For more than 30 years, each year an international university or study program is presented at Kassel Dokfest: Members of the respective universities are invited to Kassel to present a selection of works created in the university context at the Kassel Dokfest. The discussions following the screening allow the audience to engage in conversation and network.
The Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM) at Tallinn University is in the spotlight at the 42nd Kassel Dokfest, and we are pleased to welcome Riho Västrik; documentary film producer, director, and director of BFM – who will present the school. BFM’s film program presents five diverse documentaries exploring human resilience, identity, and perception.
The slice-of-life documentary follows the everyday experiences of Ulla, a blind woman after eye removal surgery. With the help of her guide dog, Laina, she navigates life in Helsinki, pursuing a prosthetic eye as well as a better understanding of photography.
… >>>Mariano "Cronopio" Gedwillo transforms everyday life into performance art. Through teaching, clowning, and circus acts, he channels emotions he can’t express in words — letting Cronopio embody the full range of human feeling, from sorrow to joy.
… >>>BACKSTAGE BARDO is a short documentary film that takes viewers on a unique journey into the daily life of a morgue worker. With an intimate, upclose perspective, the film explores a morgue's inner workings and its staff's personal experiences. The observational style functions as a fly on the wall, that observes the challenges of dealing with death and the importance of compassion in this line of work.
… >>>//Becoming a parent is for most people the happiest day in their lives, but not for Gerhard and Keity as labour leaves both the newborn and mother in critcal conditon. Gerhard is lek to face this situation on his own, unable to be at Keity’s side at the hospital. The film sets up to follow him over the upcoming days, with the first 72 hours being the most critical time for the newborn child.
… >>>A disconnected filmmaker starts to believe that the cause of his deep restlessness is the call of his homeland, where he is a stranger by birth. He sets off on a journey back to his roots, seeking to reconcile his present reality with the depths of his ancestral past. Guided by an inner longing, he traverses rugged landscapes and encounters diverse individuals, each with their own stories of history and tradition. Through introspection and connection, he discovers the unnoticed importance of belonging in one's life.
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