Gold Futures
Hungary/Romania | 2006 | col | 52 mins | doc | dir. Tibor Kocsis | cert. 12A | in Hungarian with English subtitles
Tucked away in the Transylvanian mountains, a David-and-Goliath story is unfolding in the picturesque village of Rosia Montana. At stake is Europe's largest deposit of gold ore - and a mining town that has existed since the ancient Romans found rich veins of gold and silver in the mountainside. In Gold Futures rural farmers and townspeople are confronting a choice, as a Canadian company prepares to excavate a massive open-pit gold mine where their village still stands.
Followed by Q&A with dir. Tibor Kocsis
thu 4 nov | 8.30pm | £5, conc. £3 | Ciné lumière
*****
The Fridge
Czech Republic | 2007 | col | 7 mins | animation | dir. Lucie Stamfestova | cert. U | no commentary
What would happen if we left the fridge door open for the umpteenth time and the light that dimly guides us to last night’s leftovers began to burn with the heat of a foundry? A seven-minute animated metaphor about the green house effect.
Followed by: The 4th Revolution
The 4th Revolution - EnergyAutonomy
Germany | 2010 | col | 83 mins | doc | dir. Carl-A. Fechner | cert. U | in English, German and French, with English subtitles
This film makes a passionate case for the switch to 100% renewable energy within the next 30 years. Sun, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal energy are natural sources, free and accessible to everyone world wide. By visiting initiatives, businesses and projects in countries such as Bangladesh, Denmark, Germany, Mali, and by interviewing a prominent environmental activist, Nobel laureates, innovative businessmen and politicians, the film describes the opportunities renewable energies offer for sustainable economic development and social and economic fairness. www.energyautonomy.org
Followed by Q&A with the dir. Carl-A. Fechner
fri 5 nov | 6.30pm | £3 | Goethe-Institut London
*****
One
Le Syndrome du Titanic
France | 2007 | col | 93 mins | doc | dir.s Nicolas Hulot & Jean-Albert Lièvre | in English only
Beloved French environmentalist Nicolas Hulot takes us on a magnificent sensory journey around the world in one of the most cinematic documentaries of our times. Opulence co-habits with extreme poverty and progress advances exponentially yet alienates us from each other. We slowly destroy our fragile home through our illogical consumption. Hulot opens our eyes and conscience through breathtaking and terrifying images of our planet and its inhabitants.
Followed by Q&A with co-director Jean-Albert Lièvre
fri 5 nov | 8.30pm | £7, conc. £5 | Ciné lumière
*****
The Mirror
Lo Specchio
Italy/Canada | 2008 | col | 90 mins | doc | dir. David Christensen | cert. U | in Italian with English subtitles
Throughout the winter months, Viganella, an old and mostly uninhabited village in Piedmont, Italy, is in permanent gloom. The mountains to the south of the town block the low winter sun and for almost four months, there is no place in Viganella that gets any sunlight. The mayor of the town, Franco Midali, at 47, is one of the younger people in the village. A short man with excessive amounts of energy, Franco doesn’t want to see his village die. His idea involves constructing a giant mirror on the mountain behind the village to reflect sunlight into the square in Viganella.
sat 6 nov | 6.30pm | Free | Italian Cultural Institute
*****
Fish’n’Pills
Czech Republic | 2007 | col | 20 mins | doc | dir. Tereza Tara | cert.15 | UK premiere | in Czech with English subtitles
The pill - a symbol of sexual freedom. But what are the consequences? Are people really free in their decision making? Women under the influence of synthetic hormones, fish changing their genders, men suffering from increasing sterility and scientists talking about new substances in the environment, endocrine disruptors.
Followed by: Green Line – Urban Transport and Pollution
Green Line – Urban Transport and Pollution
Romania | 2007 | col | 26 mins | doc | prod. Anca Muresan | cert. U | in Romanian with English subtitles
Green Line – Urban transport and pollution looks at environmental issues in Bucharest: traffic, air pollution, noise, waste, lack of alternative means of transportation and solutions for traffic jams. The presenter Dragos Bucurenci and his guests take a journey through a doomed city, highlighting the diverse problems.
Followed by: Selective Waste Collection – From Myths to Reality
Selective Waste Collection – From Myths to Reality
Romania | 2010 | col | 12 mins | doc | dir. Hanno Hoffer | cert. U | in Romanian with English subtitles
Separating rubbish and collections has been recently introduced in Romania, but the infrastructure is quite poor and the population is not well informed. The documentary explains the journey from the bin to the recycling facility and encourages people to separate household waste. Seemingly the population is willing to learn as long as the necessary infrastructure is provided.
Followed by Q&A with Dragos Bucurenci, President of the MaiMult Verde (More Green)
mon 8 nov | 6.30pm | £5, conc. £3 | Ciné lumière
*****
Early Learning
Poland | 2009 | col | 37 mins | doc | dir. Marcin Bortkiewicz | cert. U | in Polish with English subtitles
Mikołaj, an oceanography student, arrives to do his internship at the Marine Station in Hel. Under the watchful eye of his boss, professor Krzysztof Skóra, he looks after a newborn seal he names Hel. Mikołaj teaches the seal how to adapt to life in the wild. Before the seal can be released into the Baltic Sea, it has to learn how to live with the herd, how to find its own food, and most importantly, how to avoid contact with humans. But pupil and teacher begin to develop a ‘dangerous’ thread of friendship...
Followed by: Climate Chaos in the South
Climate Chaos in the South
Flanders / Belgium | 2009 | col | 53 mins | doc | dir. Geert De Belder | cert. U | in English, French, Spanish, Bengali, Dioula and Djerma with English subtitles
Climate Chaos in the South is a not about the science or reasons behind climate change but about the devastating impact that it is already having on many who live in the southern hemisphere. Featuring interviews with the victims as well as the experts in Africa, Asia and South America, Climate Chaos in the South captures vividly the changes that climate change has wrought not just on the environment but on the lives and livelihoods of millions across three continents.While climate change once looked like a problem of the future, this film demonstrates with absolute clarity that it is a humanitarian catastrophe of the present.
Nominated for Best European Documentary at the Heart of England International Film Festival
Nominated for Environment & Ecology at the International Film Festival Ireland (IFFI)
Followed by Q&A with dir. Geert De Belder
mon 8 nov | 8.30pm | Free | Austrian Cultural Forum London
*****
Plastic Planet
Austria/Germany | 2009 | col | 95 mins | doc | dir. Werner Boote | cert. U | in English only
Werner Boote presents an up-close and personal view of the controversial and dangerous material that has found its way into every facet of our daily lives: plastic. Boote takes us on a journey around the globe, following the material his own grandfather once produced and revealing how much a threat plastic has become to both us and the environment. Introduction (tbc)
tue 9 nov | 6.00pm | £5, conc. £3 | Ciné lumière
*****
The River
Upé
Lithuania | 2009 | col | 30 mins | doc | dir.s Julija Gruodiene and Rimantas Gruodis | cert. U | UK premiere | in Lithuanian with English subtitles
People of the village of Saleninkai live on the edge of a chemical plant. There was an accident at the plant 20 years ago but several families still live there on polluted ground. There has not been a ferry across the river for a long time and the main form of transport for the inhabitants of the village is a boat.They survive by doing odd jobs and living off whatever benefits and pensions they receive. And least of all they haven't abandoned their hopes and dreams.
Best Documentary Film 2009, Lithuanian Filmmakers Union Prize 2009
Followed by: Three Men and a Fish Pond
Three Men and a Fish Pond
Par Dzimtenīti
Latvia | 2008 | col | 52 mins | doc | dir. Māris Maskalāns and Laila Pakalniņa | cert. U | UK premiere | in Latvian with English subtitles
Three elderly country bachelors idle away their time amidst the semi-wild nature, closer to birds and pond fish than to humans.
Followed by: I Want to Be a Tortilla
I Want to Be a Tortilla
Spain | 2008 | col | 6 mins | animation | dir.s Irene Iborra Rizo & Eduard Puertas | cert. U | UK premiere | Spanish with English subtitles
Panocha is a Mexican ear of corn that lives blissfully with a farmer and his pig. But the discovery of her transgenic identity will mark the beginning of a series of unfortunate events with horrible consequences for all. Will Panocha submissively accept her projected destiny?
wed 10 nov | 6.30pm | £3 | Goethe-Institut London
Free organic wine before the screening of The River at 5.45pm
Courtesy Latvian and Lithuanian embassies
*****
PLANEAT
UK | 2010 | col | 80 mins | doc | dir.s Shelley Lee Davies & Or Shlomi | cert. U | world premiere | in English
PLANEAT tells the story of the scientists, farmers and chefs tackling one of the greatest problems of our age, the West’s love affair with meat and dairy products. Through an extraordinary personal and mouthwatering culinary journey we discover why it’s bad for our health, the environment, and our planet’s future. Presented in collaboration with the Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation
Followed by Q&A with directors and WWF spokesperson
wed 10 nov | 8.30pm | £5, conc. £3 | Ciné lumière
*****
Stop, Listen, Look
Pare, Escute, Olhe
Portugal/Switzerland | 2009 | col | 97 mins | doc | dir. Jorge Pelicano | cert. PG | in Portuguese with English subtitles
December, 1991. A political decision closes half of a centenary railroad in Tua, between Braganca e Mirandela. Fifteen years later, the train's whistle only sounds in the memory of the habitants of Tras-os Montes. The elders resist and live in the desert villages, without any children. The lack of working opportunities and life in the countryside forces the younger ones in the villages to go out and look for better opportunities elsewhere. Now, the train that still chugs among parts of the beautiful valley of Tua, is being threatened by a dam. Stop, Listen, Look is a voyage through a long forgotten Portugal, conducted by the sovereign voice of an outraged community, the greatest victim of broken promises by those who swore to defend the Land.
Best Feature Portuguese Documentary in DocLisboa 2009, Portugal
Best Portuguese Language Film in Cine Eco 2009, Seia, Portugal
Followed by Q&A with dir. Jorge Pelicano and producer Rosa Silva
thu 11 nov | 6.30pm | free | Hungarian Cultural Centre
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