The Balcony Movie
The sidewalk in front of his apartment is the stage at which director Pawel Lozinski directs his camera. Passersby stop for a chat, tell their life story, and collectively paint a picture of contemporary Poland.
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Pathway: Microcosmos
This year IDFA is showing several films in which the filmmaker creates a portrait of society from a fixed point in space. How do conversations from a balcony simultaneously sketch a picture of an entire country? How do casual passengers on a ferry or the metro provide global yet detailed insight into a culture or city? This Pathway presents snapshots of society, brought together in a well-defined frame.
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Day after...
The Rocket is a century-old paddle steamer still regularly transporting passengers along the river delta of Bangladesh. All aboard for this philosophical and kaleidoscopic film in which rich and poor, young and old, and East and West come together.
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H6
Observational portrait capturing the goings-on in an immense hospital in Shanghai, focusing on four patients and their families. Alongside the affectionate care, H6 reveals an unyielding class-based society.
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Handbook
The Belarusian police dealt brutally with protesters demonstrating against the re-election of President Lukashenko in August 2020. The protesters’ re-enacted testimonies form a dry but impactful instruction video.
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Homes
Occupants pose in simple tableaux vivants in front of their own homes. The camera films them from inside, through the window. That's all there is to it in this charming film about people, their houses, and making films.
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A People’s Radio – Ballads from a Wooded Country
An array of images of summery Finnish landscapes, in the city as well as the countryside, accompany cries from the heart from various listeners to a popular radio program, offering insights into the Finnish soul.
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