IDFA Adds More Than 100 Documentaries, Including Films by Kevin Macdonald, Radu Jude, Mati Diop

As a connoisseur of documentaries who has spent countless hours immersed in the lives of others, I find myself utterly captivated by the diverse and thought-provoking lineup at this year’s IDFA Competition. The stories these films tell, from the superhero adventure of “My Homeland” to the poignant love story turned violent in “Crushed,” reflect a world that is both heartbreakingly familiar and wonderfully strange.

The renowned documentary festival IDFA has expanded its lineup for its 37th installment, scheduled from November 14 to 24 in Amsterdam. This expansion includes over 100 films across various categories, such as Signed, Best of Fests, Paradocs, Short Documentary, and Youth Documentary sections, which were recently announced.

The Segmented portion encompasses the following works: Radu Jude’s found-footage documentary “Eight Postcards from Utopia,” which presents ads from Romania’s shift to a capitalist democracy, and Mati Diop’s “Dahomey” investigates the topic of returning African artifacts kept in Europe. Additionally, it includes the impressionistic desktop film “Sleep #2,” which records live stream videos of Andy Warhol’s grave.

In this year’s lineup, several distinguished filmmakers are venturing into innovative music-focused films. Andrei Ujică takes us back to 1965 with “TWST – Things We Said Today,” providing a thoughtful perspective on the Beatles as they enchant New York City while civil unrest in Los Angeles’ Watts district ignites. Meanwhile, Kevin Macdonald constructs a collage of early ’70s footage for “One to One: John & Yoko,” delving into John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s vision of a harmonious world ideal.

The “Best of Fests” segment showcases the standout, acclaimed movies of the year, screened at different film festivals.

The constant threat of conflict looms large within this collection. The film “No Other Land,” helmed by Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Balal, Rachel Szor, and Basel Adra, offers a stark portrayal of Israeli aggression against Palestinian settlements in the West Bank. This powerful piece was granted IDFA Bertha Fund support in 2022. In “Sudan, Remember Us,” directed by Hind Meddeb, we witness the courageous efforts of young activists as they strive for a Sudan that is both livable and democratic.

Other films portray heartfelt narratives about standing up against injustice. Following an instance of sexual assault, journalist Shiori Ito’s “Black Box Diaries” chronicles her pursuit of justice amidst a Japanese culture that tends to remain silent on such matters. After the unearthing of unidentified graves near an indigenous reservation, Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie’s “Sugarcane” exposes a sad history of mistreatment and negligence towards indigenous children in Canadian boarding schools that were run by the state.

Showcase highlights the experimental documentaries of the year, featuring renowned visual artists diving into filmmaking. “Being John Smith,” by John Smith, offers introspective insights into his life and career through the ordinary nature of his name. In “Misty Man,” Ansuya Blom juxtaposes intense scenes of a young man confined by barbed wire with 8mm family archive footage and more recent shots from Suriname. Oleh Sentsov’s “Real” is a raw, distressing first-person account of the trenches in Ukraine.

The IDFA Short Documentary Competition highlights a vibrant mix of styles and subjects, demonstrating the diverse possibilities of short documentary films. The curated collection features innovative and daring works from both established and emerging filmmakers.

Numerous films explore reflections of the past in our present, such as “The Iron” by Vitaly Mansky, which reappears at IDFA with a depiction of Europe during wartime. In the poignant “The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing,” Theo Panagopoulos delves into historical footage from Palestine’s beautiful gardens in the 1930s, highlighting the intricate bond between the land and its people.

Notable features also encompass poignant narratives about grief, like the multimedia piece “Tough Love” by Pat Heywood, which delves into the experience of losing someone dear, and the stop-motion animation “Mama Micra” by Rebecca Blöcher, which investigates the lengths individuals may go to satisfy their yearning for personal liberty.

Under the guidance of Niki Padidar, the Youth Competition features a variety of films that provoke new perspectives on documentary filmmaking for young audiences. The films are divided into two categories: those suitable for viewers aged between 9 and 12, and those designed for older children up to adults.

Avoiding one-dimensional stereotypes, Tabarak Allah Abbas replaces people with cyborgs in her animation that tells the story of how her parents overcame fleeing Iraq, packaged as a superhero adventure in “My Homeland.” In a break from traditional narrative arch, Camille Vigny’s “Crushed” parallels the story of a young girl’s love story turned violent with footage of car race crashes.

IDFA Competition for Short DocumentaryArchipelago of Earthen Bones – To Bunya, dir. Malena Szlam (Canada/Australia/Chile), 20’ – European PremiereBloodline, dir. Wojciech Węglarz (Poland), 12’ – World PremiereCohabitants, dir. Viesturs Kairišs (Estonia), 20’ – International PremiereEchoes Within, dir. Pranami Koch (India), 26’– World PremiereEntretierra, dir. Emanuel Licha (Canada), 22’ – World PremiereThe Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing, dir. Theo Panagopoulos (United Kingdom), 17’ –International PremiereHow to Suture the Soil?, dir. Wil Paucar Calle (Ecuador), 17’ – World PremiereThe Iron, dir. Vitaly Mansky (Latvia), 40’ – World PremiereLanawaru, dir. Angello Faccini (Colombia/United States/Mexico), 16’ – World PremiereMama Micra, dir. Rebecca Blöcher (Germany), 24’ – World PremiereNoise: Unwanted Sound, dir. Hyejin Jung (Netherlands/South Korea), 20’ – World PremiereThe Other Side of the Mountain, dir. Shirley Yumeng He (United States/China), 20’ – WorldPremierePaci, dir. Juliette Roudet (France), 33’ – International PremiereTokkotai Paquetá, dir. Cao Guimarães (Brazil), 28’ – World PremiereTough Love, dir. Pat Heywood (United States), 16’ – World Premiere
Unwritten Letter, dir. Silvana Alarcón Sánchez (Peru), 5’ – World Premiere

Competition for Youth Documentaries in the 9-12 age group:

Here are the films categorized as suitable for ages 13 and up that will be premiering at our event:

2024-09-25 01:48

IDFA Adds More Than 100 Documentaries, Including Films by Kevin Macdonald, Radu Jude, Mati Diop

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