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

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

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

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

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

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