DOK.fest München returns in early May each year with several sections surveying new international and German docs, documentary classics and current issues. This year, the international jury includes Walter Greifenstein, commissioning editor, BR, Germany; Jorg Bundschuh, director, producer, author, Germany; Rada Šešić, filmmaker, consultant, lecturer, The Netherlands; Sissi Korhonen, audiovisual expert, YLE scriptwriter, Finland, Italy; Elena Subira i Rocca, executive producer DocsBarcelona, Spain.
Appearing in the DOK.International competition with nine other travelled festival hits that will compete for a sweet 10,000 euro, Ramin by Audrius Stonys made its mark in literally all IDF's activities, having attended Ex Oriente Film back in 2008 and scooping a Silver Eye Award nomination just last year.
Two documentary films that are available in the East Silver catalogue are shown in DOK.Panorama: Wojciech Staron's award-winning Argentinian Lesson and Tamar Tal's Life in Stills.
Ramin
Ramin , Georgia, Latvia, 2011, 58 min, Digi Beta, HD, Creative, Portrait, Society
Ramin Lomsadze, a 75-year-old Georgian wrestler who once won seven matches in 55 seconds, is getting ready for the fight with his last and most formidable opponent - loneliness. He gets on the train and sets off for a remote Georgian village to seek out the girl he loved and lost fifty years ago.
Argentinian Lesson
Argentyńska lekcja , Poland, 2011, 56 min, Digi Beta, Creative, Personal View, Society, Travel
In 1998 Wojciech Staroń made the documentary film "The Siberian Lesson". The film told the story of a young teacher who emigrated to the vicinity of Lake Baikal in order to teach Polish deportees’ descendants their native language. Many years later, as a married couple with two children, the director and his wife are leaving for Argentina. For their little son, this trip will not only be an encounter with an unknown language. Influenced by their Argentinian friend, Janek enters the fascinating world of imagination, and is introduced to the bitterness of childhood prematurely contaminated by the problems of grown-ups.
Life in Stills
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.