Just Like Mom - Watch a clip

Maria Eduarda Andrade, Goldsmiths College

When film maker Maria Eduarda and Ana, a Brazilian who has always lived on the edge, first met, her family didn't know she was in jail in the UK. In 'Just Like Mom' Maria Eduarda takes us to a remote city in the countryside of Brazil for a meeting with Ana's mother (pictured right, with Maria) and two of Ana's daughters. Through the portrayal of three generations of single mothers and their experiences of destitution, the documentary examines the lives of impoverished women in Brazil.

The City of Widows - Watch a clip

Purnima Ragunath, Brunel University

The City of Widows (right) uncovers a segment of Indian society that seems to remain unchanged by time. Vrindavan, a small pilgrim city in northern India, is home to more than 16,000 abandoned widows. Deserted by their families or relatives who no longer want them, these women come to Vrindavan and spend the rest of their lives singing bhajans (holy hymns) in praise of Lord Krishna.


Hope Despair Laughter: A Circus Project in Palestine - Watch a clip

Esther Hertog (right), Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology

Filmed in Dheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank, Esther Hertog’s documentary follows a group of children and their Palestinian and European trainers at a circus summer-camp. Despite the joy and laughter of the circus there are constant reminders of the ongoing political confrontation. What place has the circus project in the children's hope and despair?

Re-learning the Basics – Cambodia and the Battle for Education

Charlotte Dubenskij, Cardiff University

This film tells the remarkable story of Mr Rarn, who made the transition from tuk tuk driver to college graduate via sheer hard work, determination and a bit of good luck. Mr Rarn has also set up a free school in Phnom Penh which, against all the odds, is having a massive impact on the children in his locality. Read about Charlotte Dubenskij's filming process in Cambodia on her blog.


I am HIV Positive

Parisa Aminolahi, Royal Holloway (right)

I Am HIV Positive is a story of two women living in Tehran who both live with HIV. They explain their fears, hopes, their illness and they talk about life as a HIV positive woman who lives in Tehran/ Iran under the pressure of a society which generally knows nothing about AIDS.

 

Weaving Life:  On the Panama Hat’s Trail across Ecuador

Katharina Rau, Brunel University

The Panama hat is one of the world’s most famous hats, but there remain only a dozen weavers in Ecuador who can make it. This film tells the stories of the makers and sellers of the Panama hat, and it reveals the history of the hat itself and its significance within Ecuadorian culture.
 

Volviendo (Going Back)

Lawrence Saleem-Ahmad Martin, Goldsmiths College (right)

Exiled Chilean musician Vladimir feels alienated in the UK. As a young man he fought Pinochet’s army and was then imprisoned for five years. In Lawrence Martin’s film, Vladimir travels back home with a song he wrote about the youngest child to disappear in Chile during its bloody coup, and he sings this song to the boy's brother, Ivan. Can Vladimir use his music to put his troubled past in Chile behind him?


Mama Zar

Roxana Pope, Edinburgh College of Art

On the Iranian island of Quesm lives an old woman known to the locals as ‘Mama Zar’. She heads the Zar ceremony – an ancient shamanic healing ritual. Roxana Pope spent time filming with Mama Zar, and her film reveals this woman’s role within a fascinating island culture.


Lal Masjid (The Red Mosque)

Syed Stef Amjad Ali, Royal Holloway

The Red Mosque documents a personal journey in which the film maker traces his history and upbringing in Pakistan and explores the complexities of identity and ideology.