15 March – 4 pm
Berlin
The short films presented in this category seek to give meaning to the complex journey of feeling far away, both physically and mentally. Through emotional and insightful stories, the directors invite the viewer to explore the challenges of adapting to survive in new realities through empathy and understanding.
These short films not only transport us to different realities but also challenge us to question and reconstruct our own perceptions of identity, home, and belonging.
(Anahi Mou, curator)
by Anna Ring
Selected short films
All films are made in Germany
What it is
by Dana Furema (10.31’’ )
A and B share a noodle box. What looks like a harmless argument at first glance turns out to be an emotional discussion about the foundation of a relationship. The two characters traverse concrete and at the same time metaphorical spaces as they confront each other and themselves.
Cream
by Kelsey Gillis (13’’ )
While shooting on location in Berlin, a young woman reconnects with her estranged sister, unearthing the trauma that led to their rift.
Tunnel Vision
by Esra Lina Sakallı & Shawn Wannapat (10’’ )
TUNNEL VISION is a surreal and thought-provoking film that takes viewers on a journey through a series of interconnected, metaphorical scenarios. The film explores the enigmatic corridors of existence, where protagonists confront their inner dilemmas and external challenges.
Hypnosis didn´t help either
by Charlotte Jacoby (12.48’’)
In 2018 I’m traveling to Finland, Estonia and Russia to search for traces of my paternal ancestors. Hypnosis didn´t help either is an essayistic video work in which I connect stations of my search with archival footage, documentary video footage, Super 8 film and animation. Included are the spider, Louise Bourgeois and the spirits of my ancestors.
To heat a Stone
by Alejandra Alarcón (9.14‘’)
TO HEAT THE STONE aims to promote a symbolic historical reparation of these pieces by creating a virtual meeting between the statues in the basement of the ethnological museum and their counterparts in the Macizo Colombiano. The video also aims to question the colonial past of Germany and how pre-Columbian art is misunderstood as an artifact of study and collection. The Monoliths embody a spiritual purpose in their community. The ones in Berlin must be heated and awakened with sounds and songs because where they are now, remain cold and asleep. To this day, the current residents of the Macizo Colombiano have been asking for years for the return of their ancestors.”
Borscht with Pretzel
by Anna Ring (8.13’’)
The film Borscht with Preztel deals with post-Soviet Jewish migration to Germany. The immigration group of the former Soviet Union is the largest in Germany, but in the majority society hardly anything is known about them, instead stereotypes and prejudices are attributed to them, which leaves little space for the real stories of the Soviet immigrants and they remain invisible. The film is based on an interview with my mother through which the audience gets an intimate insight into her story, her personal view of migration and how she experienced it. Among other things, it explores the questions of why she emigrated, what her first impressions were, what problems arose with the migration and what conclusion she can now draw after so many years in Germany.