Please join this exclusive event for Saint Mary’s University of selected shorts by the festival on Wednesday, February 5th at 6 pm.
Near the River – In the tourism town of Livingstone, Zambia, a group of local men who make their living portering kayaks aspire to become safety kayakers on the Zambezi River. The proposed Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme threatens to flood the famous rapids of the Zambezi, and eliminate river related jobs.
Toy Hospital – In the heart of Leith, Edinburgh, a unique sanctuary exists where cherished childhood toys are given a second chance. This short documentary delves into the Toy Hospital, a heartwarming haven where Kiaz, the dedicated “toy doctor,” works his magic. Through meticulous restoration, Kiaz brings old, worn-out toys back to life, rekindling precious memories for their owners.
Broken Flight – Winding through the maze of downtown Chicago, the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors work alongside the Field Museum and Willowbrook Wildlife Center to rescue birds that collide with windows, and study the birds that are killed during their annual migrations. The tenderhearted work presents a lens of environmental change that impacts every landscape.
To Scale: Time – On a dry lakebed in the Mojave, a group of friends build a practical scale model of time: 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution, and our place within it.
Armea: After scores of performances around the world and years away from Rotuma, ARMEA opens as the dedicated dancers and musicians of Rako Pasefika make their long awaited return home to the island. Arriving by air yet received just as their seafaring predecessors were, the Rako team engages with creative elders in the hopes of revitalizing ancient stories that are in danger of being forgotten. As Rako prepares to perform a new production inspired by the totemic Armea, their relationships with elders, knowledge keepers, healers, artisans and cultural custodians reveal deep and reciprocal connections to this ancient land and to the immense ocean from which it rises. Both an offering to those who have guided the way — such as the hån lep he rua sacred women — and a promise to sustain sacred artforms for generations to come, ARMEA is an ode to all that is small yet sacred.
