In the mid-1990s, Dieter Dubbert accidentally ends up with the Miskito Indians in Bismuna, Nicaragua. Here he begins to work with drug-addicted and delinquent young people from Germany who would otherwise disappear into homes and prisons.
Social & External
Self
This third opus will take us into the homes of some of the Adamant and Averroes & Rosa Parks’ protagonists, during the visits led by their caregivers.
Portrait of a group of 150 U.S. citizens who spent two weeks participating in the cotton harvest in a remote village in Nicaragua, seeing for themselves the impact of the U.S.-backed Contra war.
Sixteen female sex workers have been named judicial aides by Nicaragua’s Supreme Court to facilitate the resolution of conflicts that come up in their work. It is the first time in the world that sex workers have had access to this function. The film accompanies some of these women in their mediation work and in the actions they promote through their association, Girasoles (Sunflowers) of Nicaragua, to gain recognition and regulations for autonomous sex work.
At a public hospital in Nicaragua, Ob/Gyn Dr. Carla Cerrato must choose between following a law that bans all abortions and endangers her patients or taking a risk and providing the care that she knows can save a woman's life. In 2007, Dr. Cerrato’s daily routine took a detour. The newly elected government of Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist revolutionary who converted to Catholicism to win votes, overturned a 130-year-old law protecting therapeutic abortion. The new law entirely prohibits abortion, even in cases of rape, incest, or when a woman’s life is at stake. As Carla and her colleagues navigate this dangerous dilemma, the impact of this law emerges—illuminating the tangible reality of prohibition against the backdrop of a political, religious, and historically complex national identity. The emotional core of the story—the experiences and situations of the young women and girls who are seeking care—illustrate the ethical implications of one doctor's response.
American resort developers bear down on the wild west coast of Nicaragua, hoping to build the next tourist paradise. With lax labour and environmental regulations, some of the developers take full advantage of the situation, and the local fishermen start accusing them of exploitation and land thievery. Unexpectedly, in the midst of this conflict, firebrand Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas sweep back into government, boldly empowering the local fishermen. The tables turn viciously on the American developers, who get much more than they bargained for. But when the local fishermen, corrupted by new found power, begin acting in the same manner as the American developers, questions are posed about human nature, morality, and ethics on a much larger scale.
Juan “Accidentes” Dominguez is on his biggest case ever. On behalf of twelve Nicaraguan banana workers he is tackling Dole Food in a ground-breaking legal battle for their use of a banned pesticide that was known by the company to cause sterility. Can he beat the giant, or will the corporation get away with it?
¡Las Sandinistas! uncovers the disappearing stories of women who shattered barriers to lead combat and social reform during Nicaragua’s 1979 Sandinista Revolution, and who continue to lead Nicaragua’s current struggle for democracy and equality.
Shot in 1983–84 and focusing on the work of the Historical Institute, this film witnesses how Nicaraguans are recovering their history, the memory of Sandino’s struggle, to transform their sense of identity.
Through the eyes of journalists and photographers working at Barricada, the official publication of the FSLN, the film observes the problems of putting socialism into practice, with reports on the war, the economy, the prison system and the political process leading up to the 1984 elections.
A portrait of a remote area in the rural north of Nicaragua facing difficulties with the revolutionary process. It follows Marlon Stuart, the regional FSLN political organiser, at the time of the 1984 elections.
It Kinda Scares Me is a documentary about a drama coach and the “delinquent” boys he teaches. In their world, bravado is everything and Friday nights are for getting into fights. Tomer Heymann, both filmmaker and drama coach, encourages the boys to create something from their pain and marginalization, while they struggle in rehearsals to preserve their much-prized Israeli machismo. When Tomer announces to the group that he is gay, they are shocked, but his commitment to their play wins the day as they prepare for a performance that will give voice to the lives of disaffected Israeli youth.
The film is about aftermaths and reckonings. Revisiting material for his earlier 4-part series, Karlin returns to Nicaragua to examine the history of the Sandinista government, consider its achievements, and assess the prospects for democracy following its defeat in the general election of 1990.
The filmmaker delves into her family's past and the seemingly intact world of childhood begins to fall apart. Here, the private sphere reflects the helplessness and excessive demands of German society in the 1970s - between the shadows of the National Socialist past and new utopias.
Three Nicaraguan-American artists from the Washington D.C. Metro area discuss growing up in two cultures and how it influences their art.
The conflict between Dole Food Company and Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Gertten unfolds dramatically in the documentary "BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!" as the corporation attempts to suppress Gertten's earlier film, "BANANAS!"—chronicling Nicaraguan workers' lawsuit against Dole. Initially selected for the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival, "BANANAS!" was abruptly removed from competition, followed by a negative article in the Los Angeles Business Journal and legal threats from Dole's attorneys. Gertten captures this saga of corporate intimidation, media manipulation, and legal challenges in his documentary, showcasing the struggles documentary filmmakers face and highlighting the threat to freedom of speech posed by powerful corporations protecting their reputations.
This 1979 documentary depicts the daily life of gangs in the South Bronx. It deals primarily with two African American and Puerto Rican gangs known as the "Savage Skulls" and the "Savage Nomads".
It's December 16, 1972, 50 years ago. The first social cooperative in the world is born in Trieste. It was formed by 28 people: two sociologists, two psychologists, five nurses, a healthcare assistant, two doctors and sixteen private individuals who all have the same residential address: via San Cilino 16, Trieste. They are interned in a psychiatric hospital and therefore have no civil and political rights: they cannot vote, marry or make a will. Imagine founding a cooperative. Thus the Court of Trieste rejected the request to establish the cooperative. It would have been a long march through the institutions.
Christian, Finn and Moritz became addicted to drugs as teenagers. In 1999, the film "Bismuna - Ein Abenteuerfilm" was made about the three teenagers and their counselor as they traveled to an indigenous tribe for the drug cure. Now, some 10 years later, it shows what the men have done with their lives.