10. September 2024
By Alonso Ruizpalacios
New York City, lunchtime at 'The Grill': Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday catering life, it is noticed that money is missing from the cash register of the restaurant in Times Square. Among the employees, most of whom are illegal immigrants, Pedro quickly becomes the prime suspect. Being accused of theft, coupled with the news that his girlfriend, who also works at the restaurant, has decided to terminate their pregnancy, drives the young Mexican to the brink of despair. LA COCINA is a multicultural, tragicomic homage to the experience of arriving in a foreign land, the dreams of a better future, and the fascinating microcosm of gastronomy.
By Boris Lojkine
Souleymane, a refugee from Guinea, races through the streets of Paris as a bicycle courier - without a work permit. He is driven by the need to earn money. This is the only way he can buy a story from his compatriot Barry, which could secure him the asylum he so desperately seeks. He only has two days left before he has to make his story credible to the officials. Thus begins a race against time for Souleymane - haunted by worries about asylum, and the mother and lover he left behind. L'HISTOIRE DE SOULEYMANE delivers insight into the everyday life of an inconspicuous courier, revealing his actual, moving story.
@Golden Girls Film. DOP: Jakob C. SauerBy Nicola von Leffern und Jakob Carl Sauer
Beirut lies in ruins. Yet, even after the explosion at the city’s port, life goes on. But how do you clear away debris when it conceals far more than just a disaster? And how do you regain hope for a better future? TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SEE FIRE is a rich mosaic, portraying the lives of various people in the aftermath of the tragedy: a telephone operator working at the city’s helpline, a Syrian family living in an underground garage and planning to flee the country, and a dancer and a painter who try to process their fate through art.
Reclaim the City at Tafelberg Court Case MarchBy Pearlie Joubert und Miki Redelinghuys
Cape Town: One of the most beautiful cities in the world remains divided by segregation even 30 years after the end of apartheid. Without the promised social housing, the Black population, pushed to the outskirts into makeshift dwellings, is unable to build a life in the city centre. The documentary MOTHER CITY follows Nkosikhona (Face) Swartbooi, a leading figure in the “Reclaim the City” movement, over the course of six years. With poignant honesty, the film visualizes the exhausting struggle for a dignified life. This fight, driven by deep conviction, continues even in the midst of the Covid crisis.
By Siu-pong Wong
Hong Kong: The opening festival of the Kwun Yum Temple attracts numerous worshippers seeking financial support from the Goddess of Mercy. Nearby, senior citizens patrol the area with their wheelbarrows, collecting recyclable materials from the streets to sell them for a small sum at collection points. The documentary OBEDIENCE captures the economic and social microcosm of the underclass in the Hung Hom district. We are given an authentic, and intimate insight into the lives of the local people, without commentary.
©HereticBy Asli Özge
Istanbul, a city marked by gentrification and housing shortages, is the setting for the story of 90-year-old Faruk. We follow the protagonist through the urban transformation and the struggle to save his beloved home from demolition, eagerly participating in the building management meetings. In this process, the boundaries between reality and fiction of feature & documentary film blur as the relationship between director Asil Özge and her father Faruk comes to the fore. A captivating story in which the daughter-father relationship is portrayed in a refreshing way.
By Neo Sora
This comedy is set in the near future in the city of Tokyo, frequently struck by natural disasters. The everyday lives of best friends Yuta and Kou are shaped by these unpredictable events. Shortly before their graduation, Yuta and Kou decide to play a prank on the school principal. But what begins as a harmless joke leads to unexpected consequences for the entire school and puts their friendship to the test. In his film HAPPYEND, director Neo Sora impressively and humorously shows how external forces can threaten even the strongest friendships.
©Image from the film - Courtesy of the National Film Board of CanadaBy Halima Elkhatabi
In a time characterised by housing shortages and inflation, people with a wide variety of needs, backgrounds and philosophies of life are looking for a suitable home. The documentary COHABITER portrays people in Montréal who hope to find the perfect match among potential flatmates. The protagonists reveal intimate details of their identity – in the hope of finding people with whom they can share both a living space and values.
Urban spaces as evolving environments are becoming increasingly relevant. Terms such as gentrification and urban density stress are becoming more common, and the precariat is the one most affected. This short film series tells various stories of people living in the city, shedding light on current issues such as housing shortages and poor working conditions, while also exploring what might lie ahead. From dystopian future predictions and tension-filled encounters to a home tour in the style of "Welcome To My Crib" and a political food courier musical, the series takes us on a short film journey through #BigCityLife.