"SIFF Documentary" has always been an important section of the Shanghai International Film Festival and has a group of loyal fans. This year, the documentary section's video content continues to explore in terms of geographical breadth, time span, rich subject matter, and ideological depth, striving to show the audience the complexity, reality, and vividness of social life in countries around the world. The first batch of SIFF documentary section films has been announced before, and today we will introduce the second batch of works:
The Mother of All Lies (2023, Asmae El Moudir)
Highlights:
Clay dolls recreate Casablanca's bloody memories
Casablanca, a historic city in Morocco, is world-famous because of a classic Hollywood movie, but few people know about its dark history. In June 1981, Morocco's soaring prices triggered a "bread riot" among the people of Casablanca, which ended with military suppression. The number of casualties has not yet been determined. As a childhood witness, director Esmai El Moudil bravely turned the camera on herself and her family, awakening memories in the dialogue and revealing the long-hidden scars. She and her father built street models and made clay dolls in the studio to recreate the history full of tears and blood, reminiscent of similar masterpieces such as "The Incomplete Image" and "The Act of Killing". Evidence such as photos and images can be destroyed, but the real history will eventually be remembered. The film won the Best Director Award in the Un Certain Regard unit and the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival.
Kangxi and Louis XIV (2024, Bao Yonghong/Gilles Thompson/Zhang Li, China/France)
Highlights:
A history of cultural exchange between China and the West across time and space
"Kangxi and Louis XIV" was made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France in 2024. It was filmed on location in China and France and co-directed by Chinese and French directors. This "Chinese-French story, international expression" film tells the story of more than 300 years ago, when King Louis XIV of France sent six "king's mathematicians" to China. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty of China interacted actively with Louis XIV with an open mind, opening up far-reaching Sino-French exchanges in science and technology, trade, and thought and culture. As a drama documentary, this film specifically shows the fruitful results of the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations between China and France. It is rich in content, grand in perspective, and profound in intention, which is refreshing.
Four Daughters (2023, Kaouther Ben Hania)
Highlights:
How the conservative headscarf became a symbol of rebellion and freedom
Why did a secular mother raise a daughter of religious extremism? Several characters look back on the past together, complete a shocking self-analysis, and gradually approach the painful root of the family tragedy - wearing a conservative headscarf and using God to fight against the mother is the only way for the girl to reverse the power relationship in the family. However, all the rebellion and resistance have never allowed them to escape the cage of social discipline and definition. This curse repeated from generation to generation is still being played out today. Director Kosel Ben Hanieh breaks the boundary between record and plot, combines performance and interpretation, and uses an ingenious form to make the theme reach the deepest part of people's hearts. The film won the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the 96th Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Bottlemen (2023, Nemanja Vojinović)
Highlights:
Ancient monuments turned into garbage dumps, a war for resources unfolds
On the outskirts of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, lies the world-famous archaeological site, Vinca Ruins, which is the cradle of European Neolithic culture. According to research, the earliest organized human settlement in Europe was located here. But now, it has become the largest landfill in the Balkans. This film follows a group of scavengers led by former boxer Janica in an observational way without interviews. The social irony is that the salary for bottle recycling here is more than twice the average salary in Serbia. The film not only criticizes the environmental protection call for excessive consumption of plastics in contemporary society, but also shows a power game among people competing for garbage resources.
Lies I Told Myself (2023, Efim Graboy)
Highlights:
Uncovering the secret of a father betraying his family
Efim Graboy, a middle-aged man, is experiencing an emotional crisis, and his parents' relationship is also facing collapse. While trying to save his parents' broken relationship, Efim suddenly discovers that his father has an illegitimate daughter, and a family's long-hidden secret is revealed... In addition to the director's early family images, the film also includes experimental images of externalizing inner emotions. The director directly faces the lies and betrayal that troubled him, as well as his guilt towards his former lover, and thoroughly dissects the emotional world of his parents and himself in order to better heal the wounds. The film won the Best Director and Best Editing awards in the Israeli competition unit of the Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival.
Glass, My Unfulfilled Life (2023, Rogier Kappers)
Highlights:
Fifty-year-old boy pursues his childhood dream and transforms into a glass player
Documentary director Roger Capers, who is in a midlife crisis, has always had a strong interest in music. At the age of 52, he decided to pursue his childhood dream: to become a street musician. He made a unique musical instrument, the glass organ, from glass cups with different water contents, and went from street performances to performances for tens of thousands of people. This film is the director's autobiographical documentary, which took seven years to shoot. The audience follows the director through various experiences: buying glass cups, making musical instruments, performing in underground passages... There are also tense and humorous moments of carefully carrying musical instruments on the plane. The film discusses the common confusion of everyone: how to make yourself happier? How to make life more meaningful?
Diaries from Lebanon, 2024, Myriam El Hajj
Highlights:
The challenges faced by three generations in changing the country's status quo
The film features three generations of Lebanese people from different eras, telling the trials and tribulations they face in turbulent life: George, a veteran of the Lebanese Civil War, was injured in the conflict, but he still believes he can save the country; the feminist Jomana was illegally removed from office the day after being elected as a member of parliament; as citizens' demands rise, young social activist Pera becomes the spokesperson for the revolution. War, politics or revolution, three generations of three different choices, they keep swinging between hope and disappointment, just to change the status quo of the disintegrating country. The film was shortlisted for the Panorama Documentary Unit of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.
Her Heart (Maydegol, 2024, Sarvnaz Alambeigi)
Highlights:
Afghan girl aspires to become a professional Muay Thai fighter
Rashia, an Afghan girl who immigrated to Iran with her parents, dreams of becoming a professional Muay Thai fighter. In addition to the conservative thinking of the people around her, she is also excluded as a refugee, but no matter what difficulties she encounters, she is determined to realize her dream. Rashia works hard day and night, secretly saving money to pay for Muay Thai lessons without telling her parents. She not only desires to succeed in the boxing ring, but also hopes to shatter all doubts in life. The film, in a documentary style, shows a fearless girl who risks her life to defend her rights and pursue freedom, and won the Special Mention Award of the Jury of the New Generation Youth Unit of the Berlin International Film Festival.
Forest, 2024, Lidia Duda
Highlights:
The ideal home in the forest is frequently disturbed by refugees
A couple bought an old house in the Bialowieza Forest, which borders Poland and Belarus. They also built a small farm to raise their children. The forest has become their second home. But now refugees who are starving and cold are also seeking shelter in the forest, and the intrusion of strangers has completely disrupted their forest home. The film is not immersed in the grand refugee issue, but puts the children in the family at the core of the story to show how to keep the innocent heart from social and political interference. With a unique gentle temperament, it not only explores the moral dilemma of dealing with refugees, but also retains a convincing real power. The film won the Silver Alexander Award at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival.
Home Court, 2024, Erica Tanamachi
Highlights:
Witness the growth of Asian basketball talent in the United States
This film tells the story of the growth of Cambodian-American basketball genius Ashley Xie during her high school years. Ashley's goal is to become the best basketball rookie in the United States. She participates in youth basketball games while visiting universities across the United States. Despite facing fierce competition and devastating knee injuries, Ashley always maintains a humorous and optimistic attitude. Her parents run a donut shop and need to work long hours every day, so they rarely have the opportunity to see their daughter's games in person. The film took three years to shoot, not only witnessing the achievements of an Asian basketball genius who broke through many obstacles, but also recording the ups and downs of an immigrant family.
Eternal You (2024, Hans Block/Moritz Riesewieck)
Highlights:
A Deeper Look at AI Technology That Makes the Dead Immortal
In 2018, two German directors accidentally saw a website on the Internet that advertised "virtual immortality". This thing that seemed like a cheap scam at the time has become a cutting-edge topic in society in just a few years, and it also led to the birth of this documentary. "If you have the opportunity to talk to your deceased relatives, would you accept it?" This question, which used to be classified as supernatural, seems to be possible with the support of the most advanced AI technology. This film takes the audience to visit commercial companies that use AI to create avatars of the dead, showing people's strong emotional demand for this product and discussing related ethical issues. No matter what attitude we have towards it, it is undeniable that the rapid development of AI technology has already brought about huge changes in the world.
Clouds on the Ground (Fabric of Lives, 2024, Liu Guoyi)
Highlights:
Work and life of cotton farmers in Xinjiang
Two families in Awati County in southern Xinjiang, China - the Uyghur family of Erken and the Han family of Guan Xiaoyan - make a living by growing cotton. During the busy cotton picking season, they encountered various accidents such as difficulty in finding harvesters, injuries, and continuous rain. But with the concerted efforts of their respective family members, the two families' year-long hard work finally paid off. This film uses the shooting and narrative methods of real movies, the connection of local folk songs and music, and the audio-visual language full of exotic customs, like an idyllic poem, showing the real life texture and simple family concepts of Xinjiang cotton farmers.
Mourning in Lod (2023, Hilla Medalia)
Highlights:
The interweaving of life and death of three families of different nationalities
Lod is a city where Arabs and Jews live together. Today, conflicts have intensified and relations are extremely tense. The story of this film takes place in this place, telling the story of the fate of three families of different nationalities that are inextricably intertwined due to violent conflicts. Palestinian Moussa Hassouna was shot and killed by a Jewish settler, and riots broke out in the city in the name of Hassouna; Yigal Yehoshua, a Jew who was driving home, was hit by a stone thrown into the car window and died soon after. His family agreed to donate his organs; the sick Arab woman Randa received Yigal's kidney and got a second life. The film combines family interviews and video recordings, allowing the audience to simulate the interviewer's perspective to face the person or family directly, and trace the scene to bring a strong psychological impact. The film won the Kadar Fund Best Israeli Story Award at the Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival.
Tickets for this year's film festival will go on sale on the Tao Piaopiao platform at 12 noon on June 7 , and screenings outside Shanghai (Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Hefei) will go on sale online at 12 noon on June 8 .
Note: If the film list changes, please refer to the actual schedule.
