Traditions

In the final chapter of his remarkable life, Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla embarked on an awe-inspiring endeavor, capturing the essence of his homeland in a kaleidoscope of vibrant brushstrokes. His monumental work emerged as a testament to the deep unity woven through our diverse world, celebrating the tapestry of shared experiences that define our humanity. Now, a hundred years later, embark on an epic cinematic odyssey, following in the footsteps of the visionary artist himself and unearth...

Jamyang Lodro Rinpoche, the 47th inheritor of the Tibetan Buddhism Jonang sect, founded an intangible cultural heritage institute in a remote poor Tibetan settlement in China. Teaching Thangka painting and other traditional Tibetan culture for free, the school breathed new life into this...

Death causes us so much fear and confusion that we can hardly look it in the face. In our aseptic societies, pain and suffering tend to be covered up. Although it was not always like that. In fact, until the late 20th century it was customary to photograph the dead in places all around the world, from the United States and Europe to Latin America. Something that today is rather unknown, had its reason for being. The representation of the deceased was a way to mitigate the sorrow for the death...

Finita (84 years old) talks every night to her German boyfriend, Manfred. She lives in Torrevieja, and he lives in Eppenheim. One night, Finita tells Manfred that she has discovered some old super 8 tapes in her house. That's how she decides it's time to go back to the past. She will challenge her grandson, and director´s film, to reincarnate the...

Estíbaliz accepted her high-school friend Raquel's invitation to attend her village's festivities. What initially seems like a fun and exciting weekend turns nightmarish as Estíbaliz finds out these festivities involve the village men dressing up as wolves and hunting the women during the night. And what's even more terrifyng: nobody else seems to be alarmed or upset by this horrofic and twisted...

In a remote village nestled in the foggy hills of northern Bangladesh, Rupa fights against a predetermined destiny. With only a bike, a camera and her knowledge, she defies traditions and tries to make a place for herself in her community. When a twist of fate hits her family, Rupa’s freedom is threatened. Will she be able to maintain the fragile balance between the expectations of her loved ones and her own...

Societies violence and judgements against women are a heavy burden that Melissa must lift everyday. But when she gets on the ring, she’s the one answering...

Every year in Calpe which is located in the south of Spain some of the streets are closed for the week. The street area changes its normal appearance and becomes a cage. All the residents of Calpe and other towns nearby wait for this event to happen all year round. The bull arrives and hundreds of people end up in the cages. But is it really what makes the celebration of “Bous al carrer” that...

Every year in Spain, some 16,000 Fiestas are organized, during which animals are used. Honoring the Holy Virgin and the Patron Saints, and with the blessing of religious and political authorities, entire towns -including children- are involved in celebrations of unbelievable cruelty. 60,000 animals are hence abused each year during these “Fiestas of...

St. Agatha’s Eve is a deep-rooted Basque tradition in which people walk from house to house, accompanied by improvised verse-makers (bertsolaris), singing verses to the beating of long sticks. Building on this celebration, bertsolari Maialen Lujanbio composes a stark denunciation of gender violence. In verse after verse, she condemns the different manifestations of sexist violence and our inability to combat it. Based on these couplets, twenty young artists direct a collective-created piece,...

In Pamplona, during all year, the arrival of the summer is expected, and with it comes the Running of the Bulls of San Fermin. The smallest ones dream to run when they become...

The deadly risks faced by teenaged matadors in-training are overshadowed by the threats to their livelihood when the controversial sport of bullfighting, and the values and traditions at its heart, is challenged in Colombia. In this poetic verité documentary, everyday gestures, images, and rituals transform bullfighting into a metaphor for the personal and social struggles of this group of at-risk Colombian...

A journey through the life and work of José Luis Romanillos, spanish self-taught guitar builder. He emigrates to England looking for a job and there, following manual instructions, he manages to make his first guitar. Back in Spain after retirement, he introduces us to the old art of guitar construction. Possibly, we have attended the last guitar that has come out of his hands, which celebrates the 50 years of his life with...

When a Balinese girl is denied permission to marry outside of her clan, there is a traditional solution for the family of the suitor: 1. Draw up a Wedding Contract. 2. Kidnap the...

Vera, a private detective retired to the village where she grew up as shepherdess, and Pera, the know-it-all peasant of many esoteric skills, are some of the last remaining expert leaf-players in the country. Both in the autumns of their lives, they are still strongly blowing into leaves, producing amazingly unique music. Josip, an inventor of musical instruments, has set out to decode their obscure artistry and the result is 'Unplugged' - an existential allegory about music played on tree...

For Walter Backerman, seltzer is more than a drink. It is the embodiment of his family. As a third generation seltzer man, he follows parts of the same cobblestone route his grandfather began in 1920’s Manhattan. Walter maintains a collection of more than seven thousand antique bottles that he circulates to his customers. Many bear the family name, a tribute to his father and his grandfather before him. Now, after 90 years of the Backerman’s being in the business, Walter knows all too well...