Trümpi is a road movie that follows Jew’s harp virtuoso Anton Bruhin on a musical journey from Zurich and the Swiss Alps to Siberia and Tokyo. Accompanied by the distinctive sound of his trümpi (the Swiss-German word for Jew’s harp), Bruhin explores musical traditions ranging from folk to avant-garde, bridging cultures between town and country, East and West.
Category: Documentary
The elderly Veronika who lives alone has two resolves. The first is to collect sufficient money through her own labour, to be able to visit her only living relative, her son, in London. The second is to start cultivating her long-neglected vineyard. The lady, who has suffered greatly over the years, works with stubborn will and quiet serenity to achieve the goals she has set herself. Imre Gyöngyössy and Barna Kabay’s lyrical, documentary-style film received numerous awards at international film festivals.
Three young people leave the psychiatric hospital to lead a “normal life” while working in the factory. They confide in their future prospects. In 1968, alarmed by the catastrophic state of public psychiatry in Italy, the communist municipality of Parma entrusted Mario Tommasini, a former gas worker, with the management of the mental health sector and its reorganization in a revolutionary fashion. This political initiative, inspired by Franco Basaglia, critic of the asylum institution and the origin of psychiatry outside the walls, marked the beginning of a vast undertaking of social integration of patients.
Acclaimed New York filmmaker Alan Berliner took on his reclusive father as the reluctant subject of this poignant documentary, and what emerged was this cinematic biography that finds both humor and pathos in the swirl of conflicts and affections that bind father and son. Berliner weaves together archival footage and interviews with relatives in his quest to understand this complex and troubled character. Ultimately, Nobody’s Business serves as a meeting of the minds, where generations collide and the boundaries of family relationships are pushed to the brink.
Englishman Bruce Harris took on more than he bargained for when he accepted the job of boss at a refuge for street children in Guatemala City. He has now become the not-so-local hero. This film documents his investigations into violent acts, including murder, against Guatemala’s street children by the national police. His pursuit of justice on behalf of these children is legendary but has placed him in a personally dangerous position.
In A Hole in the Soul, director Dusan Makavejev’s free-form, autobiographical meditation on the nature of a place combines aspects of both physical place (the former Yugoslavia) and mental place (the cinematic avant-garde). Makavejev mixes styles and genres in order to explore his sense of himself and his physical environment. Makavejev’s bold contribution to BBC Scotland’s acclaimed TV series The Director’s Place allows audiences a highly personal look at the director as he explores his own hole in the soul.
A controversial documentary screened in the official competition at the Cannes Festival. It depicts a hypnosis session in which participants, under its influence, inflict pain on themselves and others. The film addresses important themes such as manipulation, abuse of power, and collective obedience, provoking strong reactions from audiences and critics.