Ji.hlava may not begin for another two weeks, but the first documentaries are available already. The Short Joy competition brings together 22 short documentaries from around the world, available free of charge online on DAFilms.com from October 8. Viewers can vote for the best film there until October 21.
‘Even a short film can encompass complexity: a human story, the tragedy of a fragile territory, intricate historical developments or current political events. Many of the selected films use a carefully considered, synecdochic approach to capture perspectives and arguments, stories and characters alike. And they do so with striking poetic language, precise observation, daring investigation or images that evoke tactile experience,’ says Ji.hlava programmer Andrea Slováková.
The winning film will be announced at the opening ceremony of Ji.hlava on Friday, October 23, where it will receive the DAFilms Audience Award. The films in this year’s section share a personal perspective, visual experimentation and sensitivity to contemporary issues, from cultural memory and social and environmental questions to reflections on human identity.
‘Short Joy offers audiences a unique chance to watch one of Ji.hlava’s competitive sections before the festival even starts–and entirely free of charge. Short films have long been an important part of the DAFilms programme. They are often where we discover remarkable new talents and contemporary documentary filmmakers seeking unexpected forms and modes of storytelling. We are therefore delighted to introduce these films to audiences ahead of their screenings in Jihlava,’ says DAFilms curator Magda Španihelová.
Among the films available is the Iranian Dotuk by Hadi Sabet, depicting life in the remote village of Taj Mir in South Khorasan Province, which is battered by severe sandstorms for as many as 120 days a year. Villagers make a living by handcrafting dotuk dolls, traditional ritual objects that have become a source of income. The film follows daily life in an environment where cultural tradition becomes a commodity while remaining one of the few ways to earn a living.
The Slovak-Croatian documentary Inside by Dorota Vlnová is built on the contrast between what is outwardly visible after an abortion and what remains hidden within. Archival footage of women and mothers and images of flowers alternate with anonymous testimonies from women discussing their relationships to motherhood and their experience of abortion.
The Austrian-German-Moroccan documentary miniature living by Eric M. Weglehner takes place in a chicken slaughterhouse, where a cat and her kittens survive among the remains of animal bodies and swarms of insects. In a naturalistic style, it observes their movement through an environment marked by human activity and their desire to play, explore and live.
