Gifted Handz
Breaking a centuries-old taboo, Ava stands as the first woman in Iran to master the male-dominated craft of carpentry. Within the grit and clamor of the workshop, she confronts a society that deems her presence forbidden. This observational documentary captures her daily battle against physical hardships and social judgment.
Filmmaker Peter Hegedus embarks on the challenging journey to make Sorella's Story, an immersive 360° film set on the beaches of Latvia in December 1941, when thousands of Jewish Women and children perished at the hands of Nazi collaborators. Along the way Peter teams up with Jewish-Australian 90-year-old Ethel Davies whose family was also killed in the same massacre.
For twenty years, male members of a fraternity at a major state university and their female guests have been celebrating the end of the school year by capturing and eating live salamanders. Is the "salamander-eating contest" staged by these students a fad or a tradition? A rite of passage for college men and women? Or an inhumane and senseless act? The film documents the ritual in cinema verité fashion and permits viewers to decide for themselves. Provided without narration - this short film primarily features obnoxious, loud and brawling youngsters, and develops into a competition among coeds that has strong sexual overtones.
