INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES
AN ENDLESS ROAD
Chen Yongkang DCP, 119' (China) 2024
Rebajicun, singer Jiangyang, and dancer Cangla—through their stories, the film explores the perseverance and inner struggles of folk artists in the era of globalization. Rebajicun represents a love for traditional folk art and the conflict with modern cultural influences. Jiangyang embodies loyalty to traditional values of marriage and the ideal of love, while Cangla symbolizes the emancipated vision of modern women, striving to overcome traditional norms and pursue global aspirations.
Chen Yongkang, born in Chaoyang, Beijing (China), is an art curator, screenwriter, and filmmaker, as well as a classical poet. He has directed art films such as Outline Light, the literary film Snowy Reba, and cinematic works like Green Dream, Water Show, Legend of the Mandarin Duck Mirror, and Twin Butterflies, along with the action filmDragon Gate Swordsman. A prolific writer of over 5,000 classical poems, he has also composed award-winning musical works, such as Lime and Summon, which won the National Radio and Television Administration Original Music Award in 2004.
CONSTANTIN DI BESSARABIA
Constantin Rusu DCP, 63' (Italia) 2024
Constantin is a young Moldovan who emigrated to Italy at a young age. Just a few months before his wedding, he decides to travel back to Moldova to rediscover his cultural roots and find his true identity. However, the country he returns to is not the one he remembers—it now faces the threat of an impending war, and he is seen as a foreigner in his own homeland.
Constantin Rusu, a film director and producer, was born in post-Soviet Moldova and grew up in Tor Bella Monaca, a challenging Roman suburb. He graduated in film directing from the Griffith Academy of Cinema and Televisionand studied screenwriting at Tracce School in Rome, learning from Daniele Ciprì, Daniele Vicari, Graziano Diana, and Heidrun Schleef. In 2019, he wrote, produced, and directed the short film Corri principe, corri!—a fantasy tackling the issue of bullying, selected for the International Children’s Film Festival in India.
DESDE FUERA Y TAN ADENTRO
Fab Llanos DCP, 94' (Chile, Spain) 2024
The story begins in 2018, intertwining deeply personal and collective moments, reflecting on resilience, solidarity, and the fight for human rights and gender equality.
Fab Llanos is a Spanish filmmaker with a strong passion for social cinema and documentary filmmaking. Always committed to telling stories that give a voice to human rights and gender issues, her work focuses on culture, inequalities, feminism, and violence. From Far Away and Deep Inside represents her most ambitious project, blending her artistic experience with her desire to highlight stories of resilience and social transformation.
ICE BREATH
Leonard Alecu DCP, 43' (Romania) 2024
Between 2015 and 2024, Leonard Alecu documented the gradual melting of icebergs along Greenland's eastern coast. Ice Breath is a black-and-white cinematic poem, devoid of dialogue, capturing the fragility of the ice against the relentless power of the ocean. In 43 minutes, the director's gaze takes us on a visual and meditative journey about climate change.
Leonard Alecu is an emerging Romanian filmmaker, making his debut with Ice Breath, an experimental documentary shot over nine years. With a multidisciplinary background, Alecu is known for his poetic visual approach and commitment to environmental themes, exploring the interaction between humanity and naturethrough a unique cinematic language.
IS THERE ANY TRACE OF TOMORROW'S BLOSSOMS?
Ghazaleh Toodeh Zaim DCP, 93' (Iran) 2024
This documentary portrays the lives of four Iranian women from four different generations, exploring their concerns and challenges in contemporary Iran.
Ghazaleh Toodeh Zaim, born in 1994 in Tehran, Iran, graduated in Film Directing from Sooreh University of Art in Tehran. This project marks her directorial debut.
NIGHT AND FOG IN KURDISTAN
Shilan Saadi DCP, 85' (Iran) 2024
Kurdish director Shilan Saadi tells the stories of Yazidi refugee girls, survivors of the Sinjar massacre, who five years ago lived in a Turkish refugee camp. As these girls become scattered across Europe, Shilan narrates a powerful tale of resilience and survival, exploring the rich history of the Kurdish people while shedding light on the ongoing displacement of the Yazidi community.
Shilan Saadi is an independent filmmaker and producer originally from Mahabad, a Kurdish city in Iran. She dedicates her films to the daily struggles of the Kurdish people, particularly women, against various forms of oppression. A graduate of Cinema at Sureh University in Tehran, she has attended documentary workshops under the guidance of Arne Bro and Asghar Farhadi.
OKHALDHUNGA
Marcel Weiß DCP, 71' (Germany) 2023
"Okhaldhunga" tells the story of a group of young people who come together to build a school in the rural area of Okhaldhunga, Nepal. However, on a deeper level, the film is a reflection on finding purpose in life, showing that opening up and sharing love also means giving it back to oneself.
Marcel Weiß is a director, producer, cinematographer, and editor with a versatile skill set, having showcased his creative abilities in over 13 countries. Based in Berlin, he draws inspiration from the city's vibrant film scene for international projects. Holding a degree in directing, he has made a name for himself primarily in advertising production. Among his most notable works are a 50-episode mini-series on YouTube and an award-winning documentary. Marcel is known for his young and dynamic approach, collaborating with creative teams to produce innovative and engaging content.
OLD FRIEND
Sam Yekta DCP, 83' (Iran) 2024
The documentary "Old Friend" retraces the professional journey of renowned art journalists active in the 1950s and 1960s, who contributed to the popular and prestigious youth magazine. The publication played a crucial role in launching numerous artists in various fields, including cinema and music.
Sam Yekta, born in 1979, is a director and documentary filmmaker passionate about telling stories that explore art, culture, and the social impact of media.
REDISCOVERING FANON
Rico Speight DCP, 84' (United States, Algeria, Martinique) 2024
The film investigates the tragic killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Philando Castile, and the murder of George Floyd, highlighting Fanon’s insights on the precariousness of Black bodies within a system of anti-Black racism.
Rico Speight is an independent producer, director, writer, and educator with extensive experience in documentary, narrative, television, theater, and web productions. His documentary "Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?", the first in a two-part series on the parallel lives of young African Americans and South Africans, premiered in 1997 and was screened at the 52nd Cannes Film Festival in 1999. In 2007, he produced the sequel, "Where Are They Now?", which was broadcast nationally in South Africa by the South African Broadcasting Corporation TV.
TOMATO, BIG CAKE AND VICTORY
Kate Tiuri DCP, 61' (Ukraine) 2024
Katya is a Ukrainian filmmaker from Sevastopol, forced to flee war for the second time. After the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014, she moved to Kyiv, but in 2022, she was once again forced to escape due to the new Russian invasion, seeking refuge in the Czech Republic. As she tries to rebuild her life, Katya embarks on a journey of 8,525 kilometers to discover, through the stories of children affected by war, the true meaning of "home." The children teach her that home is not just a physical place, but a refuge we can find within ourselves, even in the most difficult moments. Kateryna Tiuri is a Ukrainian filmmaker from Sevastopol, with over 12 years of experience directing commercials and music videos. After February 24, 2022, she shifted her focus to documentary filmmaking. In 2019, she debuted with a short film about Kyiv’s dance community, which was selected at 40 international festivalsand won several awards. In 2020, she directed a series of short films about summer weekends, screened at both Ukrainian and international festivals. In 2023, she began working on her first feature-length documentary about Ukrainian children, which she completed in February 2024. In the same year, she released "People Who Keep Living", a short documentary about cultural life in Ukraine during the full-scale war.