DOCUMENTARY FILMS
ARTY ANNE, directed by Marcin Walczak, United Kingdom 2013, 9 min.
A visually impaired photographer, Anne, is on quest to set up a photographic exhibition that aims to create multisensory experience. On the top of her amazing photographs she also creates tactile versions of these photographs, making the art accessible for visually impaired people as much as for people without any impairment. Anne suffers from Macular Degeneration Disease and eyesight's deterioration becomes a lifetime challenge at this time. Difficulties to find funding and her deteriorating eyesight becomes a real challenge on the quest to set up exhibition. The film explores importance of art in Anne’s life, as a medium that helps to deal with everyday obstacles, but would passion to art help to overcome health limitations and set up the exhibition?
DEEP LOVE, directed by Jan P. Matuszyński, Poland 2013, 84 min.
Janusz, a self-confident 60-year old, an incredibly active person and an accomplished diver, suffers a stroke which leaves him paralysed. Rehabilitation and assistance of his partner Asia help him regain mobility and improve his functions. He is still struggling with speech and the only person who understands what he says is Asia who interprets him to the world. What keeps Janusz going and motivates to carry on is his big dream – he would like to dive again, despite major hazard for his health and life. His goal is to travel to beautiful but perilous Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt which poses a challenge even to fit divers.
SPARK, directed by Wiesława Piećko, Poland 2014, 52 min.
I hadn't imagined what it might be like to have a child with Down's Syndrome, or how one can be part of such a family', says Monika, one of the film's protagonists and a member of SPARK – an association helping children with Down's Syndrome in Szczecin. The name - ISKIERKA, which means 'spark' in Polish, symbolises a fervent hope that what is often perceived as a disaster can be turned into life's greatest joy.
JOANNA, directed by Aneta Kopacz, Poland 2013, 40 min.
In the multitude of blogs on the Internet, one stands out and becomes the common topic of many conversations. The reason why so many people follow Joanna’s blog is because it teaches them how to be thoughtful and joyful. She describes her daily life with overwhelming honesty and accuracy. Her goals are as simple as a family trip to the lakes, her planning is as short-term as to witness her little son riding a bike for the first time. Diagnosed with untreatable illness, Joanna promises her son that she will do her best to live for as long as possible. She writes down everything she might want him to learn from her when he grows up. With great visual poetry, the documentary portrays simple and meaningful moments in the family's life. The very few words spoken and the ones never uttered in the film make the message ultimately powerful and extremely subtle at the same time. It is a story of close relationships, tenderness, love and thoughtfulness.
THE PRINCESS, directed by Agnieszka Gomułka, Poland 2014, 60 min.
Kinga is autistic. Her parents are struggling with the hardest decision in their lives – whether to send their daughter to a nursing home or not. Kinga's mother – Iza talks about her quandaries and doubts. Kinga looks at the world uniquely. She's got a perfect sense of hearing and loves singing. She presents her outlook on life by songs. However, reality isn't as colourful as in the songs...
I SIGN, I LIVE, directed by Anja Hiddinga, Jascha Blume, Netherlands 2012, 58 min.
Jascha is a young deaf art student who doesn’t care much about the hearing world. But he can’t escape it if he wants to fulfill his ambitions. This makes him rebellious and uncertain. Armed with a camera, he visits Europe’s only home for elderly deaf people and tries to find out how these people have lived their lives. They tell him about their youth, when sign language was forbidden, and about their struggles against embarrassment and indignities.
US-TWO RASCALS, directed by Salla Kalio, Finland 2013, 13 min.
83-year old Saile and 22-year old Salla’s friendship unswayed by absent-mindedness and societal norms.
OUR CURSE, directed by Tomasz Śliwiński, Poland 2013, 27 min.
The film is a personal statement of the director and his wife who have to deal with a very rare and incurable disease of their newborn child – the Ondine’s Curse (also known as Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome or CCHS). People affected with this disease stop breathing during sleep and require lifetime mechanical ventilation on a ventilator. The film shows the process of taming the fear by the parents and gradually adopting to the new situation.
MOOD FOR NOSTALGIA, directed by Maria Kivirand, Robbi Uppin, Estonia 2012, 29 min.
Film is about friendship between neighbors who have known each other for their entire life. A cold winter, silence, loneliness and thoughts of nostalgia are surrounding their every day life.
THE GOVERNANCE OF LOVE, directed by Adela Kaczmarek, Poland 2013, 13 min.
An animated documentary about imagination. Its protagonist lives in a few realities at the same time. Characters and events from the real world intervene with the ones created by the protagonist's imagination. He looks for a place of his own in these worlds. He tells his story about the governance of love in Poland. His world is naive. However, it provokes reflection concerning good and evil.
MR. BISCUIT, directed by Krzysztof Kuźnicki, Poland 2014, 12 min.
Mr. Biscuit is Mr. Krzysztof Kraśniewicz, a citizen of the city of Szczcecin who despite his disablity has managed to make his place within the local artistic and cultural circles. It would seem that such a person would require a helping hand, encouragement and direction but he has taken his fate into his own hands and found his own way through life, making it lively and attractive.Mr. Krzysztof Kraśniewicz regularly attends most of the city's cultural events which has made him a well known figure in the local artistic environment due to his omnipresence at such events. Art and culture have become his main inspiration and recipe to socialise and meet people.
SHEPHERD’S SONG, directed by Vahram Mkhitaryan, Poland/Armenia 2014, 30 min.
Somewhere in the high mountains of Armenia, there lives a blind shepherd Khachik. In spite of all the adversities, he has set up a family and leads a quiet life, single-handedly herding his goats on the steep slopes. However, when it turns out that his only son is losing his sight too and has to move to Yerevan to attend a school for the blind, Khachik faces a dilemma: should he keep on living the life of a humble shepherd, or should he move to the capital city too to be with his son?
RETURN, directed by Sylwia Michałowska, Poland 2013, 23 min.
'Return' is the first of a cycle of reportages titled 'Partners'. Husbands, wives, life companions, friends. They support, help, motivate the disabled to fight for a better life. These people don't dramatise but fight for their lives. What does their everyday life look like? What do they need to face? How do they love?
LET LOVE, LET DREAM, directed by Monika Nawrot, Dominik Górski, Poland 2013, 54 min.
Film is a story full of humour about love, dreams and the importance of music therapy in the lives of people with disabilities. The film’s characters are the participants of the Occupational Therapy Workshops of the Children's Friends Society in Świętochłowice, during which, over ten years ago, the Tolerancja band was created. This is an exceptional band breaking all the stereotypes about people with disabilities. The boys play at a level any professional band would not be ashamed of. They have already played two hundred concerts and published three original records. They say that they cannot imagine their lives without music, because on stage they do not feel inferior.
THE STRENGHT OF A COMMANDO, directed by Barbara Jendrzejczyk, Poland 2013, 14 min.
They film tells a story of a man who despite tragic events has an extraordinary strong-will. Michał Całczyński had an accident during his preparations to a mission in Afghanistan. Today he uses a wheelchair. His commando’s strength which he still has, has allowed him to come back to everyday life surprisingly fast. He says: 'If you have healthy hands and head then you can do anything'.
FOUR LETTERS APART – CHILDREN IN THE AGE OF ADHD, directed by Erlend E. Mo, Denmark/Norway 2013, 87 min.
The film follows three children at odds with themselves and the world around them, at a time when more and more are being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The teachers and the parents decide to take part in an alternative treatment project focusing on the individual child’s challenges and possibilities, rather than relying on medical diagnosis. The film shows how the children make great strides over the course of a year, as the adults around them start to see each child in a new light.
MS, directed by Ilona Bidzan, Poland 2014, 20 min.
A story about extraordinary people and their extraordinary lives. Three intimate conversations about passion, rebellion and suffering. A journey into the human's psycho in order to answer a question: how important are strong-will and fortitude in our life? It is a documentary about three people suffering from MS who faced with the illness have decided to change their lives and live against everything. Can you live with the sentence? How much effort is needed for a constant fight for a passion?
HEAR THIS, directed by Soulaima El Khaldi, Netherlands 2013, 15 min.
Tristan and his family live in Kudelstaart. Their family is an unusual one because both Tristan’s parents are deaf, while Tristan himself can hear just fine. Tristan is great at talking to deaf people, but other people find it difficult or sometimes even uncomfortable. This stands in the way of Tristan’s father becoming the coach for Tristan’s football team. The club says his father can never be a good coach. Tristan thinks that’s nonsense. His father is a brilliant football player; he even plays for the Dutch national team for the deaf.
THE GREAT PRETENDER, directed by Néstor Frenkel, Argentina 2013, 74 min.
A film about a world-famous Argentinean illusionist specializing in card tricks, René Lavand. It wouldn't be particularly fascinating, perhaps, if not for the fact that he uses his left hand only, having lost his right hand in an accident when he was nine. He invents his extraordinary tricks by himself. He cannot rely on other magicians or manuals written for ambidextrous illusionists. But not only sleight of hand makes him a famous and appreciated artist.
FEATURE FILMS
47, directed by Hossein Najafi, Iran 2013, 72. min.
47 is the story of a relationship between Davoud, a boy with Down Syndrome with his teacher, Sahar. Sahar works in an institute dedicated to keep and train mentally disabled children. Her husband, Ehsan, is a policeman and is not happy about her job. Sahar finds out that Davoud suffers from some psychological disorders and when sees Davoud's authoritarian behavior, she decides to give Davoud a police role to manage his disorders. She asks Ehsan to help her on this journey. All goes well until when Ehsan decides to...
BOOTH, directed by Jo-Anne Brechin, Australia 2012, 10 min.
A loving wife. A cheating husband. A disabled son and one phone call to change everything.
LIFE FEELS GOOD, directed by Maciej Pieprzyca, Poland 2013, 107 min.
Mateusz was born with severe cerebral palsy. He doesn’t speak. Partial paralysis hinders his movement to a great extent. Doctors state that he is “a vegetable”. Mateusz’s parents do not accept the 'diagnosis' and show deep love for their son. The boy’s inner monologue proves that, on a mental level, he is perfectly normal – it is the communication barrier that separates him from people in the external world. Trying to breech this wall, Mateusz meets hearty people eager to help. Among them is a teacher of Blissa – a language in which speech is substituted for typographic symbols.
HOTEL, directed by Lisa Langseth, Sweden 2013, 97 min.
Erika is beautiful and successful. She's surrounded by lots of friends and her fantastic partner. She's expecting a baby. She is perfectly prepared for its birth: she's bought useful equipment, planned the labour and happy motherhood in detail. However, life has decided otherwise: after a premature birth, her baby is ill and Erika suffers from very serious baby blues. The woman looks for help at group therapy sessions where she meets various people. She slowly comes back to life. She's inspired by a life motto: life is like a hotel – if don't like it, just change the room.
KERTU. LOVE IS BLIND, directed by Ilmar Raag, Estonia 2013, 97 min.
30-year old Kertu has lived under her father's power her whole life. Because of her gentle nature, she is thought by locals to be a little simple-minded. The young woman makes her first timid attempt to change something in her life – she sends a postcard to Villu, a handsome but degenerate village drunk.
MARIA, directed by Iina Hänninen, Finland 2013, 15 min.
Maria's idyllic life is shattered when her son disappears in the woods. Maria tries to find him, but is instead kidnapped by a strange man. Finally the veil of mystery parts to reveal the terrible truth.
THE COURT OF SHARDS, directed by Jan Eilhardt, Germany 2012, 75 min.
The two friends Nora and Isabel, both disabled, try to lead normal lives. When Nora decides to marry her immigrant lover Amadou, her family does everything in their power to stop her. Amadou’s presence sets in motion a bitter deal, a forced homecoming, and a whole series of unfortunate events. And the consequences have only just begun...
SALVO, directed by Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza, Italy/France 2013, 103 min.
A hitman for the Sicilian Mafia, Salvo is solitary, cold and ruthless. When he sneaks into a house to eliminate a man, he discovers Rita, a young blind girl who powerlessly stands by while her brother is assassinated. Salvo tries to close those disturbing eyes, staring at him yet unseeing. Something impossible happens. Rita's eyes see for the first time. Salvo decides to spare her life. From then on, these two beings, both haunted by the world they belong to, are linked together forever.
UPS AND DOWNS, directed by Stuart Fryer, United Kingdom 2013, 10 min.
After a teenage house party goes too far, Josh a bullied boy with Down's Syndrome is forced to take the reigns and look after the bully: his brother.
LIFE OUT THERE, directed by David Ellington, United Kingdom 2013, 25 min.
Billy Clinton and his son Jack, are UFO spotters but when Billy sees himself on a TV documentary he's shocked. Billy realises it's time to really find life out there...
AMATEUR FILMS
WHERE TO GO?, dir. Television of People with Disabilities, Słupsk (Poland) 2012, 11 min.
THE RISE OF MAN, dir. Charges of PTZN Słupsk (Poland) 2013, 8 min.
THE ECCENTRIC DUCK, dir. Action-Animation Team ZSSSTO, Szczecinek (Poland) 2014, 3 min.
CATS ON THE SQUATS!, dir. OTW, Anna Radecka, Wojciech Retz, Rzadkowo (Poland) 2014, 4 min.
THE FOOTBALLER DOG, dir. Bohuslava Hábovčiková, Bratislava (Slovakia) 2014, 9 min.
SECRETS OF THE CASTLE, dir. OTW and AKF Laterna Magica, Legnica (Poland) 2013, 4 min.