Biodiversity; Beyond the Monarch

Pursuing the Monarchs(en)

The story of the Monarch butterfly: a symbol of American pride and the embodiment of the returning dead in Mexico. It would be a happy story, only, today they are dying. The monarch butterflies population has declined by up to 80% in the last decade. Who is to blame?

Untenable Pantanal(pt)

Luciano Candisani, award-winning Brazilian photographer, returns to the Pantanal, the world’s largest floodplain, to document its biodiversity and raise awareness about severe environmental threats. The region faces drastic water flow changes and unprecedented fires, yet Candisani finds hope and resilience amidst the challenges.

Urak aske: presak kendu, ibaiak berreskuratu(eu)

Draining two million cubic meters of water to protect a small animal in danger of extinction. This has been the task of those who have worked to remove the Enobieta reservoir and ensure a safe haven for the Pyrenean desman. This amazing story took place in Artikutza, the estate that San Sebastián bought in Navarre a century ago and which is now one of the best-preserved natural sites on the Cantabrian coast. In Normandy, meanwhile, the large Vezins dam has been removed. Its demolition will allow salmon to return to the Sélune River. Abandoned dams on rivers are barriers to biodiversity, and their demolition allows us to imagine a more habitable planet. That future will depend on small gestures, or large ones, such as those in Vezins and Enobia.

The Route of the Conquerors(es)

In times of global ecological crisis, Costa Rica seems to be an oasis for its rich biodiversity. Nacho traces a route to learn about agroecological projects, discovering what the indigenous communities call "good living" Could this be the solution?

Salvar Tenerife(es)

Salvar Tenerife shows, like never before, the overexploitation to which the island of Tenerife is submitted. It receives more than 6 million tourists a year and has a population of 930000 inhabitants. These figures are born from the terrible way in which the island has been managed during the last decades and currently. An infinite and untenable growth which is threatening more than ever the natural spaces and biodiversity from Tenerife, more and more deteriorated each day. This documentary seeks to boost a change towards real sustainable development, so we can have a future in which we live alongside nature and we can keep enjoying Tenerife (and the rest of the Canary Islands) in their wild and natural state.

Hell on Wheels(de)

Year after year hundreds of thousands of fans line the route of the Tour de France, cheering on their heroes and willing them to victory, while millions of viewers worldwide tune in on their televisions. Academy Award-winning director Pepe Danquart, fascinated by the spectacle of the three week race, chose to focus on the courage, the pain and the fear of the riders of the Tour. Training his lens on German superstar sprinter Eric Zabel and his loyal domestique Rolf Aldag, Danquart captures the thrill of the race and the teamwork behind the stars of the peleton. He also shines light on the Tour's supporting cast - the director sportifs, masseurs, and, of course, the wildly enthusiastic fans. Reveling in the stunning landscape - from the Alps to the Pyrenees to the Massif Central to Paris - and with a nice dollop of Le Tour's history, HELL ON WHEELS transcends the sport it celebrates to reveal an astonishing human endeavor.

The Living Desert(en)

Although first glance reveals little more than stones and sand, the desert is alive. Witness moving rocks, spitting mud pots, gorgeous flowers and the never-ending battle for survival between desert creatures of every shape, size and description.

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster(en)

After bassist Jason Newsted quits the band in 2001, heavy metal superstars Metallica realize that they need an intervention. In this revealing documentary, filmmakers follow the three rock stars as they hire a group therapist and grapple with 20 years of repressed anger and aggression. Between searching for a replacement bass player, creating a new album and confronting their personal demons, the band learns to open up in ways they never thought possible.

The Corporation(en)

Since the late 18th century American legal decision that the business corporation organizational model is legally a person, it has become a dominant economic, political and social force around the globe. This film takes an in-depth psychological examination of the organization model through various case studies. What the study illustrates is that in the its behaviour, this type of "person" typically acts like a dangerously destructive psychopath without conscience. Furthermore, we see the profound threat this psychopath has for our world and our future, but also how the people with courage, intelligence and determination can do to stop it.

Wim Wenders in Tokyo(ja)

A documentary which follows director Wim Wenders and Sean Naughton, the high-definition-video designer on UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD, in Tokyo, and details the creation of the film’s groundbreaking high-definition sequences.

disabled!(en)

Join River Tam on a tour through the many worlds of fan fiction and disability in this experimental audio-visual essay.

Thea(no)

A captivating short film about Thea, a 12-year-old Norwegian girl whose life is conditioned by epileptic seizures.

Chien de traîneaux, Chiens de trappeurs(fr)

The Fantastic(ko)

In Maija Blåfield’s documentary, eight former North Koreans talk about what it was like to watch illegal films in a closed society. In addition to the 'waste videos', South Korean films were also smuggled into the country via China.

To Teach a Bird to Fly(fi)

This experimental nature documentary by Minna Rainio and Mark Roberts depicts climate change and the wave of extinction from the point of view of our near future. Actually, it depicts the age we live in now, or rather its fateful consequences.

Among Wild Birds(xx)

Finland’s first nature documentary. The filmmakers’ expedition leads them all the way to the Åland Islands and the Karelian Isthmus.

Rivières ouvertes(fr)

Colombia in My Arms(fi)

After 52 years of armed conflict the FARC guerrillas are about to hand over their arms in exchange for political participation and social inclusion of the poor. Ernesto is one of them. The much celebrated Colombian peace agreement throws Ernesto and the polarised society around him into chaos in which everyone is afraid of the future and their own survival.

Eye to Eye(fi)

For the family members of murder victims mourning is often postponed indefinitely. To unlock the trauma and begin the grieving, a method called restorative dialogue brings two parents - and the audience - eye to eye with the murderers.

Silicon Valley, Baby.(fi)

Finnish award-winning barista Kalle Freese travels to San Francisco with his girlfriend to start an instant coffee start-up with big goals. At stake are Kalle's health, relationship and the newly formed start-up.