A tribe from Brazil performs a farewell ritual for a member of the village who has just passed away.
The ritual is performed around a bonfire where members of the tribe and caciques of other ethnic groups come.
Kabadio (Best Cinematoraphy)
A deep dive into a new world, filled with rituals, music, magic, secrets, fascinating images and stories of real people who struggle to survive, keeping their traditions in the midst of a civil war and the smuggling of goods.
In the heart of Casamance (southern region of Senegal), a small Muslim village, which is a sort of mystical island protected by religious leaders called Marabus, the sound of drums lights the fire, dictating the fate of an uncertain future, where mysticism is the only protective shield.
We are in front of a large mirror. The mirror of the soul. Where you can touch the blowing wind; where you can feel the dried land under your feet just a few kilometers from the sea. Where you hear enlightened children’s laughing, spreading hope for those able to get close to them. Where time goes by slowly, barefoot.
KAYABIKE “Give us wheels, not wings”
The life, hopes and dreams of a kids and their BMX coach training in a South African township (Kayamandi), waiting for competition day. Throughout the process they will learn much more than just how to pedal. Kayamandi is a suburb of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape province of South Africa located off route R304. The name means “nice home” in the Xhosa language, from khaya meaning “home” and mnandi meaning “nice”.
KAYABIKE explores the use of biking as a way of personal development in the context of this South African suburb.
The Way of the Shaman Drum (Best Short Documentary)
The spiritual aspects of Shamanism are inured in mystery and some believe Shaman doctors and healers can tell the future and ward off demon spirits during special dance ceremonies. Nonetheless in the film, The Way of the Shaman Drum, the director João Meirinhos, provides viewers with a earthlier and pragmatic account of those involved in Shaman Culture as Manchu-ethnic minorities living in northeastern China’s Changbai Mountain, Jilin Province. 70-year-old Guan Yunde, a promoter of Manchu’s Shamanism culture, works alongside a business partner and has designed and built Shaman drums. He has unearthed Shamanism’s mysteries. Shamans hold animals dear to their hearts and sustain a polytheistic faith, meaning that all living beings, including animals, have a spirit and are god-like. Hence, in northeast China alone, they worship the god of tiger, god of wolf and so on. Shamanism is more about loving nature and ancient Manchu culture than with participating in so-called demon spirit dances. Guan lived in a home with many generations of Manchu ancestors, while his father was recognized as a tribal leader. They used kiwi wood to make Shaman drums, since it displays few defects when carving. For some people, Shamanism is perceived as evil, but for the Manchu-ethnics, such as Guan Yunde, it’s simply a proud part of the Manchu culture that deserves to get passed down to future generations.
Marabaixo Stories (Best Story 2018-19)
The black people from Amapá, an amazonic Brazilian state, tell their own history through “Ladrão de Marabaixo” songs. They sing verses inspired by real events, mixing religious references, reality and fantasy, with humor and criticism in a poetical way.
Sounds of Kibera
In Kibera (Nairobi), one of the biggest slums of the world, Simon, Philip and Geoffrey have created the collective MADE IN KIBERA (MIK). Their goal is to unite the numerous artists of Kibera and provide them with a space inside the tough conditions of the slum where they can grow. MIK is constructing a professional music and video studio that will help the local artists record their work in higher quality and, in order to promote it, they are preparing a massive event that is already bringing together all Kibera artists.
They won’t steal my voice
A poetic essay about feminism. Naire (68) and Adelaide (36), two Brazilians women from two different generations meet in Lisbon at the Women’s March, in 2018. They walk together for changes.
Spirit in the concrete
Ntuthuko goes home, from Johannesburg to the Vaal, in the exploration of spiritual healing and the relevance of practising in today’s society through his mother, Makhambule, and sister, Fundisile. This leads them to conversations of the family’s past that were never had and some forgotten.
Ntuthuko tells the tale of African spirituality from a sangoma’s son perspective and a young person who is living in this turbulent modern age trying to preserve a heritage that most have lost.
The Saint’s Food (A Mezinha do Santo)
The traditional community dish of Saint Sebastian, in Couto de Dornelas (Portugal), narrated by Mrs. Lucília Ponteira, an old woman from the land.
I’m Burning
Renaissance, a challenge. The artistic project of the Valencian creators Miguel Arraiz and David Moreno, will cross the Atlantic to establish synergies with the most important ephemeral art event in the world, the Burning Man in the Nevada desert.
