Up-Hill start – ITALY (Original Title: Partenza in salita)
Our film is an experimental docufilm, part documentary and part short fiction.
The fiction film is about Luca, a boy who lives and studies in Tor Bella Monaca, one of the most degraded areas in Rome. He’s popular with his friends, works in a bar and dreams of one day becoming a famous actor. He dismisses Fabio, a guy he always sees studying at the bar he works at, as a loser.
Luca goes to an audition convinced he will get the main character role but Fabio gets it instead. After two years we see Luca on stage with Fabio acting together and we understand they have become good friends. The non -fiction part includes interviews with the Director of the theatre of Tor Bella Monaca. The Director points out the importance of theatre as a point of reference for many young people in the area and a means to foster inclusion.
We chose this title because when you start running up a hill you risk stopping halfway out of breath and tired, like Luca, our main character, who expected too much without being fully prepared. The ‘hill’ also represents the challenges Luca faces by following his dream to become an actor but especially the prejudices he has towards Fabio. Only at the end, when he overcomes his bias and opens up to Fabio, does he succeed.
We are all the same – Republic of North Macedonia (Original Title: So prevod)
“We are all the same “ is a short film which talks about the selfishness and insensitivity of the people living in the modern society of the 21st century, on the one side and the pain they create on the other side. Although the whole world fights against discrimination, trying to eliminate and wipe it off, we witness cases of insulting or being insulted on daily basis, either intentionally or unintentionally. When insulting others we are mean and evil, but when being insulted our soul experiences enormous pain. Children are not an exception to this rule as they try to imitate their parents and behave exactly like them. Unless we do something and change the way we live our life, we will never walk out of Stendal’s “black-white world”.
The Power Of Music Therapy – Republic of North Macedonia
“The power of music-therapy” is a film featuring Stefanija Milevska who perceives music as an effective cure in treating and healing diseases and disorders, including hearing and sight impairment, cerebral paralysis, and the like. The idea of opening a place where children with handicaps and disabilities will be given a chance to dance and sing and feel happy and contented was born after the death of her brother who suffered from cerebral paralysis and died at the age of 38. First, she started working with a girl, called Teodora Kolevska who possesses exceptional talent and desire for singing, participating in international competitions and festivals. Since then, the number of children attending her studio has been increasing day by day. The message she is sending to the world Is universal, ” Open your hearts and let children see there is love and empathy there because what really matters for them is giving love and being loved.
Just one more day – PORTUGAL (Original Title: Só mais um dia)
This is a fiction short film about Bullying.
Cremilde is a popular fifteen-year-old girl who has many behaviour problems at school. The principal has tried all the possible strategies to give her the chance to become a better person.
Thomas is also a fifteen-year-old boy, he is very introverted but very clever. He is the typical “good guy” who doesn’t mess with anyone and has a very good relationship with his parents.
Suddenly, his parents started to notice that Thomas comes home with a bad humour and doesn’t want to get up to go to school, which is very unusual.
Cremilde and her friends are bullying him!
With the help of one of the school’s employees, Thomas reported the situation to the principal and she decided that it was time to let go and Cremilde was expelled from the school having to move to a new one.
At the new school, Cremilde wasn’t popular and didn’t have many friends. Some students found out what she had done in her previous school and decided to give her a lesson.
Wolf – PORTUGAL (Original Title: Lobo)
The wolves are in extinction, so the Municipality of Paredes de Coura decided to protect them, having set some new rules and laws within the Protected Area of Corno de Bico.
Being a rural area where agriculture is one of the main activities, the population is now facing constant attacks of the wolves to their sheep and cattle.
This a documentary intended to answer some questions: Is the wolf a wild animal who frightens the population? What do the wolves need to survive? What is the opinion of the farmers?
Withdrawal – ROMANIA (Original Title: Sevraj )
The fiction short movie presents the devastating effects of drug abuse by focusing on the withdrawal symptoms experienced by a young girl. She starts taking pills for fun, but at some point, when she notices how edgy and uncomfortable the drugs make her feel, she tries to quit. She reaches out for help, but her mother is too busy to see what is going on. Her friends at school are also not aware of what she is going through. However, she decides that it is best to get rid of the temptation and deal with the consequences.
No bully, no cry – ROMANIA
The documentary is based on a real story. Anastasia is a high school student who now leads a happy life, but in the past, she used to be the victim of bullying. Her school mates abused her at school and online, she had personal problems to deal with at home, so at some point, she feels she cannot cope with everything anymore. As a last resort, she engages in self-destructive behavior. Fortunately, the headteacher becomes aware of the situation and suggests that Anastasia should get help from the school counsellor. With the help of therapy sessions and after the family acknowledges the problem, Anastasia manages to get over the trauma and rebuild her self-confidence.
The Dark Game – TURKEY
This fiction film is an attempt to put some internet games under a magnifying glass to discuss their considerable reflections about the consequences on teens’ lives by taking the attraction of people in terms of their reliability. A high school student, Onur, finds himself searching about a game called “BLUE WHALE” just after he has seen its trailer while surfing on the net. He takes his time on this game till the late hours of the night. The next day, he discusses it with his friends at school, and they decide that it is such nonsense and an odd game that isn’t worth giving even a try. Nevertheless, this is not the case for Onur… He follows the directions of the game…He becomes more silent and introvert day by day spending time alone without talking to his friends and family members, eating less, sleeping less…in front of the computer… Now, it is time to follow the last task!
Just a smile – TURKEY
The documentary is based on a real story. The story is about a student, named Ferdi. Ferdi is a high school student who was born with a disability. He was diagnosed with physical, mental, and articulation- speaking obstacles. Since disability is seen as a biological illness in the genetic approach, his mother accepts this reality and she cares for her disabled son at a great personal sacrifice. At the age of 14, he starts studying at Cahit Zarifoğlu İmam Hatip Lisesi. At first, he is sad and he doesn’t have any friends to talk to. As it is known well, disabled people can’t stand being pitied. The school board and the teachers decide to make his life easier at school. And also, they want to help to change popular misconceptions about a disabled student at school. But how…? First, they make him visible at school. Additionally, he has been offered all the school facilities, such as; elevator access and free lunch. Everyone now knows Ferdi at school. He shares his problems with a friend he trusts. He becomes so happy that he has close friends. For him, having some close friends means having the best psychologist.