Duerers Heritage

Dammbeck, himself an alumnus of the Leipzig Academy for Graphic and Book Design, presents the origins of the new German realism developed by the so-called Leipzig School, which took place in the context of socialist-realist dogma in the GDR before the Wall was built in 1961. After the Wall came down in 1989, what happened to the major Leipzig School painters Werner Tübke and Bernhard Heisig, who had been called “Dürer’s red heirs” by West German journalists in the 1970s? In the film, Tübke, Heisig, and former GDR officials who were involved with the cultural scene in Leipzig at the time talk about modernism, conformism, political pressure, party discipline, personal claims, and fading memory. The documentary paints an insightful, often critical picture of early East German art history.

OUT

Ely is a 27-year-old young man. At night, he embodies Elips, a Drag Queen from Bordeaux, the congeniality queen of season 1 of Drag Race France. Through depicting an intimate portrait of this dual character, the film speaks for the queer community and prompts us to ponder: in what ways is the artistic practice of drag essential in providing an example of gender representation, far from the norms imposed by society?

Whisper of Minqin

Ten-year-old HE Fangfei and her family are "eco-refugees" living in Minqin County. Minqin, once an oasis, is now one of the major sources of sandstorms in China. The deserts are encroaching on the towns and swallowing up farmland, schools and homes. The government advisers privately describe Minqin and the surrounding areas as "ecological disaster areas", and try to convince the villagers that the only option the Chinese people in this region have is to respect nature’s rules by allowing the sand to encroach and restore these regions to the original ecological system. The film examines this ongoing battle, now carried out by young villagers like HE, between human nature and Mother Nature.

The Delay

A flock of birds circles over the swamp. On the dusty pavement, a person's leftover belongings fade away. Grass grows over the half-decrepit collapsed buildings, but a fresh breeze blows through them as well. In the motel, the day passes at the pace of waiting.

Aréola

Retrato de una travesía: Jack Delano

The life and art of Ukrainian-born Puerto Rican photographer and artist Jack Delano.

Podesta Island

Podesta Island exists according to Google Earth. Podesta Island does not exist according to Wikipedia. Does it really exist? In a hyperconnected and mapped world, are there still unknown areas? The film Podesta Island paints the portrait of a controversial phantom island by confronting documentary sources with the narratives and legends inspired by this island. This exploration, where satellite imagery and live action intertwine, brings us closer to Terra Incognita and celebrates the imaginary geography.

Jean Aurenche, écrivain de cinéma

Arthur Rubinstein: The Love of Life

Documentary about Polish-American pianist, Arthur Rubinstein.

Cow

Margrét, a middle-aged office worker, wakes to see cows walking around downtown Reykjavík. When she arrives at her office, she realizes that she’s the only one who can see them. Chaos ensues when a cow appears in the cafeteria.

Oscar Thiffault

A documentary about the folk country musician Oscar Thiffault, the famous songwriter of Le Rapide blanc.