International Film Festival

Transcending Borders

Bosnia-Herzegovina - Balkan - Worldwide

EU is Nobel Peace Prize winner - Europe is mother of freedom. But for many refugees, what's left of that is just an empty promise. Parwana Amiri and Arash Hampay do not want to accept the difficult circumstances in the EU member state Greece - they are fighting for their rights and dignity. Arash Hampay - 34 years old, fled from the Iranian regime - founded the Café Patogh. A community house in Athens for all the people - hot food, legal advice, hairdresser. Parwana Amiri - 17 years old, from Afghanistan - lives with her family in Camp Ritsona. She fights with her group 'Youth Refugee Movement' for 'Youth Refugee Movement' the right to education.

Back to the roots of mankind: indigenous culture of Mentawai, a small archipelago south of Sumatra. Connect with all your heart and senses: see, feel, touch, smell life in the jungle. The cinematic and compassionate camera conveys an intimate and sensual experience of the indigenous life on Mentawai with its beauty and vulnerability. Two shamans are the main characters in the film, hunter-gatherers in a culture predating even traditions of weaving or pottery, archaic traditions with their own complexity. The film portrays daily life of the indigenous tribe, their spiritual cosmos and their commitment to preserving their own culture and natural habitat. Logging companies threaten the fragile eco-system of the islands. Rare historic footage and archive materials tell the story of decades of oppression of the indigenous culture – but also of the resilience of our main characters and the last tribes living in the jungle. The main character, FatherLaulau had been a leader in this struggle for decades, meeting the governor on Sumatra in a key point of history. The latter part of the film explores the geopolitical context and shows a new generation joining our main characters in the fight for the preservation of both their environment and culture – as part of a larger movement in Indonesia.