SHORT RIGA
As an individual department within this year’s festival the team behind the wittily titled SHORT RIGA have devised a remarkable feat – altogether three competitions of new shorts from around the world, Baltic student films and a separate category for music videos. Showcased within three respective programmes SHORT RIGA will take over the newly established small theater KINO BIZE as well as organise workshops and host an award ceremony.
A wild terrain is like an open book where one can record one’s own story. A filmmaker from the North and a photographer from the South go to an alien land. It’s populated by people worn out by history; time tends to stand still, but any new encounter is like a broken mirror with one’s reflection.
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Donetsk’s airport, named after Sergei Prokofiev, was renovated in 2012, but destroyed two years later in the war between Ukrainian forces and Donetsk separatists. The atrocious battle for the airport – a more symbolic, than strategic, aim – has been shown through the eyes of both sides.
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This film is dedicated to the heroes fallen for Ukraine. A simple, authentic story presents the world-view of the volunteer fighters, participating in the tragic Battle of Ilovaisk in August 2014. Without a voice-over or any other embellishments, this is the film that allows one to sense what war is really like. The author of the film, Ruslan Ganuschak, is a fighter of the controversial AZOV volunteer battalion and a war reporter.
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Abkhazia is one of those “frozen” conflict regions of the former Soviet Union. Its people are proud of their historical heritage and will not let such nuisances like dilapidated houses and regular power shortages to lessen their love of life.
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The film tells the love story of the refugee Patrick and Sara from Berlin, who are fighting together for refugee rights in Berlin. When harmless advance turns into a sexual assault, the group is forced to rethink their aims and the private love story grows to an unwanted public dimension.
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Last night Matas and Tomas kidnapped and raped a girl. Now it’s morning and both are at a loss at what to do next. The brothers circle their hometown, visit familiar places and slowly descend into darkness both will be unable to climb out of. As the night falls they find an inexplicable solution. In 2013, near Panevezys, Lithuania, two young men burned a car. A girl’s body was found in the trunk of the car.
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