A young refugee tries to live his life in France, fleeing the shadows of his past
“When the boat capsized, I told myself: ‘I ran away from death and… I’m dying here, like this?’” Fleeing threats of murder, Mamadou embarked on what African migrants call ‘The Adventure’. He left Ivory Coast behind him, crossed the Sahara and Mediterranean, lost friends along the way, and was robbed of self-worth. Now an unofficial refugee […]
“Becoming Cherrie”: Love, Hate, and Weaponizing Drag, a Fight for Gay Survival in Northern Ireland
Wearing his armour (wig like a mushroom cloud, mauve make-up, sequin dress), you wouldn’t recognize Matthew. He built this persona to battle the stigma surrounding HIV; it’s so strong in Northern Ireland that he created an alter-ego to survive. Voilà Cherrie Ontop! “Becoming Cherrie” is a ten-minute film in which he tells the story of […]
The snow, the sweat, the din of chainsaws. Then comes silence.
Not too talkative, wielding chainsaws and smoking, men fell trees in the steep forest above Lake Ägeri, Switzerland. The great trunks stripped of their branches thunder headlong into the icy water. They are stewarded into a giant raft of trees, harnessed for their journey downstream. Corina Schwingruber Ilić and Thomas Horat present unobtrusively a winter’s […]
Freediver Tolga Taskin dares flirt with mermaids deep in mountain lakes
Freedivers hold their breath. How long depends on how deep they go, the exertion, the temperature of the water, their control over their own minds and bodies. Formally, the sport is called apnea and takes various forms. For Tolga Taskin, freediving is like meditation. And yet he sets himself the challenge of breaking a public […]
“Living Here”: On the edge of a frozen bay in Nunavik, Martha waits for spring | 99.media
Isolation in northern Quebec, like for Martha in Aupaluk, Nunavik (population 200), is ordinary. She’s 16, and her best friend lives 80 kilometers away, with no roads in between. Her school feels empty to her, but she likes the calm. She paints in bright colours, alone in a classroom, dreaming of college, and wondering about […]
“Rebel Riders”: Vespa love, remade in Indonesia, countless ways
The intense competition among the counter-culture motor scooter clubs in Indonesia is to grab attention, go one better than the other guy. With a love for Vespa shared by “a million brothers”, the inspiration seems boundless. “Rebel Riders” is a showcase of extreme creativity impossible to ignore. Many of the self-made models are pieced together […]
“Refuge”: Syrians on the threshold of Europe lift the curtain on loves and lives lost forever
Syrians banished from their country by war tell their stories to camera. Filmed on the Greek island of Lesvos, they give their accounts of loss, life, and no turning back, stories about family members killed by bombings in Syria, impossible demands forced on them by the Regime and ISIS forces controlling different areas, their love […]
“The Good Shepherd”: High above the valleys, barren mountains take Damien’s breath away
High above the valleys, barren mountains take Damien’s breath away. With flock and family, the shepherd climbs dizzying pastures, elated. → → → Directed, edited and shot by Florias GallayColour grading: Jérôme LichtsteinerSubtitles: Adrian Lancashire
What does it take to become a prima ballerina ? The story of Olga Smirnova.
What does it take to become a prima ballerina? In this intimate film, we follow Olga Smirnova, a rising star at the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. It’s a story about the gruelling dedication and sacrifices a young ballerina makes to see her dreams come to fruition. You’re inside Smirnova’s world, consumed with rehearsals and […]
Between forbearance and exasperation, Maria sits by the side of the road and greets passers-by
María sits by the side of the road behind a rickety, homemade stall, her expression a blend of forbearance and exasperation. The old Spanish lady greets passers-by and invites them to stop, to spend a few minutes with her as they continue on down the road. They are pilgrims and have a long, arduous journey […]