Animated documentaries sometimes take us to places which film cameras cannot reach, or use animation to portray those unwilling or unable to tell their stories in front of the camera themselves. This year, the hybrid genre, which is gaining popularity among animation filmmakers, brings us intimate stories of people from our communities; those who are lonely, isolated, marginalised; those who lack freedom and those who strive for it.
Length: 75′
Mama Micra / Mama Micra
Rebecca Blöcher (Fabian&Fred)Germany, 2024, 24'00''
My mother lived in her small car for over 10 years until she could no longer walk and the car gave out right after that.
Vrednost glasu / The Virtue of Voice
Leticia van Neerven (AKV St. Joost School of Art & Design, AKV St. Joost)The Netherlands, 2024, 9'40''
How does society deal with offenders? And what could you do to prevent victims? The animated documentary The Virtue of Voice deals with a difficult subject matter and gives a glimpse into the minds of two people who have committed criminal offenses.
Chrysanthemum / Chrysanthemum
Jingyuan Luo (KHM - Academy of Media Arts Cologne)Germany, 2025, 9'20''
In Chrysanthemum, Jingyuan Luo approaches the case of a Chinese "suicide jumper," living and reliving the trauma of a death made invisible by the state that had caused it. In wordless grief the flower of mourning blooms.
Svoboda za zapahi / Inside, The Valley Sings
Nathan Fagan, Natasza Cetner (Wonderbread)Ireland, 2024, 14'59''
Secluded in 6x9 cells year after year with little or no human contact, three individuals in prisons across the United States experience the tedium, loneliness and psychological despair of long-term solitary confinement.
Shadows / Shadows
Rand Beiruty (Piano Sano Films, Piano Sano Films, Shaghab Films, Shaghab Films)France, Jordan, 2024, 12'20''
At a crowded airport, Ahlam, a 15-year-old mother, is running away from Baghdad, the only place she's ever known. As she fights the shadows lurking around her, she reflects on her journey to reclaim her life.