Divadlo Bez Domova
Divadlo Bez Domova or Theatre With No Home is the theatre project run by Patrik Krebs and his wife Ursula Kovalyk with the help of friends and like minded people in Bratislava, Slovakia in which all of the actors are either homeless or disabled. This documentary follows Patrik's journey in the lead up to the premiere of the play Dia de Muertos (Deň Mŕtvych), set in Mexico during the 'Day of the Dead' festival. The long process of preparation allows the cast to become immersed in another world far from their own experience, culture and even language but most importantly it is a true departure from their own existence of prejudice and hardship. Often disabled people are excluded from regular life because people wrongly assume that they are not capable of doing the same things as everyone else. Also many people believe that homeless people are entirely responsible for their own situation, unaware of what personal circumstances led them to their life on the street. The theatre provides these people with a supportive community and the chance for personal growth through drama therapy, ultimately helping them achieve acceptance or reintegration into mainstream society.
Cambodia - A Cultural Revival
The regime of the Khmer Rouge greatly impeded the development of Cambodia by slaughtering teachers, civil servants & many other enemies of the state. They forced millions of people to leave the cities to pursue what was meant to be a utopian agrarian communist lifestyle, instead it just meant, slavery, suffering & the constant threat of death. Much of the history of Cambodia was lost & cultural identity destroyed.
With this new freedom, humanitarians from all over the world & within Cambodia began a mission to preserve the spiritual & cultural heritage of this country; from the École Française d'Extrême-Orient who sent a team led by Olivier de Bernon to preserve the monastic texts & historical documents, to the village elders who continue to pass on traditional art & dance to the youth in their communities. The attempts to crush religion failed & todayBuddhism is again practiced by more than 90% of the Khmer population & it is a very powerful source of strength & solidarity in what was a shattered nation. UNESCO is working closely with the Ministry of Culture & Fine Arts to revive the Royal Ballet & Shadow Puppet theatres.
Featuring interviews with the Prince of Cambodia, members of the United Nations, Senior Monks as well as many others, I wish to tell the story of these people trying to preserve the Cambodian culture & heritage and also those who are enriching lives through technology, education, the arts & spirituality.
If You Can't Make It, Fake It (pt.2)
Art film directed & produced by artist Daniel Denes http://www.denes.sk/
Cinematography by Benjamin Richards
Videokills
A report on VIDEOKILLS, the first International Video Art Festival hosted by the Berlin based artist collective of the same name in 2009. The festival showcased works from international artists in the form of video installations, video art, experimental, narrative and documentary short films.
The philosophy of VIDEOKILLS and the International Video Arts Festival is accessibility, open exchange of art and ideas, and a dedication to the preservation, invention and evolution of the medium of video art.
The location was inside a swimming pool and amongst the labyrinthine basement of STATTBAD, an indoor swimming complex, erected in 1907 which lay idle since 2001.
