On the island of Tierra del Fuego – far to the south, in a remote part of Patagonia – 60-year-old Toto works as one of the last gold miners. It is a gruelling and precarious life, and his health is already failing. But he has to carry on. He receives support from his son Jorge, who is full of ideas and drive: he is designing a machine for panning for gold. But the project cannot be realised as quickly as initially thought. The years come and go. Toto is slowly growing impatient, his health is deteriorating, and the machine is becoming ever larger, more complex and heavier. Will Jorge ever manage to finish it? The film is a multi-layered, vivid portrait of a father-son relationship and evokes the magic inherent in the dreams that spur us to action.

Regie: Alfredo Pourailly de la Plaza, Produktion: Francisco Hervé, Annemiek van der Hell, Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza, Drehbuch: Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza, Javiera Velozo Saldivia, Francisco Hervé, Kamera: Alfredo Pourailly de la Plaza, Schnitt: Javiera Velozo, Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza, Melisa Miranda, Ton: Gustavo Agurto Vergara, Rodrigo Méndez Telias, Musik: Karl Heortweard

Deep in the Portuguese countryside, bulls graze in the pastures of a country estate, in the shade of ancient olive trees. They still lead a peaceful life, which stands in stark contrast to the role they will soon take on. MACHOS offers us a wordless and sober insight into the centuries-old tradition of bullfighting.

Regie: Justine Jahn, Produktion: Justine Jahn / DocNomadsPlus, Drehbuch: Justine Jahn, Kamera: Justine Jahn, Schnitt: Justine Jahn, Ton: Justine Jahn, Musik: -

Deep in the Austrian countryside, the taciturn Lenz works in a sparsely attended pub where time seems to have stood still for the last twenty or thirty years. His mate Fabian beats an opponent so badly in a brawl that he ends up in hospital. Carina, the waitress with whom Lenz is secretly in love, dreams of a future in Vienna or New York. Lenz would actually be content with a stable life. But at some point he has to realise that, although the passage of time moves more slowly in the village, it cannot ultimately be stopped. THE LAST PEOPLE is a quiet drama shot in beautiful black and white.

Regie: Nicolás Pindeus, Produktion: Alisa Frischholz & Melvyn Zeyns, Drehbuch: Nicolás Pindeus, Kamera: Lukas Allmaier, Schnitt: Maria Lisa Pichler, Ton: Sound recording: Marius Mertens; Sound design: Alexander Siegl, Musik: -

Mia, the shell diver, looks back. The sea has shaped her entire life. Like a mermaid, she draws us down into the depths to the silent seaweed and fish; she lets us share in her happy love and the sadness of her unfulfilled desire to have children, in the sense of community among the female divers and their ever-deteriorating pay.

Regie: Sandra Desmazieres, Produktion: Jérôme Barthélemy, Daniel Sauvage, Olivier Catherin, Richard Valk, Vanessa Ventura, Nuno Amorim, Drehbuch: Sandra Desmazieres, Kamera: NA, Schnitt: Guerric Catala, Ton: Antoine Citrinot, Alexis Place, Antoine Citrinot, Musik: Manuel Merlot, Cedryck Santens

A young girl wakes up one morning, looks for her mother and finally finds her inside a wine bottle. She smashes the bottle to free her mother, but her mother immediately jumps into the next bottle. How can you save someone who doesn’t want to be saved?

Regie: Alexandra McGuinness (Lukina), Produktion: Dmitriy Mosiagin, Drehbuch: Alexandra McGuinness (Lukina), Kamera: Alexandra McGuinness (Lukina), Schnitt: Alexandra McGuinness (Lukina), Ton: Alexey Prosvirnin, Musik: Alexey Prosvirnin

Alejandra and her grandmother Yolanda live on a remote farm in the heart of a conflict zone. The Mexican state has lost control of the region and drug cartels are exercising their power through violence. Adapting to the prevailing rules is essential for survival here: ‘We can’t trust anyone,’ Yolanda tells her granddaughter. She herself is caught in a dilemma between caution and compassion. When she hides a wounded soldier – who is being hunted by mercenaries – in her hut, she is taking a huge risk. A BURNING TURRET takes a relentless look at the violence that has been raging in Mexico for around two decades.

Regie: Humberto Flores Jáuregui, Produktion: Mónica Velasco, Sergio Martínez Esqueda, Drehbuch: Humberto Flores Jáuregui, Kamera: Bruno Herrera, Schnitt: Manuel Acuña A., Humberto Flores Jáuregui, Ton: Rubí J. Pérez, Rafael Gepe Arcos, Mario Martínez Cobos, Musik: Hermanito

NORHEIMSUND is an insignificant village on Norway’s Hardangerfjord, yet for Yaimita, who lives in precarious circumstances with her mother in Cuba, it represents a dream of prosperity. The prospect of a better life through marriage to an older Norwegian man named Sven gives her hope, until she comes to a bitter realisation. Told in a lively and authentic style, the film depicts a process of disillusionment: whilst her mother refuses to acknowledge the links between economic inequality and sexual exploitation, Yaimita eventually realises that she can hardly escape her poverty.

Regie: Ana A. Alpizar, Produktion: Madeline Rose Finkel, Ana A. Alpizar, Drehbuch: Ana A. Alpizar, Kamera: Yuqian Zhang, Schnitt: Ana A. Alpizar, Ton: Denis Colina, Musik: Denis Colina

A world in flux. A filmmaker torn between her artistic practice and her responsibilities as a mother. Whilst the present is overshadowed by crises, wars and resource-hungry AI, a child’s perspective offers a fresh way of looking at reality. Amidst dystopian visions and poetic imagery, *Hope Road* searches for hope – and for a way to engage with a world that is in danger of being lost.

Regie: Susann Maria Hempel, Produktion: Susann Maria Hempel, Drehbuch: Susann Maria Hempel, Kamera: Susann Maria Hempel, Schnitt: Susann Maria Hempel, Ton: Susann Maria Hempel, Musik: Nils Wogram, Julia Fischer u.a.

Tamim, a 70-year-old immigrant, supports his family by working as a toilet cleaner in a Viennese nightclub. One night, he finds a wallet full of cash and cocaine. Instead of handing it in, he sets out to find the owner. Despite his good intentions, his decision to act on his own leads to misunderstandings that jeopardise his job and his integrity. FOUND&LOST is a film that straddles the line between drama and comedy, raising a number of questions. Above all: how does one find one’s bearings as a migrant in a foreign culture, its environments and its unwritten rules?

Regie: Reza Rasouli, Produktion: Jakob Serdaroglu, Philip Ivancsics, Reza Rasouli, Drehbuch: Reza Rasouli, Kamera: Konstantin Johann, Schnitt: Jonathan Meiri, Ton: Sound recording: Mathias Edelmann, Alexander Römisch; Sound Design: Ramin Abusedgh, Musik: -

A street corner in Berlin-Moabit is undergoing a transformation: an ageing supermarket is becoming a building site and then a new building. Shelves are being stocked, walls knocked down, breaks taken and money counted. The people working here are bringing the place to life. What is their relationship with it? How does it shape the conditions of their work? The different versions of the place overlap, creating a coexistence of refrigerated display cabinets, scaffolding and exposed concrete. Sometimes playful, sometimes eerie, repetitions emerge, like echoes between worlds. Over a period of five years, the film explores the relationship between work and change in this place with patience, humour and a loving eye.

Regie: Paul Sonntag, Produktion: Oscar Meyer-Ricks, Judith Frahm, Paul Sonntag, Drehbuch: Paul Sonntag, Kamera: Paul Sonntag, Schnitt: Katrin Ebersohn, Ton: Jan Brett, Musik: Fabian Kalker

Eleven-year-old Vrej lives in a village in the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. He dreams of becoming a dentist. The boy’s life takes a sudden turn when his family is forced to flee to Armenia as war breaks out. In exile, Vrej waits impatiently for victory, but the reality is quite different. Upon returning to their devastated village, efforts to prepare the younger generation for war begin immediately. Over a period of four years, the film follows Vrej as he grows into a teenager amidst war, flight and displacement. The result is an accessible and powerful portrait of a young person in a community shaped by trauma and hope.

Regie: Sareen Hairabedian, Produktion: Azza Hourani, Sareen Hairabedian, Drehbuch: Sareen Hairabedian, Kamera: Sareen Hairabedian, Schnitt: Sareen Hairabedian, Raphaëlle Martin-Holger, Ton: Tom Effinger, Musik: Tigran Hamasyan

A small urban family finds themselves stranded in a country inn where a young man is forced to sing. The family’s little girl is a silent observer. The world before her eyes is full of contradictions. What she sees is familiar and enigmatic, ugly and beautiful, homely and abysmal, evil and warm-hearted. THE SINGERS transposes a story by the 19th-century Russian writer Ivan Turgenev into contemporary Austria – effortlessly and enchantingly.

Regie: Fabian Rausch, Zorah Berghammer, Produktion: Maximilian Demets, Drehbuch: Fabian Rausch, Kamera: Zorah Berghammer, Lidija Kumpas, Schnitt: Paul Eckhart, Ton: Sound recording: Lena Zechner; Sound design: Matthias Hafner, Musik: Matthäus Schnöll

Beirut, a city steeped in history, yet one that is threatened by conflict and urbanisation. Nour, a curious young girl, collects traces of the past, whilst her mother, concerned for her safety, tries to protect her daughter from a world that harbours dangers at every turn.

Regie: Mathilde Nicolas, Emilien Blancquaert, Timothée Adens, Raphaël Debroize, Produktion: Carlos De Carvalho, Drehbuch: Mathilde Nicolas, Axel Raffensdorfer, Kamera: N/A, Schnitt: Mathilde Nicolas, Ton: Mathilde Nicolas, Lucas Verreman, Musik: Firmin Encrenaz, Lucas Verreman, Bachar Mar-Khalifé

In a remote mountain village in Kyrgyzstan, children and their teacher face the daily challenges of life in extreme isolation. Amidst snow-covered paths, long journeys to school and the harsh conditions of the natural environment, a portrait of childhood, education and community emerges. With great intimacy and quiet observation, TOO BALDARY- CHILDREN OF THE MOUNTAINS tells a story of curiosity, resilience and the hope for a future that extends beyond the boundaries of the mountains.

Regie: Guliza Abdykamilova, Produktion: Guliza Abdykamilova, Drehbuch: Guliza Abdykamilova, Kamera: Adilet Baktybekov, Schnitt: Adilet Baktybekov, Ton: Ainuska Asanbekova, Musik: -

The daring teenagers Erdem and Yasin are throwing water bombs, whilst boxing coach Arkan’s little Chihuahua dies tragically. Can dogs actually have a heart attack? This question is soon the subject of lively debate in the neighbourhood. HARIKA translates as ‘wonderful’ and depicts everyday life in the Turkish community of a small German town. Free from the constraints of causal logic, light-hearted and fast-paced, with no professional actors – but full of likeable people who are more or less playing themselves.

Regie: Beran Ergün, Produktion: Beran Ergün, Sophie Beckmann, Drehbuch: Beran Ergün, Kamera: David Goralsky, Schnitt: Beran Ergün, Ton: Gürkan Özkaya, Sound Design: Tim Elzer, Musik: David Goralsky

This film is quite a trip. Fasten your seatbelts, step inside, and welcome to the mind of the artist and filmmaker. Here, a wave of images, sounds, music, colours, ideas and associations washes over the viewer … It’s utterly overwhelming. Let yourself be swept away on a journey into a multi-layered world …

Regie: Konstantin von Sichart, Produktion: Konstantin von Sichart, Alice Dalgalarrondo, Drehbuch: Konstantin von Sichart, Kamera: Konstantin von Sichart, Schnitt: Henrique Cartaxo, Ton: Christian Obermaier, Musik: Joseph Varschen, Konstantin von Sichart

A barmaid initially seems aloof, but does not appear entirely impervious to the shy attempts at flirtation by a young man sitting at her bar. He borrows his brother’s motorbike and takes her out. The brother hops on his bike and encounters a man filled with hatred – old and alone – who believes he must defend his land against unauthorised intruders. A series of encounters leads inexorably to disaster: WIRAŹ is a dark thriller set in rural Poland in the early 2000s.

Regie: Piotr Szubra, Produktion: Krystyna Doktorowicz, Drehbuch: Piotr Szubra, Kamera: Jakub Kaźmierczak, Schnitt: Kacper Rosiak, Jakub Słoniec, Piotr Szubra, Ton: Oskar Światowski, Musik: Jan Maremnout

A film that takes a stand against excessive private car use in the city centre. Car traffic in an urban residential area harasses and inconveniences the residents: cars, noise and hazards everywhere. What can you do, apart from simply putting up with it for years on end? Drive a car yourself and go with the flow? In the filmmaker’s world, there is a simple solution…

Regie: Jelena Oroz, Produktion: Vanja Andrijevic, Drehbuch: Jelena Oroz, Kamera: N/A, Schnitt: Iva Kraljevic, Ton: Josip Klobucar, Musik: Josip Klobucar

A power line is damaged by a storm. Unstable connection – no electricity, no mobile network, no internet. A person sets off on a journey and experiences life off the beaten track: nature, people, encounters – non-stop. May things stay this way … a dream?

Regie: Daria Shishova, Produktion: Olga Granovskaya, Drehbuch: Daria Shishova, Kamera: -, Schnitt: Daria Shishova, Ton: Artem Fadeev, Musik: Anna Vasilyeva, Sergey Vasiliev

An unremarkable man drives round and round in an unremarkable neighbourhood. Through his car’s windscreen, he sees uniform houses, neatly trimmed hedges, grey rockeries and, occasionally, other unremarkable people. The man finally pulls into the car park of a discount supermarket and begins an activity that grows increasingly fervent: he digs a hole. And as we watch him, questions arise in our minds about life in the suburbs, about the landscape, about architectural culture and about ways out. With satirical wit, GRABEN tells the story of the search for something genuine in a world that has become alien.

Regie: Joshua Martin, Produktion: Mia ter Horst, Drehbuch: Joshua Martin, Kamera: Tim Semrau, Schnitt: Joshua Martin, Tim Semrau, Ton: Till Bellinghausen, Musik: Till Bellinghausen

Daniel Kötter has been a regular guest at the Provinziale in recent years with new productions. For this year’s film, he first invited the Indonesian instrument maker and musician Ikbal Lubys and the Congolese journalist and women’s rights activist Olande Byamungu, along with their children, to the countryside of his own homeland. The forests of the Bergisches Land have been damaged by drought and bark beetle infestations. In return, Lubys and Byamungu take Kötter’s camera to those places in their home countries where the loss of forest is leading to profound social and political upheavals. The landscape and its social systems are undergoing fundamental change. The documentary fairy tale *Kukata Miti* poses the question: What defines a forest? Who do we encounter there, and how do we redefine the relationship between human and non-human actors?

Regie: Daniel Kötter, Produktion: Daniel Kötter, Drehbuch: Daniel Kötter, Kamera: Daniel Kötter, Schnitt: Daniel Kötter, Ton: Daniel Kötter, Musik: Daniel Kötter

The Nogai are descendants of the Golden Horde and live in the southern Caucasus region of Russia. Once lush and green, the Nogai Steppe is now turning into a desert. In autumn, a group of men and women led by Gulfira set off in an old bus, travelling deep into the new desert for several months. Every day, they walk many kilometres in an icy sandstorm, planting shoots of juzgun – a shrub with long roots that can hold back the sand. Later in the year, their youngest son gets married. Eventually, both sons are called up to fight in the war in Ukraine. Will their efforts bear fruit?

Regie: Tatyana Soboleva, Produktion: Tatyana Soboleva, Drehbuch: Tatyana Soboleva, Danyal Isakaev, Kamera: Nikita Aniskin, Schnitt: Tatyana Soboleva, Tatiana Vihreva, Ton: Victor Mors, Musik: Elmursa Yanukaev

The final days of a family farm in rural Denmark: an old horse is put out of its misery, and the property is about to be sold. The father, who coughs constantly, is ravaged by illness, yet the family maintains a tacit, consensual silence on the matter. Feelings are best left unspoken; fears certainly are. Yet the father is not the only one here struggling to catch his breath. MAYBE IN MARCH is a film that makes no compromises: a heart-wrenchingly sad swan song to a farming way of life, in which even the square aspect ratio feels constricting.

Regie: Mikkel Bjørn Kehlert, Produktion: Sebastian Willum Braae, Drehbuch: Agnes Maagaard, Kamera: Gerda Falk, Schnitt: Anna Wistreich, Ton: Simon Pedersen, Musik: Oskar Krusell, Andreas K. Westmark

LIKE FRIEND, LIKE DEER tells the story of a gamekeeper who kills a poacher during a confrontation. In doing so, it sheds light on the moral dilemma between protecting nature and the rules of human coexistence. Those who, in accordance with social norms, must ensure that the gamekeeper receives his punishment – expulsion from his home region – also find themselves caught in this conflict.

Regie: Malek Eghbali, Produktion: Malek Eghbali, Drehbuch: Malek Eghbali, Kamera: Malek Eghbali, Schnitt: Siavash Kordjan, Ton: Ramin Abousedgh, Musik: Payam Azadi

Mukuná is a resident of the village of Potiguara Katu. This is situated within what remains of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, which is protected by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve. Through the songs and rhythms of his ancestors, Mukuná is initiated into the spiritual rites as a shaman. He also learns to treat nature and his surroundings with care. At the same time, the film highlights the precarious situation facing Brazil’s indigenous peoples as a result of massive deforestation.

Regie: Rodrigo Sena, Produktion: Arlindo Bezerra, Clarisse Kubrusly e Regiane Lima, Drehbuch: Rodrigo Sena e Manoel Batista, Kamera: Rodrigo Sena, Schnitt: Yuri Amaral, Ton: Jota Marcianoa, Musik: Jota Marcianoa

Her mother embodies worldly pragmatism, whilst her grandmother clings to old beliefs. The teenager Nina’s life is shaped by conflicting influences. She attends school and helps with farm work, yet in her thoughts and dreams she is elsewhere. She is fascinated by ancient rock paintings, exploring the traces of the past, the culture of her ancestors, ancient traditions and religious myths. NINA’S DREAMS is set on the Kola Peninsula in north-western Russia and offers insights into Sami culture.

Regie: Diana Belova, Produktion: Diana Belova, Yanina Kostitsyna, Alexey Belov, Drehbuch: Diana Belova, Kamera: Grigory Rozanov, Schnitt: Alexey Belov, Diana Belova, Ton: Alexander Vanyukov, Musik: folk song

On the outskirts of Lüdenscheid, Sandra Manß runs her father’s car recycling business. It is a place where not only discarded car parts find new owners, but also people find work and a sense of belonging. Her employees, Holger, Markus and Kevin – who would have few opportunities in the mainstream labour market – form a small utopia together with Sandra. DISMANTLING – a film title could not be more apt – captivates with its sober imagery and, without further commentary, authentically depicts a vanishing reality of life.

Regie: Leonard Mann, Produktion: Academy of Media Arts Cologne/Leonard Mann, Drehbuch: Leonard Mann, Kamera: Felix von Klitzing, Schnitt: Justus Hanfland, Ton: Sounddesign: Frederic Hellmann, Musik: -

With the collapse and disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, many residents’ worlds also fell apart. In their garage communities, the ‘Garagniki’ (гаражники) are surviving this apocalypse and the associated economic crisis. New subcultures and networks have emerged; alternative forms of economic activity have taken shape, found success and become firmly established. An informal economy centred on repairing, producing, providing food and spending time together as a community emerged. Yet in 2018, this no longer fits into the visual landscape of Moscow in Putin’s Russia; these spaces of freedom are suddenly under threat. The film takes us back to the historical underworld of a parallel, wondrous Russia.

Regie: Stany CAMBOT, Produktion: Les Films Déplanifés, Echelle Inconnue, Leitmotiv Production, Drehbuch: Stany CAMBOT, Kamera: Stany CAMBOT, Schnitt: Rodolphe MOLLA, Bernard SASIA, Ton: Jules WYSOCKI, Musik: none

Neang is an indigenous woman from north-eastern Cambodia whose village was flooded by a dam built for a hydroelectric power station. The residents are allocated a new settlement, but no sooner have they settled in to some extent than industrial exploitation interests once again threaten to take their land away from them. The conflicts Neang now finds herself facing are complex. Whilst the old village is already under water, the cohesion of the community and family, as well as their traditional, earth-centred way of life, are coming under pressure.

Regie: Polen Ly, Produktion: Lucas Sénécaut, Drehbuch: Polen Ly, Kamera: Polen Ly, Schnitt: Penda Houzangbé & Jack Atmore, Ton: Polen Ly, Musik: None

Amongst China’s Korean population, it is customary to bid farewell to the dead on the water. It is believed that the souls of the departed return to their homeland across the vast blue expanse. But what, exactly, is home? A young woman who has moved to the USA returns to the place where she grew up for her grandmother’s funeral and feels like a stranger there. Her relationship with her mother has also changed since she left. Their time together is characterised by unconditional love, but also by mutual misunderstanding. With gentle melancholy, BORA tells of the alienation between generations and the loss of cultural roots.

Regie: Qian Li, Produktion: Chenchen Lin, Drehbuch: Qian Li, Kamera: Zisheng Zhou, Schnitt: Binghan Li, Qian Li, Ton: Xinyi Jiang, Yini Li, Yaxuan Wen, Musik: Siyang Shen

The sea knocks on the door of a fish taxidermist, then recedes; and because no one answers, it slowly seeps into a world where the past is carefully preserved. As the water rises outside, even what has been so carefully preserved begins to falter. A dreamlike animation about transience and the art of letting go.

Regie: Léa Deprez, Pierre-Luis Bordes, Elliot Desmarets, Jeanne Finet, Produktion: Rudy Turkovics, Drehbuch: Pierre-Luis Bordes, Kamera: N/A, Schnitt: Pierre-Luis Bordes, Elliot Desmarets, Ton: Léa Deprez, Pierre-Luis Bordes, Musik: Basile Andrieu

Traces of an environmental disaster, images of death and decay, empty streets and ruined houses: a bleak setting that is nonetheless home. LAST TROPICS tells the story of a woman and two men – the last remaining inhabitants of a coastal village sealed off by the military. The young trio scrape a living through dubious fishing methods; in the sunlight, their bodies are covered in strange scars. Eventually, a disease threatens the survival of this small community. From Greece comes a visually striking and metaphor-rich allegory about our relationship with nature.

Regie: Thanasis Trouboukis, Produktion: Annabelle Aronis, Thanasis Trouboukis, Drehbuch: Thanasis Trouboukis, Kamera: Konstantinos Koukoulios, Schnitt: Yannis Chalkiadakis, Ton: Daphne Farazi, Nikos Linardopoulos, Musik: Costis Kontos, Regressverbot - Drive to Dive (Edit)

We follow Lelya, Yulia and Natalya – three elderly sisters from the indigenous Udege people living in the Russian taiga – as they go about their daily village life, fishing, gathering mushrooms and singing traditional songs together. Through beautiful imagery and with a touch of humour, this engaging documentary highlights the decline of the culture of the Udege ethnic minority, a people who were once hunters. It reminds us to appreciate and preserve the less visible aspects of life amidst the noise of mainstream culture and everyday life.

Regie: Lolita Ismailova, Produktion: Svetlana Dalskaya, Drehbuch: Lolita Ismailova, Kamera: Korney Belykh, Schnitt: Lolita Ismailova, Ton: Alexander Lanetsky, Musik: -

In the Qalamun Mountains of Syria, overlooking the vast desert, stands the ancient Christian monastery of Mar Musa. The monastic community living here is striving to revive dialogue between Christians and Muslims in a region torn apart by religious tensions. The film tells the story of the war in Syria and the period of fragile peace from the perspective of this community. Through a sensitive, observational narrative style, it explores the question of how life can move forward after such a devastating war, and what role a loving faith can play in rebuilding a society marked by deep mistrust and devastation. Can religion help to heal the wounds?

Regie: Shahab Kermani, Produktion: Markéta Polednová, Shahab Kermani, Drehbuch: Shahab Kermani, Kamera: Shahab Kermani, Schnitt: Shahab Kermani, Elisabeth Rassbach, Nicole Schmeier, Ton: Janis Ahnert, Musik: Shahab Kermani, Tom Rieder