Synopsis

Albert works and even seems to live in a dark factory, where a large number of workers seem to be handling an undisclosed product. That product’s texture resembles film material, but we never learn what it actually is. Whether the product is in fact being manufactured or destroyed at the factory also remains a mystery, as well as the location and time of the action. Albert’s world, which seems to be one without plants, sunshine, even without actual life, is dominated by shades of grey. The factory itself is under constant video surveillance. A voice giving instructions emanates from the many loudspeakers spread throughout the factory. Clearly composed cinemascope images tell the story of a longing for life in an industrial society dominated by lifelessness.

The film will be presented within the frame of SHORT FILM COMPETITION 2 together with the following productions:

The Chicken
GER/CRO 2014 | 15 min.
Language: Bosnian w. Engl. ST
Director: Una Gunjak
For her birthday, six-year-old Selma gets a living chicken from her father, who is currently serving the army. She now tries to save her present from ending up in the cooking pot. A compelling study of a family’s life under the horrors of war.

Ucronia (Ukronija)
SRB 2014 | 29 min.
Language: Serbian w. Engl. ST
Director: Marko Backović
A murder caused by an innocent joke results in a violent frenzy. What if the quarrel never emerged? A black comedy about the possibilities of de-escalation, filled with bizarre caricature gangsters.

Ukrainian Lessons
UKR 2013 | 29 min.
Language: Ukrainian w. Engl. ST
Director: Ruslan Batytskyi
When an attractive new teacher arrives in a small Ukrainian town, a tremendously dynamic series of events is triggered. The hatred of young mine workers, accumulated in years without prospect, explodes in striking pictures of violence and destruction.

Kosherland
GER/LAT 2013 | 16 min.
Language: Russian w. Engl. ST
Director: Pyotr Magnus Nedov
As usual, two criminals collect protection money from a Jewish shop owner, when the situation suddenly deescalates. A superbly cynical reckoning with the sheer ignorance of the authorities; one that is all too accurate in many places of the world.

Invisible Spaces (Ukhilavi sivrtseebi)
GEO/USA 2014 | 10 min
Language: Georgian w. Engl. ST
Director: Dea Kulumbegashvili
The morning routine of a priest’s wife: breakfast, prayers, taking care of her husband. A silent glimpse on domestic hierarchies in a religious patrimony and the resulting emotional standstill.