Films

• Condrong10'45”

  Production: UK 2016

  Gonçalo Almeida’s work is an intriguing blend of documentary and mystery film. The director creates an engaging study on the spiritual heritage of the people of Gambia. The titular Condrong is a mysterious spirit that cannot be seen, but whose presence is felt. The consistent black-and-white aesthetics add to the extraordinary mood of this motion picture, which is not bereft of a sense of dread and unease. “Condrong” is a deeply metaphysical story of the human need and longing for that which is invisible to the eye.

  

  

  

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  Authors:

  • Gonçalo Almeida
• If I Were a Filmmaker60'42"

  Production: ES 2016

  The film opens with an absorbing shot of an old, white film projector being consumed by flames. Mark John Ostrowski’s picture tells the story of an old filmmaker’s daughter, who faces a very serious dilemma: what to do with the father’s legacy? The young woman has to know, however, that only a radical creative act will make her the true heir to the unexpected wealth. Mark John Ostrowski made a feature-length documentary film with deep, metacinematic reflection, offering insight into the quandaries of being a filmmaker.

  

  

  

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  Authors:

  • Mark John Ostrowski
• I Do Not Hate You, Death...12'18''

  Production: RO/MD 2016

  Everyday, many people around the world close their eyes never to open them again. In Eastern Europe there is a holiday dedicated to them – Pastele Blajinilor. It is a blend of two traditions: Christian and pagan. People visit the graves of their dearly departed and hold feasts as if the dead were still with them. In recent years this form of celebrating has been criticised in the media, some of its elements being vulgar and grotesque. But what if we were to look a little deeper? Olga Lucovnicova has made an amazing documentary film that makes the viewer familiar with this peculiar tradition.

  

  

  

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  Authors:

  • Olga Lucovnicova
• The Postmodern Pioneer Plaque7'51"

  Production: ES 2016

  In 1973 Carl Sagan, renowned American astronomer and promoter of science, created a special plaque for NASA which was to help in space exploration during the Pioneer 10 mission. It was the first message of humankind addressed to extraterrestrial civilisations. Today, four decades later, the world is composing a new collective message. Boris Kozlov’s film is a rare combination of documentary, animation, and experimental film, which may intrigue not only the lovers of astrophysics. The picture has been presented at many international festivals (USA, London, Spain, Germany, Italy, Mexico).

  

  

  

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  Authors:

  • Boris Kozlov
• West Empire26'4"

  Production: FR 2015

  Memories from remote times, the ghost towns of the American West are full of stories and legends. “West Empire” is a short documentary film which takes the viewer deep inside the hearts of these cities bonded with the mining era, where few people still live. The inhabitants of these areas located throughout American deserts exist beyond time. Their only priority is the search of freedom. In the film we will listen to the stories of these people, their frank confessions provoking reflection upon the mechanisms that govern modern society. What characterises the film are the beautiful shots of American outskirts, and Western-like stylistics.

  

  

  

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  Authors:

  • Mathieu Le Lay