Hat's off to Luton for pulling out all the stops as residents celebrate its 50th anniversary of becoming a municipal borough.
Let All Children Smile (1957)
The film's protagonists are the orphaned children taken into custody by the state and institutionalized at Children's House no. 6 from Bucharest. For Mészáros, the concern for the situation of children left orphaned during the Second World War is autobiographical: the director directly experienced the absence of parents in her own childhood.
Suno (2022)
An experimental short documentary essay about the dreams of Roma women living in the ghetto in Kosice. Roma are one of the largest ethnic groups living in Slovakia. Despite this, integration into all spheres of society is difficult. And it should be noted that this applies not only to Slovakia. Luník IX houses the largest community of Romani people in Slovakia. Although originally built for 2,500 inhabitants, it is estimated that the population is now three times larger. Living standards are low, with services such as gas, water, and electricity cut off, as the majority of inhabitants are not paying rent or utilities fees.
Jubilee (2024)
A short documentary about the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Macedonian Orthodox Church in Malmö, Sweden.
Childhood 2.0 (2020)
For the first time in history, mental illness and suicide have become one of the greatest threats to school-aged children. Many parents still view dangers as primarily physical and external, but they’re missing the real danger: kids spending more time online and less time engaging in real life, free play, and autonomy. What are the effects on the next generation's mental, physical, and spiritual health? Childhood was more or less unchanged for millennia, but this is Childhood 2.0.
Hitchin. Honouring the Brave (1912)
Victims of a tragic air crash are honoured in a sombre military funeral procession through the streets of Hitchin.
In Zainab's Heaven (2023)
A Hazara film director follows a gravestone maker, a water girl and a man who buried his limb, as their daily lives unfold in a graveyard.
Young Kids, Hard Time (2012)
Young Kids Hard Time explores the story of young children sentenced to adult prison for decades, through the eyes of 12-year old Paul Gingerich and 15-year old Colt Lundy, both serving 30 years in adult prison for killing Colt's stepdad.
Mrs. Iran's Husband (2023)
Gender apartheid is front and centre in this pointed exploration of family and labour in Iran. Sultan Mohammad proposes taking a third wife as a way to maintain and expand his free labour force, to the consternation of his current wives.
Odyssey (2023)
Six California kids test their brains and talents against students in Odyssey of the Mind, a problem-solving competition requiring mechanical, creative and intellectual skills. With little money and zero adult participation, the teens build a robot to tell a story about bullying, exclusion and mental health. But how does their solution measure up?
A Cat And Dog Life (1928)
Dogs and cats go on show at two princely London venues – among them some of the fluffiest kittens London is ever likely to see.
Trip to Hilsea Lido (1949)
Large numbers of children and adults can be seen enjoying themselves, splashing about in the water or diving from the high-boards.
Comprehensive School (1962)
The joys of 1960s modern education - as seen at a not-exactly-typical local comp.
Heart (2020)
Yollotl connects the past and the present through a love story inspired by Mesoamerican mythology and testimonials from children who live in the Mayan rainforest. A story in Nahuatl and a ritual song accompanies the journey through the interior of ancient trees to the universe.
In the Garden of Sounds (2010)
«Nel giardino dei suoni» («In The Garden of Sounds») is a touching, poetic exploration of the relationship between mind, body and sound, and a cinematic journey to the borders of communication. Nicola Bellucci tells the extraordinary story of Wolfgang Fasser, a blind musician and soundscape artist who works with severely handicapped children, helping them to find their place in a world not made for them. On his own way into the darkness, Fasser discovered the world of sounds, a parallel universe to our visual world. His far-reaching explorations of sound’s effect on mind and body led him to the field of music therapy.
If This Street Were Mine (2023)
This documentary portrays the imaginary of poor children about their daily experiences. Between the street, the school and family, they build a safe place, despite the violence.
The First Movie (2009)
Filmmaker Mark Cousins, who was brought up in a Northern Irish war zone, travels to Goptapa, a Kurdish-Iraqi village of just seven hundred people on a tributary of the Tigris river, and tries to make a dream film about a place that is normally only portrayed in current affairs programmes. He gives the kids cameras, and they make their own little movies about war, love, a fish that goes to a magical place, and a chicken who debates justice.