During the 22nd edition of the Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival, audiences can once again enjoy a selection of beloved short films. Presented in curated blocks, productions from around the world—each up to 45 minutes long—will compete in the Short Film Competition during the cinema part of the festival. We now know the first titles that have chance for the award! The online edition of the festival will feature an even wider selection of shorts, grouped into theme-driven blocks. A screening of short stories is the perfect choice for viewers eager to explore diverse perspectives and experience intense emotions—all in a single screening!
On the Impossibility of an Homage
Directed by: Xandra Popescu
Ion Tugearu was a ballet star in communist Romania. Now he teaches the next generations of dancers and, sitting on a plastic chair in a hot, cramped rehearsal room, he dreams of having his legacy preserved before he’s gone. Initially, he eagerly accepts the director’s offer to tell his story, but things soon get complicated. It turns out that Xandra Popescu starts delving deeper into his life, revealing the immense sacrifices he made to build his career under totalitarian rule. The dancer begins to have more and more remarks and doubts, which he expresses aloud, often. He would like to only talk about his successes, hiding the suffering tied to them, just as he had done for decades. Despite conflicting visions for the film, Ion gradually opens up through a return to his past, confronting his own experiences. This is not only a story about an exceptional artist but also about the creative process, where both sides must compromise and embrace true honesty.
The Tunes
Directed by: Pablo Guarise
A small café in Brussels, whose main attraction is karaoke. The sound of songs sung by customers fills the space at all times of day. The people here form an almost family-like bond, sharing life’s ups and downs. Lifelong friendships and romances blossom. There are many reasons to sing – sometimes it’s simply for fun, other times it’s a nostalgic yearning for the past. For some, it’s a way to kill time between pints of beer. The songs, which are an inseparable part of this extraordinary place, turn the film into a surprising, documentary-style musical that offers not only fun but also moments of emotional depth.
Am I the Skinniest Person You’ve Ever Seen?
Directed by: Eisha Marjara
“Hey, let’s go on a diet together,” – with these seemingly innocent words began Eisha’s dramatic story. Along with her sister Seema, they started controlling what and when they ate as children. Seema saw it as a game. For Eisha, the desire to be slim gradually turned into an eating disorder, bringing her to the brink of death. Years later, in her personal film, she revisits those events, delicately, intimately, and precisely showing at what point and for what reasons she developed anorexia. It’s a story about sisterly love and rivalry, the unrealistic standards of appearance in today’s world, the experience of a migrant family in Quebec, and also about the destructive desire for control and perfectionism that slowly destroys a life.
Afterwards
Directed by: Romane Garant Chartrand
Beautiful homes in a wealthy neighborhood are admired in the first shots of the film from the street’s perspective. Many dream of living this way. But what happens behind closed doors? The film introduces us to women who have experienced violence and found the strength to leave their abusive partners, starting a safe and independent life. They are in a center that helps them regain their dignity, strength to act, and make plans for the future. This is a full chorus of sisterly strength and empathy, breaking the silence that still surrounds the issue of domestic violence.
Homunculus
Directed by: Bonheur Suprême
The creator of Homunculus uses animation created in a computer game to tell the story of a gay migrant from the Middle East living in France. He reads the messages he received from men on the dating app Grindr, where he used the nickname Bonheur Suprême. He quickly discovered that in the eyes of white men, he was seen through the racist lens of the “Arab” – a strong, beautiful lover who could only be reduced to the role of a sexual object, fulfilling yet another fantasy. No one is interested in truly getting to know Bonheur Suprême; everyone is only concerned with the size of his genitals, which the director comments on in an ironic and humorous way. However, he also meets other migrants who don’t approach him in such a fetishizing way. Where will this journey take him? One thing is certain – it won’t be easy, not only emotionally. He constantly faces a dangerous opponent: the French police, who target both migrants and gay men.
Goodnight, Mister Stalin
Directed by: Benjamin Kodboel
They are divided by everything, but united by one thing – Joseph Stalin. Both come from the town of Gori in Georgia, where the dictator was born. While Nasi remembers him as a great man, for her adopted granddaughter Zhana, he is one of the greatest criminals in history. Seventy years after his death, the town remains inextricably linked to him. There is a Stalin museum, and in place of the official monument that was dismantled, a group of residents built a modest sculpture with a decaying head using their own funds. Zhana, an activist fighting against the rising imperialistic narrative of modern Russia, takes Nasi to where the remnants of Stalin’s monument are stored so she can say goodbye to it. From this unusual relationship between grandmother and granddaughter, we can learn how, despite deeply conflicting values, people can communicate without aggression or prejudice.
The Ban
Directed by: Roisin Agnew
The way Margaret Thatcher devised to censor the media speaking about the conflict in Northern Ireland seems truly absurd, as perfectly illustrated in Roisin Agnew’s film. The British government banned the use of IRA members’ voices in the media, citing the threat posed by terrorism. However, no one really intended to obey the ban, so they began hiring actors to dub the voices of those who were banned. In spite of its intentions, the Thatcher administration inadvertently created extra work for actors wanting to make some money. Using never-before-seen archival footage and contemporary interviews with key figures such as Gerry Adams and Stephen Rea, the film highlights the significance of voice in politics and raises obvious comparisons to today’s world.
The Oasis I Deserve
Directed by: Inès Sieulle
Replika is an app straight out of the movie Her by Spike Jonze. This chatbot, which markets itself as “an AI friend who cares,” aims to provide companionship and fulfill emotional needs. In times of epidemic loneliness, this service is particularly valuable. Initially, Replika was available to users aged 13 and up, but it faced criticism when it was revealed that its AI model continually pushed relationships with users toward a sexual direction to generate revenue from paid subscriptions. The film’s soundtrack features real conversations found online, while the visuals depict immersive animation resembling the interiors of homes and apartments. Internet chatbots struggle to find their place in the world, sharing their often desperate thoughts with the people they talk to.
Nemo 1
Directed by: Albéric Aurtenèche
Nemo is the name of the captain in Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. On the coast of Chittagong in Bangladesh, a cargo ship named Nemo 1 rests on the beach among hundreds of other wrecks. Its journey has come to an end. Here, steel giants are slowly recycled by poorly paid workers. In this place, like in a lens, human dreams of grandeur and the bitter truth about the cost of Western convenience reflect. On one side, nature suffers from pollution caused by tons of scrap metal stored on the beach. On the other side, the people of Bangladesh and other countries in the region, who lose their health and lives on the ship graveyard due to inadequate safety measures and poor working conditions.
67 milliseconds
Directed by: Antoine Fontaine, Galdric Fleury
A bullet exits the gun at incredible speed, reaching the human body and tearing it apart with brutal precision. The filmmakers examine this fraction of a second, breaking down the bullet’s trajectory captured by city surveillance cameras. On one side are the French police officers who begin shooting without clear justification. On the other side is a young man whose life is irrevocably marked by that one bullet. Where is the line that the state cannot cross in relation to its citizens? The shooting case sparked nationwide debate in France when the phone recordings of the police officers involved were leaked, showing their attempts to cover up the incident.
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