Dissidence and the disappeared
REPRESSION: Through intimate interviews and meditative photography, Ai Weiwei provides visualisation of an unsolved humanitarian crisis.
IDFA
Located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
IDFA offers an independent and inspiring meeting place for audiences and professionals to see a diverse and high-quality program. The diverse nature of the event applies to the form and content of the films as well as to the cultural backgrounds of the filmmakers. IDFA offers an alternative to mass entertainment and uniformity, confirming that there is an increasing need in audiences for high-quality films that delve deep and urge us to reflect.
By the light of a mobile screen
SPIRITUALITY: In the few years since TV and internet were introduced to Bhutan, daily rituals like candle lighting and recitation of prayer now compete with the lure of smartphones.
It’s a rich man’s world
CAPITALISM: Carmen Lossman’s forensic film lifts the lid on the great con of late capitalism – the debt and money-go-round that is spinning towards ecological, social and financial disaster.
Children in the free
SOCIETY: On the outskirts of Bucharest, a family lives in harmony with nature until forced to adapt to big city life.
The true face of Chechnya’s invisibles
CHECHNYA: A group of activists risk unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ programme raging in the Russian republic of Chechnya.
The healing power of cinema
CONFLICT: Through their collective artistic project, a single mother and her four children cope with life inside a war zone.
Luxury for the masses
CONSUMPTION: A humorous and poignant commentary on the mass consumption of our time.
«All about that action»
AMERICA: Through the eloquence of silence, echo, and mimicry as key tools of defiance, American football star Marshawn Lynch weaves his legacy.
Białystok in bloom: shorts-festival shines as beacon of tolerance in Poland’s «bible belt»
POLAND: In the face of growing intolerance, the ŻubrOFFka Short Film Festival takes a stand.
The tragic destiny of Afghan cinema
CINEMA: Marked by violence and oppression, Afghanistan’s recent history, Ariel Nasr’s documentary shows the invaluable nature of cinema.
Letting loose the AI demon
TECHNOLOGY: This chilling and critical AI-documentary almost succumbs to the dark fascinations it depicts, leaving a strong and unsettling impression of nascent digital powers outgrowing human control.