An Unfairy Tale
Leena Manimekalai
India. 2019. 90 min

India is a land of Subaltern deities. Each deity has an unique legend and these legends are often interwoven with socio-historic tropes of India.

Puthirai Vannaar is an ‘unseeable’ Dalit caste group, in southern India. Their forced-occupation is to wash clothes of other Dalits, the dead and the menstruating women. This film is a tale about a young girl who grew up in Puthirai vannaar caste group and how she came to be immortalised as their local deity, Maadathy.

The Girl with Red Ribbon
Franziska Schönenberger/ Jaya Subramanian
India, Germany. 2020. 19 min

Constantly poked fun at by her classmates because of her unruly hair, Viru wants nothing more than the beautiful set of red ribbons her best friend Bhanu wears on her hair, something her own mother cannot afford. Even though Bhanu regularly prays for her in the temple, Viru is riddled with envy. When an unexpected red stain on her dress makes her the source of even greater ridicule, Viru’s desperation mounts.

NHA Mila
Denise Fernandes
Portugal / Switzerland. 2020. 18 min

After 14 years away from her homeland, Salomé is forced to return to Cape Verde to see her dying brother. During her stopover at Lisbon airport, Águeda a cleaning lady recognizes Salomé as “Mila”, her childhood friend. Águeda invites Salomé to leave the airport and spend the stopover at her home, with the women of her family. The neighborhood transports her on a spiritual journey, whose destination unfurls a painful bond with her homeland.

Letter of Forgiveness
Alina Serban
Romania. 2020. 15 min

In the household of a wealthy Romanian noblewoman in 1855, Maria, a Roma-Gipsy slave, fights to obtain freedom for her son Dinca. Based on a true story of a Roma mother and son whose life changed the course of Romanian history by bringing about the abolition of slavery sooner. Part of a future full-length project, the short film presents a day in the household in which Maria and her son, Dinca, serve as slaves. As important guests arrive for dinner and all the slaves are making preparations, Maria and her son see this day as a chance to take a step to change their fate.

Radio Silence
Juliana Fanjul
Switzerland / Mexico. 2020. 78 min

March 2015, due to political pressure and false pretenses, Carmen Aristegui, the main voice of independent journalism in Mexico, is fired with her team from the MVS Radio station. The next day more than 200,000 people demonstrate and sign a petition calling for her return on air and the end of censorship. Despite this exceptional mobilization, the station does not give way.

Who is this woman behind famous Mexican journalist? How did she become a popular figure of resistance and freedom of expression in Mexico? Who are her main enemies? Why is she still alive when dozens of her colleagues have been murdered in recent years and months? Does she find herself trapped in a role she did not want to endorse?

Soup
Inga Sukhorukova
Russia. 2020. 11 min

Tolya called his father all of a sudden, on Wednesday, and said that they need to meet.His father is guessing, why today? So many years have passed after they parted because of a big scandal.

Gloves Off
Nadine Natour / Ugonna Okpalaoka
USA. 2020. 15 min

Gloves Off follows the story of a young police officer who suits up and protects her community by day, then laces up and defends her undefeated boxing champion title by night. As she carves her own path in two male-dominated arenas, the film follows the people she fights for most: the residents on her patrol, her Florida hometown, and young boxers just like her.

The Dependents
Alexandra Orekhova
Russia. 2020. 25 min

A common lonely elderly man Zotov is broke and he has to beg for alms from a wealthy shopkeeper. The shopkeeper, wishing to get rid of the annoying man, advises Zotov to go to his distant relative who is obliged to take care of him since she is going to inherit his house. Zotov is ready to go, but what about his pets?

Blood and Glory
Satinder Kaur
USA. 2020. 12 min

Blood and Glory is a drama about the friendship
between two homeless veterans living on the streets of
LA. Jackie is a dreamer and a hustler who is trying to
get her life back on track. She also takes care of her
battle buddy Rosa, who suffers from debilitating PTSD.
The day that Jackie finally gets a job interview, she
wakes up with a super heavy period. Without money for
pads or tampons, Jackie has to figure out how to get
through the day without letting her blood stain her
clothes or her dignity.

Zeitnot
Varvara Faer
Russia. 2020. 19 min

This is a story about the way an individual might be killed by a modern city. A Moscow resident Katherine lives in a fast multifunctional lane. She tries to get on time for whatever is possible.  She carries out her everyday duties which are too many in number and of many different kinds. One day, while trying to overcome her regular daily difficulties, Katherine finally finds out their total futility and senselessness.