(Soutěž krátkých forem), Various / Various, 2005
original version / English subtitles, 0 min
Beyond Iraq | Tom Eldridge | USA | 2006 | 9 min.
When they were young and still full of idealistic enthusiasm they left to fight with the American army in Iraq. However, instead of bringing back glory they returned home with serious injuries that left them permanently disabled. While they could have succumbed to feelings of despair and hopelessness and to the idea that their lives no longer had any meaning, they instead managed to find new strength and optimism, and to accept reality as it is. They succeeded in coming to terms with themselves, and despite their disabilities these young men have begun to live full and meaningful lives. This short documentary, full of color, energy and harmony, takes the viewer to a skiing center, where with the help of instructors at a sports camp war veterans are learning to ski, snowboard, and enjoy the pleasure of taking part in winter sports. The film's dynamic music accompanies the former soldiers displaying their skiing skills on screen and talking about their tragic pasts and the feelings and moods they have experienced from the time they were injured to the present. Such inspiration and life energy exuded by people who would otherwise have every right to feel sad and depressed!
Brother Gordon | Fredrick Johnson | USA | 2005 | 27 min.
Gordon is an African–American who grew up in Harlem with his mother, later joined the army and fought in the Vietnam War. Today, instead of attending war veteran rallies, he helps drug addicts from all over the world kick their habits and find peace in the Thamkrabok monastery in Thailand. The stories of drug abuse told by each patient differ as much as their respective languages. Many locals are addicted to opium because it was the ubiquitous, and only, cure for all ailments and pain in their villages. For most of those who hail from Europe and the US on the other hand, heroin provided an escape from personal problems. Each person receives the same treatment and everyone has the same chance for a complete recovery. Brother Gordon's own story is testimony that simple life in a Buddhist monastery is open to people of the most diverse fortunes and origin. Though his expressions, intonation and gestures belong to the streets of Harlem, his words of truth and forgiveness are those of a Buddhist monk.
The Beach Rampage That Never Was | Era uma vez um arrastäo | Diana Andringa | Portugal | 2005 | 24 min.
On June 10, 2005, people were calmly swimming and sunbathing at Carcavelos beach, Portugal. Suddenly, people started running and chaos erupted. That much is clear. Later that day, television news ran a story about a mass rampage. According to the report, a huge group of immigrants attacked tourists and locals alike, beating them and stealing their belongings. The police arrived at the scene and took photographs documenting the entire incident, now being treated as a catastrophe. Whereas official media reported a terrifying mass crime involving about five hundred people, some witnesses said that most of the beach was peaceful and all that happened was that a group of forty blacks turned up, causing people for some reason to panic and call the police. This documentary exposes the media's lack of objectivity and their capacity to manipulate reality, in this case stirring up popular sentiment against immigrants, awakening social prejudice and activating the entire state apparatus because of an incident that may never have happened. Revealing the degree to which the contemporary world is relative, and pointing to the role played by lies and sensationalism, it shows that it is almost impossible to know what exactly is reality. To tackle this situation, the filmmakers created a mosaic of statements and testimonies, creating a film about the impossibility of forming one's own opinion. Importantly, the filmmakers remain impartial, leaving it up to the audience to decipher what actually happened.
Moment of Fury | Morvary Gozal | Denmark | 2005 | 10 min.
For some time, Iraq has been the focus of the West's attention in the Middle East. But do we know really know the situation in neighbouring Iran? Using current as well as twenty–year–old footage of demonstrations and harsh police reprisals, the directors of Moment of Fury have illustrated the country's development from the struggle for an independent government until today. Throughout this time, the same group of people has held the reigns of power, bullying civilians and strengthening its position though religious rhetoric and severe political measures. Brief statements by predominantly young opponents of the regime bring concrete testimony of human rights abuses in a country ruled by an unofficial dictatorship. We follow the story of Mehregan, a young student who wrote an essay criticising the connection between government and religious structures. Accused of provocation, she was subjected to an interrogation which caused her to lose her unborn child, and was expelled from university. As the story unfolds, testimonials become more frequent and the images and sounds of demonstrations come in increasingly rapid succession. This short Iranian documentary challenges the country's repressive atmosphere with an immediacy that should arouse the audience and make it call for action.
