All Films

Carry Me Home

2009 • 25 min • United States of America

For over two centuries, African-American funeral homes have passed down an untold, elaborate tradition of burying the dead in grand flair. Carry Me Home, a short documentary, witnesses this tradition touch one widow's life and transforms her grief into celebration. After the loss of her husband, Lessie Thompson surrounds herself with her family and prepares for the funeral, opening a window into the rich, vivid history of African-American funeral traditions that span from segregation and slavery all the way back to West Africa. Horse drawn carriages carrying the coffin, brightly colored funeral garments and open expressions of grief and celebration color many African-American funeral services. These stylish and celebratory ceremonies have been passed down through generations old family-run funeral homes, and continue today.

The Fencer

2009 • 16 min • Latvia

A young married housewife's dull routine is enlivened as she spies on the sexual escapades of her fencing instructor neighbour. She too is seduced by him, but the fear of losing her family results in hysteria and an unpredictable climax.

Birds of Passage

2009 • 52 min • United States of America, Uruguay

Birds of Passage presents a lyrical journey through the everyday lives of two young Uruguayan songwriters. Ernesto and Yisela have moved to the capital, leaving behind their respective hometowns on the borders of Brazil and Argentina. After many years of composing songs that reflect their origins, both decide to explore new horizons and each seeks to fulfill the dream of recording a first album. While Yisela struggles to reconcile the emerging possibilities of a career in Uruguay with her plans to move to Argentina, Ernesto confronts personal conflicts that threaten to sabotage his creative passion. The film fuses the arts of documentary film and music, interweaving the songs and stories of these two young composers. With vérité cinematography and an unforgettable soundtrack, Birds of Passage explores the challenges of being a young artist, and the art of searching, inside and outside of oneself.

City of New Lights

2009 • 28 min

City Of New Lights, an independent skateboard video by Jarvis Nigelsky

It Was for You Alfredo Torrisi

2009 • 12 min • France

The war reporter Alfredo Torrisi accidentally steps on a mine and gets stuck. His camera is shooting.

Night

2009 • 7 min

A loner walks in the night

New York Blood

2009 • 58 min • United States of America

Drug dealing mobster Vinny, who owns a neighborhood whorehouse, wants to take care of his father Lorenzo, a convicted murderer just released from prison.

Wonders of Water

2009 • 52 min

Water is one of the most amazing substances on earth. It contradicts almost all of the rules of physics and chemistry. For instance, it has the unique characteristic of expanding and growing lighter when it becomes solid. All other substances grow heavier upon turning solid and contract as the temperature decreases. This is what causes ice to float on top of water, instead of collecting on the bottom, which makes all the difference for aquatic life and in fact for all life on earth. In addition, water has the highest specific heat of any substance, which makes it a superb heat reservoir and heat equaliser. Without water, the earth would be a desert because of fluctuations in heat.

Poto Mitan

2009 • 50 min

Told through compelling lives of five courageous Haitian women workers, Poto Mitan gives the global economy a human face. Each woman’s personal story explains neoliberal globalization, how it is gendered, and how it impacts Haiti: inhumane working/living conditions, violence, poverty, lack of education, and poor health care.

Blood Right

2009 • 7 min • United Kingdom

An urban chiller from writer and director Keith Eyles - Episode three.

For God and Country

2009 • 14 min • United States of America

An army reservist is forced to face the sins of his past in the aftermath of America's second Civil War.

Another Salute

2009 • 49 min • United States of America

After receiving the 2000 Akira Kurosawa Award, Abbas Kiarostami immediately gave it away to honor the renowned and exiled actor Behrouz Vossoughi, from the generation preceding the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Later that year, Khosrow Shakibaei—one of the best actors after the Iranian Revolution—tried to find and meet Behrouz Voussoughi. Any attempt to meet Behrouz Vossoughi, whose name and picture are banned in Iran, would have put Khosrow Shakibaei’s acting career in Iran in jeopardy. After the unexpected death of Khosrow Shakibaei in July 2008, Hossein Khandan, director of “Another Salute” received consent from Khosrow’s family to release the film.

My Pretty Pony

2009 • 5 min • United States of America

My Pretty Pony is a story telling about time and what the old man believes time is telling him. He believes this pony represents time and he must fufill it.

The Zombie's Control

2009 • 11 min • Brazil

A family moving into a new house releases a zombie trapped by satanic rituals in the basement. After he's free, the zombie dominates the sofa and the remote control, watching TV all day and slowly influencing the family father's mind.

It's All Good 2

2009 • 18 min • Serbia

Two roommates try working in a newsstand to pay their rent.

Gabriel Shaolin Mordock

2009 • 19 min • Brazil

Mordock is a dog. Shaolin is a bricklayer. Gabriel is a filmmaker.

Mazoo and the Zoo 2

2009 • 60 min

Greek three-man band who with their songs and their dance moves make familiar to children the animals. The complex has a membership of Artemis Kokkinara, Teresa Sassou and the man of the group is Efthymis Kokkinaras while lyricist is Manos Vafeiadis.

Eu Tenho a Palavra

2009 • 26 min • Brazil

"Eu Tenho a Palavra" is a linguistic journey in search of the African origins of Brazilian culture.

Escape

2009 • 6 min • Estonia

The prospect isn't good: situation seems like jail, porridge bowl bottomless and time is running out. An unexpected discovery changes it all though.

Coffee Samurai

2009 • 30 min • South Korea

For Hemi, a boyfriend in a protective suit would be an easy thing to deal with compared to her own problem: she's in love with a Coffee Vending machine! Of course, it all makes perfect sense once you realize that he's actually an ancient Samurai who wished to be reborn into an indestructible steel body. But it certainly makes the dates uncomfortable and somewhat prone to scalding!

The Good Omen

2009 • 26 min • Bahrain

In Bahraini culture and traditions, the Good Omen is the act of hanging the "thobe al-nashal," a woman's traditional dress, usually reserved for important celebrations, over the roof of one's home as the joyous announcement of the return of a family member from travel, or a long absence.

Martina och jag

2009 • 60 min • Sweden

In 1974 documentary film maker Tom Alandh did a TV story about institutions for the mentally retarded. Then he met Martina, who was five and who had Down syndrome. For 35 years, which is unique in the Swedish television history, Tom Alandh and photographer Björn Henriksson has followed Martina's struggles against all odds.

Portobello 196

2009 • 14 min

Pathway

2009 • 9 min • Brazil

Experimental video shot on Mini DV.