krasnoborova Editing: Galina Krasnoborova Sound: Nikolay Ozhiganov Music: Nikolay Ozhiganov Production: Vladimir Sokolov for Noviy Kurs Film Studio Screening Copy: Noviy Kurs Film Studio

Galina Krasnoborova:

Insomnia (2007) Nine Forgotten Songs (2008) Mary Prayer (2010) Lov (2014)

Galina Krasnoborova & Igor Korablev:

Between the Black and the Red Land (fiction, 2014)

Galina Krasnoborova & Georgy Molotsov: Traces (2006)

In a remote part of Russia, Anna, Evdokia, Lidia and Elizaveta live in a village that’s becoming increasingly depopulated. The old women talk openly about the harsh times they grew up in, how they had children and got by. Close-ups of their weathered skin, deep wrinkles and wise eyes guide their memories of extreme hunger, married life and the many loved ones they have buried. Meanwhile their hands work, as they have for decades, on autopilot. They card and spin the wool, then process it professionally into all kinds of knitwear. And they sing local folk songs, which they perform in a small theater as a form of interlude. They squabble fondly about the choice of songs. One of them suggests a traditional ode to young men, while another one wonders out loud if they’re not too old to be singing about boys. Images of the vast wintery surroundings offer nostalgic introspection. An altogether melancholy group portrait unfolds of a generation that’s slowly but surely disappearing—and their knowledge, folklore and and handicraft along with it.

159

Panorama

Oriented

Jake Witzenfeld Three gay Palestinian friends in Tel Aviv investigate their national and sexual identity.

Khader, the scion of a prominent Muslim Mafia family, lives with his Jewish boyfriend David and their dog Otis. Fadi is a Palestinian nationalist who struggles with the idea of falling in love with a Jew. Naeem only recently came out and still has to tell his parents—a situation that causes him a great deal of stress. The three young men feel connected to each other by being different: as gays in Arab families and as Palestinians in Israeli territory. Tel Aviv may be a very tolerant city, but not for everyone. At a party in Amman, Jordan, they realize that all the more. “Amman is our gateway to the Arab world. There we can meet people who we cannot meet in any other circumstances. This place shows me what could have been if Palestine existed.”

The video platform that they start together provides an outlet: “We are Palestine, we are here and we are queer.” Meanwhile, tensions between Israel and the Palestinians rise, and news bulletins and air-raid sirens are the harbingers of a new war.

UK, Israel, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min

Jake Witzenfeld: directing debut

Director: Jake Witzenfeld Cinematography: David Stragmeister, Michael Miroshnik, Omar Sawalha Screenplay: Jake Witzenfeld Editing: Nili Feller Production: Ruth Cats, Jake Witzenfeld for Conch Studios, Yoav Birenfeld for Conch Studios Screening Copy: Conch Studios Website: www.orientedfilm.com

Patience, Patience, You’ll Go To Paradise!

Patience, patience, t’iras au paradis Hadja Lahbib

In the 1960s, hundreds of North African families came to Europe in hopes of a better life. The men found work while the women were in charge of the housekeeping and looking after the children. Mina was one of them. Now, 50 years later, her husband is deceased, the children have left home and Mina is pining away in a tiny apartment in Brussels. She never learned to read or write, or find a way to occupy her time, so all she can do now is sit and wait. With the words “patience, patience, you will go to paradise,” she tries to keep her spirits up. When she attends a poetry slam by the emancipated Moroccan Tata Milouda, her outlook on life changes. Slowly but surely, she meets more women in the same boat and discovers a life of freedom that she has never known. Together with a group of friends Mina learns to read and write, goes to computer classes and takes trips to the center of Brussels, the North Sea and even to New York. The enthusiasm and joy with which the women search for their own identity and freedom is heartwarming and contagious.

160

Belgium, 2014 DCP, color, 85 min Director: Hadja Lahbib Cinematography: Vincent Hufty, Yannick Dolivo, Cyril Blaise, Jonas Canon Editing: Marie-Hélène Dozo, Joël Mann Production: Hadja Lahbib for Les Passeurs de Lumière Co-Production: Clair-obscur Productions World Sales: Sonuma Screening Copy: Blast productions Involved TV Channel: RTBF Website: www.patience-patience.com

Hadja Lahbib:

Afghanistan. Le choix des femmes (2007) Le cou et la tête (2008).

Panorama

Please Remember Me Wo zhi ren shi ni Qing Zhao

China, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 78 min Director: Qing Zhao Cinematography: Qing Zhao Screenplay: Qing Zhao, Violet Du Feng, Jean Tsien Editing: Qing Zhao, Jean Tsien Sound: Qing Zhao Sound Design: Xun Huang Music: Yizhong Wan Narration: Qing Zhao Narrator: Qing Zhao Production: Violet Du Feng for Lost & Found Film Studio Executive Production: Jean Tsien, Ruby Yang World Sales: Lost & Found Film Studio Screening Copy: Lost & Found Film Studio

Qing Zhao:

The Ambassadors of China (1995) Zhou Zhuang – A Water Town (1997) In Women’s Mind (1998)

WORLD PREMIERE

Former school principal 88-year-old Lou has had Alzheimer’s for the last 10 years. She now recognizes almost no one except for her husband Feng. Nonetheless, they live a full and happy life in Shanghai. They practice tai chi every morning, make regular visits to the Peking opera and read poetry to one another. But when Feng himself gets sick, he decides it’s time for them to move into a retirement home. They have almost no one else to care for them; their only son lives in Australia and visits sporadically. The transition from hectic city to rural rest home takes a heavy toll on them both. The subjects of Qing Zhao’s tender portrait are her own great uncle and aunt, whom she followed for three years. She was witness to the unbreakable bond between the couple, and devotes much of her attention to the remarkable history of their love. Feng married Lou when she was 42 years old, following the death of his first wife. Together they survived the Cultural Revolution, during which Feng was denounced and sent far away to Sichuan. As an old Chinese saying goes, “Hold his hand to grow old together.” Please Remember Me perfectly encapsulates these words.

Rebels

Pøbler Kari Anne Moe

Norway, 2015 DCP, color, 91 min Director: Kari Anne Moe Cinematography: Nils Petter Lotherington Editing: Robert V. Stengård Sound: Michael Sauvage Production: Gudmundur Gunnarsson & Therese Naustdal for Fuglene Co-Production: HazazaH Pictures Distribution for the Netherlands: Cinema Delicatessen Screening Copy: Norwegian Film Institute Involved TV Channels: NRK, YLE, UR Website: www.pobler.no

Kari Anne Moe:

The Tambourin Man (2005) Salesman 329 (2011) Bravehearts (2012)

Pitched at the Forum 2014

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

These Norwegian dropouts are rebellious, aggressive and indifferent when they embark on a special course to help get them to work. All of them are around 20, and society already views them as failures. The coaches’ task is to give back these rebellious youths their self-esteem. It’s a job that demands a lot of mental strength—and sometimes physical strength as well. The fact is that no matter how much you want to give up old habits, it’s hard to leave your past behind you. Jakob just can’t stay away from alcohol.

Maylen’s ADHD means she’s finding it difficult to get her life under control. Kelly was bullied as a child and she’s painfully shy. In the surprising intimacy of the group, they hesitantly start to flourish. Rebels plays out almost entirely in the classroom, where the camera follows group lessons and one-on-one coaching sessions. The chief protagonist is Jan Olav—recently released from jail, he’s determined to make something of his life. He’s dyslexic and always struggled in school, but now he’s dreaming of becoming a famous rapper. Jan Olav is equal parts endearing and unpredictable, even to himself. How can you change when everyone is expecting the worst from you?

161

Panorama

Roshmia

Salim Abu Jabal EUROPEAN PREMIERE Yousef and Amna are both around 80. For more than 50 years, they’ve been living in a ramshackle house made of corrugated iron and canvas in the Roshmia Valley, a deep gorge in the northern Israeli city of Haifa. Now that the city is expanding, the quiet is frequently broken by the rumble of a passing truck. A new road is being built, so the authorities are forcing the elderly couple to move out. Both of them are defiant and desperate, but Yousef is especially affected. Oppression and war have taken their toll on him, and this is the place where he wants to live out his old age.

The film observes the couple as they bicker and chain-smoke their way through their last days in Roshmia Valley. They have no children and they get few visitors—except for the now constant stream of journalists who question them about their situation.

One man offers to mediate for them and negotiates with the municipality for decent compensation. Meanwhile, demolition day is drawing ever closer, and the tension is mounting. It even goes so far that the elderly couple might break up.

United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, 2014, DCP, color, 70 min Director: Salim Abu Jabal Cinematography: Salim Abu Jabal Editing: Salim Abu Jabal, Micheal Youssef Shafek Sound: Salim Abu Jabal Sound Design: Jochen Jezussek Production: Salim Abu Jabal for Boujabel Productions Screening Copy: Boujabel Productions

Salim Abu Jabal:

The Language of Almonds (2011) Separation Diary (2012)

Awards: Jury Prize Dubai International Film Festival, Grand Prix Du Documentaire Festival International Du Cinéma Méditerranéen De Tétouan

Salero

Mike Plunkett WORLD PREMIERE Moises and his family have been collecting salt for generations at the glittering, expansive, almost otherworldly salt flats of Salar de Uyuni. He cannot imagine a better place to live than the remote village of his birth in the highlands of Bolivia.

Then one day, progress inevitably comes knocking on his door when the government decides to mine lithium—a raw material used in batteries, among other things—from the deepest salt layer. Centuries after the Spaniards emptied the Bolivian silver mines, leaving the country destitute, Bolivians start counting the profits. An international airport is built close to Moises’s village, roads are paved and tourists arrive to gape at the exceptional landscape. Selling salt becomes less and less profitable, and Moises looks on aghast as his brother swaps salt mining for selling souvenirs. Progress seems unstoppable: Moises’s young sons won’t become saleros like him, and his wife starts dreaming of a modern life as a hairdresser in the city. While the village looks forward to a prosperous future, Moises wrestles with his disappearing way of life. Set against stunning footage of the pristine white landscape and images from his everyday life, Moises philosophizes about the significance of his beloved region, the confusing consequences of economic progress and his place in the world.

162

USA, Bolivia, 2015 DCP, color, 76 min Director: Mike Plunkett Cinematography: Andrew David Watson Editing: Pax Wassermann, Andrew Blackwell Music: Adam Bryanbaum Wiltzie Production: Mike Plunkett, Anna Rose Holmer, Andrew Goldman for Cinereach Executive Production: Michael Raisler & Philipp Engelhorn & Paul Mezey for Cinereach World Sales: ro*co films international Screening Copy: Cinereach

Mike Plunkett: directing debut

Panorama

Say Something Åsa Ekman

WORLD PREMIERE

Sweden, Norway, 2015 DCP, color, 73 min Director: Åsa Ekman Cinematography: Iga Mikler Screenplay: Åsa Ekman, Oscar Hedin, Anders Teigen Editing: Anders Teigen Sound: Josef Tuulse Sound Design: Josef Tuulse Music: Josef Tuulse Production: Oscar Hedin for Film and Tell Co-Production: Giljotin AS World Sales: Deckert Distribution GmbH Screening Copy: Film and Tell Involved TV Channel: Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company (UR) Website: www.saysomethingdoc.tumblr.com

Åsa Ekman:

Player vs. Romeo (2006) It’s All About Edith (2008) A Mother’s Comeback (2011) My Life My Lesson (2015)

Pitched at the Forum 2014

Isabell from Sweden lost her father at the age of two. When her mother met another man and they moved in together, at first she was happy, but the man turned out to be volatile and violent. The years that followed were traumatic for both mother and daughter. After My Life My Lesson (IDFA 2014), Say Something is the second part in a documentary diptych on children growing up in the face of violence. At the start of the film, Isabell is 18 and has just taken her final exams. She is restless and rebellious, and decides to go to the United States. But things don’t go well there: she starts using drugs and gets panic attacks. Back in Sweden, she gets admitted to a psychiatric clinic. Addressing her relationship with her mother turns out to be a crucial part of her recovery. Isabell hasn’t felt safe for a very long time: she has had to care for her emotionally unstable mother, whom she believes focuses on her own suffering. The film follows Isabell over a long period of time, without using interviews or voice-over. Intimate sequences of her therapy sessions, conversations with her best friend and emotional confrontations with her mother reveal how difficult it is to deal with the traumatic events of the past.

The Sniper of Kobani Reber Dosky

WORLD PREMIERE

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 12 min Director: Reber Dosky Cinematography: Nina Badoux, Reber Dosky Screenplay: Reber Dosky Editing: Stefan Hickert Sound/Sound Design: Taco Drijfhout Music: Wouter van Bemmel Production: Jos de Putter for DIEPTESCHERPTE World Sales: DIEPTESCHERPTE Distribution for the Netherlands: Wouter Jansen Screening Copy: Some Shorts

Reber Dosky:

My Good Fortune in Auschwitz (2012) The Call (2013) 4Ever (2014) One Happy Day (fiction, 2015) Horsepower (fiction, 2015)

A tall, slim man walks the ruined city streets with a rifle nonchalantly slung over his shoulder. Haron is a Kurdish sniper and receives a very respectful welcome as he enters a hair salon. After all, he uses his rifle to protect Kobani’s inhabitants from the advancing Islamic State. The hairdresser has lots of questions, but Haron reveals little and heads back to work. We see him hiding behind walls, and from time to time he fires a shot. In the meantime, he reflects on his life as a sniper. He explains his solitary job, his dreams and nightmares. Snipers need a mathematical mind as it’s all about distance to the target, how fast the latter is moving and taking wind speed into account. When the Kurdish-Dutch filmmaker Reber Dosky returned to the Netherlands, the footage he’d shot hadn’t survived the trip, so he risked his life once more and returned to Kobani to reshoot this unhurried, empathetic portrait. For the people at the hair salon Haron remains an enigma, but he has certainly borne his soul to the viewer.

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Panorama

Vita activa, the Spirit of Hannah Arendt Ada Ushpiz

The ideas of political theorist Hannah Arendt, who died in 1974, have lost none of their potency or relevance with the passage of time. Her reflections on subjects such as the totalitarian state and the banality of evil have made her one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. Vita Activa, the Spirit of Hannah Arendt draws on a wealth of source material in a detailed examination of her convictions.

Correspondence read aloud in voice-over accompanies the photographs, home movies and other archive material, and these scenes are intercut with interviews with her contemporaries. What comes most to the fore is Arendt’s unremitting sense of displacement. During the Second World War, Arendt, who was Jewish, fled to the United States, where she felt herself to be living in exile. This is an important concept, given that she belonged to a people dismissed as “superfluous.” The notion of superfluity was the wellspring of her theories and views about the establishment of a state of Israel, Zionism and the Holocaust. But on another level, they can easily be extrapolated to the current refugee situation, with millions of displaced people at the borders of Europe. The American philosopher and gender theorist Judith Butler refers to Arendt’s work, saying that a society that tries to do away with plurality becomes genocidal. This documentary is a warning that if we ignore the helpless and reject critical thinking, we are bound for totalitarianism.

Canada, Israel, 2015 DCP, color, 124 min Director: Ada Ushpiz Cinematography: Itai Neeman, German Gutierrez, Philippe Lavalette Editing: Hadas Ayalon Sound: Jose Garcia-Lozano, Amos Zipori, Misha Spector, Eli Bein Sound Design: Michel Lambert Music: John Wilson Production: Ina Fichman for Intuitive Pictures Inc., Ada Ushpiz for AU Films Executive Production: Hedva Goldschmidt for Go2Films, Stefan Pannen for Fernehbuero World Sales/Screening Copy: Go2Films

Ada Ushpiz:

Detained (2001) Bloody Engagement (2004) Desert Brides (2008) Good Garbage (2012)

Walls

Muros Pablo Iraburu, Migueltxo Molina

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 raised hopes of a world with no more concrete borders dividing populations. But today we see the exact opposite, and walls have been erected all over the world to set the boundaries between poverty and prosperity.

On the U.S.-Mexican border, we meet a Vietnam vet placing crosses where Mexicans lost their lives trying to find a better life. On the other side, a Mexican couple is waiting for the right moment to attempt a climb over. A sentry patrols the banks of the Limpopo River along the border of Zimbabwe and South Africa, where many refugees drown trying to cross. At the Moroccan-Spanish border, we see a woman carrying huge packages on her back. The border scenes flow effortlessly into one another. Directors Pablo Iraburu and Migueltxo Molina add new meaning by placing the tableaux in split-screen compositions such as a Mexican tunnel placed beneath an African baobab. Meanwhile, a voice-over explaining the situation in Mexico accompanies scenes from the Moroccan border. The countless partitions all over the world form a universal problem.

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Spain, 2015 DCP, color, 83 min

Migueltxo Molina:

Director: Pablo Iraburu, Migueltxo Molina Cinematography: Pablo Iraburu Editing: Migueltxo Molina, Pablo Iraburu Production: Marga Gutiérrez & Itziar García Zubiri for Arena Comunicación Audiovisual World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Screening Copy: Arena Comunicación Audiovisual Involved TV Channels: Veo TV / Discovery MAX, EITB – Spain Website: www.wallsmuros.com

Migueltxo Molina & Pablo Iraburu:

Nömadak TX (2006) District Zero (2015)

The Ridge (2012)

Panorama

Wastecooking – Make Food, Not Waste Wastecooking – Kochen statt Verschwenden Georg Misch

Austria, 2015 DCP, color, 80 min Director: Georg Misch Cinematography: Daniel Samer Screenplay: David Groß Editing: Marek Kralovsky Sound: Tony Zhang Music: Jim Howard Narration: David Groß Narrator: David Groß Production: Ralph Wieser for Mischief Films Screening Copy: Mischief Films Involved TV Channels: SWR, ORF, ARTE Deutschland Website: www.wastecooking.com

Georg Misch:

Insight (1996) Lines (1999) I Am from Nowhere (2002) Calling Hedy Lamarr (2004) Der Weg nach Mekka – Die Reise des Muhammad Asad (2008) Albert Schweitzer – Anatomie eines Heiligen (2010) Wüstenschiffe (2012) Gott und Vaterland (2012) Der unsichtbare Mann (2014)

One-third of all food ends up in the garbage worldwide, but the Austrian activist David Gross wants to change that. In his car, which runs on cooking oil, he embarks on a five-week journey through five European countries. He tows a garbage container converted into a mini-kitchen, which he uses to prepare meals of discarded food.

Wastecooking introduces us to chefs, scientists and activists and presents simple solutions to the food waste epidemic. A Dutch chef explains how he uses all parts of a pig carcass, while people in a Berlin commune live on wild fruit that grows in the city. The camera follows Gross into the kitchen as well, visiting random people in their homes and watching what they intend to throw in the trash. The edibles are collected and a culinary expert makes a sumptuous dinner out of them. Gross tries to shake us up by showing us how much companies, supermarkets and consumers waste. During nocturnal musings he comes to a few practical recommendations: look in the fridge before you go shopping, encourage local government to make supermarkets bring their surplus to the food bank, and eat local whenever possible.

Awards: Documentary Silver Award Deauville Green Awards

We Are Not Alone No estamos solos Pere Joan Ventura

Spain, 2015 DCP, color, 78 min Director: Pere Joan Ventura Cinematography: Alberto Molina Editing: Anastasi Rinos Production: Pere Portabella for Films 59, El Gran Wyoming for Asuntos y Cuestiones Varias Co-Production: Asuntos y Cuestiones Varias Screening Copy: Films 59

Pere Joan Ventura:

El efecto Iguazú (2002)

Pere Joan Ventura, Javier Corcuera, Patricia Ferreira, Javier Fesser & Chus Gutiérrez: En el mundo a cada rato (2004)

Pere Joan Ventura & others: ¡Hay motivo! (2004, fiction)

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Since the beginning of the economic crisis in Spain and the rigorous austerity program that followed, millions of citizens have taken to the streets to protest against the waves of cuts, privatizations and evictions. The most well known of these is the May 15 movement, the spontaneous protest movement that arose in 2011 to argue for more direct democracy and against corruption in the political and financial world. We Are Not Alone is a sampler of a whole range of different movements and initiatives that have grown up over the years in Spain, as well as a plea for greater solidarity. We meet two feminist groups from Gijon who are fighting new anti-abortion legislation, a man who has dedicated his life to producing protest signs for countless demonstrations, and an activist opera company that parodies the housing bubble and other problems in its productions. We also see a number of “performances” by Flo6x8, a collective that uses music and dance to protest against the misdeeds of the banking world—for example, by organizing a spontaneous flamenco act in a bank’s offices. Taken together, these short portraits show that the concerned and angry citizens of Spain are not alone.

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NON-COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS Paradocs

The “periphery� of the documentary genre takes center stage in the Paradocs program. It showcases what is going on beyond the frame of traditional documentary filmmaking, on the borders between film and visual arts, truth and fiction, and narrative and design. This year, Paradocs is presenting 15 films. This program is supported by Ammodo.

Paradocs

Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise Mark Cousins INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Seventy years ago this year, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki showed the appalling and destructive power of the atomic bomb. Mark Cousins, who also directed The Story of Film, has made a bold documentary that looks not only at death in the atomic age, but also at the living who have benefitted from the medical applications of nuclear technology. He uses archive footage from the British Film Institute, NASA and CERN—kaleidoscopic images that get an added impetus by a new soundtrack from the Scottish band Mogwai. Atomic shows us an impressionistic mixture of our nuclear times—protest marches, Cold War saber-rattling, government films giving us handy tips on what to do in the event of a nuclear attack, old scientific films and stories from the people of Chernobyl and Fukushima. Cousins doesn’t shy away from showing the most horrific images, such as an incinerated Japanese mother, her crying toddler by her side. We also see the sublime beauty of the atomic world, both at the tiny end of the scale and the vast, such as in the sun. He shows how X-rays and MRI scans have saved and improved human lives. The nuclear age is a nightmare—there are still 15,700 nuclear warheads in the world—but it has also made dreams come true.

UK, Scotland, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 71 min Director: Mark Cousins Screenplay: Mark Cousins Editing: Timo Langer Sound Design: Kahl Henderson Music: Mogwai Production: John Archer for Hopscotch Films, Mark Atkin & Heather Croall for Crossover Labs Screening Copy: Hopscotch Films Involved TV Channels: BBC, BBC Scotland

Mark Cousins:

The First Movie (2009) The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011) What Is this Film Called Love? (2012) A Story of Children and Film (2013) Here Be Dragons (2013) Life May Be (2014) 6 Desires: DH Lawrence and Sardinia (2014) I Am Belfast (2015)

Blood Brothers

Marco Espírito Santo, Miguel Coimbra Blood Brothers follows one evening in the lives of the Forcados Amadores de Montemor, a group of Portuguese bullfighters whose history stretches back to 1939.

These are men accustomed to staring death in the face. In wordless scenes propelled by a thrilling soundtrack packed with distortion effects, bass and electric guitar, we see the bullfighters having their photographs taken in full regalia before returning to the biggest arena in the country—for the first time since the death of their leader José Maria Cortes. Their great idol is no more, and they are about to put their sense of invincibility to the test. This short, experimental film is dedicated to Cortes, whom the men commemorate with a photo on a small, improvised altar. With a quick prayer they hope to ward off the fear that might take hold when they let a raging bull take them onto its horns. Their fellow bullfighters rush to help as the ominous guitar music reaches a crescendo, bringing the drama to a climax.

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Portugal, 2015 DCP, black-and-white, 6 min Director: Marco Espírito Santo, Miguel Coimbra Cinematography: Marco Espírito Santo, Miguel Coimbra Editing: João Canadinhas Music: Mikkel Solnado Production: Marco Espírito Santo & Miguel Coimbra for SIR.LØIN World Sales: Agência da Curta Metragem Screening Copy: Agência da Curta Metragem

Marco Espírito Santo:

El mole el mezcal (2006) Watching Machines (2006) Surrendering Seamen (2007) I Go (2009) To Cut a Long Story Short (2013)

Miguel Coimbra: directing debut

2014)

Paradocs

Captive Horizon Lukas Marxt

WORLD PREMIERE

Austria, 2015 DCP, color, 14 min Director: Lukas Marxt Cinematography: Lukas Marxt Editing: Lukas Marxt Production: Lukas Marxt World Sales: Sixpackfilm Screening Copy: Sixpackfilm

Lukas Marxt:

Nach der Eishöhle (2007) Four By (2008) Pass By (2008) Fire Walk Me Home (2009) Second Night (2010) Rising Fall (2011) Mahnmal (2011) Nella Fantasia (2012) Reign of Silence (2013) It Seems to Be Loneliness But It Is Not (2013)

Ecologists are calling the era in which we’re currently living the Anthropocene: the epoch in which the earth’s climate and atmosphere drastically change as a result of human activity. Geologists estimate that more than 70 percent of the earth’s surface shows signs of human activity: from roads cutting like scars across the landscape to vast swathes of snow polluted with soot. Lucas Marxt captures this manmade impact by zooming in on extreme landscapes. The camera sweeps godlike over the Arctic, deserts and mountain ranges, scrutinizing the skin of the earth. Nowhere in these inhospitable areas is there a human being to be seen, but abstract, geometric shapes—lines, circles and rhomboids— betray the presence of man. Marxt’s film is reminiscent of the land art that emerged in the 1960s, when artists made man’s ecological impact visible by digging canals and pits or stacking stones (for example, Robert Smithson’s renowned Spiral Jetty at the Great Salt Lake in Utah). The structures Marxt shows are more random, and perhaps that’s why they make such a tremendous impression. Rhythm, camera position and an alienating soundscape contribute to the apocalyptic tone.

Exodus

Nicolas Provost INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Portugal, 2015 DCP, color, 14 min Director: Nicolas Provost Cinematography: Nicolas Provost Editing: Nicolas Provost Production: Mário Micaelo for Curtas Metragens CRL World Sales: Agência da Curta Metragem Screening Copy: Agência da Curta Metragem

Nicolas Provost:

Need Any Help? (2000), Madonna with Child (2001), Pommes d’amour (2001), Bataille (2003), Papillon d’amour (2003), Oh Dear (2004), Induction (2006), Suspension (2007), Gravity (2007), Plot Point (2007), Storyteller (2010), Abstract Action (2010), Stardust (2010), Moving Stories (2011), The Invader (fiction, 2011), Tokyo Giants (2012), The Dark Galleries (2013), The Painters (2013), Illumination (2014), The Invader and the Origine of the World (2014), The Perfect Wave (2014) a.o.

The artist and filmmaker Nicolas Provost traveled across four western states of the U.S., coming upon monumental landscapes of immense cinematic beauty. Without dialogue or explicit narrative, he presents his sophisticated compositions in the form of a slideshow of tranquil situations that invites the viewer to look closely. Sometimes we can identify signs of life in the vast landscapes: people wearing caps and taking photographs, a small group of deer and a car with a sign on it reading “Oversized Load.” Provost zooms in on the landscapes as the humans in them gaze around in amazement: the people on a bench, a woman waving, a couple standing arm in arm. Even the dogs face in the same direction, apparently impressed by their surroundings. Provost’s supermodel wife Hannelore Knuts also appears—she previously played a striking role in her husband’s feature debut The Invader. Sometimes we can only infer the presence of humans through the presence of reservoirs or electricity pylons. Although images of such silent witnesses in the landscape are by no means new to cinema, Provost looks upon them with a new and refreshing gaze.

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Paradocs

In Defense of the Rocket Martin Ginestie

WORLD PREMIERE The rise and fall of the Middle East peace process, documented by a series of news photographs set to the rhythms of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. French director Martin Ginestie arranged these powerful scenes according to chronology and subject matter to emphasize the iterative nature of the process, the repetitive images echoing the persistent deadlock in the peace process. In quick succession we see brief segments of Yasser Arafat shaking hands with countless world leaders, including Bill Clinton; of men throwing rocks, of blood on the streets; of explosions on city streets; and of Arafat being carried to his grave. Then the tragedy starts all over again, but with new protagonists. Now it is the Palestinian president Abbas who is shaking countless hands—with Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and so on. But it does nothing to stop the bombs raining down on the cities, destroying houses and refugee camps.

UK, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 5 min

Martin Ginestie:

Where Is My Mind (2012)

Director: Martin Ginestie Editing: Martin Ginestie Sound Design: Adam Smyth Production: Martin Ginestie for ish Films Screening Copy: ish Films

Isabella Morra Isabel Pagliai

WORLD PREMIERE Isabella Morra was the daughter of an early-16th-century Italian baron. When he left his wife and eight children to amuse himself at the French court, Isabella fell under the authority of her two narrowminded, jealous brothers. They decided she was getting too familiar with their neighbor and punished her by death. Six years later, Isabella’s sonnets and songs were published, which made her into a well-known Renaissance poet. Twentieth-century novelist André Pieyre de Mandriargues was inspired by her life story and wrote a play about her, and director Isabel Pagliai’s documentary is loosely based on this work. The main character isn’t an isolated noblewoman, but kids from a children’s home in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The camera follows them as they roam the streets, attempting to penetrate their glazed expressions.

But Pagliai mostly shows the way the children interact, in a sober and direct cinema verité style. This is characterized by a lot of swearing, language use that’s advanced for their age, and a constant exploration of power relationships. The poetry lies in the alternation of murmurs, shouting, animated talking and silence.

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France, 2015 DCP, color, 22 min Director: Isabel Pagliai Cinematography: Isabel Pagliai, Julien Guillery Screenplay: Isabel Pagliai Editing: Mathias Bouffier Sound: Jerome Petit Production: Natalia Trebik for Le Fresnoy Screening Copy: Le Fresnoy

Isabel Pagliai:

The Flower at My Teeth (2015)

Paradocs

Lamentation

Klaaglied Christo Doherty, Aryan Kaganof

South Africa, 2015 DCP, color, 18 min

Christo Doherty:

Director: Christo Doherty, Aryan Kaganof Cinematography: Eran Tahor Editing: Aryan Kaganof Sound Design: Aryan Kaganof Music: Michael Blake Production: Christo Doherty for The University of the Witwatersrand, Aryan Kaganof Screening Copy: Christo Doherty

Kyodai Makes the Big Time (fiction, 1992) The Mozart Bird (fiction, 1993) 10 Monologues from the Lives of the Serial Killers (fiction, 1994) Wasted (fiction, 1996) Shabondama Elegy (fiction, 1996) Western 4.33 (2002) Life Is a Song (2004) Sms Sugar Man (fiction, 2007) An Inconsolable Memory (2013) a.o.

directing debut

Aryan Kaganof:

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

This collaboration between Aryan Kaganof and Christo Doherty is a filmed response to Doherty’s controversial 2011 photo exhibition entitled BOS, consisting of “constructed photographs” of the South African Border War—images he based on photos that appeared in the media at the time. In their joint film, the camera moves through a fixed pattern, close to a face painted black: so close, in fact, that we can even see the pores in the skin. The man’s penetrating gaze melts into a stretch of sand where toy soldiers re-enact the South African Border War. From 1968 to 1989, the South African apartheid regime fought a bitter war to keep control of what was then called Southwest Africa— now Namibia. The South African army even took the war deep into Angola with the aim of defeating the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia. The Border War was carried out by an army of white conscripts alongside both black and white professional soldiers.

The white soldiers were made to wear black combat makeup, which they dubbed “black is beautiful.” Featuring the music of composer Michael Blake in a prominent role, Lamentation ends with a quote from the Third Lamentation of Jeremiah the Prophet.

Log Head

Pölkyllä pää Maarit Suomi-Väänänen

Finland, Norway, Canada, 2015 DCP, color, 9 min Director: Maarit Suomi-Väänänen Cinematography: Sari Aaltonen Screenplay: Maarit Suomi-Väänänen Editing: Maarit Suomi-Väänänen Sound: Kyösti Väntänen Sound Design: Kyösti Väntänen Production: Aleksis Pillai for White Point Screening Copy: White Point Involved TV Channel: YLE

Maarit Suomi-Väänänen:

Swan Song (2004) A Bit Scary Really… (2005) Salty Snow (2007) Up and About Again (2009) Minispectacles Touché, Douche, Souche (2010) In a Musty, Misty Thicket (2012) Minispectacles 4x Against (2013) Minispectacles 4x Along (2013) Minispectacles 9x Solo, Duo, Trio, Quartet (2014)

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

In this mythological documentary about a human tree, experimental animator Maarit Suomi-Väänänen equips a little birch stump with a pair of skis and a balaclava, and sends it gliding through a forest where others of its kind have just been felled. Wisps of smoke and mist suggest that the executioners have only just left, but the stump appears to have revenge on its mind. Skiing, falling and skiing on again, the little guy moves among the felled trees, sometimes pausing to ponder a particular stump. Is he shedding a tear?

Is this perhaps a family member who has been brought down, or is he sad because of the inevitable fate he is facing himself? Groaning, he takes flight. Against the backdrop of this forest war zone, with the sound of chainsaws and explosions, we genuinely begin to wonder whether trees deserve more sympathy. Suomi-Väänänen creates the atmosphere of a cartoon film by using stop motion and reversing the footage, and in some scenes, she has made no attempt to hide the strings on the stump. A somewhat absurdist reflection on the nature within us all.

www.maaritsuomi.fi

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Paradocs

The Meadow Jela Hasler

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE The Golan Heights, the hilly area on the border between Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel, has been a disputed territory for millennia. Assyrians, Arameans, Greeks led by Alexander the Great, Romans and Ottomans—they all rolled through this strategically located area. During the Six Day War in 1967, Israel captured the plateau, annexed it officially 14 years later and built radar stations there. The UN was unanimous in its rejection of this action and the local Druze continue to resist the occupation. Every time problems break out in the region—especially with a bloody civil war going on in Syria for years now—the tension can be cut with a knife. But that’s the situation from the perspective of a human. For ruminants with four stomachs, life in the Golan Heights isn’t so bad. The grass could be more tender, but the climate is pleasant and the peace is disturbed only by dogs and a single cowboy. Jela Hasler has mastered the art of putting things in perspective. She already proved that with her graduation film that was supposed to be about a porn producer, but turned out to be a revealing examination of her family’s lack of understanding about her life as a filmmaker.

Switzerland, 2015 DCP, color, 9 min

Jela Hasler:

High Season (2014)

Director: Jela Hasler Cinematography: Andi Widmer Editing: Stephan Heiniger Sound Design: Thomas Gassmann Production: Jela Hasler Screening Copy: Jela Hasler

Olmo and the Seagull Olmo et la mouette Petra Costa, Lea Glob

Pregnant women often lose teeth because the unborn child draws calcium from their bodies. The acquaintance who told Olivia this seemed unfazed, but it made quite an impression on this young actress. As well as making her lose her teeth, the baby could also make her lose the starring role in Chekhov’s The Seagull, her career, her everything. Impending motherhood is hell for this woman, who as a child said she only existed when she had an audience. When she’s passed over for a North American tour, she thinks she’ll go insane just like Nina, the character in Chekhov’s play. Olmo and the Seagull can be viewed as a form of exorcism. Olivia and her boyfriend Serge re-enact this period from their life, intercutting these scenes with in-the-moment improvisation and an earlier performance of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway. In voiceover, Olivia reads aloud passages from her journal. Sometimes the film’s directors interject, highlighting the film’s multilayered reality. Where does the acting stop and real life begin? Aren’t we always playing a role? But for Olivia, the film also forms a bridge between her theatrical life and her new role as a mother.

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Denmark, Brazil, 2015 DCP, color, 82 min Director: Petra Costa, Lea Glob Cinematography: Lisa Persson Editing: Tina Baz, Marina Meliande Production: Chris Pedersen for Zentropa Entertainment, Tiago Pavan for Busca Vida World Sales: Taskovski Films Screening Copy: Taskovski Films Website: www.olmoandtheseagull.com

Petra Costa :

Dom Quixote de Bethelehem (2005) Undertow Eyes (2009) Elena (2012)

Lea Glob:

Meeting My Father Kasper Højhat (2011)

Paradocs

On Football O futebol Sergio Oksman

Spain, 2015 DCP, color, 68 min Director: Sergio Oksman Cinematography: André Brandão Screenplay: Sergio Oksman, Carlos Muguiro Editing: Carlos Muguiro, Sergio Oksman Sound Design: Eduardo G. Castro Production: Sergio Oksman Screening Copy: Sergio Oksman Involved TV Channels: TVE, Canal Brasil

Sergio Oksman:

Goodbye, America (2007) Notes on the Other (2009) A Story for the Modlins (2012) a.o.

Filmmaker Sergio Oksman hasn’t seen his father Simão for 20 years. On the eve of the World Cup in Brazil, Oksman returns to his birth city of São Paolo, intending to watch the tournament together with his dad just as they used to. On Football follows the two men and the World Cup as they experience it: how they watch the games (at work, in a parking garage or a bar) and their furious attempts to make up for lost time. Things don’t go all that smoothly between Sergio and Simão—actually, they only manage to have a good talk if it’s centered around soccer. They reconstruct their past using matches, players and goals. During the Germany-Portugal game, they watch old home movies, including from Simão’s wedding. With the tightly framed shots and static camera angles, Oksman creates a shadow play in which father and son each play their role. But as firmly as he directs, both his father and reality end up more obstinate than he expected. It results in a touching and abrasive telling of time slipping past, with an old man finally realizing what time it is.

The Rate’s Cut Ojo salvaje Paco Nicolás

Spain, 2015 DCP, color, 15 min Director: Paco Nicolás Cinematography: Néstor Ortiz Editing: Íñigo Fernández, Paco Nicolás Production: Paco Nicolás for ECAM Screening Copy: ECAM

Paco Nicolás:

directing debut

WORLD PREMIERE

Twenty-five years ago, a family man from Orihuela, Spain named Rate bought his first camera and started filming his wife, stepson and pets. He spent three months looking for that elusive true story that has never been filmed before. His footage of domestic scenes becomes increasingly erratic, and soon after he stops filming. But when his sister is diagnosed with liver cancer, he picks up the camera once more. The drama that he was frantically searching for forces itself into his “wild eye,” his ojo salvaje. More and more family members join him at the bedside of his increasingly fragile sister, and he directs them with a true eye for detail to move a little closer the bed, so he can get them on film.

Except for a few intertitles, this graduation film consists entirely of Rate’s home videos, and director Paco Nicolás closely follows the man’s failed attempts to capture the true drama.

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Paradocs

(Self)exhibitions (Auto)exposiciones Florencia Aliberti

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

The very first YouTube video back in 2005 was pretty tame: it had Jawed Karim, one of the online video channel’s founders, at the San Diego Zoo. Its title, however, was revealing: “Me at the Zoo.” And it’s that first little word that’s the giveaway. Over the subsequent 10 years, YouTube has become the go-to tool of the self-promotion era.

The billion viewers per month milestone was passed in 2013, and some 60 hours of footage is currently uploaded every minute. And it’s not all home videos of cats, bloopers in the backyard or birthday parties. The predominant subject is “me.” For her video installation, Florencia Aliberti collected videos made by YouTube users in intimate, vulnerable moments: fretting about their weight or coming out of the closet to their parents. The line between self-expression and exhibitionism seems thin on the Internet, where these videos’ pretense of domesticity and familiarity contrasts starkly with their worldwide dissemination. This blurring of the lines between private and public inevitably evokes feelings of shame, amazement and irritation. The most striking thing is how uniform the scenes we see are. Vloggers respond to and imitate one another. YouTube—home of the most individual form of expression—becomes the great leveler.

Spain, 2015 DCP, color, 14 min Director: Florencia Aliberti Editing: Florencia Aliberti Production: Florencia Aliberti Screening Copy: Florencia Aliberti

Florencia Aliberti:

Variations on Alice (2011) Horror Vacui (2013) Filma (2015)

Sketches of Siberia Ben van Lieshout

WORLD PREMIERE Diary notes made by Fridtjof Nansen more than a century ago evoke images of the colonization of America between 1865 and 1890. This Norwegian polar explorer also encountered native people, whom he described with a mixture of compassion and paternalistic disdain. He wrote about the difficulties of imposing progress, about gold and fertile soil. However, Nansen was not a pioneer of the Wild West, but of the Siberian interior. Following a voyage across the Arctic Ocean, he descended the Yenisei River to the town of Krasnoyarsk. Director Ben van Lieshout follows Nansen’s trail, revealing along the way that not very much has changed since then. The clothing is different and there are now cars, but the wooden houses are the same as back in Nansen’s day—as is the omnipresent Orthodox Church, the mud roads that are impassable in the rainy season and the stigma of Siberia’s history as a penal colony.

Van Lieshout is able to maintain focus on the human scale in this vast landscape by zooming in on small stories and details. The slow tempo of his road trip (on a boat) contrasts markedly with the unpredictable geopolitical and economic forces at play because of Siberia’s rich natural resources.

174

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 73 min Director: Ben van Lieshout Cinematography: Ben van Lieshout Screenplay: Ben van Lieshout Editing: Jan Ketelaars Production: Ben van Lieshout for Van Lieshout Filmproducties Distribution for the Netherlands: Mokum Filmdistributie Screening Copy: Van Lieshout Filmproducties

Ben van Lieshout:

1981 Framed (fiction, 1981), The Light of Cadiz (1983), The Shore (1988), Fence (1989), Passengers (1991), Butterfly (1995), The Stowaway (1997), The Zone (1999), Night at the mall (2001), Trip to Paradise (2002), Allotment (2003), Petersburg Places and Paintings (2004), The Muse (fiction, 2007), Inventory of the Motherland (2012) a.o.

Paradocs

Still Holding Still De ontwaring Sarah Vanagt

Belgium, 2015 DCP, color, 10 min Director: Sarah Vanagt Cinematography: Artur Castro Freire Editing: Effi Weiss Sound: Phillippe Ciompi Sound Design: Phillippe Ciompi Production: Sarah Vanagt for Balthasar World Sales: Argos Screening Copy: Balthasar

Sarah Vanagt:

After Years of Walking (2003) Little Figures (2003) Begin Began Begun (2005) Les mouchoirs de Kabila (2005) First Elections (2006) Power Cut (2007) Ash Tree (2007) Silent Elections (2009) Boulevard d’Ypres (2010) The Corridor (2010) Dust Breeding (2013) In Waking Hours (2015)

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Sarah Vanagt compiled this collection of truly odd photos of children and babies, taken recently using a 19th-century photographic practice known as Invisible Mothers.

Photographer Jeroen de Wijs employs a technique from Victorian times, back when taking a photograph of your child was a complex enterprise—an exceptional event that could easily fail. Capturing an image required a 30-second shutter time, and it was almost impossible to get an entire family perfectly still for that long. So photographers came up with a little trick to get around that problem. They got the mother to sit cloaked from head to toe in a blanket so that she could keep her child quiet while not appearing in the picture herself. But the mothers aren’t entirely invisible. In fact they are rather spooky apparitions, looming behind their expressionless children. In her film, Vanagt uses the long exposure times to “enter into” De Wijs’s photos of children.

Sarah Vanagt & Katrien Vermeire: The Wave (2012)

175

BELEEF

IDFA VOLKS KRANT MET DE

volkskrant.nl/idfa

NON-COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS Music Documentary

From portraits of legendary musicians and rising talents to documents of life on the road, these documentaries live and breathe for music. This year the festival is showing nineteen films in this program section, selected in collaboration with Amsterdam cultural center Melkweg. Several screenings are accompanied by concerts and all the films are eligible for the IDFA Melkweg Music Documentary Audience Award, consisting of a cash prize of â‚Ź2,500.

Five films are part of other IDFA programs as well. Thru You Princess (see page 31) is also selected for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary and the IDFA DOC U Competition.

Boudewijn de Groot – Come Closer (see page 68) is also selected for the IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary. Janis: Little Girl Blue (see page 181), A Poem Is a Naked Person (see page 184) and What Happened, Miss Simone? (see page 186) are also screening in Masters.

Music Documentary

The American Epic Sessions Bernard MacMahon

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE It took Nick Bergh 10 years to collect, recondition and reassemble the very first electrical recording equipment from the 1920s. Record labels used this equipment to make studio recordings, but also employed it on location—for example, in the American South. The three-part TV series American Epic covers this fascinating period; this documentary, containing 20 sessions by contemporary artists, follows on from the series. The artists visit the recording studio where Bergh’s impressive equipment—partly powered by weights and completely mechanical—is set up. There, they sing into a condenser microphone and what they play is recorded directly into the grooves of a record, exactly as it was done in the era of 78-rpm records. Jack White, one of the executive producers of the American Epic project and former front man of The White Stripes, supervises the recording process and asks the participants to sing songs from the 1920s and 1930s (see American Epic: The Big Bang) as well as their own compositions. The American Epic Sessions provides an exciting panorama of American musical history: Cajun, gospel, blues, old folksongs, Hawaiian music and jazz, as well as a new song composed and performed by Elton John. Also featuring the likes of Beck, Stephen Stills, Pokey LaFarge, Taj Mahal, Willie Nelson and Alabama Shakes.

USA, UK, 2015 DCP, color, 146 min

Bernard MacMahon:

American Epic: The Big Bang (2015)

Director: Bernard MacMahon Cinematography: Vern Moen Editing: Dan Gitlin Sound: Nicholas Bergh, Dave Ross Production: Allison McGourty & Bernard MacMahon & Duke Erikson for Lo-Max Films & Bill Holderman for Wildwood Enterprises Executive Production: Anthony Wall for BBCArena, Julie Anderson & Stephen Segaller for Thirteen/WNET, Robert Redford for Wildwood Enterprises, Jack White Screening Copy: Lo-Max Films Involved TV Channels: PBS/ WNET Thirteen, BBC Arena Website: www.americanepic.com

American Epic: The Big Bang Bernard MacMahon

WORLD PREMIERE In 1926, the music industry was in crisis. The new medium of radio had become established, meaning that people who had a set could receive music for free in their living rooms. As a consequence, they were buying fewer records. Producers from the big record companies like Columbia and Victor relocated to the less affluent south of the United States, where people didn’t own radios in large numbers yet. There, they made field recordings using the latest electric recording equipment (see The American Epic Sessions), and then sold these locally. Ninety years later, many of these 78-rpm recordings (“the first time America heard itself”) act as the musical memory of the country. The first episode of the three-part TV series American Epic centers around two influential acts: the Carter Family and the Memphis Jug Band. Hailing from the Appalachian Mountains, the Carter Family laid the foundation for the country music genre. The music of the Memphis Jug Band, who performed on the famous Beale Street in Memphis, is rooted in the blues. Their music was rougher, often played on cheap, homemade instruments such as washboards and jugs. The rapper NAS compares them to the rappers of today, with their provocative texts about the wild lives of urban street kids and gangsters.

178

USA, UK, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 53 min Director: Bernard MacMahon Cinematography: Vern Moen, Richard Henkels Editing: Dan Gitlin Production: Allison McGourty & Bernard MacMahon & Duke Erikson for Lo-Max Films & Bill Holderman for Wildwood Enterprises Screening Copy: Lo-Max Films Involved TV Channels: BBC, PBS/WNET Website: www.americanepic.com

Bernard MacMahon:

The American Epic Sessions (2015)

Music Documentary

B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979–1989 Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange

Germany, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 92 min

Jörg A. Hoppe:

Director: Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange Cinematography: Till Vielrose Editing: Alexander von Sturmfeder Music: Mark Reeder, Michael Adam Production: Jörg A. Hoppe for DEF Media GmbH, Klaus Maeck for Interzone Pictures, Heiko Lange for Scenes From Executive Production: Christoph Post for DEF Media GmbH World Sales: Celsius Entertainment Screening Copy: Celsius Entertainment Involved TV Channel: ZDF, ARTE Website: www.b-movie-der-film.de

Decoder (1984) W.S. Burroughs: Commissioner of Sewers (1991) Einstürzende Neubaten: Liebeslieder (1996)

Straight to You (1996)

Klaus Maeck:

Heiko Lange:

The Noise of Cairo (2011)

Awards: Heiner-Carow-Award Berlin International Film Festival, Best Experiment Via! VUT Indie Awards

B-Movie is a compelling montage of archive material that captures West Berlin’s music scene in the 1980s. This time capsule is held together by British music lover Mark Reeder’s personal testimonials. In 1979, he left gloomy Manchester and moved to “the more fucked up” Berlin, home of his favorite music style the New German Wave. The movement includes underground bands such as Einstürzende Neubauten and Die Ärzte, as well as synthesizer pioneers Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. Reeder becomes a squatter and spends a decade immersed in the cultural life of the city, which he describes as “not pretty, but sexy.” He manages female punk band Malaria! and works as a sound engineer for Die Toten Hosen. Reeder, who likes to dress up in uniform, describes Berlin’s night life (“Alles ist geil!”) and the ever-present Berlin Wall. His character is played by a lookalike in dramatizations, but we do get to see him in person as an extra in Jörg Buttgereit’s cult films. The documentary ends in 1989, the year in which the fall of the Wall coincides with the rise of techno. In addition to the impressive archive material, B-Movie boasts an amazing soundtrack, which features the abovementioned bands along with Nena, Nick Cave and WestBam.

Concerto – A Beethoven Journey Phil Grabsky

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

UK, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Phil Grabsky Cinematography: Phil Grabsky, David Bickerstaff, Hugh Hood Editing: Rick Aplin Production: Phil Grabsky for Seventh Art Productions Screening Copy: Seventh Art Productions Involved TV Channel: BBC

Phil Grabsky:

Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World (2001), The Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan (2002), In Search of Mozart (2006), Heavy Water: A Film for Chernobyl (2006), The Boy Mir – Ten Years in Afghanistan (2011), In Search of Haydn (2012), In Search of Chopin (2014), Exhibition on Screen: Matisse from MoMA and Tate Modern (2014), Exhibition on Screen: The Impressionists (2015) a.o.

During the past four years, the Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes has dedicated himself completely to Beethoven (1770-1827), whom he sees as the greatest composer of all time.

Concentrating completely on one composer allows him to go deeper, with the ultimate goal of reaching a better understanding of his music. During those four years, Andsnes recorded the five piano concertos with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra—directing from the piano—and followed them up with a world tour. Andsnes also played Beethoven’s chamber music, from the Kreutzer Sonata (with talented violist Vilde Frang) to the piano sonatas. The emphasis is on the piano concertos, which Andsnes describes as “magical pieces.” In this documentary by Phil Grabsky, who previously made In Search of Beethoven, Andsnes talks about the concertos with great enthusiasm and expert knowledge—from the composer’s lively, virtuoso young works (numbers 1 and 2) to the epic, highly original last three. In these ambitious works full of daring innovations, we can hear Beethoven struggling with his increasing deafness as feelings of desperation, isolation and suffering vie with celebrations of freedom, both in a musical and a political sense. Grabsky intersperses Andsnes’s insightful reflections with passages from Beethoven’s letters on subjects including money (and the lack thereof), health problems and love.

179

Music Documentary

Hot Sugar’s Cold World Adam Bhala Lough

A fascinating portrait of Nick Koenig, the musician and producer who records under the name Hot Sugar. This year, he not only released his debut album God’s Hand, but he also composed the music for Broad City, a series on Comedy Central. Director Adam Bhala Lough follows Koenig in his obsessive quest to find out what sound actually is. Hot Sugar doesn’t use traditional musical instruments, but records all sorts of ambient sounds that he then processes and incorporates into his trippy compositions. “The universe is full of sound,” so why not make use of it? In one of the chapters making up Hot Sugar’s Cold World, we follow Koenig in Paris, where his grandparents live, visiting the city’s catacombs and creating sound by striking a bone on a skull. He also buys fireworks from a shady chap so he can record the sounds they make. But what he’s most interested in is the sound of “silence,” which differs according to location, Whether it’s in a cemetery or the room famed for being the birthplace of the Internet. The documentary also takes time to focus on his relationship breakup (widely discussed on social media) with rapper Kitty, who is famous for the hit “Okay Cupid.”

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 85 min Director: Adam Bhala Lough Cinematography: Patrice Cochet, Chris Messina Screenplay: Hunter Stephenson, Adam Bhala Lough Editing: Aaron Morris, Elliot Dickerhoof Sound Design: Nick Koenig Music: Nick Koenig Production: Adam Bhala Lough, Hunter Stephenson Executive Production: David Gordon Green & Danny McBride & Jody Hill for Rough House Pictures World Sales: Monoduo Films Screening Copy: Monoduo Films Website: www.hotsugarscoldworld.com

Adam Bhala Lough:

Bomb the System (fiction, 2002) Weapons (fiction, 2007) The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry (2008) The Carter (2009) The Motivation (2013)

www.adambhalalough.com

I Am the Blues Daniel Cross

WORLD PREMIERE “The older guys are slowly passing away,” explains harmonica player Bud Spires. Later on in this film titled after the eponymous book by Willie Dixon, we watch as Spires himself is buried. In Mississippi, Daniel Cross filmed lots of other elderly men—and one woman, the left-handed guitarist Barbara Lynn—who despite their venerable age are still working on the blues. One of these last remaining “blues devils” is Bobby Rush, who was born in 1933. He explains that in the 1950s, he toured the “chitlin’ circuit” of special bars where blacks weren’t troubled by the segregation laws, getting paid in hamburgers or, at the most, a few dollars. One of these bars even features in the film, because Jimmy “Duck” Holmes has managed to keep the Blue Front Cafe going and it’s now part of the official Mississippi Blues Trail. The blues men share their memories, play jam sessions (including a thrilling slice of boogiewoogie piano by 90-year-old Henry Gray) and go about their daily lives, fishing for lobster, barbecuing, playing on the veranda and visiting old friends from the music scene—before it’s too late.

180

Canada, 2015 DCP, color, 96 min

Daniel Cross:

Director: Daniel Cross Cinematography: John Price Screenplay: Daniel Cross Editing: Ryan Mullins Sound: Emmet Henchey Sound Design: Gavin Fernandez Production: Bob Moore & Daniel Cross for EyeSteelFilm Executive Production: Mila AungThwin for EyeSteelFilm Screening Copy: EyeSteelFilm

The Street: A Film with the Homeless (1997)

S.P.I.T.: Squeegee Punks in Traffic (2001)

Daniel Cross & Richard Boyce:

Daniel Cross & Mila Aung-Thwin:

Too Colourful for the League (2000) Chairman George (2006) Atanasoff, Father of the Computer (2014)

001)

ss (1997)

n:

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(2014)

Music Documentary

Imagine Waking Up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared Stefan Schwietert

Switzerland, Germany, 2015 DCP, color, 86 min Director: Stefan Schwietert Cinematography: Adrian Stähli Editing: Florian Miosge, Frank Brummundt Sound: Dieter Meyer, Jean-Pierre Gerth Sound Design: Oswald Schwander Production: Helge Albers for Achtung Panda! Media GmbH, Cornelia Seitler & Brigitte Hofer for maximage GmbH World Sales: maximage GmbH Screening Copy: maximage GmbH Involved TV Channel: SRF/SRG SSR

Stefan Schwietert:

A Tickle in the Heart (1996) El acordeón del diablo (2000) The Alphorn Story (2003) Accordion Tribe (2004) Echoes of Home (2007) Balkan Melodie (2012) a.o.

Awards: Sesterce d’Argent SRG SSR Visions du Réel, Chopin Nose Award Docs Against Gravity Film Festival

Bill Drummond is driving his Land Rover right across England, from east to west, in order to compose a piece called Consider. At various points along the predetermined line of latitude, he asks random people to let him record them singing a note or verse, and so become members of The 17. At the end of his journey he’ll use the recordings to create a composition/performance. The project is Drummond’s response to music platforms such as iTunes, where an infinite amount of music is constantly available. Drummond previously made other provocative interactive music works, including Listen Hard, which requires audience members to close their eyes and listen to ambient sounds for a period of time. All of Drummond’s works illustrate his belief that everything is music, and everybody is musical. Director Stefan Schwietert follows this musical maverick on his route through rural England and reveals his musical philosophy in his brief encounters with the people who temporarily join The 17. In the 1980s and 1990s, Drummond was a member of the highly successful band The KLF, who burned £1 million in cash at the height of their fame. He explains why music by The KLF can no longer be heard anywhere.

At the end of the film, he invites viewers to put their pulses to music and become a member of The 17!

Janis: Little Girl Blue Amy Berg

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 104 min Director: Amy Berg Cinematography: Jenna Rosher, Francesco Carrozzini, Paula Huidobro Editing: Garrett Price, Joe Beshenkovsky, Billy McMillin Production: Amy Berg for Disarming Films, Alex Gibney for Jigsaw Productions, Jeff Jampol for JAM Inc., Katherine LeBlond for Disarming Films World Sales/Screening Copy: Content Media Corporation Distribution for the Netherlands: Periscoop Film

Amy Berg:

Deliver Us From Evil (2006) Polarized (2007) West of Memphis (2012) Prophet’s Prey (2015) Every Secret Thing (2015) An Open Secret (2015)

With huge hits such as “Me and Bobby McGee” and four million albums sold following her death, blues singer Janis Joplin remains a role model for female rock artists to this day, including the singer P!nk. Joplin died of a heroin overdose in 1970 at the age of 27.

This two-hour film packed with archive footage and interviews—with the star herself, her band, friends, ex-lovers and family members, including her sister Laura—provides the inside story on the human behind this wild and extroverted stage animal. The leitmotif is formed by extracts from the candid personal letters that Joplin wrote to her parents and loved ones, read aloud by singer-songwriter Cat Power. They reveal a woman yearning deeply for love; a woman wanting nothing more than to give herself to the world. As a child she was bullied, and as a teenager she never belonged with the pretty girls.

Discovering her distinctive voice at the age of 17 seemed to mark the end of a difficult phase. We watch her as she performs with her first band, gets a standing ovation at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and lets loose at Woodstock in 1970. Sadly, her use of heroin was as constant as her success, and it proved to be fatal.

181

Music Documentary

Keith Richards: Under the Influence Morgan Neville

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville, whose music film 20 Feet from Stardom won him an Oscar in 2013, filmed Keith Richards during the recording of Crosseyed Heart, his first solo album in 23 years. In between the recording sessions Richards talks enthusiastically about his musical preferences—influences that also color his new album. Without the blues there’d be no Rolling Stones, and Richards, born in 1943, cites Chuck Berry’s “devil may care attitude,” the rawness of Howlin’ Wolf and the powerful music of Muddy Waters. When he visits the old Gran Ole Opry in Nashville, he talks of his love for country music, particularly the music of Hank Williams. He also reminisces about when he lived in Jamaica and heard reggae artists like Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff for the first time. In Chicago he visits the wellknown Chess Records studio and the house of Muddy Waters. He also tells in detail how classic Stones songs like “Street Fighting Man” and “Sympathy for the Devil” were shaped and recorded. Under the Influence is also about his “bad boy” image and aging: “I’m not getting old, I’m evolving.”

USA, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 82 min Director: Morgan Neville Cinematography: Igor Martinovic Editing: Joshua L. Pearson Sound: Peter Afterman, Margaret Yen Production: Morgan Neville for Tremolo Productions, Justin Wilkes & Sara Enright for Radical Media, Jane Rose Executive Production: Jon Kamen for Radical Media, Joe Killian for Radical Media, Lisa Nishimura for Netflix, Adam Del Deo for Netflix Screening Copy: Netflix

Morgan Neville:

Shotgun Freeway: Drives Through Lost L.A. (1995), The Songmakers Collection (2001), The Cool School (2008), Search and Destroy: Iggy & The Stooges’ Raw Power (2010), Troubadours (2011), Twenty Feet From Stardom (2013), Best of Enemies (2015), The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (2015) a.o.

Morgan Neville & Robert Gordon: Muddy Waters – Can’t Be Satisfied (2003), Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story (2007), Johnny Cash’s America (2008) a.o.

Mavis!

Jessica Edwards “I’ve been singing for more than 60 years and I have no intention of retiring,” 75-year-old Mavis Staples tells us at the beginning of this documentary. The Chicago-born singer broke through at a young age when she and her sisters and brother formed a gospel group called The Staple Singers, managed and led by their father Roebuck “Pops” Staples. “We were singing gospel and we were sexy!” Singer Bonnie Raitt characterizes her low, hoarse voice as sensual, and Bob Dylan sings her praises as well. The Staple Singers blended gospel with blues, and later on they sang soul, folk and pop, too. Mavis! boasts an abundance of impressive archive material, demonstrating how important the group was in the 1960s during the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s personal favorite was their protest song “Why Am I Treated So Bad.” By singing at folk festivals, the group gained popularity with a wider audience. Mavis shares her life story with us, and we also get to hear from her sister Yvonne, biographer of The Staple Singers Greg Kot, and Jeff Tweedy (from the group Wilco), who produced her Grammy Award-winning solo album You Are Not Alone (2010) and One True Vine (2013).

182

USA, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 80 min Director: Jessica Edwards Cinematography: Keith Walker Editing: Amy Foote Sound Design: Lou Teti Production: Jessica Edwards for Film First, Rachel Mills Executive Production: Gary Hustwit World Sales: Submarine Entertainment Screening Copy: Film First Involved TV Channel: HBO Enterprises

Jessica Edwards: directing debut

Music Documentary

Miss Sharon Jones!

Barbara Kopple

EUROPEAN PREMIERE

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 94 min Director: Barbara Kopple Cinematography: Gary Griffin, Tony Hardmon, Kyle Kibbe Editing: Jean Tsien, Anne Fratto Sound: Jonathan Jackson, David Cassidy, Michael Jones Music: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Production: Barbara Kopple & David Cassidy for Cabin Creek Films World Sales: Submarine Entertainment Screening Copy: Cabin Creek Films

Barbara Kopple:

Harlan County U.S.A. (1976), Keeping on (1983), American Dream (1990), Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy (1992), Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson (1993), Prisoners of Hope (1995), Wild Man Blues (1997), Woodstock ‘94 (1998), A Conversation with Gregory Peck (1999), My Generation (2000), Bearing Witness (2005), Havoc (fiction, 2005), Shut Up and Sing (2006), High School Musical: The Music in You (2007), The House of Steinbrenner (2010), A Force of Nature (2011), Running from Crazy (2013), Hot Type: 150 Years of The Nation(2015) a.o.

Two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple follows the soul singer Sharon Jones from the moment she is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to her first performance after her recovery. In one of the very first scenes all her hair gets shaved off. Jones’s manager postpones all promotional activities for the new album, and for the six-month duration of the chemotherapy she moves in with a dietician girlfriend. The members of her backup band The Dap-Kings see their incomes slump overnight, and the trumpeter decides to accept a well-paid job in talk show host Jimmy Fallon’s house band. At the lowest point during chemo, Jones even loses her eyebrows, but this gutsy woman—known as the female James Brown—gradually pulls herself back up again. She’s thrilled to be invited onto The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and she shows off her bald head on the cover of The Village Voice with the headline “Soul Survivor.” After one more little setback, just five weeks after the end of her course of treatment, she’s back onstage dancing and singing: “I’m alive!” [At the premiere of Miss Sharon Jones! in September of this year, Jones announced that the cancer had returned.]

Playing Lecuona

Pavel Giroud, Juan Manuel Villar Betancort EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Spain, 2015 DCP, color, 100 min Director: Pavel Giroud, Juan Manuel Villar Betancort Cinematography: Santiago Torres Marrero Editing: Ximena Alejandra Franco, Paula Iglesias, Jose Jorge, Pavel Giroud Sound Design: Carlos Mas Production: Juan Manuel Villar Betancort for Insularia Creadores Co-Production: Igolai Producciones World Sales: DeAPlaneta International Screening Copy: Insularia Creadores Involved TV Channel: Televisión Canaria Website: www.playinglecuona.com

Pavel Giroud:

Esther Borja: Rapsodia de Cuba (2005), Frank Emilio, amor y piano (2005), Car Havana (2006), La edad de la peseta (fiction, 2006), Manteca, Mondongo y Bacalao con pan (Una mirada al jazz Cubano) (2007), Omertá (2008), The Companion (2015)

www.pavelgiroud.com

Juan Manuel Villar Betancort: Martín González (2008) Colores (2009) Nuestra América (2010)

The nicknames of the Cuban composer, pianist and orchestra leader Ernesto Lecuona (1895-1963) say a lot about the enormous influence he had on Latin American music: he is known both as “the father of Cuban music” and the “Cuban Gershwin.” In Playing Lecuona, he receives a tribute from three contemporary Caribbean pianists, all of whom have also more than earned their spurs: Chucho Valdés, Michel Camilo and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

The latter two live and work in the United States, a country where Lecuona performed many times. Valdés plays a sparkling jazz version of “La comparsa,” one of Lecuona’s most famous compositions; together with his trio, Camilo illustrates the Afro-Cuban mélange so typical of Lecuona; in Seville, Spain, Rubalcaba investigates the cross-pollination with flamenco, working with a flamenco singer (in a heartrending version of “Malagueña”) and renowned flamenco guitarist Raimundo Amador. Singer Omara Portuondo, who sang in the orchestra of Bebo Valdés—the father of Chucho—wipes away a tear after singing “Siempre en mi corazón.” Between the beautifully filmed performances, they visit the places where Lecuona lived—from New York to Tenerife, where he spent the last three years of his life.

Valdés bemoans the fact that there is only a weather-beaten memorial stone in Lecuona’s birthplace of Guanabacoa. Playing Lecuona brings the maestro back to life.

183

Music Documentary

A Poem Is a Naked Person Les Blank

Les Blank’s portrait of songwriter-session musician Leon Russell was shelved for 40 years before it was finally released. Russell, who also coproduced, wasn’t happy with the result, so questions of rights and differences of opinion meant that only a handful of people ever saw the film. Blank shot the footage between 1972 and 1974 while living on the property of Russell’s Shelter Records recording studio in Oklahoma.

Four decades later, the footage functions as a time machine to a lost place and time.

In addition to concert and studio recordings of Leon Russell and fellow artists Willie Nelson and George Jones, Blank also put the audience in front of the camera, entirely in the spirit of the times. Even the colorful, occasionally bizarre characters who hang out around Russell’s studio complex get a place in the film. Blank wasn’t much into providing background information, so sometimes it’s anyone’s guess who’s appearing on camera. Following this debut, the director would build an impressive career in documentary filmmaking, but A Poem Is a Naked Person is fascinating, both as a period piece and for what we hardly get to see: footage of Leon Russell, the reason the film was made in the first place.

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Les Blank Cinematography: Les Blank Editing: Les Blank Sound: Maureen Gosling Music: Leon Russell Production: Leon Russell, Denny Cordell Executive Production: Harrod Blank for Les Blank Films Inc. Screening Copy: Les Blank Films Inc.

Les Blank:

Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin Hopkins (1968), Hot Pepper (1973), Chulas fronteras (1976), Always for Pleasure (1978), Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers (1980), Burden of Dreams (1982), In Heaven There Is No Beer?

(1984), Ziveli! Medicine for the Heart (1987), Ry Cooder Group ’88 in Santa Cruz (1988), The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists (1994), a.o.

www.lesblank.com

Les Blank & Gina Leibrecht:

All in This Tea (2007), How to Smell a Rose: A Visit with Ricky Leacock in Normandy (2014)

The Redemption of the Devil Alex Hoffman

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE The camera follows Jesse “The Devil” Hughes in his 40th year. He’s working with his childhood friend Josh Homme, singer with Queens of the Stone Age, on the fourth Eagles of Death Metal album. He and his former porn actress girlfriend Tuesday Cross lead a classic rock ‘n’ roll existence, with lots of weed, wild parties and shows— including one at South by Southwest. Hughes isn’t one to keep his blunt opinions to himself. He thinks Ronald Reagan was the best American president, and he’s a passionate supporter of the National Rifle Association. During a photo shoot, the camera captures Hughes as he empties his pistols into a swimming pool. But Hughes is also a preacher, a “missionary in the rock ‘n’ roll world.” It’s a job he keeps strictly separate from his wild lifestyle. He sees himself as following in the footsteps of Elvis, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, who also enjoyed singing gospel songs. Reverend Hughes’s unconventional weekly sermons are broadcast on a Christian radio show. But what he wants most of all is to be a father—something he confesses with tearful eyes. Hughes lost custody of his son following a car accident that left the boy injured. To Hughes’s great sorrow, he hasn’t seen him for two years.

184

USA, UK, 2015 DCP, color, 81 min Director: Alex Hoffman Cinematography: Jim Demuth, Zach Rockwood, Dan Sully Editing: Shiny Perkins Sound Design: Peregrine Andrews Production: Alex Hoffman & Zoey Roberts for VICE Screening Copy: VICE

Alex Hoffman:

Football’s Most Dangerous Rivalry (2012) Start Anew? A Film About Liam Gallagher (2013) ‘It’s Just a Big Disco’ – 20 Years of Bugged Out (2014) Form 696: The Police vs.

Grime Music (2014) Noisey Israel Palestine: Hip Hop in the Holy land (2015) The Story of Fuck Tha Police (2015)

Music Documentary

Song of Lahore

Andy Schocken, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Pakistan, USA, 2015 DCP, color, 82 min Director: Andy Schocken, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Cinematography: Asad Faruqi Editing: Flavia de Souza Sound: Wasif Arshad Sound Design: Matthew Polis Production: Andy Schocken for Ravi Films, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy for SOC Films Executive Production: Geralyn White Dreyfous & Dan Cogan for Impact Partners, David Waechter, Natalie Massenet, Guy Oseary, Vijay Vaidyanathan World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Screening Copy: Ravi Films Website: www.songoflahore.com

Andy Schocken: directing debut

www.andyschocken.com Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy:

Transgenders: Pakistan’s Open Secret (2011) Saving Face (2011) Humaira: The Dream Catcher (2013) 3 Bahadur (animation, 2015) A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers (2015) A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (2015)

Once known as the cultural capital of Pakistan, Lahore used to attract music lovers from around the globe. When a stringently Islamic regime came to power in the 1970s, people began to shun music and the old stars were forgotten. Nonetheless, the musicians continued to play their beloved instruments behind closed doors and shared their knowledge with their children. Studio owner Izzat Majeed set out to revive this musical tradition by reuniting them and mixing traditional melodies with jazz influences. After their recording of “Take Five” has become an Internet sensation, the musicians receive an invite to perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. In this moving documentary, the musicians prepare for the trip with complete dedication. We follow the tabla player who joins his elderly father in the orchestra, the flutist who builds his own instruments, and the conductor who wishes to honor his deceased father with a memorable concert. The trip to New York is the icing on the cake, but also poses challenges: can they live up to peoples’ expectations?

www.sharmeenobaidfilms.com

We’re Still Here: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited Antonino D’Ambrosio

USA, 2015 DCP, color, 53 min Director: Antonino D’Ambrosio Cinematography: Karim Lopez Screenplay: Antonino D’Ambrosio Editing: Karim Lopez Sound Design: Ron DiCianni Production: Antonino D’Ambrosio for La Lutta NMC Co-Production: Sony Music Masterworks Executive Production: Jason Orans for Gigantic Pictures, Brian Devine for Gigantic Pictures, Brooke Devine for Gigantic Pictures Screening Copy: Gigantic Pictures

Antonino D’Ambrosio:

Let Fury Have the Hour (2012)

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

In 1964, Johnny Cash—who up to that point was known solely as a country singer— recorded Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian, a concept album of folk songs about the treatment of Native Americans. It was not a great commercial success, primarily because radio stations and disc jockeys were unwilling to play such socially engaged protest songs. Angry and disappointed, Cash called Billboard Magazine to account in an open letter. “Where are your guts?” he wrote, and drew a parallel between the treatment of Native Americans and blacks—the Civil Rights Movement was at its height in 1964. In response to criticism that he had very rapidly transformed into a folk singer, he explained, “As times change, I change.” We’re Still Here shows modern-day musicians making their own versions of these powerful 50-year-old tracks, which include the classic song “The Ballad of Ira Hayes.” All these covers were released on the 2014 album Look Again to the Wind. Contributors to the film include Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Bill Miller and Cash’s daughter Rosanne. We’re Still Here is based on director Antonino D’Ambosio’s book A Heartbeat and a Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter Tears.

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Music Documentary

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Liz Garbus

Nina Simone (1933-2003) really wanted to be the first black female classical pianist, but it didn’t turn out that way. She did take piano lessons from an early age, but she needed to earn money—so performing in nightclubs as a jazz, blues and folk singer was a more sensible option. She changed her name from Eunice Waymon to Nina Simone, and by the late 1950s she was getting noticed. She had her first hit in 1958 with Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy,” and in 1963 she performed at the world-famous Carnegie Hall. Two years later, she embraced the civil rights movement, garnering renown for angry protest songs such as “Mississippi Goddam,” “Strange Fruit” and “To Be Young, Gifted And Black.” After a few years living in Liberia she moved to Europe, where she lived and performed until her death in 2003. What Happened, Miss Simone? tells her turbulent life story in archive footage and candid diary excerpts.

Her daughter Lisa Simone Kelly and regular guitarist Al Schackman also contribute.

Beaten by her husband and manager, the artist was a troubled woman who became increasingly angry and more militant in the late 1960s. She wasn’t diagnosed as suffering from bipolar disorder until some 20 years later.

USA, 2014 DCP, color / black-and-white, 102 min Director: Liz Garbus Cinematography: Igor Martinovic, Rachel Morrison Editing: Joshua L. Pearson Sound: Tony Volante Production: Justin Wilkes for Radical Media, Liz Garbus for Moxie Firecracker, Amy Hobby for Tangerine Entertainment, Jayson Jackson Executive Production: Lisa Simone Kelly, Sidney Beaumont & Jon Kamen for Radical Media Screening Copy: Netflix Awards: Audience Award For Best Feature AFI Docs Film Festival

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Liz Garbus:

Juvies (2000), The Execution of Wanda Jean (2002), The Nazi Officer’s Wife (2003), Girlhood (2003), Xiara’s Song (2005), Coma (2007), Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech (2009), Bobby Fischer Against the World (2010), There’s Something Wrong with Aunt Diane (2011), Love, Marilyn (2012), A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY (2014)

Liz Garbus & Rory Kennedy:

Different Moms (1999), The Changing Face of Beauty (2000)

Liz Garbus, Wilbert Rideau & Jonathan Stack:

The Farm: Angola, USA (1998)

SPECIAL FOCUS

DocLab: Seamless Reality IDFA’s new media program DocLab explores how the digital revolution is reshaping documentary storytelling and interactive media art. This year, IDFA DocLab and interdisciplinary arts Center De Brakke Grond present the Seamless Reality program, which encompasses an exhibition, live events with interactive projects, and several industry events. This program is supported by Creative Industries Fund NL and AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts).

DocLab: Seamless Reality

DocLab: Seamless Reality

Exploring the borders between our physical and virtual realities Since 2007, IDFA’s new media program DocLab has been exploring the art of documentary, from interactive storytelling to virtual reality and live performance art. Meanwhile, the Internet has become an integral part of our day-to-day reality: political protest happens on Facebook, your love life starts in an app, and Google knows more about you than you can remember yourself.

The Seamless Reality program, a collaboration between IDFA DocLab and the interdisciplinary arts center De Brakke Grond, explores the borders between our physical and virtual realities and invites the audience to experiment with virtual reality, artificial intelligence, biometric technology and their own personal data.

Exhibition

The DocLab: Seamless Reality exhibition showcases 30 installations and interactive projects, including audiowalks and sensory experiments. The program also includes a striking number of virtual reality projects, transporting the audience to different realities.

Get inside the head of artist Jan Rothuizen in Drawing Room; take a trip through a brain while it’s falling in love in LoVR and set foot in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea in DMZ: Memories of No Man’s Land.

Live Cinema Events

The most exciting and unpredictable nights of the Seamless Reality program are undoubtedly the six live cinema events. These one-off interactive evenings each approach a certain topic in their own style, ranging from interactive showcases to experimental multimedia performances with live music and contributions from the audience.

DocLab Live: Opening Night A festive introduction to the DocLab: Seamless Reality program, with the program’s curators, artists exploring the blurring lines between our physical and virtual realities, and a unique audience experiment created by the Amsterdam-based design collective Moniker.

By invitation only

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DocLab Live: Performing Reality Three digital artists play with reality and the audience. The event includes moving multimedia stories by Webby winner Bianca Giaever (This American Life), sound artist Ant Hampton and a new live performance by the British duo Anagram, who explore the boundaries between our physical and digital realities with the audience.

DocLab Live: Sounds Real Interactive Live cinema event about the art of sound design in documentary, virtual reality and video games. Includes a musical Twitter experiment with the audience by sound designer Amaury La Burthe and a live performance of the virtual reality project Way to Go by Philippe Lambert. (For more events around sound design and film, see the Sounds Real theme program.)

DocLab Live: The Art of Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence is perhaps the most frightening and exciting development in the digital age. Experience Kyle McDonald’s attempt to teach a computer brain to dream like Van Gogh, Dries Depoorter’s investigation of the moral boundaries of computerized surveillance and a talking camera created by media artist (and former ghostwriter for President Obama) Ross Goodwin.

DocLab Live: VR Cinema Showcase Virtual reality is without a doubt the most talked-about new medium. Pioneers like Ziv Schneider, Jan Rothuizen and Jessica Brillhart (Google) showcase their latest works and reflect on both the hype and artistic potential of virtual reality and immersive media.

DocLab Live: Super Stream Me For 15 days, Tim den Besten and Nicolaas Veul streamed their entire lives online, in an attempt to find out what our culture of attention is doing to people. They ended their experiment prematurely because the lack of privacy was taking too big a toll on them. A look back on one of the most ruthless live streaming experiments ever with Den Besten and Veul as well as several special guests.

DocLab: Seamless Reality

Interactive Conference

How do we redefine physical space and the art of documentary storytelling in the digital age? The one-day DocLab Interactive Conference is one of the highlights of the Seamless Reality program.

Digital pioneers and artists present their most provocative works, lessons learned and visions for the future. Speakers include Karim Ben Khelifa, Angelo Vermeulen, Amy Rose and May Abdalla (Anagram), Jessica Brillhart (Google Creative Lab), Jason Springarn Koff (Netflix), Bianca Giaever (This American Life), William Uricchio (MIT), Gabo Arora (UN/VRSE), Errol Morris, Kathleen Lingo (New York Times) and Margaux Missika (Upian).

Virtual Reality Lab

How can we develop the artistic language of a medium before it is even properly launched? Tech giants are about to bring virtual reality devices into the consumer market, but the biggest challenge for immersive media today is content. Although many great artists and storytellers are individually exploring 360-degree video and interactive virtual reality, the medium is still very much in its infancy. The Virtual Reality Lab brings key players together in Amsterdam to learn from each other, test and fine-tune works-in-progress and discuss new industry standards.

Featured projects-in-progress include Cardboard Crash by Vincent McCurley and NFB, The Eyes of the Owl by Pieter van Huystee and Jeff Shaw and Sens by Charles Ayats and M.A. Mathieu.

By invitation only.

In collaboration with NFB, ARTE France and Tribeca Film Festival.

Supported by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.

DocLab Academy

An international talent development program for 25 documentary filmmakers and interactive storytellers from all over the world. The goal is to further develop the interactive documentary genre internationally and connect talent with international experts. With master classes, networking opportunities and workshops by Jessica Brillhart (Google Creative Labs), Katy Morrison and Oscar Raby (VRTOV), Thomas Wallner (DEEP Inc) and Brian Chirls.

By invitation only.

DocLab Interactive Summit

Annual think-tank event that brings together leading new media professionals to discuss the future of digital storytelling, virtual reality and interactive media.

By invitation only.

DocLab: Seamless Reality is a co-production of IDFA and De Brakke Grond, supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL and AFK (the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts). In collaboration with the Dutch Cultural Media Fund, the Netherlands Film Fund, the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) and Creative Europe/Mediadesk Flanders.

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DocLab: Seamless Reality

Bistro in Vitro Koert van Mensvoort

Knitted steak, 3D marrow eggs, exquisite lab pearls and exotic meat oysters are all on the futuristic menu at Bistro In Vitro, a fictional restaurant serving lab-grown meat dishes that might just end up on your plate one day. This online project explores and expands the boundaries of our food culture to show that cultured meat is no inferior substitute. Last year, exactly a year after the presentation in London of the world’s first in vitro beef burger, philosopher and scientist Koert van Mensvoort and his organization Next Nature Network published The In Vitro Meat Cookbook. His Bistro In Vitro website is also intended to spark discussion about the ethics, aesthetics and future of in vitro meat. In addition to future haute cuisine dishes, it features video interviews with visionary scientists, experts, renowned chefs and critics of lab-grown meat, which is produced using myosatellite cells that can be found all around the body, always ready to change into adult muscle cells. Many people remain deeply averse to the idea of this manufactured meat. But the blurring of boundaries between nature and technology is continuing unabated, as Van Mensvoort pointed out in his earlier publication Next Nature: Nature Changes Along with Us. In vitro meat eats away at the distinction between what is “born” and what is “made.”

The Netherlands, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Koert van Mensvoort Editing: Geert van de Wetering Sound Design: Floris Kaayk Webdesign: Hendrik-Jan Grievink Web Development: Aart Jan van der Linden Production: Femke Wolting & Bruno Felix & Corine Meijers for Submarine Channel Co-Production: Next Nature Network Screening Copy: Submarine Channel Website: www.bistro-invitro.com

Koert van Mensvoort:

The Online Interactive Dance Film Drift (cross-platform, 2003) The Fake for Real memory game (cross-platform, 2009) Daddy! The Woods Smell of Shampoo (2011) The NANO Supermarket (crossplatform, 2011) The Rise and Fall of Rayfish Footwear (cross-platform, 2012)

www.mensvoort.com

Cue China Ant Hampton

It would be no exaggeration to say that the labor of Chinese factory workers makes up “the fabric of our lives.” We wear clothes made by them, we spend all day staring at screens assembled by them and we communicate through circuits soldered by them.

With this projection, these unknown workers come up close to us. What happens if, following a simple hardware update, your computer screen shows only the face of someone involved in making that very computer? And what if he or she could also see you? Performer Ant Hampton made recordings of video chats between himself and several Chinese workers. In this installation, you look right into the eyes of the people behind the products that we take for granted every day. At times, Hampton’s face merges completely with those of the workers; at other times, they touch one another’s faces, as if trying to check whether it’s their own face they’re seeing or the other person’s. One man says that he has been poisoned in the factory and that he finally wants to tell someone about it. This chat turns out to be much more dangerous for him than for Hampton.

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UK, 2014 cross-platform, color, 28 min Director: Ant Hampton Screenplay: Ant Hampton Sound: Ant Hampton Sound Design: Ant Hampton Narrator: Ant Hampton Webdesign: Ant Hampton Production: Katja Timmerberg World Sales: Katja Timmerberg Screening Copy: Katja Timmerberg

Ant Hampton:

Etiquette as Rotozaza (crossplatform, 2007), The Quiet Volume (cross-platform, 2010), Romcom (cross-platform, 2003), Hello for Dummies (cross-platform, 2011), The Bench (cross-platform, 2010), OK OK (cross-platform, 2011), This Is Not My Voice Speaking (cross-platform, 2011), Lest We See Where We Are (crossplatform, 2013-2015), As Never Before – As Never Again (cross-platform, 2014-2015), Someone Else (crossplatform, 2015), The Extra People (cross-platform, 2015) a.o.

www.anthampton.com

DocLab: Seamless Reality

Do Not Track Brett Gaylor

France, Germany, Canada, 2015 cross-platform, color, 60 min Director: Brett Gaylor Editing: Brett Gaylor Sound: Brett Gaylor Sound Design: Tristan Mazire, Vincent Fourdin Music: Jason Staczek Webdesign: Sébastien Brothier Web Development: Nicolas Menet Production: Alexandre Brachet for Upian Co-Production: ONF Screening Copy: Upian Involved TV Channels: ARTE France, BR Website: donottrack-doc.com

Brett Gaylor:

RIP! Remix Manifesto (2008)

Pitched at the Forum 2013

This personalized web series about privacy and the online economy shows who benefits from the private data that we unthinkingly share every day through tracking. While watching the videos, if you share your information with the Do Not Track website, they reveal what the web knows about you. There are already companies like Lenddo that lend money to people based on their activity on social media. Ukrainians who went out to protest against the annexation of Crimea were traced via their phone and got a text message saying that they were registered as illegal demonstrators. And then there’s the story of a depressed woman from Quebec whose medical coverage was stopped after the insurance company saw smiling photos on her Facebook page and concluded that she had gotten better. People who “like” something on Facebook give away a lot of personal information about themselves and their friends. The German blogger Richard Gutjahr guides us into the incredible world of online profiling. Who you are, where you go, whatever you do, even the apps on your phone spy on you all day long. Based on the information collected from users of Do Not Track, three possible predictions are made regarding the future of digital society.

The Enemy Karim Ben Khelifa

WORLD PREMIERE

France, Canada, 2015 cross-platform, color, 17 min Director: Karim Ben Khelifa Cinematography: Jean-Gabriel Leynaud Production: Chloe Jarry for Camera Lucida Productions, Louis-Richard Tremblay for ONF/NFB, Fabien Barati for Emissive Boris Razon for France Télévisions, Nouvelles Ecritures, Nicolas Roy for Dpt. Co-Production: Departement World Sales: Camera Lucida Productions Screening Copy: Camera Lucida Productions Involved TV Channel: France Télévisions Website: www.theenemyishere.org

Karim Ben Khelifa: directing debut

Two combatants from opposing sides observe each other. We stand in the middle, confronted with their fears, dreams and motivations to fight. Created by war photographer Karim Ben Khelifa, The Enemy is an ongoing project that operates on the borders of neuroscience, artificial intelligence and non-fiction storytelling. By means of a virtual reality installation and an augmented reality app, The Enemy invites the audience to step out of its role of distant and passive bystander and into the very heart of conflicts in Afghanistan, Israel, Congo and El Salvador. What motivates human beings to engage in violence, at the risk of being killed or killing others? Why do people continue to fight in wars that have been going on for generations, and how do they envisage freedom or their own future? The Enemy challenges existing views and traditional depictions of war.

It reveals how the dismissal of someone else’s humanity isn’t so much about the limits of empathy as it is about the limits of our imagination.

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DocLab: Seamless Reality

Famous Deaths

Frederik Duerinck, Marcel Brakel What exactly did John F. Kennedy, Lady Diana, Whitney Houston or Gaddafi experience right before their death? Their memory is still wandering around in our imagination, but we can only speculate about their last moments. What would it have been like to be there? The installation Famous Deaths brings the experience very close. Step into one of the mortuary chests and immerse yourself in a fragrance documentary of their last minutes. A fascination with the potency of smell in communication was the start of the development of this concept for Frederik Duerinck and Marcel Brakel. Although scent plays a crucial role in the formation of memories, smell is rarely considered in designs for media and stories. Because the tragic death of celebrities settles into our collective memory, Famous Deaths wants to offer a new perspective. Stripped of visual stimuli, the scent scenarios give you an intimate and personal experience. The fleeting moments that only your nose can catch become more prominent: the smell of the autumn wind, freshly mown grass, the leather seats and the perfume of Jackie Kennedy let you experience JFK’s death as if you are digging it up from your own memory.

The Netherlands, 2015 cross-platform, color / b&w, 10 min

Frederick Duerinck:

Director: Frederik Duerinck, Marcel Brakel Co-director: Mark Meeuwenoord, Wander Eikelboom, Ge Smit Production: Frederik Duerinck for Avans Hogeschool Co-Production: Polymorf Screening Copy: Famous Deaths Website: www.famousdeaths.nl

directing debut

directing debut

Marcel Brakel:

HIGHRISE: Universe Within Katerina Cizek

More than half of the global population is now living in cities. Especially in larger cities, most of these people reside in apartments. The population density may be particularly high, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that people get to know each other—or have any contact at all, for that matter. The vertical city often lacks a sense of community. While Katerina Cizek was making a documentary about people living in a Toronto apartment building, it struck her that most city dwellers go online to stay in contact with other people; their social arena is the Internet. Working in collaboration with academics, technicians and locals, she developed the project into a multimedia experience entitled HIGHRISE. The culmination of this work is Universe Within, in which citizens of Toronto, Mumbai and Singapore talk about how social media, email and Skype are impacting their physical existence. These technologies often have a constructive influence, showing that social media exert real social effects.

We see people living in an apartment block join together to lobby for a children’s playground, and to take action against developers when their home is threatened with demolition. But many of the interviewees are realistic about the shortcomings of exclusively virtual contact—it’s no substitute for human contact or a face-to-face conversation.

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Canada, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Katerina Cizek Screenplay: Katerina Cizek, Marty Flanagan Editing: Katerina Cizek Sound Design: Dafydd Hughes Music: Dafydd Hughes, Nick Storring Production: Gerry Flahive & David Oppenheim for National Film Board of Canada Executive Production: Anita Lee for National Film Board of Canada, Silva Basmajian Screening Copy: National Film Board of Canada Website: www.universewithin.nfb.ca

Katerina Cizek:

Seeing is Believing: Handicams, Human Rights and the News (2002) NFB Filmmaker-in-Residence (2006) HIGHRISE: Out My Window (2010) HIGHRISE: One Millionth Tower (2011) A Short History of the Highrise (2013)

DocLab: Seamless Reality

Kiya

Nonny de la Peña

USA, 2015 cross-platform, color, 5 min Director: Nonny de la Peña Cinematography: Nonny de la Peña Screenplay: Nonny de la Peña Editing: Nonny de la Peña Production: Nonny de la Peña for Emblematic Group Co-Production: Al Jazeera America Screening Copy: Emblematic Group

Nonny de la Peña:

Hunger in LA (cross-platform, 2012) Project Syria (cross-platform, 2013) Use of Force (cross-platform, 2014) One Dark Knight (cross-platform, 2015)

Every day, three women in the United States die as a direct result of domestic violence. To put it less euphemistically, they are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. Kiya tells the story of two sisters in South Carolina who want to protect their younger sister from her violent husband. Kiya mixes virtual and harsh reality: while the images are gamestyle computer animations, the audio consists of recorded phone conversations between the sisters and 911 operators. This storytelling technique makes the viewer a witness to the events in and around the victim’s home—sometimes you might feel like you’re a little too close for comfort. Director Nonny de la Peña is an experienced reporter known to some as the godmother of virtual reality journalism. Her work explores how the use of space in a narrative can influence the experience. The viewer’s first-person perspective triggers empathy and an intense sense of connection with the characters. In this way, De la Peña hopes to raise awareness of the global problem of domestic violence.

Rebuild Fukushima Bert Hana, Dagmar van Wersch

WORLD PREMIERE

The Netherlands, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Bert Hana, Dagmar van Wersch Production: Bert Hana for De Manege Screening Copy: Dagmar van Wersch Website: www.rebuildfukushima.com

Bert Hana:

Papadag (2009), Straatfantast (cross-media,2011), Familiebezoek (cross-media,2012), #Alleman (crossmedia, 2013)

www.berthana.com

Dagmar van Wersch:

Lines of Vision (cross-media, 2011), In case i won’t see you again (crossmedia, 2011), Survival of the Fittest (cross-media, 2014), When Waves Move the Buoy (cross-media, 2015)

A full five years after the nuclear disaster in March 2011, the Japanese province of Fukushima still looks like a modern-day Pompeii. Traffic lights flip from red to green in this spectral zone, but nobody is there to cross the road. Reconstruction has begun around the nuclear facility, and urban planners and archaeologists are not the only ones involved. Dagmar van Wersch and Bert Hana are working on it too, from their laptop on the other side of the world. Van Wersch is a photographer (without a camera) and Hana is a Google Street View expert, and they are using Street View to scan Fukushima. Inspired by postcards of iconic buildings that can be folded to create miniature scale models, they use the images they find to create construction kits of the original houses. Combining this tangible component with audio tracks of former inhabitants, Rebuild Fukishima conveys the impact of the disaster on an individual level: what it means to be unable to return home. Van Wersch and Hana have done all the preparatory work. Now it’s your turn to rack your brains and get building—helping Fukushima to rise like a phoenix from the radioactive ashes.

www.dagmarvanwersch.nl

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DocLab: Seamless Reality

Sheriff Software Dries Depoorter

WORLD PREMIERE All over the world, simple webcams are used to keep an eye on city traffic. The images recorded by these cameras can often be found, unencrypted, on the Internet.

In Sheriff Software, media artist Dries Depoorter allows us to peer over the police’s shoulder—or even play traffic cop ourselves. JayWalking gives us an opportunity to watch traffic webcams and decide on the fate of pedestrians recklessly crossing the road. Old security monitors display live webcam footage of intersections in different countries. A counter at the bottom of the screen shows how much the fines are for the offense, depending on the country where it’s being committed. Depoorter then presents us with a dilemma: will we report the unsuspecting jaywalker? A single click of a mouse can send a screenshot of the violation to the nearest police station. Seattle Crime Cams turns us into ultimate long-distance disaster tourists, virtually present at the scene of the crime in Seattle. In this city, which is filled to the brim with traffic cameras, the police make the calls they receive available online. Using the latest calls, the closest live webcams are constantly zooming in on the very latest violations.

Belgium, 2015 cross-platform, color / b&w Director: Dries Depoorter Production: Dries Depoorter Screening Copy: Dries Depoorter

Dries Depoorter:

Trojan Offices (cross-media, 2014) Screenshot a Day (cross-media, 2014) Here (cross-media, 2014) Subtwitter (cross-media, 2013) Gradient (cross-media, 2013)

www.driesdepoorter.be

Someone Else Ant Hampton

Every day we pass dozens if not hundreds of people with whom we’ll never exchange a word. They have different backgrounds, move in different circles and experience life in a way we might assume is very different from ours. The artist Ant Hampton wondered what it would be like to break that pattern, so he moved from words to actions. He went to a local cell phone store and asked the employee who he actually is. With Someone Else he challenges us to do the same. This audio stroll is a mixture of confession, radio play and moral reflection. The artist acts as a director, giving instructions for action, but sometimes he aims these directly at the listeners. Two voice actors express the ideas and feelings of the listeners who experience the work as a couple. At the same time, that doubling of identity leads to increased self-awareness and a certain distance. This creates a contemplative bubble that forces you to think about an environment you might otherwise take for granted. Someone Else is a subtle exercise you can do with someone you know, but much more intense with a stranger.

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Belgium, 2015 cross-platform, color, 45 min Director: Ant Hampton Editing: Ant Hampton Sound: Ant Hampton Narrator: Diederik Peeters, Ana Wild, Ant Hampton Production: Katja Timmerberg Co-Production: Beursschouwburg Brussels World Sales: Katja Timmerberg Screening Copy: Katja Timmerberg

Ant Hampton:

Etiquette as Rotozaza (cross-platform, 2007), GuruGuru (cross-platform, 2009), The Quiet Volume (crossplatform, 2010), Romcom (crossplatform, 2003), Hello for Dummies (cross-platform, 2011), The Bench (cross-platform, 2010), OK OK (crossplatform, 2011), This Is Not My Voice Speaking (cross-platform, 2011), Cue China (cross-platform, 2012), Lest We See Where We Are (cross-platform, 2013-2015), As Never Before – As Never Again (cross-platform, 2014-2015), The Extra People (cross-platform, 2015),

www.anthampton.com

DocLab: Seamless Reality

Super Stream Me Tim den Besten, Nicolaas Veul

WORLD PREMIERE

The Netherlands, 2015 cross-platform, color / b&w Director: Tim den Besten, Nicolaas Veul Co-director: Anouk Kamminga Editing: Floor van der Kemp, Arnout Arens Webdesign: VPRO Digitaal Web Development: VPRO Digitaal Production: Anouk Bozon, Monique Janse for CCCP, Barend Ballering for CCCP Co-Production: Karin Vermeulen Website: www.vpro.nl/superstreamme

Tim den Besten & Nicolaas Veul:

Gay-K (2012) Een man weet niet wat hij mist (2013) Oudtopia (2014)

www.nicolaasveul.nl

Tim den Besten and Nicolaas Veul streamed their lives non-stop for 15 days on the Internet to investigate what our attention-based culture does to people. Inspired by Dave Eggers’s book The Circle, they completely removed the boundary between their online and offline worlds. What happens if other people are watching everything you do? What kind of human being do you become if your life is one long status update—anything for a “like”? The small cameras mounted on their bodies transmit live, uninterrupted images to the VPRO TV website, supplemented by data on their heart rates, their moods illustrated by graphs and maps of the routes they have taken in the past three hours. They share all sorts of stuff with the viewer: from private phone numbers to frank revelations during therapy sessions. They reflect extensively on their experiment in conversations on selfcensorship, shame, vulnerability, wanting to make a good impression and feeling judged.

Prompted by the Edward Snowden quote “Privacy is not about what you have to hide, but about what you want to protect,” they decide, one week before Super Stream Me is scheduled to end, that the experiment has gone far enough.

That Dragon, Cancer

Ryan Green, Amy Green, Josh Larson

USA, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Ryan Green, Amy Green, Josh Larson In Collaboration with: Michael Perrotto, Christopher Abbey, Brock Henderson, Ryan Cousins, Nat Iwata Iwata Sound Design: Jon Hillman Production: Ryan Green & Josh Larson for Numinous Games Screening Copy: Numinous Games Website: www.thatdragoncancer.com

Ryan Green, Amy Green & Josh Larson: directing debut

This poetic and playful game was designed by the father of Joel Green, a little boy who died at the age of four from the many brain tumors that began to afflict him in his first year of life. The Green family’s personal chronicle is a love letter to their son, who is gone but far from forgotten. The game proposes new ways of mourning. We see the family at the hospital, in the living room and whiling away lazy days at the playground. We hear Joel’s laughter somewhere in the distance. The player wanders calmly through their daily lives and is confronted along the way with the choices they had to make. Click on elements in the game world to activate interactions and dialogue such as a voicemail message from Joel’s mother Amy. Their memoires recall how Ryan and Amy embraced hope in the face of death. Thousands of people sent them photos of their own sick or dying child, and this underlines the emotional potency of the story and its subtle handling of life, death, faith, hope and sorrow. It serves as a memorial to all those children.

This year, IDFA is also screening Thank You for Playing, the making-of documentary.

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DocLab: Seamless Reality

Walden, a Game Tracy Fullerton

WORLD PREMIERE Walden is a first-person documentary game about the American philosopher, writer and natural scientist Henry David Thoreau and his experiments in self-reliant living at Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. He devoted two years to a life of “simplicity, independence, magnanimity and trust,” as an alternative to a life of “quiet desperation.” The game begins in the summer of 1845 when Thoreau arrives at his cabin. You can follow in Thoreau’s footsteps, but you can also take time to look around and explore the woods and the cabin, accompanied by the sound of rustling leaves, buzzing mosquitoes and tranquil music. When night falls, you are given a lantern. If you’re going to survive in the woods, you’ll need to find food and fuel, maintain the cabin and make clothes. A letter arrives almost every day. At the end of each day you read Thoreau’s journal, a calendar of the ebbs and flows of the soul. For the duration of this tranquil game, you’re surrounded by the natural beauty of the forest, which holds the promise of a sublime life.

USA, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Tracy Fullerton Production: Tracy Fullerton for USC Game Innovation Lab Screening Copy: USC Game Innovation Lab Website: www.waldengame.com

Tracy Fullerton: directing debut

www.tracyfullerton.com

Way to Go Vincent Morisset

A virtual walk in the woods: but with Vincent Morisset behind the project, you know it’s going to be more than 360 degrees of trees. With Way to Go, the maker of the first-ever interactive music video (for Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible) and “web-friendly director” of projects such as Bla Bla and Just a Reflektor (again with Arcade Fire) has made an alienating and meditative excursion into nature. Morisset’s nature is made up of a fantastically filmed and animated forest in which viewers can roam, run or fly around, alone or with other beings. The woods are endless, as are the variations on the trip. There is no points system, navigation or step counter. The trip might last six minutes, or it may go on forever. In everyday life we have to run, jump, fly, dive, fall and get back up again. What if we just take the time to look at what’s around us?

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France, Canada, 2015 cross-platform, color Director: Vincent Morisset Sound Design: Philippe Lambert Animation: Caroline Robert Web Development: Édouard Lanctôt-Benoit Production: Vincent Morisset for AATOAA Executive Production: Hugues Sweeney for National Film Board of Canada World Sales: National Film Board of Canada Screening Copy: National Film Board of Canada Website: www.a-way-to-go.com

Vincent Morisset:

be oNline B (2006) Miroir Noir (2008) Sprawl II (2011) INNI (2011) BLA BLA (2011) Just a Reflektor (2013) Way to Go (2015)

www.vincentmorisset.com

SPECIAL FOCUS

Paradocs: Amsterdam Art Weekend In collaboration with the Amsterdam Art Weekend (November 26-29), IDFA Paradocs is presenting a program of 14 recent works of video art from Amsterdam galleries, De Rijksakademie and De Ateliers. This program is supported by Ammodo.

Paradocs: Amsterdam Art Weekend at IDFA

Am I Dreaming of Others, or Are Others Dreaming of Me? Shigeo Arikawa Only after seeing an image can we identify it. Ascribing words to what we see gives us a foothold in the world, makes visual information coalesce into understanding, and allows us to place it in time. But the artist Shigeo Arikawa believes that time is not as linear as we might think, and that images are continually being refreshed in the present to create a reconstruction of the past in the form of a memory. This shift of meaning gains its most potent expression in our dreams. During REM sleep, our “time out of time,” experiences and observations are not only processed, but also distorted and changed. The fleeting nature of dreams means they are notoriously difficult to re-render when awake, but Arikawa comes very close to achieving just that. He combines geometric shapes with surreal shots of church clocks, rabbits, slugs and ants. The images are simultaneously familiar and strange—as is the soundtrack, with its hum of a crowd, but no individual voices. The combination gnaws away at our certainties—to a disquieting effect. Boundaries blur between the self and the other, between life and death, and between now and the future. The viewer ends up in an indefinable state of being, where imagery is detached from linguistic labels.

Japan, The Netherlands, 2014 DCP, color, 11 min Director: Shigeo Arikawa Cinematography: Shigeo Arikawa Screenplay: Shigeo Arikawa Editing: Shigeo Arikawa Sound Design: Shigeo Arikawa Production: Shigeo Arikawa for Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten Screening Copy: Shigeo Arikawa

Shigeo Arikawa:

Constant Temperature (2005) Moss of Time (2006) New World Water (2007) One Gram Memory (2007) Her Ironical Me (2008) LostaL LostaT (2010) “Hello” to “ciao” (2011) G I (2011) It Has Already Been Ended Before You Can See the End (2012)

A Conversation Is a Risk to Lose Your Own Opinion Feiko Beckers Feiko Beckers is a philosopher, and banality is his specialty. In his performances and films he zooms in on everyday phenomena and transplants them into a theatrical setting. His utterly unflappable style recalls the likes of Buster Keaton and Bill Murray, and he stretches out his subject matter until it vanishes into the absurd. Attempts to slip on a banana peel descend into a repetitive failure to have an accident; youthful recollections metamorphose into revenge against his parents; walking in circles and squares towards an old flame becomes a geometric treatment for heartbreak. His latest film sees him engaging in three dialogues with a protagonist. Again the subject matter is utterly trivial: a visit to a favorite restaurant, chairs that break, the fate of a discarded washing machine. But each of the repetitive and artificial-sounding conversations ends up in unbreakable deadlock. The speakers are dressed in Russian avant-garde costumes, relics of a time when faith in artistic and political revolution was still alive and kicking. But all that remains of starry-eyed idealism in Beckers’s work is a grotesque game of words, a big joke that shows just how inadequate language is when it comes to bridging our differences.

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 13 min Director: Feiko Beckers Cinematography: Pim Heerkens, Mathieu Hendrickx Editing: Feiko Beckers Sound: Steven Jouwersma Production: Le CAP Saint Fons World Sales: Jeanine Hofland Contemporary Art Screening Copy: Jeanine Hofland Contemporary Art

Feiko Beckers:

Now I know How It Feels to Have Two Blocks of Plaster Instead of Hands (2004), Thirteen Attempts to Slip over an Banana Peel (2005), An Attempt to Get Struck on the Head by a Falling Plant Knocked over by My Cat (2007), Making a Birthday Cake with My Mother (2010), Accident with Red Car (2010), A Certain Time and a Certain Place (2011), Merely a Part of Life (2011), Slow and Gradual (2012), Safe and Sound (2013), As Long as You Are Not Reminded Too Often (2013)

www.feikobeckers.com

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Dereviled David Haines

The Netherlands, 2013 DCP, color, 9 min Director: David Haines Screenplay: David Haines Editing: David Haines Production: David Haines World Sales: Upstream Gallery Screening Copy: Upstream Gallery

David Haines:

The Boys Next Door (2001) Three Months (2004) Song for a Dog (2006) Big Mac vs. The Honeymonster (2010)

www.davidhaines.org

Backmasking is a studio technique by which sound is recorded backwards and then played forwards—the Beatles made it popular with their 1965 album Rubber Soul. Many musicians followed, particularly heavy metal bands. Christian groups in the United States were quick to condemn the technique as the work of the devil, since they believed the recordings could be used to convey hidden messages that could tempt listeners into committing evil deeds. In Dereviled, David Haines uses backmasking on recordings of services at American evangelical churches—shaky smartphone footage reveals gays and lesbians being “cured of their disease.” The continual reversal (even applied to the film’s title) undermines the ritual, effectively negating it. Haines sets the distorted voices to a seductive beat that references disco, a music genre closely associated with the gay scene.

And in his hyper-realistic drawings that mix elements of youth and queer culture, Haines also recalls the Theater of the Ridiculous, a surrealistic theater genre that had a huge influence on popular culture in the 1970s. It, too, sought to ridicule the prevailing norms by overacting, reversing roles and willfully shocking the good citizenry.

Dots, Chance, Pots, Dance Jean-Baptiste Maitre

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 3 min Director: Jean-Baptiste Maitre Cinematography: Jean-Baptiste Maitre Editing: Jean-Baptiste Maitre Production: Jean-Baptiste Maitre Screening Copy: Jean-Baptiste Maitre

Jean-Baptiste Maitre:

An Interview with Jayson Blair (2008), Untitled Sculptures at the Bonnefanten Museum (2009), Shaped Cinema (2010), Three L (2011), RAIN CUHZASRK DIEWICZ (Richard Anuszkiewicz) (2012), Film de Jour (Gûndüz filmi) (2012), Cut With a Knife (Mandala République Part I ) (2013), The Magic Vase (Mandala République Part II ) (2014), Le Poète, la Cité, la Machine (2014)

www.jbmaitre.com

Jean-Baptiste Maitre describes his artistic practice as “filmmaking without a camera.”

This approach yields an utterly personal cinema that sometimes takes the form of sculptures or paintings. Maitre makes his artworks using the digital film techniques that he mastered during his previous career in the advertising industry. But he also produces moving images. One example is Shaped Cinema (2010), for which he printed the pages of a museum catalogue on the artist Frank Stella directly onto 35mm film, causing the images to vibrate restlessly. Although Maitre makes frequent reference to the minimalist idiom of the 1970s, his work also betrays the influence of experimental filmmakers such as Stan Brakhage. His concealing of a political message beneath a layer of absurdism suggests he is also inspired by the interwar Dadaist art movement. In The Looting of the Museum (2014), he focuses on the sloppy handling of Iraqi cultural heritage after the fall of Saddam Hussein, endlessly repeating news footage of art thieves to underline the almost inconceivable enormity of the crime. Dots, Chance, Pots, Dance might best be viewed as a bitterly poetic sequel in which abstract Islamic motifs dance like deranged whirling dervishes.

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Manual/2 – The Patient Artist Barbara Visser

For the artist Barbara Visser, the 1990s was a period of soul-searching that yielded at least four iconic works. Her 1992 Portrait of an Artist comprises 18 portraits of Visser drawn by street artists. In 1994’s Ars Futura, she attacked art’s ghetto by going at a white cube space with pots of colored paint. Visser’s 1995 work Gimines is about her own guest role in a Lithuanian TV series. And in 1997’s Lecture on Lecture with Actress, the artist as a person becomes even further concealed in a video recording of an actress speaking words—prompted by Visser through an earpiece—that comment on a separate video recording of a second actress playing the role of Visser. For each of these pieces, the artist recycled earlier works, reflecting an approach that is characteristic of her oeuvre. In Manual/2—The Patient Artist, the four works form the backdrop to a performance in which an actor reads aloud extracts from reports on the artist written by therapists from the Netherlands Psychoanalytic Institute. The texts take on a fictional component by being associated with the images on-screen; the four works become the illustrations for the story. While the artist and her history come into ever-sharper focus, the duplication and the shifting framework cause her to become increasingly elusive.

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 17 min Director: Barbara Visser Cinematography: Benito Strangio Editing: Stella van Voorst van Beest Sound: Daan Arens Production: Barbara Visser, Kay Schuttel World Sales: Annet Gelink Gallery Screening Copy: Annet Gelink Gallery

Barbara Visser:

Museumpiece (1992), XM (1994), Interview with Duiker (1994), Hilton Piece (1994), True Lies (1995), Crossing (1996), Lecture with Actress (1997), Boom Box (1998), Decorealism (1999), De Kunstberg (2000), Mikro Video (2003), Actor and Liar (2003), Lecture on Lecture with Actress (2004), Last Lecture (2007), C.K. (2012), Herbarium (2013), The End of Sitting 1:1 (2015) a.o.

www.barbaravisser.net

A Method for Blue Logic Riley Harmon

A Method for Blue Logic has its origins in a misunderstanding. In 2012, Riley Harmon received an email in which he was accused of being an actress paid by the American government to mislead the media. It was clearly a case of mistaken identity by a conspiracy theorist, but it didn’t entirely miss the mark. At the time, Harmon was making videos by re-enacting scenes from Hollywood movies to give them a new meaning. The accusatory email suddenly jerked his artistic work into the real world.

He decided to give the conspiracy theorist a response. A profusion of perspectives and theories vie for attention in this single, long take. Cryptic discussions from Internet forums alternate with theatrical commentary. The aesthetic switches from documentary to feature film, from real—or what is supposed to appear real—to artificial. What binds it all is the blue color we all know from the chroma key effect, the computer technique that makes it possible to add any background onto a blue screen. And in Harmon’s film, nothing is what it seems. The world he creates is built on fabrications, speculations and blatant lies. But who knows? Could the sum of all these parts amount to an alternate logic or a new truth?

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The Netherlands, 2014 DCP, color, 14 min Director: Riley Harmon Cinematography: Riley Harmon, Shigeo Arikawa, D.H. Mack Editing: Riley Harmon Music: Koen Nutters Production: Riley Harmon Screening Copy: Riley Harmon

Riley Harmon:

Trace (2011) Trace 2 (2012) Poser @ Warhol’s Figment (2013) Passengers, # 1 – 11 (2010 – 2014) Still Life Study (2015) Horse Dance (2015)

www.rileyharmon.com

Paradocs: Amsterdam Art Weekend at IDFA

Ommegang Emma van der Put

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, black-and-white, 6 min Director: Emma van der Put Editing: Emma van der Put Production: Emma van der Put World Sales: Galerie tegenboschvanvreden Screening Copy: Galerie tegenboschvanvreden

Emma van der Put:

Scenes uit een avond (2009), Home (2010), Drie bewegende stillevens, Vanitas (2010), Godinne (2011), Mother (2012), Funfair (2012), Maritime Festival (2012), Ship (2012), Montmartre (2013), Parade (2013), Camillus (2014), Room (2014), Token (2014), Fountain (2014), Dweller (2015), Rincé Alien (2015)

www.emmavanderput.com

Emma van der Put has a penchant for public spaces with specific functions. They are scripted—a kind of custom-made stage set—and they are ideal for people watching.

She observes them from a distance with a coolly analytical eye. In Funfair (2012), she has fairgoers more or less mechanically pushing coins into machines. In Rincé Alien (2015), the vagrants and waiting commuters are more expressionless than the models populating the advertising posters on the walls. The slow movement and unusual framing make these apparently trivial scenes seem somehow unreal. For 2015’s Ommegang, Van der Put didn’t even handle the camera herself. Instead she took footage from webcams on the Grand Place in Brussels—cameras that visitors to the municipal website were able to operate for 30 seconds at a time. Filming anonymously, much as Van der Put herself does with her camera, they observe the Ommegang, an annual historical spectacle.

Transitions are sometimes abrupt, the image gets pixelated and the lens zooms in and out. By placing the shots in a particular order, the artist has lifted them out of the realm of neutral observation, placing them somewhere between fact and fiction.

Phi and Laurine

Phi en Laurine Sander Breure, Witte van Hulzen

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 38 min Director: Sander Breure, Witte van Hulzen Cinematography: Sander Breure, Witte van Hulzen Sound Design: Thomas Bensdorp Production: Sander Breure, Witte van Hulzen World Sales: Galerie tegenboschvanvreden Screening Copy: Galerie tegenboschvanvreden

Sander Breure & Witte van Hulzen:

Mr. H. M. van der Zandt (2008) You’ll Never Walk Alone (2009) Eternal Return (2010) The Shores of an Island I Only Skirted (2012)

Subtle alienation is the trademark of artist duo Sander Breure and Witte van Hulzen.

They select their subject, zoom in on it, turn it on its side and add new elements, forcing viewers to look afresh at what at first seemed ordinary and natural. One of their film installations combines news footage of refugees with scenes from a deathly still Utoya, the Norwegian island where right-wing extremist Anders Breivik killed 69 members of the Workers’ Youth League in 2011. In one of their performances, they used official statistical data to dissect the average Dutch household, with actors acting out everyday drama. In Phi and Laurine, the artists attempt to get to the heart of the matter by digging deep rather than casting a wide net. The result is an exhaustive and multilayered portrait of two lovers—or so it appears. The camera gets up so close that we start to feel almost embarrassed, but the digging continues. Home movies lay bare the lovers’ childhoods, and microscopic shots of cellular material, medical research and CAT scans explore bodies. It turns out that in addition to being lovers, Phi and Laurine are actors. Whether we are really sharing in their reality remains unclear.

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Refrain

Nathan Azhderian As the 1970s drew to a close, philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty heralded the end of the Big Stories. Not long after, Arthur Danto announced “the end of art.” Everything had already been done. Modernism, in which one movement followed the next and moved things forward to always bigger and better things, was over. Progress was outmoded, and from then on humanity would only look back, imitate and recycle.

This explains the permanent state of nostalgia we live in today. The tendency to look back that has dominated art since the 1970s is part and parcel of this. In Refrain, Nathan Azhderian joins in by attempting to unite modernism’s language and today’s fragmentary world. He does so by using laser projections that you’d be more likely to see at a disco or a trade fair than in the movie theater. They create spatial effects, but the images remain flat and don’t even come close to illusion of depth. Together with the random order in which the flashes of reality come at us, the work illustrates the invalidity of progress as a concept.

The Netherlands, 2015 installatie, color, 5 min

Nathan Azhderian: directing debut

Director: Nathan Azhderian Production: Nathan Azhderian World Sales: Galerie Juliette Jongma Screening Copy: Galerie Juliette Jongma

Sacred Repository N.1: Violently Speaking Rory Pilgrim “Never again,” sums up the prevailing sentiment following the horrors of the Second World War. One outcome was the founding of the United Nations on October 24, 1945.

Two years later, at the opening of the organization’s headquarters in New York City, President Truman spoke grandly of world peace, dialogue, respect and cooperation. But right from his first term in office, it was Truman himself whose anti-Communist policy heralded the Cold War, and soon afterwards got the United States involved in the Korean War. Over the course of the UN’s 70-year history, its lofty ideals have generally turned out to be no more than formulaic incantations lacking any genuine binding force. Director Rory Pilgrim is on a quest to find an alternative basis for world peace.

His search begins in the British stone quarries that supplied the building materials for the UN headquarters, before moving across the world to the lifeless salt flats of Utah. Pilgrim shifts back and forth between two continents, to connect the locations themselves and the different social, religious and generational groups living in them.

He uses songs sung by five teenage girls in the style of a Greek chorus to forge links between the disparate parts. But space always remains for ambiguity, and for the realization that it’s not always possible to identify or express what binds us as humans.

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The Netherlands, 2014 DCP, black-and-white, 15 min Director: Rory Pilgrim Cinematography: Rory Pilgrim Editing: Rory Pilgrim Sound: Rory Pilgrim Production: Rory Pilgrim World Sales: Andriesse Eyck Galerie Screening Copy: Andriesse Eyck Galerie

Rory Pilgrim:

directing debut

Paradocs: Amsterdam Art Weekend at IDFA

Smoke Machine Hannah Perry

UK, 2015 DCP, color, 11 min Director: Hannah Perry Cinematography: Hannah Perry Editing: Hannah Perry Sound: Hannah Perry Production: Hannah Perry World Sales: Jeanine Hofland Contemporary Art Screening Copy: Jeanine Hofland Contemporary Art

Hannah Perry:

While It Lasts (2012) A Little Thing (2013) Kicking My Game (2013) Sorry, I Didn’t Even Say Hello (2014) Over Your Knee and Call Me Daddy (2014) You’re Gonna Be Great (2015)

By using cut-and-paste techniques, Hannah Perry creates a seething hodgepodge of home movies, found footage and shreds of conversation spiced up with subcultural codes. She constructs this non-linear impression out of her personal life and interests, set to the rhythms of her electronic music. The work brings up bits and pieces referring to gender-related issues, lifestyle and the influence of advertisement and branding on subcultures’ visual codes, and most of all Perry’s own position and perception on those issues. The merging of the public and the private manifested on the Internet via social media and smartphones, the short-cut language and imagery, and the constant repetition that stems from it are deliberately and carefully chosen and edited within her work.

Stripes 3

Florian Quistrebert, Michael Quistrebert

The Netherlands, 2015 DCP, color, 6 min Director: Florian Quistrebert, Michael Quistrebert Editing: Florian Quistrebert, Michael Quistrebert Production: Florian Quistrebert, Michael Quistrebert World Sales: Galerie Juliette Jongma Screening Copy: Galerie Juliette Jongma

Florian & Michael Quistrebert:

Maid of the Mist (2009), Virgins (2009), Ex Futuro (2010), The 8th Sphere (2010),Untitled (Triangles) ( 2010),Untitled (Tartans) ( 2010), Stripes (2011), Amnesic cisenma (Squares) (2011), Amnesic cisenma (Losanges) (2011), Amnesic cisenma (Circles) (2011), Dots (2012), Green Energy (2014), Red Energy (2014), Void Fires (2015)

www.quistrebert.com

Florian and Michael Quistrebert spend their time reinvestigating high modernisms, and the product of their endeavors is a comment on the rigid formalism that dominated art in the 1960s and 1970s. The French brothers draw on the same visual idiom as their artistic forebears—geometric figures that refer only to themselves. But the Quistreberts approach it in a consciously quick and careless way, using cheap materials such as modeling paste and sandpaper, which ensures that their canvasses have a clearly identifiable artistic signature. Abstraction becomes alchemy, and optical effects take on almost occult connotations. In their animations, the brothers also push the boundaries of their modernist frame of reference. In Stripes 3, their singular, elementary lines perform an angular dance in a kaleidoscopic choreography that explores all possible permutations of symmetry and ordered chaos. This somewhat grainy piece sees the Quistreberts thumbing their noses at early 1960s op art and its futurist antecedent. But it, too, has a hypnotic and even mind-expanding quality. This impression is reinforced by the final shot, reminiscent as it is of early VJ visuals by Micha Klein, that preeminent Dutch exponent of late 1980s house culture.

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Trapped Words Meiro Koizumi

Memories get distorted with time. Some details become blurry or disappear entirely, while others are magnified. Sometimes, nostalgia or disgust can color the narrative.

And if those memories are filmed, the ability of TV and cinema to shape our expectations comes into play, defining what we consider plausible. The story that director Meiro Koizumi put forth in The Confessions (2014) seems credible enough: a Japanese man explains how he joined the Foreign Legion because he wanted to know what it was like to experience war. But when he starts talking about his mission in Afghanistan, the camera pans away to a lectern on which we can see the screenplay for the action movie Black Hawk Down. Koizumi is more trustworthy in Trapped Words, which was shot at the same time as The Confessions. Here, he gives Mr. Harada the opportunity to speak about how, as an eight-year-old boy, he survived the bombardment of the Japanese city of Maebashi. The man describes the claustrophobic underground air-raid shelter where he and about 30 others hid, a sea of fire raging above their heads. With closed eyes—concentrating as if watching a film projected inside his own head—he describes the traumatic event in rich and precise detail, along with imitations of the sound of exploding bombs and airplanes rushing overhead. But in the end, his story will evoke different images in the mind of each viewer.

Japan, 2014 DCP, black-and-white, 12 min Director: Meiro Koizumi Cinematography: Meiro Koizumi, Kazuya Takagawa Production: Meiro Koizumi, Kadist Art Foundation World Sales: Annet Gelink Gallery Screening Copy: Annet Gelink Gallery

Meiro Koizumi:

The Chair (2000), Fhe Wav a Very Veautiful Woman... (2001), Human Opera XXX (2007), Melodrama for Men, #1 (2008), Portrait of a Young Samurai (2009), My Voice Would Reach You (2009), Mnemonic – (Father) (2011), Defect in Vision (2011), It’s a Comedy (2012), Double Projection (Where Silence Falls) (2013), Death Poem for a City (2013), Double Projection #2 (When Her Prayer was Heard) (2014), Theatre Dreams of a Beautiful Afternoon (2010-2014)

Yes, These Eyes Are the Windows Saskia Olde Wolbers

In 1873, Vincent van Gogh moved to London to work in his uncle’s gallery Goupil.

He was just 19 years old and took up lodgings with a widow named Ursula Loyer.

Legend has it that Van Gogh fell in love with her daughter, who turned him down, and that he subsequently sank into a deep depression. He moved out to work locally as a preacher before becoming an artist years later. It wasn’t until the 1970s that a postman identified this humble row house at 87 Hackford Road in South London as Van Gogh’s former residence. The discovery saved the house from demolition and it was given a blue plaque and a listed status. In 2012, a Chinese businessman bought the dilapidated house sight unseen at an auction. Filmmaker Saskia Olde Wolbers presents the house as an invisible narrator interweaving stories from its past and its occupants. She alternates slow pans across bare and claustrophobic spaces with underwater shots inside scale models to tell a speculative story where facts are very fluid. Voices from different times are overlayed like sheets of wallpaper. This fictional historical “reverse engineering” questions the place’s social history—where everyday stories of ordinary people become entangled with art history and the mythologizing that surrounds Van Gogh.

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UK, 2015 DCP, color, 20 min Director: Saskia Olde Wolbers Cinematography: Eben Bolter Editing: David Panos Music: Daniel Pemberton Narration: Saskia Olde Wolbers Narrator: Tom Brook World Sales: Maureen Paley., Stigter van Doesburg Screening Copy: Maureen Paley., Stigter van Doesburg

Saskia Olde Wolbers:

Day-glo (1999) Kilowatt Dynasty (2000) Placebo (2002) Interloper (2003) Trailer (2005) Deadline (2007) Pereidolia (2013) a.o.

www.saskiaoldewolbers.com

SPECIAL FOCUS

Errol Morris’s Top 10 American filmmaker Errol Morris has selected his Top 10 favorite documentaries, including such classics as Land Without Bread by Luis Buñuel, The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On

by Kazuo Hara and Let There Be Light by John Huston. In addition to the Top 10, IDFA is also screening a selection from Morris’s rich body of work (see page 213). This program is supported by the Dutch Cultural Media Fund.

Errol Morris’s Errol Morris’s TopTop 10 10

Errol Morris’s Top 10

The Conundrum of What the World Is Really Like Director Errol Morris has selected his Top 10 favorite documentaries for us. Here, he explains his choices. “These films exist in a twilight area between fact and fiction, and every single one of them forces you to ask the question: what is a documentary?”

“I first learned about documentary at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley in the 1970s. I’d seen various public affairs documentaries growing up—I remember in particular Edward R. Murrow and Harvest of Shame—but it was at the Pacific Film Archive that I became aware of documentary as something more than a species of journalism, as an art form. That’s where I first saw Fata Morgana.

Is it a documentary? Is it an art film? You tell me! That’s one of the interesting things about it: it really doesn’t belong in any one category.

“So that’s the environment that formed—for want of a better way to describe it, because it sounds terribly pedantic—my philosophy of documentary. The documentaries I saw there were in many ways disconnected from social activism, and even journalism as such. Films like Man with a Movie Camera, a film on the border between reality and surreality, or Land Without Bread. Who could ever imagine such a film, combining these images with this absurd choice of music and Buñuel’s strange, ironic, sometimes insane narration? The images are clearly documentary, about a certain people and a certain place, and

yet you feel this enormous tension between that journalistic element and the final film.

“I was also very much influenced by Fred Wiseman. I’m still a fan, after all these years. He once expressed a kind of amazement that I liked his films, since our styles are so radically different. But I assured him that it wasn’t style that interests me about documentary. Or in a way it is: the fact that documentary can incorporate such radically different styles has always fascinated me. Wiseman has taken the Direct Cinema style and turned it into something deeply ironic, often despairing, incredibly funny, perverse. He has a way of making you laugh at things that make you uncomfortable; that’s certainly true in Welfare. Documentary should make you uncomfortable. It shouldn’t just be an exercise in making you feel better about yourself. How can we make people feel better about themselves, without first asking the question: should people feel better about themselves?

“I picked a couple of films simply because they engage the idea of what it means to do an interview, which is part of my art form, such as it is. I think it’s every interviewer’s dream that in the middle of an interview, when your subject is not forthcoming, you get up out of your chair and just beat them to a pulp. Of course, that never happens—except in The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On. It’s such a strange, destabilizing, weird film. It’s also why I included Tales of the

Fata Morgana

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Errol Morris’s TopTop 10 10 Errol Morris’s

“Documentary isn’t there just to give you reality; it’s there to make you think about the connection between an image and reality, or a movie and the real world. Ross McElwee is one of the very few filmmakers who have that obsession with the nature of the film image. There’s a scene in Bright Leaves about the love affair between Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal, where the question is: is this image from a fiction film recording something real about their relationship, or is it just recording the script? Is it pure documentary, or pure fiction, or a combination of both?

“One of the lessons I’ve learned from films like this is that every film is a combination of the controlled and the uncontrolled, the rehearsed and the unrehearsed. Even a film like Let There Be Light, which is heavily contrived and orchestrated, still preserves a very strong documentary element. I’ve always hated the cinema verité claim that if you just obey these rules, you’ll get this “truth cinema.” Because trying to figure out what the world is really like is an unending quest, a conundrum. My favorite films somehow seize on that strange relationship of images to the world.

Let There Be Light

It Felt Like a Kiss

Grim Sleeper. The interviews in that film are some of the strangest interviews I had ever seen. People seem at sea in their own heads: they’re unclear on what they think, what they’ve seen, and yet they know they’ve seen something and they think something.

“For someone like myself who’s fascinated by how imagery changes based on our conceptions and preconceptions about it, Adam Curtis is stock-in-trade. I could have picked a whole number of his films, but It Felt Like a Kiss is the most radical. I’ve dabbled with stock footage in a lot of the things that I’ve done, but he’s taken several steps further into the beyond here, composing an entire movie of repurposed imagery which has found a new home in a completely new context.

“Similarly, even though much of One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevitch consists of images from Andrei Tarkovsky’s films, it’s very much a Chris Marker film as well. Two of my absolute favorite filmmakers united in one extraordinarily unique and powerful film. It lives in a kind of twilight area between art and life, between the real and the created. In the end, it is about life becoming art: everything Marker says in the narration is about the interplay of art and life, and his own deep love of Tarkovsky’s art.

“There’s always the possibility of seeing something for the first time that really defeats all of your expectations of what documentary could or should be. Films should make you question the relationship of the film to the real world. That shouldn’t be something that is simply given, accepted, taken for granted.”

As told to film critic Joost Broeren.

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Errol Morris’s Top 10

Bright Leaves Ross McElwee

The classic film Bright Leaf was a 1950s Hollywood blockbuster starring Gary Cooper and Lauren Bacall about a tobacco farmer driven out of his hometown by a wealthy industrialist. The family of filmmaker Ross McElwee believes that the story may have been based on the life of his great-grandfather John Harvey McElwee, who came up with the famous tobacco brand Bull Durham—before losing out to the industrialist James Duke. McElwee returns to his native soil in Charlotte, North Carolina to film a blackly comic account of the legacy of the tobacco industry. North Carolina is the biggest tobacco exporter in the U.S., bringing prosperity as well as global addiction and disease. Each year, half a million Americans die of smoking-related illnesses. McElwee embarks on a first-person investigation into the social, economic and psychological consequences of tobacco exploitation. Some of the filmmaker’s own family members are among those who have suffered from smoking. Zealous smokers, tobacco farmers and even relatives of the dead remain in a state of denial: “My growing tobacco doesn’t have anything to do with anyone dying.” McElwee and Duke could surely never have dreamed that tobacco would kill more people than the American Civil War that they narrowly survived.

USA, 2003 35mm, color, 107 min Director: Ross McElwee Cinematography: Ross McElwee Editing: Ross McElwee, Mark Meatto Production: Ross McElwee, Linda Morgenstern Screening Copy: Ross McElwee

Ross McElwee:

68 Albany Street (1976), Charleen (1977), Backyard (1984), Sherman’s March (1985), Time Indefinite (1994), In Paraguay (2008), Photographic Memory (2011)

Ross McElwee & Michel Negroponte: Space Coast (1979)

Alexandra Anthony, Ross McElwee, Michel Negroponte: Resident Exile (1981)

Marilyn Levine & Ross McElwee:

Something to Do with the Wall (1991)

www.rossmcelwee.com

The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On Kazuo Hara Kenzo Okuzaki is one of the few surviving members of a Japanese army unit stationed in New Guinea during the Second World War. For decades he’s been on a crusade against Emperor Hirohito, whom he wants to force to accept responsibility for the war crimes that took place and the atrocities Japanese soldiers suffered. Filming in cinema verité style, director Kazuo Hara follows Okuzaki’s one-man uprising for five years.

The focus of Okuzaki’s investigation is the death of two soldiers from his regiment.

They were allegedly executed for desertion a full three weeks after the end of the war. In his efforts to uncover the truth, he visits surviving comrades and members of the murdered soldiers’ families, and confronts his former sergeant with incriminating evidence. Despite his frailty, 62-year-old Okuzaki is radical, uncompromising and even violent when he has to be. Hara’s unflinching shots of these confrontational scenes make Okuzaki a most ambiguous hero. But these assaults pale into almost comic insignificance in the face of revelations of the barbarisms his targets committed.

Forty years later, these individuals have absolutely no intention of jeopardizing their peace of mind.

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Japan, 1987 16mm, color, 122 min Director: Kazuo Hara Cinematography: Kazuo Hara Screenplay: Kazuo Hara Editing: Nabeshima Jun Sound: Toyohiko Kuribayashi Music: Shigeru Yamakawa Production: Sachiko Kobayashi for Shisso Productions Screening Copy: The Japan Foundation

Kazuo Hara:

Goodbye CP (1972) Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974 (1974) A Dedicated Life (1994) Watashi no Mishima (1999)

Awards: Best Film Award & Best Director Award Yokohama Film Festival, Director’s Choice Telluride Film Festival, Caligari Film Award Berlin International Film Festival, KNF Award Rotterdam International Film Festival a.o.

Errol Morris’s Top 10

Fata Morgana Werner Herzog

Germany, 1970 DCP, color, 79 min Director: Werner Herzog Cinematography: Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein Screenplay: Werner Herzog Editing: Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus Sound: Werner Herzog Sound Design: Hans von Mallinckrodt Music: Blind Faith, Händel, etc Narration: Lotte H. Eisner, Wolfgang Bächler, Manfred Eigendorf Production: Werner Herzog for Werner Herzog Filmproduktion World Sales: Werner Herzog Filmproduktion Screening Copy: Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

Werner Herzog:

Herakles (1962), Even Dwarfs Started Small (1970), Land of Silence and Darkness (1971), Aguirre, the Wrath of God (fiction,1972), La Soufrière (1977), Nosferatu (fiction, 1978), Woyzeck (fiction, 1979), Fitzcarraldo (fiction, 1982), Cobra Verde (fiction, 1987), Les Galuoises (1988), Wodaabe – Herdsmen of the Sun (1989), Lessons of Darkness (1992), Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997), My Best Fiend (1999), Wings of Hope (1999), Grizzly Man (2005), Rescue Dawn (fiction, 2006), Encounters at the End of the World (2007), Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) Into the Abyss (2011) a.o.

African desert landscapes take center stage in this surreal, poetic documentary. In the long traveling shots of desolate expanses of sand, human presence is betrayed only by an abandoned airplane, car wrecks, collapsed buildings and dead livestock. The first chapter, “Creation,” combines scenes from this timeless landscape with the voice of German historian and film essayist Lotte Eisner recounting the creation myth of the Guatemalan K’iche’ people. It’s a tale of trial and error, of the miserable failures before the arrival of the final piece of the puzzle: humanity. In the following sections—“Paradise” and “The Golden Age”—Werner Herzog presents compelling scenes featuring various compatriots, including a zoologist captivated by lizards, a teacher instructing her African pupils on the use of the sentence Blitzkrieg ist Wahnsinn (Blitzkrieg is madness) and a gaggle of giggling tourists. Herzog describes his film is a sci-fi elegy about the insanity of colonialism. He soon dropped the intended storyline in favor of an exclusive focus on the imagery. As Hertzog’s camera, mounted atop a VW camper, explores the desert as if it were some pristine, alien planet, it’s not difficult to see it as a sort of new land.

www.wernerherzog.com

It Felt Like a Kiss Adam Curtis

UK, 2009 video, color, 54 min Director: Adam Curtis Editing: Adam Curtis Production: Lucy Kelsall Screening Copy: BBC – Storyville

Adam Curtis:

Pandora’s Box (1992) The Living Dead (1994) The Way of All Flesh (1997) The Mayfair Set (1998) Century of the Self (2001) The Power of Nightmares (2005) All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace (2011) Bitter Lake (2015)

British filmmaker Adam Curtis demonstrates in this unique work how the golden age of pop and the power of the United States peaked at the same moment. This combination of psycho-political documentary and experimental collage poetry shows how individualism gained in importance in the slipstream of events taking place from 1959 onwards, but that somewhere along the way we got lost. Do we still understand the world correctly? In his utterly unique fashion, Curtis shows us the roots of the fears we feel today. He juggles an array of archive material spanning from familiar and unfamiliar news items to iconic Hollywood film scenes. The unceasing torrent of powerful imagery is matched by an equally impressive soundtrack that mixes chart hits with music specially composed by Damon Albarn and performed by the Kronos Quartet. While many of the songs may sound happy, they trigger a gnawing anxiety when combined with the maelstrom of images and Curtis’s critical message. In contrast to his earlier films, this time Curtis doesn’t provide a voice-over—although a smattering of text blocks does put groups of images into historical context. The film takes on Osama Bin Laden’s early life, conspiracy theories surrounding the death of John F. Kennedy, and the origins of HIV in Western and Central Africa.

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Errol Morris’s Top 10

Land Without Bread Las Hurdes – Tierra sin pan Luis Buñuel

Inspired by Maurice Legendre’s anthropological study of Las Hurdes, a remote area in the Spanish province of Extremadura, Luis Buñuel decided to make a film there in 1932. Accompanied by cameraman Eli Lotar (who also shot Joris Ivens’s Zuiderzee in 1930), he traveled around mountain villages there for two months to capture the brutal existence of the hurdanos. The conditions in which Bunuel and Lotar filmed were often challenging, with some indoor scenes lit only by torchlight. As well as being an ethnographic exploration, Land Without Bread is an examination of film’s potential as a political medium. The scenes of alarming poverty and human and animal suffering are accompanied by the impassive voice of a narrator and dramatic music by Brahms and Milhaud. This soundtrack plays a key role in directing the viewers’ interpretation of the images they see. The film thus indirectly comments on our perceptions of indigenous peoples as presented in travel documentaries, and shows it’s possible to find harshness, misery and neediness much closer to home. The republican government of the time wasn’t impressed with this message and forbade the screening of the film. It wasn’t released until 1937 in France, at the climax of the Spanish Civil War.

Spain, 1933 16mm, black-and-white, 30 min Director: Luis Buñuel Cinematography: Eli Lotar Screenplay: Luis Buñuel Editing: Luis Buñuel Sound: Charles Dorat Music: Darius Milhaud Narrator: Abel Jaquin Production: Ramón Acin Screening Copy: Museum of Modern Art Circulating Film and Video Library

Luis Buñuel:

Un chien andalou (fiction, 1929), Los olvidados (ficiton, 1950), Una mujer sin amor (fiction, 1952), Robinson Crusoe (fiction, 1954) The Young One (fiction, 1960), Viridiana (fiction, 1961), El ángel exterminador (fiction, 1962), Le journal d’une femme de chambre (fiction, 1964), Simón del desierto (fiction, 1965), Belle de jour (fiction, 1967), La voie lactée (fiction, 1969), Tristana (fiction, 1970), Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie (fiction, 1972), Le fantôme de la liberté (fiction, 1974), Cet obscur objet du désir (fiction, 1977) a.o.

Let There Be Light John Huston

John Huston’s Let There Be Light was the first film to focus on the traumatic experiences of soldiers returning from war. Shot in 1946, it is the second part of a trilogy about the Second World War commissioned by the U.S. government. We follow a number of veterans undergoing treatment in a psychiatric hospital—from their arrival and first sessions with a psychiatrist all the way up to the day they are discharged. Almost all of the men are deeply traumatized. One of them appears to be paralyzed, another has a bad stutter and yet another has no recollection of what happened to him. Various treatments are used, including drug-induced hypnosis, group therapy and occupational therapy. The men gradually gain greater control of their lives, enabling them to take steps to return to society and their families.

Although the dramatic music and voice-over are typical of their time, the film offers a realistic and revealing perspective on what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The film wasn’t screened in public for many decades, this to protect the privacy of the featured soldiers and to avoid a supposed demotivating effect on the military.

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USA, 1946 DCP, black-and-white, 58 min Director: John Huston Cinematography: Stanley Cortez, John Doran, Lloyd Fromm, Joseph Jackman, George Smith Editing: William Reynolds, Gene Fowler Music: Dimitri Tiomkin Production: U.S. Army Pictorial Services Screening Copy: National Archives and Records Administration Awards: National Film Registry National Film Preservation Board USA

John Huston:

The Maltese Falcon (fiction, 1941), In This Our Life (fiction, 1942), San Pietro (1945), Key Largo (fiction, 1948), We Were Strangers (fiction, 1949), Moulin Rouge (fiction, 1952), Moby Dick (fiction, 1956), The Unforgiven (fiction, 1960), The Misfits (fiction, 1961), The Night of the Iguana (fiction, 1964), Independence (fiction, 1976), Wise Blood (fiction, 1979), Phobia (fiction, 1980), Victory (fiction, 1981), Annie (fiction, 1982), Under the Volcano (fiction, 1984), Prizzi’s Honor (fiction, 1985), The Dead (fiction, 1987) a.o.

Errol Morris’s Top 10

Man with a Movie Camera Chelovek s kinoapparatom Dziga Vertov

Russia, 1929 DCP, black-and-white, 68 min Director: Dziga Vertov Cinematography: Mikhail Kaufman Editing: Dziga Vertov, Yelizateva Svilova Production: VUFKU Screening Copy: EYE Film Instituut Nederland Awards: The Influentials Cinema Eye Honors Awards

Dziga Vertov:

Cinema Week (fiction, 1919), Anniversary of the Revolution (1919), The Battle of Tsaritsyne (fiction, 1920), Trial of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party (fiction, 1922), History of the Civil War (1922), Soviet Toys (1924), Cinema Eye (1924), Kino Pravda (1925), A Sixth of the World (1926), Forward, Soviet! (1926), The Eleventh Year (1928), Enthusiasm (1931), Three Songs About Lenin (1934), Memories of Sergo Ordzhonikidze (1937), Lullaby (1937), Three Heroines (1938), Kazakhstan for the Front! (fiction, 1942), In the Mountains of Ala-Tau (fiction, 1944), News of the Day (1954) a.o.

This seminal documentary by the progressive filmmaker Dziga Vertov dramatizes the filmmaker’s role in society. Vertov presents a kaleidoscopic image of city life in the Soviet Union of the 1920s. By performing unthinkable feats, Vertov shoots the daily experiences of the town population. He rides along with cars and trains, lies on roads and railways and climbs towers and bridges. Meanwhile, the camera is running and its glass eye is recording all events. At the same time, Vertov shows the process of making a film.

We get a very detailed explanation of how the cameraman does his job. Ceaselessly, Vertov mixes the event in front of the lens with the process of recording it. The camera shoots a passerby who reacts to the camera, and we see the passerby looking at his own reflection in the lens. Vertov goes even further by bringing the action to a stop. Then, the still images appear to be part of a filmstrip in the hands of the editor, who is inserting it into the right place in the film. Vertov goes on playing cinematic tricks to surprise his audience, and at the end of the film he even makes the camera bow to receive a welldeserved applause.

One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich Une journée d’Andrei Arsenevitch Chris Marker

France, 1999 video, color, 55 min Director: Chris Marker Cinematography: Chris Marker Editing: Chris Marker Sound Design: Florent LAVALLEE Music: Georges Delerue Production: AMIP, Thierry Garrel for La Sept ARTE, Claude Guisard, JeanJacques Henry, Liane Willemont Co-Production: Institut National de l’Audiovisuel, Arkeion Films World Sales/Screening Copy: Institut National de l’Audiovisuel

Chris Marker:

Olympia 52 (1952), Lettre de Sibérie (1957), ¡Cuba Sí! (1961), Le Joli Mai (1963), Rhodiacéta (fiction, 1967), Le mystère Koumiko (1967), À bientôt, j’espère (1968), La bataille des dix millions (1971), Puisqu’on vous dit que c’est possible (1973), La solitude du chanteur de fond (1974), Le fond de l’air est rouge (1977), Sans soleil (1983), Mémoires pour Simone (1986), Le tombeau d’Alexandre (1993), Casque bleu (1995), Level Five (1997), E-clip-se (1999), Un maire au Kosovo (2000), Le souvenir d’un avenir(2003), Chats perchés (2004) a.o.

In the poetic and essayistic style so characteristic of his work, Chris Marker pays homage to Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky. The framework of his documentary (made for the renowned French TV series Cinema, de notre temps) is formed by home videos from 1986, made shortly before Tarkovsky died of lung cancer. We watch him at work on what was to be his final film, The Sacrifice. And we witness his deathbed with his son Andrei Jr., whom he hadn’t seen for 10 years after leaving Russia and living in exile in Sweden.

But at the heart of Marker’s insightful analysis are clips from Tarkovsky’s own films—his seven feature films, which are among the greats of cinema history, but also more obscure titles, such as the adaptation of Hemingway’s The Killers that Tarkovsky made as a film student. Marker makes connections between the films, as well as with Tarkovsky’s life and the politics and culture of the time. All in all his extensive and idiosyncratic analysis of Tarkovsky’s themes and philosophy gives a meaningful interpretation of the almost mystical work of the Russian filmmaker, without removing any of its mystery.

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Errol Morris’s Top 10

Tales of the Grim Sleeper Nick Broomfield

For his revealing documentary about the alleged serial killer Lonnie Franklin, Jr., nicknamed the Grim Sleeper, Nick Broomfield went to South Los Angeles, the district with the highest murder rate in the city. Here, Franklin was arrested in 2010 for murdering at least 10 women starting back in 1985, mostly black prostitutes.

Apparently, the police knew for more than 20 years that it was the work of a serial killer, but they never shared this information with the public—a fact that is very troubling to the victims’ families. More than a study to determine who is to blame, Tales of the Grim Sleeper is a sharp social critique of a neighborhood that suffers from decades of municipal neglect and institutional racism. The long history of poverty and drug use in South Central (as the district was called until 2003) appears to be fertile ground for the serial murders. Broomfield, who previously made a documentary about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, also knows how to work on inhospitable terrain. Aided by the colorful former addict Pamela Brooks, who opens all the doors for him, he meets local residents and former sweethearts who describe Franklin as kind and helpful at first, but they soon come up with far more sinister stories.

USA, UK, 2014 DCP, color, 105 min Director: Nick Broomfield Cinematography: Barney Broomfield Editing: Joe Bini, Marc Hoeferlin Music: H. Scott Salinas Production: Marc Hoeferlin for Lafayette Film Co-Production: Erin Li World Sales: Submarine Entertainment Screening Copy: Lafayette Film Involved TV Channels: HBO Enterprises, SKY Awards: The Unforgettables Cinema Eye Honors Awards

Nick Broomfield:

Who Cares (1970), Proud to Be British (1972), Behind the Rent Strike (1973), Driving Me Crazy (1988), Juvenile Liasons 2 (1990), Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1993), Tracking Down Maggie: The Unofficial Biography of Margaret Thatcher (1994), Heidi Fleiss – Hollywood Madam (1995), Kurt & Courtney (1998), Biggie & Tupac (2002), His Big White Self (2006), Ghosts (fiction, 2006), Battle for Haditha (2008), A Time Comes (2009), Sarah Palin: You Betcha! (2011), Sex My British Job (2013) a.o.

www.nickbroomfield.com

Welfare

Frederick Wiseman Welfare looks at the New York welfare system from the perspective of the officials who administer it and the recipients who crowd its offices. The result is both disconcerting and heartening: disconcerting because this bureaucracy seems to be pitted against those least fit to deal with it, and heartening because those running the system are not inhumane and frequently do all they can to help. A wide range of people show up. One employee tells a young lady that he is reponsible for two-and-ahalf million people, and that if only a couple thousand do not get what is coming to them, he is doing a good job. And then there is the German immigrant who believes that God only helps you if He feels so inclined. “Given the circumstances,” he says, “I’d better look for a nice place to hang myself.” To some people, even the smallest setback is a great drama, so the police sometimes have to get involved. Most of them are black and there are racists about, but the cops keep their cool, even when told they should be wiped out “before the blood starts flowing in the streets.” All the while, Wiseman’s camera simply records the events as they occur.

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USA, 1975 16mm, black-and-white, 167 min Director: Frederick Wiseman Cinematography: William Brayne Editing: Frederick Wiseman Production: Frederick Wiseman for Zipporah Films World Sales: Zipporah Films Screening Copy: Zipporah Films

Frederick Wiseman:

Titicut Follies (1967), High School (1968), Hospital (1970), Basic Training (1971), Juvenile Court (1973), Primate (1974), Manoeuvre (1979), Model (1980), Racetrack (1985), Deaf (1986), Missile (1987), Blind (1987), Near Death (1989), Aspen (1991), Central Park (1991), Zoo (1993), High School II (1994), Ballet (1995), Public Housing (1997), Belfast, Main (1999), Domestic Violence (2001), Domestic Violence 2 (2002), State Legislature (2007), Boxing Gym (2010), Crazy Horse (2011), At Berkeley (2013), National Gallery (2014), In Jackson Heights (2015) a.o.

SPECIAL FOCUS

Errol Morris Retrospective In honor of American director Errol Morris’s outstanding documentaries, IDFA is presenting a selection of six titles from his rich body of work, including Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (IDFA’s opening film in 1997), Oscar winner The Fog of War and his most recent feature-length documentary The Unknown Known. In addition to the retrospective, the festival is screening the director’s Top 10 favorite documentaries (see page 205). This program is supported by the Dutch Cultural Media Fund.

Errol Morris Retrospective Errol Morris Retrospective

Errol Morris Retrospective

Errol Morris’s Anti-Verité Aside from screening his Top 10 favorite documentaries, IDFA is honoring Academy Award-winning director Errol Morris with a retrospective. His films show a master of interviewing at work: talking heads who never quite say what you expect them to.

When Errol Morris interviews someone, he usually starts by saying that he doesn’t know where to start. A few years ago, exaggerating only slightly, the director described his method as follows: “I stick a camera in front of people and say to them, ‘I don’t have a first question, what’s your first answer?’”

Even before Morris (b. 1948) made his first film in 1978, he interviewed people on a regular basis for a book he was planning to write. That’s when he developed his personal style. Looking back on this period, he later said, “The goal in my interviews was to say nothing. I would play this game—I would come in for an interview, I would put my tape recorder on the table, and hopefully the other person would start talking. The game was to keep them talking, no matter what; to not interrupt, no matter what.”

His thinking was that people want to tell you their story. If you allow them to keep talking, they will give monologues revealing more than they may realize in the moment. That method may explain why people often say such unexpected things in Morris’s films. Like the eyewitness in The Thin Blue Line, who mentions in passing that murders happen wherever she goes—“even around my house.”

Obtrusive

Considering his style as a filmmaker, it might be surprising that Morris allows the people he interviews so much freedom to say what they want. After all—and the director has admitted as much himself—the things people say are often the only true documentary elements in his films. From his debut feature Gates of Heaven (1978) onward, his method was diametrically opposed to that of cinema verité filmmakers like Jean Rouch and D. A. Pennebaker. Instead of attempting to remain unnoticed while filming, Morris foregrounds the construction of his narratives in the most obtrusive ways: he uses artificial lighting almost exclusively, or he uses reenactments, animations and other constructed material. In Tabloid (2010), he adds to the entertainment value by inserting footage from old films that comically reflects on what’s being said. He is deliberately “anti-verité.”

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Just as remarkable is the fact that those reenactments aren’t used to show what actually happened. Sometimes, it’s just the opposite: in The Thin Blue Line, Morris creates images that illustrate eyewitness accounts of a murder, but make it clear that those accounts are definitely not true. Morris explained, “They’re illustrations of what people claimed had happened but which didn’t happen. They’re ironic. They make you think about the relationship of images to the world. About the nature of seeing and believing. About our capacity for belief, for credulity, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.” In other words, the fact that Morris allows people to speak freely doesn’t mean that he believes them or agrees with them. But he’s always interested in them. Not just in their stories, but in how they see themselves, and how that self-image is at odds with how others see them.

Interrotron

Morris’s films are instantly recognizable from the way he sets up his interviews: people are filmed in medium close-up or close-up against a neutral backdrop, looking straight into the camera. He doesn’t zoom in or out during a shot, but the point of view does change regularly, especially in his most recent films: the faces jump from the left side of the screen to the right, from close to farther away. It’s one of the many ways he forces the audience to stay alert, as if he doesn’t want their attention to wander for a single moment.

Errol Morris Retrospective Errol Morris Retrospective

Similarly, he usually opts for abrupt cuts, with a few black frames between shots, over smooth transitions. In The Unknown Known (2013), his film about Donald Rumsfeld, he flashes dictionary definitions on-screen whenever Rumsfeld uses a technical term, making sure the audience can keep up. He uses drawings, film clips and photographs that connect to the matter at hand in surprising ways, never giving boredom a chance to creep in.

Pariahs

At first glance the people that Morris puts in front of his camera don’t seem to have much in common. His subjects range from pet cemeteries (Gates of Heaven), a murder (The Thin Blue Line) and two former U.S. Secretaries of State (Robert S. McNamara in The Fog of War, Donald Rumsfeld in The Unknown Known) to scientist Stephen Hawking (A Brief History of Time), the photographs of torture and abuse in Abu Ghraib (Standard Operating Procedure) and the sensational stories the British tabloids told about Joyce McKinney in the 1970s (Tabloid).

Asked whether he sees an underlying theme throughout his work, Morris said, “There’s common themes I guess because it’s me picking the subjects. My wife once joked that I had only three interests: Nazis, insanity and death.” Another interviewer once argued that Morris has a preference for protagonists who are hated: a killer, a Holocaust denier, despised former politicians. Morris couldn’t deny it: “It’s true.

I like pariahs.”

Fast, Cheap & Out of Control

Morris developed an ingenious interview machine to capture his candid confessions called the Interrotron. The name reflects Morris’s background as a private investigator. Cameras are pointed at both the interviewee and Morris himself, and they each look at the other on a monitor—a variation on the autocue system. This “virtual eye contact” ensures that both speakers look directly into the lens. Even though he’s always filmed, Morris never appears in his films, although his voice can sometimes be heard.

Filmography

Gates of Heaven (1978), Vernon, Florida (1981), The Thin Blue Line (1988), A Brief History of Time (1992), Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999), The Fog of War (2003), Standard Operating Procedure (2008), Tabloid (2010), The Unknown Known (2013) http://errolmorris.com

But that doesn’t account for Fast, Cheap and Out of Control, his playful investigation of the relationships between human and animal, culture and nature—or his film about Stephen Hawking.

Morris’s interests are wide-ranging, that much is clear. The common thread is his profound fascination with people—weird, crazy, sad, special or ordinary people. Just let them talk.

Sietse Meijer is a film critic for Schift magazine.

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Errol Morris Retrospective

Fast, Cheap and Out of Control Errol Morris

An animal trainer, a gardener specialized in converting yew hedges into animal figures, an expert in the field of blind mole-rats and a robot technician are the protagonists of Errol Morris’ playful philosophical exercise about the relationship between man and animal, culture and nature. Morris himself describes his film as a story in four parts about the Sisyphus myth, but Fast, Cheap and Out of Control particularly demonstrates affinity with Albert Camus’ interpretation of the Greek mythological figure as an absurd hero. The tragic personage who was condemned to push a rock up a hill day after day, only to see it rolling down again as soon as it had reached the top, was described by Camus in his essay Le mythe de Sisyphe (1942) as someone who passionately endures his torment. With equal passion Morris’s protagonists tell about their missions: taming the untamable beast, controlling the growth of a plant, classifying an animal species that is modifying itself and adapting to its environment permanently, and putting together robots that can imitate animal movements. Morris constructed this cinematic essay with a great sense of the carnivalesque and the absurd.

USA, 1997 35mm, color / black-and-white, 82 min Director: Errol Morris Cinematography: Robert Richardson Editing: Shondra Merrill, Karen Schmeer Sound: Steve Benes, Fred Burnham Music: Caleb Sampson Production: Errol Morris for Fourth Floor Productions Inc., Julia Sheehan, Mark Lipson, Kathy Trustman Executive Production: Lindsay Law Screening Copy: Yale University

Errol Morris:

Gates of Heaven (1978), Vernon, Florida (1981), The Thin Blue Line (1988), A Brief History of Time (1992), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999), The Fog of War (2003), Standard Operating Procedure (2008), Tabloid (2010), The Unknown Known (2013)

www.errolmorris.com

Awards: Best Documentary Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, Truer Than Fiction Award Independent Spirit Awards a.o.

The Fog of War Errol Morris

How does modern warfare work? How do you distinguish between the rational and the emotional? Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara (1916-2009) was the architect of the Vietnam War, and there are many who hold him responsible for this catastrophic conflict. In his book In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam, McNamara offers 11 lessons that form the framework for a conversation in which he speaks candidly about his experiences as a student, the director of Ford Motor Company and a statesman. His deep interest in logic and aesthetics was already flourishing in his college days, but he is also remembered as a sophisticated politician with a penchant for statistics. The interview with McNamara himself is interspersed with archive footage and audio recordings of conversations with John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. This Oscarwinning documentary offers an engrossing perspective on the dark machinations of 1960s American politics. McNamara places great emphasis on the importance of perception.

How many soldiers should be allowed to die in the battle for a secure world? How can war be prevented? How do you define war crimes? He believed that a good leader should see war as a machine, one from which all emotion has been eradicated. Only in this way is it possible to avoid making major errors of judgment in the heat of battle.

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USA, 2003 35mm, color, 95 min Director: Errol Morris Cinematography: Peter Donahue, Robert Chappell Editing: Karen Schmeer, Doug Abel, Chyld King Sound Design: Tom Paul Music: Philip Glass Production: Errol Morris for Fourth Floor Productions Inc., Michael Williams for Scout Productions, Julie Ahlberg World Sales/Screening Copy: Park Circus Limited

Errol Morris:

Gates of Heaven (1978), Vernon, Florida (1981), The Thin Blue Line (1988), A Brief History of Time (1992) Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999), Standard Operating Procedure (2008), Tabloid (2010), The Unknown Known (2013)

www.errolmorris.com

Awards: Academy Award Best Documentary Academy Awards, Best Documentary Chicago Film Critics Association Awards a.o.

Errol Morris Retrospective

Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. Errol Morris

USA, 1999 video, color, 91 min Director: Errol Morris Cinematography: Peter Donahue Editing: Karen Schmeer Music: Caleb Sampson Production: Errol Morris for Fourth Floor Productions Inc., David Collins for Scout Productions, Michael Williams for Scout Productions, Dorothy Aufiero Executive Production: Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss World Sales: Horse Pictures c/o Lionsgate Films Screening Copy: Horse Pictures c/o Lionsgate Films

Errol Morris:

Gates of Heaven (1978) Vernon, Florida (1981) The Thin Blue Line (1988) A Brief History of Time (1992) Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997) The Fog of War (2003) Standard Operating Procedure (2008) Tabloid (2010) The Unknown Known (2013)

www.errolmorris.com

Awards: Best Documentary Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards

Fred Leuchter is a strange fellow. Because his father worked in the prison system, he was still very young when he saw the electric chair up close for the first time. He found it so fascinating that he began a business in execution equipment. In his heavy Boston accent, Leuchter talks about it with gusto while home movies visualize his story. In the United States, you don’t need a college degree to begin a career repairing electric chairs, setting up gas chambers, building gallows and developing lethal injection apparatuses. In the title sequence, Errol Morris introduces Leuchter as a Dr. Frankenstein, a symbol of human hubris, but then allows him to tell his own story throughout the rest of the film. From his remarkable point of view, he considers his life’s work to be humanitarian. Thanks to his designs, the death row prisoner dies more painlessly than in the past. And his equipment is cheaper to boot! When the Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel reaches out to him, Leuchter’s squeaky-clean reputation is called into question. Because of his ideas, Zündel is being prosecuted by the Canadian government and needs an expert to help him with his defense. It’s up to Leuchter to investigate if the gas chambers at Auschwitz really existed, and from this moment on things just get weirder.

Tabloid Errol Morris

USA, 2010 video, color / black-and-white, 87 min Director: Errol Morris Cinematography: Robert Chappell Editing: Grant Surmi Music: John Kusiak Production: Mark Lipson for Third Floor Productions, Julie Ahlberg Executive Production: Errol Morris, Robert Fernandez, Angus Wall World Sales: Dogwoof Screening Copy: Dogwoof

Errol Morris:

Gates of Heaven (1978), Vernon, Florida (1981), The Thin Blue Line (1988), A Brief History of Time (1992), Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999), The Fog of War (2003), Standard Operating Procedure (2008), The Unknown Known (2013)

www.errolmorris.com

Awards: Best Documentary San Francisco Film Critics Circle a.o.

In response to the court’s question as to how far she would have gone to win back her fiancé Kirk Anderson, ex-model Joyce McKinney had no qualms: “I would have skied down Mount Everest nude with a carnation up my nose.” Tabloid dissects the obsessions of an eccentric woman, who thought she had found the man of her dreams in a Mormon priest back in the 1970s. When Anderson broke off their engagement to go do missionary work in England, McKinney followed him, kidnapped him and attempted to overpower him by forcing him to have sex with her. Director Errol Morris doesn’t shy away from irony here: the interviews with McKinney and others, full of jolly jump-cuts, are interspersed with suggestive excerpts from old movies and commercials. We also get words that repeatedly appear as newspaper headlines on-screen: GUILT! IMPOTENCE! RAPE! Although McKinney has always enjoyed the attention, she ended up feeling publicly humiliated by the British tabloids, which she claims doctored photos to make them look risqué. The truth remains elusive, but McKinney’s obsessive disposition catches the attention of the tabloids once again when she has her dearly departed dog Booger cloned multiple times.

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Errol Morris Retrospective

The Thin Blue Line Errol Morris

Randall Dale Adams was serving a life sentence for the murder of a policeman when Errol Morris decided to make a film about his case, which first came to his attention while he was working as a private detective. Adams had always denied his involvement in the murder. Morris builds his argument entirely on the statements of those involved—the convict himself, the key witness, the judge, two lawyers, other witnesses and detectives. Thanks to the director’s “Interrotron” technique, they all appear to be addressing the viewer directly. Where does the truth lie in this case?

Morris leaves it up to his audience. He also puts viewers off the scent by repeatedly showing reconstructions of the shooting incident, each one filmed from a slightly different perspective and containing different details. In addition to this collection of contradictory stories, the candid interviews run the full gamut of human weaknesses: prejudice, competitive spirit, sensationalism and opportunism. Seldom have they all been displayed on-screen with such unsuspecting candor. And the questionable motives they betray appear to be encouraged by the Texas legal system. The Thin Blue Line gave Adams back his freedom: the publicity surrounding the film led to the reopening of his case, and ultimately his acquittal.

USA, 1988 16mm, color, 103 min Director: Errol Morris Cinematography: Robert Chappell, Stefan Czapsky Screenplay: Errol Morris Editing: Paul Barnes Sound: Brad Fuller Music: Philip Glass Production: Mark Lipson for Third Floor Productions Executive Production: Lindsay Law Screening Copy: British Film Institute

Errol Morris:

Gates of Heaven (1978), Vernon, Florida (1981), A Brief History of Time (1992), Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999), The Fog of War (2003), Standard Operating Procedure (2008), Tabloid (2010), The Unknown Known (2013)

www.errolmorris.com

Awards: The Influentials Cinema Eye Honors Awards, Best Motion Picture Edgar Allan Poe Awards, IDA Award International Documentary Association, a.o.

The Unknown Known Errol Morris

In The Unknown Known, Oscar-winning director Errol Morris offers a mesmerizing portrait of Donald Rumsfeld, the larger-than-life figure who served as George W. Bush’s Secretary of Defense and as the principal architect of the Iraq War. Rather than conducting a conventional interview, Morris has Rumsfeld explain his “snowflakes,” millions of memos he wrote across almost 50 years in Congress, the White House, in business and at the Pentagon. The memos provide a window into history—as Rumsfeld wants us to see it. Morris pays special attention to Rumsfeld’s linguistic gymnastics. Indeed, the title of the documentary is taken from a much-quoted Rumsfeld aphorism: “There are known knowns, there are known unknowns, there are unknown unknowns, but there are also unknown knowns: things that you think you know but that it turns out you did not.” But by focusing on the snowflakes, with their conundrums and contradictions, Morris takes us beyond this web of words and into the unfamiliar terrain of Rumsfeld’s mind, showing how the ideas, fears and certainties of one man, written out on paper, transformed America, changed the course of history and led to war.

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USA, 2013 DCP, color, 104 min Director: Errol Morris Cinematography: Robert Chappell Editing: Steven Hathaway Music: Danny Elfman Production: Errol Morris for Fourth Floor Productions Inc., Robert Fernandez & Amanda Branson Gill for Moxie Pictures Executive Production: Julian P. Hobbs & Molly Thompson for History Films, Josh Braun for Submarine Entertainment Screening Copy: The Festival Agency

Errol Morris:

Gates of Heaven (1978), Vernon, Florida (1981), The Thin Blue Line (1988), A Brief History of Time (1992), Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997) Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999), The Fog of War (2003), Standard Operating Procedure (2008), Tabloid (2010)

www.errolmorris.com

Awards: Best International Documentary Award Bergen International Film Festival, Best Original Score for a Documentary International Film Music Critics Award

SPECIAL FOCUS

Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015 In the 20 years since American political theorist Benjamin Barber published his seminal book Jihad vs. McWorld, his observations on the opposing forces of unchecked globalization and the recurrence of tribal forces have only become more relevant. This year, Barber has selected 15 films from the IDFA program that deal with these subjects today. Screenings will be accompanied by in-depth discussions. This program is supported by the Democracy & Media Foundation.

Benjamin Barber:United Jihad vs McWorld 2015 Jihad and McWorld: Against Democracy

Jihad and McWorld: United Against Democracy Twenty years ago, the American political philosopher and advisor Benjamin Barber (b. 1939) published Jihad vs. McWorld. At this year’s IDFA, he is presenting a selection of documentaries that reflect on the themes of this book and his subsequent work, which puts city mayors center stage.

In Jihad vs. McWorld, Barber describes the rise of jihadist impulses as a reaction to an increasingly uniform world. His McWorld is a completely globalized world in which all differences between traditions and cultures have been ironed out and every person has been molded into a consumer. It’s those consumers that jihadists feel they need to protect their religion, their laws, their clan or their territory from. For Barber, the word “jihad” isn’t applicable only in a Muslim context, but it can be used for any movement set against modern Western culture: fundamentalist Christians in the U.S., Chinese censorship of American TV and social media, and anarchist heavy metal bands.

But Barber also shows that a similarity lurks behind the opposition between jihad and McWorld: they both undermine democracy.

Jihadists do so because their interests are too sectarian to apply to an entire nation—there’s no room for opposition. The inhabitants of McWorld are no longer engaged as citizens, but only as consumers in countries where the market is king.

Longing for an island

Two decades ago, the symbols for the cosmopolitan consumer’s uniformity were McDonald’s, Macintosh and MTV: fast food, fast computers and fast music. Today, Macintosh has transformed into MacBook, iPad and iPhone. The company that broke through with the slogan “Think different” has ensured all those different thoughts are presented in the same way. Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, which Barber selected for his IDFA program, shows how after Jobs’s death, people all over the world held up iPads showing flickering candles to signify their mourning.

Twenty years after Jihad vs. McWorld, the holy war has incorporated the conveniences of McWorld, streaming images of torture and promotional material on iPhones and YouTube. And Barber’s interpretation of jihad is alive and kicking, too. Take Vladimir Putin, who supports his expansionism with the argument that Europe is bargaining away its identity, values and culture under American influence, and that Russia needs to save itself (and, really, everything between Lisbon and Vladivostok) from this fate.

In Barber’s version, jihadism is just as much a question of identity, of an eroding sense of community, of the fear of being absorbed into a larger whole in which everything is relative—a fear that’s just visible in the West. It’s no coincidence that Barber selected Welcome to Leith, which tells the absurd story of a white supremacist who plans to take over Leith, North Dakota, replacing the 24 families living in the tiny hamlet with likeminded friends and starting a community by their own standards.

Suddenly there are swastikas everywhere, and men with tiny moustaches march down Main Street. While the locals protest, the right-wing extremists lament a multicultural society, longing for an island to live among their own without outside interference.

Sense of community

Among the Believers

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In Barber’s view, democracy has the power to unite the indifferent consumer and the dogged fundamentalist. If we can turn the consumer back into a citizen who feels responsible for his neighbors and his own street, this will create the space for a kind of diversity in which the religious can move as freely as the materialists, without the need to draw a line in the sand. When governments stop leaving everything up to the market and redistribute wealth where it’s needed, they can ensure that more than just a few profit from the riches of McWorld, which in turn will lessen resentment.

Benjamin Barber:United Jihad vs McWorld 2015 Jihad and McWorld: Against Democracy

Film selection

3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets Marc Silverñoles (USA, 2015) Also screening in Panorama. See page 144.

Among the Believers Mohammed Ali Naqvi & Hemal Trivedi (Pakistan/USA/India, 2015) Also screening in Best of Fests.

See page 120.

At Home in the World Andreas Koefoed (Denmark, 2015) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary. See page 53.

Cartel Land

But the current political institutions are bankrupt, Barber fears.

Nations are too big to unite all of their inhabitants, and citizens don’t feel represented by their national politicians. Barber feels we can revive democracy by returning to its origins: the city-state. In his most recent book If Mayors Ruled the World (2013), he writes that mayors are pragmatists: they need to make sure that garbage is collected and that public transportation does its job, instead of getting bogged down in the ideological debates that hold national governments in their grip. Hao Zhou’s The Chinese Mayor follows Yanbo Geng, the mayor of the city of Datong in northern China. He only follows part of the doctrine of his Communist Party, focusing on the needs of his citizens first and foremost.

Barber has taken up an active role in realizing his ideas: he founded the Global Parliament of Mayors, uniting mayors from all over the world to discuss their shared problems and perhaps be able to influence their national governments. Cities could provide the sense of community that jihadists are now looking for within their clans. McWorld should restrain capitalism to provide an open society. If it works, we may conclude that McWorld and jihad are no longer relevant by 2035.

Nynke van Verschuer is a journalist for Vrij Nederland magazine.

Cartel Land Matthew Heineman (USA/ Mexico, 2015) Also screening in Best of Fests.

See page 122.

Checks and Balances Malek Bensmaïl (Algeria/ France, 2015) Also screening in Masters.

See page 108.

The Chinese Mayor Hao Zhou (China, 2015) Also screening in Best of Fests.

See page 123.

The Dybbuk: A Tale of Wandering Souls Krzysztof Kopczynski (Poland/ Ukraine/Sweden, 2015) Also screening in Panorama.

See page 151.

Land Grabbing Kurt Langbein (Austria, 2015) Also screening in Panorama.

See page 155.

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine Alex Gibney (USA, 2015) Also screening in Masters.

See page 115.

A Syrian Love Story Sean McAllister (England, 2015) Also screening in Masters.

See page 116.

This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees Mani Y. Benchelah (England, 2015) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary and the IDFA DOC U Competition. See page 66.

Ukrainian Sheriffs Roman Bondarchuk (Ukraine/ Latvia/Germany, 2015) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary. See page 33.

We Are Not Alone Pere Joan Ventura (Spain, 2015) Also screening in Panorama.

See page 165.

Welcome to Leith Christopher K. Walker & Michael Nichols (USA, 2015) Also screening in Best of Fests.

See page 141.

For Kibera!

Kati Juurus (Finland, 2015) Also selected for the IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary. See page 58.

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A Family Affair van Tom Fassaert IDFA openingsfilm

Mediafonds stimuleert

Mogelijk gemaakt door het Mediafonds, net als 20 andere Nederlandse documentaires op IDFA 2015 www.mediafonds.nl/idfa

SPECIAL FOCUS Sounds Real

This theme program in collaboration with EYE Film Institute Netherlands focusses on the use of sound in documentary. Five renowned sound designers have selected a film they have worked on themselves as well as a personal favorite in which sound plays a distinctive part.

Screenings of the documentaries will be followed by in-depth discussions. This program is supported by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.

Sounds Real Sounds Real

Sounds Real Invisibly present, though not always perceived on a conscious level, sound makes up an essential part of any film experience. While the image is constrained to the picture frame, ambient sounds hint at what’s beyond. Watching a scene, the sound is what draws us into it.

It creates an atmosphere and sets the film’s tone.

How is this accomplished, and who are the people behind it? Five of today’s most talented sound designers are featured in this year’s theme program Sounds Real. Kristian Eidnes Andersen, Alex Claude, Alexander Dudarev, Tom Paul and Michel Schöpping were all asked to choose one documentary out of their own filmography and another that they admire for its sound design. In addition to these 10 films, talks held prior to the screenings shed light on the vital role of sound in documentary and the creative process of sound design.

Pulse

Sound design continues to gain importance as an integral part of documentary storytelling—as it is demonstrated, for example, in Michael Glawogger’s classic Megacities (1998) and in Michael Madsen’s The Visit (2015). The body of work of IDFA’s special guest Errol Morris also contains ample illustration of the creative use of sound. It was the prolific New York sound designer Tom Paul (Palindromes, The Wolfpack) who worked with him on The Fog of War, “in a way a very easy film to sound-design,” as he remembers. “Errol is such a strong director that the style was simply mandated by the material. It asked for nothing

The Visit

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normal. It called for high-quality sounds filtered in a way that participated in the very specific and unique texture of that particular film.

While the work was at times complex, there was no ambiguity as to whether something was working or not.”

Sound designer and composer Kristian Eidnes Andersen, whose works include Only God Forgives, Ida and many of Lars von Trier’s films, specifically emphasizes the use of sound to change the viewer’s focus on specific characters, in addition to defining the film’s mood.

He refers to his work on Man Falling (Anne Regitze Wivel, 2015), about the artist Per Kirkeby, who’s struggling with brain damage. “There are a lot of things going on in Per’s head which we cannot relate to, or be aware of. So we wanted to let the sound work as an abstract element, which emphasizes how the brain is challenging his life.” Both Kristian Eidnes Andersen and Tom Paul talk about sound design as the art of creating a continuum, a flow that allows us to be taken on the journey that the filmmaker has in mind for us. In Andersen’s words, it’s “like a pulse that keeps the story running in a direction.”

Sounds Real?

The sound designers all alternate between documentary and fiction projects, and none of them handles the first all that differently from the second. It appears sound design is just as creative a discipline in both media. This also means that something that sounds “real” doesn’t always come from an “authentic” source, and the sound recorded on

Sounds RealReal Sounds

set can often use something extra to make it sound more realistic. Alex Claude, the sound designer who did the impressive job of recreating the atmosphere in the inside of a tank in the mostly studio-shot drama Lebanon, had Foley artists recording the sound of fabric rustling over skin, or a hand stroking hair in order to bring viewers closer to the characters in the gritty documentary Strung Out (Nirit Aharoni, 2015; selected for the First Appearance Competition see page 47). “Instead of realism it is actually hyperrealism,” Claude explains. “The sounds enter your conscience and make you experience the situation on-screen as if you were part of it yourself.”

Added sound can also be recorded on set though, as Michel Schöpping did on the locations where Battles (Isabelle Tollenaere, 2015) was filmed. Selecting and combining sounds from all the material recorded there, the soundtrack he made is like a heightened reflection of the reality of these places—thinned out here, condensed there, and with a slightly shifted focus. It’s an apparent paradox: the use of artifice with the aim of creating realness. But several of the sound designers can explain it with great clarity. “In the real 3D space of life, we have many sophisticated cues to help us understand what is happening around us,” Tom Paul points out. “We have a mechanism in our brain that filters the unimportant stuff out of our awareness. In the limited, 2D, sound and image-curated world of the cinema, it is our job as filmmakers to sculpt the experience of the viewer from moment to

moment. The sound guides the viewer to the important things that should be noticed.”

Inconspicuous

Interestingly enough, the sound designer’s work itself often goes completely unnoticed. Schöpping observed that none of the reviews of Those Who Feel the Fire Burning (Morgan Knibbe, 2014) made mention of the sound design, a key element in the subjective experience that the film directs the viewer into—and the reason why he chose this film as a favorite. Though he finds it striking, it doesn’t worry him at all.

“If nobody says a word about it, that’s actually the best compliment a sound designer can get.” Alexander Dudarev, sound recordist for many of Viktor Kossakovsky’s films, is just as thrilled with the inconspicuous power of “hidden” sound. “The little sounds that do not belong to the image, but that are almost indistinguishable from the synchronized sound… Where do they come from? Why do they remind you of something else—something you’ve just seen in the film, or even something you’ve experienced in your own life?”

Exploring the art of sound, as we are doing in interviews with the sound designers by author and critic Nicolas Rapold, also serves as a reminder of the manipulative nature of film. Be warned: films aren’t just to be watched. They’d better be listened to as well.

Sasja Koetsier is a film critic for film magazine de Filmkrant.

From the Dephts

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Sounds Real

Battles

Isabelle Tollenaere The Dutch poet and painter Armando introduced the term “guilty landscape” to describe places that had once been the scene of terrible events such as crimes against humanity, betrayal and murder. As well as being simply a witness, the landscape is often itself mutilated by war, violence or some other military display. The scars can still be found in fields and forests. Director Isabelle Tollenaere travels to four locations in Europe to document these places and demonstrate the effect that history has on populations living with the scars. In Belgium, she accompanies bomb disposal experts detonating 70-year-old bombs. In Latvia, she films a military training camp that has been transformed into a tourist attraction. In Albania, a bunker has been repurposed as a cowshed. In Russia, seamstresses earn their daily bread making inflatable weaponry that will serve as targets on a shooting range. Tollenaere uses these four icons of war—the bomb, the soldier, the bunker and the tank—to tell her story in four chapters. Dialogue is almost entirely absent, allowing ambient sound to take a leading role. Combining this with precise framing and an unhurried pace, the director creates a heightened level of concentration. These are the qualities that won Battles the FIPRESCI award at the 2015 International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Belgium, 2015 DCP, color, 88 min Director: Isabelle Tollenaere Cinematography: Frédéric Noirhomme Editing: Nico Leunen Sound: Kwinten van Laethem Sound Design: Michel Schöpping Production: Olivier Burlet for Michigan Films, Nazima Mintjes for Witfilm Screening Copy: Michigan Films

Isabelle Tollenaere: Still Life (2007) Trickland (2010) Viva paradis (2011)

The Fog of War Errol Morris

How does modern warfare work? How do you distinguish between the rational and the emotional? Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara (1916-2009) was the architect of the Vietnam War, and there are many who hold him responsible for this catastrophic conflict. In his book In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam, McNamara offers 11 lessons that form the framework for a conversation in which he speaks candidly about his experiences as a student, the director of Ford Motor Company and a statesman. His deep interest in logic and aesthetics was already flourishing in his college days, but he is also remembered as a sophisticated politician with a penchant for statistics. The interview with McNamara himself is interspersed with archive footage and audio recordings of conversations with John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. This Oscarwinning documentary offers an engrossing perspective on the dark machinations of 1960s American politics. McNamara places great emphasis on the importance of perception.

How many soldiers should be allowed to die in the battle for a secure world? How can war be prevented? How do you define war crimes? He believed that a good leader should see war as a machine, one from which all emotion has been eradicated. Only in this way is it possible to avoid making major errors of judgment in the heat of battle.

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USA, 2003 35mm, color, 95 min Director: Errol Morris Cinematography: Peter Donahue, Robert Chappell Editing: Karen Schmeer, Doug Abel, Chyld King Sound Design: Tom Paul Music: Philip Glass Production: Errol Morris for Fourth Floor Productions Inc., Michael Williams for Scout Productions, Julie Ahlberg World Sales: Park Circus Limited Screening Copy: Park Circus Limited

Errol Morris:

Gates of Heaven (1978), Vernon, Florida (1981), The Thin Blue Line (1988), A Brief History of Time (1992), Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999), Standard Operating Procedure (2008), Tabloid (2010), The Unknown Known (2013)

www.errolmorris.com

Awards: Academy Award for Best Documentary, The Influentials Cinema Eye Honors Awards, Best Documentary Independent Spirit Awards a.o.

Sounds Real

From the Depths Dal profondo Valentina Pedicini

Italy, 2013 DCP, color, 73 min

Valentina Pedicini: directing debut

Director: Valentina Pedicini Cinematography: Jacob Stark Screenplay: Valentina Pedicini Editing: Luca Mandrile Sound Design: Stefano Grosso, Riccardo Spagnol, Marzia Cordò, Daniela Bassani Music: Federico Campana Production: Alessandro Borrelli for La Sarraz Pictures World Sales: Slingshot Films International Sales Screening Copy: Slingshot Films International Sales

A subdued, fascinating descent into the last coal mine in Italy and the lives of the miners, including a woman. Slowly the camera drops to 500 meters (1,640 feet) below the surface, while the woman reminiscences in voice-over about the first time she went down. “This is our world. This is your home,” her father said at the time. There are a few of these more or less staged moments in this portrait of a dangerous, unhealthy and poorlypaid vocation. Most of the time, however, the film crew behaves like a fly on the wall. The viewer gets its information from the mutual discussions or press conferences during a strike. For a long time there have been talks of closure, and some employees are in favor of that themselves. “Coal is an old story,” muses the female mine worker, the only woman in a male-dominated world. One of the sporadic scenes shot aboveground emphasizes this fact, as we see that the mine overlooks a large wind farm. From the Depths captures the hard work itself as well as the camaraderie among the miners. The fear that their toil will ever be forgotten is allayed by this beautiful film.

Habitat

Victor Semeniuk

Russia, 1986 DCP, color, 26 min Director: Victor Semeniuk Cinematography: Victor Michalchenko, Sergey Skvortsov Editing: Victor Semeniuk, Victor Kossakovsky Sound: Leonid Lerner Production: Vladilen Kuzin for Leningrad Documentary Film Studio Screening Copy: Kossakovsky Film Production

Victor Semeniuk:

Pod’em (1983) Mesta Obitaniya (1986) Kazennaya Doroga (1988) Dom Romanovyh (1992) a.o.

This fascinating 1986 collage illustrates how the hardships of a Russian landscape don’t stop humans from making their home there. A snowbound home gets dug out, a truck ploughs its way through the white landscape, a man struggles through tons of snow with a tent that blew off. At the alien-looking base camp, dozens of tubular, steel containers are home to the men who work there. While snowdrifts accumulate against their steel cocoon, they drink hot tea between heavily blanketed bunk beds. Helicopter shots underline the immensity of the snowfield, which is home to large herds of reindeer and warmly wrapped nomads. Oil rigs rise on the horizon in the midst of the fairy-tale landscape; a giant frigate passes through grinding ice. Marching music and mysterious electronic sounds accompany this commentary-free film that underlines the contrast between the industrial invasion and nature’s imposing forces. The permanently gray skies and the omnipresent snow make Habitat seem black-and-white: only indoors does color reappear. A snowball fight reveals a white world that also offers its inhabitants joy.

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Sounds Real

Man Falling Mand falder Anne Regitze Wivel

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

The world-famous Danish painter and sculptor Per Kirkeby (b. 1938) suffered a stroke and fell down the stairs, and he’s now unable to paint to his own high standards.

Kirkeby worked with Fluxus artists Joseph Beuys and Nam June Paik, created panoramic landscape sequences for Lars von Trier’s Breaking the Waves and became famous for his monumental brick sculptures. After his unfortunate fall he lost the ability to see colors. Sometimes he doesn’t recognize his own paintings or even his wife. His good friend Anne Regitze Wivel follows him closely during his slow recovery.

She films everything with a sober approach—from daily discomforts to emotional, openhearted conversations. All Kirkeby wants is to get his old life back, but his physical and mental abilities are restricted. He describes being near-blind as living in a frightening shadow world. Wivel acts as a confidante, which means Kirkeby doesn’t have to hide his vulnerability. The tension between the wheelchair-bound artist and his energetic wife, who has to help while still making sure he can keep his dignity, is highly palpable.

Denmark, 2015 DCP, color, 105 min Director: Anne Regitze Wivel Cinematography: Anne Regitze Wivel Screenplay: Anne Regitze Wivel Editing: Peter Winther Sound Design: Kristian Eidnes Andersen, Thomas Jæger Music: Kristian Eidnes Andersen Production: Sigrid Dyekjær for Danish Documentary World Sales: Wide House Screening Copy: Danish Film Institute Involved TV Channel: DR

Anne Regitze Wivel:

Arbejde mod frihed (1980), Gorilla Gorilla (1983), Den lille pige med skøjterne (1985), Ansigt til ansigt (1987), Vand (Baby-svømning) (1988), David eller Goliath (1988), Giselle (1991), Søren Kierkegaard (1994), Slottet i Italien (2000), En gal, en elsker eller en poet (2005), Menneskenes land – min film om Grønland (2006), Svend (2011)

Anne Regitze Wivel & Allan de Waal:

Urmuseum, Dresden (1993)

Anne Regitze Wivel & Arne Bro: De tavse piger (1985)

Megacities

Michael Glawogger Simple craftsmen in Mumbai, petty thieves and prostitutes in Mexico City, assembly line workers in Moscow and a swindler in New York. At first sight, these figures, often living on the fringes of society in four metropolises, aren’t really connected.

The hawker in Mexico City sells drumsticks he cooked himself, while the hairdresser in Mumbai receives his customers in a converted garage. These two know nothing about each other’s lives, but they share a harsh, daily struggle for survival in which the likelihood of progress is minimal. Nonetheless, each of them holds fast to their own dreams. Director Michael Glawogger is primarily a superb photographer who, by selecting his images with great care, gets down to the heart of the matter without much comment. His visual composition and editing style is never exaggerated and he doesn’t embellish things, but demonstrates that a heroic urge to survive underlies the daily drabness and misery of life in a big city. Along the way, he also manages to reveal the individual character of each metropolis.

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Austria, Switzerland, 1998 DCP, color, 90 min Director: Michael Glawogger Cinematography: Wolfgang Thaler Editing: Andrea Wagner Sound Design: Ekkehart Baumung Production: Erich Lackner for Lotus Film GmbH, Rolf Schmid for Fama Film AG World Sales: Paul Thiltges Distributions Screening Copy: Paul Thiltges Distributions

Michael Glawogger:

Die Ameisenstrasse (fiction, 1995) Movies in the Mind (1996) France, Here We Come! (1999) State of the Nation (2002) Slugs (fiction, 2004) Workingman’s Death (2005) Slumming (fiction, 2006) Kill Daddy Good Night (fiction, 2009) Contact High (fiction, 2009) Whore’s Glory (2011) a.o.

Sounds Real

Russian Dream Sergey Debizhev

Russia, 2013 DCP, color, 52 min Director: Sergey Debizhev Cinematography: Kirill Arkharov Editing: Kirill Arkharov Music: Victor Sologub Production: Alexey Telnov for St. Petersburg Documentary Film Studio Screening Copy: Natalia Debizheva

Sergey Debizhev:

Golden Dream (1988) Red on Red (1990) Two Captains – 2 (fiction, 1991) Two-faced Janus (1992) Complex of Irresponsibility (1993) In Real Time (2002) India in Real Time (2003) The Golden Mean (fiction, 2010) The Last Knight of the Empire (2014) a.o.

After living in Saint Petersburg for 20 years, a scholar of Slavic culture named Marina Albee decides to take a trip inland in her old Volga. She goes in search of the “heart of Russia” on a road movie that implements everything from fairy-tale to music video styles. When her car breaks down, she continues her journey hitchhiking with truck drivers and finds herself at traditional festivities, remote farms in snow-covered forests, and romantic churches and palaces—all of which contrasts starkly with the waterlogged highways and shabby teahouses that she also encounters along the way. In the first part of the film, Albee looks back on what the past has brought her; in the second she turns her gaze to the future.

What is it that Russians need to be happy? She occasionally speaks in voice-over, musing on Russian history and the spirit of the country and its inhabitants, but most of the time she lets the film and music do the talking. She takes a snow bath with a bearded man living in the woods who tells her about his esoteric relationship with nature—but it turns out that he has a surprisingly modern job. Is this the new Russian lifestyle?

The assortment of film styles and atmospheres perfectly capture the disorienting diversity of a Russia that is romantic, tough, nature-loving, businesslike, poor and rich.

Those Who Feel the Fire Burning Morgan Knibbe

The Netherlands, 2014 DCP, color, 74 min Director: Morgan Knibbe Cinematography: Morgan Knibbe Editing: Xander Nijsten Sound: Taco Drijfhout, Noah Pepper, Jan Schermer Sound Design: Vincent Sinceretti, Taco Drijfhout Music: Carlos Dalla-Fiore, Juho Nurmela Production: Katja Draaijer & Frank Hoeve for BALDR Film Distribution for the Netherlands/ Screening Copy: Cinema Delicatessen

Morgan Knibbe:

A Twist in the Fabric of Space (2012) Shipwreck (2013)

The night is pitch-black, the sea stormy. Wild waves break on a little boat full of refugees, where a girl laments that she does not want to go to Europe. Suddenly an old man falls overboard. In vain he tries to grab the saving hands. Colored lightning flashes over a busy city seen from above. From that point on, the drowned man sees reality from another dimension. Unconventional and poetic in form, Those Who Feel the Fire Burning documents a serious social problem: the hopeless situation of the refugees who actually manage to make the crossing alive. The seeking soul of the old man hurries along the southern European border and dwells on the many disillusioned people, observing them calmly and up close. They would seem to be in limbo just like him, waiting on the edge of a presumed paradise. He sees people on the street chased away like dogs, follows an illegal worker and a drug-addicted mother and slips inside packed shelters. The voices of all these people blend together with his, creating a patchwork of loving memories, dreams and desires.

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Sounds Real

Tishe!

Hush!

Victor Kossakovsky Director Victor Kossakovsky describes this film as “a comedy.” Tishe! was inspired by both the first picture in the history of photography, View from the Window at Le Gras (1826-1827) by Nicéphore Niépce, and the short story Des Vetters Eckfenster (My Cousin’s Corner Window, 1822) by E. T. A. Hoffman. The latter tells the story of a paralyzed man whose sole contact with the outside world is the view from his window. Kossakovsky made what he calls an “accidental” film: “We don’t normally look at things that are right in front of us. This is in a way an example of what can evolve right in front of your eyes if you care to look.” From his apartment window, he filmed a St. Petersburg street over the course of a year, during endless roadwork in preparation for the city’s 300th anniversary celebration in 2003. Time and again, the street is ripped open and repaved. The film shows each repair from the same point of view, but with different lenses, at various times of day and in varying styles—realistic, surreal, abstract. “Tishe,” which is Russian for “Hush,” is the only word spoken in the film.

Russia, 2002 video, color / b&W, 80 min Director: Victor Kossakovsky Cinematography: Victor Kossakovsky Editing: Victor Kossakovsky Sound: Alexander Dudarev, Victor Kossakovsky, Ivan Gusakov Music: Alexander Popov Production: Victor Kossakovsky for Kossakovsky Film Production World Sales: Jane Balfour Services Screening Copy: Jane Balfour Services

Victor Kossakovsky:

Losev (1989) The Other Day (1991) Belovy (1992) Wednesday 19.07.1961 (1997) I Loved You (2000) Svyato (2006) ¡Vivan las antipodas! (2011) Varicella (2015)

Unmistaken Child Nati Baratz

Shortly after the death of Geshe Lama Konchog, one of the most revered Tibetan masters of the 20th century, his disciple Tenzin Zopa starts searching for his reincarnation. According to Buddhist teachings, after death we involuntarily reincarnate in another body. But enlightened beings can choose their incarnation, so they can keep guiding their followers and all others to enlightenment. For 700 years the tradition has existed among Tibetans to search for their reincarnated “precious ones.” During the cremation of the monk in the opening of Unmistaken Child, the signs point to the Tsum Valley, where Tenzin Zopa grew up and met Geshe Lama Konchog. Tenzin doubts himself: does he have what it takes to find his old master? His whole life has been dedicated to listening to the master, and he has done little thinking himself. But finding and demonstrating the reincarnation to the world is a thousand times more important than his own life, so he walks through the valley from village to village in search of a special one-year-old child. Then he finds a boy who reacts very strongly to the possessions of the old master. That broad forehead, those long ears. Could this be him?

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Israel, 2008 DCP, color, 102 min Director: Nati Baratz Cinematography: Yaron Orbach Editing: Ron Goldman Sound Design: Alex Claude Music: Cyril Morin Production: Arik Bernstein for Alma Films, Ilil Alexander for Ilil Productions World Sales: Merits Screening Copy: Merits Involved TV Channels: ITVS, BBC, ARTE, Channel 8

Nati Baratz:

directing debut

Sounds Real

The Visit

Michael Madsen

Denmark, Norway, Finland, Ireland, Austria, 2015, DCP, color, 85 min Director: Michael Madsen Cinematography: Heikki Färm Editing: Stefan Sundlöf Sound Design: Peter Albrechtsen Music: Øivind Weingaarde Production: Lise Lense-Møller for Magic Hour Films Co-Production: Indie Film, Mouka Filmi, Venom Film, Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion GmbH World Sales: Autlook Filmsales Distribution for the Netherlands/ Screening Copy: ABC Theatrical Distribution – Cinemien Involved TV Channels: DR, SVT, YLE, VPRO

Michael Madsen:

Celestial Night: A Film on Visibility (2003) Into Eternity (2010) The Average of the Average (2011) a.o.

Michael Madsen, Jeppe Debois Baandrup & Morten Kjems Juhl: To Damascus: A Film on Interpretation (2005)

Pitched at the Forum 2011

We’ve been fantasizing about an extraterrestrial visit for decades, but what would happen if it actually took place? How would we cope? Should we be afraid? These and many other questions are addressed in this philosophical film about a hypothetical initial contact with aliens. Scientists and space affairs specialists at the UN and NASA and in the British government cooperate in this cinematic simulation of the undoubtedly exciting meeting between extraterrestrial life and humanity. The interviewees speak directly to the unknown entities as if they’ve already arrived. From their own fields—politics, theology, sociology, biology or space science—they ask probing questions. What are you doing here? Do you have a sense of right and wrong? Do you carry bacteria that could make us sick? Are we hazardous to your immune system? Information specialists in the British government show how a first summit in this situation could go. How do you inform the public? Will countries work together? Is there a danger involved? Above all, the alien visit raises questions about the relation between our own history of exploration, colonization and warfare, and the expectations with which we approach the unknown.

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4-7 April 2016 // Cannes // France

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SPECIAL FOCUS

Don’t Blink: Robert Frank Alongside a special screening of Laura Israel’s documentary Don’t Blink: Robert Frank, IDFA and the Stedelijk Museum are presenting a selection of Frank’s own films. The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam simultaneously exhibits a number of Frank’s photos from its own collection.

Don’t Blink: Robert Frank Don’t Blink: Robert Frank

Don’t Blink: Robert Frank

The Camera Blinks, Like an Eye Honored with a retrospective of his films and photos at IDFA, Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank became famous with his photography book The Americans before turning to cinema.

Life didn’t want the photographs; the New York Times only printed one. The only mass publication to print a spread of the pictures was the monthly Pageant, in April of 1958. The first edition of The Americans, the book of photography that would make Robert Frank (b. 1924) famous all over the world, was published in May of 1958 as Les américains by the French publisher/curator Robert Delpire in Paris.

No American publisher would touch the photo series Frank had made while traveling through the United States in a used Ford coupe.

Les américains contained 83 pictures (of the more than 27,000 Frank had taken in late 1955 and early 1956), combined with French texts compiled by Alain Bosquet about the political and social history of America. The book was part of the series Encyclopédie essentielle, which introduced its French audience to foreign countries.

It took another year for the first American edition to be published

by Grove Press in New York. The anthropological French texts were replaced with an introduction by the American writer Jack Kerouac, who had just published On the Road. It’s a fitting hymn of praise to

Don’t Blink: Robert Frank

234 188

Frank’s images: “With one hand he sucked a sad poem right out of America onto film, taking rank among the tragic poets of the world.”

That first edition sold only 600 copies, and the book was slammed by critics. The magazine Popular Photography called Frank “a joyless man who hates the country of his adoption.” (In March of 1947, Frank had emigrated from Switzerland to the United States with only a portfolio of 40 pictures.) It went on to describe his work as “meaningless blur, grain, muddy exposures, drunken horizons and general sloppiness” and “a sad poem for sick people.”

No decisive moment

That response is somewhat understandable in hindsight: Frank very thoroughly broke all the prevailing conventions of his chosen medium. His black-and-white images (more black than white) of “the American Way of Life” are grainy and somber, his framing is unconventional and focus wasn’t his first priority. Unlike most photography of the time, Frank’s work doesn’t glorify; instead it demystifies and is far from uplifting.

Nevertheless, his critics soon fell silent. The book was reprinted again and again, an exhibition with the same title traveled the world and every photographer since has probably incorporated some part of Frank’s point of view—“You got eyes,” Kerouac wrote to Frank in his introduction to The Americans.

“I’m famous; now what?” Frank wrote to a fellow photographer.

He could easily have continued in the profession (he had successfully photographed fashion, earrings and handbags for Harper’s Bazaar), but he didn’t. In 1959 he laid down his Leica and picked up a film camera. “Photographs are always the past,” he said about his shift in focus. “When you make a film, you have a conversation. You have more contact with people. When you photograph, often you walk away.” Referring to French master photographer Henri CartierBresson, Frank said, “There is no decisive moment. It’s not about the beginning or the end, but the time in between.”

His first short film was Pull My Daisy (1959), for which his friend Jack Kerouac wrote the screenplay and provided the narration: “Pull my daisy, tip my cup, all my doors are open, all my thoughts for coconuts, all my prayers awaken, start my garden, gait my shades, now my life is spoken.” The camera blinks, like an eye.

Don’tDon’t Blink: Robert FrankFrank Blink: Robert

Don’t Blink: Robert Frank Laura Israel

USA, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 82 min

Mythical status

His most famous (or infamous) documentary is Cocksucker Blues (1972), shot with a small 8mm camera during a U.S. tour by the Rolling Stones. It’s cinema verité of the purest kind: the band members can be seen shooting up, popping pills and groping groupies. The fact that the Stones tried to bury the film and only allow it to be screened sporadically has added to its mythical status.

In 1968, Frank made his first feature-length film: Me and My Brother, a documentary essay about Beat poet Peter Orlovsky and his schizofrenic brother Julius. Frank would continue to make such unsettling films, in which he often turned the camera on himself and his own family. For instance, Life Dances On... (1980) is dedicated to his daughter Andrea, who died in a plane crash in Guatamala in 1974. It was far from the only tragedy that befell Frank in his lifetime, but he never stopped making films. He took up photography again, too, and returned to Switzerland in 2014 to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Roswitha Haftmann Foundation.

His secret? In Don’t Blink: Robert Frank, the commanding portrait by his longtime editor Laura Israel that is screened at IDFA, he gives the answer himself: “Be curious, don’t shake, and don’t blink.”

Jan Pieter Ekker is art editor for the Dutch daily Het Parool.

Photographer and filmmaker Robert Frank rose to fame in 1958 with the publication of his revolutionary photo book The Americans. In this film portrait, Frank looks back with great humor and candor on his personal and professional experiences—two tightly interwoven strands in the life of this close friend to the poets and authors of the Beat Generation. Director Laura Israel has been Frank’s editor since the 1990s. She transports us all the way from his youth in Switzerland right up to the present day, taking time along the way to focus on his early years as a photographer in New York and his great journey across America. Working in an unpolished, collage style closely resembling Frank’s own, Israel draws on an abundant resource of photos and scenes from his films, accompanying them with commentary from Frank himself—about discovering what’s important in life, family tragedies, fate and memory. Good friends and old acquaintances add extra color to the tale. They include beat poet Alan Ginsberg, cameraman Ed Lachman, photographer Sid Kaplan (Frank’s longtime darkroom man), and of course the artist June Leaf, Frank’s companion since 1971. But as Frank explains in an old interview, ultimately everything is to be found in the work itself. “Be curious,” he tells us.

Cocksucker Blues

Director: Laura Israel Cinematography: Lisa Rinzler Editing: Alex Bingham Sound Design: Christopher Koch Production: Laura Israel & Melinda Shopsin for Assemblage Films LLC World Sales: Submarine Entertainment Screening Copy: Submarine Entertainment Website: www.dontblinkrobertfrank.com

Laura Israel:

Windfall (2010)

Pitched at the Forum 2012

235 189

Don’t Blink: Robert Frank

Cocksucker Blues Robert Frank

Cocksucker Blues might just be the most controversial pop music documentary of all time. Robert Frank follows the Rolling Stones during their 1972 American tour to promote their album Exile on Main Street. This is the first time they’ve returned to the United States since the 1969 concert at Altamont, which got disastrously out of hand and ended in the fatal stabbing of a fan. The members of the band are under a lot of pressure and seek release in drugs, group sex and violent rows. Frank records it all up close and personal, even giving members of the band cameras to get closer to the backstage drama. The result is disconcerting footage of wild partying and escalating conflicts in the artists’ dressing-rooms and hotel rooms. The film that emerged was so controversial that Mick Jagger attempted to obtain a legal injunction to prevent it from being screened. The compromise eventually hammered out is that the film may only be shown at special screenings when Frank is present, and no more than four times a year. More than all the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, what really gives Cocksucker Blues such impact is its depiction of the loneliness and emptiness of the rock star lifestyle—a theme that’s very typical of Robert Frank’s work.

USA, 1972 video, color / b&w, 93 min Director: Robert Frank Cinematography: Robert Frank Screenplay: Robert Frank Editing: Susan Steinberg, Paul Justman Sound: Daniel Seymour Production: Marshall Chess World Sales: Museum of Fine Arts Houston Screening Copy: Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Me and My Brother (1968-1997), Conversations in Vermont (1969), About Me – A Musical (1971),This Song for Jack (1983), Run (1989), Hunter (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), Flamingo (1996), The Present (1996), Summer Cannibals (1996), I Remember (1998), Paper Route (2002), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005)

Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie: Pull My Daisy (1959)

Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer & Gary Hill:

Energy and How to Get It (1981)

Conversations in Vermont Robert Frank

In one of Robert Frank’s most personal documentaries, he examines his relationship with his children Pablo and Andrea. The two teenagers are attending a private school in rural Vermont rather than living with their parents in New York. In this loose collage of countless photos of the family intercut with conversations filmed in his customary, unpolished style, the director wonders aloud what the film is going to be about. “Maybe it’s about growing older, about past and present. It’s some kind of family album. I don’t know.” He asks Pablo and Andrea to reflect on their upbringing in a free-spirited artistic environment in New York, and on how their life has changed.

Pablo explains that his relationship with his father was always difficult, and that he’s now trying to put it into words for the first time. Frank confesses that he and his wife Mary just went ahead and did their own thing, and Andrea replies that she would have preferred “normal” parents. But agreeing on what “normal” means proves to be challenging. Pablo and Andrea are now living a very different kind of life. In the city you have to do everything yourself, but in the countryside things are less chaotic and there’s a greater sense of community. Andrea is visibly happy when she’s singing in the local choir.

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USA, 1969 16mm, black-and-white, 26 min Director: Robert Frank Cinematography: Ralph Gibson Screenplay: Robert Frank Editing: Robert Frank Sound: Robert Frank Production: Robert Frank Screening Copy: Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Me and My Brother (1968-1997), Life-Raft-Earth (1969), Cocksucker Blues (1972), Keep Busy (1975), (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), Flamingo (1996), The Present (1996), Summer Cannibals (1996), I Remember (1998), Paper Route (2002), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005) a.o.

Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie: Pull My Daisy (1959)

Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer & Gary Hill:

Energy and How to Get It (1981)

Don’t Blink: Robert Frank

Energy and How to Get It Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer, Gary Hill

USA, 1981 16mm, black-and-white, 28 min Director: Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer, Gary Hill Cinematography: Robert Frank, Gary Hill Screenplay: Rudy Wurlitzer Editing: Gary Hill Sound: Leanne Ungeer, John Knoop Production: Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer, Gary Hill Screening Copy: Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Me and My Brother (1968-1997), Life-Raft-Earth (1969), Conversations in Vermont (1971), Cocksucker Blues (1972), Keep Busy (1975), (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), Flamingo (1996), The Present (1996), Summer Cannibals (1996), I Remember (1998), Paper Route (2002), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005) a.o.

Robert Frank & Rudy Wurlitzer: Candy Mountain (1987)

Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie: Pull My Daisy (1959)

Robert Golka is an inventor with an ideal—a dream, an obsession. If he succeeds in achieving nuclear fusion using artificial ball lightning, he’ll be able to provide the world with an unlimited supply of energy. He works in a huge hangar in Nevada packed with equipment that looks like it came straight off the set of some old sci-fi movie.

As dangerous-looking lightning bolts shoot noisily back and forth, Golka explains the principles behind his experiments to his dog Proton. Robert Frank and scriptwriter Rudy Wurlitzer step into this surreal scene and take it a step further with an experiment of their own. They add fictional elements that transform this film project into a mockumentary of sorts. Dressed in a bathrobe, Robert Downey plays a skeptic from Hollywood, while underground author William S. Burroughs appears as Energy Czar. Golka encounters resistance on all sides, but he understands perfectly well that that’s because the big labs and oil companies won’t stand for any competition. He was willing to risk life and limb for the tests, but now he’s at the end of his rope. The only ones urging him on are his faithful companion Agnes and the musical duo Dr. John and singer Libby Titus— they perform an uplifting song for him on the piano.

Flamingo Robert Frank

USA, 1996 ProRes, black-and-white, 5 min Director: Robert Frank Cinematography: Robert Frank Editing: Laura Israel Narration: Robert Frank Narrator: Miranda Dali Production: Robert Frank Screening Copy: Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Me and My Brother (1968-1997), Life-Raft-Earth (1969), Conversations in Vermont (1971), Cocksucker Blues (1972), Keep Busy (1975), (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), The Present (1996), Summer Cannibals (1996), I Remember (1998), Paper Route (2002), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005) a.o.

Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie: Pull My Daisy (1959)

Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer & Gary Hill:

Energy and How to Get It (1981)

Long before it became fashionable, Robert Frank took snapshot-style photos: sloppily framed pictures taken in apparently nonchalant haste. But although they might seem arbitrary at first glance, Frank’s photo books tell a different story. Here, the photographs are placed in a carefully selected sequence and convey a clear narrative, and visual associations between them heighten the sense of the drama. The photographer himself is explicitly present—his own hand in the image, his own words scrawled onto the negative. When Frank moved into filmmaking in the late 1950s, he continued to use the keen eye he had developed as a “poet-photographer.” The camera is an extension of his body, and he’s an involved observer participating in the action—sometimes even influencing it. And when it comes to subject matter, he always looks close to home— sometimes literally, as in this short film in which he documents the building of a new foundation under his cottage in Nova Scotia. The montage of disorientating close-ups is intentionally jerky, and the sound has been erased so as not to distract from the rhythm of the cuts. The film’s title refers to the eponymous photo book he published a year before. The first pages feature images of a crow, which, it later turns out, is unable to fly— it hangs from a branch, dead. Things aren’t always what they seem.

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Don’t Blink: Robert Frank

I Remember Robert Frank

Robert Frank’s photos were raw and realistic in their explicit portrayals of everyday racism and poverty in rural America—something that wasn’t welcomed in the United States of the 1950s. This was the era of Eisenhower, optimism, Pax Americana and unbridled capitalism—Frank’s pictures didn’t fit in. It was only after his talent was acknowledged in Europe that he broke through in the U.S. Distrustful of this sudden embrace by the public, Frank immediately dispensed with his still camera and started making films. But they were actually a continuation and intensification of his photographic work. His direct and unpolished style allowed him to reflect not only on his surroundings, but also on himself, the meaning of photography and what role the photographer can and must play. In I Remember, Frank re-enacts a visit he made to the photographic pioneer Alfred Stieglitz and his wife, artist Georgia O’Keeffe. The man playing the role of Frank is the young French photographer Jérôme Sother, who also voices the director’s musings. Frank himself plays the role of Stieglitz, and Frank’s wife June Leaf, also an artist, plays O’Keeffe. The result is a duality in time, simultaneously remote and very close.

USA, 1998 ProRes, color, 7 min Director: Robert Frank Cinematography: Jerome Sother Editing: Laura Israel Production: Robert Frank Screening Copy: Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Me and My Brother (1968-1997), Life-Raft-Earth (1969), Conversations in Vermont (1971), Cocksucker Blues (1972), Keep Busy (1975), (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), Flamingo (1996), The Present (1996), Summer Cannibals (1996), Paper Route (2002), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005) a.o.

Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie: Pull My Daisy (1959)

Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer & Gary Hill:

Energy and How to Get It (1981)

Me and My Brother Robert Frank

As he said himself, initially Frank’s plan was to make a film about a poem by Allen Ginsberg. Nevertheless, during the shoot the focus shifted to Ginsberg’s partner, the Beat poet Peter Orlovsky, and his brother Julius. The catatonic Julius had just been released from a mental hospital, where he had received electroshock treatment for schizophrenia. The experimental, unsettling form of the film seems to be a reflection of how Julius experiences the world: detached from reality. “In this film all events and people are real,” says the text that appears at the beginning. “Whatever is unreal is purely my imagination.” The viewer has been warned. There is footage of a performance by Peter Orlovsky with Ginsberg, including Julius onstage, and of the two brothers in the apartment they share. But a psychiatrist who interviews Julius is played by the actor John Coe, who politely introduces himself and says that he is playing the role of the psychiatrist. When Julius disappears at one point, the actor Joseph Chaiken takes over his role. This creates a film-within-a-film in which Frank himself is played by a young Christopher Walken. More than 45 years later, Me and My Brother (partly black-and-white, partly in color) is still fascinating.

USA, 1969 35mm, color / b&w, 91 min Director: Robert Frank Cinematography: Robert Frank Screenplay: Robert Frank, Sam Shepard Editing: Robert Frank, Helen Silverstein, Bob Easton, Lynn Ratener Production: Helen Silverstein for A Two Faces Company Screening Copy: Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Life-Raft-Earth (1969), Conversations in Vermont (1971), Cocksucker Blues (1972), Keep Busy (1975), (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), Flamingo (1996), The Present (1996), Summer Cannibals (1996), I Remember (1998), Paper Route (2002), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005) a.o.

Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie: Pull My Daisy (1959)

Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer & Gary Hill:

Energy and How to Get It (1981)

238

Don’t Blink: Robert Frank

Paper Route Robert Frank

USA, 2002 ProRes, color, 23 min Director: Robert Frank Cinematography: Robert Frank Screenplay: Robert Frank Editing: Laura Israel Production: Ruth Waldburger for Vega Film AG, Robert Frank Screening Copy: Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Me and My Brother (1968-1997), Life-Raft-Earth (1969), Conversations in Vermont (1971), Cocksucker Blues (1972), Keep Busy (1975), (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), Flamingo (1996), The Present (1996), Summer Cannibals (1996), I Remember (1998), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005) a.o.

Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie: Pull My Daisy (1959)

Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer & Gary Hill:

When Vanity Fair wanted to interview him about a big retrospective show in Houston in the late 1980s, Robert Frank turned them down. Not because he didn’t want to do a story for one of the biggest American magazines, but because of the photo that would accompany the article, to be taken by star photographer Annie Leibovitz. Frank refused to be immortalized in some retouched glamor portrait. He felt more like a craftsman, a dogged immigrant who keeps plugging away and cares little about how things look on the surface. As a fellow-thinker of the Beat Generation, like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg he was always looking for the life of the common man in his work. In Nova Scotia, where Frank had a cottage, he found the common man in the person of Robert MacMillan. Like Frank himself, MacMillan spoke with a foreign accent and had little faith in the American dream. MacMillan takes his new neighbor along on his daily ride around the neighborhood, where he delivers papers. Frank hides behind his camera but remains present through the questions he asks. His portrait of this backwoodsman is loving, but also realistic: it is what is, and no more.

Energy and How to Get It (1981)

The Present Robert Frank

USA, 1996 35mm, color, 27 min Director: Robert Frank Cinematography: Robert Frank, Paolo Nozzolino Editing: Laura Israel Sound: Robert Frank Production: Ruth Waldburger for Vega Film AG Screening Copy: Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Me and My Brother (1968-1997), Life-Raft-Earth (1969), Conversations in Vermont (1971), Cocksucker Blues (1972), Keep Busy (1975), (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), Flamingo (1996), Summer Cannibals (1996), I Remember (1998), Paper Route (2002), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005) a.o.

Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie: Pull My Daisy (1959)

Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer & Gary Hill:

Born in Switzerland, photographer Robert Frank immigrated to the United States shortly after World War II. At first he felt happy and free in his new home country, but as a slow and thoughtful observer, he gradually started to feel uneasy with the speed of American life and the ever-present focus on making money—he began to feel lost and alone. This aura of the somber outsider has remained with him ever since and has unmistakably colored his oeuvre. His breakthrough work, the book of photographs The Americans, therefore presents a less than resoundingly optimistic picture of the United States. This sense of melancholy is also strongly felt in The Present, a seemingly formless succession of snapshots of his life in America, set in and around a New York apartment and a cottage in Nova Scotia. In this visual diary, Frank reads aloud letters, reflects on the premature death of his daughter Andrea and the mental health of his son Pablo. In the stilted language of the immigrant who never learned to pronounce the English “th” sound, he comments on his own footage as he is shooting it. Doubts about his artistry and the loneliness that goes with it resonate as he takes stock of his life.

Energy and How to Get It (1981)

239

Don’t Blink: Robert Frank

Pull My Daisy

Robert Frank, Alfred Leslie “Early morning in the universe.” So begins Robert Frank’s directorial debut, loosely based on a play by Jack Kerouac. It’s going to be a strange day in this cluttered loft on New York’s Lower East Side, home to railroad brakeman Milo and his wife, a painter.

Their dinner guest, a bishop, has only just arrived when a bunch of beat poets turn up. In fact it is Allen Ginsberg and some friends, all of whom appear as themselves in this film. “Behave yourselves,” warns Milo—but what can you do when Beat poets are such a mischievous lot? They are soon bombarding the bishop with philosophical wisecracks and questions about the sanctity of baseball. Everything we hear actually comes from the mouth of Jack Kerouac himself—he improvised the voice-over to accompany the film, which was recorded without direct sound. Kerouac’s wry and ironic retelling blends with the bebop soundtrack, and once he gets going, he even treats us to some high-quality freewheeling beat poetry, relishing the word “cockroaches” like a linguistic connoisseur. The bishop’s mother seats herself at the organ and the poets join in with swinging jazz sounds. Confusion increasingly reigns supreme in this cult Beat Generation classic.

USA, 1959 16mm, black-and-white, 28 min Director: Robert Frank, Alfred Leslie Cinematography: Robert Frank Screenplay: Jack Kerouac Editing: Leon Prochnik, Robert Frank, Alfred Leslie Production: Walter Gutman for G-String Enterprises Screening Copy: Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Me and My Brother (1968-1997), Life-Raft-Earth (1969), Conversations in Vermont (1971), Cocksucker Blues (1972), Keep Busy (1975), (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), Flamingo (1996), The Present (1996), Summer Cannibals (1996), I Remember (1998), Paper Route (2002), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005) a.o.

Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer & Gary Hill:

Energy and How to Get It (1981)

Summer Cannibals Robert Frank

The late 1970s marked the beginning of a period of domestic bliss for the godmother of punk Patti Smith. That’s when she left New York City to live in a suburb of Detroit, where she had a child and spent most of her time writing poetry. The death of her husband Fred in 1994 brought an end to that peaceful time. In 1996, she released her comeback album Gone Again, and a single from it titled “Summer Cannibals.”

She invited Robert Frank to direct the accompanying music video, probably because she identified with his image as an outsider, something he has always cultivated.

Frank’s most important experience in the area of pop music was directing the controversial documentary Cocksucker Blues. For that film he accompanied the Rolling Stones on their 1972 American tour, resulting in a shocking record of drug use, group sex and screaming arguments. But there was also the painful loneliness and the emptiness—and these moods are equally palpable in the video for Patti Smith. She may have returned, but being in New York City with her new band doesn’t really feel like a homecoming to her. The camera moves restlessly, as if unwilling to become too attached to a particular face. At the end of the song, Smith offers herself up to be consumed—cannibalism with a messianic flavor.

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USA, 1996 ProRes, color, 4 min Director: Robert Frank Cinematography: Kevin Kerslake Screenplay: Robert Frank Editing: Laura Israel Music: Patti Smith Screening Copy: Assemblage Films LLC

Robert Frank:

The Sin of Jesus (1961), Me and My Brother (1968-1997), Life-Raft-Earth (1969), Conversations in Vermont (1971), Cocksucker Blues (1972), Keep Busy (1975), (1989), It’s Real (1990), Last Supper (1992), Flamingo (1996), The Present (1996), I Remember (1998), Paper Route (2002), True Story (2004), Sanyu (2005) a.o.

Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie: Pull My Daisy (1959)

Robert Frank, Rudy Wurlitzer & Gary Hill:

Energy and How to Get It (1981)

SPECIAL FOCUS

Dutch Docs 65-90 and Their Shadows To coincide with the presentation of his new book on the subject, Bert Hogenkamp, media historian at the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, has curated a program of seven Dutch documentaries from the period 1965-1990, linked to seven international documentaries that can be seen as their counterparts in terms of form and content. This program is supported by the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision.

Dutch Docs 65-90 and Their Shadows

Dutch Docs 65-90 and Their Shadows Dutch documentaries made between 1965 and 1990 were often influenced by, made in reaction to, or coincidentally similar to foreign films. But they were rarely slavish copies of their foreign counterparts, argues Bert Hogenkamp.

The years between 1965 and 1990 aren’t generally known as a glorious era for Dutch documentary. Gone were the days when Bert Haanstra, Herman van der Horst and other representatives of the so-called Dutch Documentary School were picking up awards left and right, in Cannes, Berlin and even Hollywood. This next generation didn’t leave such a lasting memory. It was television that left its mark on Dutch documentary from the mid-1960s onwards, inspired by a new style of filmmaking: Direct Cinema.

Using lightweight 16mm equipment and small crews, young filmmakers sought to capture spontaneity and authenticity. The method gave young TV directors and filmmakers Roelof Kiers and Hans Keller the freedom to make films in the style of admired filmmakers like Richard Leacock and Robert Drew, whose films Primary (1960), On the Pole: Eddie Sachs (1961), The Chair (1963) and Happy Mother’s Day (1963) Kiers and Keller had presented on Dutch TV. Passing By (1968) by journalist Trino Flothuis and cinematographer Jan de Bont, a documentary about Dutch race car driver Ben Pon, was obviously inspired by On the Pole. But the two films turned out quite different. Pon is a talented but unambitious driver in contrast to the

charismatic Sachs, who is obsessed with winning the Indianapolis 500. Moreover, with its use of non-diegetic music and interviews, Passing By consciously flouts the “rules” of Direct Cinema.

Officials at KRO Television were very impressed with the National Film Board of Canada production The Things That I Cannot Change (1967), about the plight of the Baileys, a poor family living in a run-down neighborhood of Montreal, and felt that a Dutch equivalent was needed. Filmmaker Hans Koekoek spent several weeks at home with the Van ‘t Klooster family in a slum dwelling in The Hague to make People with Good Intentions (1969). Like its Canadian counterpart, the film helped to put urban renewal on the political agenda.

A much clearer example of imitation is offered by Stamping Ground (1971). In fact, the film’s subject—the Holland Pop Festival in Kralingen in June 1970—was itself modeled after the then-alreadyfamous Woodstock Festival of 1969. Mike Wadleigh’s Woodstock (1970) had reached Dutch theaters shortly before the Kralingen Pop Festival and was a big success. But despite the attractive festival line-up (including Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Canned Heat, the Byrds and Pink Floyd) and the talents of the mainly Dutch camera crew, Stamping Ground came nowhere near the quality of its American model. The lack of synergy between Dutch director George Sluizer and his German co-director Hans Jürgen Pohland seems to have been the main hindrance.

On the Pole

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But more often than not, the similarities between Dutch documentaries and international counterparts were coincidental. Take The Girl Chewing Gum (1976) by Royal College of Art student John Smith and Do You Get It No.4 (1978) by experienced Dutch filmmaker Louis van Gasteren, which both showcase manipulation on the part of the filmmaker. Another example is offered by two films made about the freedom African American jazz musicians encountered in Europe. In Smith, James O. – Organist, USA: Europe (1965), German filmmaker Klaus Wildenhahn follows American organist Jimmy Smith, who is enjoying the freedom and respect that he encounters during a European tour.

In Big Ben: Ben Webster in Europe (1967), Dutch director Johan van der Keuken follows tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, who had moved from the United States to the filmmaker’s home town of Amsterdam.

Similarly, within six months of each other, both Guardian-journalist Peter Lennon and Dutch television director Hans Keller made documentaries in Ireland. Interestingly, both filmmakers narrate their own films, and both use statements by Irish former UN diplomat Conor Cruise O’Brien in their political analysis. But whereas Lennon looks at his native country from the perspective of someone who had escaped its repressive atmosphere and seems particularly keen on revealing the stranglehold that the Catholic Church had it in, Keller is driven by curiosity and intrigued by the continuing influence of the Republican movement.

The idea that film could and should be put in service of “the working class” was prominent throughout the 1970s. Film collectives were set up, producing films about urgent social topics and screening them wherever audiences could be found. Having made a TV report on two union activists, director Pieter Verhoeff was allowed exclusive access to the 1973 strike at the Hoogovens steel mills for On Behalf of… The Union and Its Members (1973).

Similar insider privilege was granted to the London Cinema Action collective during the work-in at the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) from July 1971 to October 1972 and its aftermath, resulting in Class Struggle: Film from the Clyde (1977). Despite the differing goals of the strikes, the two films show many similarities, featuring charismatic trade union activists (Jimmy Reid and Arie Groenevelt) and tragic conclusions when both strikes end in defeat.

As we’ve seen, influences from foreign films in style and/or subject matter can often be discerned in Dutch documentaries from this period. But despite their admiration, Dutch directors were never interested in simply making carbon copies.

Woodstock

Cocksucker Blues

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Big Ben: Ben Webster in Europe Johan van der Keuken

Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster was already a living jazz legend in 1967, when, at the age of 58, he moved to Amsterdam for a year. Known variously as Big Ben, The Frog and The Brute, he had played in all the top bands, including the Duke Ellington Orchestra. In Amsterdam he rents a room from an elderly lady named Mrs. Hartlooper, who pampers him (“She treats me like her own son”) and even appears together with him on a popular TV talk show. In this short and playful film by Johan van der Keuken, we see Webster on the road with his instrument case, chatting with his landlady, musing on his past and rehearsing with other musicians, including jazz pianist Cees Slinger. Webster himself takes the 8mm camera and films the street and the director—he even influences the content of the film when he suggests that Van der Keuken shoot footage in a saxophone factory. The camerawork and editing suit the period and the subject. The film isboth fragmented and unpredictable, harmonious and abstract; its collage style and its unconventional and improvisational qualities all echo the art of jazz.

The Netherlands, 1967 DCP, black-and-white, 31 min Director: Johan van der Keuken Cinematography: Johan van der Keuken Editing: Johan van der Keuken, Ruud Bernard Sound: Yvonne Apol, Ryclef Rienstra Production: Johan van der Keuken for VPRO Screening Copy: Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid

Johan van der Keuken:

Een zondag (1960), Blind Child (1964), Beppie (1965), The Reading Lesson (1973), Filmmaker’s Holiday (1974), De Palestijnen (1975), The Flat Jungle (1978), De meester en de reus (1980), De weg naar het zuiden (1981), De beeldenstorm (1982), De tijd (1983), I Love Dollars (1986), The Eye Above the Well (1988), Face Value (1991), Brass Unbound (1993), Hexagon (1994), Lucebert, tijd en afscheid (1994), Amsterdam Global Village (1996), To Sang fotostudio (1997), Amsterdam Afterbeat (1997), Temps/Travail (2000), The Long Holiday (2000) a.o.

Smith, James O. – Organist USA: Europe (Part 1) Klaus Wildenhahn

In November 1965, the American jazz organist James Smith arrived in Frankfurt for his first major European tour. His Jimmy Smith Trio played in a double bill with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet. Making innovative use of the new portable cameras with synchronized sound recording, filmmaker Klaus Wildenhahn directed an account for German TV that captured the musicians both on and offstage. The career of Jimmy Smith is at its apex: with his fast improvisations on the Hammond organ, he has garnered a large group of admirers. While most of his followers in the United States are African-American jazz aficionados, his European audience comes from a more diverse background. In backstage conversations, black-white relations and the importance of jazz music versus the popular beat tunes are central themes. In Smith’s words, “On the stage we play the truth, no gimmicks.” The film is constructed according to the free structure of a jazz composition and shot in observational Direct Cinema style, only interrupted here and there by a voice-over that provides background information or translates what’s being said in the conversations.

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Germany, 1965 video, black-and-white, 55 min Director: Klaus Wildenhahn Cinematography: Rudolf Körösi Editing: Ria Uplegger Production: Hansjörg Pauli for Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) – Germany World Sales: Studio Hamburg Distribution & Marketing GmbH Screening Copy: Freunde der Deutsche Kinemathek

Klaus Wildenhahn:

Der Tod kam wie bestellt (1962), Bayreuther Proben (1966), John Cage (1966), 498 Third Avenue (1967), In der Fremde (1968), Harlem Theater (1968), Der Reifenschneider und seine Frau (1969), Harburg bis Ostern (1972), Die Liebe zum Land (1975), Der Mann mit der roten Nelke (1975), Was tun Pina Bausch und ihre Tänzer in Wuppertal?

(1983), Stilllegung (1988), Reise nach Ostende (1990), Freier Fall: Johanna K. (1993), Ein kleiner Film für Bonn (2000) a.o.

Dutch Docs 65-90 and Their Shadows

Do You Get It No. 4 Louis van Gasteren

The Netherlands, 1978 DCP, color, 15 min Director: Louis van Gasteren Cinematography: Louis van Gasteren, Hans Visser Editing: Louis van Gasteren Production: Joke Meerman for Spectrum Film Screening Copy: Spectrum Film

Louis van Gasteren:

Brown Gold (1952), Crossing the Sahara (1953), New Village on New Land (1960), All Birds Have Nests (1961), The House (fiction, 1961), Warffum (1962), Mayday (1963), Jazz and Poetry (1964), Because My Bike Stood There (1966), Do You Get It No. 1 (1967), Now Do You Get It Why I Am Crying? (1969), Report From Europa, No. 1 (1971), Report From Khartoum (1971), Multinationals (1974), Open the Grave (1979), A Matter of Level (1989), The Price of Survival (2003), Nagele Revisited (2011), There Is No Plane for Zagreb (2012), Wassenaar’s Beacon (2014)

From the balcony of his hotel, Louis van Gasteren allows his gaze to roam across the village street below. The inhabitants of this little village in Sardinia are going about their daily business, while Van Gasteren wonders about the best way to capture it all.

Not everything pleases him. The children and the old woman are good, but the girl in the fish shop isn’t on script. That will take a lot of sorting out. He refers to the villagers as extras, and the walls of the buildings as his backdrops. Look, there’s that little street again—only the props and the signs are very different. That tree on the left, and those steps, and the green in the distance—weren’t they all there just now, too? The subtitle of this intriguing exercise in looking and thinking about what’s real in the “reality” of film is “An Observation by Louis van Gasteren.” Suddenly, it’s as if everything that takes place on the street is seeking to fulfill Van Gasteren’s wishes, until a child breaks the illusion by suddenly looking into the camera. And just when we think we get it, there’s that man with the ladder again!

www.louisvangasteren.nl

The Girl Chewing Gum John Smith

UK, 1976 DCP, black-and-white, 12 min Director: John Smith Cinematography: John Smith Editing: John Smith Narration: John Smith Narrator: John Smith Production: John Smith Screening Copy: Lux

John Smith:

Associations (1975), Leading Light (1975), Hackney Marshes (1978), Shepherd’s Delight (1984), Om (1986), The Black Tower (1987), Slow Glass (1991), Gargantuan (1992), Home Suite (1994), Blight (1996), The Waste Land (1999), Regression (1999) a.o.

John Smith & Ian Bourn: The Kiss (1999)

John Smith & Graeme Miller:

Who has never dreamed of playing God, of sitting in the Great Director’s chair in the sky just for a while? This film plays with this desire using a role-reversal trick. Filmmaker John Smith constantly gives directions over images produced by a static camera: “Now I want the man on the left to cross the street,” giving the impression that the seemingly random London street scenes have been deliberately created. It seems like actors are following his directions with the greatest precision, even though they look for all the world like accidental passersby. When the director’s voice stops for a few seconds, all structure to the scenes is lost. The incessant ringing of a bell is so irritating that we want to urge the director to intervene and seize control of his film again. The Girl Chewing Gum is a simple yet effective joke, which throws out interesting questions along the lines of “What came first, the chicken or the egg,” and examines the human desires to bring order to chaos and to find a deeper meaning in everything.

Lost Sound (2001)

www.johnsmithfilms.com

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On Behalf of... The Union and Its Members

Namens... De bond en de achterban Pieter Verhoeff

In February 1973, laborers from the Dutch steel company Royal Hoogovens decided to go on strike. They wanted to ensure a fairer distribution of money and responsibility. The mainly male workers fought with conviction for solidarity and against big business. Pieter Verhoeff and his camera crew set themselves up from day one in the factory to document the course of events. Verhoeff soaks up the atmosphere in the smoky canteen, shows us half-empty factories, witnesses heated meetings and talks with the management, striking workers, the union leader and those willing to work.

Frustrated employees speak candidly about their motives. During the two weeks of the strike, everyone remains remarkably civilized; vandalism and violence are nowhere to be seen in 1973. The camera crew moves about unhindered, and Verhoeff gains easy access to the higher echelons where overwhelmed managers willingly have their say.

Filmed over the course of those 15 exciting strike days, On Behalf of… The Union and Its Members reveals a country that would rapidly change in the decades to come.

The Netherlands, 1973 DCP, color, 42 min Director: Pieter Verhoeff Production: Benny Vreden Produkties, VPRO World Sales: VPRO Screening Copy: Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid

Pieter Verhoeff:

Rudi Schokker huilt niet meer (fiction, 1974), Big Charles Small Charles (fiction, 1974), The Mark of the Beast (fiction, 1980), Dynamische krachten (1982), The Dream (fiction, 1985), Blindeman (fiction, 1986), Count Your Blessings (fiction, 1987), The Sunday Child (fiction, 1992), De langste reis (fiction, 1996), Mates (fiction, 1999), The Moving True Story of a Woman Ahead of Her Time (fiction, 2001), Everything Has a Reason (2003), Een gelukkige hand (fiction, 2005), The Letter for the King (fiction, 2008)

Class Struggle: Film from the Clyde Cinema Action

In 1971, the Cinema Action film collective, set up to document working class struggle and to produce campaign films to accompany protests, was the only film crew allowed into the occupied shipyards on the Upper Clyde near Glasgow, where the collective had previously shot the short campaign film USC I. Under the leadership of Jimmy Reid (later a Labour Party politician), the union had occupied the yards after the British Conservative government had decided to stop financial support to the big four shipyards, meaning redundancy for the vast majority of personnel. This was followed by a work-in, in which the workers took over every aspect of the day-to-day operation of the yards. It was 18 months before negotiations were brought to a successful conclusion. This unique piece of reportage by Cinema Action was filmed from inside the heart of the protest movement: in the workplace, during press conferences and in smoky back rooms where the union leaders discussed what exactly the final aim of the movement was: to protect thousands of jobs or to go further and take on capitalism itself. The documentary is a model of activist cinema, which—according to director and co-founder of Cinema Action Ann Guedes—sets itself apart from the mainstream media by actually devoting attention to workers’ views.

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UK, 1977 video, black-and-white, 83 min Director: Cinema Action Cinematography: Cinema Action Editing: Cinema Action Production: Cinema Action Screening Copy: Platform Films

Cinema Action:

Not a Penny of the Rent (1968) London Transport (1969) Squatters (1970) Gec (1970) Fighting the Bill (1970) Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (1971) Arise Ye Workers (1973) The Miners’ Film (1975) So That You Can Live (1980)

Dutch Docs 65-90 and Their Shadows

Passing By

Trino Flothuis, Jan de Bont

The Netherlands, 1968 DCP, black-and-white, 31 min Director: Trino Flothuis, Jan de Bont Cinematography: Jan de Bont Production: Ine Waltuch for VPRO World Sales: VPRO Screening Copy: Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid Involved TV Channel: VPRO

Jan de Bont:

Speed (1994) Twister (1996) Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) The Haunting (1999) Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)

Trino Flothuis: directing debut

Passing By is a short, humorous portrait of the Dutch racing driver Ben Pon. Born in 1936, this wealthy son of a Volkswagen importer once raced in Formula One and also competed in the 1972 Olympics clay pigeon shooting event. Director and sports journalist Trino Flothuis follows him throughout a year in which just about everything goes wrong and he loses his appetite for racing. Footage shot on and around the circuit is juxtaposed with scenes of Pon’s private life and his love for hunting. The film’s protagonist is blasé about his talents and successes, but his fellow sportsmen shower him with praise. In the words of racing driver Tonio Hildebrand, “Pon is a true racer; unlike your average professional driver of today he doesn’t shun the occasional drink and beer—he’s a bit tubby—but he’ll still grab his opportunity to drive the fastest time on the Nürburgring.” Perhaps the most striking aspect of the film is the fluid camerawork by Jan de Bont (Turkish Delight and The Fourth Man), who would later go to Hollywood to direct action movies such as Speed and Twister. During one particular interview, his camera drifts off to focus on the deeply plunging neckline of an interviewee—it’s a typical example of the free and nonchalant style of this documentary.

On the Pole Robert Drew

USA, 1960 16mm, black-and-white, 58 min Director: Robert Drew Co-director: Richard Leacock Cinematography: Richard Leacock, D.A. Pennebaker, Albert Maysles Editing: Robert Drew, Richard Leacock Narration: Robert Drew Narrator: Joseph Julian Production: Robert Drew for Drew Associates Co-Production: Time Inc. Executive Production: Robert Drew World Sales: Drew Associates Screening Copy: Academy Film Archive

Robert Drew:

Primary (1960) Yanki No! (1960) Adventures on the New Frontier (1961) The Chair (1963) Faces of November (1964) Storm Signal (1966) The Sun Ship Game (1971) On the Road with Duke Ellington (1974) For Auction: An American Hero (1986) Kennedy vs. Wallace: A Crisis up Close (1988) From Two Men and a War (2005) A President to Remember (2008) a.o.

The camera is in the back of famous racing driver Eddie Sachs’s car—a shiny new 1959 Buick sedan—as he drives to the circuit where the next day he’ll line up in pole position for the Indianapolis 500, the most famous car race in the United States. The year is 1960.

Talking over his shoulder, Sachs speaks in detail and with fervor about the technical aspects of racing, about his near-fatal accident in the previous year’s race and how he has prepared for the race ahead. This is a masterly opening to a documentary about car racing that has since become recognized as a classic of the genre. The hands of several masters are revealed in the final credits: legendary filmmakers Richard Leacock, D. A. Pennebaker, Bill Ray, Abbot Mills and Albert Maysles all worked on this documentary. The atmosphere of the race, the personality of the driver and the anxiety felt by his wife are all recorded with merciless accuracy. The cameras are everywhere, not missing a single detail, including the accidents—but respecting Sachs’s dignity when he’s unable to hold back tears just before the start, and after a quick prayer.

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People with Good Intentions Mensen van goede wil Hans Koekoek

While Rinus van ’t Klooster spends his days sleeping and nights working, his wife takes care of their seven children. The year is 1969, and the family lives in a cramped three-room apartment in the ghetto of The Hague. The hygiene situation is also nothing to write home about, according to their son: “You can’t study when there are rats in the house.” The terrible living conditions exert an influence on the family. In a heavy Hague accent, Rinus’s wife tells us about her daughters’ bedwetting and the beatings she used to receive from her alcoholic husband. People of Good Will isn’t only a document of poverty in the 1960s, but also a nostalgic reflection on what life was like back then. We observe as one daughter fills the stove with coal, the baby gets a bath in a little tub and they all dance to the music of Pete Seeger. In this manner, we see both their abject poverty and a more personal side of them. After the film was broadcast on TV on May 11, 1969, riots broke out in the neighborhood and the family had to go into hiding. In the eyes of the residents, they had brought shame to the neighborhood. As a result, the municipal government was pushed into action and enacted plans to improve livability in the city.

The Netherlands, 1969 DCP, black-and-white, 42 min Director: Hans Koekoek Production: KRO World Sales: KRO Screening Copy: Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid

Hans Koekoek:

De nacht voor maandag (1964), Jan Bijlmer en de flatneurose (1971), Gamma (1974), Met zijn allen ziek zijn (1976), Tot de laatste dag (1978), Leren leven (1980), Televizier XI/39 (1980), Het Groenestein-syndroom (1983), Hoe dood zijn onze doden? (1984), Jonge mensen nu (1991), Daar ben ik het levende bewijs van (1992), In de geest van Willink (1993), Leven voor de dood (1994), Een andere blik op Willink (1995)

www.hanskoekoek.nl

The Things I Cannot Change Tanya Ballantyne

Three weeks with a lively family consisting of parents Kenneth and Gertrude Bailey and their nine children in Montreal reveal the poverty in North America in 1967.

Kenneth is a cook, but he hasn’t had regular work for two years. The welfare check covers the rent, the church hands out bread, but there’s a tenth little bundle of joy on the way. The problems start stacking up when Kenneth has a falling out with a man who owes him money. Talkative and indefatigable, Kenneth swings wildly between feeling pride and love for his children, apparently indestructible optimism, and despair. His wife Gertrude looks on in resignation. Handheld black-and-white close-ups of the family in the privacy of their home are intercut with exterior shots showing the children in front of their apartment, which is on a busy main road. We occasionally hear the voice of director Tanya Ballantyne when she asks a question.

This was the forerunner to a series of participatory documentaries through which the filmmakers hoped to bring about social and political change by giving a voice to the voiceless. The title comes from the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr, and can be interpreted as an invitation to policymakers and politicians to do something about the situation sketched out in the film.

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Canada, 1967 DCP, black-and-white, 55 min Director: Tanya Ballantyne Cinematography: Paul Leach Editing: William Brind Sound: Roger Hart Production: John Kemeny for National Film Board of Canada Screening Copy: National Film Board of Canada

Tanya Ballantyne:

The Merry-Go-Round (1966), Courage to Change (1986), Nurses: The Heart of the System (1992), Nurses Care: A More Holistic Approach (1992), Nurses Care: I’ll Be Your Nurse Today (1992), Nurses Care: It’s a Boy! (1992), Nurses Care: The Old Folks Down Home (1992), Nurses Care: One Day at a Time (1993)

Tanya Ballantyne and Merrily Weisbord:

Ted Allan: Minstrel Boy of the Twentieth Century (2002)

Dutch Docs 65-90 and Their Shadows

Stamping Ground

Hans Jürgen Pohland, George Sluizer

Germany, 1971 DCP, color, 83 min Director: Hans Jürgen Pohland, George Sluizer Cinematography: Jan de Bont, Mat van Hensbergen, Paul van den Bos, Fred van Kuyk, Hans Menke Editing: Roger Spottiswoode Production: Wolf Schmid & Samuel Waynberg for Metropolis Film Produktion Screening Copy: EYE Film Instituut Nederland

Hans Jürgen Pohland:

Pferde – heute, gestern und morgen (1956), Hunde – mit Liebe erzogen!

(1956), Tobby (fiction, 1961), Wenn ich Chef wäre (fiction, 1962), Dieser Mann und Deutschland (fiction, 1966), Katz und Maus (fiction, 1967), Tamara (fiction, 1968), Things Fall Apart (fiction, 1971), Warum die UFOs unseren Salat klauen (fiction, 1980), Die Rebellen von Oberhausen (2012) a.o.

George Sluizer:

Hold Back the Sea (1961), Ireland (1966), Spoorloos (fiction, 1988), The Vanishing (fiction, 1992), Homeland (2010), Dark Blood (fiction, 2012) a.o.

In 1970, famous bands including the Byrds, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat and Santana converged upon the urban woods in Rotterdam for the Holland Pop Festival; the Dutch version of the world-famous Woodstock of 1969. The event drew an estimated 150,000 music lovers, and it was the first major popular music festival to be organized on the European continent. George Sluizer and co-director Hans Jürgen (Jason) Pohland, assisted by several cameramen including Jan de Bont, made this comprehensive documentary of the music festival. The cameras are onstage with the artists, at the very heart of the action. But there are also shots from a helicopter and on the field among the concertgoers, who undeniably exude peace, love and happiness. These were the days when it was OK to be taking bong hits topless, and when singing along in your birthday suit wasn’t regarded as a provocation. Shirtless white chests, brown corduroys and colorful tie-dye fabric brighten the sweltering woods. In the meantime, kids are running around and people cool off in the nearby lake. The music performances and atmospheric shots are blended with interviews with the musicians, who are as concerned with peace and love as their audience.

Woodstock Mike Wadleigh

USA, 1970 DCP, color, 184 min Director: Mike Wadleigh Cinematography: Don Lenzer, Malcolm Hart, David Myers, Al Wertheimer, Richard Pearce Editing: Mike Wadleigh, Martin Scorsese, Thelma Schoonmaker, Stan Warnow, Jere Huggins Production: Bob Maurice for Wadleigh-Maurice, Ltd. Screening Copy: Park Circus Limited

Mike Wadleigh:

Wolfen (fiction, 1981) Woodstock: The Lost Performances (1990) Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock (1999)

Awards: Academy Award For Best Feature Documentary Academy Of Motion Picture Art And Sciences

An Oscar-winning report on all the facets of the legendary three-day Woodstock music festival in 1969, from building the stage to portraits of enthusiastic attendees. Often edited in split screen, the sometimes ecstatic performances by famous artists of the day including The Who, Joe Cocker, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix alternate with thematically grouped, atmospheric impressions and brief interviews on and around the site. These include a yoga class, children playing, hippies skinny-dipping, rampant acid use, grumbling or pleasantly surprised neighbors, teens calling home, the toilet cleaner and the renowned mudslide after a thunderstorm. There are helicopter shots of congested roads, we hear people worry about food and water supplies and how the artists are overwhelmed by the size of the crowd.

From the over 100 hours of raw footage shot by seven cameramen, director Michael Wadleigh edited this classic document of 1960s counterculture with the help of Thelma Schoonmaker and assistant director Martin Scorsese. Woodstock is about the desire for freedom, happiness, anti-materialism, love and mind-expanding drugs in a turbulent era during which—as a young man explains it—“people are very lost.” The festival embodied the ideal that people could peacefully coexist with the joint objective of simply being happy.

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Dutch Docs 65-90 and Their Shadows

There’s Always the Mailboat Er gaat iedere dag een boot Hans Keller

“The past here in Ireland is impervious as a stone. And who knows what age a stone can reach? But the romantic veil draped around this country is wearing thin.” In the late 1960s, Hans Keller provided an expositional commentary for his documentary on Ireland using pertinent, sometimes even poetic formulations. In this black-and-white film, footage (often shot from in a car) ranging from Irish churches and factories to tourists in horses and buggies and empty landscapes dotted with empty houses is interspersed with interviews on the major causes and consequences of the melancholy state of the country at the time. A country that has been independent since 1916, but one that still—in Keller’s words—“is aiming for a kind of freedom that does not yet seem to have been won.” The economy, dominated by foreign companies; the conservative family politics; the crisis within Irish television; IRA activity—many themes are covered in this cinematic reportage, richly accompanied by familiar classical, popular and Irish nationalist music. While English director David Lean found the ideal backdrop for his historical melodrama Ryan’s Daughter in Ireland, countless Irish were leaving their gloomy homeland, too restless to wait for better times. In Keller’s words, “Saying farewell is a daily ritual here. There’s always the mailboat.”

The Netherlands, 1969 DCP, black-and-white, 63 min Director: Hans Keller Cinematography: Mat van Hensbergen Editing: Fred van Dijk Production: VPRO Screening Copy: Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid

Hans Keller:

Kleine wereldburgers (1962), Silhouet (1966), Terugkeer naar het zilvermeer (1973), Een verre stem uit Pella (1977), Emma! (1979), De sprong (1981), Vijf en twintig jaar journaal (1981), Berlijn – de zon is geel (1982), Amsterdam – de ontstelde ruimte (1982), Het gezicht van de stilte (1982), Op zicht (1982), Rembrandt & Co (1983), Nederland C (1987), Bad Girls of Music (1995), Het alfabet van Remco Campert (1996), De vrouw met de camera: Letizia Battaglia (2001), IM Netty Rosenfeld (2002), Letland ontketend (2004) a.o.

Rocky Road to Dublin Peter Lennon

During the 1916 Easter Uprising, Ireland gained its independence from Great Britain. Some 50 years after this turning point, Irish journalist and filmmaker Peter Lennon takes stock of the situation on the basis of interviews and archive research.

What do you do with a revolution once it’s achieved? By detaching itself from the British, Ireland ended up in cultural isolation. In order to oppose the former rulers, far-reaching measures are devised: the Gaelic Athletic Association imposes a ban on playing or watching “foreign sports” including soccer, cricket, rugby and hockey.

But there are also obstacles thrown up on a broader societal level. The Church has a particularly significant influence on political policy and family life: in the mid-1960s, matters such as emancipation and birth control are on the back burner. Sex is taboo, contraception is a sin and mixed schools or sport clubs are out of the question.

Newspapers are subject to censorship and by and large tied to a diocese; the list of banned, “sinful” books leads to an exodus of Irish writers. And even though the general outcome isn’t particularly positive, this Irish self-study is richly peppered with cheerful folk songs and nostalgic footage.

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Ireland, 1968 video, black-and-white, 69 min Director: Peter Lennon Cinematography: Raoul Coutard Editing: Lila Biro Sound: Tom Curran Music: The Dubliners, Luke Kelly Production: Victor Herbert, Anthony Lennon Screening Copy: Irish Film Institute Courtesy of IFI International/Irish Film Institute, Arts Council and Culture Ireland

Peter Lennon:

directing debut

OFFSCREEN ACTIVITIES IDFA is more than just a film festival. It helps shape the documentary landscape: with its markets IDFA Forum and Docs for Sale, through the IDFA Bertha Fund supporting filmmakers in developing countries, the IDFAcademy’s various workshops and activities for up-and-coming documentary talent, and the many talks, debates and events held throughout the festival.

Markets & Funding

Docs for Sale

IDFA Forum

Established in 1996, Docs for Sale is the leading marketplace for creative documentaries, offering streaming video all year round and excellent networking opportunities for buyers and sellers of quality documentaries during IDFA.

The Forum, IDFA’s international co-financing and co-production market, is Europe’s most important breeding ground for new documentary projects. At the Forum, new documentary projects are pitched to commissioning editors and other potential financiers.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Docs for Sale is an extensive, internationally-oriented market for documentaries.

Featuring more than 450 titles, all of which have undergone a strict selection process, the market offers digitized viewing services on 60 viewing sets, backed by an extensive database and catalogue.

The viewings are recorded in the database, which can then be consulted by producers. Most of Docs for Sale’s attendees are buyers from international TV networks, festival programmers, and distributors looking for new documentary material.

Ninety percent of all projects selected for a pitch find additional financing at the Forum, and almost all the projects end up getting made. This year saw a record number of almost 600 submissions, from which 59 projects were selected. These projects get pitched in various categories, depending on their current stage of development, genre and financing.

Through the Docs for Sale Online platform, established in 2008 and accessible by subscription only, buyers and exhibitors have year-round access to documentaries whenever they want and wherever they are. Thanks to the platform, Docs for Sale attendees can do much of their viewing prior to and following the festival, leaving them more time for networking and closing deals during the festival itself. The Docs for Sale Online catalogue, which is updated throughout the year, contains both new titles selected for IDFA 2015 and older documentaries that deserve a second look.

In collaboration with Docs for Sale, the Forum also introduces a new category this year: The Rough Cut Projects. Expanding on the successful Work-in-Progress Screenings held in 2013 and 2014, this category showcases four projects in the final stage of production. The rough cuts are available for viewing both online in the weeks leading up to the festival, as well as at the Docs for Sale viewing booths during IDFA, allowing more time for pre-arranged individual meetings held during the festival at both Docs for Sale and the Forum.

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In the traditional Central Pitch setup, producers take turns pitching their latest projects to broadcasters from around the world. Over the course of two mornings, 16 projects are presented. In the Round Table setup, 36 projects in various stages of production are pitched in an intimate setting to a small group of commissioning editors and other financiers who have indicated interest in a specific project. This includes three genre-specific round table sessions on cross-media projects, arts and culture projects and children’s d ocumentary.

All pitches are followed by prearranged one-on-one meetings, which give the teams of producers and filmmakers time to discuss their project with potential financiers.

Markets & Funding

IDFA Bertha Fund The IDFA Bertha Fund supports documentary filmmakers and festivals in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe, enabling those in developing countries to find their own unique voice. The Fund not only provides financial support, but plays a crucial advisory role as well.

Since its establishment in 1998, the IDFA Bertha Fund has supported over 600 projects. Because its selection criteria—based on a project’s originality, cinematic quality and market potential—are so rigorous, support from the Fund is generally considered to be a seal of approval, inducing a catalytic effect in terms of attracting additional financing.

This year, the Fund introduced the new category IDFA Bertha Fund Europe, a program supporting both production and distribution of co-productions between producers in Europe and those in developing countries. The program aims to create mutually beneficial relationships between filmmakers from diverse backgrounds and parts of the world.

Screening at IDFA 2015

IDFA 2015 presents 12 new documentaries supported by the IDFA Bertha Fund. These films showcase a diversity of filmmakers, styles and subjects and bring us powerful cinematic stories. This year’s selection not only holds a remarkable presence in the competition sections, but also has a strong showing in the Master and Best of Fest sections. Two films, Lyari Notes and Ukrainian Sheriffs, participated in the IDFAcademy Summer School in recent years. The Chinese Mayor was pitched at the IDFA Forum in 2012, where this year three projects supported by the Fund are participating: Ambulance, The Second Revolution and The Waiting Bench.

Afghanistan Night Stories (Alka Sadat, Afghanistan) Screening in Panorama. See page 145.

Behemoth (Liang Zhao, China/France) Screening in Masters. See page 107.

Cecilia (Pankaj Johar, India/Norway) Screening in Panorama. See page 149.

Checks and Balances (Malek Bensmaïl, Algeria/France) Screening in Masters and Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015.

See page 108.

The Chinese Mayor (Hao Zhou, China) Screening in Best of Fests and Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015.

See page 123.

With a total budget of €306,000, the IDFA Bertha Fund was able to support a selection of 31 new projects within the support program of 2015. In addition to the support given to the development and production of documentary films, the Fund continued its support for festivals in the Dominican Republic, Georgia and Myanmar, and welcomed the Afghan Doc House to its beneficiaries. Within IDFA Bertha Fund Europe the fund allocated a total of €240,000 to six projects.

Aside from presenting a large part of the year’s harvest of completed films supported by the IDFA Bertha Fund at IDFA, the Fund works with filmmakers to enhance the distribution of their films worldwide. All of this is done in order to generate maximum attention for filmmakers from the developing world, to stimulate local film cultures and to turn the creative documentary into a truly global film art.

Lyari Notes (Maheen Zia & Miriam Chandy Menacherry, India/Pakistan) Screening in Panorama. See page 155.

Please Remember Me (Qing Zhao, China) Screening in Panorama. See page 161.

Roundabout in My Head (Hassen Ferhani, Algeria/France/ Lebanon/Qatar) Selected for the IDFA Competition for First Appearance. See page 46.

The Siren of Faso Fani (Michel K. Zongo, Germany/Burkina Faso/France) Screening in Best of Fests. See page 138.

Sonita (Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami, Iran/Germany/Switzerland) Selected for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary and the IDFA DOC U Competition. See page 29.

Surire (Bettina Perut & Ivan Osnovikoff, Chile/Germany) Screening in Best of Fests. See page 138.

Ukrainian Sheriffs (Roman Bondarchuk, Ukraine/Latvia/Germany) Selected for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary and screening in Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015. See page 33.

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Training & Education

IDFAcademy IDFAcademy bridges the gap between film school and practice with tailor-made training programs focused on talented international documentary filmmakers, held during the festival and throughout the year.

Through masterclasses, case studies, lectures, panels, small-scale workshops and round table sessions, the IDFAcademy program (held during IDFA, November 19-22) helps budding filmmakers learn about the latest documentary developments and sharpen their industry awareness. Every IDFAcademy day concludes with Meet the Professionals: round table sessions and one-on-one meetings with highly-esteemed professionals attending IDFA. Every year in early July, the IDFAcademy Summer School invites several dozen young filmmakers, editors and producers from countries all over the world to Amsterdam for a week-long training program. Mentored by internationally renowned tutors, participants take their documentary projects to the next level through lectures, workshops and discussions.

For over two decades, the IDFA-Mediafonds Workshop, organized in cooperation with the Dutch Cultural Media Fund from May to November, has helped aspiring documentary filmmakers turn an original idea into a film plan. The workshop delivers an average of six to eight projects each year, of which approximately 40% are realized.

During the festival, the best plan receives the 2015 Mediafonds Documentary Award of €125,000 towards the realization of the film.

A select group of aspiring filmmakers participate in the Kids & Docs Workshop. This joint venture between IDFA, children’s film festival Cinekid and the Dutch Cultural Media Fund runs from September through February every year. Participants develop a film plan for a 15-minute documentary aimed at children ages 12 and under.

Filmmakers who complete the entire course receive support from one of the eight participating broadcasters. Since the start of the workshop in 1999, it has produced 85 children’s documentaries.

IDFAcademy Results at IDFA 2015 According to Protocol Anne-Marieke Graafmans (The Netherlands, 2015) Developed during the IDFA-Mediafonds Workshop 2012.

Screening in Panorama. See page 145.

Full of Dreams Marinka de Jongh (The Netherlands, 2015) Developed during the Kids & Docs Workshop 2014/2015.

Selected for the IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs. See page 94.

Lyari Notes Maheen Zia/Miriam Chandy Menacherry (India/Pakistan, 2015) Participated in the IDFAcademy Summer School in 2013.

Screening in Panorama. See page 155.

Ninnoc Niki Padidar (The Netherlands, 2015) Developed during the Kids & Docs Workshop 2013/2014.

Selected for the IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs. See page 96.

Opposites Marta Jurkiewicz (The Netherlands, 2015) Developed during the Kids & Docs Workshop 2014/2015.

Selected for the IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs. See page 97.

Skatekeet Edward Cook (The Netherlands, 2015) Developed during the Kids & Docs Workshop 2014/2015.

Selected for the IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs. See page 98.

Ten Nathalie Crum (The Netherlands, 2015) Developed during the Kids & Docs Workshop 2014/2015.

Selected for the IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs. See page 99.

Ukrainian Sheriffs Roman Bondarchuk (Ukraine/Latvia/Germany, 2015) Developed during the IDFAcademy Summer School in 2014.

Selected for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary.

See page 33.

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Training & Education

IDFA Education The IDFA Education program consists of special film screenings for youngsters during the festival and teaching tools that can be accessed online throughout the year.

About 8,000 Dutch students are coming to attend early-morning screenings of films, divided into three groups: primary school (ages 9-12), middle school (ages 12-14) and high school (ages 15-18).

Films included in the program are Giovanni and the Water Ballet (winner of the Mediafonds Kids & Docs Award at IDFA 2014), Kassim the Dream (winner of the IDFA DOC U Award in 2008) and Sonita, selected for both the IDFA Competition for FeatureLength Documentary and the IDFA DOC U Competition this year.

IDFA Education is also collaborating with cinemas throughout the Netherlands to ensure that as many students as possible can attend the screenings.

IDFA education is once again focusing on the theme of children’s rights on November 20. In collaboration with Movies that Matter and IKON, four Dutch films about children’s rights are being screened: SOS Friendship (Els van Driel), I Am Not Afraid of the Soldiers (Rinske Bosch), Wanted: A New Home for Serayah (Xander de Boer) and A Year Without My Parents (Els van Driel).

Throughout the year, IDFA offers a wide range of documentaries for screenings in classrooms, accompanied by extensive teaching aids and background information on the films. Additionally, IDFA Education organizes in-school master classes and workshops, introducing students to filmmakers who discuss their practical experiences.

Photo: Nichon Glerum

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Offscreen activities

IDFA Talks IDFA is a film festival, but it is also a meeting place where filmmakers, experts and audiences exchange ideas in debates, master classes, conferences and Q&A sessions.

Every year, IDFA invites a filmmaking legend to attend the festival as an honored guest. Following in the footsteps of grand masters like Werner Herzog, Frederick Wiseman and Victor Kossakovsky, this year American director Errol Morris has selected his Top 10 favorite films (see page 205) and is being honored with a retrospective (see page 213). During the festival, Morris is offering a master class moderated by film theorist Bill Nichols, shedding light on the Top 10 selection and delving into his own methods and filmmaking history.

Because of her extensive research, the film plans that filmmaker Suzanne Raes writes almost read like full-fledged screenplays. Many of the elements and scenes she thinks up beforehand make their way into the final films. At the same time, it’s the unscripted moments of humor, discomfort and emotion that bring films to life and make them exciting. Using examples from her work, the director is offering a master class on the art of knowing everything, and then forgetting as much as you can.

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Nearly all filmmakers with films in the IDFA program get a chance to meet their audience at Q&A sessions after screenings, but 36 films get a special focus with Extended Q&As. Stimulating directors, industry experts and specialized moderators are on hand to engage the audience in deeper discussions about the issues that the films address. Several of these are part of this year’s theme programs Sounds Real and Benjamin Barber: Jihad vs. McWorld 2015.

For guests who wish to sharpen their awareness of the documentary industry and get up to speed on its latest developments, IDFA is organizing seven Industry Talks, covering such topics as evaluating impact, how to succeed in the American market, and children’s documentaries. Additionally, smaller sessions with experts from various fields are being held at the Industry Office every day. See the Program Guide or idfa.nl/industryoffice for full listings.

See www.idfa.nl/program or the IDFA app for an up-to-date overview of all offscreen activities during the festival.

Special Selection

INDEXES

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Index | Award Winners

Award Winners 1988 – 2014 IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988

Of Men and War, Laurent Bécue-Renard, France/Switzerland, 2014 Song from the Forest, Michael Obert, Germany, 2013 F irst Cousin Once Removed, Alan Berliner, United States, 2012 P lanet of Snail, Seung-Jun Yi, South Korea, 2011 P osition Among the Stars, Leonard Retel Helmrich, The Netherlands, 2010 L ast Train Home, Lixin Fan, China/Canada, 2009 B urma VJ – Reporting from a Closed Country, Anders Østergaard, Denmark/Sweden/United Kingdom/Norway, 2008 S tranded, Gonzalo Arijon, France, 2007 T he Monastery – Mr. Vig & the Nun, Pernille Rose Grønkjær, Denmark, 2006 M y Grandmother’s House, Adán Aliaga, Spain, 2005 Shape of the Moon, Leonard Retel Helmrich, The Netherlands, 2004 Checkpoint, Yoav Shamir, Israel, 2003 Stevie, Steve James, United States, 2002 Family, Phie Ambo & Sami Saif, Denmark, 2001 The Sea That Thinks, Gert de Graaff, The Netherlands, 2000 André Hazes – She Believes in Me, John Appel, The Netherlands, 1999 Photographer, Dariusz Jablonski, Poland, 1998 Wasteland, Andrei Schwartz, Germany, 1997 Atman, Pirjo Honkasalo, Finland/Germany, 1996 Délits flagrants, Raymond Depardon, France, 1994 Solo, the Law of the Favela, Jos de Putter, The Netherlands, 1994 The Belovs, Victor Kossakovsky, Russia, 1993 La memoria del agua, Héctor Fáver, Spain, 1992 Dreams and Silence, Omar Al-Qattan, Belgium, 1991 C hristo in Paris, Albert & David Maysles, United States, 1990 T he Crossroad, Ivars Seleckis, Latvia, 1988 B irthplace Unknown, Karin Junger, The Netherlands, 1988 and Island, Ruben Gevorkyants, USSR, 1988

Special Jury Award

2014 Something Better to Come, Hanna Polak, Denmark/Poland, 2014 2013 A Letter to Nelson Mandela, Khalo Matabane, South Africa/Germany, 2013 2011 5 Broken Cameras, Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi, Palestine/Israel/ Netherlands/France, 2011 2010 Y ou Don’t Like the Truth – 4 Days Inside Guantánamo, Luc Coté & Patricio Henriquez, Canada, 2010 2009 T he Most Dangerous Man in America, Judith Ehrlich & Rick Goldsmith, United States, 2009 2008 F orgetting Dad, Rick Minnich & Matthew Sweetwood, Germany, 2008 2007 H old Me Tight, Let Me Go, Kim Longinotto, United Kingdom, 2007 2006 T ender’s Heat. Wild Wild Beach, Alexander Rastorguev, Russia, 2006 2005 O ur Daily Bread, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Austria, 2005 2004 L iberia: An Uncivil War, Jonathan Stack & James Brabazon, United States, 2004 2003 The Corporation, Mark Achbar & Jennifer Abbott, Canada, 2003 2002 On Hitler’s Highway, Lech Kowalski, France, 2002 2001 Elsewhere, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Austria, 2001 2000 K eep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale, Laurie Gwen Shapiro & David Shapiro, United States, 2000 1999 A Cry from the Grave, Leslie Woodhead, United Kingdom, 1999 1998 Pavel and Lyalya – A Jerusalem Romance, Victor Kossakovsky, Russia, 1998 1997 Little Dieter Needs to Fly, Werner Herzog, Germany, 1997 1996 T he Typewriter, the Rifle and the Movie Camera, Adam Simon, United Kingdom, 1996 1995 P icasso Would Have Made a Glorious Waiter, Jonathan Schell, United States, 1994 1994 Choice and Destiny, Tsipi Reibenbach, Israel, 1993 1993 Losses to Be Expected, Ulrich Seidl, Austria, 1992 1992 Black Harvest, Robin Anderson & Bob Connolly, Australia, 1992 1991 Djembéfola, Laurent Chevallier, France, 1991 1990 T he Collector, Erik Strömdahl, Sweden, 1989 1989 T he Power of Solovki, Marina Goldovskaya, USSR, 1988 1988 H ôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie, Marcel Ophüls, France/ United States, 1988

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Members of the Jury 2014 Anne Aghion (France/United States), Talal Derki (Syria), Sandra den Hamer (The Netherlands), Joshua Oppenheimer (United States/Denmark), Alina Rudnitskaya (Russia) 2013 Jose Carlos Avellar (Brazil), Katerina Cizek (Canada), Nicole Guillemet (France), Chris McDonald (Canada), Jiska Rickels (The Netherlands) 2012 Susan Froemke (United States), Michael Glawogger (Austria), Maria Goos (The Netherlands), Jørgen Leth (Denmark), Kenneth Turan (United States) 2011 Moussa Sene Absa (Senegal), Sandy Lieberson (United States), Dennis Lim (United States), Laila Pakalniņa (Latvia), Suzanne Raes (The Netherlands) 2010 Lixin Fan (Canada), Orlando Bagwell (United States), Monique van de Ven (The Netherlands), Frederic Boyer (France), Vibeke Bryld (Denmark) 2009 Geoffrey Gilmore (United States), Anders Østergaard (Denmark), Jean-Marie Téno (Cameroon/France), Jenny Westergård (Finland), Willeke van Ammelrooy (The Netherlands) 2008 Christoph Jörg (Germany), Wouter Barendrecht (The Netherlands), Deepa Dhanraj (India), Bianca Stigter (The Netherlands), Sandra Ruch (United States) 2007 Diane Weyermann (United States), Jos Stelling (The Netherlands), Ilan de-Vries (Israel), Roberto Berliner (Brazil), Vidyarthy Chartterjee (India) 2006 Claire Aguilar (United States), Igor Blažević (Czech Republic), Jasmine Dellal (United Kingdom), Niek Koppen (The Netherlands), Gerald Peary (United States) 2005 Luke Holland (United Kingdom), Jehane Noujaim (United States), Leonard Retel Helmrich (The Netherlands), Carmen Cobos (The Netherlands), Tamara Trampe (Germany) 2004 John Anderson (United States), Karen Cooper (United States), Pieter van Huystee (The Netherlands), Pirjo Honkasalo (Finland), Yoav Shamir (Israel) 2003 Roberto Berliner (Brazil), Bob Connolly (Australia), Peter Mettler (Switzerland), Joyce Roodnat (The Netherlands), Monika Treut (Germany) 2002 Phie Ambo (Denmark), Maziar Bahari (Iran), Pieter van Huystee (The Netherlands), Dennis O’Rourke (Australia), Jonathan Stack (United States) 2001 Jane Balfour (United Kingdom), Amit Breuer (Israel), Peter Brosens (Belgium), Gert de Graaff (The Netherlands), Peter Wintonick (Canada) 2000 John Appel (The Netherlands), Les Blank (United States), Zita Carvalhosa (Brazil), Victor Kossakovsky (Russia), Rada Sesic (The Netherlands) 1999 Dariusz Jablonski (Poland), Mandy Jacobson (South Africa), Emiko Omori (United States), Pieter Verhoeff (The Netherlands), Paul Yule (United Kingdom) 1998 Erika de Hadeln (Germany), Ot Louw (The Netherlands), Tue Steen Müller (Denmark), Toni Venturi (Brazil), Diane Weyermann (United States) 1997 Arthur Dong (United States), Kerstin Hagrup (Denmark), Jørgen Leth (Denmark), Robby Müller (The Netherlands), Katsue Tomiyama (Japan) 1996 Nicholas Fraser (United Kingdom), Marina Goldovskaja (Russia/United States), Torben Skjodt Jensen (Denmark), Amir Labaki (Brazil), Anne Lordon (The Netherlands/France) 1995 Elaine Charnov (United States), Chris Haws (United Kingdom), Irina Knochenhauer (Russia/Germany), Jos de Putter (The Netherlands), Sibylle Schönemann (Germany) 1994 Erik Barnouw (United States), Andrzej Kolodinski (Poland), Sonja de Leeuw (The Netherlands), Norma Marcos (Palestine), Lionel N’Gakane (South Africa) 1993 Karl Gass (Germany), Heddy Honigmann (The Netherlands), Stephen Peet (United Kingdom) Dea Sudarman (Indonesia), William Uricchio (United States/The Netherlands) 1992 Santiago Alvarez (Cuba), Rinki Bhattacharya (India), Lise Roos (Denmark), Jos Stelling (The Netherlands), Ilan de-Vries (Israel) 1991 Nouchka van Brakel (The Netherlands), Rafi Bukaee (Israel), Marion Mitchell (France), Helke Misselwitz (Germany), Jerzy Toeplitz (Poland) 1990 Ireen van Ditshuyzen (The Netherlands), Chris Hegedus (United States), K. Michel (The Netherlands), Juris Podniek (Latvia), Mick Hart Williams (United Kingdom) 1989 Johan Anthierens (Belgium), Robert Daudelin (Canada), Richard Kaplan (United States), Ellen Waller (The Netherlands), Marceline Loridan (France)

Index | Award Winners

1988 J udy Irola (United States), Hedda van Gennep (The Netherlands), Mark-Toomas Soosaar (Estonia), Jan de Vaal (The Netherlands), Frederick Wiseman (United States)

IDFA Award for Best First Appearance 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997

Drifter, Gábor Hörcher, Hungary/Germany, 2014 My Name Is Salt, Farida Pacha, Switzerland/India, 2013 S oldier on the Roof, Esther Hertog, The Netherlands, 2012 T he Vanishing Spring Light, Xun Yu, China/Canada, 2011 K ano: An American and His Harem, Monster Jimenez, Philippines, 2010 C olony, Ross McDonnell & Carter Gunn, Ireland/United States, 2009 C onstantin and Elena, Andrei Dascalescu, Romania, 2008 E nd of the Rainbow, Robert Nugent, Australia/France, 2007 W e Are Together (Thina simunye), Paul Taylor, United Kingdom, 2006 T he Angelmakers, Astrid Bussink, Hungary/The Netherlands/Scotland, 2005 The Bridge, Ileana Stanculescu, Romania, 2004 M y Flesh and Blood, Jonathan Karsh, United States, 2003 & The Very Best Day, Pavel Medvedev, Russia, 2002 Barbeiros, Mervi Junkkonen, Finland, 2001 B itch, Igor Voloshin, Russia, 2001 Hybrid, Monteith McCollum, United States, 2000 Between 2 Worlds, Bettina Haasen, Germany, 1999 Howling for God, Dan Alexe, Belgium, 1998 A nthem, an American Road Story, Shainee Gabel & Kristin Hahn, United States, 1997

Peter Wintonick Special Jury Award for First Appearance

2014 Mother of the Unborn, Nadine Salib, Egypt/United Arab Emirates, 2014 2013 Forest of the Dancing Spirits, Linda Västrik, Sweden/Canada, 2013 Members of the Jury 2014 Alan Berliner (United States), Leendert de Jong (The Netherlands), Petra Lataster-Czisch (The Netherlands/Germany), Rasha Salti (Canada), Jean Tsien (Taiwan/United States) 2013 Mark Adams (United Kingdom), Joslyn Barnes (United States), Michiel van Erp (The Netherlands), Hanka Kastelicová (Slovenia), Stephan Vanfleteren (Belgium) 2012 Maria Luz Climent (Spain), María Lourdes Cortés (Costa Rica), Renzo Martens (The Netherlands), Djo Tunda Wa Munga (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Sara Rüster (Sweden) 2011 Liang Bibo (China), Ollie Huddleston (United Kingdom), Monster Jimenez (The Phillipines), Margje de Koning (The Netherlands) en Basil Tsiokos (United States) 2010 Jawed Taiman (United Kingdom), Bill Nichols (United States), Outi Saarikoski-Schimberg (Finland), Walter Stokman (The Netherlands), Omar Amiralay (Syria) 2009 Cameron Bailey (Canada), Andrei Dascalescu (Romania), Joan Legalamitlwa (South Africa), Brian Winston (United Kingdom), Herman de Wit (The Netherlands) 2008 André Bennett (Canada), Diana Nenadi (Croatia), Marrie Bot (The Netherlands), Oscar Pérez (Spain), Sally Berger (United States) 2007 Jonathan Stack (United States), Jane Balfour (United Kingdom), Amir Labaki (Brazil), Arik Bernstein (Israel), Pieter van Lierop (The Netherlands) 2006 Astrid Bussink (The Netherlands), Doug Block (United States), Dimitri Eipides (Greece), Cecilia Lidin (Denmark), Andrei Plakhov (Ukraine) 2005 Asano Fuijko (Japan), Bert Hogenkamp (The Netherlands), Ulla Jacobsen (Denmark), Nenad Puhovski (Croatia) Ileana Stanculescu (Romania) 2004 Eugene Hernandez (United States), Ditsi Carolino (Philippines), Jean-Pierre Rehm (France), Nodu Murphy (South Africa), Ineke Smits (The Netherlands) 2003 Michel Euvrard (Canada), Leslie Felperin (United Kingdom), Flavia de la Fuente (Argentina), Annette Willis (Australia), Karin Wolfs (The Netherlands) 2002 Leo Bankersen (The Netherlands), Marina Drozdova (Russia), Mathias

Heybrock (Germany), Peter Keough (United States), Jorge Yglesias (Cuba) 2001 R onald Bergan (United Kingdom), Peter van Bueren (The Netherlands), Ingrid Dokka (Norway), Ludmila Hristova-Diakova (Bulgaria), Gustavo Noriega (Argentina) 2000 Göran Bjelkendal (Sweden), Caroline Buck (Germany), Koen van Daele (Slovenia), Nelson Hoineff (Brazil), Annelotte Verhaagen (The Netherlands) 1999 Victoria Belopolskia (Russia), Jos van der Burg (The Netherlands), Eva af Geijerstam (Sweden), Marc Glassman (Canada), Sasa Radojevic (Yugoslavia) 1998 Heikki Jokinen (Finland), Jeroen Lok (The Netherlands), Irit Shamgar (Israel), Carlos Alberto Mattos (Brazil), Alexander Yankiev (Bulgaria) 1997 Andrzej Kolodynski (Poland), Angela Baldassarre (Canada), Hans-Günter Dicks (Germany), Mieke Bernink (The Netherlands), Altaf Mazid (India) 1996 Eduardo Antin (Argentina), Huib Stam (The Netherlands), Espen Mineur Saetre (Norway), Peter Cargin (United Kingdom), Monica Haïm (Romania)

IDFA Award for Best Mid-Length Documentary 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

Kamchatka – The Cure for Hatred, Julia Mironova, Russia, 2014 Pussy Versus Putin, Gogol’s Wives, Russia, 2013 R ed Wedding, Lida Chan & Guillaume Suon, Cambodia/France, 2012 M ontenegro, Jorge Gaggero, Argentina, 2011 People I Could Have Been and Maybe Am, Boris Gerrets, The Netherlands, 2010 I ron Crows, Bong-Nam Park, South Korea, 2009 B oris Ryzhy, Aliona van der Horst, The Netherlands, 2008 T o See if I’m Smiling, Tamar Yarom, Israel, 2007 E nemies of Happiness, Eva Mulvad, Denmark, 2006 B efore Flying Back to the Earth, Arûnas Matelis, Lithuania/Germany, 2005 Georgi and the Butterflies, Andrey Paounov, Bulgaria, 2004 Surplus – Terrorized into Being Consumers, Erik Gandini, Sweden, 2003 Interesting Times – The Secret of My Success, Jinchuan Duan, China, 2002 Haj-Abbas’ Wives, Mohsen Abdolvahab, Iran, 2001 J ung (War) in the Land of the Mujaheddin, Fabrizio Lazzaretti & Alberto Vendemmiati, Afghanistan/Italy, 2000 K ids from the Coal Land – A Lettre to Henri Storck, Patric Jean, Belgium, 1999 Hephzibah, Curtis Levy, Australia, 1998 G igi, Monica... & Bianca, Yasmina Abdellaoui & Benoît Dervaux, Belgium, 1996 Mr. Behrmann – Life Dream Death, Andreas Voigt, Germany, 1995 6 Open, 21 Closed, Amit Goren, Israel, 1994

Special Jury Award

2008 L ady Kul el Arab, Ibtisam Mara’ana, Israel, 2008

IDFA Award for Best Short Documentary

2009 S ix Weeks, Marcin Janos Krawczyk, Polen, 2009 2008 S laves – An Animated Documentary, Hanna Heilborn & David Aronowitsch, Sweden/Norway/Denmark, 2008 2007 T he Tailor, Oscar Pérez, Spain, 2007 2006 M y Eyes, Erlend E. Mo, Denmark, 2006 2005 B utterfly Man, Samantha Rebillet, Australia, 2004 Members of the Jury 2014 Martichka Bozhilova (Bulgaria), Jihan El-Tahri (France/Egypt), Serge Gordey (France), Kristi Jacobson (United States), Niels Pagh Andersen (Denmark) 2013 Keiko Bang (Singapore), Lejla Dedic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Veton Nurkollari (Kosovo), Marco Spagnoli (Italy), Meral Uslu (The Netherlands) 2012 Nicolas Entel (Argentina), Peter Friedman (United States), Hedda van Gennep (The Netherlands), Samira Makhmalbaf (Iran), Farah Nayeri (Iran) 2011 David Fisher (Israel), Boris Gerrets (The Netherlands), Maris Ramos (The Netherlands), Miranda Siegel (United States), Ben Tsiang (China) 2010 Bong-Nam Park (South Korea), Greg Sanderson (United Kingdom), Jennifer Fox (United States), Henk Camping (The Netherlands), Ilana Tsur (Israel)

259

Index | Award Winners

2009 L orenzo Hendel (Italy), Ibtisam Mara’ana (Israel), Zola Maseko (Mozambique), Jennifer Merin (United States), Mercedes Stalenhoef (The Netherlands) 2008 Nishtha Jain (India), Rik Stallaerts (Belgium), Jeanne Wikler (United States), Thomas White (United States), Jess Search (United Kingdom) 2007 Cees van Ede (The Netherlands), Kerstin Hagrup (Sweden) , Rudy Buttignol (Italy), Anna Glogowski (Brazil), Goran Radovanovic (Serbia) 2006 Heather Croall (Australia), Arunas Matelis (Lithuania), Mercedes Moncada Rodriguez (Nicaragua), Tomohide Terai (Japan), Silvia Hallensleben (Germany) 2005 Bert Janssens (The Netherlands), Marie Nathanson (Canada), Cyril Neyrat (France), Andrey Paounov (Bulgaria), Vera Vlajic (Serbia) 2004 Erik Gandini (Sweden), Wessel van de Hammen (The Netherlands), Irina Kanousheva (Bulgaria), Björn Koll (Germany), André Pâquet (Canada) 2003 Rudy Buttignol (Canada), Peter Forgacs (Hungary), Carel Kuyl (The Netherlands), Luciano Rignolini (France), Jay Rosenblatt (United States) 2002 Fransico Cesar-Filho (Brazil), Anna Glogowski (Brazil), Aliona van de Horst (The Netherlands), Catherine Olsen (Canada), Eila Werning (Finland) 2001 Julie Anderson (United States), John Hughes (Australia), Noshka van der Lely (The Netherlands), Marguerite Seguy (France), Juan Fransisco Urrusti (Mexico) 2000 Willemien van Aalst (The Netherlands), Madeleine Avramoussis (France), Thomas Balmès (France), Patric Jean (Belgium), Iikka Vehkalahti (Finland) 1999 Catherine le Clef (Belgium), Werner Dütch (Germany), Cees van Ede (The Netherlands), Sigve Endresen (Norway), Paul Pauwels (Belgium) 1998 Cees van Ede (The Netherlands), Jeremy Gibson (United Kingdom), Peter Friedman (France), Karolina Lidin (Denmark), Kim Longinotto (United Kingdom) 1997 Cees van Ede (The Netherlands), Hans Beerekamp (The Netherlands), Chris Haws (United Kingdom), Mette Hoffman Meyer (Denmark), Andreas Voigt (Germany) 1996 Cees van Ede (The Netherlands), Hans Beerekamp (The Netherlands), Carel Kuyl (The Netherlands) 1995 Cees van Ede (The Netherlands), Hans Beerekamp (The Netherlands), Carel Kuyl (The Netherlands), Andree van Es (The Netherlands), Jeanne Wikler (The Netherlands/United States)

IDFA DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Serial, Sarah Koenig & Julie Snyder, United States, 2014 I Love Your Work, Jonathan Harris, United States, 2013 A lma, a Tale of Violence, Miquel Dewever-Plana & Isabelle Fougère, France I nsitu, Antoine Viviani, France, 2011 H IGHRISE/Out My Window, Katerina Cizek, Canada, 2010

Members of the Jury 2014 A nnika Gustafson (Sweden), Jenny Smets (The Netherlands), Jason Spingarn-Koff (United States) 2013 Jason Brush (United States), John MacFarlane (Australia), Kira Pollack (United States) 2012 Elisabeth Holm (United States), Bjarke Myrthu (Denmark), William Uricchio (United States) 2011 Ingrid Kopp (United Kingdom), Martijn de Waal (The Netherlands) en Rob McLaughlin (Canada) 2010 Alexandre Brachet (France), Antoinette Hoes (The Netherlands), Zach Wise (United States)

IDFA Award for Best Dutch Documentary

2014 The New Rijksmuseum – The Film, Oeke Hoogendijk, The Netherlands, 2014 2013 Awake in a Bad Dream, Petra Lataster-Czisch and Peter Lataster, The Netherlands, 2013 2012 S oldier on the Roof, Esther Hertog, The Netherlands, 2012 2011 9 00 Days, Jessica Gorter, 2011 2010 P osition Among the Stars, Leonard Retel Helmrich, The Netherlands, 2010 2009 T he Player, John Appel, The Netherlands, 2009

260

Members of the Jury 2014 Rinki Roy Bhattacharya (India), Claas Danielsen (Germany), Frank Moens (Belgium), Madelyn Most (United States), Ulla Simonen (Finland) 2013 Francine Brücher (Germany), Edward Delos Santos Cabagnot (The Philippines), Sonja Henrici (Scotland), Esther Hertog (The Netherlands), Brian Hill (United Kingdom) 2012 Thierry Detaille (Belgium), Jessica Gorter (The Netherlands), Alex Lee (New Zealand), Tobias Müller (Germany), Pascale Ramonda (Portugal) 2011 Luciano Barisone (Italy), Hans Robert Eisenhauer (Germany), Aliona van der Horst (The Netherlands), Anne Marie Kürstein (Denmark) en Orwa Nyrabia (Syria) 2010 D aniela Michel (Mexico), Alissa Simon (United States), Pieter Verhoeff (The Netherlands) 2009 Sean Farnel (Canada), Sandra den Hamer (The Netherlands), Leena Pasanen (Finland)

IDFA Award for Best Student Documentary 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

No Lullaby, Helen Simon, Germany, 2014 Final Destination, Ricardas Marcinkus, Lithuania, 2013 P ablo’s Winter, Chico Pereira, Scotland/Spain, 2012 T he Betrayal, Karen Winther, United Kingdom/Norway, 2011 W hat’s in a Name, Eva Küpper, Belgium, 2010 R edemption, Sabrina Wulff, Germany, 2009 S hakespeare and Victor Hugo’s Intimacies, Yulene Olaizola, Mexico, 2008 P aradise – Three Journeys in This World, Elina Hirvonen, Finland, 2007

Members of the Jury 2014 Chalida Uabumrungjit (Thailand), Martha Orozco (Mexico), Katayoon Shahabi (Iran) 2013 Hussain Currimbhoy (Australia), Peter Lataster (The Netherlands), Mon Mon Myat (Myanmar) 2012 Arto Halonen (Finland), Vanja Kaludjercic (Croatia), Herman de Wit (The Netherlands) 2011 Stella Bruzzi (Italy), Eva Küpper (Belgium), Willem-Jan Otten (The Netherlands).

2010 S abrina Wulff (Germany), Jelle van Doornik (The Netherlands), Andreas Koefoed (Denmark) 2009 M atthijs Wouter Knol (The Netherlands), Yulene Olaizola (Mexico), Jonathan Stack (United States) 2008 Ellen Kuras (United States), Nenad Puhovski (Croatia), Elina Hirvonen (Finland) 2007 Heddy Honigmann (The Netherlands), Ot Louw (The Netherlands), Helena Zajícová (Czech Republic)

IDFA DOC U Award

2014 M y Beautiful Broken Brain, Sophie Robinson & Lotje Sodderland, United Kingdom, 2014 2013 # chicagoGirl – The Social Network Takes on a Dictator, Joe Piscatella, United States/Syria, 2013 2012 L ittle World, Marcel Barrena, Spain, 2012 2011 T he Last Days of Winter, Mehrdad Oskouei, Germany/Austria, 2011 2010 A utumn Gold, Jan Tenhaven, Germany/Austria, 2010 2009 T he Yes Men Fix the World, Andy Bichlbaum & Mike Bonanno, France/ United States, 2009 2008 K assim the Dream, Kief Davidson, United States/Germany, 2008 2007 P lanet B-Boy, Benson Lee, United States, 2007 2006 A Lesson of Belarussian, Miroslaw Dembinski, Poland, 2006 2005 S hadya, Roy Westler, Israel, 2005 2004 Nabila, Håkan Berthas, Sweden, 2003

IDFA Audience Award

2014 Naziha’s Spring, Gülsah Dogan, The Netherlands, 2014 2013 Twin Sisters, Mona Friis Bertheussen, Norway, 2013 2012 Searching for Sugar Man, Malik Bendjelloul, Sweden/United Kingdom, 2012 2011 5 Broken Cameras, Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi, Palestine/Israel/ Netherlands/France, 2011

Index | Addresses

2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988

W aste Land, Lucy Walker, United Kingdom/Brazil, 2010 T he Cove, Louie Psihoyos, United States, 2009 R iP – A Remix Manifesto, Brett Gaylor, Canada, 2008 T o See If I’m Smiling, Tamar Yarom, Israel, 2007 W e Are Together (Thina simunye), Paul Taylor, United Kingdom, 2006 S isters in Law, Kim Longinotto & Florence Ayisi, United Kingdom, 2005 The Yes Men, Dan Ollman, Sarah Price & Chris Smith, United States, 2003 My Flesh and Blood, Jonathan Karsh, United States, 2003 Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore, United States, 2002 Offspring, Barry Stevens, Canada, 2001 Desi, Maria Ramos, The Netherlands, 2000 Crazy, Heddy Honigmann, The Netherlands, 1999 Two Dads, Ko van Reenen, The Netherlands, 1998 Vision Man, William Long, Sweden, 1997 Blue Eyed, Bertram Verhaag, Germany, 1996 Anne Frank Remembered, Jon Blair, United Kingdom, 1995 Choice and Destiny, Tsipi Reibenbach, Israel, 1993 The Belovs, Victor Kossakovsky, Russia, 1993 Black Harvest, Robin Anderson & Bob Connolly, Australia, 1992 Djembéfola, Laurent Chevallier, France, 1991 I n Memory of the Day Passed By, Sharunas Bartas, USSR, 1989 S kierskala, Ivars Seleckis, Latvia, 1988 T he Last Judgement, Herz Frank, Lithuania/USSR, 1987

IDFA Melkweg Music Documentary Audience Award

2014 Keep on Keepin’ on, Alan Hicks, United States, 2014 2013 Twenty Feet from Stardom, Morgan Neville, United States, 2013

Living Legend Award

2013 Heddy Honigmann 2009 Frederick Wiseman

Mediafonds Documentary Award 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999

Hier is het nooit stil, Sjoerd Oostrik Girls Boys & Me, Xander de Boer W ij zijn 18, Tomas Kaan W aterlijken, Nelleke Koop C .K., Barbara Visser D e dertiende man, Martijn Blekendaal M onsters onder het bed, Sarah Mathilde Domogala Z intuigen, deuren naar de ziel, Elizabeth Rocha Salgado E euwige moes, Catherine van Kampen D e grote schaduw van Stampersgat, Patrick Bus S annes droom, Frodo Terpstra Tsjechisch kerstfeest, Simonka de Jong Lagonda, Robin van Erven Dorens Corsokoorts, Dorien Janssen Wheels of Fortune, Wilco Bello De mentale kwestie, Lies Niezen

Mediafonds Kids & Docs Award

2014 Giovanni and the Water Ballet, Astrid Bussink 2013 A Home for Lydia, Eline Helena Schellekens 2012 S ounds for Mazin, Ingrid Kamerling

IDFA Melkweg Award for Best Music Documentary

2012 S earching for Sugar Man, Malik Bendjelloul, Sweden/United Kingdom, 2012 2011 L ast Days Here, Don Argott & Demian Fenton, United States, 2011

IDFA Award for Best Green Screen Documentary

2011 B itter Seeds, Micha X. Peled, United States/India, 2011 2010 I nto Eternity, Michael Madsen, Denmark/Sweden/Finland, 2010

Honourable Mention

2010 T he Pipe, Risteard Ó Domhnaill, Ireland, 2010 Members of the Jury 2011 Joe Berlinger (United States), Cath Le Couteur (Australia), Michael Madsen (Denmark), Juan Carlos Rulfo (Mexico) en Maartje Somers The Netherlands) 2010 Appy Sluijs (The Netherlands), Nikolaus Geyrhalter (Austria), Nino Kirtadze (France)

Zapper Award

1996 Love Beyond Boundaries – Made in Japan, Puck de Leeuw, The Netherlands, 1996 1995 My Vote Is My Secret – Chroniques Sud-Africaines 1994, Julie Henderson, Thulani Mokoena & Donne Rundle, France, 1994 1994 Death of a Nation – The Timor Conspiracy, David Munro, United Kingdom, 1994

Top 10 & Retrospective 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2001 2000 1999 1998 1998 1997 1997 1996 1995 1995 1994 1993 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1988

Heddy Honigmann Rithy Panh Victor Kossakovsky Steve James Pirjo Honkasalo Eyal Sivan Nikolaus Geyrhalter Maziar Bahari Alan Berliner Hany Abu-Assad Jannie Langbroek Ulrich Seidl Walter Salles & João Moreira Salles Kim Longinotto (Top 10) Albert & David Maysles (Retrospective) Michael Apted Werner Herzog Kazuo Hara (Top 10) Nick Broomfield (Retrospective) D.A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus (Top 10) Ed van der Elsken (Retrosepctive) Jan Vrijman Barbara Kopple (Top 10) Chris Marker (Retrosepctive) Johan van der Keuken Dennis O’Rourke (Top 10) Rudolf van den Berg (Retrosepctive) Robert Kramer Agnes Varda Paolo & Vittorio Taviana Krzysztof Kieslowski Bert Haanstra (Top 10) Ken Loach (Retrospective)

Members of the Jury 2012 Kaleem Aftab (United Kingdom), Jeroen Berkvens (The Netherlands), Safinez Bousbia (Algeria), Erik Gandini (Sweden), Ondi Timoner (United States) 2011 Miriam Leah Brenner (The Netherlands), Lotje IJzermans (The Netherlands), Rodrigo Letier (Brazil), James Mottram (United Kingdom), Zjakki Willems (Belgium)

261

Index | Addresses

Index | Addresses 10Ft Films

87 Athlone Road SW2 2DU London UK +44 780 0558256 elhums@gmail.com

24 Images

5, Place Lionel Le Couteux 72000 Le Mans France +33 2 43781845 contact@24images.fr www.24images.fr

Academy Film Archive 1313 N. Vine St. 90028 Los Angeles USA +1 310 2473016 bdrischell@oscars.org www.oscars.org

Agencia da Curta Metragem Apartado 214 4480-715 Vila do Conde Portugal +351 252 646683

agencia@curtasmetragens.pt www.curtas.pt/agencia

Alte Celluloid Fabrik GbR Holbeinstr. 10 4229 Leipzig Germany +49 341 92704813

jk@celluloid-fabrik.de www.celluloid-fabrik.de

Altitude Film Sales

Top Floor, 4 Market Place W1W 8AD London UK +44 207 6120662 info@altitudefilment.com www.altitudefilment.com

Alumbramento

Rua Coronel Ferraz, 72 60060150 Fortaleza Brazil +55 85 30773138

contato@alumbramento.com.br www.alumbramento.com.br

San Blas 2 bajo 31014 Iruña/Pamplona Spain +34 94 8315336

info@arenacomunicacion.com www.arenacomunicacion.com

Argos

Werfstraat 13 1000 Brussel Belgium +32 2 2290003

info@argosarts.org www.argosarts.org

Asuntos y Cuestiones Varias Calle Julian Hernandez 23 28043 Madrid Spain +34 913 005556 produccio@films59.com

Auto Images

Beat Films

auto@autoimages.se www.autoimages.se

kirill@beatfilms.ru

Monbijougatan 17e 21153 Malmö Sweden +46 40 6610160

Avanti Media

Gneisenaustr. 44/45 10961 Berlin Germany +49 30 2646134

avanti@avantimedia.com www.avantimedia.de

Aziz, Ammar

74 Ferozepur road 54000 Lahore Pakistan +92 345 4251358

3-2-4 Hongokucho Nihonbashi Chuoku 1030021 Tokyo Japan +81 3 35175550 jessi@jvtacademy.com

Blast productions 124 rue sans souci 1050 Brussels Belgium +32 494 304940 info@blastprod.be www.blastprod.be

BALDR Film

Blinker Filmproduktion GmbH

mm@blinkerfilm.de www.blinkerfilm.de

Atzmor Productions

+31 20 6236237 www.andriesse-eyck.com

liranatzmor@hotmail.com

info@baldrfilm.nl www.baldrfilm.nl

86 Sokolov St. 622844 Tel Aviv Israel +972 52 8003362

Beethoven

ammar_aziz@hotmail.com

Andriesse Eyck Galerie Leliegracht 47 1016 GT Amsterdam The Netherlands

Sadovaya-Karetnaya ulitsa 20 127051 Moscow Russia +7 92 65698461

Oudezijds Achterburgwal 77 1012 DC Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 3032670

Mülheimer Freiheit 126 51063 Cologne Germany +49 22 15397460

Agitprop

Animal

AU Films

Balthasar

Boujabel Productions

agitprop@agitprop.bg www.agitprop.bg

danny@animaleast.com www.animalmediagroupfilm.com

adaushpiz@gmail.com

info@balthasar.be www.balthasar.be

boujabel.pro@gmail.com

68 Budapesta st., app. 1 1202 Sofia Bulgaria +359 2 9831411

100 First Avenue, Suite 1100 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 USA +1 412 5665656

Al Jazeera English

Annet Gelink Gallery

maire.devine@aljazeera.net www.aljazeera.net

info@annetgelink.com www.annetgelink.com

Lower Ground Floor SW1X 7XW London UK +44 207 2012858

Alkermes

Viale Pasteur 5 144 Rome Italy

info@alkermesfilms.com

alkermesfilms.com

Allers Retours Films

9 Rue de Timgad Hydra 16000 Algérie Algeria +33 6 51602909 narimanemari@gmail.com

Laurierstraat 187 – 189 1016 PL Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 3302066

ANTIPODE Sales & Distribution

Novolesnoy pereulok 5-38 127055 Moscow Russia +7 499 9787314 festivals@antipode-sales.biz www.antipode-sales.biz

Apulia Film Commission Lungomare Starita 1 70132 Bari Italy +39 080 9752900

email@apuliafilmcommission.it

262

Arena Comunicacion Audiovisual

Hamaagal Street 56 453620 Hod Hasharon Israel +972 50 8187303

Boulevard d’Ypres 62 1000 Brussels Belgium +32 486 222696

9 Almontazah Street Ramallah Palestine +97 059 5508001

Aurora Films

Basque Films

Braidmade Films

contact@aurorafilms.fr www.aurorafilms.fr

info@basquefilms.com www.basquefilms.com

info@braidmadefilms.co.uk www.braidmadefilms.co.uk

16, rue Bleue 75 009 Paris France +33 1 47704301

Austrian Film Commission Stiftgasse 6 1070 Vienna Austria +43 1 5263323203 office@afc.at www.afc.at

Autlook Filmsales

Spittelberggasse 3/14 1070 Vienna Austria +43 720 346934

welcome@autlookfilms.com www.autlookfilms.com

Av. Zumalakarregi 48 bajo 48006 Bilbao Spain +34 944 050259

BBC – Storyville

Room 6239, Television Centre, Wood Lane W12 7RJ Londen UK +44 207 7655211 storyville@bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Beachside Films

625 Mildred Avenue 90291 Venice USA +1 310 2303999

info@beachsidefilms.com www.beachsidefilms.com

183 Anerley Road SE20 8EF London UK +44 20 87764952

British Film Institute 21, Stephen Street W1T 1LN London UK +44 20 72551444

bookings.films@bfi.org.uk www.bfi.org.uk

Bureau Voorlichting Wagenaarstraat 6 1093 CP Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 6 55863388

info@bureauvoorlichting.nl www.bureauvoorlichting.nl

Index | Addresses

Busca Vida

R. Dr. Luís Augusto de Queirós Aranha, 790 05453-001 São Paulo Brazil +55 11 23737488 contato@buscavidafilmes.com www.buscavidafilmes.com

C&C Productions

Blomstervaenget 52 2800 Lyngby Denmark +45 20150567

jon.bang.carlsen@mail.dk www.jonbangcarlsen.com

Cabin Creek Films

155 6th Avenue, 10th Floor NY 10013-1507 New York USA +1 212 3432545 cabincreekfilms@aol.com www.cabincreekfilms.com

Camera Lucida Productions 4, cité Griset 75011 Paris France +33 1 49295190

info@cameralucida.fr www. cameralucida.fr

CAT&Docs

18, Rue Quincampoix 75004 Paris France +33 1 44617748 info@catndocs.com www.catndocs.com

Catherine Dussart Production (CDP) 25, rue Gambetta 92100 Boulogne France +33 1 46 050022

cdp@cdpproductions.fr www.cdpproductions.fr

CEM media

Cineart Nederland BV

Conch Studios

DeAPlaneta International

meraluslu@mac.com www.cemmedia.nl

info@cineart.nl www.cineart.nl

info@conchstudios.com www.conchstudios.com

international@deaplaneta.com www.deaplanetainternational.com

Valeriusstraat 264 -hs 1075 GM Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 6712740

Conijn Film

Deckert Distribution GmbH

info@cvb-videp.be www.cvb-videp.be

info@cinedoc.fr www.cinedoc.fr

wout@conijnfilm.com www.conijnfilm.com

info@deckert-distribution.com www.deckert-distribution.com

Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica (C.C.C.)

Calzada de Tlalpan 1670, Col. Country Club 4220 Mexico City Mexico +52 55 41550090 web@elccc.com.mx www.elccc.com.mx

Century Films

Studio 32, Clink St Studios, 1 Clink St SE1 9DG London UK +44 207 3786106 info@centuryfilmsltd.com www.centuryfilmsltd.com

Chaka Studio

16, Acton Street WC1X 9NG London UK

hola@chakastudio.com www.chakastudio.com

Changeworx

522 Stephanie Drive NJ 07006 North Caldwell USA +1 212 3808213 jgl@changeworx.com www.changeworx.com

office@cccp.nl www.cccp.n

info@chinaeurope-docsalon.com www.chinaeurope-docsalon.com

29 Brook Mews North W2 3BW London UK +44 20 71931801

in@celsiusentertainment.com www.celsiusentertainment.com

Calle de Josefa Valcarcel 42 28027 Madrid Spain +34 917 680754

Cinedoc films

111 rue de la Poste 1030 Brussels Belgium +32 2 2211050

China Europe Docsalon

Celsius Entertainment

11 Bar Yohai St. 63304 Tel-Aviv Israel +972 3524 3366

Centre Video de Bruxelles

CCCP

Willem Fenengastraat 16 1096 BN Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 5312222

Herengracht 328-III 1016 CE Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 5308848

President Brandstraat 13 1091XD Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 4689927

Christo Doherty

33 Floss Street, Kensington 2094 Johannesburg South-Africa +27 11 6145958 dohertyc@gmail.com

09 rue du travail 74000 Annecy France +33 4 50452390

Blokmakerstraat 22 1013 DH Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 6 41235289

Marienplatz 1 4103 Leipzig Germany +49 341 2156638

Cinephil

Content Media Corporation

DeepFocus Web Docs

info@cinephil.co.il www.cinephil.co.il

london@contentfilm.com www.contentmediacorp.com

jos@deepfocus.nl

18 Levontin Street 65112 Tel Aviv Israel +972 3 5664129

19 Heddon Street W1B 4BG London UK +44 20 78516500

Cinereach

Cronopio Film

info@cinereach.org www.cinereach.org

stefano@cronopiofilm.com www.cronopiofilm.com

126 Fifth Avenue – 5th Floor 10011 New York USA +1 212 7273224

Calle Soriano 1531 11200 Montevideo Uruguay +598 2 4104704

Cinetic Media

Crossover Labs

info@cineticmedia.com www.cineticmedia.com

info@xolabs.co.uk www.xolabs.co.uk

555 West 25th st, 4th Floor 10001 New York USA +1 212 2047979

Climage

Rue du Maupas 8 1004 Lausanne Switzerland +41 21 6483561 climage@climage.ch www.climage.ch

CNEX Limited

1 Xilou Hutong, Yonghegong Str. 100007 Beijng China +86 10 64073571 contact@cnex.org.cn www.cnex.org.cn

15 Paternoster Row S1 2BX Sheffield UK +44 114 2765141

Danish Documentary

Kvæsthusgade 5c, 1. sal 1251 Copenhagen K Denmark +45 26 162535

info@danishdocumentary.com www.danishdocumentary.com

Danish Film Institute Gothersgade 55 1123 Copenhagen Denmark +45 33 743400 dfi@dfi.dk www.dfi.dk

WG Plein 385 1054SG Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 6124478

DEF Media GmbH

Potsdamer Straße 81/83 10785 Berlin Germany +49 30 23321110 kontakt@def-media.com

def-media.com

Derives

Quai de Gaule 13 4020 Liège Belgium +32 4 3424939 info@derives.be www.derives.be

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (dffb) Potsdamer Str. 2 10785 Berlin Germany +49 30 257590 info@dffb.de www.dffb.de

Diam Production

06 BP 10456 Ouagadougou Burkina Faso +226 78802778 kmichelzongo@yahoo.fr

Coldwater Media

David Dawkins

DIEPTESCHERPTE

info@coldwatermedia.com www.coldwatermedia.com

dwd.dawkins@gmail.com

wink@deepfocus.nl

300 General Palmer Dr 80133 Palmer Lake USA +1 719 4888670

2575 Palisade Ave. 10463 New York USA +1 646 3549158

WG Plein 259 1054 SE Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 6124478

263

Index | Addresses

Dillywood, Inc.

Dogwoof

Eleanora de Rijke

Eyesfull

Film First

info@dillywood.com

info@dogwoof.com www.dogwoof.com

eleanoraderijke@gmail.com

production@eyesfull.com www.eyesfull.com

info@filmfirstco.com www.filmfirstco.com

164 west 25th st #4f 10001 New York USA +1 646 2029478

Disarming Films

PO Box 26689 90026 Los Angeles USA +1 310 4298509

info@disarmingfilms.com

DobleRetina Films

Dr. Pedro Calvo Barros 5493 Santiago Chile +56 9 81362005 mijael.bustos@gmail.com

Doc & Film International 13 rue du Portefoin 75003 Paris France +33 1 42775687 doc@docandfilm.com www.docandfilm.com

Docmakers

Vondelstraat 51hs 1054 GJ Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 6 12124423 info@docmakers.nl www.docmakers.nl

Doc’n’World Foundation pl. Zwyciestwa 2d/2 90-312 Lodz Poland +48 42 6767541 office@docworld.pl www.docworld.pl

Documentary and Experimental Film Center 15 Ghandi Square, Shariati Avenue 15569 Tehran Iran +98 21 88511326 int@defc.ir www.defc.ir

The Documentary Group 1103 N El Centro Ave 90038 Los Angeles USA +1 323 4634987

info@thedocumentarygroup.com www.thedocumentarygroup.com

264

19 – 23 Ironmonger Row EC1V 3QN London UK +44 207 2536244

Dok Mobile

Rue de la Sarine 4 1700 Fribourg Switzerland +41 79 7184891

Kerkstraat 23 1017 GH Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 6 54765166

Emissive

71, rue Provence 75009 Paris France +33 1 49530926

mrkolexa@gmail.com

contact@emissive.fr www. emissive.fr

DR International Sales

Endorfina Studio

Emil Holms Kanal 20 999 Copenhagen Denmark +45 35 203040 drsales@dr.dk www.drsales.dk

Drew Associates 95 81st Street 11209 New York USA +1 860 3645349

info@drewassociates.net www.drewassociates.net

East City Films Ltd

155 Commercial Street E1 6BJ London UK +44 207 3775787 hello@eastcityfilms.com www.eastcityfilms.com

ECAL – Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne

5 Avenue du Temple, Renens VD 1020 Lausanne Switzerland +41 21 3169933 ecal@ecal.ch www.ecal.ch

ECAM

c/ Juan de Orduña nº 3 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcon Spain +34 915 121060 ecam@ecam.es www.ecam.es

Een van de jongens

De Kempenaerstraat 11B 1051CJ Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 8943628

jongens@eenvandejongens.nl www.eenvandejongens.nl

Kwiatowa 28/10 02-539 Warsaw Poland +48 50 2099080

mbacewicz@endorfinastudio.com www.endorfinastudio.com

Escuela Internacional de Cine y Television EICTV Finca S.Tranquilino, Ap. Aéreo 40/41 San Antonio de los Baños, Artemisa Cuba +53 47 383152

promocioninternacional@eictv.org.cu www.eictv.org

Eterna Filmes

Rua Leoncio Correa 253, casa, Leblon 22450120 Rio de Janeiro Brazil +55 21 25128751 annaclarapeltier@gmail.com

Eureka Media

PO BOX 25 05-410 Jozefow Poland +48 602 790802

info@eurekamedia.info www.eurekamedia.info

Exitfilm

Madala 1 10313 Tallinn Estonia +372 6 611005

exitfilm@exitfilm.ee www.exitfilm.ee

EYE Film Instituut Nederland IJpromenade 1 1031 KT Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 5891400 info@eyefilm.nl www.eyefilm.nl

111Marion St. M6R1E6 Toronto Canada +1 647 8085093

EyeSteelFilm

7095 rue Marconi, suite 201 H2S 3K4 Montreal Canada +1 514 9374839 info@eyesteelfilm.com www.eyesteelfilm.com

Fasad

Stora Nygatan 33 11127 Stockholm Sweden +46 8 6152100 info@fasad.se www.fasad.se

Fathom Film Group 53 High Park Blvd.

M6R 1M9 Toronto Canada +1 416 8575709

info@fathomfilmgroup.com www.fathomfilmgroup.com

Felix Roben

Kesslerstrasse 90 31134 Hildesheim Germany +49 17 621523584

felixroben@yahoo.de

The Festival Agency 44 rue de Clery 75002 Paris France +33 9 54904863

info@thefestivalagency.com www.thefestivalagency.com

Filament Pictures

1021 E wing, Maple leaf, Raheja Vihar 400072 Mumbai India +91 98 92644163 miriamchandy@yahoo.com www.filamentpictures.co.in

Film and Tell

Slipgatan 7 117 39 Stockholm Sweden +46 8 55803830

info@filmandtell.com www.filmandtell.com

61 Greenpoint Ave. #505 11222 New York USA +1 718 6437300

Film Republic

Hackney Picturehouse – 270 Mare Street E8 1HE London UK +44 203 2879112 info@filmrepublic.biz www.filmrepublic.biz

The Film Sales Company

165 Madison Avenue, Suite 601 10016 New York USA +1 212 4815020 contact@filmsalescorp.com www.filmsalescorp.com

FilmBuff

25 West 31st Street 10001 New York USA +1 212 4636403 info@filmbuff.com www.filmbuff.com

The Filmmaker Fund info@filmmakerfund.com www.filmmakerfund.com

Films 59

Rambla de Catalunya 72 8007 Barcelona Spain +34 932 155612 produccio@films59.com

Films Boutique

Köpenicker Straße 184 10997 Berlin Germany +49 30 69537850 info@filmsboutique.com www.filmsboutique.com

Films Transit International Inc. 21 Place Epernay J6Z 4K9 Lorraine, Quebec Canada +1 514 8443358 office@filmstransit.com www.filmstransit.com

Index | Addresses

Finali Film & Wortschatz Produktion

Freunde der Deutsche Kinemathek

office@finali.at www.finali.at

fdk@fdk-berlin.de www.fdk-berlin.de

Fünkhgasse 9/2 3021 Pressbaum Austria +43 699 12354735

Potsdamer Str. 2 10785 Berlin Germany +49 30 26955150

Firelight Media Inc.

Fuglene

info@firelightmedia.org www.firelightmedia.org

post@fuglene.no www.fuglene.no

324 Convent Avenue 10031 New York USA +1 212 2341324

Thorvald Meyers 555 Oslo Norway +47 92249687

davidebarletti@gmail.com www.fluidproduzioni.com

Flying Moon Filmproduktion Seestrasse 96 13353 Berlin Germany +49 30 32297180

info@flyingmoon.com www.flyingmoon.com

Fourth Floor Productions Inc. 678 Massachusetts Avenue 2139 Cambridge USA +1 617 8764499 info@errolmorris.com www.errolmorris.com

Hollandse Helden

INA

casting@graciafilms.com www.graciafilms.com

mail@hollandsehelden.nl www.hollandsehelden.nl

postmaster@ina.fr www.ina.fr

42 Atherton Street 02119 Boston USA +1 917 5498969

Overleek 29 1141 PE Monnickendam The Netherlands +31 20 3317417

Avenue de l’Europe 4 94360 Bry Sur Marne France +33 14 9832176

mail@independentfilmcompany.com www.independentfilmcompany.com

Galerie Juliette Jongma

GusanoFilms

Gerard Doustraat 128a 1073 VX Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 4636904

Galerie tegenboschvanvreden

Viale Gallipoli 1 73100 Lecce Italy +39 0832 247473

Gracia Films

john@hopscotchfilms.co.uk www.hopscotchfilms.co.uk

Florian Hoffmann

Fluid Produzioni – Ubulibri

info@ajcnet.be www.ajcnet.be

info@graffitidoc.it www.graffitidoc.it

info@juliettejongma.com www.juliettejongma.com

florianhoffmann@gmx.de

medienproduktion@hs-owl.de www.hs-owl.de

lp300@yahoo.com

1-2604, Ba Li Qiao Nan Jie 101100 Beijing China +86 139 10406900

flor.aliberti@gmail.com

Graefestr.71 10967 Berlin Germany +49 163 4543490

good-company@good-company.dk www.good-company.dk

Rue Dethy 14 1060 Brussel Belgium +32 4 76996066

Independent Film Company

info@firsthandfilms.com www.firsthandfilms.com

Rambla del Raval 15 2do 1ra 8001 Barcelona Spain +34 617 811362

Images d’a cote

Liebigstraße 87 32657 Lemgo Germany +49 5261 7020

Hopscotch Films

Galaxion Films

Florencia Aliberti

Hochschule OWL

Oldenvej 43 DK-3490 Kvistgård Denmark +45 61781090

GraffitiDoc

First Hand Films

Neunbrunnenstrasse 50 8050 Zürich Switzerland +41 44 3122060

Good Company

Bloemgracht 57hs 1016 KE Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 3206768

info@tegenboschvanvreden.com www.tegenboschvanvreden.com

Gigantic Pictures

164 West 25th Street, Suite 4M 10001 New York USA +1 212 9255075 info@giganticpictures.com www.giganticpictures.com

Ginestra Film Källängsvägen 61 18144 Lidingö Sweden +46 70 9903569

antonio@ginestrafilm.se www.ginestrafilm.se

Go2Films

37/8 Issar Natanzon Street 9778730 Jerusalem Israel +972 2 5831371 info@go2films.com www.go2films.com

Corso Tortona, 2 10153 Torino Italy +39 011 19508620

Calle 145 No 13A 97 Bogotá Colombia +57 310 7712950 gusano@gusano.org www.gusano.org

Hansen & Pedersen Film og Fjernsyn Fælledvej 9 2.tv 2200 Copenhagen Denmark +45 27 442567

hansenogpedersen@hansenogpedersen.dk www.hansenogpedersen.dk

Herrie Film & TV

Van Hallstraat 54 1051 HH Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 4868212 info@herrie.com www.herrie.com

Heymann Brothers Films 2 Barzilay Street 65113 Tel-Aviv Israel +972 3 5602701

office@heymann-films.com www.heymann-films.com

Hikayet films

Cité Mentouri 25000 Constantine Algeria +213 555752933

hikayetfilms@gmail.com

74 Victoria Crescent Rd G12 9JN Glascow Scotland +44 141 3347453

Horse Pictures c/o Lionsgate Films

2700 Colorado Ave, Suite 200 90404 Santa Monica USA +1 310 2553700 piacono@lionsgate.com www.lionsgate.com

Humankind Production

Face au 17 Quai Alphonse le Gallo 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt France +33 179 717394

distribution@human-themovie.org www.human-themovie.org

Hypermarket Film Osadni 6 17000 Prague 7 Czech Republic +420 222 937341

email@hypermarketfilm.cz www.hypermarketfilm.cz

IDFA Bertha Fund

Frederiksplein 52 1017 XN Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 6273329

idfaberthafund@idfa.nl www.idfa.nl/idfaberthafund

IDTV Docs

Kraanspoor 50 1033 SE Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 3143314

6 Hatton Place EC1N 8RU London UK +44 20 72578734

Indi Film GmbH

Talstr. 41 70188 Stuttgart Germany +49 711 99797766

stuttgart@indifilm.de www.indifilm.de

InnerspaceVR

11, rue Carnot 94270 Le Kremlin-Bicètre France +33 6 78202483 contact@innerspacevr.com www.innerspacevr.com

Insularia Creadores

Calle Ribera 3 38390 Santa Úrsula, Tenerife Spain +34 61 9540456 insularia@gmail.com

Insurgent Media 45 Main Street 11201 New York USA +1 347 8449868

info@insurgentmediany.com www.insurgentmediany.com

Interzone Pictures Ditmar-Koel-Str.26 20459 Hamburg Germany +49 40 18113638

info@interzone-pictures.com www.interzone-pictures.com

docs@idtv.nl www.idtvdocs.nl

265

Index | Addresses

Intuitive Pictures Inc. 1207, Rue St-André H2L 3S8 Montreal Canada +1 514 8439000

info@intuitivepictures.ca www.intuitivepictures.ca

Irish Film Institute 6 Eustace St. Dublin Ireland +353 1 6795744 info@irishfilm.ie www.irishfilm.ie

ish Films

Jeanine Hofland Contemporary Art

De Clercqstraat 62 1052 NJ Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 7531596 mail@jeaninehofland.nl www.jeaninehofland.nl

Jela Hasler

Toepferstrasse 28 8045 Zurich Switzerland +41 79 7576491 jela@jelahasler.ch www.jelahasler.ch

84a High Street N8 7NU London UK

Jet Black Iris America

IT WORKS! Medien GmbH

abenzine@gmail.com

martin.ginestie@gmail.com

Gneiststr.19 10437 Berlin Germany +49 30 44676701

office@itworksmedien.de www.itworksmedien.com

Itinerant Media

PO Box 1407 WY 83014 Wilson USA +1 212 2222336 jimkchin@gmail.com

JAM Inc.

5690 Hill Oak Dr 90068 Los Angeles USA +1 323 6541900

assistant@jamincla.com www.wemanagelegends.com

Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy 2F 3-2-4 Hongokucho Nihonbashi Chuoku 1030021 Tokyo Japan +81 3 35175550 jessi@jvtacademy.com

Java Films

38 Quai Du Point Du Jour 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt France +33 1 74713313 contact@javafilms.fr www.javafilms.fr

804, 90 Adelaide Street East M5C 2R4 Toronto Canada +1 647 8695258

Jigsaw Productions

601 West 26th Street, Suite 1762 New York NY 10001 USA +1 212 3523010 info@jigsawprods.com www.jigsawprods.com

Jumpline-Group

228 park avenue south suite 1200 10003 New York USA +1 212 3665800 info@jumpline-group.com www.jumpline-group.com

Just a Moment

Pylimo st. 9-13 01118 Vilnius Litouwen +370 686 88980

dagne@justamoment.lt www.justamoment.lt

Kalejdoskop Film Studio Chelmska St. 21 00-724 Warsaw Poland +48 22 8511779

studio@kalejdoskop.art.pl www.kalejdoskop.art.pl

Kidam

8 Rue Edouard Robert 75012 Paris France +33 1 46285317 kidam@kidam.net www.kidam.tv

Kinematic Films LLC

LADOC srl

Little Monster, LLC

info@thankyouforplayingfilm.com

info@ladoc.it www.ladoc.it

info@littlemonsterfilms.com www.littlemonsterfilms.com

33 Flatbush Avenue, 4th Floor 11217 New York USA +1 347 2646148

Kinotar

Työpajankatu 10 A 580 Helsinki Finland +35 8 97740040 kinotar@kinotar.com www.kinotar.com

kNow Productions

19-23 Ironmonger Row EC1V 3QN London UK +972 54 4791124

info@knowproductions.net www.knowproductions.net

Krakow Film Foundation ul. Basztowa 15/8a 31-143 Krakow Poland +48 12 2946945 info@kff.com.pl www.kff.com.pl

KRO

‘s Gravelandseweg 80 1217 EW Hilversum +31 35 6713375 infolijn@kro.nl www.kro.nl

Ksenia Gapchenko Driehoek 7-4 6711DH Ede The Netherlands +31 6 27596262

gaptschenko@gmail.com

La Lutta NMC

164 W. 25th St., #4M 10001 New York USA +1 212 9255075 lalutta@lalutta.org www.lalutta.org

La Sarraz Pictures

Via Laura Mantegazza 24 00152 Roma Italy +39 011 5534260

lasarrazdistribuzione@gmail.com www.lasarraz.com

La Sept ARTE

8 rue Marceau F-92785 Issy-les-Mou Paris France www.arte.tv

266

Via Tito Angelini 2 80129 Naples Italy +39 335 7375979

Lafayette Film

Deans Watermill RH16 2QY Lindfield, West Sussex UK +44 1444 484510 info@nickbroomfield.com www.nickbroomfield.com

Langbein & Partner Media GmbH & Co KG Spittelberggasse 3/13 1070 Wien Austria +43 1 53536960

redaktion@langbein-partner.com www.langbein-partner.com

Le Fresnoy

22 rue de Fresnoy, BP 179 59202 Torcoing France +33 3 20283864

communication@lefresnoy.net www.lefresnoy.net

Les Blank Films Inc. 10341 San Pablo Ave. 94530 El Cerrito USA +1 800 5727618

lesblankfilmsinc@gmail.com www.lesblank.com

Les Films d’Ici 62 Bd. Davout 75020 Paris France +33 1 44522323

courrier@lesfilmsdici.fr www.lesfilmsdici.fr

LevelK

Gl. Kongevej 137 B, 3rd Fl. 1850 Copenhagen Denmark +45 2010 8580 tine.klint@levelk.dk www.levelk.dk

Linda Morgenstern 2 Verdun Street 02140 Cambridge USA +1 617 4916933

linda@lmorgenstern.com

160 Claremont Avenue, Suite A 10027 New York USA +1 212 2222336

Local Films

45 rue des Orteaux 75020 Paris France +33 1 44937359 localfilms@free.fr www.local-films.com

Lo-Max Films

12044 W. Washington Bld. 90066 Los Angeles USA +44 775 4395226 jack@lomaxfilms.com

lomaxfilms.com

Lorentzen, Luke

89 Butternut Hollow Rd 6830 Greenwich USA +1 203 5611146 luke.lorentzen@gmail.com

Lost & Found Film Studio

Li Gao Wang Fu, East Li Hua Rd. Suite 5-7C 101312 Beijing China +86 106 4508347 violet.feng@gmail.com

Louverture Films, LLC

101 West 23rd Street, 283 10011 New York, NY USA +1 212 2293960 info@louverturefilms.com www.louverturefilms.com

Luminaria

Ricardo Lyon 2994 Santiago Chile +56 22 8950095 info@luminaria.in www.luminaria.cl

Lux

18 Shacklewell Lane, 3rd Floor E8 2EZ London UK +44 20 75033980 info@lux.org.uk www.lux.org.uk

Index | Addresses

Made in Copenhagen Ryesgade 106 A, 2. sal 2100 Copenhagen Denmark +45 27 515112

hello@madeincopenhagen.net www.madeincopenhagen.net

MAGNETFILM

Ilsensteinweg 35 14129 Berlin Germany +49 163 8010753

info@magnetfilm.de www.magnetfilm.de

Magnolia Pictures

49 West 27th Street, 7th Floor 10001 New York USA +1 212 9246701 booking@magpictures.com www.magpictures.com

Maureen Paley.

21 Herald Street E2 6JT London UK +44 20 77294112

info@maureenpaley.com www.maureenpaley.com

maximage GmbH Neugasse 6 CH 8005 Zürich Switzerland +41 44 2748866

info@maximage.ch www.maximage.ch

Maysles Documentary Center 343 Lenox Avenue 10027 New York USA +1 917 8163827 cinema@maysles.org www.maysles.org

Mirada Filmes

Rua Pinheiro Guimaraes 150 22291080 Rio de Janeiro Brazil +55 219 88732512 alina@miradafilmes.com.br www.miradafilmes.com.br

Mischief Films

Goethegasse 1 1010 Vienna Austria +43 1 585232423

office@mischief-films.com www.mischief-films.com

Mockofiction

Ha Hagana 70 67721 Tel Aviv Israel +972 3 5476335

antonevichi@gmail.com

Mokum Filmdistributie

MAKE Productions

Melissa Langer

info@makeproductions.com www.makeproductions.com

melissa.a.langer@gmail.com

info@mokumfilm.nl www.mokumfilm.nl

Memphis Film & Television

Monoduo Films

1, Arlington road W13 8PF London UK +44 780 3504623

Manjusha Films

B/105, Purushottam Vila, C.S. Link Road 400068 Dahisar, East Mumbai India +91 64 65353053 hemalt@gmail.com

Mantaray Film

Tjärhovsgatan 36 11842 Stockholm Sweden +46 8 640435

info@mantarayfilm.se www.mantarayfilm.se

Marina Razbezhkina Kashirskoe shosse 4 115230 Moscow Russia +7 916 6863535 razbmarina@yandex.ru

Mark Lipson

1622 Pepper Drive 91104 Passadena USA

1218 4th Ave. 94606 Oakland USA +1 301 5025515

Maliebaan 24-26 3581 CP Utrecht The Netherlands +31 30 2332023

info@memphisfilm.net www.memphisfilm.net

Merits

PO box 96 4592500 Tel Aviv Israel

natibaratz@yahoo.com

Met Film Production

Ealing Studios, Ealing Green W5 5EP Londen UK +44 208 2809127 info@metfilmproduction.co.uk www.metfilmproduction.co.uk

Mexiko Media

Hammarby Slussväg 11 11860 Stockholm Sweden +46 70 4971510

sparkfoto@me.com

info@mexikomedia.com www.mexikomedia.com

Martin Ginestien

Michigan Films

84a High Street N8 7NU London UK +44 7943 025 838

martin.ginestie@gmail.com

rue d’Andenne 1 1060 Bruxelles Belgium +32 478 985233

info@michiganfilms.be www.michiganfilms.be

Prinsengracht 452 1017 KE Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 4283025

Wildenbruchplatz 5 12045 Berlin Germany +49 178 1876787

sales@monoduo.net www.monoduofilms.com

Motto Pictures 1234 A Street 11215 Brooklyn USA +1 718 9231950

info@mottopictures.com www.mottopictures.com

Movie Plus productions 163 Dizingoff st.

6346140 Tel Aviv Israel +972 35 164373

leelu@movieplus.info

Moving Documentary Aps Højbro Plads 7, 4. sal 1200 Copenhagen Denmark +45 2849 9717 info@movingdoc.dk www.movingdoc.dk

Moxie Firecracker

45 Main Street, Suite 506 Brooklyn NY 11201 USA +1 718 2305111 info@moxiefirecracker.com www.moxiefirecracker.com

Moxie Pictures

18 East 16th Street 10003 NY New York USA +1 212 8076901

Museum of Fine Arts Houston 1001 Bissonnet 77005 Houston USA +1 713 6397531 film@mfah.org www.mfah.org

Museum of Modern Art Circulating Film and Video Library 11 West 53rd Street 10019 New York USA +1 212 7089530 info@moma.org www.moma.org

Naked City Films

Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid Postbus 1060 1200 BB Hilversum The Netherlands +31 35 6773434

klantenservice@beeldengeluid.nl www.beeldengeluid.nl

Nederlandse Film Academie Markenplein 1 1011 MV Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 5277333 info@filmacademie.nl www.filmacademie.nl

Neo Publishing AB

Sankt Paulsgatan 22C 118 48 Stockholm Sweden +27 711521357 me@toramartens.com

Netflix

335 North Maple Drive, Suite 300 90210 Beverly Hills USA +1 917 3282770 info@netflix.com www.netflix.com

122 Adelphi St #3B NY 11205 Brooklyn USA +1 917 3853008

Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion GmbH

Natalia Debizheva

info@geyrhalterfilm.com www.geyrhalterfilm.com

peter.hutch@yahoo.com

3 Sovetskaya 7, apt 35 191036 St.Petersburg Russia +7 98 17484499 kinofun@gmail.com

National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road 20740-6001 College Park USA +1 866 2726272 christina.kovac@nara.gov www.archives.gov

National Film Board of Canada

3155, Chemin Cote-de-Liesse H4N 2N4 Montreal Canada +1 514 4964134 distribution@nfb.ca www.nfb.ca

Hildebrandgasse 26 1180 Vienna Austria +43 1 4030162

No Weather Productions 609 Degraw Street 11217 Brooklyn USA +1 347 7495439

noweatherproductions@gmail.com www.noweather.com

Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) – Germany Hugh-Greene-Weg 1 22529 Hamburg Germany +49 4041564788 anka@ndr.de www.ndr.de

Norwegian Film Institute P.O. Box 482 Sentrum 105 Oslo Norway +47 22 474500 post@nfi.no www.nfi.no

267

Index | Addresses

Noviy Kurs Film Studio

Participant Media

PF Pictures

PS Film GmbH

nkstudio@perm.ru

info@participantmedia.com www.participantmedia.com

contact@pfpictures.com www.pfpictures.com

spoerri@psfilm.ch www.psfilm.ch

3, Narodovolcheskaya St. 614007 Perm Russia +7 342 2169381

NPO Sales

P.O. Box 26444 1202 JJ Hilversum The Netherlands +31 35 6773561 info@nposales.com www.nposales.com

NTR

Pulse Films

pthiltges@ptd.lu www.ptd.lu

pieter@pvhfilm.nl www.pvhfilm.nl

info@pulsefilms.co.uk www.pulsefilms.co.uk

45, boulevard Pierre Frieden 1543 Luxemburg Luxemburg +352 44 7070

Oceanic Preservation Society

PBS International

info@opsociety.org www.opsociety.org

Olympic Films

D.L. Hudigstraat 38 1019 TR Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 6709486 info@ciwa.nl

The Open Reel

Via Gené Giuseppe 4 10152 Torino Italy +39 340 4940351 open@theopenreel.com www.theopenreel.com

OTD Productions

36 David Ave QLD 4065 Bardon, Brisbane Australia +61 4 22482615

paddy@wolfhoundpictures.com.au

Paradiso Films Documentaries 10a Leslie Place EH4 1NH Edinburgh Scotland +44 7 415870194

Smehanovic@yahoo.co.uk

Park Circus Limited 1 Park Terrace G3 6BY Glasgow Scotland +44 141 3322175

info@parkcircus.com www.parkcircus.com

Mutschellenstrasse 105 8038 Zürich Switzerland +41 44 4813170

Pieter van Huystee Film

PBK Ltd

3063 E Sterling Circle #7 80301 Boulder USA +1 303 4442454

475 Kent Avenue, Suite 306 11211 Brooklyn USA +1 347 7991479

Paul Thiltges Distributions

Postbus 29000 1202 MA Hilversum The Netherlands +31 35 6779333 publiek@nps.nl www.omroep.nl/nps

268

331 Foothill Road 90210 Beverly Hills USA +1 310 5505100

PO Box 91189 1142 Auckland New Zealand

pietra@pbk.co.nz www.pietrabrettkelly.com

10 Guest Street 02153 Boston USA +1 617 2080735

jtkoch@pbs.org pbsinternational.org

Pennebaker Hegedus Films 262 West 91st Street 10024 New York USA +1 212 4969195 info@phfilms.com www.phfilms.com

Penny Wise Films

403, Tower 2, Orange County, Ahinsa Khand 1 201014 Uttar Pradesh India +91 11 47553452 info@pennywisefilms.com www.pennywisefilms.com

Periscoop Film

Arie Biemondstraat 111 1054 PD Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 8204940 info@periscoopfilm.nl www.periscoopfilm.nl

Perut + Osnovikoff Ltda.

Los Abetos Sur 1117, 7630326 Vitacura Santiago Chile +56 2 29208546 info@perutosnovikoff.com www.perutosnovikoff.com

Donker Curtiusstraat 125 1051 MC Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 4210606

Plano 3 Filmes

Alameda dos Umbuzeiros, 445, apt 202 41830530 Salvador Brazil +55 71 33747874 paulatgomes@gmail.com

Platform Films

Unit 14, Pennybank Chambers, 33-35 St. John’s Sq. EC1M 4DS London UK +44 20 72788394 platform.films@virgin.net

Point of View

2 New Pushpamilan, Worli Mills 400018 Bombay India +91 22 55739803 pointofview@vsnl.com www.pointofview.org

Point Of View

Korolenko st. 6b 107014 Moscow Russia +7 903 2561626 tochkaz@yandex.ru

ProFilm

43B Bouzludza Str 1463 Sofia Bulgaria +359 28 517898

asse.vladimirov@gmail.com

Providences

8 rue Sainte Marthe 75010 Paris France +33 6 69023467 av@providences.fr www.providences.fr

17 Hanbury Street E1 6QR London UK +44 20 74265700

Pyramide International

5, rue du Chevalier de Saint George 75008 Paris France +33 1 42960101 distribution@pyramidefilms.com www.inter.pyramidefilms.com

R.W.F. Werkschau GmbH Giesebrechtstraße 7 10629 Berlin Germany +49 30 8872490

info@fassbinderfoundation.de www.fassbinderfoundation.de

Radical Media

435 Hudson Street, 6th floor 10014 New York USA +1 212 4621500 infony@radicalmedia.com www.radicalmedia.com

Rattapallax

217 Thompson Street NY 10012 New York USA +1 646 4164702

devineni@rattapallax.com www.rattapallax.com

Ravi Films

44 1st Place #4 11231 Brookyn USA +1 347 4639823

songoflahore@gmail.com

Reconsider

145 Palisades St. #231 10522 Dobbs Ferry USA sapkon@reconsider.org www.reconsider.org

Red Velvet Films

18 Eastwood Road N1O 1NL London UK +44 208 8834831

Required Reading

6464 West Sunset Blvd.

90028 Los Angeles USA +1 347 4170714 info@required-reading.co www.required-reading.co

Rise and Shine

Schlesische Strasse 29/30 10997 Berlin Germany +49 30 47372980 info@kloosundco.de www.kloosundco.de

Rits Filmschool Brussel

Antoine Dansaertstraat 70 1000 Brussel Belgium +32 2 5071411 rits@ehb.be www.ritcs.be

ro*co films international

80 Liberty Ship Way, Suite 8 94965 Sausalito USA +1 415 3326471 info@rocofilms.com www.rocofilms.com

Roast Beef Productions 28 Denmark street WC2H 8NJ London UK +44 207 2402885 info@roastbeeftv.com www.roastbeeftv.com

Rocky&Estrella asbl Rue des Bas Prés, 49 5000 Namur Belgium +32 496 185496

bramvancauwenberghe@gmail.com

The Rolling Picture Company 543 Richmond Street West Suite 126, Box 207 M5V 1Y6 Toronto Canada +1 416 4090875 rick@rollingpictureco.com www. rollingpictureco.com

Index | Addresses

Ross McElwee

24 Quincy St. 02138 Cambridge USA +1 617 4966606

mcelwee@fas.harvard.edu www.rossmcelwee.com

Roya Film House

First Street of Demazan House No 75 Kabul Afghanistan +93 79 8106275 RFH@royafilmhouse.org www.royafilmhouse.org

Rufy’s

25 Mina St. off Kafr Abdou St., Roshdy 21529 Alexandria Egypte +203 54 10473 contact@rufysstudio.tk www.rufysstudio.tk

Sakdoc

27/15 Leselidze Street 105 Tiblisi Georgia +995 77 443272 info@sakdoc.ge www.sakdoc.ge

The Sam Spiegel Film & TV School 4 Yad-Harutzim St. 91103 Jerusalem Israel +972 7 32007300 mail@jsfs.co.il www.jsfs.co.il

Sant & Usant St Olavsgt 9 165 Oslo Norway +47 95 033305

post@santogusant.no www.santogusant.no

Saxonia Entertainment GmbH Altenburger Straße 9 4275 Leipzig Germany +341 35004100

info@saxonia-entertainment.de www.saxonia-entertainment.de

Scenes From

Gneisenaustr. 54 10961 Berlin Germany +49 171 2895629

mail@scenesfrom.de www.scenesfrom.de

Scout Productions

119, Braintree Street 02134 Boston USA +1 617 7827722

Seftel Productions

204 W. 108th Street NY 10025 New York USA +1 212 3160911 info@seftel.com www.seftel.com

Selfmade Films

Nieuwpoortkade 2a 1055 RX Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 6060789 mail@selfmadefilms.nl www.selfmadefilms.nl

Sergio Oksman Fuencarral 105 28004 Madrid Spain +34 60 6582843

soksman@gmail.com

Seventh Art Productions

63 Ship Street BN1 1AE Brighton East Sussex UK +44 1273 777678 info@seventh-art.com www.seventh-art.com

Shisso Productions

#502 Kaizuka Bldg. 1-34-13 Shinjuku 160 Tokyo Japan +81 3 33507812 shisso2010@gmail.com

Shoot From The Hip

Friedrich-Engels-Str. 12 9599 Freiberg Germany + 49 3731 2729020 info@shootfromthehip.de www.shootfromthehip.de

Sixpackfilm

Neubaugasse 45/13 1070 Vienna Austria +43 1 5260990

office@sixpackfilm.com www.sixpackfilm.com

Slingshot Films International Sales Via Salita di Gretta 7/1 34126 Trieste Italy +39 347 62 73 390 manuela@slingshotfilms.it www.slingshotfilms.it

soap factory GmbH Hafenstrasse 25 4019 Basel Switzerland +41 61 6320050

film@soapfactory.ch www.soapfactory.ch

SOC Films

Stanford University

Submarine

artdepartment@stanford.edu www.stanford.edu

info@submarine.nl www.submarine.nl

382 Violet Rd 94547 Hercules USA +1 650 7233404

Steps

Submarine Entertainment

info@steps.co.za www.steps.co.za

info@submarine.com www.submarine.com

7 Glynnville Terrace Gardens 8001 Cape Town South-Africa +27 21 4655805

Stereotactic

D34, Block 7, Kehkashan Clifton Karachi Pakistan +92 300 8228770

Sadovaya-Karetnaya ulitsa, 20 building 2 127051 Moskow Russia +7 495 6442707

Some Shorts

Stichting Traktor

info@someshorts.com www.someshorts.com

info@stichtingtraktor.nl www.stichtingtraktor.nl

socfilms@gmail.com www.socfilms.com

St Annastraat 149 6524 ER Nijmegen The Netherlands +31 6 22076717

we@stereotactic.ru www.stereotactic.ru

Utrechtsedwarsstraat 95 1017WD Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 7737415

Sonntag Pictures

Stigter van Doesburg

contact@sonntagpictures.com www.sonntagpictures.com

mail@stigtervandoesburg.com www.stigtervandoesburg.com

Kronprinsessegade 46D, 4 1306 Copenhagen Denmark +45 28964414

Elandsstraat 90 1016 SH Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 6242361

Sonuma

Story AB

info@sonuma.be www.sonuma.be

info@story.se www.story.se

Boulevard Raymond Poincaré, 15 4020 Liège Belgium +32 4 3405920

SOUTH

Vyshnyakivska 17/87 2140 Kyiv Oekraïne +380 0679899987

daverchenko@gmail.com

Spectrum Film

Kloveniersburgwal 49 1011 JX Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 6241921 info@vangasteren.org www.vangasteren.org

Arie Biemondstraat 111 1054 PD Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 3301226

Kocksgatan 31 SE-116 24 Stockholm Sweden +46 8 156280

Story-tellers

Unit 2, A Wing, Satellite Towers, Film City Road. Goregaon East 400063 Mumbai India +91 986 7264872 aakash@story-tellers.in www.story-tellers.in

Studio Hamburg Distribution & Marketing GmbH Hugh-Greene-Weg 1 22529 Hamburg Germany +49 40 41565388

197 Grand Street 6W 10013 New York USA +1 212 6251410

Swedish Film Institute Borgvägen 1-5 115 53 Stockholm Sweden +46 8 6651100

info@sfi.se www.filminstitutet.se

Synchro Film GmbH

Schottenfeldgasse 14 1070 Wien Austria +43 1 52493100 office@synchrofilm.com www.synchrofilm.com

TAG/TRAUM

Apostelnstr. 11 50667 Köln Germany +49 221 650259011 info@tagtraum.de www.tagtraum.de

TAM Films

Meeuwenlaan 203-B 1021 JD Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 6 18029870 contact@tamfilms.com www.tamfilms.com

Tangerine Tree

Schieweg 202 C2 3038BM Rotterdam The Netherlands +31 6 43061200 info@tangerinetree.nl www.tangerinetree.nl

Taskovski Films

19-21 Christopher Street EC2A 2B London UK info@taskovskifilms.com www.taskovskifilms.com

anka@ndr.de

269

Index | Addresses

Thelma/Louise

Primusgatan 112 112 67 Stockholm Sweden +46 854 595950

hej@thelmalouise.se www.thelmalouise.se

Third Floor Productions 1622 Pepper Drive 90068 Pasadena USA +1 323 8459903

info@thethirdfloorinc.com www.thethirdfloorinc.com

Tourist With A Typewriter 39 York Road SE1 7NQ London UK +44 7963 079203

films@touristwithatypewriter.com www.touristwithatypewriter.com

Tremolo Productions 1950 Sunset Blvd 90026 Los Angeles USA +1 213 4139200

info@tremoloproductions.com www.tremoloproductions.com

TrustNordisk

Filmbyen 12 2650 Hvidovre Denmark +45 36 868788

info@trustnordisk.com www.trustnordisk.com

Tugg, Inc.

4210 Spicewood Springs Rd. TX 78759 Austin USA +1 855 3218844 www.tugg.com

Unicorn Films

Union Street 23 3205 South Melbourne Australia +61 3 96993677 info@unicornfilms.com.au www.unicornfilms.com.au

Upian

211 Rue Saint-Maur 75010 Paris France +33 1 53197003 contact@upian.com www.upian.com

270

Upstream Gallery

Van Ostadestraat 294 1073 TW Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 4284284 info@upstreamgallery.nl www.upstreamgallery.nl

USC Game Innovation Lab University Park, SCA 222 90089-2211 Los Angelis USA +1 213 8212515

usc_interactive@cinema.usc.edu www.interactive.usc.ed

Van Lieshout Filmproducties Kerkstraat 8 3431 CR Nieuwegein The Netherlands +31 30 6013040 bvlfilm@gmail.com www.bvlfilm.com

Vertov. Real cinema

12, Tverskaya Street bld.8 125009 Moscow Russia +8 915 2738625 vertov@list.ru www.vertov.ru

VFS Films

Lapu 17 1002 Riga Latvia +371 67503588 vfs@vfs.lv www.vfs.lv

Via Decouvertes Production 12 Rue Chalgrin 75016 Paris France +33 1 75776454

contact@viadecouvertes.fr www.viadecouvertes.fr

VICE

New North Place EC2A 4JA London UK +44 20 77497810

ukpressoffice@vice.com www.vice.com

Vice Films

97 North 10th Street 11211 Brooklyn USA +1 718 2336518 vice@viceland.com www.vice.com

Videofilmes

Rua do Russel 270 22210-010 Rio de Janeiro Brazil +55 21 30940810

videofilmes@videofilmes.com.br www.videofilmes.com.br

Visible Film

48 rue Scarron 1050 Bruxelles Belgium +32 477 617170

sales@visiblefilm.com www.visiblefilm.com

Visit Films

173 Richardson Street 11222 New York USA +1 718 3128210 info@visitfilms.com www.visitfilms.com

Vladimir Tomic

Frederikssundsvej 26B 2400 Copenhagen Denmark +45 30744780

vladimirtomic80@gmail.com

VPRO

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion Spiegelgasse 9 1010 Vienna Austria +43 1 5129444

office@wernerherzog.com www.wernerherzog.com

WG Film AB

Västergatan 23 21121 Malmö Sweden +46 40 78150 film@wgfilm.com www.wgfilm.com

White Pine Pictures Inc.

822 Richmond Street West, 301 M6J 1C9 Toronto Canada +1 416 7035580 info@whitepinepictures.com www.whitepinepictures.com

White Point

Annankatu 16 D A 1b 120 Helsinki Finland +358 40 5713157

aleksis.pillai@whitepoint.fi www.whitepoint.fi

Wim T. Schippersplein 1 1217 WD Hilversum +31 35 6712911

Wide House

VRSE

festivals@widemanagement.com www.widehouse.org

info@nposales.com www.vpro.nl

823 Seward Street 90038 Los Angelis USA +1 323 8173300 hello@vrse.works www.vrse.works

Wajda Studio Sp. z o.o.

Chelmska 21 00-724 Warsaw Poland +48 53 3208742

awinkler@wajdaschool.pl www.wajdaschool.pl

Wallonie Image Production

Pôle Image de Liège, Bât. T – 36, rue de Mulhouse 4020 Liège Belgium +32 4 3401040 info@wip.be www.wip.be

9 rue Bleue 75009 Paris France +33 1 53950464

Witfilm

De Kempenaerstraat 11B 1051CJ Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 20 6885049 info@witfilm.nl www.witfilm.nl

Yale University

53 Wall Street 06511 New Haven USA +1 203 4320148

brian.meacham@yale.edu www.yale.edu/filmstudy

YLE

Box 97 00024 Helsinki Finland fst@yle.fi www.yle.fi

Iris Zaki

6 Louisa Close E9 7BZ London UK

irismtv@gmail.com

Zazarfilm

Arsena Strret 29 108 Tiblisi Georgia +49 151 61146884

info@zazarusadze.com www.zazarusadze.com

Zentropa Entertainment Filmbyen 22 2650 Hvidovre Denmark +45 36 868788

receptionen@filmbyen.dk www.zentropa.dk

Zhaoqi Films

502, Tower 2, Kan Du Jia Yuan 100016 Beijing China +86 1 3801198369 zhaoqifilms@gmail.com www.zhaoqifilms.com

Zipporah Films

One Richdale Avenue, 4 02140 Cambridge USA +1 617 5763603 info@zipporah.com www.zipporah.com

Zuidenwind Filmproductions Postbus 4673 4803 ER Breda The Netherlands +31 76 5140871

info@zuidenwind.nl www.zuidenwind.nl

E o

F s

M 5

w

Index | Addresses

Early Bird registration available for only ÂŁ249+VAT until 18 March 2016

Feature doc, short & interactive project submissions open until 7 February 2016 MeetMarket project submissions open 5 January 16 March 2016

www.sheffdocfest.com

271

Index | Premieres

Index | Premieres World Premieres

Coups de foudre

Aida

84

Maysoon El-Massry

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Liubov Durakova, Alisa Kovalenko

36

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Bernard MacMahon Music Documentary

52

Aline Portugal, Julia De Simone

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

106

Fredrik Gertten, Magnus Gertten Masters

Boudewijn de Groot – Come Closer Suzanne Raes

68

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

54

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Lukas Marxt

169

Mariana Viñoles

20

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Cecilia

Pankaj Johar

149

Beata Bubenets

37

Frédéric Guillaume

21

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Coal India

Felix Röben, Ajay Koli

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

272

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

191

Eritrea Stars A Family Affair Tom Fassaert

69 23

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary, IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary, IDFA DOC U Competition

Garage 2.0

Catherine van Campen

69

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

Holy Cow

Jérôme Clément-Wilz

60

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

I Am the Blues

180 86

85

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Imperial Courts

Martin Ginestie

Inside the Chinese Closet Sophia Luvara

Into Darkness

Rachida El Garani

Irrawaddy Mon Amour

170 70

76

Dana Lixenberg, Eefje Blankevoort

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

96

61

170

Paula Gomes

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

87 155

78 89 25

Niki Padidar

96

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

Opposites

Marta Jurkiewicz

97

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

Jorge Caballero

26

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

161

Panorama

Quipu Project

78

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

The Rate’s Cut

173

Paradocs

Rebuild Fukushima

193

DocLab: Seamless Reality

71

RecoVR: Mosul, a Collective Reconstruction

79

Ziv Schneider, Laura Chen

88

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary, IDFA DOC U Competition

Meral Uslu

Ninnoc

Bert Hana, Dagmar van Wersch

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

My Cancer

Apostolos Karakasis

Paco Nicolás

Panorama

Tamar Kay

Next Stop: Utopia

Maria Court, Rosemarie Lerner

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Yan Ting Yuen

Luke Lorentzen

Qing Zhao

Jonas and the Backyard Circus 42

Mr. Hu and the Temple

New York Cuts

Please Remember Me

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

Maheen Zia, Miriam Chandy Menacherry

Jonathan Harris, Greg Hochmuth

Patient 70

Pieter van Huystee

Lyari Notes

Network Effect

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Paradocs

The Load

159

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Jheronimus Bosch, Touched by the Devil

Marijn Frank

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Valeria Testagrossa, Nicola Grignani, Andrea Zambelli

Isabel Pagliai

Need for Meat Panorama

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary, IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

The Mute’s House

Music Documentary

Iceberg

In Defense of the Rocket

Victor Alexis Guerrero

40

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Horse-Being

41

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Isabella Morra

DocLab: Seamless Reality

Juliana Gabriela Gomez Castañeda

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Clear Years

75

Jan Rothuizen, Sara Kolster

Daniel Cross

Panorama

Chechen

22

Drawing Room The Enemy

Charles Redon

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Imam Hasanov

Paradocs

Carolina’s World

150

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

Walther Grotenhuis, Cinta Forger

Captive Horizon

Don Juan

In California

Paradocs

Panorama

John Appel

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary, Music Documentary

Eldora Traykova

Democracy

Karim Ben Khelifa

68

94

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs, IDFA Junior

Jerzy Sladkowski

Aracati

Cambridge

Dancing for You

David Bernet

American Epic: The Big Bang 178

A Boy’s Dream

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Erlend E. Mo

Alisa in Warland

Becoming Zlatan

55

Christophe Reyners

63

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary, IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Remember Your Name, Babylon

44

Marie Brumagne, Bram Van Cauwenberghe

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

The Road

Zanbo Zhang

27

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Index | Premieres

Rough Stage

45

Toomas Järvet

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Salamanca

64

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Mike Plunkett

162

Panorama

Say Something Åsa Ekman

Raphaël Dubach

163

Dries Depoorter

90 194

DocLab: Seamless Reality

Sketches of Siberia Ben van Lieshout

174

Reber Dosky

163

Panorama

Sonita

Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami

29

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary, IDFA DOC U Competition

A Strange Love Affair with Ego 30 Ester Gould

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary, IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

The Successor Mattia Epifani

65

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Super Stream Me

Tim den Besten, Nicolaas Veul

195 66

Mani Y. Benchelah

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary, IDFA DOC U Competition

Thy Father’s Chair

Antonio Tibaldi, Alex Lora

196

Ammar Aziz

Welcome Home Frans Bromet

When the Earth Seems to Be Light

48 117

32

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Jon Bang Carlsen

50

106

Masters

145

Panorama

The American Epic Sessions

178

Music Documentary

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary, IDFA DOC U Competition

53 168

Paradocs

Clara Peltier

William Fairman, Max Gogarty

Feiyue Wu, Xiaoyu Qin

149 38 179

Phil Grabsky

39

Steve Hoover

124

Angad Bhalla, Ted Biggs

Kyle McDonald

75

Exodus

Nicolas Provost

169

Paradocs

Fassbinder

Annekatrin Hendel

152

Samir Mehanovic

57

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Kati Juurus

58

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Grumant: Island of Communism

59

Ivan S. Tverdovskiy

Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr

110

Patrick Reed, Michelle Shephard

Lamentation

Christo Doherty, Aryan Kaganof

171

Life of a Butterfly Piotr Bernas

62

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Best of Fests

The Deeper They Bury Me

Exhausting a Crowd

Paradocs

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Crocodile Gennadiy

151

Masters

Music Documentary

Vladi Antonevicz

56

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Concerto – A Beethoven Journey

Ina Borrmann

For Kibera!

Panorama

Chinese Verses

Every 28 Days

The Fog of Srebrenica 147

Panorama

Chemsex

Ugis Olte

Panorama

Mark Cousins

Bird Skin

Double Aliens

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise

Hayoun Kwon

Panorama

Arlette – Courage Is a Muscle 84

Andreas Koefoed

74

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Florian Hoffmann

71

DMZ: Memories of No Man’s Land

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Afghanistan Night Stories

At Home in the World

109

Masters

Bernard MacMahon

IDFA Competition for First Appearance, IDFA DOC U Competition

Sjors Swierstra

Déjà vu

Alka Sadat

Salome Machaidze, Tamuna Karumidze, David Meskhi

The World According to Monsieur Khiar

About Heaven Stéphane Goël

DocLab: Seamless Reality

A Walnut Tree

International Premieres

Credit for Murder

DocLab: Seamless Reality

This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees

Tracy Fullerton

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

Paradocs

The Sniper of Kobani

Walden, a Game

Masters

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Sheriff Software

33

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Panorama

Sempervirens

Roman Bondarchuk

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Ruslan Fedotow, Alexandra Kulak

Salero

Ukrainian Sheriffs

74

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Man Falling

Anne Regitze Wivel

228

Sounds Real

273

Index | Premieres

Martha & Niki Tora Mårtens

156

Panorama

The Meadow Jela Hasler

Francesca Scalisi, Mark Olexa

172

Melissa Langer

157

Ernesto Pagano

88

Christian Sønderby Jepsen

158 24 90

Alexandra Kulak, Yulia Kurmangalina, Anna Kornienko IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Old Wives

Galina Krasnoborova

159

Panorama

Rebels

Kari Anne Moe

161

Alex Hoffman

46 97

Florencia Aliberti

174

George Gittoes

28

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

Still Holding Still Sarah Vanagt

175

Paradocs

Strung Out

Nirit Aharoni

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

274

Chris Milk, Gabo Arora

We Are Not Alone Pere Joan Ventura

80 165

Panorama

We’re Still Here: Johnny 185 Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited Antonino D’Ambrosio

Darren Emerson

80

word.camera

Ross Goodwin

81

47

Salim Abu Jabal

Hot Type: 150 Years of The Nation

85 150 111

Morgan Neville

154

182

Music Documentary

Bernardo Ruiz

154

Panorama

Last Conversations Eduardo Coutinho

113

Masters

Log Head

Maarit Suomi-Väänänen

171

Paradocs

Yun Ye

43

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Barbara Kopple

183

Music Documentary

Nicole Nielsen Horanyi

157

Panorama

Bill Guttentag, Michael Ware

134

Best of Fests

Playing Lecuona

Pavel Giroud, Juan Manuel Villar Betancort

183

Music Documentary

Requiem for the American Dream

Peter Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, Jared P. Scott Best of Fests

185

Suburban King/Top-girl Aakash Bhatia

98

Thank You for Playing

139

David Osit, Malika Zouhali-Worrall Best of Fests

Panorama

Keith Richards: Under the Influence

Andy Schocken, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

Masters

Yu Nakajima

Song of Lahore Music Documentary

Barbara Kopple

Katsuo-bushi

162

Panorama

Panorama

Kingdom of Shadows

Music Documentary

Witness 360: 7/7

Dear Araucaria

Only the Dead

Paradocs

Snow Monkey

164

Roshmia

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

Motley’s Law

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

(Self)exhibitions

Waves of Grace

Meg Smaker

Miss Sharon Jones!

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Hanna Heilborn

Pablo Iraburu, Migueltxo Molina

Boxeadora

Look Love

Music Documentary

Ruth

Walls

European Premieres

Matt Houghton

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

The Redemption of the Devil 184

Hassen Ferhani

Victor Kossakovsky

99

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Panorama, IDFA DOC U Competition

Roundabout in My Head

Varicella

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary

OK Good

Loïc Suty

Panorama

Panorama

Natural Disorder

The Unknown Photographer 79

IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

NapolIslam

117

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

Panorama

My Aleppo

Vitaly Mansky Masters

Paradocs

Moriom

Under the Sun

136

Thru You Princess Ido Haar

31

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary, IDFA DOC U Competition, Music Documentary

Tig

Kristina Goolsby, Ashley York

140

Best of Fests

The Wedding Contract David Dawkins

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

49

Index | Countries

Index | Countries Afghanistan Afghanistan Night Stories

145

Algeria Cecilia Checks and Balances Roundabout in My Head

149 108 46

Australia Only the Dead Snow Monkey

134 28

Austria Captive Horizon Lampedusa in Winter Land Grabbing Megacities Over the Years The Visit Wastecooking – Make Food, Not Waste

169 130 155 228 114 231 165

Azerbaijan Holy Cow

40

Belgium Battles Birobidzhan Clear Years Coups de foudre Into Darkness No Home Movie Patience, Patience, You’ll Go To Paradise!

Remember Your Name, Babylon Sheriff Software Someone Else Still Holding Still

226 148 21 55 96 113 160 44 194 194 175

Bolivia Salero

162

Bosnia-Herzegovina The Fog of Srebrenica

57

Brazil Aracati Bird Skin Jonas and the Backyard Circus Last Conversations Olmo and the Seagull

52 147 42 113 172

Bulgaria Cambridge The Ladino Ladies’ Club

54 130

Burkina Faso The Siren of Faso Fani

138

Cambodia France Is Our Mother Country

110

Canada Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah The Deeper They Bury Me Do Not Track Driving with Selvi The Enemy Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr HIGHRISE: Universe Within How to Change the World I Am the Blues Log Head My Enemy, My Brother The Things I Cannot Change This Changes Everything The Unknown Photographer Vita activa, the Spirit of Hannah Arendt Way to Go

123 74 191 124 191 110 192 128 180 171 133 248 140 79 164 196

Chile Beyond My Grandfather Allende The Pearl Button Quipu Project Surire A Tale of Love, Madness and Death

120 114 78 138 91

China Behemoth The Chinese Mayor Chinese Verses Look Love Please Remember Me The Road A Young Patriot

107 123 38 43 161 27 142

Colombia Patient

26

Cuba Iceberg The Load

86 87

Czech Republic Under the Sun

117

Denmark At Home in the World Dancing for You Déjà vu Flotel Europa Home Sweet Home Man Falling Motley’s Law Natural Disorder Olmo and the Seagull Pelota II The Road Ruth Varicella The Visit Egypt Aida

53 94 109 126 95 228 157 24 172 115 27 97 99 231 84

Estonia Rough Stage

45

Finland Don Juan For Kibera!

Log Head Return of the Atom The Visit

22 58 171 136 231

France Austerlitz Banking Nature Behemoth Checks and Balances Democracy Do Not Track The Enemy Exotica, Erotica, Etc. France Is Our Mother Country A German Youth Horse-Being Human In California In Limbo Isabella Morra No Home Movie One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich The Pearl Button Roundabout in My Head The Siren of Faso Fani Way to Go A Young Patriot

146 147 107 108 150 191 191 125 110 127 60 128 41 153 170 113 211 114 46 138 196 142

Georgian Republic Double Aliens When the Earth Seems to Be Light

56 50

Germany 10 Billion – What’s on Your Plate?

144 Arlette – Courage Is a Muscle 84 B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979–1989 179 Censored Voices 122 Coal India 85 Coming of Age 86 Democracy 150 Do Not Track 191 Every 28 Days 151 Fassbinder 152 Fata Morgana 209 A German Youth 127 Holy Cow 40 Imagine Waking Up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared 180 K2 – Touching the Sky 129 Return of the Atom 136 The Siren of Faso Fani 138 Smith, James O. – Organist USA: Europe (Part 1) 244 Sonita 29 Stamping Ground 249 Surire 138 A Tale of Love, Madness and Death 91 Ukrainian Sheriffs 33 Under the Sun 117 When the Earth Seems to Be Light 50

275

Index | Countries

Greece Next Stop: Utopia India Among the Believers Cecilia Lyari Notes Suburban King/Top-girl

120 149 155 98

Iran Atlan Sonita

146 29

Ireland Rocky Road to Dublin The Visit

250 231

Israel Censored Voices Credit for Murder Mr. Gaga The Mute’s House Oriented Strung Out Thru You Princess Unmistaken Child Vita activa, the Spirit of Hannah Arendt Women in Sink

122 39 158 88 160 47 31 230 164 142

Italy Becoming Zlatan From the Depths Irrawaddy Mon Amour Lampedusa in Winter NapolIslam The Successor Thy Father’s Chair

106 227 61 130 158 65 32

Japan Am I Dreaming of Others, or Are Others Dreaming of Me? The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On Katsuo-bushi Trapped Words

276

25

198 208 154 204

Latvia Double Aliens Ukrainian Sheriffs Under the Sun

56 33 117

Lebanon Roshmia Roundabout in My Head This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees

162 46 66

Lithuania Master and Tatyana

132

Mexico Beyond My Grandfather Allende Cartel Land Kingdom of Shadows Time Suspended Netherlands According to Protocol Am I Dreaming of Others, or Are Others Dreaming of Me? Becoming Zlatan Big Ben: Ben Webster in Europe Bistro in Vitro Boudewijn de Groot – Come Closer A Boy’s Dream Calling Ukraine A Conversation Is a Risk to Lose Your Own Opinion Dereviled Do You Get It No. 4 Dots, Chance, Pots, Dance Drawing Room Eritrea Stars A Family Affair Famous Deaths Full of Dreams Garage 2.0 I’ll Fly Higher Imperial Courts Inside the Chinese Closet Jheronimus Bosch, Touched by the Devil Manual/2 – The Patient Artist A Method for Blue Logic Mr. Hu and the Temple My Cancer My Silicone Love Need for Meat Ninnoc Ommegang On Behalf of... The Union and Its Members Opposites Passing By People with Good Intentions Phi and Laurine Rebuild Fukushima Refrain Sacred Repository N.1: Violently Speaking Skatekeet Sketches of Siberia The Sniper of Kobani A Strange Love Affair with Ego Stripes 3 Super Stream Me Ten There’s Always the Mailboat Those Who Feel the Fire Burning Welcome Home The World According to Monsieur Khiar

120 122 154 141 145 198 106 244 190 68 68 148 198 199 245 199 75 69 23 192 94 69 95 76 70 70 200 200 71 63 89 159 96 201 246 97 247 248 201 193 202 202 98 174 163 30 203 195 99 250 229 117 71

New Zealand A Flickering Truth

126

North Korea Under the Sun

117

Norway Cecilia Dancing for You Log Head Maiko – Dancing Child Rebels Ruth Say Something Snow Monkey Varicella The Visit

149 94 171 156 161 97 163 28 99 231

Pakistan Among the Believers Lyari Notes Song of Lahore A Walnut Tree

120 155 185 48

Palestine Roshmia Rough Stage

162 45

Peru Quipu Project

78

Poland Alisa in Warland Call Me Marianna The Dybbuk: A Tale of Wandering Souls K2 – Touching the Sky Life of a Butterfly

36 121 151 129 62

Portugal Blood Brothers Exodus

168 169

Qatar Life on Hold Roshmia Roundabout in My Head

77 162 46

Romania Holy Cow

40

Russia Chechen Credit for Murder Grumant: Island of Communism Habitat Man with a Movie Camera OK Good Old Wives Russian Dream Salamanca Tishe!

Under the Sun Varicella

37 39 59 227 211 90 159 229 64 230 117 99

Scotland Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise The Fog of Srebrenica

168 57

Index | Countries

Serbia Flotel Europa

126

Singapore Lahore Landing

76

South Africa Coming of Age Lamentation

86 171

South Korea DMZ: Memories of No Man’s Land

74

Spain Land Without Bread On Football The Pearl Button Pelota II Playing Lecuona The Rate’s Cut (Self)exhibitions Walls We Are Not Alone

210 173 114 115 183 173 174 164 165

Sweden Becoming Zlatan Dancing for You Don Juan The Dybbuk: A Tale of Wandering Souls Every Face Has a Name I Am Dublin Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words Martha & Niki Nice People Ruth Say Something The Swedish Theory of Love Varicella

106 94 22 151 125 129 112 156 133 97 163 116 99

Switzerland About Heaven Arlette – Courage Is a Muscle A German Youth Grozny Blues Imagine Waking Up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared Lampedusa in Winter The Meadow Megacities Moriom Sempervirens Sonita This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees

106 84 127 127 180 130 172 228 157 90 29 66

Syria Roshmia

162

Ukraine The Dybbuk: A Tale of Wandering Souls Ukrainian Sheriffs

151 33

United Arab Emirates Roshmia United Kingdom The American Epic Sessions American Epic: The Big Bang Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise Bolshoi Babylon Chemsex Class Struggle: Film from the Clyde Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah Concerto – A Beethoven Journey The Confessions of Thomas Quick Cue China Dear Araucaria The Girl Chewing Gum How to Change the World In Defense of the Rocket It Felt Like a Kiss Jungle Sisters K2 – Touching the Sky LoVR Oriented Quipu Project The Redemption of the Devil The Russian Woodpecker Smoke Machine A Syrian Love Story Tales of the Grim Sleeper Tell Spring Not to Come This Year This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees Witness 360: 7/7 Women in Sink Yes, These Eyes Are the Windows Uruguay Carolina’s World USA 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets The American Epic Sessions American Epic: The Big Bang Among the Believers Best of Enemies The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution Boxeadora Bright Leaves Cartel Land Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah Cocksucker Blues Conversations in Vermont Crocodile Gennadiy Don’t Blink: Robert Frank Energy and How to Get It Exhausting a Crowd Fast, Cheap and Out of Control Flamingo The Fog of War Hot Sugar’s Cold World Hot Type: 150 Years of The Nation I Am Sun Mu I Remember In Jackson Heights In Transit

162 178 178 168 121 149 246 123 179 109 190 150 245 128 170 209 153 129 77 160 78 184 137 203 116 212 139 66 80 142 204 20 144 178 178 120 107 108 85 208 122 123 236 236 124 235 237 75 216 237 226 180 111 152 238 111 112

Janis: Little Girl Blue Keith Richards: Under the Influence Kingdom of Shadows Kiya The Ladino Ladies’ Club Let There Be Light Live from New York!

The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano Mavis!

Me and My Brother Meru Miss Sharon Jones!

Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. My Aleppo Network Effect New York Cuts The Nightmare On the Pole Paper Route A Poem Is a Naked Person Poverty, Inc. The Present Pull My Daisy Racing Extinction RecoVR: Mosul, a Collective Reconstruction The Redemption of the Devil Requiem for the American Dream The Russian Woodpecker Salero A Sinner in Mecca Song of Lahore Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine Summer Cannibals Tabloid Tales of the Grim Sleeper Thank You for Playing That Dragon, Cancer The Thin Blue Line This Changes Everything Thy Father’s Chair Tig The Unknown Known Walden, a Game Waves of Grace We’re Still Here: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited The Wedding Contract Welcome to Leith Welfare What Happened, Miss Simone?

Woodstock word.camera A Young Patriot

181 182 154 193 130 210 131 131 182 238 132 183 217 88 78 89 134 247 239 184 135 239 240 135 79 184 136 137 162 137 185 115 240 217 212 139 195 218 140 32 140 218 196 80 185 49 141 212 186 249 81 142

277

Index | Directors

Index | Directors

278

A Ahmed Abdullahi Salim Abu Jabal Karin af Klintberg Nirit Aharoni Chantal Akerman Florencia Aliberti Vladi Antonevicz John Appel Shigeo Arikawa David Aronowitsch Gabo Arora Yann Arthus-Bertrand Rodney Ascher Nathan Azhderian Ammar Aziz

129 162 133 47 113 174 39 69 198 129 80 128 134 202 48

B Tanya Ballantyne Nati Baratz Feiko Beckers Nicola Bellucci Mani Y. Benchelah Malek Bensmaïl Adam Benzine Amy Berg Piotr Bernas David Bernet Tim den Besten Adam Bhala Lough Angad Bhalla Aakash Bhatia Karolina Bielawska Ted Biggs Sharmarke Binyusuf Stig Björkman Les Blank Eefje Blankevoort Georgi Bogdanov Roman Bondarchuk Jan de Bont Ina Borrmann Aaron Bradbury Marcel Brakel Pietra Brettkelly Sander Breure Frans Bromet Nick Broomfield Jakob Brossmann Marie Brumagne Natalia Bruschtein Beata Bubenets Luis Buñuel Mijael Bustos Gutiérrez

248 230 198 127 66 108 123 181 62 150 195 180 74 98 121 74 129 112 184 76 130 33 247 151 77 192 126 201 117 212 130 44 141 37 210 91

C Jorge Caballero Catherine van Campen Jon Bang Carlsen Miriam Chandy Menacherry Laura Chen Jimmy Chin Cinema Action Katerina Cizek Jérôme Clément-Wilz Miguel Coimbra Edward Cook Petra Costa Jean Counet

26 69 109 155 79 132 246 192 60 168 98 172 148

Maria Court Mark Cousins Eduardo Coutinho Daniel Cross Nathalie Crum Adam Curtis

78 168 113 180 99 209

D Antonino D’Ambrosio David Dawkins Julia De Simone Sergey Debizhev Denis Delestrac Dries Depoorter Christo Doherty Reber Dosky Robert Drew Sophie Dros Raphaël Dubach Frederik Duerinck Liubov Durakova

185 49 52 229 147 194 171 163 247 89 90 192 36

E Teboho Edkins Jessica Edwards Jussi Eerola Åsa Ekman Rachida El Garani Maysoon El-Massry Darren Emerson Mattia Epifani Marco Espírito Santo

86 182 136 163 96 84 80 65 168

F William Fairman Saeed Taji Farouky Tom Fassaert Ruslan Fedotow Hassen Ferhani Sandrine Feydel Trino Flothuis Cinta Forger Marijn Frank Robert Frank Tracy Fullerton

149 139 23 64 46 147 247 68 159 236, 237, 238, 239, 240 196

G Erik Gandini Liz Garbus Louis van Gasteren Brett Gaylor Fredrik Gertten Magnus Gertten Nikolaus Geyrhalter Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami Alex Gibney Martin Ginestie Pavel Giroud George Gittoes Michael Glawogger Lea Glob Stéphane Goël Max Gogarty Paula Gomes Juliana Gabriela Gomez Castañeda Olatz González Abrisketa Ross Goodwin Kristina Goolsby Robert Gordon

116 186 245 191 106 106, 125 114 29 115 170 183 28 228 172 106 149 42 86 115 81 140 107

Ester Gould Anne-Marieke Graafmans Phil Grabsky Chad Gracia Amy Green Ryan Green Nicola Grignani Walther Grotenhuis Victor Alexis Guerrero Frédéric Guillaume Bill Guttentag Patricio Guzmán

H Ido Haar Reem Haddad Du Haibin David Haines Ant Hampton Bert Hana Kazuo Hara Riley Harmon Jonathan Harris Imam Hasanov Jela Hasler Hanna Heilborn Matthew Heineman Anders Helgeson Annekatrin Hendel Werner Herzog Tomer Heymann Brian Hill Gary Hill Guy-Marc Hinant Jeremy Ho Greg Hochmuth Alex Hoffman Florian Hoffmann Steve Hoover Jörg A. Hoppe Matt Houghton Witte van Hulzen John Huston Peter Hutchison Pieter van Huystee

30 145 179 137 195 195 61 68 87 21 134 114 31 77 142 199 190, 194 193 208 200 78 40 172 97 122 133 152 209 158 109 237 148 76 78 184 84 124 179 150 201 210 136 70

I Pablo Iraburu Laura Israel

164 235

J Toomas Järvet Pankaj Johar Marinka de Jongh Marta Jurkiewicz Kati Juurus

45 149 94 97 58

K Aryan Kaganof Apostolos Karakasis Moein Karimoddini Tamuna Karumidze Tamar Kay Hans Keller Johan van der Keuken Karim Ben Khelifa Morgan Knibbe Andreas Koefoed Hans Koekoek

171 25 146 50 88 250 244 191 229 53 248

Index | Directors

Meiro Koizumi Ajay Koli Sara Kolster Krzysztof Kopczynski Barbara Kopple Anna Kornienko Victor Kossakovsky Alisa Kovalenko Evangelia Kranioti Galina Krasnoborova Eliza Kubarska Alexandra Kulak Yulia Kurmangalina Hayoun Kwon

L Hadja Lahbib Isabel Lamberti Kurt Langbein Heiko Lange Melissa Langer Josh Larson Peter Lennon Rosemarie Lerner Alfred Leslie Jørgen Leth Avi Lewis Ben van Lieshout Dana Lixenberg Alex Lora Luke Lorentzen Mor Loushy Sophia Luvara M Salome Machaidze Bernard MacMahon Michael Madsen Klaus Maeck Jean-Baptiste Maitre Vitaly Mansky Chris Marker Tora Mårtens Lukas Marxt Michael Matheson Miller Albert Maysles Sean McAllister Kyle McDonald Ross McElwee Mike McEvoy Samir Mehanovic Koert van Mensvoort David Meskhi Chris Milk Georg Misch Boris Missirkov Erlend E. Mo Kari Anne Moe Migueltxo Molina Vincent Morisset Errol Morris N Yu Nakajima Mohammed Ali Naqvi Stanley Nelson Stan Neumann Morgan Neville Bao Nguyen

204 85 75 151 111, 183 90 99, 230 36 125 159 129 64, 90 90 74 160 95 155 179 88 195 250 78 240 115 140 174 76 32 89 122 70 50 178 231 179 199 117 211 156 169 135 112 116 75 208 139 57 190 50 80 165 130 94 161 164 196 216, 217, 218, 226 154 120 108 146 107, 182 131

Michael Beach Nichols Paco Nicolás Nicole Nielsen Horanyi Kelly Nyks

141 173 157 136

O Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Sergio Oksman Saskia Olde Wolbers Mark Olexa Ugis Olte David Osit Ivan Osnovikoff

185 173 204 157 56 139 138

P Niki Padidar Ernesto Pagano Isabel Pagliai Elisa Paloschi Rithy Panh Valentina Pedicini Clara Peltier Nonny de la Peña Jean-Gabriel Périot Hannah Perry Anna Persson Bettina Perut Katrine Philp Rory Pilgrim Mike Plunkett Hans Jürgen Pohland Aline Portugal Nicolas Provost Louie Psihoyos Emma van der Put

96 158 170 124 110 227 147 193 127 203 129 138 95 202 162 249 52 169 135 201

Q Xiaoyu Qin Florian Quistrebert Michael Quistrebert

38 203 203

R Suzanne Raes Nick Read Charles Redon Patrick Reed Christophe Reyners Felix Röben Jan Rothuizen Jerry Rothwell Bernardo Ruiz Chloe Ruthven

68 121 41 110 55 85 75 128 154 153

S Alka Sadat Francesca Scalisi Ziv Schneider Andy Schocken Stefan Schwietert Jared P. Scott Joshua Seftel Victor Semeniuk Parvez Sharma Michelle Shephard Ann Shin Marc Silver Adam Sjoberg Jerzy Sladkowski George Sluizer

145 157 79 185 180 136 131 227 137 110 133 144 152 22 249

Meg Smaker John Smith Christian Sønderby Jepsen Maarit Suomi-Väänänen Loïc Suty Åse Svenheim Drivenes Sjors Swierstra

85 245 24 171 79 156 71

T Mika Taanila Marcia Tambutti Allende Valeria Testagrossa Valentin Thurn Antonio Tibaldi Isabelle Tollenaere Vladimir Tomic Eldora Traykova Hemal Trivedi Lynn True Ivan S. Tverdovskiy

136 120 61 144 32 226 126 54 120 112 59

U Ada Ushpiz Meral Uslu David Usui

164 63 112

V Bram Van Cauwenberghe Sarah Vanagt Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Pere Joan Ventura Pieter Verhoeff Dziga Vertov Nicolaas Veul Juan Manuel Villar Betancort Mariana Viñoles Barbara Visser Antoine Viviani

44 175 132 165 246 211 195 183 20 200 153

W Mike Wadleigh Christopher K. Walker Nelson Walker Michael Ware Dagmar van Wersch Klaus Wildenhahn Frederick Wiseman Jake Witzenfeld Anne Regitze Wivel Ben Wu Feiyue Wu Rudy Wurlitzer

249 141 112 134 193 244 111, 212 160 228 112 38 237

Y Yun Ye Ashley York Yan Ting Yuen

43 140 71

Z Iris Zaki Andrea Zambelli Zanbo Zhang Liang Zhao Qing Zhao Hao Zhou Maheen Zia Giedre Zickyte Michel K. Zongo Malika Zouhali-Worrall

142 61 27 107 161 123 155 132 138 139

279

Index | Films

Index | Films 0-9 10 Billion – What’s on Your Plate?

10 Milliarden – wie werden wir alle satt?

3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets A About Heaven According to Protocol Afghanistan Night Stories Aida Alisa in Warland Alisa w krainie wojny Alle 28 Tage Allende mi abuelo Allende Am I Dreaming of Others, or Are Others Dreaming of Me? The American Epic Sessions American Epic: The Big Bang Among the Believers Les années claires Aracati Arlette – Courage Is a Muscle Arlette – Mut ist ein Muskel At Home in the World Atlan Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise Atomin paluu Austerlitz (Auto)exposiciones

144 144 144 106 145 145 84 36 36 151 120 198 178 178 120 21 52 84 84 53 146 168 136 146 174

B B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979–1989 179 Banking Nature 147 Bat zona 47 Battles 226 Becoming Zlatan 106 Behemoth 107 Bei xi mo shou 107 Beit ha’Ilemet 88 Best of Enemies 107 Beyond My Grandfather Allende 120 Big Ben: Ben Webster in Europe 244 Bird Skin 147 Birobidzhan 148 Bistro in Vitro 190 The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution 108 Blood Brothers 168 Bolshoi Babylon 121 El botón de nácar 114 Boudewijn de Groot – Come Closer 68 Boudewijn de Groot – Kom nader 68 Boxeadora 85 A Boy’s Dream 68 Bright Leaves 208

280

C Call Me Marianna Calling Ukraine Cambridge Captive Horizon La carga Carolina’s World Cartel Land Cecilia Censored Voices Chechen Checks and Balances Chelovek s kinoapparatom Chemsex The Chinese Mayor Chinese Verses Class Struggle: Film from the Clyde Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah Clear Years Coal India Cocksucker Blues Coming of Age Concerto – A Beethoven Journey The Confessions of Thomas Quick Contre-pouvoirs A Conversation Is a Risk to Lose Your Own Opinion Conversations in Vermont Coups de foudre Credit for Murder Crocodile Gennadiy Cue China Un cuento de amor, locura y muerte D Da lu chao tian Dal profondo Dancing for You Dans for livet Dans les limbes Dear Araucaria The Deeper They Bury Me Déjà vu Democracy Dereviled DMZ: Memories of No Man’s Land Do Not Track Do You Get It No. 4 Don Juan Don’t Blink: Robert Frank Dots, Chance, Pots, Dance Double Aliens Drawing Room Driving with Selvi Dui kan The Dybbuk: A Tale of Wandering Souls

121 148 54 169 87 20 122 149 122 37 108 211 149 123 38 246 123 21 85 236 86 179 109 108 198 236 55 39 124 190 91 27 227 94 94 153 150 74 109 150 199 74 191 245 22 235 199 56 75 124 43 151

E The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On The Enemy Energy and How to Get It Er gaat iedere dag een boot Eritrea Stars Et hjem i verden Être cheval ou Pony Girl Starfighter Every 28 Days Every Face Has a Name Exhausting a Crowd Exodus Exotica, Erotica, Etc.

208 191 237 250 69 53 60 151 125 75 169 125

F A Family Affair Famous Deaths Fassbinder Fast, Cheap and Out of Control Fata Morgana Fi rassi rond-point Filip & Fredrik presenterar Trevligt Folk Flamingo A Flickering Truth Flotel Europa The Fog of Srebrenica The Fog of War For Kibera!

Fragments du paradis La France est notre patrie France Is Our Mother Country From the Depths Full of Dreams

23 192 152 216 209 46 133 237 126 126 57 226 58 106 110 110 227 94

G Garage 2.0 A German Youth The Girl Chewing Gum Grozny Blues Grumant: Island of Communism Grumant: ostrov kommunizma Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr

69 127 245 127 59 59 110

H Habitat HIGHRISE: Universe Within Holy Cow Home Sweet Home Hoofd vol dromen Horse-Being Hot Sugar’s Cold World Hot Type: 150 Years of The Nation How to Change the World Human Las Hurdes – Tierra sin pan Hush!

227 192 40 95 94 60 180 111 128 128 210 230

Index | Films

I I Am Dublin I Am Sun Mu I Am the Blues I Remember I’ll Fly Higher Iceberg Imagine Waking Up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared Imperial Courts In California In Defense of the Rocket In Jackson Heights In Limbo In Transit Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words Inside the Chinese Closet Into Darkness Irrawaddy Mon Amour Isabella Morra It Felt Like a Kiss Izmaglica Srebrenice

129 152 180 238 95 86 180 76 41 170 111 153 112 112 70 96 61 170 209 57

J Jag är Ingrid Janis: Little Girl Blue Une jeunesse allemande Jheronimus Bosch, Touched by the Devil Jheronimus Bosch, geraakt door de duivel Jonas and the Backyard Circus Jonas e o circo sem lona Une journée d’Andrei Arsenevitch Jungle Sisters

112 181 127 70 70 42 42 211 153

K K2 – Dotknac nieba K2 – Touching the Sky Karmil pinnal Katsuo-bushi Keith Richards: Under the Influence Kingdom of Shadows Kiya Klaaglied

129 129 45 154 182 154 193 171

L The Ladino Ladies’ Club Lahore Landing Lamentation Lampedusa in Winter Land Grabbing Land Without Bread Landraub Last Conversations Let There Be Light Life of a Butterfly Life on Hold Live from New York!

The Load Log Head Look Love LoVR Lyari Notes M Maiko – Dancing Child Man Falling Man with a Movie Camera Mand falder Manual/2 – The Patient Artist The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano Martha & Niki Master and Tatyana Mavis!

Me and My Brother The Meadow Megacities Meistras ir Tatjana Mensen van goede wil Meru A Method for Blue Logic Mijn kanker Miss Sharon Jones!

Moriom Motley’s Law Mów mi Marianna Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. Mr. Gaga Mr. Hu and the Temple El mundo de Carolina Muros The Mute’s House My Aleppo My Cancer My Enemy, My Brother My Silicone Love

130 76 171 130 155 210 155 113 210 62 77 131 87 171 43 77 155 156 228 211 228 200 131 156 132 182 238 172 228 132 248 132 200 63 183 157 157 121 217 158 71 20 164 88 88 63 133 89

N Namens... De bond en de achterban NapolIslam Natural Disorder Nature, le nouvel eldorado de la finance Naturens uorden Need for Meat Network Effect New York Cuts Next Stop: Utopia Nice People The Nightmare Ninnoc No Home Movie

246 158 24 147 24 159 78 89 25 133 134 96 113

O O futebol Ojo salvaje OK Good Old Wives Olmo and the Seagull Olmo et la mouette Ommegang On Behalf of... The Union and Its Members On Football On the Pole One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich Only the Dead De ontwaring Opposites Oriented Over the Years

173 173 90 159 172 172 201 246 173 247 211 134 175 97 160 114

P Paciente Paper Route Passing By Patience, Patience, You’ll Go To Paradise!

Patience, patience, t’iras au paradis Patient The Pearl Button Pelota II People with Good Intentions Phi and Laurine Phi en Laurine Playing Lecuona Please Remember Me A Poem Is a Naked Person Pölkyllä pää Poverty, Inc. Pøbler The Present Proyecto quipu Pull My Daisy

26 239 247 160 160 26 114 115 248 201 201 183 161 184 171 135 161 239 78 240

281

Index | Films

Index | Films Q Quipu Project

282

78

R Racing Extinction The Rate’s Cut Rebels Rebuild Fukushima RecoVR: Mosul, a Collective Reconstruction The Redemption of the Devil Refrain Remember Your Name, Babylon Requiem for the American Dream Return of the Atom The Road Rocky Road to Dublin Roshmia Rotsa dedamitsa msubukia Rough Stage Roundabout in My Head Russian Dream The Russian Woodpecker Ruth

135 173 161 193 79 184 202 44 136 136 27 250 162 50 45 46 229 137 97

S Sacred Repository N.1: Violently Speaking Salamanca Salero Say Something (Self)exhibitions Sempervirens Sheriff Software A Sinner in Mecca The Siren of Faso Fani La sirène de Faso Fani Skatekeet Sketches of Siberia Smith, James O. – Organist USA: Europe (Part 1) Smoke Machine The Sniper of Kobani Snow Monkey Someone Else Song of Lahore Sonita Stamping Ground Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine Still Holding Still A Strange Love Affair with Ego Stripes 3 Strung Out Suburban King/Top-girl The Successor Il successore Summer Cannibals Super Stream Me Surire The Swedish Theory of Love A Syrian Love Story

202 64 162 163 174 90 194 137 138 138 98 174 244 203 163 28 194 185 29 249 115 175 30 203 47 98 65 65 240 195 138 116 116

T Tabloid A Tale of Love, Madness and Death Tales of the Grim Sleeper Tegenpool Tell Spring Not to Come This Year Ten Thank You for Playing That Dragon, Cancer There’s Always the Mailboat The Thin Blue Line The Things I Cannot Change This Changes Everything This Is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees Those Who Feel the Fire Burning Thru You Princess Thy Father’s Chair Tiempo suspendido Tien Tig Time Suspended Tishe!

Trapped Words

217 91 212 97 139 99 139 195 250 218 248 140 66 229 31 32 141 99 140 141 230 204

U Über die Jahre Ukrainian Sheriffs Últimas conversas Under the Sun The Unknown Known The Unknown Photographer Unmistaken Child

114 33 113 117 218 79 230

V Varicella The Visit Vita activa, the Spirit of Hannah Arendt Vleesverlangen Volando voy Volgens protocol

99 231 164 159 95 145

W Walden, a Game Walls A Walnut Tree Wastecooking – Make Food, Not Waste Wastecooking – Kochen statt Verschwenden Waves of Grace Way to Go We Are Not Alone We’re Still Here: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited The Wedding Contract Welcome Home Welcome to Leith Welfare Welkom thuis De wereld volgens Monsieur Khiar What Happened, Miss Simone?

When the Earth Seems to Be Light Witness 360: 7/7 Wo zhi ren shi ni Women in Sink Woodstock word.camera The World According to Monsieur Khiar

185 49 117 141 212 117 71 186 50 80 161 142 249 81 71

Y Yes, These Eyes Are the Windows A Young Patriot

204 142

Z Zycie motyla

196 164 48 165 165 80 196 165

62