Weekly cinema-tips from the documentary film section
Children, young people, and their real everyday worries and joys are the focus in our documentary film section, which found its place amongst the competitions in 2018; the section is organized together with the European Children's Film Association (ECFA).
My Favorite War
2020, NOR, LAT
Directed by: Ilze Burkovska - Jacobsen
The Latvian animated documentary film My Favorite War is the director's autobiographical story of childhood in Soviet-dominated Latvia. Although this is a topic from the not-so-long-ago past that our children have not experienced, we consider it important to recall this time for this generation. This impressive animated film, looking at authoritarian society through the eyes of a young girl, has been rightly awarded at many festivals.
Trailer you can watch here.
The School Garden
2019, NLD
Directed by: Mark Verkerk
Many children have no idea where the food on their plates comes from. The school garden system has been operating in the Netherlands for more than 100 years. The cheerful and playful Dutch film School Garden shows how children in primary schools learn to grow and cook food from products that they grow themselves. Children naturally get to understand nature and animals better. What better way to understand the value of food than to learn how to grow your own fruits and vegetables?
Trailer you can watch here.
Cabinets of Wonder
2021, GER
Directed by: Susanne Kim
If childhood were a place, where would it be? The German film Cabinets of Wonder tries to answer this question in a unique way. Four children aged 11 to 14 will take us on an adventurous journey into their inner world and show us their secrets and desires, as well as their fears. We see into their minds and hearts and discover new planets, cat people, and even blue shiny beetles. Children simply want to find a secret place that is inaccessible to adults, where they can stay as long as they want and where no one will tell them what to do.
Kids Cup
2021, NOR
Directed by: Line Hatland
Every summer, the Norwegian Cup brings together 30,000 children from around 50 countries who share their passion for football. The tournament brings together many ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds, and enables young people from all over the world to meet and compete on equal terms. The Norwegian film Kids Cup is a warm, funny and inspiring documentary about well-being, victory and friendship, and also about homesickness and disappointment. How do children from all over the world react to all this? Some scream, some softly cry, some joke to mask the pain. Some blame the referee, their teammates, or themselves. What do they say to their moms when they call home?
Trailer you can watch here.
Girls for Future
2021, GER
Directed by: Irja von Bernstorff
The impressive German documentary Girls for Future follows four girls aged 11 to 14 from Senegal, Indonesia, Australia, and India who fight for a better future. All are directly affected by the consequences of environmental destruction, talking about their personal experiences with water scarcity, burning coal, air pollution and disposing of plastics. At a time when solutions to environmental problems are often presented as very complex and difficult to implement, these children are determined to live in a future worth living in. Their strength and determination are necessarily an inspiration to all audiences, regardless of age.
Trailer you can watch here.