Category: Selection 2024

Synopsis: The story begins when a teacher enters a completely unknown village with an impractical and hard to pass road. He takes a few pictures with his phone about the situation of village’s children and broadcasts it online. The reflection of these photos causes a documentary maker group to move towards the village with some equipment, the group faces numerous challenges and dangers on its way. 

Submitter Statement:  Yes, if you would like to literally travel to the history or to define the word justice more or less, my suggestion is to see the film “IRACO”. A film that will help you to understand the real pain and hardships of our people who live in this country.

Director: Hashem Karimi

Country of Origin: Islamic Republic of Iran

Country of Filming: Islamic Republic of Iran

Language: Persian

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:29:54

Hashem Karimi

Synopsis: The ideal of peace, the fight for human rights, social justice and respect for the environment is the common thread that binds the stories of eleven characters who can rightly be defined as “Giusti” (Righteous).

Director: Stefano Grossi

Writer: Stefano Grossi

Producer: Centro Studi Sereno Regis

Key Cast: Giorgio Colangeli, Ignazio Oliva, Patrizia Piccinini

Country of Origin: Italy

Country of Filming: Italy

Language: Italian

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:29:59

Stefano Grossi

Synopsis: Two drifters or musafirs, practicing the mystical branch of Islam called Kejawen, traverse Indonesia’s most bustling economic road in Java, covering thousands of kilometers. This road movie depicts their slow-paced survival amidst turbo-capitalistic Indonesia, showcasing an intriguing contrast in direction.

Submitter Statement: The two main charachters are the follower of the minority Kejawen Islam, ‘a mystical branch’ of Islam in Indonesia which defined more on the inner development, self experience, less dogmatic and more tolerant. I myself am from the Indonesian Chinese ethnic minority in Moslem-majority Indonesia. For me doing this film is a process of learning about Indonesia ancient tradition though unfortunately I also recognize that it perhaps would slowly disappear. While in fact it is not well represented by the mainstream media. Therefore I decided to give the face and the voice of this tradition by capturing their silence struggle to survive which is strongly depicted by their slow ‘contrary’ movement on the high speed road of modernity of Java’s nord coast.  

Director: Andrianus Oetjoe

Writer: Andrianus Oetjoe

Producer: Andrianus Oetjoe

Country of Origin: Indonesia

Country of Filming: Indonesia

Language: Indonesian

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:30:00

Andrianus Oetjoe

Synopsis: The teacher of “Tengeh Dez” village spends a sweet but difficult experience every week on a walk and a trip in nature, and by being with the people of this deprived village. In order to cross the raging river in order to educate the children of this village, he has no other tools at his disposal except his feet, body and life.

Director: Seyed Morteza Sabzeghaba, Amin Nazari

Writer: Seyed Morteza Sabzeghaba, Amin Nazari

Producer: Seyed Morteza Sabzeghaba, Amin Nazari

Country of Origin: Islamic Republic of Iran

Country of Filming: Islamic Republic of Iran

Language: Persian

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:30:00

Project Website: http://www.smsfilm.blogfa.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sm.sabzeghaba/

Seyed Morteza Sabzeghaba, Amin Nazari

Synopsis: The literal meaning of Porattu Matakam is ‘frolicsome theatre’. This is a Malayalam folk theatre in Palakkad , in southern kerala, India.. , Porattu is secular in nature. The artists engaged in this profession belong to the Panan caste,a previously untouchable caste known for their excellence in singing. The plays are performed on a stage specially erected in an open field after harvest, with a front curtain separating the performers and audience. The documentary which explores the origins and cultural significance off the art form called PORATTU NADAKAM, a dance-drama theatre .

Director: Arjun P.J.

Country of Origin: India

Country of Filming: India

Language: Malayalam

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:32:00

Arjun P.J.

Synopsis: Within almost all faiths, there is one ubiquitous Golden Rule that holds the key to a harmonious existence for humankind. The exact wording varies, but at its heart, it asks each of us to consider how we would like to be treated… and to treat others the same. For only then, are we living a life inspired by the Divine. “The Golden Rule: Do Unto Others” explores the manifestations of this rule across multiple religious traditions, guided by religious scholars and clergy members: from an Indonesian Hindu High Priest, to a Muslim Imam in New York City; an Armenian Archbishop in Jerusalem, to a Professor of Semitic Studies at Princeton University. They, alongside others, speak of how the “The Golden Rule” can drive positive change in the world. Through education, community-building, and the awesome power of kindness and love, we can all embrace the universal message of The Golden Rule, that reflects the light of love that burns at the core of all faiths.

Director: Cheryl Halpern, Natasha Dematra, Alex Dolginko

Producer: Cheryl Halpern, Natasha Dematra, Alex Dolginko

Key Cast: Ephraim Issaac, Imam Shamsi Ali, David Freeman, Rachel Kraus, Father Koryoun Bagdasarian, Rabbi Israel Weiss, Ida Rsi Wisesanatha

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: Indonesia, Israel, United States

Language: English

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:39:23

Cheryl Halpern, Natasha Dematra, Alex Dolginko

Synopsis: In the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau, women often work outside the home and act as breadwinners, many by growing food and promoting agroecology. Yet they can also be saddled with the burden of running their homes, as men expect them to take on most of the housework and child-rearing duties. UNITE FOR BISSAU explores how women in diverse communities in Guinea-Bissau — ranging from the matriarchal villages of the Bijagós Archipelago to Muslim, Christian, and animist communities on the mainland — are confronting patriarchy, protesting female genital mutilation, asserting their role in preserving traditional agriculture, and building institutions to promote self-sufficiency. Carrying forward the legacy of Amílcar Cabral, the Bissau-Guinean independence leader who included women’s rights and agronomy at the center of the struggle for liberation, the women of a rising generation are taking their power back.

Submitter Statement:  João worked as director of photography and film editor to an extent of being considered by Iara and the production office as co-director: https://culturesofresistancefilms.com/unite-for-bissau-joao-meirinhos/

Director: Joao Meirinhos, Iara Lee

Producer: Iara Lee

Country of Origin: Portugal

Country of Filming: Guinea-Bissau

Language: Portuguese

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:39:30

Project Website: https://culturesofresistancefilms.com/unite-for-bissau/

Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/culturesofresistance/

Joao Meirinhos, Iara Lee

Synopsis: “Yatha pinde tatha brahmande, yatha brahmande yatha pinde”is a verse from “Yajur Veda” which is one of the ancient Indian Sanskrit texts among 4 Vedic texts and means: as is the individual so is the universe, as is the universe so is the individual. This documentary introduce Ecospirituality through the words of Shridev Jasnath Asan Surajnath Siddh, 12th and current head monk of Shri Jasnath Asan in Panchla Siddha, Rajasthan , the Bishnoi Tribe, considered the first environmentalists of India, crossing Tradition Ayurvedic physician and villagers. Healing occurs when we perceive or relation with Nature to be non dualistic. Ecospirituality is a term reffering to the spiritual connection between human being and the environment seeking to prove the inherent value and interdependence of all human being. If we connect with the nature we connect with the spirituality which teach us the the no violence. People destroy Nature because they perceive the relationship with it in a dualistic way. We need to understand how we have gradually moved away from our responsibilities as stewards of the environment and become comfortable with the destruction we witness on a daily basis. The current the environmental crisis is a symptom of an anthropocentric delusion which imagines the world to be resources for human use. All ecological problems have common roots in a denial of the Earth as a living system, animals and plants like living being. Humans thinks themself like superior. People can not directly connecting their compromised health, to the environmental degradation occurring all around them. A separation from Nature causes a breakdown in the human physiology and psychology because we are interconnected. We are the only species on the planet actively developing innovative mechanism of self-destruction. How we are positioned in the world, and how we move through the world is a reflection of the evolution we have accomplished internally.  

Director: Maya De

Writer: Surajnath Siddh, Shreejan Sita

Producer: Shridev Jasnath Trust

Country of Origin: India

Country of Filming: India

Language: English

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:43:25

Maya De

Synopsis: Set in the city of Ribeirão Preto, the metropolitan center of one of the main sugar cane producing regions in Brazil, the documentary Wanderings of Faith reflects on the possibilities of maintaining and safeguarding of a festive tradition of popular Catholicism closely linked to the rural universe in the context of a city of more than 700 thousand inhabitants deeply marked by rural exodus and agricultural modernization. Wanderings of Faith follows the century-old “Cia de Reis Irmãos Adolfo” on their wanderings through the streets and popular neighborhoods of the city of Ribeirão Preto. Through visits carried out by the company to the homes of devotees, stories of mysteries, miracles and childhood memories are collected. Whether through the testimonies, the words of faith sung by the revelers, or the devotion expressed on the faces of each devotee, we see a community united by tradition, sharing faith, an abundance of food and gratitude for the graces granted by the holy kings.

Director: Carlos Alberto Correa Moro

Writer: Carlos Alberto Corrêa Moro, Camila Correa Móra

Producer: Camila Corrêa Móra

Country of Origin: Brazil

Country of Filming: Brazil

Language: Portuguese

Subtitles: 

Runtime: 00:46:06

Carlos Alberto Correa Moro

Synopsis: Koçer is the name given to nomadic Kurdish communities with no fixed settlement.They always live in tents. Almost the only source of livelihood is animal husbandry. Koçer’s have certain summer and winter settlements. During the periods when the weather starts to get colder, Koçer’s migrate to places with warmer weather conditions for their own shelter and to meet the needs of their animals. Highlands and grasslands near the water between the mountains are chosen as settlements. This is one reason for limited communication with the outside world. Educational level, literacy rate and cultural level are low in these non-settled communities. There is a patriarchal structure.

Director: SELİM ALAN

Writer: SELİM ALAN

Producer: SELİM ALAN

Country of Origin: Turkey

Country of Filming: Turkey

Language: Kurdish

Subtitles: Kurdish

Runtime: 00:47:10

SELİM ALAN