„Bob's Funeral”, dir. Jack Dunphy, USA 2023, 19 min
Searching for the root of generational trauma, the director takes a camera into his estranged grandfather’s funeral.
"Phobos", dir. Mina Keshavarz, Germany, France, Iran 2023, 15 min
Employing a poetic and experimental cinematic language, ”Phobos” attempts to transcend the fear of war and destruction. Director Mina Keshavarz grew up in the city of Bushehr, on the Persian Gulf. In the 1980s it was a target in the Iran-Iraq war. Embarking on a journey of getting lost in a place known to her, Keshavarz’s surrealistic search for her home, family and friends reflects her recurring nightmare of an abandoned coastal city.
"Behind the Mask", dir. Håvard Bustnes, Norway 2023, 30 min.
After enduring torture at an internment camp for Uyghurs in China, Abduweli and his family seek refuge in Bergen, Norway. This documentary follows Abduweli’s journey to Germany, where he intends to confront a former internment camp prison guard. However, just before his departure, his daughter experiences a panic attack. Now faced with a profound dilemma, Abduweli must decide whether its best for his family to continue his mission of shedding light on the Uyghur genocide or to leave the past behind to avoid bringing up traumatic memories for himself and his family.
"Au Revoir, Pugs", dir. Brett Allen Smith, Italy, Denmark 2023, 10 min.
Recasting his newborn son and dog as himself and his childhood pets, a filmmaker confronts his own false memories through a collage of film, digital and video game footage.
"The Ghost" ("Duch"), dir. Jakub Gomółka, Poland 2024, 7 min
Andrzej has completed a two-year course at the center for former prisoners in Silesia, the mining region in Poland, which was intended to bring him back into the society after detention. However, it turns out that the society does not forget about the past. The landscape outside Andrzej's room window and repeating sound of the voicemail intensify his loneliness.
- duration:
- 80 min
- country:
- USA/2023 („Bob's Funeral”); Germany, France, Iran/2023 ("Phobos"); Norway 2023 ("Behind the Mask"); Poland 2024 ("The Ghost")
- director:
- Jack Dunphy („Bob's Funeral”); Mina Keshavarz ("Phobos"); Håvard Bustnes ("Behind the Mask"); Brett Allen Smith ("Au Revoir, Pugs"); Jakub Gomółka ("The Ghost")
- cinematography:
- Alexander Girav („Bob's Funeral”); Amin Behroozzadeh ("Phobos"); Lukasz Zamaro ("Behind the Mask"); Brett Allen Smith ("Au Revoir, Pugs"); Vincent Prochoroff ("The Ghost")
- producer:
- Andrew Morrison / Dumpy Films („Bob's Funeral”); Afsun Moshiry, Hamidreza Pejman, Baptiste Bertin / Road River Films, Pejman Foundation, La Onda Productions ("Phobos"); Håvard Bustnes / UpNorth Film ("Behind the Mask"); Andrea Gatopoulos, Marco Crispano, Brett Allen Smith / Il Varco Cinema, Ink!/Oil/Muse (circle one) Productions ("Au Revoir, Pugs"); Agata Golańska / Polska Szkoła Filmowa w Łodzi ("The Ghost")
- selected festivals and awards:
- 2024 – FF Sundance („Bob's Funeral”); 2023 – CPH:DOX, Copenhagen, 2023 – Sheffield DocFest ("Phobos"); 2023 – DOC NYC ("Behind the Mask"); 2023 – DOK Leipzig ("Au Revoir, Pugs"); 2024 – Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival: World Premiere ("The Ghost")
