religion

The moments immediately following a person's death are among the most intimate, accompanied by a sense of loneliness and emotional turmoil. The already soulless body is transported to the morgue in the hospital. The chapel is ready for the final farewell. The pallbearers arrive. Family members survey the preparations. The parish priest prepares his eulogy. Behind the imaginary curtain of secrecy, the film director lets us peek through an imitation voyeur's peephole placed in front of the camera lens. What is for one the finale of a life’s journey may be for another a sequence of repeated actions with no discernible end in sight.“I like to explore things that feel ambivalent, subjects that challenge my own moral codes and references, and trigger an almost physical reaction.”Source: https://nordiskfilmogtvfond.com/news/stories/2023-nordic-talents-to-watch

The year 2017 was marked by the suicide of a victim of paedophile priest James Brzyski, who by some estimates molested over a hundred boys in Philadelphia in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the survivors is comedian Gerad Argeros, who appears naked, literally and symbolically, before his audience. His cathartic stand-up show is both self-therapy and collective healing. To speak is not to let evil win.“I'm standing here naked in front of you and I don't care what you think of my little penis. I'm here to tell you what happens to children who are raped. They just disappear.”

Ritual dances, incantations and fetishes in an associative sequence of mystical scenes reveal the roots of the Afro-Cuban minority in Bauta, Cuba, whose colonial past is guarded by a statue of a slave in chains. Tobacco smoke and magical ceremonies awaken the spirits of ancestors and invite them to fill the forgotten places of cultural memory of a young generation searching for their identity in a post-colonial era of political instability and religious syncretism.“O my flesh, make me a man who always asks.” - Frantz Fanon

Me + You follows twin sisters Sanaa and Zohra. What begins as Zohra’s exploration of their Moroccan heritage gradually reveals the shifting dynamics of their relationship, as Sanaa’s deepening love for Islam becomes more apparent. The film unfolds as a journey of mutual understanding — a cinematic dialogue fueled by their desire to connect. An intimate portrait of sisterly love and independence. “Me + You endeavours to celebrate the nuances, complexities, and idiosyncrasies of being a young Belgian-Moroccan woman, with the hope of resonating with those who are still searching for their place in this world, as well as with those who value the meaningfulness of such an evolvement.” - Zohra BenhammouQuote source: Business Doc Europe

The hearing-disabled village of Dhadkai at the foothills of the Himalayas has been perplexing experts. It is not clear why only people with disabilities are born here. Yet locals drum and whistle to see if a newborn can hear and produce sound. This sensory-saturated observational portrait of a community amidst a majestic landscape raises the question of whether we need words to connect to the world around us.“According to the village´s beliefs and experiences, if the newborn cries loudly but keeps its eyes closed for the first two days, it might be deaf.”

Fifty-five-year-old Hajar, who has spent her entire life in the nomadic Iranian tribe of Bakhtiari, is betrayed and disappointed by her closest family, who want to force her to settle down and peacefully live out her life in the city. Although the circumstances, including the patriarchal social system, increasing urbanization and climate change, are not in her favour, Hajar is not going to give up her flock of sheep or her nomadic freedom. In her extremely empathetic, partly personal documentary debut, director Marjan Khosravi creates a portrait of a strong woman who, even in the face of turbulent modernity, does not want to let herself be deprived of the most valuable things she has – memories, traditions, contact with nature and the joy of free movement.“I immediately figured out that Hajar and her personal story is the concept of my new film and I decided to make a film about her and all the other women like her: traditional women and their struggles with modern life. Their families always decide for them, yet they are never happy with these decisions. These women are not heard by anyone.” — Marjan KhosraviSource: Variety

Dao comes from Laos, but she has been living in France for many years. Set mostly in the Laotian jungle, the film is a dream and an idea of her return to her own essence. In the meditative rhythm of a slow human stride, we dive into a woman's memories of home, rituals and the family she had to leave behind.

The main character of this black-and-white impressionistic essay is a river, and the camera adopts its perspective. It flows through the landscape, sometimes peacefully, sometimes wildly, affecting the lives of animals and people alike. For some, it is a source of inspiration and a part of folk rituals.