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Official Selection

Full-lenth Films

IN THE SAME BOAT (Saturday, 23 September, 11:00)

SPAIN 2016 – 70 min, English 

Director: Rudy Gnutti

Production: Ancora Música, Films 59, and Nao Cinematogràfica

 

Synopsis In The Same Boat is an artistic and sophisticated analysis of the effects of globalization on the world, presenting an optimistic argument for the future of the planet. Guided by some of the world's leading radical figures, from Zygmunt Bauman to Jose Mujica. In The Same Boat travels the world discovering the views of its people on work, happiness, the environment, and the economy. Supported by Rudy Gnutti's stunning cinematography and compositions, this film will transform your understanding of the modern world.

Rudy Gnutti is a director, composer and producer. He is the director of cultural and social TV documentaries. In 2009, he founded the film production company "Ancora Música" and co-produced feature films and TV series. In 2010, he wrote and shot his first TV documentary: "Love of the Poets" (TV3, Spain).

Debate: A discussion with the film director, Rudy Gnutti, and a scientist is programed after the screening

WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE (Saturday, 23 September, 14:00)

Peru/USA/UK 2016 – 103 min, Spanish with English/German subtitles 

Directors: Heidi Brandenburg and Mathew Orzel

Production: Yachaywasi Films

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Synopsis In this tense and immersive tour de force, audiences are taken directly into the line of fire between powerful, opposing Peruvian leaders who will stop at nothing to keep their respective goals intact. On the one side is President Alan Garcia, who, eager to enter the world stage, begins aggressively extracting oil, minerals, and gas from untouched indigenous Amazonian land. He is quickly met with fierce opposition from the indigenous leader Alberto Pizango, whose impassioned speeches against Garcia’s destructive actions prove a powerful rallying cry to throngs of his supporters. When Garcia continues to ignore their pleas, a tense war of words erupts into deadly violence.

Heidi Brandenburg is a graduate with honors from the University of Wales. She co-founded Yachaywasi Films to explore social and environmental issues, and challenge audiences to rethink preconceptions. Her first feature-length film is "When Two Worlds Collide".

Mathew Orzel is an award-winning filmmaker whose work focuses on the complexities of human relations. Orzel graduated with honors in visual communication from the University of Wales. He worked as a sound designer, editor and director in short films before co-founding Yachaywasi. 

Debate: A discussion with the film directors, Heidi Brandenburg and Mathew Orzel, and a scientist is programed after the screening.

DUSK CHORUS: FRAGMENTS OF EXTINCTION (Saturday, 23 September, 17:30)

Ecuador/Belgium/Italy 2017 – 62 min, Italian with German/English subtitles 

Directors: Nika Saravanja and Alessandro d'Emilia

Production: ZeLIG and Fragments of Extinction-NGO

 

Synopsis Follow eco-acoustic composer David Monacchi in his quest to record pure 24-hour continuous 3D soundscapes in primary forests with the highest biodiversity on the planet; the forests of the Amazon in Ecuador. The film offers a unique listening experience of the vanishing sonic heritage of millions of years of evolution.
http://www.fragmentsofextinction.org

David Monacchi is an ecoacoustics researcher and multidisciplinary artist. He has been developing the project Fragments of Extinction for nearly 15 years, conducting field research in the world’s last remaining areas of undisturbed primary equatorial rainforest. The recipient of multiple awards is now professor of Electroacoustics at the Conservatorio “G. Rossini” of Pesaro. 

Debate: A discussion with the protagonist, writer and music compositor of the film, David Monacchi, and Prof. Dr. Jaboury Ghazoul, ETH Zurich, is programed after the screening.

SILA AND THE GATEKEEPERS OF THE ARCTIC (Saturday, 23 September, 20:30)

Greenland/USA/Switzerland 2015 – 70 min, English with German subtitles 

Director: Corina Gamma 

Production: Tellfilm

 

Synopsis The impact of global warming on a once thriving culture now struggling to survive on our world's northernmost frontier is examined. The Inuit find their traditional way of life quickly slipping away along with the melting of the Arctic ice

Corina Gamma is a director and producer. She holds a Masters Degree in Fine Art from the Claremont Graduate University in California and currently lives and works in Los Angeles.  Corina’s movies gained several nominations and awards. 

Konrad Steffen is a glaciologist/climatologist and the director of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL. Since 1990, he has been operating the "Swiss Camp",  an arctic observation station in Greenland. His research focuses on ice surfaces in the polar and alpine regions and the effect of global warming on them.

Debate: A discussion with the film director, Corina Gamma, and the main character, Prof. Dr. Konrad Steffen (WSL Director), is programed after the screening.

NALEDI: A BABY ELEPHANT‘S TALE (Sunday, 24 September, 12:00)

UK/Norway/Kenya 2017 – 90 min, English 

Directors: Ben Bowie and Geoffrey Luck

Production: Off the Fencee, and Vulcan Production

 

Synopsis The incredible, true-life story of a baby elephant born into a rescue camp in the wilderness of Botswana. When she's suddenly orphaned at one month of age, it's up to the men who look after her herd to save her life.

Emre Izat has developed, produced, filmed, and directed multiple award-winning documentaries for National Geographic, PBS, Netflix, Discovery, History, ID, MSNBC, and TLC . Emre has a special love of elephants, and has made five films devoted to them, including "Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale", "Mind of a Giant", "Little Giant", and two episodes of the PBS series "Gorongosa Park: Rebirth of Paradise". 

Debate: A discussion with the film producer, Emre Izat, and the Senior Cuartor of Zoo Zurich, Robert Zingg, is programed after the screening

THANK YOU FOR THE RAIN (Sundday, 24 September, 15:30)

UK/Norway/Kenya 2017 – 90 min, English with German subtitles 

Director: Julia Daher

Production: Differ Media and Banyak Films

 

Synopsis Five years ago Kisilu, a Kenyan farmer, started to use his camera to capture the life of his family, his village and the damages of climate change. When a violent storm throws him and a Norwegian filmmaker together, we see him transform from a father, to a community leader and activist on the global stage.

Julia Daher is a director and producer who is passionate about character-driven stories that can raise awareness on social and environmental issues in a new way, challenge stereotypes and create an impact. In 2015, she won the One World Media award, was nominated for the Grierson award and was included on the Forbes '30 under 30' list of young Europeans ‘driving and defining the world media’.

Debate: A discussion with the film director, Julia Daher, and a scientist is programed after the screening.

A PLASTIC OCEAN (Sunday, 24 September, 19:30)

Hong Kong 2016 – 102 min, English with German subtitles  

Director: Craig Leeson

Production: Adam Leipzig

 

Synopsis A PLASTIC OCEAN began when journalist Craig Leeson, searching for the elusive blue whale, discovers plastic waste in what should be pristine ocean. In this adventure documentary, Craig teams up with free diver Tanya Streeter and an international team of scientists and researchers as they travel to twenty locations around the world over the next four years to explore the fragile state of our oceans. They uncover alarming truths about plastic pollution, and reveal working solutions that can be put into immediate effect.

Craig Leeson is an award-winning journalist, television presenter and filmmaker. He is the CEO of Leeson Media International and Ocean Vista Films and founder of the I Shot Hong Kong Film Festival. Craig has worked with the world’s major broadcasters including BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, PBS, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Bio Channel, Universal, Al Jazeera and the Seven Network. 

Debate: A discussion with the film director, Craig Leeson, and Carmelina Bonanno, from Greenpeace Switzerland, is programed after the screening.

Official Selection

Short Films

Norway 2017 – 5 min, English 

Director: Line Klungseth Johansen



Synopsis Chemical and cognitive dissonance. Process: Breath is a beautiful visual experience, and a love story between oxygen and nitrogen.

PROCESS: BREATH (Saturday, 23 September, 11:00)

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Line Klungseth Johansen has Master's degree in film studies. Line is currently working as a director at Helmet Films & Visual Effects. She has directed and produced several short films and music videos shown at numerous festivals worldwide.

Canada 2017 – 10 min, English 

Director: Florian Rudolf



Synopsis The first ETH BSc project in film format deals with the First Nations in Canada and the dilemma business conservation that they live.

ISLAND BUSINESS (Saturday, 23 September, 14:00)

Florian Rudolf is a BSc student at the Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich. He is fascinated by science communication through film.

CORAL COLOR (Saturday, 23 September, 17:30)

Spain 2016 – 4 min, No narration

Director:  Antonio Rodríguez



Synopsis This poetic film shows the movement and the enormous chromatic beauty of corals; a marine animal that, despite being one of the oldest animals on our planet, is mostly unknown.

Antonio Rodríguez is a film director specialised in timelapse in films like "Barcelona Kaleidolapse" (2013), "Nopeople Barcelona" (2014) and" Coral Colors" (2016).

Indonesia/China 2016– 13 min, English 

Director: Katie Schuler

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Synopsis An intimate glimpse into the journey of a single pangolin; from the moment it is taken from the wild to its final destination in China. Filmed on location  with the help of reformed poachers and wildlife enforcement officers. 

PANGOLIN (Sunday, 24 September, 12:00)

Katie Schuler works at the nexus between art, entrepreneurship, community development and conservation. Katie is the Co-Founder and Head of Production of Coral & Oak Studios.

Mexico 2016 – 16 min, Spanish with English subtitles 

Director: Esteban Arrangoiz Julien



Synopsis Julio César Cu Cámara is the chief diver in the Mexico City sewerage system. His job is to repair pumps and dislodge garbage that flows into the gutters to maintain the circulation of sewerage waters.  

EL BUZO (Sunday, 24 September, 15:30)

Esteban Arrangoiz Julien is a film director who loves to travel to the limits of cinema to share histories, worries and sensations with free narration. He directed different short films, which were presented and awarded in prestigious film festivals worldwide.

Switzerland 2015 – 6 min, French with German subtitles 

Director: Marcel Barelli



Synopsis The story of the first nuclear power plant 100% made in Switzerland… but also the last.

LUCENS (Sunday, 24 September, 19:30)

Marcel Barelli is a film director and animator. His movies were shown and awarded in many international film festivals.

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