Olga (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Elie Grappe
France, Switzerland, Ukraine, 2021, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
2013. Olga, a talented and passionate 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast, goes to Switzerland, where she tries to secure a place in the National Sports Centre. In Kiev, however, the Euromaidan suddenly breaks out, and her relatives are in the middle of it. As the young girl must adapt to a new country and prepare for the European Championships, the Ukrainian revolution enters her life and upends everything…
When Pomegranates Howl (2020)
Section: Festival Laurels from around the World , Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Granaz Moussavi
Afghanistan, Australia, Iran, Netherlands, 2020, 83 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Hewad, a 9-year-old boy, supports his family by selling goods from a cart on the harsh streets of Kabul after the death of his father. At home he faces the challenge of the forced marriage of his mother to his uncle. He dreams of escaping this existence by becoming a famous actor and this dream seems more possible when he befriends an Australian photojournalist who starts documenting his life in this war-torn society.
The Path (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Tobias Wiemann
Germany, 2022, 99 min
Projection place: Congress Centre
Score:
A story about an adventurous crossing of the Pyrenees and the unexpected friendship of two children who couldn’t be more unalike. Young Rolf and his father flee Berlin to escape the Nazis. All Rolf took with him was a dog and a signed book by Erich Kästner. Now in the south of France, their destination is New York, where Rolf's mother is waiting for them. The only way to freedom a steep path over the Pyrenees, and their guide, Nuria, is only slightly older than Rolf. But the boy's father is captured and the kids must continue their dangerous journey into the unknown alone.
The Path (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Tobias Wiemann
Germany, 2022, 99 min
Projection place: Congress Centre
Score:
A story about an adventurous crossing of the Pyrenees and the unexpected friendship of two children who couldn’t be more unalike. Young Rolf and his father flee Berlin to escape the Nazis. All Rolf took with him was a dog and a signed book by Erich Kästner. Now in the south of France, their destination is New York, where Rolf's mother is waiting for them. The only way to freedom a steep path over the Pyrenees, and their guide, Nuria, is only slightly older than Rolf. But the boy's father is captured and the kids must continue their dangerous journey into the unknown alone.
Where Is Anne Frank (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category
Directed by: Ari Folman
Belgium, France, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, 2021, 99 min
Projection place: Congress Centre
Score:
The story begins with a miracle: Kitty, the imaginary friend with whom Anne Frank wrote her famous diary, come's to life in modern Amsterdam. Unaware that 75 years have passed, she's convinced that if she's alive, so must Anne. She embarks on a journey through time to find her beloved friend. With the help of a friend, Peter, who runs a secret shelter for refugees without IDs and armed with a rare diary, she follows Anna's traces from the shelter to her tragic end during the Holocaust. Kitty, lost in the modern world and disgusted by the injustice that child refugees have to endure, wants to fulfill Anna's legacy. With sincerity, she presents a message of hope and generosity addressed to future generations.
The Sign Painter (2020)
Section: New Czech Film and TV Programmes
Directed by: Viesturs Kairišs
Latvia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, 2020, 118 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
A tragicomic drama of love and loss and the story of a man who, in a short space of time, finds himself gradually in the midst of three totalitarian regimes: the authoritarian state of pre-war Latvia and, during the war, the era of communism and Nazism. The absurd and grotesque situation, Kafkaesque atmosphere, great love for two women, important moral decisions accompany the main hero throughout the cruel and lyrical history of last century's Eastern Europe.
Where Is Anne Frank (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category
Directed by: Ari Folman
Belgium, France, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, 2021, 99 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
The story begins with a miracle: Kitty, the imaginary friend with whom Anne Frank wrote her famous diary, come's to life in modern Amsterdam. Unaware that 75 years have passed, she's convinced that if she's alive, so must Anne. She embarks on a journey through time to find her beloved friend. With the help of a friend, Peter, who runs a secret shelter for refugees without IDs and armed with a rare diary, she follows Anna's traces from the shelter to her tragic end during the Holocaust. Kitty, lost in the modern world and disgusted by the injustice that child refugees have to endure, wants to fulfill Anna's legacy. With sincerity, she presents a message of hope and generosity addressed to future generations.
Boney Piles (2022)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Taras Tomenko
Ukraine, 2022, 80 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
On New Year's Eve, Nastya was six years old when their house was bombed by the Russian army. For her and other children, war became a daily reality. To return to normal life, Nastya needs the help of a psychologist; she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. But she does not give up on her dreams; like every girl, she wants a big house, a pet, and an education. This painfully recent Ukrainian film shows children in the Donetsk region. Every morning they must wade through the mountains of ruins and bombed out buildings. These rubble heaps are not only where the film takes place, but also a symbol of the used up and abandoned human lives. The documentary premiered at the Berlinale just before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. At that time, official statistics showed 10,000 children living in the war zone…
Lamya´s Poem (2021)
Section: Festival Laurels from around the World
Directed by: Alex Kronemer
Canada, United States of America, 2021, 89 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
When 12-year-old Syrian refugee girl named Lamya flees the violence of her country, she is given a book of poetry of the famous 13th-century poet Rumi. As the perils of her journey mount, the book becomes a magical gateway where she meets Rumi when he was a boy and refugee fleeing the violence of his time. Together they battle the monsters that follow them from their real world situations, and Lamya must help young Rumi become the poet who writes the poem that will later save her life.
The Auschwitz Report (2020)
Section: New Czech Film and TV Programmes
Directed by: Peter Bebjak
Czech Republic, Germany, Slovak Republic, 2020, 94 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
World War II, April 7, 1944. A normal day for thousands of prisoners in Auschwitz, but a small group is preparing to flee. At the evening count, Fredy and Valér are hidden in a pit under a pile of beams. Unbetrayed, they stay three days until the Germans stop looking for them. Then they set off to their native land, to the territory of Czechoslovakia. If they make it, they will tell the world of the hell that is Auschwitz – but will the world believe them?
Olga (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Elie Grappe
France, Switzerland, Ukraine, 2021, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
2013. Olga, a talented and passionate 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast, goes to Switzerland, where she tries to secure a place in the National Sports Centre. In Kiev, however, the Euromaidan suddenly breaks out, and her relatives are in the middle of it. As the young girl must adapt to a new country and prepare for the European Championships, the Ukrainian revolution enters her life and upends everything…
The Path (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Tobias Wiemann
Germany, 2022, 99 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
A story about an adventurous crossing of the Pyrenees and the unexpected friendship of two children who couldn’t be more unalike. Young Rolf and his father flee Berlin to escape the Nazis. All Rolf took with him was a dog and a signed book by Erich Kästner. Now in the south of France, their destination is New York, where Rolf's mother is waiting for them. The only way to freedom a steep path over the Pyrenees, and their guide, Nuria, is only slightly older than Rolf. But the boy's father is captured and the kids must continue their dangerous journey into the unknown alone.