Synopsis

Fatima, Farah and Haya are three artists from across the Arab World; marginalised by patriarchy, stifled by censorship, and divided by borders. They are, however, united by creativity, energy, and their desire for real change. Now, they come together for the first time in Barcelona, away from home. Borders and Promises follows these women as their lives and art are woven together while struggling to have their own - and countless other - voices heard.

A film by OTOXO Productions

TICHO by Adriana Ronquillo

Ticho is a story of a young man who descends to the depths of the Earth. It is the story of love and innocence as they face the absurdity of violence, and of the conflictive relationship between humans and nature. As we accompany Ticho on his journey, we will find the madness that grows underneath the piling wreckage of progress.

Taxi Sister by Theresa Traoré Dahlberg

Boury is a female taxi driver in Dakar, Senegal. She leads a busy life full of drama, and constantly grapples with society’s archaic views on women. The film is based on the Taxi Sister project, which was started by the Senegalese state in 2007 to encourage female entrepreneurs. Ten women were offered the opportunity to get a drivers' license and buy a car on credit. Today, there are fifteen women taxi drivers in Dakar, which is nothing compared to the fifteen thousand male taxi drivers.

Rupture by Yassmina Karajah

Introducing a cast of first time actors and survivors of war who channel their personal experiences of loss and new beginnings through a fictional narrative, Rupture follows the journey of four Arab teens on their quest to find the local public pool in their new Canadian city.

Synopsis

A new documentary from Cultures of Resistance Films, showcases the non-violent creative resistance in Burkina Faso. A small, landlocked country in West Africa, Burkina Faso is home to a vibrant community of artists and engaged citizens, and provides an example of the type of political change that can be achieved when people come together. It is an inspiration, not only to the rest of Africa but also to the rest of the world.

Synopsis

To Kyma. A rescue in the Aegean Sea tells the story of a great feat achieved by a group of Spanish volunteers lifeguards who have moved to the Greek island of Lesbos on the wake of the current refugees crisis. Their full vocation of service, altruism and professionalism have made them beloved heroes in the island and even abroad. They are on a mission: with very small means, they challenge the sea to save the lives of another kind of heroes, those thousands of economic migrants and refugees who cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece every day by precarious dinghies. It is a dangerous and sorrowful journey, but they finally step European land.

The Crossing by Ameen Nayfeh

When Shady and his Sister Maryam are very excited to visit their sick grandfather on the other side of the wall, their elder brother Mohammeh, arrives in a hurry with the permit to cross. They arrive to the checkpoint, but having a permit sometime is not enough to let them pass!

Memory of A Fish by Yousef Salhi

Sami always tries to remember things, but his memory doesn’t always help. However, Sami's memory problem doesn't bother him, unlike his sister Yara who’s always making fun of him. How will Sami react when his mother tries to make a solution?

And an Image Was Born by Firas Khoury

Two year-old Razi loves to hear the story of "The Monster". The story is an allegory of the Palestinian problem but Razi is too young to comprehend the political association, he just wants to imagine and live through its details over and over again. The narrator has his own film in his head.

Bonboné by Rakan Mayasi

A Palestinian inmate serving time in an Israeli jail receives a visit from his wife, and she devises a bold and crafty operation to fulfill their secret desires.

The Shutter by Bilal Krunz

A foreign woman visits a refugee camp to take photos. A child who is fond of photography notice and follows her closely.

Madam El by Laila Abbas

Nader and Abed roam the mountains and dig through caves, looking for historical remains. The two boys deliver the pieces they find to an antiques' dealer, who gives them very little money in return. What they find in one remote cave will challenge their friendship. Things become more complicated when adults force themselves into the simple world of the two boys.

Synopsis

A group of young women tweak machines and hammer away at a school for auto mechanics in Ouagadougou in this poetic story about life choices, sisterhood and the endeavor to find your own way.

In a country with youth unemployment at 52 percent, jobs are a hot issue. The young girls at a mechanics school in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou are right in the middle of a crucial point in life when their dreams, hopes and courage are confronted with opinions, fears and society's expectations of what a woman should be. Theresa Traore Dahlberg documents their last school years and at the same time succeeds at showing the country's violent past and present.