AUSTRIA
“Silence”/ “Klusums”, 2007
94'
Michael Pilz
A woman meets a man in different places, different times and in different moods. A kind of a diary film – passionate creed for life, love and cinematography.
BULGARIA
“Severnata strana na slanchogleda”/ “The Northern Face of Sunflower”/ “Saulespuíes ziemeďu puse”, 2006
48'
Ivan Mladenov
In a Bulgarian village, as lonely and deserted as a countryside church and empty farm, life-wrinkled people lead their modest lives their own way – at times they squabble, do hard work and tell unbelievable legends.
CZECH REPUBLIC
“Sejdeme se v Eurocampu”/ “I Guess We'll Meet at the Eurocamp”/ “Mçs laikam satiksimies Eironometnç”, 2006
57'
Erika Hnikova
An essence of transformation between the old and new in a godforsaken village somewhere in the European Union. Here the frayed community determines its circle of friends by the uniform one wears, and spends its days having nowhere to gather since the only local pub has been closed down.
“Ztracena dovolena”/ “Lost Holiday”/ “Pazaudçtâs brîvdienas”, 2007
84'
Lucie Kralova
A Czech traveller in Sweden finds suitcase with rolls of negative film. The film is not merely a record of an adventurous mission – trace of people portrayed on the found photos – it also asks questions about the power of photography.
DENMARK
“The Monastery”/ “Klosteris”, 2006
84'
Pernille Rose Gr¸nkjżr
A story about 82-year-old Mr. Vig, who has never known love, and a young Russian nun, who, by chance or destiny, becomes a part of his life. Many years ago the bachelor bought a castle in the Danish country side with the purpose of turning it into a monastery. Now, 50 years later, his dream is about to come true.
Awards: Amsterdam, IDFA 2006 Joris Ivens Award, Chicago IDF 2007 Grand Prix Award, Moscow IFF 2007 Audience Award, Sydney Film Festival 2007 FIPRESCI Award Best Documentary, CPH Dox 2006 Special Mention.
ESTONIA
“Jonathan Austraaliast”/ “Jonathan From Australia”/ “Dţonatans no Austrâlijas”, 2007
90'
Sulev Keedus
In countless generations the Saaremaa inhabitants have gone fishing, knitted jumpers and worked in woods without ever leaving the island. Yet one day the world arrives to the island on a cruise ship.
RUSSIA
“Rocks Blocking the Entrance”/ “Akmeňi, kas noslçdz ieeju”, 2007
39'
Valery Balayan
A film about two people – spy parachuter and American instructor – whose destinies were bound by the Cold War operation in 1953.
“Svyato”/ “Svjato”, 2005
33'
Victor Kossakovsky
Almost three-year-old Svyatoslav’s first and probably most emotional encounter with a mirror and his own yet unfamiliar reflection in it.
“Yuri Arabov. Mechanics of Fate”/ “Jurijs Arabovs. Likteňa mehânika”, 2007
52'
Arkadi Kogan
Russian scriptwriter Yury Arabov believes that a person’s destiny can be explained and also foretold using the laws of a movie script. Once Arabov himself got a call from somebody claiming to be his father. In fact, Arabov’s father had abandoned him 40 years ago.
LITHUANIA
“Pries Parskrendant i Zeme”/ “Before Flying Back to Earth”/ “Pirms lidot atpakaď uz Zemi”, 2005
52'
Arunas Matelis
A simple and laconic haiku-like film, which creates strong emotional impact without being sentimental. A story about games, joy and chatter in the face of death – in a hospital ward for children suffering from leukemia.
Awards: Amsterdam, IDFA 2005 Silver Wolf Award for Best Documentary Under 60 Minutes, Brooklyn IFF 2006 Spirit Award, Directors Guild of America, USA 2007 DGA Award (Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary), Leipzig DOK Festival 2005 Golden Dove, Silverdocs Documentary Festival 2006 Honorable Mention.
“Gyveno Senelis ir Bobute”/ “Grandpa and Grandma”/ “Vecaistçvs un vecâmâte”, 2007
28'
Giedre Beinoriute
Among many other Lithuanians, director’s grandparents were exiled to Siberia in 1948. The fairytale-like film consisting of family photographs, national archive material and animation inserts is an intimate story about strength of human mind.
NORWAY
“Jenter”/ “Girls”/ “Meitenes”, 2007
79'
Hanne Myren
School, parties, secrets, clashes and boys. They are as shy as prankish, confused and cocksure at the same time – girls in the 9th grade. A film about youthful presumption, loyalty, deceit, and female power structures at an age when everything is at stake.
Awards: Norwegian DFF Volda 2007 Honorary Mention, Norwegian Short Film Festival 2007 Honorary Mention, National Film Award Amanda 2007 Best Children & Youth Film, Best Documentary
“Kroppen Min”/ “My Body”/ “Mans íermenis”, 2002
26'
Margareth Olin
When talking of her body, she is telling a story about herself. Not being perfect she remains true, and therefore so very special.
POLAND
“Jeden Dzien w PRL”/ “One Day in People's Poland”/ “Viena diena Polijas Republikâ”, 2005
58'
Maciej Drygas
A combination of original footage, letters and official documents – reconstruction of September 27, 1962 – an ordinary day in the life of citizens in communist Poland. Just another day when nothing remarkable happens, yet each personal account reveals memorable things about absurdities of the time.
FINLAND
“Ei Kukaan Ole Saari”/ “No Man is an Island”/ “Cilvçks nav sala”, 2006
41'
Sonja Linden
A soulful portrait of an independent spirit. Daily routine of the director’s father Krister includes building a casket and writing a journal, and he has been living a solitary life on a remote island for the last 16 years.
Awards: Leipzig DOK Festival 2006 Silver Dove, 17th Nordic Panorama 5 Cities Film Festival, Arhus, Denmark Special Mention, Tampere International Film Festival, Finland 2007 Main Prize
“Taikayo”/ “Magic Night”/ “Maěiska nakts”, 2006
15'
Jouni Hiltunen
Every night the blind Hannes takes a solitary walk into a bird grove that is split by a straight forest path. He comes there to experience the twilight hours between two hot days that are blessed with a concert of birds’ songs.
HUNGARY
“Parents With Limits”/ “Vecâki ar ierobeţojumiem”, 2006
72'
Eszter Nordin
In the mid-nineties a rehabilitation centre for the mentally disabled allowed its patients to get married and have children. The film, following a loving couple from the day of their marriage till the 7th birthday of their eldest son, tells an unusual family story.
GERMANY
“Losers and Winners”, “Zaudçtâji un uzvarçtâji”, 2006
96'
Ulrike Franke, Michael Loeken
Exploration of cultural dynamics and a clash between two different worlds when 400 Chinese workers come to Germany in order to cut apart a virtually brand new coking plant so it can be rebuilt in China.
“Zuneigung”/ “A Certain Affection”/ “Neapđaubâma aizrauđanâs”, 2007
84'
Quinka Stoehr
A complex biographic look at the checkered life of Gisela Tuchtenhagen, a woman whose creative sensibilities are inextricably linked with her life and work being one of the first German camerawomen in the 1970s.
SWEDEN
“Ljudmila & Anatolij”/ “Ludmila un Anatolijs”, 2006
86'
Gunnar Bergdahl
A film about love, sorrow and surviving in the shadow of the disaster of Chernobyl. A mother and her son – and the everlasting struggle between memories and hopes, between the past and the present.
“Vikarien”/ “The Substitute”/ “Aizvietotâjs”, 2006
85'
Ĺsa Blanck, Johan Palmgren
Things start happening when the chaos at Hallonberg School becomes more than the young teacher Max can cope with. He asks his own “old school” teacher and the world record-holder in talking backwards to come to the rescue.
Awards: Eurodoc Oslo, Norway 2007 Eurodoc Award, Leipzig DOK Festival 2006 Youth Prize
LATVIA
“Teodors”/ “Theodore”, 2006
29'
Laila Pakalniňa
Come rain or shine, Theodore used to bike the seven kilometers from his house to the centre of the village to sit and drink beer in the bus stop. For him this place was the centre of the Universe. With his death, the centre has moved elsewhere, and the bus stop is just a bus stop again.
“Mans vîrs Andrejs Saharovs”/ “My Husband Andrei Sakharov”, 2006
52'
Inâra Kolmane
A powerful confrontation of totalitarian system and humanity through facts, interpretations, memories, documentary footage and an indirect debate of the Soviet hydrogen bomb creator’s widow and the last ruler of the Soviet Union.
“Dţona Doreda sala”/ “The Island of John Dored”, 2007
47'
Dzintra Geka
A vision of the common island of happiness for legendary hot-spot reporter John Dored – crazy Latvian with the courage of a lion – and the Norwegian Elizabeth, built from memories, documentary footage and love letters.
“Atnâc, Çrik”/ “Get Lost”, 2005
55'
Ivars Zviedris
Çriks – peculiar neighbor from the tin hut – is an awaited guest at any home on both sides of the Latvian-Estonian border, where people are awaiting “the coming of Europe” in candlelight with no electricity.
“Zem ozola kuplajiem zariem”/ “In the Shade of the Oak Tree”, 2007
97'
Ivars Seleckis
A spring-till-winter lasting story about people in rural Latvia at the time when country was entering the European Union.
