A Sacred Pause | Jonathan Bregel | United States of America | 0:30:00

 

Synopsis:

A Sacred Pause was filmed entirely at Selah Carefarm, the world’s first care farm dedicated to traumatic grief.

This 30-minute documentary follows people who come to Selah seeking solace, connection, and the strength to move forward after devastating loss. At its center is Erik, a father rebuilding his life after the murder of his three young children. Supported by his partner, Shiloe, and their newborn daughter, Josie, he learns to live with grief while embracing hope.

Founded by Dr. Joanne Cacciatore after the stillbirth of her daughter, Cheyenne, Selah offers no easy answers—only a compassionate space where grief is acknowledged, shared, and gently carried. Interwoven with Erik’s story is a four-day grief retreat, where six bereaved participants discover that healing begins not by forgetting, but by learning to live alongside loss

 

Actually I Didn't Want To Stay Long | Andreas Grützner | Germany, Ireland, United States of America | 0:23:22

 

Synopsis:

How has the treatment of people in psychiatric institutions changed from the 1970s to the present day? Who are the people who live in such an institution, and what is the experience of a young man who starts working there in the 1970s? Confronted with a traumatic discovery in his family's biography, he begins to reflect.

 

Colors of Nazar | Fatih Diren | Türkiye | 0:17:45

 

Synopsis:

In Planyane, a mountain village near Prizren, a centuries-old bridal face-painting ritual continues to endure. Believed to protect brides from the evil eye, this unique tradition remains an integral part of the village's cultural heritage. Drawn by curiosity, Gizem travels to Planyane, where she witnesses the intimate preparation of a Bosnian bride under the skilled hands of Fehmija. The Colors of the Evil Eye is a poetic documentary that reveals the emotional and cultural meanings concealed beneath the bride's makeup, weaving together women's memories, warm hospitality, and the fading echoes of an ancient tradition shaped by the enduring belief in the evil eye.

 

From a Balcony, 90km up | Talila Frank | Israel | 0:16:30

 

Synopsis:

Looking out from the balcony of a temporary apartment in Tel Aviv, the filmmaker reflects on the images she once captured in her home at Kibbutz Reim before the events of October 7. Separated by only 90 kilometers yet transformed by loss and displacement, the distance becomes both geographical and emotional. Through intimate archival footage and quiet observation, the film explores memory, belonging, and the fragile relationship between place, home, and identity—a deeply personal meditation on what remains when everyday life is irrevocably changed.

 

Human in Quest | Aslı Akdağ | Türkiye | 0:39:35

 

Synopsis:

Human in Quest follows three lives connected by a shared search for meaning. Through their experiences, the film explores transformation shaped by the body, personal limits, and everyday life.

Originating from the director's own personal inquiry, the story begins with two women on spiritual paths and gradually introduces a third character, whose physical limitations reveal another dimension of inner transformation.

Horses weave through each story as symbols of intuition, memory, and the enduring bond between humans and nature.

Observing its characters with intimacy and patience, the film creates space for doubt, vulnerability, and reflection. Although their paths never cross, their experiences resonate within a shared human journey, inviting questions rather than offering definitive answers.

 

I Believe the Portrait Saved Me | Alban Muja | Kosovo | 0:10:00

 

Synopsis:

Twenty-five years after his abduction during the Kosovo War, painter Skender Muja recalls a pivotal moment of survival. Held in a detention camp, he was ordered to draw a Serbian commander's portrait to save his life. Through reflections and reenactments, I Believe the Portrait Saved Me explores the power of art in the face of oppression and uncertainty.

 

I Wanted to Hear Your Voice | James Pellerito | United States of America | 0:12:00

 

Synopsis:

After eight years of caring for his mother, who lives with advanced dementia, a son navigates the relentless demands of their daily routine. A series of archived voicemail messages traces the progression of her illness, revealing the emotional toll of long-term caregiving—its frustration, isolation, and quiet exhaustion.

 

Light Through the Blindfold | Alireza Kazemipour | Canada | 0:25:00

 

Synopsis:

Maryam Salehizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian goalball athlete with only five percent vision, is offered a surgery that could partially restore her sight. As she weighs this life-changing decision, memories and dreams begin to surface, blurring the boundaries between perception and reality. Through this intimate journey, she is compelled to confront her identity and redefine what it truly means to see.

 

Step-by-Step Towards Home | Evrim İnci | Azerbaijan | 0:25:00

 

Synopsis:

Although Karabakh returned to Azerbaijan’s control after the most recent war, the hundreds of thousands of landmines left behind continue to prolong the consequences of the conflict. More than 500,000 mines planted by Armenian forces during their withdrawal remain one of the greatest obstacles to restoring normal life in the region.
This documentary focuses on the difficult struggle of Mehrach Ismayilov, who has worked in mine clearance operations for years, and portrays the process of clearing mined lands, the risks involved, and the extraordinary efforts made to make the territory safe again after the war.

 

Towards the Light | Elshad Arshadoglu | Azerbaijan | 0:22:20

 

Synopsis:

At dawn, a father, his son, and his nephew set out for their village, recently liberated after decades of occupation.

As they journey through a landscape scarred by war, they search the ruins for everything they lost thirty years earlier: the graves of their loved ones, the memories of childhood and youth, and the last traces of a life once lived.

In confronting the shadows of the past, they are left to wonder whether anything has survived beneath the rubble—besides memory itself.