28th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival

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Opus Bonum

Opus Bonum is a competition section for the best world documentary films presented in world, international or European premieres.

→ USD 10,000 for the winning film
→ USD 5,000 for the best Central and East European film* (in cooperation with Current Time TV)
→ EUR 5,000 for the best film from V4 countries** (in cooperation with the International Visegrad Fund)
→ EUR 3,000 for the best debut (in cooperation with ARRI)
→ awards for the best cinematography, editing, sound design, film essay, etc.

* Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia (only for films not supported by the Russian state institutions), Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan

** Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia

film database

A Cautionary Tale
Romanian senior Constantin Reliu has no documents, personal or pension rights. He worked in Turkey for 25 years. He was then deported from the country. On his return to his homeland, he finds that he was presumed dead. The system refuses to formally recognise that he is still alive but he still has the strength to fight the bureaucratic apparatus. With dry humour, documentary filmmaker Ilinca Calugareanu chronicles his lonely and harrowing quest to reclaim his lost identity. The story, reminiscent of the absurd starting point of Romanian New Wave films, is darker and more convoluted than it first appears, and the author becomes more and more involved in it. “A 63-year-old man declared dead in 2016 is invisible to the state.”

A Cautionary Tale

Ilinca Călugăreanu
United Kingdom, Romania / 2023 / 79 min.
section: Opus Bonum
European Premiere
A Vague Dread Seems to Silence the Tongue
The Molly Maguires, a secret organization of Irish immigrants, were responsible for numerous murders in the mining region of Pennsylvania in the 1860s and 1870s. A one-sided historical narrative about the clash of different immigration groups is reconstructed in a film composed of contemporary written records and images of the sites exposed in the text. It views the tragic events as the result of a much more complicated context, involving issues of racism as well as growing social oppression and the slowly forming resistance to it. The long shadow of the painful events unfortunately still falls on the region today. “A Vague Dread Seems to Silence the Tongue attempts to conjure the spectre of violence that emerged out of the racial animus and labour struggles of the Civil War in the present day, setting the bloody events of the late 19th century against the contemporary landscape of a fading coal economy.” Source: Edward Kinh

A Vague Dread Seems to Silence the Tongue

Edward Kihn
United States / 2023 / 75 min.
section: Opus Bonum
International Premiere
ACROSS
This autobiographical film, standing on the borderline between reality and fiction, explores diverse forms of faith and spirituality. Director Irene Dorigotti guides the film dressed in a Boy Scout uniform – a reminder of her family heritage – as she travels through her native Italy and remote areas, meeting spiritual leaders and ordinary people. For her, these encounters mark decisive moments in her spiritual journey and in her discovery of the role that religion can play in the life of contemporary man. Poetic images of landscapes, dreamlike passages and fragments of personal history, together with poignant music, create a powerful statement about the nature of humanity.“I spent most of my childhood walking in the woods and sharing the path with other children, seeking a God in falling stars – a God who could answer the big questions of a little life.” (Source)

ACROSS

Irene Dorigotti
Switzerland, Italy / 2023 / 77 min.
section: Opus Bonum
International Premiere
DISTANCES
Eight years ago, Shiv moved with his wife and young son from Nepal to Poland for a better life. Now in Warsaw, he makes a living by delivering food and by night as a taxi driver. At the same time, his teenage son goes to school and his wife sits at home unhappy. A time-lapse portrait of an immigrant family follows their seemingly ordinary life as well as interpersonal conflicts. Misunderstandings, old grievances and different values lead to the breakdown of family well-being and painful separation. The film sensitively portrays the problems faced by immigrants in Europe, and at the same time focuses attention on their individual life destinies, dreams and hopes. “You can’t drop out of school to become a YouTuber. It doesn’t work like that.”

DISTANCES

Matej Bobrik
Poland / 2023 / 84 min.
section: Opus Bonum
World Premiere
Dusty Snare and Islands
An amateur female musician accidentally finds a set of drums on a deserted Thai island. The very unlikely situation launches the minimalist story of a film labyrinth, which turns into a journey from rehearsal to public performance. The conceptual film weaves images and sounds, often returning in reframing or recontextualisation, into the equivalent of a rhythmic piece of music. The audio-visual medium conveys intense emotions that defy superficial rational interpretation behind the recurring leitmotif of beating drums. A film unfolds on the screen before your eyes that you literally have to tune in to.

Dusty Snare and Islands

Chae Yu
Thailand, Republic of Korea (South Korea) / 2023 / 50 min.
section: Opus Bonum
International Premiere
East Wind
A strong east wind brings snow, rain and also memories of her father. Only a few objects, newspaper clippings and diary entries make him present. But Maia would like to know him better, to piece together a complete portrait from the fragments. For this reason, she leaves Argentina, the land of her home, and travels to the West Bank, where her absent parent comes from. But at first she finds only more ruins, the remains of houses destroyed by the Israeli occupiers. As slowly as the calm sea ripples, the author's pilgrimage to her roots turns into an encounter with an entire nation that has been stripped of its home. The shared experience of loss helps her to fill the empty space in her heart. “When you had the accident, mom left eight blank pages in her diary. There is a gap from September 19 to September 27, 1986.”

East Wind

Maia Gattás Vargas
Argentina / 2023 / 74 min.
section: Opus Bonum
International Premiere
King Coal
The central Appalachian region has always been associated with coal mining, which to this day is not only a source of livelihood but also influences and shapes the lifestyle of local communities. Elaine McMillion Sheldon's documentary is a compelling mosaic that weaves together the past and present myths of the region, as well as a poetic reflection on a unique environment and its transformation. King Coal, as she calls her home, is indeed a place that, like the mountaintops, is dominated by rugged beauty, dreaminess and mysterious stories.“Some think that place matters less today. But here, we know that our bodies are only ever in one place.”

King Coal

Elaine McMillion Sheldon
United States / 2023 / 78 min.
section: Opus Bonum
European Premiere
La Reine
Drugs have been with 73-year-old non-conformist Ian all his life, but times have changed. Whereas in the 1960s they were part of the counterculture, today the lavender farm is a place far from the outside world where addicts flock, not looking for different or better company, but to bring their own traumas. Nikola Klinger used Super 16 to film not only Ian's memories, but also a nostalgic chronicle of social processes. His portrait of individual and collective memory shows that there are two ways to enjoy freedom, either as a medicinal herb or a poison drug. “Today we are taught to be individualists, but I think we are more dependent than ever.”The first screening is simultaneously translated into English.

La Reine

Nikola Klinger
Czech Republic / 2023 / 61 min.
section: Opus Bonum
World Premiere
Nomad Solitude
Nomadism today is no longer just an expression of a traditional way of life or a free choice for young people, but an imposed necessity for many seniors in the US. For them, a house on four wheels remains the only economically affordable option. In this time-lapse documentary, we follow the lives of three women on a long journey across the United States as their lives have been transformed. How do they cope with radical change? And what do loved-ones and friends have to say about their decision? These questions are also answered in the film, which anchors the philosophy of desolation in a broader political and social context.“Each fleeing a part of their past, these three reckless women criss-cross the roads in the hope of rebuilding their lives.” Source: Grizzly Films

Nomad Solitude

Sebastien Wielemans
Belgium, France / 2023 / 87 min.
section: Opus Bonum
International Premiere
Normal Love
Mike and Jeanne live together, spend their free time together, have sex – just about everything partners usually do. Except that at the beginning of their relationship, instead of mutual affection followed by gradual bonding, there is a legal contract. As contractual obligations, it lists some of the duties and rights that usually accompany the cohabitation of two people. The social experiment they both entered into with different expectations is the main theme of the film, which looks at the conflicting nature of emotions and reason in the web of interpersonal relationships. And it tries to answer the question: Is it possible to plan love just like a project with a set goal? “By behaving like a part of an ordinary couple's life, Jeanne tries to fit into a heteronormative world in order to show its absurdity.” Source: Leon Blog

Normal Love

Yannick Mosimann
Switzerland / 2023 / 92 min.
section: Opus Bonum
International Premiere
Places of the Soul
The death of the film director’s mother hit her very hard. She was just a child when this happened, and memories fade with the passage of time. Thus, the home videos that the most important woman in her life extensively shot begin to enter the picture. The documentary, with the poetic diction of the author's haunting voice, chronicles her journey from the sands of Arabia to the icy Antarctic, where she participated in a popular-science expedition. It is the contrast of two worlds, two completely different places, that brings her to question the titular places of the soul. Where do our memories remain? Where do we really belong at home? And where do we keep those who have already left us? “I'm the first Qatari woman in history to go to Antarctica, so this journey is a spiritual one and an exploration into matters of tradition, the environment, and the greater question of loss.” Source: Khaleejesque

Places of the Soul

Hamida Issa
Qatar / 2023 / 73 min.
section: Opus Bonum
World Premiere
Rehab (from rehab)
The parallels between the human body and architecture are highlighted in a film based on the personal experience of Louise Lemoine. As a child, she spent years in and out of hospitals caring for her severely disabled father. She confronts her traumatic memories with a cinematic exploration of the REHAB facility in Basel – a unique medical space adapted for special purposes. The artist duo arrives at the nature of its holistic character by way of a decomposition into sub-elements, including the body of the building, which is sensitively adapted to the mental state of the patients, as hospitals are not just factories designed to manage people. “So all the ways we occupy space and the way we adapt and subvert it are crucial to us, yet we are under the impression that we, as a society, think about it too little.” Source: ArchDaily

Rehab (from rehab)

Ila Bêka, Louise Lemoine
France / 2023 / 86 min.
section: Opus Bonum
European Premiere
Rosinha and Other Wild Animals
A historical documentary conceived as a discussion of history and method of production – this is one way to interpret the film about the Portuguese Colonial Exhibition, held in Porto in 1934. From archival print and video material, a pair of researchers piece together a picture of an event officially presented as a showcase of the southern European country's foreign achievements. However, with the hindsight of more than 70 years, the clearly racist dimension of the event stands out. The objectification of the gaze of the passing visitors on the titular Rosinha and other forcibly imported members of African ethnic groups finds a parallel in the operation of zoos, museums and similar institutions. “The titular Rosinha is a Guinean native who became the symbol of the first Portuguese Colonial Exhibition presented by the Estado Novo in 1934. A trip to the past to better understand the present.” Source: IndieLisboa International Film Festival

Rosinha and Other Wild Animals

Marta Pessoa
Portugal / 2023 / 101 min.
section: Opus Bonum
International Premiere
Ship
After more than 160 years of existence, one of the largest Croatian shipyards Uljanik is closing down. The place where ships of impressive size and importance were manufactured and then sailed away has been turned into an industrial graveyard for wrecks, dysfunctional cranes and abandoned workshops that once teemed with life. Through a collage of observational footage, however, we now observe the almost post-apocalyptic landscape of the site, which has become home to seagulls, sea creatures and hungry cats. How did Pula's originally important Austro-Hungarian shipping empire come to an end? The former glory of Uljanik and its road to extinction come alive in the memories of countless individuals, many of whom have dedicated their professional and private lives to Uljanik. “Everyday I walk past Uljanik and think about those [past] scenes. I simply don’t want to remember this moment now.”

Ship

Elvis Lenić
Croatia / 2023 / 65 min.
section: Opus Bonum
International Premiere
Summer and Winter
Families on a trip, people at work, festive parades, city streets, apartment interiors. Slides depicting everyday life in the former GDR serve as a visual basis for a reflective lyrical commentary consisting of excerpts from prose and essay works by James Joyce, George Orwell, Henry James, Joseph Conrad, F. Scott Fitzgerald or Virginia Woolf. Images of specific people, places and rituals – which we learn nothing of in greater detail – acquire timeless qualities thanks to extravisual reflections on mortality, fate or the imprint that we leave behind on this world, for example through photographs. “Apparently one grows more carnal and more mortal. As one grows older, only youth has a taste of immortality.”

Summer and Winter

Robert Manson
Ireland, Germany / 2023 / 40 min.
section: Opus Bonum
World Premiere
The Third End of the Stick
The documentary mosaic consists of four stories from Slovak Roma settlements. The protagonists do not fit into either the majority society or their own community. This is because of their sexual orientation, religious beliefs or physical disabilities. However, a factual observation of their struggle for a dignified life shows that they are not bitter. On the contrary, they find strength and hope within themselves day after day to overcome common obstacles and step outside the boxes in which they have been situated by other people and by their background. In doing so, they ask no more of others than what they themselves have no problem with – the ability to understand and accept their fellow human beings in their otherness. “The film is dedicated to all those who are not indifferent to anyone's fate, who are looking for a path to connection, not division, who think more about others than themselves, who give more than they take, who do not judge, but try to understand each other.” – Juraj Baláž Source: The Film New Europe (FNE) Association

The Third End of the Stick

Jaro Vojtek
Slovakia / 2023 / 88 min.
section: Opus Bonum
World Premiere
You Will Never See It All
Conceptual visual artist Ján Mančuška died in 2011. However, in his short 39 years of existence, he managed to create a number of remarkable works, many of which have been exhibited in renowned galleries around the world – including the Centre Pompidou in Paris and MoMA in New York. In his homeland, however, his work reflecting everyday life, social reality or the meaning of language has never achieved comparable fame. Together with the children of an artist who was not afraid to confront the public with the question of the meaning of art, the director embarks on a journey that aims not only to get closer to Mančuška, but also to reveal him in hitherto unrecognised shades, thus filling in the gaps that are increasingly appearing in the context of the fading memory of his personality.“We are trying to make [Mančuška's] works present, to confront them again. Not to be dependent only on recollection, on memory, but to actually have the opportunity to relive it, to see these things again.” — Štěpán PechQuote from Artalk.

You Will Never See It All

Štěpán Pech
Slovakia, Czech Republic / 2023 / 80 min.
section: Opus Bonum
World Premiere
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