12 very diverse documentaries made up the competition at the 9th Golden Apricot - Yerevan International Film Festival that took place July 8 - 15. East European offerings included Bakhmaro by Salome Jashi; Donkeymentary by Arman Yeritsyan; The Tundra Book. A Tale of Vukvukai, the Little Rock by Aleksei Vakhrushev, and With Fidel Whatever Happens by Goran Radovanović.
The Tundra Book. A Tale of Vukvukai, the Little Rock by Aleksei Vakhrushev is included in the East Silver Caravan, a selection of docs that travels international festivals throughout the year. Bakhmaro by Georgian filmmaker Salome Jashi took part in all IDF's workshops and presentations over the last three years; last year we celebrated Bakhmaro as the 100th documentary completed with IDF's support.
East European docs awarded at Golden Apricot YIIF - Please click on the films below to see trailers + details.
The Tundra Book. A Tale of Vukvukai, the Little Rock
Kniga Tundry. Povest o Vukvukaye - Malenkom Kamne. , Russia, 2011, 105 min, HD, Adventure and Sports, Anthropology, Society
72 years have passed as deer herder Vukvukai lives in the depths of Chukotka. He is an old man full of energy and wisdom - The Real Man of Tundra whose life can not be seen apart from the deer. His people take care of a huge herd - over 14,000 deer. Their life is a non-stop struggle for survival and well-being in the most harsh weather conditions of Chaun-Chukotka. They deeply believe in the strength of tradition and so succeed in their struggle. The ancient culture of Nomadic Chukchi takes care of them, so they preserve and follow it. As far as it is now - their realm remains stabile. This is the Truth of Vukvukai.
Bakhmaro
Bakhmaro , Georgia, Germany, 2011, 58 min, HD, Social Issues, Society
A journey into a lively, yet desolate building in a provincial Georgian town. It once used to be a hotel called ‘Bakhmaro’. At the center of the building there is a restaurant with its walls covered in bright green and orange plastic foam and where the tables are set waiting for customers who rarely come. A Chinese shop, slot machines and a political party office can also be found here. The building is a microcosm sodden with the constant anticipation of change. It is a model of one troubled country with its endless demonstrations and opposition rallies. At the same time the backdrop of political situation only mirrors the life people live here.
Ex Oriente Film 2009 / East European Forum 2009 / Doc Launch 2010 / East Silver 2011
With Fidel Whatever Happens
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?