USA

Kasheer is an ethnographic film examining artistic production in the disputed territory of India-controlled Kashmir. The legacies of a catastrophic insurgency and indefinite militarization by Indian security forces produces stark social and political complexities embedded in daily life. Kasheer portrays three local visual artists who work to make sense of tragedy and to reformulate a cultural identity inextricably linked to their aspirations for azadi (freedom) from Indian rule. Lushly photographed, this film creates space for thoughtful reflection amid a deeply polarized political discourse.

Dreadlocks Story opens up the history of Rastas in a new light. It shows the spiritual history behind the criticized dreadlocks hairstyle and the roots of the Rastafari culture, which is entangled with the Hindu tradition in Jamaica. Although some accommodations have been made towards Rastas, the struggle against prejudice and discrimination are still prevalent.

Deep in the forests of Sumatra, a Finnish sea captain seeks an elusive banana. In a Kolkata kitchen, Bengali chefs prepare scrumptious banana stalk curries. As the sun blazes in Kuala Lumpur, a Chinese exorcist calls forth an evil banana spirit… Embarking on an international journey through the vibrant world of human-banana relationships, MONDO BANANA explores the personal, cultural, and environmental importance of one of the world’s favorite fruits. A delicious blend of video art and ethnographic film, MONDO BANANA turns educational filmmaking upside down with a wild medley of shadow puppetry, culinary demonstrations, exorcisms, scientific research, performance art, anthropology, underground film, and dragon-dancing that peels away the secrets of human-banana relations and celebrates the age-old connection between people and plants.

A non-traditional road movie exploring a Moroccan perspective on the entwined relationship between Hollywood and The Arab World.

Casablanca Mon Amour is a modern road movie that encapsulates the more complex and fractured nature of living in a world where TV and wars compete for headlines and occupy imaginations. Using movies as a road map between yesterday’s Hollywood and today’s Morocco, Casablanca Mon Amour offers a Moroccan perspective on the long and entwined relationship between Hollywood and The Arab/Muslim World. Casablanca Mon Amour offers more than a dry critique of the impact of media on culture. Instead, the film takes a human and humorous look at the effects Hollywood films have on people’s imaginations and affords Moroccan’s (our movie set ‘extras’) an opportunity to talk back- which they do in intelligent, witty and wildly ingenious ways. Casablanca Mon Amour uses the process of movie making as a way of turning the Great American Story on its head – and offering Hollywood and America a story about itself.

“Live From UB” shows Mongolia through the eyes of its boldest musicians from the 1970s to today. Rock music was the catalyst for freedom, the vehicle for international curiosity, and now, the medium for Mongolian nationalism. It follows the story of today’s most promising independent band, Mohanik, as they create a new sound for their country and discover what it means to be Mongolian today.