14 Competition Films Unveiled for Flahertiana

Israel, 2011, 58 min, Beta SP, Digi Beta, Arts and Culture, Creative, Portrait, Social Issues

At the age of 96, Miriam Weissenstein never imagined that she would be facing a new chapter in her life. But when "The Photo House" – her late husband Rudi’s life’s work – was destined for demolition, even this opinionated and uncompromising woman knew she needed help. Under the cloud of a family tragedy, a special relationship is forged between Miriam and her grandson, Ben, as they join forces to save the shop and its nearly one million negatives that document Israel’s defining moments. Despite the generation gap and many conflicts, Ben and Miriam embark on a heart-wrenching journey, comprising many humorous and touching moments – a journey that requires a lot of love, courage, and compassion.

Kniga Tundry. Povest o Vukvukaye - Malenkom Kamne. , Rusko, 2011, 105 min, HD, Antropologie, Dobrodružný a sport, Společnost

Již 72 let žije pastevec sobů Vukvukai v hloubi Čukotky. Je to starý muž plný energie a životní moudrosti - ten pravý muž Tundry, jehož život si není možno představit bez sobů. Jeho lidé se starají o velké stádo, které čítá přes 14 000 kusů. Jejich životy jsou nekončícím bojem o přežití a dobré živobytí v tomto nehostinném, počasím sužovaném místě - Chaun - Čukotka. Tito lidé velmi silně věří v moc tradic a díky tomu dokáží přežít v drsných podmínkách. Starověká kultura Nomádů Chukchi se o ně stará a oni jí uctívají a chrání. Díky tomu zůstává jejich území stále v rovnováze. Taková je pravda Vukvukaie.

Con Fidel, pase lo que pase , Serbia, 2011, 47 min, Digi Beta, Creative, Politics, Society

Sierra Maestra, Cuba, 850 km east of Havana. The day before the celebration of the 52nd anniversary of the Revolution. An old man is repairing a motorcycle a few decades old. A young dentist is trying to find some transport to a clinic in remote mountains, where - among other patients - he is to treat a patient called Vladimir Ilyich Rodriguez. A middle-aged married couple has a public telephone booth in their modest house for villagers who have no phone. The fate of these people and many other inhabitants of Sierra Maestra, are depicted on a day of ideological ecstasy, the day of the celebration of the 52nd anniversary of the Revolution. And the following day? The next day, driven by inertia, they all return to the rhythm of everyday life which is the same and is not very promising. Everyone is aware of that. Even the bullhorns that constantly blast out ideological slogans that are 52 years old... But the revolution continues... For how long?

Pod sluncem tma , Czech Republic, 2011, 81 min, DV, Creative, Current Affairs, Portrait, Social Issues

In 2006, Milan and Tomas electrified a school campus and a hospital in a detached Zambian village. After four years, they return for the last time to find out about their system's failures, repair it and hand it over at last. The film follows them through chaotic days as well as pitch black nights and provides a fresh insight into the pitfalls of humanitarian development projects. Short circuits of all sorts, blending and dissolving of different worlds, rituals of gratitude and concepts of solutions. With no attempts to declare or evaluate anything, Solar Eclipse becomes a situation probe examining various forms of light and darkness. Will the two Czech linkboys succeed in lighting up the Zambian bushland?

Dur d'être dieu , Russia, Switzerland, 2012, 67 min, Arts and Culture, Portrait

Almost 75 years of age, Alexei German is one of the greatest living Russian directors. He is well-known not only for his despotic behaviour on set, but also for his incredible precision. Perhaps this is also the reason he has only made four films to date (e.g. My Friend Ivan Lapshin and Khrustalyov, My Car!). Production on his latest film, this time based on the novel by the Strugatsky brothers, Hard to Be God (Trudno byt bogom), has been ongoing for more than ten years. Directing duo Cattin and Kostomarov (The Mother – screened at Karlovy Vary in 2008) were given permission to move about freely on set with two cameras while German was shooting his film, and during breaks they talked to the man himself. This suggestive glimpse into a specific environment with its own rules, from which the filmmakers were able to capture the essence of truth during the creative process, is a portrait not only of a celebrated and uncompromising artist, but of his country as well. [KVIFF]