Films by Mark Szilagyi

Germany 2023, 86 min
by Benjamin Rost

Imad, Nourdine, Walid and Hamza live in a stone cave under a lighthouse in Melilla. Every night, the Moroccan teenagers break into the nearby port. There, they try to climb unnoticed onto ships bound for the Spanish mainland. They and dozens of other children have formed their own community under the protection of the rocks. Director Benjamin Rost documents the impressive lives of the young people over a period of five years. The film's title describes the widespread practice of illegal North Af

2021, 73 min
by Benjamin Rost

The story of the former diamond-diving village of Port Nolloth in South Africa.A desert bordered by a deep cold sea. A torn landscape which hides the purest diamonds on earth deep beneath it. Digging for these diamonds with bare hands day and night, are young men on the frontier of a new diamond rush in South Africa. Hope beckons for the previously drug addicted Vianey who yearns for a better life. Nelson Mandela’s dream urges the homeless cook Patrick on into this new, hopeful future. Only Geor

Germany 2020, 65 min
by Johannes Preuss

"The second largest film industry in the world" (UNESCO) is called Nollywood and is based in Lagos, Nigeria. The industry is famous for fast produced low-budget films sold on street markets across Africa. In recent years, however, the industry is changing. The Internet offers easy access to worldwide distribution and multiplex cinemas sprout in Africa's mega cities. The bustling industry draws a unique mix of artists and businessmen to Lagos.  Director Abba Makama dreams of an intellectual cinem