The Herd (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Monika Kotecka, Karolina Poryzala
Poland, 2021, 80 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Members of the Volteo amateur female equestrian vaulting club get a chance to join the Polish national team. They take on this overwhelming and costly challenge. Three girls of different ages will have to overcome their own weaknesses to achieve their joint goal. The tension grows from one training session to the next. Entering the professional level means higher demands and stress, and constant indulgence of the weak takes away the strength of the group. Will the girls, who call themselves "the herd", persist in the pursuit of their dreams? Will they sacrifice individual ambitions to become a professional team? A documentary about true friendship, team spirit, and how sometimes the path to success, even if it is bumpy, can turn out to be more valuable than the goal itself.
Ride the Wave (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Martyn Robertson
United Kingdom, 2021, 84 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Having participated in surfing competitions from the age of 11, 14-year-old Scottish champion Ben Larg is not afraid of a challenge. And what bigger challenge for a young surfer than one of the biggest and most dangerous cold water waves in the world at Mullaghmore, Ireland. If he gets it right, he joins an elite group. If he gets it wrong, the consequences are terrifying. Danger, opportunity, and parental dilemma collide propelling Ben and his family towards an unknown destiny.
Gabi, Between the Ages 8 and 13 (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Engeli Brobert
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, 2021, 77 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
We follow the remarkable Gabi over the course of five formative years as she wrestles with society’s stereotypes about boys and girls. When her family moves from Stockholm to a small rural town, and as puberty kicks in, Gabi must decide whether she wants to fit in with the crowd or chart her own path.
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…
Hello World (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Kenneth Elvebakk
Norway, Sweden, 2021, 88 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
While their classmates and friends are doing everything to fit in, Runa, Dina, Viktor, and Joachim (aged 12-14) are defining themselves differently. They are the first people to be openly gay in their classes and the youngest ones in their respective communities to come out. But building pride is not easy in a world where hate messages are just a click away, and even harder in schools where administration and education systems seek to erase and marginalize outstanding voices. What is it really like to be the only open queer in the whole school? Told through the eyes of the four young people, the film gives us a window into understanding what it is like to grow up as a queer.
Animal (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Cyril Dion
France, 2021, 105 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Bella and Vipulan, both 16, are of a generation that believes its future is in danger. Due to climate change and a 6th mass extinction, the world may be uninhabitable in 50 years. Even as they sound the alarm, nothing happens. So they decide to tackle the heart of the problem, which is man's relationship with all life. In the course of their journey, they realise how deeply intertwined humans are with all living species. By protecting them, we save ourselves. Humans thought they could cut themselves off from nature, but they are part of it. After all, man is also an Animal.
Shabu (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Shamira Raphaëla
Netherlands, Belgium, 2021, 75 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Shabu (14) lives in a colorful loving environment where everyone knows and supports each other. He needs that support, since he has a big obstacle to overcome this summer; he angered the most import woman in his life. His grandmother. He crashed her car joyriding it while she was on vacation in Surinam. So, instead of working on his music career he’ll have to pay for the damages done.