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Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Rachel Leah Jones Rachel Leah Jones | © Philippe Bellaiche

45 Seconds of Solidarity
Cut it Out – Films against Censorship

Renowned Filmmakers from 20 countries around the globe produce films against censorship. Each film is 45 seconds long and sends a clear sign of solidarity to those living in countries with limited freedom of speech, while at the same time pointing out the risks of censorship endangering even liberal societies today.
 


Films

Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Bence Fliegauf Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Bence Fliegauf

Bence Fliegauf

Hungary | 2018 | English

"None of our films reflect the current Hungarian political climate."

Bence Fliegauf, born 1974, never went to a film academy. In his work that has won him numerous awards, he touches on social issues and taboos of our time. His feature film Just the Wind about a series of murders of Roma in Hungary won the Jury Grand Prix at the Berlinale 2012.

Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Rebecca Baron Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Rebecca Baron

Rebecca Baron

USA | 2018 | English

 "My work often deals with the unsaid or unspeakable."

Rebecca Baron, born 1968, explores questions concerning contemporary society and the construction of history in her lyrical essay films. She was a participant at documenta 12 and teaches at California Institute of the Arts.

Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Shireen Seno Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Shireen Seno

Shireen Seno

Philippines | 2018 | English

„How about a kiss?“ –
President Rodrigo Duterte

Shireen Seno was born in 1983. Her work addresses memory, history, and image-making often in relation to the idea of home. Her first feature film Big Boy (2012) won the prize for Best First Film at the Festival de Cine Lima Independiente. In 2018 Nervous Translation won her the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film.
 

Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Pimpaka Towira Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Pimpaka Towira

Pimpaka Towira

Thailand | 2018 | English

"I make films to reflect what I think about the situation in Thailand."

Pimpaka Towira, born 1967, is the first woman in Thai cinema that reached international recognition. Her first feature film One Night Husband (2003) premiered at the Berlinale and was screened at numerous film festivals at home and abroad. In 2007, she shot a series of short films featuring filmmakers and artists speaking out against film censorship. The Ministry of Culture of Thailand honoured her with the national Silpathorn Award in 2009.

Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Piotr Wysocki Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Piotr Wysocki

Piotr Wysocki

Poland | 2018 | English

"It uses hate speech to curb civil freedoms."

Piotr Wysocki, born 1976, studied at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. In his short documentary films, video installations, actions and performances he analyses the weaknesses and struggles of people who are confronted with reality in the context of cultural conditions, social standards or challenges them to take common actions. His short film Aldona was screened at numerous international documentary film festivals.

 Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Temur Butikashvili Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Temur Butikashvili

Temur Butikashvili

Georgia | 2018 | Georgian with English Subtitles

„Hope you enjoyed our service!"


Born 1961. Several feature films, short films and documentaries, also for television, that are characterised by a mixture of keen social observation and a highly individual sense of humour. Scholarship holder of the Berliner Künstlerprogramm of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in 2009.

 Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Rachel Leah Jones Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Rachel Leah Jones

Rachel Leah Jones

 USA / Israel | 2018 | English

“Silence is betrayal.“

Born in Berkeley, raised in Tel Aviv. Studied sociology and holds an MFA in Media Arts Production. Her documentaries usually contain a socially critical component: 500 Dunam On the Moon, Gypsy Davy and Roshmia. Involved in progressive media projects in Israel and U.S. Regarding her most important qualities as a film-maker, she says: ‘A thirst for complexity, a thing for anger, a fondness for truth.’
 
 

Cut it out - Films against Censorship | Ana Luiza Azevedo Cut it out - Films against Censorship | Ana Luiza Azevedo

Ana Luiza Azevedo

Brazil | 2018 | Portuguese with English Subtitles

“Manifestos are suppressed, they want a censor-land.“ –
Cristal Rocha, Brazil

Born 1959. Studied art. Co-founder of production company Casa de Cinema de Porto Alegre. Script writer and director for film and television since 1984. Won several awards at international film festivals for her wide-ranging work. Among her most important films are Barbosa (1988), Ventre Livre (Liberation, 1994) and Antes que o mundo acabe (Before the world ends, 2009).

 Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Wang Wo Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Wang Wo

Wang Wo

China | USA | 2018 | Chinese / English

“If there is no voice then we lose all voice.“


Born 1967. Studied graphic design and visual communication at Tsinghua University. Lecturer at Li Xianting Film School since 2008. His documentaries and short films with which he hopes to reach a wide audience deal with current social and political topics. A Filmless Festival (2015) documents the forceful break-up by the police of the 11th Beijing Independent Film Festival.
 

Cut it out – ภาพยนตร์ต่อต้านการเซ็นเซอร์ | Anat Even Cut it out – ภาพยนตร์ต่อต้านการเซ็นเซอร์ | Anat Even

Anat Even

Israel | 2018 

“Self-censorship among citizens is growing ever more.”


Born 1960. Studied art and directing in the USA. Documentary film-maker and producer since 1992. Awarded the first prize at the Leipzig Film Festival in 2001 for Asurot (Detained). In her documentary films she addresses in various ways both the present and the history of the Israeli State and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ‘I am a political being and a political director. Without this perception, I cannot even look out of the window.’

 Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Aysun Bademsoy Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Aysun Bademsoy

Aysun Bademsoy

Germany | Turkey | 2018 | Turkish with English Subtitles

„Censorship has many faces."


Born 1960. Studied journalism and dramatic arts. Made numerous documentary films on intercultural topics since 1989, e.g. on German policemen or female footballers of migrant background. Her films are often presented at the Berlinale. Regarding cultural identity, she comments: ‘One is being made a Turkish woman.’

Cut it out - Films against Censorship | J.P.Sniadecki Cut it out - Films against Censorship | J.P.Sniadecki

J. P. Sniadecki

USA | 2018 | Chinese / English

“Censorship cannot wipe away the marks of oppression.”


Born 1979. Anthropologist and film-maker. Works in China and the USA. His films are part of the collections of the Museums of Modern Art of New York and San Francisco. They were shown in the Whitney Berlinale, the Shanghai Biennale, at the Guggenheim and numerous international film festivals. Co-founder of the series Cinema on Edge that shows independent Chinese films. In 2017 he said: ‘A lot of my films come from a response to a place.’
 

Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Petr Vaclav Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Petr Vaclav

Petr Vaclav

France | Czech Republic | 2018 | French with English Subtitles

“And we? Spectators, listeners, readers? What are we doing?”


Born 1967. Studied directing at FAMU in Prague. His feature films and documentaries were presented and awarded at some of the most important international festivals, e.g. Nikdy nejsme sami (We are not alone, 2016) won the audience award at the Berlinale. Vaclav comments: ‘I wanted to show a world in which people’s freedom is cruelly relative.’

 

  Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Avi Mograbi Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Avi Mograbi

Avi Mograbi

Israel | 2018 | Hebrew with English Subtitles

“You could shut up from time to time, no?”


Born 1956. Frequent experimental documentary films in the tradition of the cinéma vérité. Critically confronts the politics of his country. Participation in numerous festivals including Cannes, various international awards. Co-founder of the Israeli human rights organisation Breaking the Silence. Says about his work: ‘If some [filmmakers] see themselves as a fly on the wall, I see myself as a fly in the soup – total engagement.’ 

  Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Thi Nguyen Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Thi Nguyen

Thi Nguyen

Vietnam | 2018 | English

"Solidarity undressed."


Born 1973. Director and video artist. At the centre of her work is the complex and traumatic history of Vietnam. Her best-known documentary film Love Man Love Woman addresses the situation of homosexual men in her country. Founded the HanoiDocLab, a teaching institute for documentary films. Scholarship holder of the Berliner Künstlerprogramm of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in 2015. 

 Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Nikolai Nasedkin Cut it out – Films against Censorship| Nikolai Nasedkin

Nikolai Nasedkin

Russia | 2018 | English

“True freedom can only be in yourself.“


Born 1954. Studied painting from 1970 to 1974. Numerous solo and group exhibitions since 1982. Drawings, paintings, installations and recently also video works. Memory is a main focus of his work. He maintains: ‘As long as we don’t confront the horrors of Stalinism, we won’t be free.’

 Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Popo Fan Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Popo Fan

Popo Fan

China | 2018

“We hope that the censorship of films will be questioned by the public.“


Born 1985. Director and activist. Participant in Berlinale Talents in 2017. Topics of his films include gay marriage (New Marriage), transsexuality (Be A Woman) and feminism (The VaChina Monologues). Organises the Beijing Queer Film Festival. When his documentary Mama Rainbow disappeared from the Chinese streaming services in 2014, he challenged the state censor in court: ‘We hope that the censorship of films will be questioned by the public.’

  Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Phil Mulloy Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Phil Mulloy

Phil Mulloy

Great Britain | 2018 | English

“We hide these things from ourselves.“


Born 1948. Studied painting and directing. Works as an animation artist since the 1980s. Takes up social problems in a minimalist, grotesquely distorting style. Receives much praise and many awards as well as angry reactions to both his short and long animated films. He comments: ‘Recently I was called “brilliant” and “rubbish” for the same film – perfect.’

Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Didi Danquart Cut it out – Films against Censorship | Didi Danquart

Didi Danquart & Bastian Klügel

Germany |  2018 | English

Didi Danquart: Born 1955. Studied psychology and sociology. His trilogy Deutsche Conditio Humana I-III deals fictionally with various facets of the German past and forms the core of his work together with more than 20 documentary films. Various awards, including the Caligari-Filmpreis at the International Film Festival Berlin. 
Bastian Klügel: Born 1986. Since 2015 freelance producer, director and script writer. Founder of filmfaust filmproduktion, Klügel & Reichel. 


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