SPRING 2023

  • LONELY OAKS

    LONELY OAKS

    Hambach Forest in Germany was supposed to be cleared to expand an open-cast lignite mine. In 2018, during a large-scale police operation to evict activists occupying the forest, film student Steffen Meyn was killed in a tragic accident. Based on his film footage, we chronicle Steffen’s journey and follow him into the activists’ world.

  • HONG KONG – CENSORSHIP, PROTEST, ART

    HONG KONG – CENSORSHIP, PROTEST, ART

    Ai Weiwei’s middle finger – deleted. Pillar of Shame – removed. The film Revolution of Our Times – banned. Bit by bit, critical art is being eliminated in Hong Kong. How are the creatives reacting? Are they giving in or fighting back? Based on the examples of various artists, the film shows how protest and art are still possible despite censorship.

  • SWITZERLAND AT NIGHT

    SWITZERLAND AT NIGHT

    Switzerland at night is fascinating and anything but dark. And lots of people are still awake. On our journey from dusk to dawn, we take viewers on helicopter and drone flights from the Engadin to Lake Geneva, and we visit people still out and about deep into the night.

  • LAKES – SOURCES OF LIFE

    LAKES – SOURCES OF LIFE

    They are refuges for animals and humans, have aesthetic value and are the source of numerous myths and legends: Europe’s great lakes. From Finland to the Anatolia, we learn more about the special features of European lakes and their importance for the ecosystem. Many of these habitats are at risk. What strategies are there to preserve these bodies of water?

  • THE DARK SIDE OF ALGORITHMS

    THE DARK SIDE OF ALGORITHMS

    Algorithms decide whether we are creditworthy, entitled to social welfare and which partner is the right one for us. But what happens if algorithms make mistakes? We tell the stories of people whose lives have been turned upside down after algorithms misjudged their situations. Who is responsible if AI turns out to be a curse rather than a blessing?

  • NOTO – A GARDEN OF STONE

    NOTO – A GARDEN OF STONE

    In 1693, a huge earthquake destroyed the city of Noto in south-eastern Sicily. The decades that followed saw the emergence on a new site of a unique Baroque city influenced by styles from all over Europe. Five citizens of Noto introduce us to the city’s artistic and cultural treasures and take us to the origins of the “barocco siciliano”.

  • HAO ARE YOU

    HAO ARE YOU

    His mother blames communism, his uncle an inheritance dispute, the others remain silent. Film director Dieu Hao Do examines his fragmented family, which has scattered across three continents since the Vietnam War. Is communism to blame for their estrangement?

  • AFRICAN STYLES

    AFRICAN STYLES

    Africa’s fashion avant-garde is diverse and thriving. In the continent’s major cities as well as in the African diaspora, creatives are setting trends with provocative, visionary designs and transforming the world’s often clichéd perception of Africa. Eight exciting designers offer us a glimpse of the creations of tomorrow!

  • DYSLEXIA – A NEW PERSPECTIVE

    DYSLEXIA – A NEW PERSPECTIVE

    Dyslexia is a complex condition whose causes are still not fully understood. At least 5% of all children and adolescents worldwide have difficulty reading and spelling. This film looks at the psychologically stressful situation these children face. It showcases success stories and finds out how researchers are searching for causes and treatments.

  • MEGADROUGHT – HOW THE AMERICAN WEST IS HEADING FOR DISASTER

    MEGADROUGHT – HOW THE AMERICAN WEST IS HEADING FOR DISASTER

    An investigative journey to the American west, which is increasingly threatened by water scarcity. Scientific data shows that this region is drying out, with devastating consequences for communities and the environment. Conflicts of biblical proportions are already emerging – defined by the struggle for our most precious resource.

  • THE HAIDA IN CANADA

    THE HAIDA IN CANADA

    Everything is connected to everything – one of four basic beliefs held by the Haida, an indigenous group of people native to the west coast of Canada. This is how they live in harmony with their environment. Skil Jaadee and her family struggle to keep up their traditions and bring back their language. This film tells their story.