FF40: Unity + Q&A From the perspective of sociology

The screening of short films and following discussion will be part of the festival FAMUFEST 40.

It’s common to lose direction. To deviate from the harmony we all strive for to some extent. Sometimes we only narrowly miss it and find ourselves on the wrong side of the fence; other times, we drift to a completely different planet, where we then have to explain what we’re actually about. And sometimes, we deviate from ourselves just to fit in, to create one big collective. But in the end, we’re all just looking for our way home.

Buzz of the Earth / Greta Stocklassa / 30 min / original language: EN, CZ / subtitles: EN, CZ – The European Space Agency assembles a team of scientists to send a message to extraterrestrial civilisations. As the team works to compile a comprehensive report on humanity, it faces unexpected challenges, including debates about what should be said and how it should be expressed. The film provides a humorous look at the complexities of human existence and the challenges of interstellar communication.

Of Fences and Men / Petr Michal / 12 min / original language: no dialogue – The garden as an escape into a personal space where one meets nature. But what to do when the city creeps in? A quiet glimpse into the lives of gardeners, the gardening colony and their sense of threat. Poetic images and bustles of colony life are interspersed with scenes of untended gardens, old fences and the never-ending quest to preserve them.

Going Home / Kryštof Perry / 9 minut / original language: CZ / subtitles: EN – A homeless man wanders through the city. He’s confronted with facts he either has to accept or ignore. He’s an observer and simultaneously his own guide home, to inner peace and acceptance of the world.

Welcome Home / Anna Rybecká / 4 min / original language: CZ / subtitles: EN – Welcome Home is an animated document about the contrast between urban life and life in nature. It tells a story of a man from a city, joined by a woman in voice-over, who chose the opposite lifestyle. Apart from different routines, the two characters also differ in their perspective on nature and how we should treat it.

Pottery in Motion / Michał Reich / 4 min / original language: no dialogue – A mesmerizing look into the art of pottery making. This short film features potter artist, Gulsah from Atelier P7.

Ice Break / Elvira Dulskaia / 20 min / original language: CZ / subtitles: EN – Sixteen-year-old Alex is the only girl on the boys' hockey team coached by her father Michal. She's a tough hockey player who doesn't care much for the female world. But that begins to change when Alex falls in love with one of her teammates and longs to be seen as more of a girl.

Meditation / Pavel Šolín / 1 min / original language: CZ / subtitles: EN

Yin Yang / Haichao Gu / 1 min / original language: no dialogue – Commercial about a martial art master who overcomes the shadow with peaceful Tai Chi instead of straight violence.

With My Great Aunt / Kateřina Krusová / 12 min / original language: CZ / subtitles: EN – A film about the director's ninety-six-year-old great-aunt Jarmila Kučerová. In it, she recalls not only her youth, which dates back to before the First World War, but also reflects on her ageing.

Total screening time: 93 min.