The first films in the history of cinema were short documentaries, and ever since they have been an inspiration for filmmakers, audiences, festivals, educators, scientists, activists, culture organisations, and all possible spaces where people gather to share experiences. These films are usually faster and cheaper to make and often also to distribute, they can reflect on events and evoke feelings with an intensity that feature-length films can rarely sustain. For the same reason, the artistic approach can be more daring and experimental, keeping the audiences' attention for long enough to convey a rounded story, or to create powerful emotional connections. 

In conversation with filmmakers whose films range from the personal to the political and touch upon various spots on the spectrum in between, this talk explores the nature of the short film form and how these artists employ it to tell stories that address societal realities, reveal their own challenging and painful experiences, or come up with new perspectives on long-standing issues. 

Moderator: John Canciani (Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur)

Speakers: Mohammadreza Farzan (Co-director, As I Lay Dying), Lujain Jo (Director, Rahhala: Hayya ala Hayya), Jay Rosenblatt (Co-director, Heartbeat)

Closed caption service for people who are deaf or hard of hearing is available for this session. Please ask our staff for QR codes to scan on your phone.