Category: ARFF Amsterdam 2024 – Best Documentary

Original Film Title: Kill Altamirano

Director’s Name: Carlos Altamirano

Writer’s Name: Carlos Altamirano

Producer: Carlos Altamirano

Country of Origin: Chile

Country of Filming: Chile, Cuba, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States

Language: English, Spanish

Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes

Film Description:

“Kill Altamirano” is a profoundly human film that delves into the struggle for revolutionary change, resilience in the midst of challenges, and the quest for redemption.
This cinematic journey spans the tumultuous history of the 20th and 21st centuries, offering a gripping exploration of the Cold War in Chile, America, and Europe
through the life of Carlos Altamirano. Initially a Chilean senator from an aristocratic background, Altamirano transforms into a socialist revolutionary,
leading the Chilean Socialist Party alongside President Salvador Allende in a peaceful pursuit of socialism within a democratic framework—
a vision embraced by the rebellious 60s generation worldwide. However, this dream was shattered by the violent military coup on September 11, 1973,
plunging Altamirano into a relentless battle against persecution under General Pinochet’s dictatorship.

Despite surviving multiple assassination attempts in Mexico, Madrid, and Paris, Altamirano’s story is intertwined with a poignant family drama,
particularly focusing on his son in London, who grapples with his father’s complex legacy while advocating for the ideals of peace and love.
This dual narrative showcases the unwavering determination of two generations amidst sweeping social and political transformations.

Through a unique blend of historical biography, docu-drama, and testimonial docu-reality, “Kill Altamirano” aims to revive the literary tradition of autobiography
within the documentary genre, offering a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and contemplation on the intricate relationship between personal and political evolution.
With its promise to engage and captivate audiences worldwide, this film stands as a compelling reflection on the enduring impact of individuals and their quest for change.

Original Film Title: All Quiet On The Westlake

Director’s Name: Wei Zishuo

Writer’s Name: Wei Zishuo

Producer: Wei Zishuo

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 16 minutes 33 seconds

Film Description:

The film records the story of the blind and deaf couple seeking medical treatment. In the face of various difficulties in reality, the two “use love to repair physical deformities” and jointly maintain each other between light and dark.
Most of the scenes in this film were shot during the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. In that period of rapid socio-economic development and urban construction, there were always some forgotten individuals, and “recording those people” was my original motivation for making this film.
I am also intrigued by sign language. If humans once used a unified language, it might have been sign language. As the oldest form of communication, sign language may have been the common language spoken before the collapse of the “Tower of Babel”. In today’s fast-paced Hangzhou, some are inevitably left behind. In this ever-flowing river of time, a documentary stands as a testament to time itself.

Original Film Title: Bake It Till You Make It

Director’s Name: Jason Taglieri

Writer’s Name: Dayna Altman, Thea Touchton

Producer: Thea Rose Touchton

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 hour 16 minutes

Film Description:

Dayna Altman let’s the world into her recovery process and how she found baking to be her best conversation starter. Now she has started a movement to live authentically, speak openly and bake bravely and influenced and inspired many lives by doing so.

Original Film Title: LA GRANDE SIGNORA

Director’s Name: Valentina Faenza, Manuel Rossi

Writer’s Name: Valentina Faenza

Producer: Valentina Faenza

Country of Origin: Italy

Country of Filming: Italy

Language: Italian

Runtime: 1 hour 2 minutes

Film Description:

The intimate, familiar story of the profound bond between an ancient building and those who lived and worked there for forty years, the story of a dream that turned into reality and the difficult moment of separation

Original Film Title: Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge Of Everything

Director’s Name: Sam Blair

Writer’s Name: Sam Blair

Producer: James Davidson

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes

Film Description:

Facing the end of a wildly successful but turbulent career, snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan is finally keeping the game at arms length. But over the course of a season leading to a career-defining tournament, and triggered by memories of the past, he finds himself spiralling back into the sport’s intense grip. The Edge of Everything is a thrilling documentary with unprecedented access to a true icon, as he grapples with his talent and his demons.

Original Film Title: 24 Hours

Director’s Name: Jackson Long, Nada Taha

Writer’s Name: Jackson Long, Nada Taha

Producer: Nada Taha

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 8 minutes 47 seconds

Film Description:

Follow multi-hyphenate radio host and creative, Nada Taha, during her final 24 hours preparing for her Ted Talk. She showcases the struggles of imposter syndrome and highlights the power of community.

Original Film Title: Inspired by Brink

Director’s Name: Ze Helios

Writer’s Name: Ze Helios, Leedia M

Producer: Zeus Helios

Country of Origin: Canada

Country of Filming: Canada

Language: English

Runtime: 31 minutes 36 seconds

Film Description:

When the excavator arrives and tears down his recording studio in Zurich, Swiss hit producer Dodo decides to pack his equipment into a shipping container and explore the world.
Four years later, the musician chugs down the Rhine from Basel to Rotterdam on a container ship, reaching South Africa, Ghana, and finally the Ivory Coast. On the journey, he seeks to unearth new music, pen hit songs, and revisit the memories etched in the lanes of Yopougon, where he spent his early childhood. Memories of pineapple feasts on Vridi beach, a mango tree standing tall in a garden called home and an abrupt return to Switzerland because of a dying father.
Dodo’s imagined journey «back to the roots» turns out differently than planned. Dreams implode, memories collide with the realities of the present, the container gets lost at sea, and the project threatens to shatter due to disagreements. Big J, Dodo’s companion and co-producer, asks himself more than once: what the heck are we doing here – and why?
«Youpougon – Way Back Home» is a sonic road trip full of dreams, determination and a multitude of dilemmas. It’s about longing, friendship, sustainable cross-cultural co-operation and the recurring realization that home is a feeling rather than a geographical place. Finally, it is a tale about the beauty and creative power of South and West Africa expressed through the language of music.

Original Film Title: Yopougon – Way Back Home

Director’s Name: Alexis Amitirigala

Writer’s Name: Alexis Amitirigala

Producer: Simone Seiterle

Country of Origin: Switzerland

Country of Filming: Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, Ghana, Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland

Language: Swiss German

Runtime: 1 hour 23 minutes

Film Description:

When the excavator arrives and tears down his recording studio in Zurich, Swiss hit producer Dodo decides to pack his equipment into a shipping container and explore the world.
Four years later, the musician chugs down the Rhine from Basel to Rotterdam on a container ship, reaching South Africa, Ghana, and finally the Ivory Coast. On the journey, he seeks to unearth new music, pen hit songs, and revisit the memories etched in the lanes of Yopougon, where he spent his early childhood. Memories of pineapple feasts on Vridi beach, a mango tree standing tall in a garden called home and an abrupt return to Switzerland because of a dying father.
Dodo’s imagined journey «back to the roots» turns out differently than planned. Dreams implode, memories collide with the realities of the present, the container gets lost at sea, and the project threatens to shatter due to disagreements. Big J, Dodo’s companion and co-producer, asks himself more than once: what the heck are we doing here – and why?
«Youpougon – Way Back Home» is a sonic road trip full of dreams, determination and a multitude of dilemmas. It’s about longing, friendship, sustainable cross-cultural co-operation and the recurring realization that home is a feeling rather than a geographical place. Finally, it is a tale about the beauty and creative power of South and West Africa expressed through the language of music.

Original Film Title: Love Unscripted

Director’s Name: Olya Schechter

Writer’s Name: Olya Schechter

Producer: Olya Schechter

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: Netherlands, United States

Language: English

Runtime: 50 minutes 57 seconds

Film Description:

This intimate documentary traces the journey of a couple as their relationship evolves from lighthearted to serious. Navigating complex topics such as parenthood, finances, and marriage, the couple encounters unforeseen challenges that put their love to the test. The film is raw and vulnerable, addressing relatable yet rarely discussed topics and shedding light on the fears of commitment and the sacrifices that accompany it.

Original Film Title: Glyadyelov. Focus On Infinity

Director’s Name: Ksenia Kravtsova

Writer’s Name: Inokentii Vyrovyi

Producer: Inokentii Vyrovyi, Eric Holland

Country of Origin: Ukraine

Country of Filming: Ukraine

Language: Ukrainian

Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes

Film Description:

Oleksandr Glyadyelov is a Ukrainian master of black-and-white documentary photography. From the early 1980s until the present, he has created a unique chronicle of our time. After photographing wars in Transnistria, Chechnya and Azerbaijan, and documenting the Russian-Ukrainian war since 2014, Oleksandr became convinced that a full-scale Russian attack on Ukraine was inevitable.

The narrators of the film are Glyadyelov’s photographs and the people depicted in them. ‘Glyadyelov. Focus on Infinity’ is a film about observing from the sidelines; about voyeurism. Travelling with the photographer from Kyiv and Bucha to Kharkiv, Odesa and Ilovaisk from the 1990s to 2022, witnessing a kaleidoscope of images from homeless street children to the terrifying wars unleashed by Russia, the viewer enters into a conversation with the protagonists of the film. Alongside Oleksandr Glyadyelov, the audience traces a path from the inevitability of current events to confidence in the triumph of good.