Iconic mountains are usually associated with large expeditions, where people can experience a stark contrast to their modern lives. But this perspective is more or less touristic. What about those whose lives are inextricably linked to these mountains, who live in them and risk their lives as service providers for travellers? With their earnings, they try to give their children a different life, while at the same time maintaining the bond that connects them to the highlands. Sadpara is a journey through the heart of the Pakistani mountains and into the hearts of these people.

Regie: Gabriele Canu, Produktion: Gabriele Canu | feelms, Drehbuch: Gabriele Canu, Kamera: Gabriele Canu, Schnitt: Gabriele Canu, Ton: Paolo Piccardo, Musik: Various Artists

The protagonist, Rinaldo Mallyamov, is not particularly popular in the small Russian village of Artjuschkino, located near the Volga River. He keeps his animals outdoors all year round to accustom them to life in the cold. His vision is to contribute to the revitalization of the Arctic in this way. This film cannot answer the question of whether he will succeed. Rather, the director attempts to bring together the different views on this type of agriculture. The result is an interesting study of the milieu of the Russian province (and beyond).

Regie: Ilona Vashkelite, Produktion: Ilona Vashkelite, Drehbuch: Ilona Vashkelite, Kamera: Alexandr Berdeev, Schnitt: Ilona Vashkelite, Ton: Pavel Medvedev, Musik: Ruslan Shafikov

Elyria lives with her family in Ersekë, a small village in southern Albania, where she tends sheep. Under her father's strict rules, she hides her anger behind quiet obedience. But day by day, an unstoppable desire to rebel grows within her – until she decides on an inevitable act of rebellion.

Regie: Giulia Grandinetti, Produktion: Riccardo Neri, Vincenzo Filippo, Giulia Grandinetti, Drehbuch: Giulia Grandinetti, Kamera: Ilya Sapeha, Schnitt: Niccolò Notario, Ton: Valerio Tedone, Leonardo Giambi, Musik: Mario Russo

Between the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification, package holidays to Mallorca became available. And the island, which was previously only known from postcards from the West, became a place of longing, depicted in this touching collage about freedom to travel, a hunger for colour and the desire to simply belong – somehow tragic, sometimes embarrassing and always touchingly funny.

Regie: Betina Kuntzsch, Produktion: Betina Kuntzsch, Drehbuch: Betina Kuntzsch, Kamera: Betina Kuntzsch, Schnitt: Betina Kuntzsch, Ton: Urs Hauck, Musik: Eike Hosenfeld, Moritz Denis

On board a transport ship: while a different world passes by on the banks of the canal, a young man named Milo scrubs the deck. His captain, who is also his mother, is at least as dissatisfied with his work as a sailor as he is himself. It takes a while before frustration and boredom finally lead to farewells and departure. GOODBYE MILO is a gently yet powerfully told story about growing up in the recession-plagued world of German inland shipping.

Regie: Nicolas Schönberger, Produktion: Linus Heinzler, Cosima Gerrish, Drehbuch: Nola Anwar, Nicolas Schönberger, Kamera: Anian Krone, Schnitt: Imanuel Thiele, Ton: Jan Heitland, Musik: Frederic Hellmann

A teenager in emotional crisis: Mathilde's mother suffers from schizophrenia and is being treated in a psychiatric clinic. She finds it difficult to accept her mother's illness and come to terms with it. This causes conflict with her father, but she finds support in her budding friendship with a classmate who collects fluorescent stones. ULTRAVIOLET is a painfully beautiful story from the Belgian countryside that reflects all of life: grief and loss, love and hope, joy and solidarity.

Regie: Veerle De Wilde, Produktion: Maarten D’Hollander, Tim Martens, Drehbuch: Veerle De Wilde, Kamera: Pieter Van Campe, Schnitt: Veerle De Wilde, Jan De Coster, Ton: Francesco Cimino, Musik: Kasper Cornelus

While preparing the details of his own funeral, an elderly man realises that he will be spending Christmas alone. Unable to sleep, he decides to spend the holidays at the grave of his late wife. A film about loneliness in old age and dying.

Regie: Peter Vulchev, Produktion: Peter Vulchev and Nevelin Vulchev, Drehbuch: Peter Vulchev, Kamera: Kiril Prodanov, Schnitt: Nevelin Vulchev, Ton: Adrian Gougov, Musik: N/A

When Marco comes across a cuddly toy while rummaging through old belongings, he embarks on a surreal journey with his daughter. The boundaries between delusion and reality become blurred, and a raw but tender grieving process unfolds before us. Is it possible to leave the past behind and perhaps even forget it?

Regie: Jeroen Ceulebrouck, Produktion: Animal Tank, Drehbuch: Jeroen Ceulebrouck, Kamera: Jeroen Ceulebrouck, Schnitt: Jeroen Ceulebrouck, Ton: Greg Scheirlinckx, Musik: Pierre Oberkampf

The mother of filmmaker Rebecca Blöcher led a very unorthodox life, residing in palaces and living under bridges. Her independence was very important to her. She spent many years living day and night in her small car. It was only when the car broke down and her mother could no longer even walk that the opportunity arose to meet her again.

Regie: Rebecca Blöcher, Produktion: Fabian Driehorst, Drehbuch: Rebecca Blöcher, Kamera: Rebecca Blöcher, Schnitt: Rebecca Blöcher, Ton: Simon Bastian, Musik: Christian Goretzky, Alexander Müller-Welt

El Racó d'en Binu – a restaurant in Catalonia. The first in Spain to receive a Michelin star in the 1970s. A few years later, it even received a second one. But that was a long time ago, and today nobody calls anymore. ‘If they don't talk about you, you've already lost, even if you do everything perfectly.’ The married couple Francesc and Francina have kept the restaurant going through the decades with a lot of passion and perseverance, even when it looked like it might close. The place itself seems to become the protagonist. One wonders where the boundaries lie between consistency and stubbornness, between nostalgia and sadness – until the phone rings again. The documentary tells a cathartic story of faith, love and resistance – a moving portrait of holding on to dreams, even when the heyday is long gone.

Regie: Guillem Cabra and Mar Clapés, Produktion: Guillem Cabra, Drehbuch: Guillem Cabra and Mar Clapés, Kamera: Paco Amate, Schnitt: Guillem Cabra and Mar Clapés, Ton: Jordi Rossinyol, Musik: Ubaldo & Langüile Arkestre / Oriol Puig

In long shots, the film exemplifies the tensions surrounding the development of urban spaces. In the middle of Brussels, where another huge office complex is to be built, homeless people live. We observe their everyday lives, the changes on the future construction site, and become silent witnesses to a process of transformation.

Regie: Sylvain Dufayard, Produktion: Victor Claude, Drehbuch: Sylvain Dufayard, Kamera: Sylvain Dufayard, Schnitt: Lucrezia Lippi, Ton: Iannis Heaulme, Musik: n/a

Malaga is paradise on earth, a dream of summer, sun and beaches. What could be better, thinks a newly rich couple in love, than living here in the warm south of Spain in a luxurious apartment? The Costa del Sol is right on their doorstep, and they can easily earn their living from home on their computers. However, it doesn't take long in this biting comedy to realise that paradise has a catch, because the local culture is defensive and armed with musical instruments.

Regie: Delia Márquez Sánchez,Leonor Jiménez, Produktion: Delia Márquez Sánchez, Drehbuch: Leonor Jiménez,Simona Frabotta, Kamera: Ana Cayuela, Schnitt: Leonor Jiménez,Delia Márquez, Ton: Alicia Casilari, Musik: Francisco Javier Moreno Ramos,Rocío López "La boterita"

Set in a dilapidated neighbourhood of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, the film delves into the everyday life of a ten-year-old boy and his mother. Evocative images reveal the hopelessness of the situation in which these people are trapped. A quiet observation of the social environment that raises more questions than it answers. What prospects are there in a world on the brink of collapse?

Regie: Thanh-Giang Nguyen, Produktion: Cao Viet Nga, Drehbuch: Thanh-Giang Nguyen, Kamera: Thao Hoang, Schnitt: Thanh-Giang Nguyen, Ton: Thanh-Giang Nguyen, Roman Beilharz, Musik: Roman Beilharz

Cruises are becoming increasingly popular. A convenient way to see a bit of the world? The film humorously shows what happens when masses of adventure-hungry tourists descend like locusts on picturesque towns and devastate them in their search for authenticity: they are fleeced.

Regie: Director: Mihkel Reha, Animator: Marje Ale,Tarmo Vaarmets, Kaia Sinilaid, Shara Arus, Produktion: Kalev Tamm, Drehbuch: Mihkel Reha, Kamera: Mihkel Reha, Schnitt: Mihkel Reha, Ton: Horret kuus, Musik: Kaspar Jancis

Koka lives alone with his father in a small community on the coast of the Bering Sea, in modest circumstances, in a world where time seems to stand still. We accompany him as he fishes with his father, collects berries and mushrooms, and helps others butcher a whale, but also finds time for himself and his friends. The film shows the close relationship between father and son and the tension between childhood and growing up in a harsh environment.

Regie: Aliaksandr Tsymbaliuk, Produktion: Ewa Jastrzębska Studio Munka - Polish Filmmakers Association Jerzy Kapuściński Munk Studio - Polish Filmmakers Association, Drehbuch: Aliaksandr Tsymbaliuk, Kamera: X, Schnitt: Vlad Fishez, Ton: Rafał Nowak, Musik: x

‘Actually, I would have liked to become an actress’... However, life and love had other plans for Norma. Now she is a fisherwoman and lives with her husband Miguel in modest conditions in the river delta in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos. She shares her thoughts about the past, her dreams and her uncertainties with us. When flooding threatens their habitat, the couple are forced to leave their home and start afresh.

Regie: Gastón Calivari, Produktion: Valentina Flynn, Drehbuch: Gastón Calivari, Kamera: Denise Chautemps, Schnitt: Gastón Calivari,Valentina Flynn, Ton: Facundo Graziola, Musik: -

Kaali discovers that his beloved sled dog has disappeared. He immediately sets out to search for him in the small town of Tasiilaq in East Greenland. He suspects that the dog has been stolen. Accompanied by his only friend, he encounters various residents and has to face the challenges of being different in this close-knit community. Kaali finds his dog and steals it back. But he is caught in the act, flees and leaves Bartilaa behind. When he learns that the real thief is someone else, he has to act quickly to avoid losing his only friend.

Regie: Christoffer Rizvanovic Stenbakken, Produktion: Asbjørn H. Kelstrup, Drehbuch: Christoffer Rizvanovic Stenbakken, Kamera: Philip Peng Rosenthal, Schnitt: Laura Skiöld Østerud, Ton: Becca Reyes, Musik: Becca Reyes

Until 2018, Boca Chica was a tiny village in the far south of the Texas coast, just before the Mexican border and surrounded by wetlands with bird colonies. With a population of 26 in 2000, the arrival of SpaceX in 2014 marked the beginning of a fundamental transformation into a rocket launch facility. Now it is a place that moves people, where worlds collide. The film reflects on the price of progress – and the question of what we are willing to sacrifice to realise our boldest visions.

Regie: Julien Elie, Produktion: Andreas Mendritzki, Drehbuch: Julien Elie, Kamera: Glauco Bermudez, Francois Messier-Rheault, Schnitt: Xi Feng, Ton: Sylvain Bellemare, Musik: Mimi Allard

In aesthetic, tranquil images, we accompany a very old woman who lives alone in an abandoned former fishing village and collects dead, dried-up fish. The region used to be an important wetland in Iran. Due to the construction of dams in neighbouring Afghanistan, Lake Hamun has been dry for years, and dust storms and drought characterise the landscape of the former lake region. Through vivid, colourful animations, the viewer gets a glimpse of how the place once radiated with life.

Regie: Maria Mavati, Ehsan Farokhi Fard, Produktion: Maria Mavati, Ehsan Farokhi Fard, Drehbuch: Maria Mavati, Ehsan Farokhi Fard, Kamera: Mehdi Azadi, Schnitt: Hamid Najafi rad, Maria Mavati, Ton: Mohammad Khodam, Musik: Masoud Sekhavat Doust

In magnificent black-and-white images, we see the Italian island of Stromboli with its constantly active volcano, Iddu. Three elderly residents of the island talk about their relationship with nature and the volcano. The filmmaker's decision to present his film in black and white lends the narratives and images an existentialist urgency that is difficult to resist.

Regie: Julien Sallé, Produktion: Cédric Walter - The Dark, Drehbuch: Julien Sallé, Kamera: Julien Sallé, Schnitt: Leslie Lagier, Ton: Frédéric Dabo, Musik: Frédéric Dabo

For more than 40 years, Jacques Dohoux has been living away from civilisation in the Uapishka (Grouix) Mountains north of Quebec. Following the idea of exploring the untouched nature before the planned road construction, he once set off north with two friends and a dog sled. This adventure became a way of life: with the support of many people, he built a camp and has been living there self-sufficiently ever since. He also offers interested guests the opportunity to experience this unspoilt nature with him. Over the years, through many letters, a community has formed that maintains the bridge between civilisation and his island in the wilderness. But Jacques is getting old, daily tasks are becoming increasingly difficult for him, and his future is uncertain.

Regie: Lysandre Leduc-Boudreau, Produktion: Lysandre Leduc-Boudreau, Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre, Drehbuch: Lysandre Leduc-Boudreau, Kamera: Isabelle Stachtchenko, Schnitt: Leonie Tremblay-Clavette, Lysandre Leduc Boudreau, Ton: Erick Gendron, Musik: Saga Stratégie Sonore

Since the death of his father and brother, Pascal, 45, a dairy farmer in Val d'Illiez, has been running the family business on his own. The heat of summer and the arrival of Solène, a volunteer from the Caritas-Montagnards association, disrupt the routine. Solène discovers the harsh everyday life in close contact with the animals and in conversation with Pascal. A film about hard work, civilisational self-doubt and the recurring questions about food, life and love.

Regie: Sayaka Mizuno, Produktion: Aline Schmid, Adrian Blaser, Drehbuch: Sayaka Mizuno, Kamera: -, Schnitt: Myriam Rachmuth, Ton: -, Musik: Fhunyue Gao

In this animated miniature, a drawing comes to life before our eyes and tells not only the story of a fleeing wild boar, but also how humans occupy places that once belonged to nature. This film is based on memories of a walk in the Belgian Ardennes and was drawn and animated on a single sheet of paper.

Regie: Nicolas Piret, Produktion: Zorobabel, Drehbuch: Nicolas Piret, Kamera: Nicolas Piret, Schnitt: Nicolas Piret, Ton: Frédéric Furnelle, Musik: /

The Macenta region of Guinea lacks roads, electricity and water. Above all, however, it lacks hope and confidence in the future. With his vision of the first coffee washing plant in West Africa and with great personal commitment, Mamy Dioubaté wants to ensure that coffee farmers retain more of the proceeds and, at the same time, gain confidence in their own abilities. Then even more can be achieved for the country.

Regie: Sorina Gajewski, Produktion: Sorina Gajewski & Milena Kmekt, Drehbuch: Sorina Gajewski, Kamera: Hannes Schulze, Schnitt: Marisol B. Lima, Ton: Nils Plambeck, Musik: Lucas Castillo

A young Iranian boy's first visit to a public bathhouse for men becomes a test of courage. Because his single mother is not allowed to accompany him and the bath attendant cannot be trusted, he is alone and left to fend for himself. KOOTAY is a cinematic experience whose stylish imagery transports the viewer into an atmosphere between dream and nightmare. Fantastical black-and-white images transform the bathhouse into a mystical place, mysterious and threatening – perhaps even dangerous?

Regie: Soheila Poormohammadi, Produktion: Soheila Poormohammadi, Drehbuch: Soheila Poormohammadi, Kamera: Armin Yousefzadeh, Schnitt: Ali Sedaghat, Ton: Mohammad Mehdi Javaherizadeh, Musik: Payam Azadi

In northern Greece, a young man with Albanian roots is struggling to keep his head above water. Sally works in greenhouses that produce cheap fruit and vegetables on a large scale. He dropped out of school and dreams of a career as a professional footballer. He defies his difficult living conditions with passion. But is there room for interpersonal relationships and love in his precarious situation?

Regie: George Georgakopoulos, Produktion: Lia Keramari, Drehbuch: George Georgakopoulos, Kamera: Yiorgos Koutsaliaris, Schnitt: George Georgakopoulos, Ton: Enes Achmet Kechagia, Musik: Gregoris Liolios

A rescue operation to free chickens from a factory farm goes completely wrong. The four activists are now forced to flee into the wilderness, where they experience a series of extreme situations and ethical dilemmas. These lead them to new insights, such as the fact that nature is not a safe place for animals.

Regie: Matúš Vizár, Produktion: Jakub Viktorín, Tomáš Hrubý, Drehbuch: Matúš Vizár, Kamera: -, Schnitt: Michal Böhm, Ton: Adam Matej, Musik: Adam Matej

At the end of her life, Lucila Mouta de Souza reflects on what will become of the way of life of the indigenous people in her region. Her knowledge as a healer in harmony with nature, her strong awareness of social justice and her role as guardian of the rainforest must be passed on. She places her hopes in her grandson. Will he be able to carry on the traditions in the face of the approaching forest fire, which is already one of many thousands in the state of Roraima, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon?

Regie: Benjamin Hindrichs, Produktion: Benjamin Hindrichs, Drehbuch: Benjamin Hindrichs, Kamera: Edoardo A. González, Schnitt: Rafa Rodríguez, Ton: Aroa Fuentes, Musik: N/A

In a small village in one of Argentina's last rainforests, a solar eclipse occurs. As the shadow of the eclipse creeps across the fascinatingly photographed images, a feeling of loss and powerlessness in the face of circumstances creeps in. NUESTRA SOMBRA creates a consistently laconic mood that keeps the tension high.

Regie: Agustina Sánchez Gavier, Produktion: Valerie-Malin Schmid, Drehbuch: Agustina Sánchez Gavier, Kamera: Constanza Sandoval, Schnitt: Agustina Sánchez Gavier, Ton: Henning Hein, Musik: Joel Jaffe

A ship carrying refugees sinks off the coast of a small port town on the Andalusian coast, without disrupting everyday life. As they do every day, the civil guard sorts through the shipwrecked passengers, tourists take advantage of the beautiful weather to go sailing and visit the fair, and trucks drive north during the night. At the end of the day, festive fireworks light up the night sky.

Regie: Dinis M. Costa, Produktion: Adrien Barrouillet, Drehbuch: Dinis M. Costa, Kamera: Tomás Brice, Schnitt: Jeanne Sarfati, Ton: Flavia Cordey, Musik: Francisco Ferro

This film trickles through your fingers like sand. You can literally feel the dissolution and rebirth of the protagonist, who allows herself to be carried away by a moose, out of her garden and into the wild, and then returns. As a different person?

Regie: Director: Helen Unt / Animators: Aggie Pak Yee Lee, Helen Unt, Produktion: Edina Csüllög, Vessela Dantcheva, Drehbuch: Helen Unt, Kamera: Urmas Jõemees, Schnitt: Helen Unt, Ton: Vladislav Boyadjiev, Musik: Petar Dundakov

It is actually unimaginable how people in the war zones of this world manage to somehow cope with their daily lives, to live a normal life where everyday life has been bombed. The film portrays this continuation with melancholy and absurdity, yet not without a glimmer of hope for something like humanity.

Regie: Simone Fiorentino, Produktion: Simone Fiorentino, Drehbuch: Simone Fiorentino, Kamera: Simone Fiorentino, Schnitt: Simone Fiorentino, Ton: Simone Fiorentino, Musik: silly blu

Landi secretly camps in the Zapata swamp, where he hunts crocodiles with his bare hands to feed his family. While waiting, he hears about coronavirus and social tensions on the radio. On the coast, his wife Mercedes searches for charcoal for cooking and cares for their son, who suffers from severe autism. The days pass, and Mercedes grows impatient; Landi should have been back long ago. Finally, he shows up with the food that will enable them to survive before he has to return to the swamp.

Regie: David Bim, Produktion: Lia Rodriguez, David Bim, Drehbuch: David Bim, Kamera: David Bim, Schnitt: David Bim, Ton: Jesús Bermúdez, David Bim, Musik: N/A