Brunaupark
The buildings in the Brunaupark district of Zurich are about to be demolished. Their owner, the Crédit Suisse pension company, plans to knock down more than 200 still functional apartments, some of which have been renovated, in order to build a new complex. The suspected reason: greed and property speculation. Filmmakers Felix Hergert and Dominik Zietlow, aware of the phenomenon of speculation and the maximisation of profits under the guise of "urban development", have chosen to focus instead on the jewel that is in danger of being lost forever: its community of residents.
"this documentary forms a vital piece of oral history, bearing witness to the defiance and resilience of those determined to stay" - Guardian
*not Switzerland
Apple Cider Vinegar
Stones are at once the most foundational and the most overlooked parts of our lifeworld. When a retired nature documentary narrator passes a kidney stone, she decides to tell one more story about this forgotten world of stone. A hypnotic essay film asking urgent ecological questions, Apple Cider Vinegar takes the viewer on a journey meeting Palestinian quarry workers, a passionate British Geologist, and people living on the lava fields of Fogo.
"a deeper message about the interconnectedness of all things" - Documentary Magazine, IDA.
Bila Burba
Colonialism wiped out many Central and South American cultures, but not the Gunadule, the indigenous people of northern Panama. In 1925 they successfully resisted the repression of their culture by the Panamanian government. In three days of fighting, they won their autonomy and thus saved their way of life. Known as the “Dule Revolution,” the glorious battle is commemorated annually with a reenactment involving hundreds of participants, including many children. Bila Burba, made by Duiren Wagua, a member of the Gunadule, shows the reenactment of the successful revolution, and looks back with descendants of the revolutionaries on the reasons for the uprising and the course of the events. The film convincingly shows the power of this community theater in maintaining a unique autonomy is once again under threat due to the Panamanian government’s sale of parts of their territory.
"Beyond the written word and photographic evidence, how does one keep history alive?" - Guardian
Onlookers
Onlookers offers a visually striking, immersive meditation on travel and tourism in Laos, reflecting on how we all live as observers. Traversing the country's dusty roads and tranquil rivers, we watch as elaborate painterly tableaus unfold, revealing the whimsical and at times disruptive interweaving of locals and foreigners in rest and play. Drawn to spectacle, tourists swarm to magnificent Buddhist temples, the ordered rituals of monks, and sites of dazzling natural beauty, then recede like a passing tide, leaving Laotians to continue with their daily lives.
"Visually-stunning! ....showcases how tourism can have an effect on a country and its local people." - The Playlist
The Lost Boys of Mercury
As children in the 50s to the 70s, Dédé, Michel and Daniel were sent to the Belle Étoile “correctional” facility run by the abbot Garin and located in the Savoie region of France. There, they were beaten, humiliated, starved and broken. With the help of director Clémence Davigo, they finally reunite to break their silence. A moving chronicle in search of memory and justice.
"A heartrending chronicle in search of memory and justice" - Visions du Reel