Discover and explore extraordinary films in a thematic section at 59th Zlín Film Festival
With cinema as a gateway to the great big world out there, the Zlin International Film Festival opens all gates and spurs the public (families and professionals) with a double mission: discover and explore! Inspired by the famous Czech traveller Miroslav Zikmund (born 100 years ago) who travelled the world in his iconic Tatra 87 car. In this new festival section are programmed old and new films that take the audience by the hand and guide them into the world.
Films in the ‘Explore & Discover’ section are divided into three categories:
- Nature
- People
- Countries
These are three elements that can make every journey - and every festival screening - an unforgettable experience.
Nature
We’re setting off for a series of magnificent journeys: bear spotting in Kamchatka (KAMCHATKA BEARS - LIFE BEGINS), monkey spotting in the Amazon rain forest (AMAZONIA), shark spotting in the company of famous shark master Steve Lichtag (presenting his film ALDABRA: ONCE UPON AN ISLAND at the festival), rhino spotting in Kenya (THE LAST MALE ON EARTH), living among chimpanzees together with Jane Goodall (JANE), and exploring wild nature in China (BORN IN CHINA).
But how can we – in the light of recent tendencies – fully enjoy nature’s beauty while ignoring the ecological context? Films like ARK OF LIGHTS AND SHADOWS and A PLASTIC OCEAN put nature’s unspeakable beauty in the right environmental perspective. Beauty, owe, concern and awareness go hand in hand in films like HOME, EARTH: ONE AMAZING DAY and SEASONS.
People
A look into the lives of indigenous people, fighting to keep their identity alive in a more and more globalized world. This section compiles a series of extraordinary testimonies from ethnic groups all over the world, from the American continent (INDIAN HORSE, ONCE UPON A RIVER, TAINÁ 2 - A NEW AMAZON ADVENTURE, THE LEGEND OF SARILA, KAYAK TO KLEMTU) all the way till Australia (SATELLITE BOY, EMU RUNNER) and New Zealand (BOY, POI E, WHALE RIDER). Wonderful films passing on stories that sprouted directly from the roots of mankind.
Countries
Now that Central and East European cinema is ready for a revival, this is the moment to sketch you a profile of young audience cinema in the Balkans and offer you some cinematographic highlights from former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia), Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece. Not to be missed, with films such as IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE (Romania), the two masterful films of Xhanfise Keko that recently have been rediscovered in the treasure chest of Albanian youth cinema TOMKA AND HIS FRIENDS and SPOILED MIMOZA, THE FLEA (the directorial debut of Dimitris Spyrou, nowadays known as the director of the Greek Olympia Film Festival), ENCLAVE (Serbia), the landmark debut of Emil Kusturica WHEN FATHER WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS (Yugoslavia) and the poignantly funny TITO AND ME (Serbia). Artistic Director Markéta Pasmova: “The festival keeps to its profile in all its sections: all these films show us the world from a child’s perspective.”
More than 40 films and documentaries will be screened within the Explore & Discover section. Furthermore Miroslav Zikmund's anniversary is commemorated in film screenings, debates and exhibitions, in the presence of Czech travellers and adventurers .
Discover & Explore. Nature
Home, 2009, France, dir: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Amazonia, 2013, France/Brazil, dir: Thierry Ragobert
Born in China, 2016, USA, dir: Chuan Lu
The Ark of Lights and Shadows, 2018, Czech Republic, dir: Jan Svatoš
Kamchatka Bears. Life Begings, 2018, Russia, dir: Irina Zhuravleva, Vladislav Grishin
Jane, 2017, USA, dir: Brett Morgen
Earth: One Amazing Day, 2017, United Kingdom, dir: Peter Webber, Lixin Fan, Richard Dále
Seasons, 2015, France, dir: Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud
A Plastic Ocean, 2016, Hong Kong/United Kingdom, dir: Craig Leeson
The Last Male on Earth, 2019, Belgium/Netherlands, dir: Floor van der Meulen
Aldabra: Once Upon an Island, 2014, dir: Steve Lichtag
Discover & Explore. People
Satellite Boy, 2012, Australia, dir: Catriona McKenzie
Boy, 2010, New Zealand, dir: Taika Waititi
Poi E: The Story of Our Song, 2016, New Zealand, dir: Tearepa Kahi
Indian Horse, 2017, Canada, dir: Stephen Campanelli
Emu Runner, 2018, Australia, dir: Imogen Thomas
Tainá 2 - A New Amazon Adventure, 2005, Brazil, dir: Mauro Lima
Whale Rider, 2002, New Zealand/Germany, dir: Niki Caro
The Legend of Sarila, 2013, Canada, dir: Nancy Florence Savard
Kayak to Klemtu, 2017, Canada, dir: Zoe Leigh Hopkins
Discover & Explore. Countries
Shelter, 2010, Bulgaria, dir: Dragomir Sholev
The Mystery of Green Hill, 2017, Croatia, dir: Čejen Černić
If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle, 2010, Romania, dir: Florin Șerban
Tomka and His Friends, 1977, Albania, dir: Xhanfise Keko
Spoiled Mimoza, 1973, Albania, dir: Xhanfise Keko
Hang on Doggy, 1977, Yugoslavia (Slovenia), dir: Jane Kavčič
The Flea, 1990, Greece, dir: Dimitris Spyrou
Avé, 2011, Bulgaria, dir: Konstantin Bojanov
Enclave, 2015, Serbia/Germany, dir: Goran Radovanović
Do You Remember Dolly Bell?, 1981, Yugoslavia (Bosna and Hercegovina), dir: Emir Kusturica
Tito and Me, 1992, Yugoslavia (Serbia), dir: Goran Markovič
The Lonely Wolf, 1972, Yugoslavia (Croatia), dir: Obrad Gluščević
When Father Was Away on Business, 1985, Yugoslavia (Bosna and Hercegovina), dir: Emir Kusturica
The Way I Spent the End of the World, 2006, Romania/France, dir: Cãtãlin Mitulescu
Miroslav Zikmund´s Century, 2014, Czech Republic, dir: Petr Horký
Indie Rickshow, 2017, Czech Republic/India, dir: Manťáci.cz
Break Leg!, 2014, Czech Republic, dir: Martin Matěj
Oymyakon, 2018, Slovakia, dir: Dominik Bari
A Journey Like No Other, 2019, Czech Republic, dir: Viktorie Lörinczová
Trabant on the Silky Road, 2009, Czech Republic, dir: Dan Přibáň, Dana Zlatohlávková
Trabant: There And Back Again, 2019, Czech Republic, dir: Dan Přibáň
