Digital Prints of a Revolution
Real people and their stories hidden behind the shared cell phone amateur videos shot during the Arab Spring in 2011. A documentary road movie in between digital space and reality. In December 2010, after a desperate shopkeeper set fire to himself and burnt to death in Tunisia, public riots began. In the following weeks and months a massive wave of revolutions moved to other Arab countries, with its extraordinary power set in motion by apparent certainties of oligarchic North African and Middle Eastern regimes. The main media and revolutionary method of communication between young Arabs is the internet. Social networks and Youtube represent a kind of meta-space free of government control. Videos shot with cell phone cameras, thousands of hours of brutal evidence against the power of the state, Revolution documenting itself online. How many personal videoarchives were possibly shot only during the mythical gathering of one million Egyptians in Tahrir square in February? And who are the real people hidden behind these iconic images? Would there be any revolution without these strong shared video-images?
What's the News?
Our documentary film "What’s the News?" will examine the process of news coverage and investigative journalism in established news outlets, the rising influence of alternative news media platforms and the motivations behind the creation of news. We will take a close look at the role of media in influencing opinions and social and democratic processes as well as threats that compromise the freedom of independent press and journalism in different parts of the world.
We will follow several established journalists in different countries with different socio-political and economic backgrounds and show how they operate in today’s changing media environment.
We will follow several established journalists in different countries with different socio-political and economic backgrounds and show how they operate in today’s changing media environment.
Rotations
Sixteen-year-old Barbora Vránková is facing the most pivotal year of her life. As the newly crowned Czech women’s figure skating champion, she will now represent her country at the world championships.
Modern figure skating has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, with Russian women redefining the sport by landing unprecedented quadruple jumps. However, with Russian athletes banned from international competitions due to the war in Ukraine, this season presents a unique opportunity for skaters like Barbora. But it also raises a crucial question: what does the absence of such fierce competition mean for others?
Training at an elite ice rink in Egna, Italy, Barbora spends hours each day, six days a week, honing her craft alongside Europe’s top skaters. Her life is a delicate balancing act between the rigorous discipline of figure skating, homeschooling, and moments with her family. Her ten-year-younger sister, Thea, and her dog, Lucky—her constant companion—offer rare glimpses of comfort and normalcy.
As the jumps get higher, so do the stakes. The mounting physical and psychological pressure takes its toll. Surrounded by accomplished skaters who make it all look effortless, Barbora begins to doubt herself. Italian skater Gabriele Frangipani, who has mastered the quad, becomes a supportive presence, offering encouragement. Yet, even his help doesn’t seem to ease her growing fear.
With heightened expectations from coaches and parents, Barbora’s confidence starts to crack. The pressure becomes so overwhelming that she begins to struggle with even routine triple jumps, leaving her to confront the most significant challenge of her career—finding belief in herself.
Modern figure skating has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, with Russian women redefining the sport by landing unprecedented quadruple jumps. However, with Russian athletes banned from international competitions due to the war in Ukraine, this season presents a unique opportunity for skaters like Barbora. But it also raises a crucial question: what does the absence of such fierce competition mean for others?
Training at an elite ice rink in Egna, Italy, Barbora spends hours each day, six days a week, honing her craft alongside Europe’s top skaters. Her life is a delicate balancing act between the rigorous discipline of figure skating, homeschooling, and moments with her family. Her ten-year-younger sister, Thea, and her dog, Lucky—her constant companion—offer rare glimpses of comfort and normalcy.
As the jumps get higher, so do the stakes. The mounting physical and psychological pressure takes its toll. Surrounded by accomplished skaters who make it all look effortless, Barbora begins to doubt herself. Italian skater Gabriele Frangipani, who has mastered the quad, becomes a supportive presence, offering encouragement. Yet, even his help doesn’t seem to ease her growing fear.
With heightened expectations from coaches and parents, Barbora’s confidence starts to crack. The pressure becomes so overwhelming that she begins to struggle with even routine triple jumps, leaving her to confront the most significant challenge of her career—finding belief in herself.