Films by Sebastian Tesch

Germany, Qatar, Libanon, Syria 2017, 98 min
by Talal Derki

Talal Derki’s new documentary tells the story the young generation in Syria and asks about the future of children, who grew up in the war.If you want to tame your nightmares, you need to capture them first. That’s what Syrian documentary filmmaker Talal Derki learned from his father. As in his previous film RETURN TO HOMS, he returns to his homeland and becomes part of life in a war zone. For more than two years he lives with the family of Abu Osama, an Al-Nusra fighter in a small village in northern Syria, focusing his camera mainly on the children. From a young age, the boys are trained to follow in their father’s footsteps and become soldiers of God. The horrors of war and the intimacy of family life are never far from one another. At the nearby battlefront Abu Osama fights against the enemy, while at home he cuddles with the boys and dreams of the caliphate. Talal Derki sets out to capture the moment when the children have to let go of their youth and are finally turned into Jihadi fighters. No matter how close the war comes, there's one thing they've already learned: they must never cry.

Germany 2017, 87 min
by Erik Lemke

The anonymous concrete construction "Excelsior" is just a stopover for many of its inhabitants. Soon, life will get better and everyone tries to get ahead in his own way: with "invisible Make-up", the 49-year-old Michael wants to re-connect with his previous success as a call boy. Claudia's days as a dancer are over, but a series of new photos are supposed to help her get back on stage. Norman wants to help others find happiness with his start-up "ChangeU" and help himself to a new sportscar. Hardly anyone can escape the temptations of success.

2016, 75 min
by Carl Gierstorfer

This striking documentary tells the compelling story of one Liberian community’s fight for survival against Ebola. The film is told from the perspective of those who personally faced the disease, showcasing the ravages, death and tragedy they confronted, but also their struggle to bring the outbreak to an end.With great emotional depth, four main characters from the village reveal their efforts to confront the outbreak and the difficult process of recovering from its deadly reach. Mabel Musa, an ambulance nurse, and her team spearhead the fight against the spreading outbreak. Stanley lives in hiding—he’s blamed for bringing Ebola to their village and is now an outcast. But Reverend Victor Padmore fights to reunite Stanley with his fellow villagers. Tawoo battles the virus and survives, and though his family members succumb to Ebola, he remains strong and determined to take back his life. These compelling stories reveal the human toll of this deadly disease.