Category: Selection 2024

Synopsis: Vestigios is a documentary film that recounts my encounter with the history of the indigenous people of South America. It begins on a boat that takes us deep into the Amazonian territory. In the Amazonas Indigenous State, our film reveals “Vestiges of Ancestral Amazonian Knowledge” and presents the story of the inhabitants who occupy the Autana. A journey through the Amazon and the Los Roques Archipelago With a surface area similar to Uruguay, the Amazonas state is home to a great cultural diversity. The Yanomami, Üotija, Yekuana and Toti are some of the groups that inhabit this territory with a very low population density. The journey takes us to navigate the Upper Orinoco River to the Autana, where we visit communities that live in relative isolation. Discovering the past and the present The film also explores the natural monuments of the region, facing various dangers along the way. We glimpse the future of this magical territory as we find the largest petroglyphs in Venezuela before the rainy season hides them again. The story then moves to the Los Roques Archipelago, a paradise in the Caribbean Sea. A unique find of a ceramic figurine leads to a previously unknown story, discovered through archaeological research. An encounter with culture and archaeology In Los Roques, the film accompanies archaeologists on their explorations and excavations. We meet the inhabitants of the islands and witness their subsistence activities, such as fishing and daily life. The archaeological work reveals hundreds of figures, clay vessels and artifacts from pre-Columbian times. Questions multiply: Where did they come from? Who were they? Where did they go? Archaeologists try to answer these questions in their laboratory in Caracas. A journey that invites reflection Vestigios invites us to reflect on the history, culture and future of two magical places in Venezuela. The Los Roques Archipelago and the Amazon open their doors to us to discover their mysteries and beauty

Director: Miguelangel Tisera

Writer: Miguelangel Tisera

Producer: Miguelangel Tisera

Country of Origin: Venezuela, Republic of Bolivarian 

Country of Filming: Venezuela, Republic of Bolivarian 

Language: Spanish

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 01:11:42

Miguelangel Tisera

Synopsis: The story of the circles of divine remembrance in the religious corner (Azzawya) and how to establish them, the biography of Sheikh Muhammad Fadel Abya, his corner(zawya) in the city of Smara, and the religious devotion of his disciples. 

Submitter Statement: Réalisateur marocain 20 ans de carrière, réalisateur films de court métrage Fiction entre 2006 & 2015, réalisateur de film docu-fiction “ANNASSIM AZAJIL ” 55mn en 2021 et “LHAYLALA” 73mn en ce moment post production. Réalisateur de 5 courts métrages de fiction entre 2006 & 2015, réalisateur du film docu-fiction “ANNASSIM AZAJIL” 55mn en 2021 et “LHAYLALA” 73mn en cours de finalisation.  

Director: Ismail Laouej

Writer: Salek Elboudnani

Producer: Salek Elboudnani

Country of Origin: Morocco

Country of Filming: Morocco

Language: Arabic

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 01:12:11

Ismail Laouej

Synopsis: The film is about Yugra residents – Khanty, Mansi and Russians, who chose to live on their land. Five heroes – five stories.

Director: Alexander Avilov

Writer: Alexander Avilov

Producer: Innosoсium Foundation

Country of Origin: Russian Federation

Country of Filming: Russian Federation

Language: Russian

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 01:20:00

Alexander Avilov

Synopsis: “Peace for Armenia” weaves together the stories of Christian Armenians living in the United States, Armenia, and Artsakh in the three nerve-racking months leading to the end of the 35-year-long conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Beginning in the U.S., the film examines the context in which Armenian-Americans have maintained their cultural identity following the Ottoman Empire’s genocide of their people. Unfortunately, history appears to be repeating, as Azerbaijan, blockades 120,000 Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh from receiving supplies essential to their survival. In the backdrop of a brewing war, the story is transported to Armenia through the main character, a second-generation Armenian-American who visits his homeland for the first time to connect with his roots and learn about the modern challenges faced by the nation.

Submitter Statement:  The mission of “Peace for Armenia” is to inspire a deep understanding of Armenian history, culture, and resilience against the forces that seek to destroy them.

Director: Douglas Kalagian

Writer: Douglas Kalagian

Producer: Douglas Kalagian

Key Cast: Andre Marcarian

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: Armenia, United States

Language: English

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 01:29:23

Project Website: https://www.peaceforarmeniafilm.com/

Douglas Kalagian

Synopsis: When wildlife films meets the performing arts. Director Maxence Lamoureux, in collaboration with choreographer and dancer Fiona Le Goff, takes you to meet the crane, whose courtship has inspired dances in cultures all around the world. (It’s also possible to show the film with the dancers on stage, the choreography is made to be performed in front of a live audience during the 12 last minutes of the film. Please contact the director for more information)

Director: Maxence Lamoureux

Key Cast: Maxence Lamoureux

Country of Origin: France

Country of Filming: France

Language: French

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:36:17

Maxence Lamoureux

Synopsis: Poetic portrait of an eclectic community of farmers, fishermen and people in a caravan park living wedged in between the open sea and an ageing nuclear power station on the east coast of Scotland. An emotional account of life in Scotland in times of a pandemic, post-Brexit and climate change.  

Director: Holger Mohaupt, Tracey Fearnehough

Producer: Tracey Fearnehough

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming: United Kingdom

Language: English

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:24:12

Holger Mohaupt, Tracey Fearnehough

Synopsis: Xávega Art has been practiced for hundreds of years in Costa da Caparica, in the community of Fonte da Telha, located a few kilometers from Lisbon. The “arts”, as it is called by traditional fishermen, are classified as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Portugal. It passed through time from generation to generation, adapting to new actions and resources, launching itself as a present, in the future time.
This film invites us to listen to the narrative of the Other, the man of the sea, in tune with the present time. A dialogue between the collecting action, the landscape, nature, the hidden voice of the character and the director/researcher.

Director: Tina Coêlho

Writer: Tina Coêlho

Producer: Tina Coêlho

Country of Origin: Portugal

Country of Filming: Portugal

Language: Portuguese

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:07:00

Tina Coêlho

Synopsis: Madulu, The Seaman is a lyrical documentary that attempts to preserve the rich history of a dying tradition in the wake of the economic struggle at the hand of the tourism industry. Interweaving documentary footage with animated sequences of young Amari’s drawings, the film uses a touch of magical realism to explore the divide between past and present and new interpretations of old traditions.

Submitter Statement: Growing up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, I was surrounded by a culture that was deeply intertwined with the sea. Disney’s “Free Willy” and “Flipper” played on our television screens, yet our reality was starkly different. In some of our community, hunting and consuming whale and porpoise meat was the norm, with whale blubber oil serving as a traditional remedy for the flu. The echoes of Sea Shanties once welcomed our whalers back from their voyages, but the intrusion of motorboat engines marked the end of that cherished tradition. Despite the images of fast food advertisements bombarding our screens, a “Big Mac” was never within reach for me. For over a century, our community has sustained itself through whale hunting, leading to a stark disconnection between the romanticized portrayal of whales in American media and our everyday reality. This dissonance caused me to question my own cultural identity, as I grappled with the notion that being American was somehow superior to being myself. Living on the edge of the Caribbean Sea, where diverse cultures collide, I’ve witnessed firsthand the ongoing impact of globalization on indigenous traditions. Through the lens of magical realism and mixed media, I aim to depict the synthesis of beauty and darkness that defines our reality. In my film, young Amari navigates this complex landscape, grappling with the relationship between his village and the natural world, often resorting to drawing and dreams to make sense of his surroundings. As our village faces the threat of losing its traditional heritage, I seek to breathe life back into our old folkloric stories. These tales serve as a testament to our origins and provide insight into the rich tapestry of our Caribbean identity. However, our way of life came under scrutiny when cruise tourists witnessed the slaughter of orcas off our shores. The subsequent fallout led to calls for restrictions on whale hunting and a newfound promotion of the whale-watching industry. Yet, I cannot help but question the morality of outsiders dictating the fate of our livelihoods. How can it be acceptable for holidaymakers to wield such influence over the sovereignty of our way of life? Through my film and storytelling, I endeavor to shed light on the complexities of our reality and challenge the notion that progress must come at the expense of tradition and cultural identity.  

Director: Akley Olton

Writer: Akley Olton

Producer: Island Rebel Media, Laura Sanz

Key Cast: George Tall 12 Frederick

Country of Origin: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Country of Filming: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Language: English

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:22:04

Akley Olton

Synopsis: Conversations about home, danger and identity on the slopes of a reawakening volcano. Dèyè do bon dié (behind god’s back in Martinican creole) means that something is so far away that even God, despite being omniscient, does not see it – or maybe, just doesn’t care. The ominous description could hardly disguise itself as a compliment. Nonetheless, it is said lovingly by an unnamed contributor about the North of Martinique, when he is asked to define and describe the village he calls home. As a former colony turned overseas territory of France, Martinique exhales a unique blend of French and Caribbean cultures. The documentary paints a visceral and textured portrait of the Northern tip of the Caribbean Island of Martinique. A mostly agricultural region, where the deceptively simple lifestyle hides a layered and complex history and identity, one under the direct threat of a reawakening volcano since 2020. The experimental documentary, filmed in 9 villages over 20 days, borrows from the musical technique of sampling by re-arranging de-contextualised fragments of conversations, landscapes, and soundscapes to build meaning and impressions between myth and history: a choirmentary. By obsessively asking 50 plus contributors to define both the North and themselves, the director interrogates his own origin. The documentary is born from his need to anchor himself back to a region he left when he was 15. A need which manifested itself as the movie was imagined, filmed, and edited while he was preparing for the arrival of his first-born, a little Northerner.

Director: Roy Jox-Fredstie

Producer: Roy Jox-Fredstie

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming: Martinique

Language: French

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:20:00

Roy Jox-Fredstie 

Synopsis: The film deals with the issue of drought in the southeastern regions of Morocco, specifically in the Skoura region, through testimonies from residents of the region who look with regret about the beautiful and prosperous past compared to what they are currently experiencing of water scarcity and lack of rain.

Director: Youssef Bousmou

Writer: Ali Aznague

Producer: Network Siyada

Country of Origin: Morocco

Country of Filming: Morocco

Language: Arabic

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:14:32

Youssef Bousmou