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
Tomorrow I Leave
What are you willing to accept in order to have a good life? Maria works as a 24-hour caregiver to a woman in Vienna, and sees her family in Romania only every other month. Her two sons are growing up without her, and her own parents' care needs are increasing as they advance in age. Maria Lisa Pichler and Lukas Schöffel calmly observe the reality of life as a migrant worker, travelling with Maria in her car to and from Austria. Maria lives in a permanent state of conflict, caught between the desire to provide a livelihood for her family, and the sacrifices she makes to do so. Through plugging a gap in vital services abroad, Maria's absence is keenly felt at home.
"Under the precarious forces of economy, it seems as if a whole community is gradually evaporating." - Guardian
Wilfred Buck
Seamlessly moving between earth and stars, past and present, Wilfred Buck is a hybrid feature documentary that looks to one man’s life to tell a story that spans generations. Our guide is the charismatic and irreverent Wilfred Buck, a Cree elder and ceremonial leader who came to his calling through a harrowing history of displacement, racism, and addiction in 1960s Canada. Adapted from his memoir, and blending verité, archive and stylized re-enactments, the film charts colonization’s attempts to extinguish Indigenous ways of knowing – and what it means to reconnect with and regain ancient teachings that are as relevant today as ever.
"a beautiful and compelling work that moves between past and present, and between Earth and the stars, to overcome the ghosts of colonisation" - CPH DOX
*not available North America
Canuto's Transformation
In a small Mbyá-Guarani community between Brazil and Argentina, everyone knows the name Canuto: a man who many years ago suffered the dreaded transformation into a Jaguar, and then died tragically. Now, a film is being made to tell his story. Why did this happen to him? But more importantly: who in the village should play his role?
"With a decades-long commitment to the filmmaking process within community, a sense of humour, and a quest to move between worlds. This film embodies the many meanings of transformation,- Jury Statement, *Winner*, Best Film + Outstanding Artistic Contribution - IDFA Envision Competition
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