The Dublin Doc Fest was founded by Tess Motherway in 2013 and since then, the festival has showcased short documentary films from both Irish and international filmmakers. Half a decade in to highlighting eye-opening documentaries in its carefully curated programmes, Dublin Doc Fest 2017 has now announced its selection of films for this year’s edition, with 14 films representing 8 countries for 1 night of provocative, non-fiction cinema.
Dublin Doc Fest returns for it’s 5th festival screening on Saturday Nov 11th 2017 in the new setting of the Royal Hibernian Academy Gallery, in Dublin 2. Doors for the night will open at 5.30pm with the event kicking off at 6pm. With four exciting film programmes that showcase the films of emerging & established documentary filmmakers from across the globe all over one night, it’s sure to be an evening of engaging cinema. With themes of observation & incarceration, memory & family ties, feminism, freedom and some intriguing sounding music documentaries making
Dublin Doc Fest provide a unique platform for short documentary film in Ireland, giving the underserved filmmaking platform its own space & context for exhibition in this country with their carefully curated programmes. Stay tuned for more information about Dublin Doc Fest 2017, but for now check out the films announced for the festival this year below:
Programme 1: 6.00-7.40
Become Invisible (dir. Edward Costello)
Told through two unique voices, ‘Become Invisible’ explores the seductive & dramatic nature of Mayo’s landscape, revealing the tragic consequences that can arise when rural isolation & artistic pressure collide. [9’]
Barber Shop Clacton-on-Sea (dir. Luc Vrydaghs)
How could the UK possibly vote for Brexit? In the small seaside town of Clacton-on-Sea, barber Susan & her clients reflect on current political events, including migration, religious extremism, economic decline & the position of the UK vis-à- vis the EU. As her barbershop serves as the local gathering place, we get an unfiltered glimpse of the opinions of ordinary people & their hopes for a post-Brexit society. [26’14”]
Se Shin Sa (dir. Eunhye Hong Kim )
Sook is an undocumented Korean immigrant working at a spa in Korea town, Los Angeles. Her job is to peel off the customers’ dead skin. Speaking openly about the tedious nature of her labour & the challenges she faces as a single, middle-aged woman. Sook is interviewed against the backdrop of classic Ingres depictions of public baths. For an instant, art allows Sook to transcend the limitations that social circumstance imposes upon her. [10’51”]
The Rock (dir. Hamid Jafari)
In the south of Iran, a woman travels every day from her village to the nearby mountain. For hours at a time, she labours away, breaking apart huge boulders with minimal equipment. Slowly & mysteriously, the film reveals the motivations that inspire her back-breaking work. [25”]
UZU (dir. Gaspard Kuentz)
Held every October in the city of Matsuyama (on the island of Shikoku), the Dogo Autumn Festival is one of Japan’s most violent religious festivals. Eight teams of men carrying massive portable wood shrines, which can weigh up to a ton, collide together in a holy battle, leaving many injured & exhausted. UZU is an immersive documentary film that focuses on the festival’s physical & spiritual experience. At once a thrilling ride into ritualistic violence and a penetrating glance at its meaning, UZU offers a unique cinematic experience, fusing sensory ethnography & war reporting. [27’12”]
Programme 2 (Student Shorts): 7.50-8.25
(Almost) Freedom (dir. Puck Lo)
A day in the life of four electronic monitoring devices. [8’03”]
Whatever the Weather (dir. Remo Scherrer)
Wally’s life is increasingly turned upside down by her mother’s alcohol addiction. Helplessness, excessive demands & desperation shape her childhood, turning it into a daily struggle for survival. [11’20”]
Different Names for Bullying (dir. Marco Poggio)
Lakota man Steven Gray joined the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Like many others who oppose the pipeline’s construction, Gray wishes to defend the water source for his community & the integrity of this sacred site. But Gray’s involvement in the fight is driven by more subtle motivations: after losing a son to suicide as a consequence of bullying, Gray has resolved to fight all forms of bullying & oppression. The disregard for the sovereignty of Native people in light of the pipeline dispute has become for Gray a source of personal struggle. [16’15”]
Programme 3: 8.35-9.55
The Fourth Kingdom (dir. Alex Lora-Cercos)
The Fourth Kingdom is the kingdom of plastics, a rubbish redemption center in New York for immigrants & underdogs where the American Dream is still possible. This film focuses on the four people whose aspirations revolve around the money & friends they find here: Rene, a Mexican immigrant who has found happiness despite the social stigma of poverty; Eugene, a disabled man who has spent 40 years in the streets; and Walter, a mysterious stranger from El Salvador. In this unlikely place, a disparate crew becomes something akin to a makeshift family. [14”]
Familiar Tale (dir. Sumie Garcia)
FotoSaeki is a deserted photography goods store in the Santa Maria la Ribera neighborhood in Mexico City. Its owner, Yukio Saeki, arrived in Mexico in 1955. Now 83 years old, he can still hear the echo of a hot Monday morning in Japan, as he walked across a field toward the ocean as the atomic bomb fell. [20’]
Rose Amongst Thorns (dir. Kris Van den Bulck )
Rose Amongst Thorns glances at the world’s most famous flower, the rose, in an environment characterized by industrialisation & human migration. [21’57”]
The Sound of Winter (dir. Tizian Büchi)
Max is a farmer from the Jura Mountains. He lives in an isolated farm in a village called La Côte-aux-Fées, literally “The Hill of Fairies”. It’s winter, time stretches out & opens a window on imagination. [27’]
Programme 4: 10.05-10.45
All Skate, Everybody Skate (dir. Nicole Triche)
Near the southern tip of Topsail Island, North Carolina, you’ll find a typical small town post office. But, tucked away on the second floor, a roller skating rink has entertained children of every age for over 50 years. Behind the counter in both spaces stands Miss Doris. ‘All Skate, Everybody Skate’ is a portrait of a woman who has known hard times & met them head-on with grit & an extraordinary work ethic that has kept her climbing that wooden staircase each evening. She doesn’t just sell tickets – her nights are full, renting & repairing skates; spinning vintage 45s; & weaving smoothly in between the tourists, perched on her own red wheels that she refuses to take off, even as she rolls through her 70s. [19’]
The Truth About Irish Hip Hop (dir. Gavin Fitzgerald)
Could Ireland follow the landscape of UK hip hop, producing world renowned rappers that top the charts? Ireland is renowned for its writers & poets, so why hasn’t hip hop entered the cultural mainstream here? This short documentary explores the issues surrounding rap music & shows the wonderfully eclectic mix of artists carrying the genre forward. This film is a testament to the rise of Irish hip hop & the changing attitudes towards the once foreign art form that is finding increasing popularity amongst a new multicultural generation. Featuring Rusangano Family, This Side Up, Mango & MathMan, The Rubberbandits, Fifth Element & Doublescreen, Jafaris, Ophelia MC, Nialler 9 & many more. [18’47”]
Tickets for Dublin Doc Fest 2017 are available from Eventbrite now here. Early bird tickets are available until next Friday at €12. Student tickets are the same price and regular tickets are €15, both available online until 11/10/17 (or until sold out). After this date, a limited number of cash only door sales will be available on the night at the RHA.
Update: This post was updated on 3/10/17 to include full information on programme schedules and film descriptions.