MAHALEO
MAHALEO

France, 2005
102 minutes

directed by: Sezar, Mari-Klemans Paez, Rejmon Rajaonarivelo

In Malagasy “mahaleo” means free, independent
Mahaleo’s voices and music have accompanied the people of Madagascar ever since the collapse of the colonial regime. Yet, even after 30 years of success, the group’s seven musicians still keep their distance from the world of show-business, and remain deeply committed to the ideas of helping their country’s development; their professions range from surgeon to farmer, physician to sociologist and Member of Parliament.
Accompanied by the group’s rhythmic melodies, the film follows the singers through their daily lives, giving us a glimpse of the far-reaching social and economic problems of the Malagasy people. The combined talents of film artists who made the film, have produced a work that is both ethereal and concrete, poetic and political.


“This is a different music documentary. It has wonderful music and action, but it has also characters that you will never forget. Fighting for their country and enjoying themselves. A real magnificent film to open a magnificent festival. For pleasure and thought.”

Tue Steen Müller

Marie-Clemence Paes

Born in 1959 in Tananarive, Madagascar.
Masters degree i Sociology in Paris.
Marketing and Advertising CELSA Diploma at Sorbonne.
Creates Laterit Productions in 1988.
Makes documentaries with her husband Cesar Paes.

Cesar Paes

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1955. He has lived in Paris since 1980.
Co-director, director of photography and editor of the documentaries he has been making since 1989 with his wife Marie-Clemence Paes.
Films were awarded at numerous festivals and broadcasted all over the world.

Raymond Rajaonarivelo

He was born in Madagascar in 1952.
Studied film in Montpellier and Paris.
Worked as director and director of photography of several short films.
He made his feature film debut in 1988 with Tabataba, also first feature film of Madagascar.
Films were screened at Cannes and at other festivals.

THE DEVIL'S MINER

Germany and USA, 2005
82 minutes
directed by: Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson

“The Devil’s Miner” is the story of 14 year-old Basilio Vargas and his 12 year-old brother Bernardino, as they work in the Bolivian silver mines of Cerro Rico, which date back to the sixteenth century. Through the children’s eyes, we encounter the world of devout Catholic miners who sever their ties with God upon entering the mountain. It is due to an ancient belief that the devil, as represented by hundreds of statues constructed in the tunnels, determines the fate of all who work within the mines. Raised without a father and living in virtual poverty with their mother on the slopes of the mine, the boys assume many adult responsibilities. They must work to afford the clothing and supplies vital to their education. Basilio believes only the mountain devil’s generosity will allow them to earn enough money to continue the new school year. Without an education, the brothers have no chance to escape their destiny of being miners in the silver mines.



“This is a clear documentary in a classical sense. It brings us to a place that we know nothing about and let us meet a boy of fourteen who fights to survive working in the mines. He wants another life, he is clever and caring, will he make it?” Tue Steen Müller

Richard Ladkani

An award winning cinematographer. Completed over 35 international documentaries filmed in some of the most remote regions of the world.
Worked on wildlife films such as “Encounters With the Great White Shark”; political films like “Escape Over The Himalayas” which he also co-directed, about Tibetan refugee children that won 15 international awards; big-budget historical documentaries involving large-scale re-enactments, such as “Judas the Traitor” and “Crusaders”.
Also worked on character-driven personal stories shot on location in Uzbekistan (“A Love Story from Samarkand”), Vietnam (“Return to Saigon”) and Cambodia (“The German Foreign Legion in Indochina”). Series “Monasteries of the Danube River” earned him both Austrian and Italian cinematography award for best picture.
The Devil’s Miner is his documentary feature directorial debut.

Kief Davidson

Born and raised in Brooklyn.
Began his film career in 1993 as editor on the Academy Award-nominated documentary film “Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann”. The recipient of two Emmy nominations for his work with National Geographic. Earned an International Monitor Award for Best Editing of journalistic film “What’s News?”.
Directed an independent feature film in 1997.
Directed and produced documentaries for The Discovery Channel, ABC News, PBS and A&E.
Directed a Public Service Announcement on racial tolerance for National Geographic and won the Best PSA Award at Promax/BDA and an International Monitor award.
The Devil’s Miner is his documentary feature directorial debut.

ABOUT A FARM

Finland, 2005
52 minutes

directed by: Mervi Junkkonen

The last cows of the Junkkonen farm are taken to the slaughterhouse. The wheels of progress roll onwards, but two middle-aged people get left behind, Maija and Pentti Junkkonen. The small municipality of Oulunsalo is planning factories, business parks, and a new 4-lane road which would cut through the farmers’ fields. It is a story about the period of mourning people who give up their livelihoods go through and about the things that really matter in the end.
The older Junkkonen daughter, director of the film, Mervi, realises that she herself is part of the reason why her parents decided to give up their livelihood-there is no one to take over the farm. Through her father’s 8mm films, she catches glimpses of the farm’s history and a time when it was full of life.
Now, Pentti (60), spends his time with his collection of tractors and some small-scale farming, but Maija (55) doesn’t know what to do. Life keeps taking tragic turns and old worries do not seem so important any more.
About a Farm is the director’s personal inquiry into a vanishing life-style and a history of which she is the last link.




“Mark the name. She is young but she is a real documentarist. Here she with a lot of feelings succeeds in telling a sad story about her family in a very direct and positive way, always trying to get the universal warmth across, never being sentimental. Pure beauty.” Tue Steen Müller

Mervi Junkkonen

Born in 1975 in Oulunsalo, Finland. Wanted to be an archaeologist, but found herself in film school in 1996. Studied documentary directing and editing at the University of Art and Design UIAH, Helsinki. Students film “Barbeiros“ awarded at many festivals in the world.
Directed documentary films and edited several short fiction films.
Currently lives in Uppsala, Sweden.

FILMOGRAPHY

BARBEIROS, 2001
SAANA (Saanan tahto), 2003
ABOUT A FARM (Hiljainen tila), 2005
AARNE, 2005

GUERRILLA GIRL

Denmark, 2005
90 minutes

directed by: Frank Piasecki Poulsen

GUERRILLA GIRL is the story of a young girl who enters the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the largest insurgent group in Colombia.
Unsettling and unforgettable, this film captures with intensity the remarkable metamorphosis the guerrilla recruits undergo, during the 3 month basic training course.
From her first arrival to the hidden guerrilla camp, we follow the main character, Isabel, in her quest to become a part of this ideological organization, and thereby renouncing life as she knows it. With unprecedented access, the director describes the transformation of a middle-class city-girl having to adapt to strict military training, Marxist ideology and primitive conditions of life.
GUERRILLA GIRL is a critical anti-war-film, from a distant world that people usually have sporadic conceptions or prejudice about. From deep within the Colombian jungle, we get the first cinematic in-depth look at the life, trials and tribulations of young men and women who are lead into an ideologically narrow and dangerous life cycle.



“Strong title. Strong film. A Danish film director for months in the jungle not to join a fight or a cause, but to find out why a young pretty girl decides to dedicate her life to a fight against a corrupt regime. It is very interesting and a very loving portrait with no cliches at all!”. Tue Steen Müller

Frank Piasecki Poulsen

Graduated at The National Film School of Denmark in 2001.
Before entering the Film School he worked at a local TV network in Copenhagen.
After graduation, he have been working as director, photographer and scriptwriter, primarily for DR TV. The themes of his work include youth, politics and third world issues. Therefore he has travelled all around the world – especially in Africa.

BEFORE FLYING BACK TO THE EARTH

Lithuania, Germany, 2005
52 minutes

directed by: Arunas Matelis

Arunas Matelis filmed the kids in the leukemia ward in Vilnius during their day-to-day routine, without becoming sentimental.For the parents, their worst nightmare has come true, but what do the children themselves think? A life among medicine, IVs and tubes does not prevent them from just carrying on. Their adaptability is incredible. One of the mothers says her son has not grown dejected in hospital, because he has gotten used to it and does not know any better. The children practice karate or dream of getting hamburgers and Coke instead of the old cabbage soup. The future is often brought up, as if it were not finite: they hope they will not turn blond when their hair grows back, or they want to become a doctor, "but not in the leukemia ward."
The film is interlaced with black-and-white pictures showing the children in the middle of a smile, yawn or gesture, momentarily freezing time in this thorough documentary that does not deal with death, but with life



“Arunas Matelis is a close friend. I write this because I followed him on his difficult journey when his child was 8 months in hospital suffering from Leukemia. They made it and as a thank you Arunas decided to go back to film children on the edge of Life and he has done that from a humanitarian point of view. A Kiss to Life whatever problems we might have.” Tue Steen Müller

Arunas Matelis

Born in 1961 in Vilnius, Lithuania.
From 1979 to 1983 studies mathematics at Vilnius University.
In 1989 graduated at Lithuanian Music Academy, Theatre and TV faculty.
In 1991 established one of the first independent film production companies in Lithuania called “Nominum”. Films that he directed and produced are based on his idea-manifest of “total cinema or poetic documentary”.
Directed ten short documentaries and produced about twenty films, directed by well-know Lithuanian film directors.
Films directed by Arunas Matelis were awarded and presented in many film festivals around the world - Cannes, Rotterdam, Oberhausen, Leipzig, Tokyo, Amsterdam.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY

TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE FLIGHT OF ICARUS, 1990
SUNDAY, THE GOSPEL OF LIFT-MAN ALBERTAS, 2003
FLIGHT OVER LITHUANIA OR 510 SECONDS OF SILENCE, 2004
BEFORE FLYING BACK TO THE EARTH, 2005

KHA-CHEE-PAE

Czech Republic, 2005
57 minutes

directed by: Miroslav Janek

A documentary about children living life without their parents.
Miroslav Janek investigates life in a children’s home by means of play.
He invites the kids to become his filmmaking partners: he teaches them how to operate a movie camera, and encourages them to film the environment in which they live. The director introduces the children to various filmmaking crafts, and thus they aren’t limited to merely capturing reality. Together they create animation, shoot skits they have thought up by themselves and experiment with film materials all the while revealing many things about their lives.
In the kids hands, the camera is a toy, but one which breaks down the walls separating two worlds. It is a tool that enables them to confide their secrets, to cope with powerlessness and unexpected sorrow.



“Miroslav Janek is an experienced filmmaker who has this unique feeling of where to point the camera when children are around. We are very privileged to have his poetic report from an orphanage where the children were given cameras by Janek to film themselves and these materials are mixed with joyful small animation sequences. It is wonderful and funny and sad at the same time. As art should be.”Tue Steen Müller

Miroslav Janek

Born in 1954.
Director, director of photography and editor.
In the 1980s and 1990s he worked as an editor and cameraman primarily in the United States.
From 1982 to 1986 teaches at FILM IN THE CITIES, St. Paul, Minneapolis.
From 1998 to 2004 pedagogue at FAMU (Film Academy in Prague), department of documentary film.
Since 1993 he has directed a number of documentaries in the Czech Republic which have been awarded at many film festivals.

Izabrana filmografija

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
POWAQQATSI, 1987, editor
ANIMA MUNDI, 1992, editor
THE UNSEEN (Nespatrene), 1996
MUSICIANS (Previanti, vyjevy ze zivota vesnickych muzikantu), 1999
HAMSA, I AM (Hamsa, ja jsem), 1999
BATTLE FOR LIFE (Bitva o zivot), 2000
CRIMSON SAILS (Nachove plachty), 2001
NAQOYQATSI 2002, editor
VIERKA 2005
KHA-CHEE-PAE (CHA-CI-PE) 2005

AFRICA UNITED

Iceland, 2005
82 minutes
directed by: Olaf Johaneson

Zico came to Iceland from Morocco to seek his fortune. After ten years running his own small business, Zico goes bankrupt. Desperate and depressed he decides to fire up his amateur team called Africa United and take it into the semi-professional 3rd division. He calls upon immigrants all over Iceland, players from Morocco, Nigeria, Colombia, Serbia, Gambia and Guinea to help him realize his vision. But the road to success is rocky.
AFRICA UNITED takes us on an enchanting journey into the dreams and aspirations of a football-crazy coach and his colorful ensemble of players who have to overcome their egos - and hot blood - for a true team spirit.



‘Young peoples’ film from - of all places - Iceland where they don’t have a football culture but where foreigners meet to match the locals on the pitch. They come from all over the world and in this small United Nations they argue, they hate each other and they miss and love each other - and they laugh together. But they can’t play football... It is hilariously funny. See for yourself!”
Tue Steen Müller

Olafur Johannesson

Born in Iceland in 1975.
Graduated physics at the College of Reykjavik in 1995 with A-level results.
Participated in numerous film projects, features, shorts and documentaries. Familiar with every corner of filmmaking - camera, editing, sound, directing and producing.
Founded the independent production company Poppoli Pictures.
Icelandic film critics regard Johannesson as one of the biggest directing talents in the country.

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY

ANGEL NO 5503288, 2000
IN MY TIME AS A MONK, 2001
PROXIMITAS, 2004
BLINDSKER, 2004
AFRICA UNITED, 2005