megaherz GmbH

Germany 2024, 83 min
by Matthäus Wörle

Valeria is the sole inhabitant of a small Romanian village, deserted due to the tons of mud from the nearby copper mine that have flooded the area, raising the level of the polluted local lake and drowning everything in their path. Only the church spire is now visible, strongly reminiscent of our own “weeping meadow.” With fortitude, stoicism, and courage, the elderly woman, accompanied by her few animals and some citizens who ask her to do what seems reasonable, refuses to leave her land, which now resembles a dystopian thriller. A disturbing socio-ecological documentary that revolves around its central protagonist, who literally gives lessons in life, dignity, and perseverance, standing tall in the face of utter destruction. The landscape photography is stunning, with the camera capturing images that balance between eerie beauty and total devastation. [26TiDF]

Germany 2013, 89 min
by Jonas Gernstl

Max and Felix, in the mid-20s, have gone through the hard school of star gastronomy and are obsessed with cooking. Their vision: a high class restaurant. Their plan: an eight month trip through Asia – in search of inspiring kitchens and cooks. The two Berliners travel through eight countries and 25 cities, a thrilling journey from simple cookshops to international high class gastronomy. Guerilla Chefs ist a sensuous, adventurous, humorous story of growing up, a tale of friendship, o the pioneer spirit, of successes and setbacks, of fascinating encounters – and a farewell which is harder than expected.

Germany 2013, 70 min
by Noemi Schneider

Walaa Hussein is a Muslim Arab. She’s Palestinian, she’s Israeli, she’s a woman – and on top of that a football playing woman. Walaa is refusing to choose sides: The 23-year-old is not only playing in the Palestinian national team, but as well for the Israeli football league. She’s attacking across the borders, may they be on the map or in the hearts or minds of people. That way Walaa crosses often lines: political, religious, conventional and traditional lines. Lines that most people in Israel as well as in Palestine would find impossible to pass.  The filmmaker Noemi Schneider followed the footballer for one year on both sides of the wall separating Israel and the Westbank. We’re joining Walaa training with the Palestinian national team and are at her side when her Israeli club Ramat HaSharon is promoted from the second to the first league. We're with her in Zababdeh, where she lives close to her university in Jenin and are visiting together her family in Walaa’s hometown Sha’ab, an Arabic village in Israel. Shopping in the Westbank, the beach in Eilat, car-breakdowns at night. Here and there, moving across the lines at the heart of the Middle East conflict.