Under Pressure
From our very early years, we fall under the rules of institutions. Family, economy, government, are manifest in our existence and more often than not put pressure on our lives. While a greater or lesser degree of pressure is an unavoidable constant, variables of the individual reaction to strain are countless. The films in this section tell stories about clashes between individuals and institutions, some of them versions of the story of David and Goliath.
In Burma/Myanmar, there are more online poets than bloggers. In a country tormented by dictatorship and isolation, poetry has been a way to endure and resist tyranny. Burma Storybook features the country's most famous dissident poet alive today and pursues his quest for a way to heal the people's heart.
In the re-militarized society of today's Russia, Convictions offers a rare glimpse inside the guts of the bureaucratic machine through which every young man must pass, as all of them are considered suitable for military service by default. When the conscripts happen to be conscience objectors, their encounter with the recruitment committee take a dramatic turn.
The Trial documents the twists and turns of the famous case against Mihai Moldoveanu, charged and sentenced for first degree murder while using it as a case study for the judiciary system in Romania.
With Before I met you the camera enters an area which in Eastern European hospitals is still prohibited: the delivery room, and takes an uncompromising look at what ''the happiest day in a woman's life'' really looks like for the future mothers.
When it comes to corruption, Romania is perceived as a laggard of the EU. Recently, however, the country has become the centre stage of one of the most ferocious anti-corruption battles on the planet, which is shaking up the society outright. Roumanie, le grand ménage (Romania, Spring Cleaning) ponders the question of how one of the most corrupt states in Europe will manage this amazing feat?
Opinion polls in Ukraine show that corruption is a main issue. New state bodies are being created to fight corruption at highest levels. Expectations are high. CounterAction glimpses into the selection process which is a challenge in itself, when you attempt to pick the right persons for the job.
Curatorial text and films presentations by Adina Marin