Fragments (United Kingdom) by Mélodie Roulaud

When we discuss and depict the body, we refer to something both tangible and imagined, with unclear boundaries and a complex relationship to the 'self'. This portrait of non-binary model Venus Baginski, the second episode of Fragments, takes an introspective journey into their understanding and experience of their body. 

Running time: 00:03:00

Featherbones (United Kingdom) by Sophie Klampferer, Penelope Corinaldesi, P. Avantika Sood, Tiana Te-Rong Hsu

Featherbones is a poetic documentary that delves into the nocturnal world of Smithfield Meat Market, where labor, tradition, and gender dynamics collide. The film follows four female filmmakers as they navigate this male-dominated space, capturing moments of connection and tension with the market’s workers, who grant them access to document their lives. Through intimate and nuanced storytelling, Featherbones explores the complexities of being outsiders in a tightly knit, gendered environment. Misogyny surfaces alongside themes of resilience, community, and care, offering a layered portrait of the market’s unique culture.

Running time: 00:05:0

The Other Side of Despair (Switzerland) by Varsy Buchmann

"The Other Side of Despair" is a moving portrait of a young Armenian artist, Art Petrosyan, who sets fire to his own paintings. Shot during a time of profound loss and upheaval in the aftermath of the forced deportation of 110,000 people from Artsakh, it provides a unique and thought-provoking perspective on the relationship between art, identity, and the struggle for survival.

Running time: 00:08:30

The House Where He Belongs (United Kingdom) by Hans Lo

‘The House Where He Belongs’ is a fragmented documentary investigating an infamous house on Asylum Road, South East London. The film features interviews with local residents, sharing their stories about the house – and the mysterious man who lived inside it.

Running time: 00:04:35

Nine Easy Dances (Canada) by Nora Rosenthal

*** Visions du Réel, Dok Leipzig

A filmmaker and former dancer returns to her family home to make a film with her parents, but when they fail to live up to unrealistic expectations, and when her mother's cancer metastasizes, she hires professional dancers to play them.

Running time: 00:20:00

Material Conditions (United Kingdom) by Ben Collier

Home video fragments render the story of a former teenage gang member as he reflects on how structural inequalities shaped his mindset and reality growing up in a deprived area of South London.

Running time: 00:07:45

I Kiss Your Hand, Madame (Hungary) by Jeremy Luke Bolatag    

*** Brussels Independent Film Festival, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Budapest International Documentary Film Festival

After living a heteronormative life for 50 years, Mónika finally goes through the first steps of her gender-affirmation journey. As she raises her 11-year old son, she also navigates the repressive Orbán regime in Hungary as a trans woman.

Running time: 00:18:00

Irpinia (United Kingdom) by Jameisha Prescod

Irpinia is the story of black British hope from the perspective of the Windrush generation. At the age of 24, Dudley Porteous boarded a ship called the Irpinia in search of a better life in England, the so-called mother country. Now 86 years old, Dudley reflects on his exciting journey to sea and the harsh reality that lay ahead.

Running time: 00:07:13

Maybe We Can Whisper (United Kingdom) by Alexandre Amaral, Aoife Mandeville

During a journey to the Isle of Skye, two lovers question if the new relationship they are building can hold again the weight of the traumas they carry from their past. While they might not be able to speak their worst fears out loud, perhaps if they are brave enough to whisper them in the presence of each other, they might get a new chance at love.

Running time: 00:17:58