Nenets vs Gas
The Yamal peninsula, which means “end of the land”, is the territory of the Nenets. It’s a large region in north-western Siberia, well above the Arctic Polar Circle. It’s on this territory that the Nenets, princes of the Tundra breeders of deer, have been spreading out for 5000 years. But for how much longer? For Yamal has become the Russian gas safe. The discovery of massive gas deposits has whetted the appetite of oil corporations such as Novatek, Total, the Chinese National Petroleum Corp. From Yamal start the pipelines that supply Europe with cheap gas. In 2020 Russia will become the World’s largest producer of natural gas, mainly originating from the Yamal peninsula and the Kara sea.
Today, the deer dedicated space is overrun by pipeline networks, railroads and port facilities. These installations obstruct transhumance paths, pollute water and make pastures become scarce. Russian authorities have no compensation planned for the Nenets witnessing their villages turning into cities. Boarding schools are imposed on young Nenets. At Yar-Sale, teenagers dream of a blond and blue eyed husband and hum Korean Music.
In this hostile environment, Nenets are still the only ones inclined to preserve an ancestral way of life. With their flock, Vassily and the First brigade travel each year from North to South of the Siberian peninsula for a long journey of 1 000 km in order to find pastures of white lichen, essential to the survival of the deer.
Is the fight between these two worlds a losing battle?
How do the Nenets get organized to fight? Who support them?
This feature documentary – a polar western and an environmental investigation film - questions our civilization around the contemporary equation: Nenets or gas?
Today, the deer dedicated space is overrun by pipeline networks, railroads and port facilities. These installations obstruct transhumance paths, pollute water and make pastures become scarce. Russian authorities have no compensation planned for the Nenets witnessing their villages turning into cities. Boarding schools are imposed on young Nenets. At Yar-Sale, teenagers dream of a blond and blue eyed husband and hum Korean Music.
In this hostile environment, Nenets are still the only ones inclined to preserve an ancestral way of life. With their flock, Vassily and the First brigade travel each year from North to South of the Siberian peninsula for a long journey of 1 000 km in order to find pastures of white lichen, essential to the survival of the deer.
Is the fight between these two worlds a losing battle?
How do the Nenets get organized to fight? Who support them?
This feature documentary – a polar western and an environmental investigation film - questions our civilization around the contemporary equation: Nenets or gas?
Four Winters in Edificio Cuba
Edificio Cuba is an overcrowded, five-story apartment building located in the historic district of Old Havana. For six-year-old Yeison and the other children who live there, the open corridors of Edificio are a fascinating, though sometimes dangerous, space for growing up and socializing.
Yeison is hyperactive and insubordinate, frequently barging uninvited into his neighbors' apartments, charming people with his sense of humor, and getting into trouble. His mother, Eulalia, constantly searches for steady employment, leaving him in the care of neighbors. His father, Nelsito, a charismatic hustler, only rarely appears on the scene, using the boy for his own purposes when he does. It's no wonder that Yeison's "adoptive" family become his friends from the community: sensible Chivo (8), who recently enrolled in a prestigious national music school and became his parents' hope for a better future; clever Lislearsi (9), daughter of the local businessman who bosses other kids around; enterprising David (8), and Mario, an 80-year-old veteran of the Cuban Revolution, who occasionally takes on the real burden of caring for the boy.
The film tells an eight-year-long story of Yeison and his friends growing up, marked by turbulent and uncertain times in the Cuban capital. The action returns to their lives every two years, always during winter when Yeison celebrates his birthday. The rituals, preparations and expectations associated with this date – different and surprising every year – serve as the dramaturgical axis for this intimate and emotional chronicle about family, friendship, and social cohesion in changing times.
Yeison is hyperactive and insubordinate, frequently barging uninvited into his neighbors' apartments, charming people with his sense of humor, and getting into trouble. His mother, Eulalia, constantly searches for steady employment, leaving him in the care of neighbors. His father, Nelsito, a charismatic hustler, only rarely appears on the scene, using the boy for his own purposes when he does. It's no wonder that Yeison's "adoptive" family become his friends from the community: sensible Chivo (8), who recently enrolled in a prestigious national music school and became his parents' hope for a better future; clever Lislearsi (9), daughter of the local businessman who bosses other kids around; enterprising David (8), and Mario, an 80-year-old veteran of the Cuban Revolution, who occasionally takes on the real burden of caring for the boy.
The film tells an eight-year-long story of Yeison and his friends growing up, marked by turbulent and uncertain times in the Cuban capital. The action returns to their lives every two years, always during winter when Yeison celebrates his birthday. The rituals, preparations and expectations associated with this date – different and surprising every year – serve as the dramaturgical axis for this intimate and emotional chronicle about family, friendship, and social cohesion in changing times.
Frozen Ocean
Driven by genuine curiosity and a deep love for storytelling, Viktória, a young filmmaker, embarks on a journey to uncover how we navigate a changing and most uncertain world. Inspired by a 150-year-old Austro-Hungarian Arctic expedition, she sees the past as a lens for understanding our present – from which we might even learn a deeply valuable lesson of cooperation and persistency. With a spirit of adventure, she sets out to explore how individuals and communities adapt to shifting environments—and what role personal action can play in shaping the future.
The series follows Viktória and her international crew as they sail from Bremerhaven, Germany, to the remote Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land, retracing the historic expedition while exploring the region’s modern complexities. As they journey north, they explore Norway’s rugged coasts, Sámi traditions, and remote research stations, uncovering how nature, culture, and human survival are deeply intertwined. Encounters with vibrant characters offer fresh perspectives on the Arctic’s significance, revealing its impact on our daily lives across the globe, and how its fate is tied to our shared future.
Blending personal storytelling, intimate encounters and stunning visuals, Frozen Ocean connects past and present, combining animated sequences inspired by the historic expedition’s journals with the experiences of our time. Through Viktória’s eyes, the Arctic emerges not just as a distant frontier but as a mirror of humanity’s greatest challenges and hopes. The series invites viewers to reflect on their own connection to this extraordinary region and inspires us to reimagine what is possible with joint efforts.
The series follows Viktória and her international crew as they sail from Bremerhaven, Germany, to the remote Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land, retracing the historic expedition while exploring the region’s modern complexities. As they journey north, they explore Norway’s rugged coasts, Sámi traditions, and remote research stations, uncovering how nature, culture, and human survival are deeply intertwined. Encounters with vibrant characters offer fresh perspectives on the Arctic’s significance, revealing its impact on our daily lives across the globe, and how its fate is tied to our shared future.
Blending personal storytelling, intimate encounters and stunning visuals, Frozen Ocean connects past and present, combining animated sequences inspired by the historic expedition’s journals with the experiences of our time. Through Viktória’s eyes, the Arctic emerges not just as a distant frontier but as a mirror of humanity’s greatest challenges and hopes. The series invites viewers to reflect on their own connection to this extraordinary region and inspires us to reimagine what is possible with joint efforts.