'Polamuang Juling' (Citizen Juling) Thailand
Produced by Ing K, Manit Sriwanichpoom and Kraisak Choonhavan
How did a young, Buddhist art teacher from the north of Thailand, end up lying comatose in a pool of blood at a village kindergarten school in the deep Islamic South? Taking the 2006 case of Juling Pongkanmul as his starting point, colourful human rights activist and senator, Kraisak Choonhavan, goes on the road to investigate the four-year strife between separatists and army troops in southern Thailand. From the opening scenes of ecstatic royalist crowds on the streets of Bangkok on Coronation Day in June 2006, to the festive military coup d’etat that ends it, the filming of Citizen Juling coincided with the last four intense months of Thailand’s Thaksin Shinawatra government, under which thousands died in extra-judicial killings and many disappeared. Shot in cinéma vérité style, Citizen Juling offers an unflinching and achingly human view of some of Thailand's social conflicts.
'Hashmatsa' (Defamation) Israel / Austria / Denmark / USA
Produced by Knut Ogris, Karoline Leth, Sandra Itkoff and Philippa Kowarsky
What is anti-Semitism today, two generations after the Holocaust? In his continuing exploration of modern Israeli life, director Yoav Shamir, travels the world in search of the most modern manifestations of the “oldest hatred“, and comes up with some startling answers. In his irreverent and deeply personal quest, Shamir follows American Jewish leaders to the capitals of Europe, as they warn government officials of the growing threat of anti-Semitism, and he joins a class of Israeli high school students on a pilgrimage to Auschwitz. Opinions often differ and tempers sometimes flare, but in Defamation we find that one thing is certain - only by understanding their response to anti-Semitism can we really appreciate how Jewish people today, and especially modern Israelis, respond to the world around them, in New York and in Moscow, in Gaza and Tel Aviv.
'Gandhi's Children' Australia
Produced by David MacDougall
A shelter for children on the outskirts of Delhi provides food and accommodation for 350 boys. Some are orphans, others have been abandoned, still others have run away from home. About half are juvenile detainees, having been picked up from the streets for petty crimes. Living at the institution for several months, the filmmaker explores its routines and the experiences of several boys. Despite the harshness of their lives, many show remarkable strength of character, knowledge, and resilience. One day, 181 child labourers arrive, placing additional strain on the building’s deteriorating facilities. The institution does what it can, but is it enough?
'Seishin' (Mental) Japan / USA
Produced by Kazuhiro Soda
Mental observes the complex world of an outpatient mental health clinic in Japan, Chorale Okayama, interwoven with patients, doctors, staff, volunteers, and home-helpers, in cinema verité style. The film breaks a major taboo against discussing mental illness prevalent in Japanese society, and captures the candid lives of men and women of all ages coping with illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, panic disorder and fear of society. Because of their illnesses, some attempt suicide repeatedly and others actually kill themselves. Some have been dealing with their illnesses for decades and have developed their own philosophy, religious faith, or artistic expressions as a coping mechanism. Some hide their illnesses even from their family members and friends, while others give lectures to reduce prejudice and misunderstanding about mental illness. Mental explores the beauracratic issues surrounding mental health services in Japan and also provides an insight into the daily lives and candid faces of patients, revealing their philosophy, sufferings, anxiety, and joy.
'L’important, c’est de Rester Vivant' (Survive, In the Heart of the Khmer Rouge Madness) Cambodia / France
Produced by Gerard Lacroix, Leslie F. Grunberg and Gerard Pont, Co-Produced by Chandara Saidnattar and Antoine Martin
Roshane Saidnattar, a young filmmaker and survivor of the Cambodian death camps of the 1970s, meets the chief theorist of the Khmer Rouge, Khieu Samphân. Spurred by the man's lies and denial, the director and her mother, who also survived the horror of the camps, return to Cambodia and find the strength to talk about their experiences.