From the power of cinema to the importance of cuckoo clocks, these documentaries are sometimes funny, sometimes moving, but always compelling.

PROGRAMME

Patter Merchant

Dir. Fergus Cruickshank | 9 mins | UK

Grandpa Colin Mackellar is a true Glaswegian Patter Merchant, cheekily recounting the stories of the streets he grew up in. But these stories seemed to have shifted in everyone’s memory, including his own. Welcome to Colin’s Glasgow.

A Town Still Standing

Dir. Marvin Meckes, Lukas Fuhrimann | 18 mins | Switzerland

Ever since the boom of the 1980s faded, the cuckoo clock has gradually lost its appeal and magic, and so has its birthplace. Between abandoned restaurants and empty souvenir shops, the residents eagerly hope for the return of tourists.

About Father, About Death

Dir. Farhad Hajari | 15 mins | Islamic Republic of Iran

After the death of his father, the filmmaker is faced with his personal belongings and reflect on the nature of death.

Dajla: Cinema and Oblivion

Dir. Arturo Dueñas | 15 mins | Spain

Life is going on in Dakhla, one of the Sahrawi refugee camps in southern Algeria, forgotten for 45 years. The celebration of a film festival, the Fisahara, breaks the monotony. The event ends, life (and oblivion) continues.

Totalis

Dir. Ciara Flint | 7 mins | UK

Filmed sporadically over the course of a year, TOTALIS follows the story of a young musician and his battle with Alopecia – a condition that is slowly but surely stripping him of his identity.

The Last Pig Slaughter

Dir. Villi Hermann | 10 mins | Italy

While tidying up during the lockdown 2020, the filmmaker uncovered photos of a day spent with the butcher peddler in his village shortly before they decided to stop for good in 1970.

VENUE: EXETER PHOENIX, STUDIO 74

Main image: About Father, About Death, Dir. Farhad Hajari