International Competition 5: Documentary Films

An orange grove threatened by gentrification in suburban Los Angeles becomes the starting point of a discussion about how realistic documentary film can, may and should be.

Maimed, (ill-)defined fragments of images. Prayer-like musical sounds. Broken letters. A vision of the self – or a self-restoration from the debris of memory.

A voice speaking the Aztec language Nahuatl and a ritual song accompany the children’s games in the rain forest. They put their ears to the trees, listening to their stories.

Observing documentary about the attempt to use art to come to terms with past trauma – or at least not to pass it on. A theatre workshop is supposed to help.