DISCOUNT WORKERS / İNDİRİM İŞÇİLERİ

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Documentary / Germany-Pakistan / 2020 / Color / 76’ / DCP
Urdu, English and German; with English and Turkish subtitles

Directed by: Ammar Aziz, Christopher Patz
Produced by: Stefan Kloos, Veronika Janatková
Written by: Gabriel Mascaro
Director of Photography: Christopher Patz
Edited by: Farah Kassem

Festivals & Awards: 2020 One World FF, Human Rights FF Berlin, IDFA - DOCS for Sale
You can never be sure whether the dress you spend too much on just for the sake of its label was sewn by a laborer who works nonstop under poor conditions. Neither safety rules nor labor rights are taken into account at such work environments overlooked by governments. And although they are part of this system, it’s almost impossible to hold European companies accountable. Enter a woman named Saeeda Khatoons who lost her only son in a terrible fire that broke out at a garment factory in 2012, which also resulted in the deaths of 258 workers. Now, she fights to seek justice not only for her son but also for thousands of other workers. “Discount Workers” follows the journey of fashion industry’s supply chain and suggests the change will begin with those residing at the bottom of it.

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SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA selects

Remake, Remix, Ripoff
Cem Kaya, Germany/Turkey 2014, 96 min.

Berlin is home to a large German-Turkish community which is today an integral part of the city’s cultural life. A vast range of films produced within the Turkish film industry (Yeşilçam), including comedies, action films and melodramas, proved to be highly popular within this community. Screened in movie theaters and played on VHS players at home, Yeşilçam shaped migrant film culture in Germany as well as a generation of renowned German filmmakers. Despite its crucial role in the cultural and social life of the migrant community from Turkey, the phenomenon is often neglected and almost completely absent in cultural discourse. Cem Kaya dedicates his documentary to this highly productive film industry, the strong bond it shares with audiences and the creative strategies it used to bypass copyright issues. Remake, Remix, Ripoff has always been a film that inspired us and fits perfectly to the transnational approach that we take to our work at SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA.
– Malve Lippmann & Can Sungu of SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA

How can a new kind of cinema be collectively created within a transnational society? SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA, the cinema-experiment by bi’bak, explores cinema as a space of social discourse, exchange, and solidarity. The curated film series brings together diverse social communities and connects places both near and geographically distant; it links pasts, presents and futures and moves away from a eurocentric gaze towards transnational, (post-)migrant and postcolonial perspectives. SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA is a different kind of cinema, one simultaneously committed to local and international communities, that understands cinema as an important public sphere of sociality; it considers film history as crucial to the work of cultural memory and is committed to a diversity of film culture and film art. In Haus der Statistik at Berlin-Alexanderplatz, SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA builds a bridge between urban practice and film to create a space that opens access, stimulates discussion, educates, moves, provokes and encourages.

KUNDURA CINEMA selects

Majub’s Journey
Majub’s Reise
Eva Knopf, Germany 2013, 50 min.

Majub’s Journey tells a story of an African man who worked as an extra in the movie industry during the Nazi era in the 1930s. The essayistic documentary directed by Eva Knopf reconstructs his life through historical documents, archival footage and photographs. While the film encourages us to rethink German postcolonial discourse, it creates a different layer of awareness relating to memory and identity thus helping us to reinterpret the present and consider the past in a more critical way.
– Buse Yıldırım of Kundura Cinema

Kundura Cinema is located at the heart of the prominent industrial heritage site Beykoz Kundura, a place in the north of Istanbul which has been turned into a creative hub and film studio. With our initial project, Kundura Hafıza (Kundura Memory), we excavated the past to build a new cultural identity. In our programmes, we maintain a critical stance by creating and finding new stories in an explorer-like manner and reconstructing narratives from the past. Our cultural space is surrounded with film sets and façades, so when the audience comes to the cinema, they pass film crews, lighting rigs and groups of extras scattered around.

Kundura Stage’s music and talk program Bi’ Sahne, Bi’ Sohbet (Play Some, Talk Some) launches on May 22.

The program, organized in collaboration with one of Turkey’s leading music platforms Bir Baba Indie, will play host to young and unique musicians of the local music scene at Kundura Sahne with a promise of a good time where conversation and music will flow seamlessly.

Aspiring to create a contemporary Turkish musical memory in pursuit not only of the songs but also the inspiring stories of these young singer-songwriters, Bi’ Sahne, Bi’ Sohbet will provide the audience with a chance to listen to the acoustic versions of the artists’ popular songs and to get to know these urban bards closely.

Moderated by Cihad Satıroğlu and Ahsen Çamlıca, the guests of the first program are Eren Alıcı, aka Evdeki Saat, who after uploading his song “Biraz Olsun” on YouTube in 2014 drew significant attention and is known for his solo debut album “Bizi Orada Arama” released in 2017, as well as his singles like ““Dibi Ne Kadar”, “Hiç Uyanmasam”, “Sarmaşık” and particularly “Uzunlar” which has become a hit; multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Dilan Balkay who has accompanied several local bands and musicians such as Dolu Kadehi Ters Tut, Evrencan Gündüz, Can Ozan with her trumpet and powerful vocals and whose solo career took off in 2019 with singles “Bizi Bir Ettim” and “Derken”, followed by unique projects like ““Parçalanmadan”, “Hepsi Kafamda”, “Zor” and her critically acclaimed album of the year 2021 “Kuyu”; and Melis Karaduman who has sparked the public’s interest with her solo works “Anda”, “Zamansız” and “Maske” released in 2021 and with her powerful voice she lent to the R&B songs created in collaboration with musicians like Canay Doğan, Veys Çolak, Yaşar Görkem Arslan and Metehan, and whose success thrives with the EP “Sensus” and her single “Kadın” released this year.

WATERPROOF / SU SIZMAZ

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Documentary / Germany-Pakistan / 2019 / Color / 88’ / DCP
Arabic; with English and Turkish subtitles

Directed by: Daniela König
Produced by: Stefan Kloos, Michaela Pnacekova
Written by: Gabriel Mascaro
Director of Photography: Patrick Richter
Edited by: Alex Bakri

Festivaller & Awards: 2017 DOK Leipzig - EWA Development Award 2019 IDFA, DOK Leipzig
Directed by German artist and director Daniela König, “Waterproof” offers a humorous look into the lives of the first female plumbers in Jordan, one of the most water stressed countries in the world. In Jordan, where it is prohibited to invite male plumbers into houses without a man present, the country’s first female plumbers Khawla, Aisha and Rehab enter homes, repair leaks and clean water tanks. More importantly, they teach women how to use water more responsibly and efficiently as each drop is precious. Having undertaken such an important mission and their success reaching beyond the borders of their country, these women eventually become a threat to the vice squad and the head of their association, Khawla, is accused of embezzlement. From there on, the struggle reaches a new level where even these women’s friendship is put to test.

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FORUM LENTENG selects

Behind the Flickering Light: The Archive
Anak Sabiran, di Balik Cahaya Gemerlapan (Sang Arsip)
Hafiz Rancajale, Indonesia 2013, 154 min.

Behind the Flickering Light: The Archive is dear to me personally. It was in the making when I first got in touch with Forum Lenteng back in 2012. The film itself mirrors the situation and condition of contemporary Indonesian cinema by looking at cinema history; scattered, grand, important, and about to be forgotten. The film is told through a conversation among my colleagues at Forum Lenteng and Misbach Yusa Biran, the founder of Sinematek Indonesia, which is the first and biggest film archive in Southeast Asia. The film is important for us not only as a dialogue about preserving film as a medium, but also for the knowledge of how it can be accessible to the wider public, as a national treasure, or simply as entertainment. In a country where film largely arrives as a commodity and without discourse, Behind the Flickering Light: The Archive aims to trigger awareness, to allow for reflection on why we love cinema, and to engage us to consider what's next.
– Yuki Aditya of Forum Lenteng

Forum Lenteng, a non-profit organization based in Jakarta, was founded in 2003 by artists, academics, cultural activists, and students. The collective focuses on alternative education using audiovisual media as a tool to learn and increase awareness around socio-cultural matters. Created in collaboration with local collectives in other cities and other islands around Indonesia, our programmes concern media empowerment, in order to decentralize the production of narratives and place them in the hands of common people through many local interdisciplinary programs such as Akumassa (community-based media education), 69 Performance Club (performance arts empowerment), ARKIPEL International Documentary and Experimental Film Festival, and more.

LUCHADORAS / FEMALE WRESTLERS (LUCHADORAS)

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Documentary / Mexico-Germany / 2021 / Color / 88’ / DCP
Spanish; with English and Turkish subtitles.

Directed by: Paola Calvo, Patrick Jasim
Produced by: Phillip Kaminiak
Written by: Gabriel Mascaro
Starring: Lady Candy, Mini Sirenita, Baby Star
Director of Photography: Patrick Jasim
Edited by: Gines Olivares

Festivals & Awards: 2021 SXSW, Thessaloniki International FF (Special Jury Award, FIPRESCI Prize, Audience Award), Reykjavik FF, Valladolid FF, Hof FF (Best Documentary)
Its walls and billboards covered with missing women ads, the Mexican border town Ciudad is one of the cities in the world with the highest rate of femicide and the film follows three brave female wrestlers who struggle to live there. Following Lady Candy who battles to reunite with her two daughters kidnapped by her ex-husband through the border into the U.S. following their divorce due to domestic violence; Baby Star who was once the star of fight scenes but has fallen from grace since the birth of her child and Mini Sirenita who walks home from factory every day feeling the fear of being killed or kidnapped, the film paints a brave and powerful picture of women’s solidarity by portraying the lives of these three women whose fights are not limited to the confines of the ring.

ÉRASE UNA VEZ VENEZUELA / ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENEZUELA / BİR ZAMANLAR VENEZUELA'DA

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Documentary / Venezuela, Austria, United Kingdom, Brazil / 2020 / Color / 99’ / DCP
Spanish; with English and Turkish subtitles

Directed by: Anabel Rodriguez Ríos
Produced by: Sepp R. Brudermann, Arash T. Riahi
Written by: Anabel Rodriguez Ríos, Sepp R. Brudermann
Director of Photography: John Márquez
Edited by: Sepp R. Brudermann

Festivals & Awards: 2020 CPH:DOX, Festival de Cine Venezolano (Best Documentary), Hot Springs Documentary FF (Best Documentary), Watch Docs/Warsaw Human Rights FF (Grand Prize), Cine Ceará (Critics Award), Saint Laurent du Maronie FF (Best Director), Doc Aviv 2021 Ethnocineca (Best Documentary)
One of the richest countries in Latin America during the 90’s, Venezuela has become a country ridden with civil wars since Hugo Chavez’s power grab in 1999. In light of the events in the Congo Mirador village that floats on Lake Maracaibo best known for its thunderstorms, Venezuelan documentary filmmaker Anabel Rodríguez Ríos’s film sets its eyes on the country’s recent history and maps out an impressive microcosmos of a global war through the political and environmental transformation of the village which she monitored for seven years. Once a calm and peaceful fishing town full of tight-knit folk but has since had its share of the country’s conflicts and political scheming, Congo Mirador has become a ghost town that floats on a lake which was turned into a swamp by the oil companies and where people are subject to forced displacement. Depicting the events in the village leading up to the parliamentary election, the film features Tamara and Natalie, two women of opposing political views who put their hearts and souls into the fight for the future of their village together, and witnesses the devastating consequences of the politics that pit neighbors against each other.

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CENTRO DE CINE Y CREACIÓN CCC selects

One Hundred Children Waiting for a Train
Cien niños esperando un tren
Ignacio Agüero, Chile 1988, 56 min.

One Hundred Children Waiting for a Train is a portrait of the recent history of Chile, a place under a dictatorship and full of inequality. Guided by Alicia Vega, the film’s young protagonists are given the opportunity to explore and design their own films with drawings. Having never before been in a cinema, they discover cinematography, movements, camera angles, film genres, Chaplin, Disney, Lamorisse's red balloon and the train of the Lumière Brothers. In this documentary, Ignacio Agüero makes visible what CCC stands for. A place where cinema is the center of dialogue, creation and community, that supports new filmmakers everyday through workshops, screenings and talks, in which we seek to democratize cinema and access to culture.  – Dominga Sotomayor & Ignacio Ocampo of CCC

CCC is a non-profit organization spreading culture through cinema and intersecting disciplines, encouraging dialogue between local and international arts and neighborhood communities. The Center is located in Raulí 571 in the heart of downtown Santiago. A big, old house that was restored, it includes a 30 seat cinema and an openair area for screenings, premieres, and collaborations with festivals. The house also has offices and spaces dedicated to creation and training, workshops and seminars; a gallery, and a coffee/bar meeting point. We are interested in having a positive impact on the city of Santiago and the local environment, promoting the democratization of networks by converging worlds that don’t usually cross in our country.


CINEMA ARTA selects

Cinema, Mon Amour
Alexandru Belc, Romania/Czech Republic 2015, 70 min.

Cinema, Mon Amour follows the story of Victor Purice and his team in their everyday fight to preserve a cinema in Piatra Neamț (Romania). He dreams of restoring the glory days, yet struggles to keep up with the harsh new reality. In a theater that lacks heating and is slowly falling apart but which receives no support from the state who own the place, the fight is almost like Don Quixote’s. In a way, this is also the story of Cinema ARTA in Cluj-Napoca, which was renovated and reactivated without any public support. Both are stories with a happy ending, ones that show the power of a group of dedicated and enthusiastic people who follow their dream and bring about positive change in their communities. – Monica Sebestyen of Cinema ARTA

Cinema ARTA is an independent arthouse cinema in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The cinema, opened in 1913, is one of the oldest in the region. It is a cultural hub focusing on audio-visual content, a catalyst for the independent and creative sector that aims to create cultural experiences which unite, inspire and become meaningful for those attending the events. Its mission is to promote cultural values, tolerance and diversity by showcasing and encouraging interaction between various forms of art and people.

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CINE GERAÇÃO selects

Beyond My Steps
Para Lá dos Meus Passos
Kamy Lara, Angola 2019, 72 min.

Beyond My Steps is a film that highlights various facets of the arts industry in Angola by focusing on contemporary dance. This documentary reveals the challenges that artists face and the never-ending determination they must have in a country where art is still undervalued. “I like to be in a place where people believe in what I do and I feel like a free citizen once again”, says Daniel Curti, one of the dancers. So too does Beyond My Steps highlight the city of Luanda at large. Seen through different lenses, the viewer gains an insight into a city that is capable of transmitting narrative through film.– Mirian Vanda & Fradique of Cine Geração

At Cine Geração we screen Angolan and African films, every Thursday, at 18:30, in the backyard of the Angolan independent production company Geração 80. The main goal of Cine Geração involves sharing and humanizing Angolan and African stories and integrating the community with the help of cinema. Cine Geração is also a way of networking with creative professionals in the film industry and other art fields - whether university students, aspiring filmmakers or cinephiles. At the end of each screening, we have an open mic conversation with the cast, the director, and/or crew of the film, either on site or via Zoom, or we simply showcase a short video with a message from the filmmakers. Cine Geração is a space where people learn from each other's stories, raising questions about the current state of cinema in Angola and the African continent. The program is curated based on a monthly changing theme.



CINEMA AKIL selects

A World Not Ours
Mahdi Fleifel, Lebanon/UAE 2013, 93 min.

In this important social documentary, Palestinian-Lebanese director Mahdi Fleifel uses amateur video footage inherited from his father as well as contemporary shots of life inside Ain al-Hilweh, the Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon where he grew up. With his European exile comes the guilt of having to document what remains of existence when there is nowhere to call home. With a beautiful mix of tenderness and guerilla filmmaking, A World Not Ours is an unprecedented testimony of the Palestinian cause outside of the borders of Palestine. Cinema Akil hopes this film will be the starting point - or the continuation - of conversations and actions of solidarity with the people of Palestine.– Butheina Kazim, Khalid Al Sabi & Louise Malherbe of Cinema Akil

Cinema Akil is an independent cinema platform that brings quality films from across the world to the audiences in the UAE. Showcasing directors and filmmakers across the decades, Cinema Akil aims to create awareness and interest in film and the cinematic arts. Launched in 2014 as a nomadic cinema, Cinema Akil has held over 60 pop-up cinemas attracting over 65,000 attendees in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. In September 2018, Cinema Akil opened its first permanent location in Al Quoz, Dubai, making it the GCC’s first arthouse cinema. Cinema Akil is a member of the Network of Arab Alternative Screens (NAAS) which includes members from the MENA region such as Metropolis in Beirut, Zawya in Cairo and Cinematheque du Tangier in Morocco.