Surround
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with participating directors.
Surround is a collection of six shorts including narrative, documentary, animation and experimental film from Estonia, Finland, Slovakia, Poland, The Netherlands and Croatia.
How awake are we to what is happening around us? This set of films looks at the people we surround ourselves with, societal effects on the environment and how nature can nurture new beginnings. From a hedgehog in the Croatian forest who is proud of his home, to the inhabitants of a Slovakian town who are losing theirs. From a young girl uniting her neighbourhood to help her father’s mental health, to a group in Estonia rescuing food waste to feed hungry families. This programme will open your eyes to how our surroundings can both heal and hinder humanity.
Hedgehog's Home dir. Eva Cvijanović, Croatia, 2017, animation, 10mins
A hedgehog’s unwavering love for his humble home receives a prickly reception from his neighbours in the forest. This stop-motion animation, winner of over 35 international awards, is a story of appreciating what we have and a reminder that there is no place like home.
For Tomorrow Paradise Arrives dir. Anna Hints, Estonia, 2021, documentary, 28mins
As darkness falls, a group of intrepid parents mask up and bin-dive to rescue wasted food from supermarkets, until someone starts to push back against them. A fascinating look at the social, economic and environmental effects of wasting food.
To Teach a Bird to Fly, dir. Minna Rainio and Mark Roberts, Finland, 2020, documentary, 24mins
A woman looks back on a mysterious climate 'awakening' and her grandmother's work as a foster parent to critically endangered birds. An inspiring docu-fiction exploring the effects of bird extinction and climate change on the future of our planet, and what will happen if we don't take action in the present.
Hannah's Dream dir. Emily Reekers and Eugene Arts, Netherlands, 2021, drama, 13mins
A young girl lives with her depressed father, a musician, during a COVID-19 lockdown. Struggling to get through to him, she concocts a plan that will bring together the whole neighbourhood and inspire her father to play. A charming look at community and unity in the darkest of times.
Airborne dir. Andrzej Jobczyk, Poland, 2021, animation, 8mins
A pilot loses control, crashing into the crown of a tree. Just as this seems like the end, new roots begin to grow and a new world begins. A psychedelic animation connecting nature and technology that has been making waves since its premiere at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
Once There Was a Sea... dir. Joanna Kozuch, Slovakia, 2021, animation, 17mins
Once a vast body of water, the Aral Sea now lies bare, bringing with it empty hotels, a destroyed tourist economy and a cemetery of former fishing boats. A heartbreaking animated documentary looking at one of the worst man made environmental disasters in history.
