The regional premiere of the American-Brazilian film “A machine to live in”, directed by Yoni Goldstein and Meredith Zielke, and co-written by Bojana Radulović, Montenegrin producer and artist, marks the fourth day of the Human Rights Film Festival FAST FORWARD Montenegrin 2021.
The first screening, on Tuesday, 14 December, starts at 17h00, with the film THE NEW GOSPEL, by Swiss director Milo Rau, a story about the New Gospel for the 21st century and a call for an uprising for a more just, solidary and humane world. The film won the Best Documentary Award at the Swiss Film Prize in Switzerland. This hybrid film, which points to the rights of migrants, represents an interesting combination of themes, images and music, all of which strengthens the biblical reconstruction, and makes the film touching and exciting.
The regional premiere of A MACHINE TO LIVE IN, directed by Yoni Goldstein and Meredith Zielke, and co-written by Montenegrin producer and artist Bojana Radulović, who is also a guest of FAST FORWARD 2021, will be at 19h00. This feature-length documentary about imaginative and material processes leads us to the futuristic capital of Brazil, combining a history lesson with footage of the diverse, sometimes contradictory population of the Brazilian capital. A Machine to Live in collects vignettes and stories of architects and builders as they describe their ideal cities, both real and transcendent. Characterized by striking visuals and a powerful, electronic soundtrack, it has been screened at numerous international festivals, and critics say that it “offers a complex picture of life, poetry and myth set against the backdrop of Brazil’s technologically advanced city”. It also won the Outstanding Editing award at the Tallgrass International Film Festival in the US.
The fourth day of the FAST FORWARD Festival in Podgorica, at 20h30, ends with the film LITTLE PALESTINE, DIARY OF A SIEGE, directed by Abdallah Al-Khatib, a story about the life of Yarmouk district in Syria, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in the world from 1957 to 2018. Between 2011 and 2015, Abdallah Al-Khatib and his friends documented the daily lives of the besieged residents, who decided to face bombing, displacement and famine by gathering, studying, music, love and joy. The film has won numerous awards at prestigious international festivals, such as the Audience Award for Best Film at the Hamburg Film Festival, the Award for Best International Documentary Feature at the Guanajuato International Film Festival in Mexico, the Special Jury Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil, etc.
At the same time, the last day of the festival FAST FORWARD 2021 in Berane is marked by screenings of three short films at the Gymnasium “Panto Mališić” – DUSK, by Hungarian author Bálint Bíró, SUMMER PLANNING, by Romanian director Alexandru Mironescu, and FROM THE BALCONY, directed by Aris Kaplanidis. Also, the film THE REASON I JUMP by Jerry Rothwell, will be screened at the Public Institution “Daycare for centre for children with special needs Berane”.
The entrance to all film screenings is free, however, complying with all safety rules of Covid-19 is mandatory.
This year’s edition of the Festival was supported by the Ministry of Economic Development of Montenegro, the Embassy of Finland in Belgrade, UNDP within the project Reform of the National Disability Assessment System, the Municipality of Berane and the Municipality of Kotor. Partners are BELDOCS, Sarajevo Film Festival and Montenegrin Cinematheque.
Within the business sector, support was provided by Hotel Cue, PG Taxi, Gostiona 1928, and Compania De Vinos Montenegro.
Media partners are the public service Radio-Television of Montenegro (RTCG), with the portal RTCG.me, then the independent daily, Portal and Television Vijesti, Radio Berane and Radio Kotor, as well as the portal CdM. Also, this year’s FAST FORWARD Festival was supported by our new media partners – television channels – television Gradska TV, Nova M and Prva, radio stations Antena M and Gradski radio, dailies Pobjeda and Dnevne novine, and the portal Dnevne novine and Antena M.
Milica ZINDOVIĆ, PR of the FAST FORWARD Human Rights Film Festival Montenegro 2021