Nick Cunningham

“Slavery is despicable, yet the objective is to offer a multifaceted view,” write the directors of the Belgian project Slave Island, pitched at MIA. “A film that reflects on the universal mechanisms in which there are rulers and victims, in which religion is both a danger and a solution whilst our own moral judgement is an endless project under construction.” Producer Kristian Van der Heyden of Harald House explains more to BDE.

Co-director Åsa Ekman talks to Business Doc Europe about Live Till I Die, set in a Swedish elderly home and telling of the deep and emotional relationship that develops between Monica, an activity coach still grieving for her grandmother, and Ella, a 99-year-old resident who is facing her final days.

Why do Italians love the causes that the country’s Radical Party espouses, but pointedly refuse to vote for them during general elections. Massimo Brega’s new doc ponders this question as he assesses the history of political protest, centering on party leader Marco Pannella, considered by some a genius and a prophet, by others an impostor and a buffoon. Producer Matteo Pecorara gets radical with Business Doc Europe.

NY-based filmmaker-driven visual journalism and doc unit Field of Vision announced October 14 its launch of a new apprenticeship funding program for underrepresented and emerging crew, with the goal of supporting the removal of barriers to entry in the field. Four to five $30,000 grants on offer.

Just a few months ago, filmmakers Simone Spampinato and Elisa Faccioni came across a story of an unbreakable friendship between two women that developed out of the most tragic of circumstances. The son of one murdered the husband of the other. “We're fascinated by stories of people who even in the most tragic situations are able to find beauty in life.” Faccioni tells Business Doc Europe.

Eight young people between the ages of 18 and 24, the self-named Troublemakers, seek to create a new form of sex education for presentation to their peers. The process is followed by the husband and wife team of Lucio Basadonne and is one that proves to be as revelatory for them as for the film’s subjects. Basadonne explains more to Business Doc Europe.

The RE>CONNEXT platform is to remain open until midnight on 31 October, it was announced by Flanders Image today. The decision was taken after participants with increasingly busy October schedules asked for extra time to engage with the wide range of content on offer. Most consulted project titles revealed, plus ‘Mystery Shoppers’ verdict.

Elisa Mereghetti’s new documentary project follows Valentina Petrillo, a 48-year-old visually-impaired Paralympic athlete whose dream is to compete at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics as Italy’s first trans athlete in a women’s category. The film is co-produced by the Italian lobby and support organization Gruppo Trans. The director explains more to Business Doc Europe.

As one of the golden footballers of his generation Roni Kalderon had the world at his feet, playing for the mighty Ajax and impressing for the Israeli national team. But then he turned to the dark side, morphing into an international drug lord. He served time, and then he disappeared. Erez Laufer and Hilla Medalia tell BDE more about Kalderon’s life of two halves, and how they plan to document it.

NFB’s Anita Lee discusses the new doc project charting Chinese Jessea Lu’s attempt to free dive 100 metres in one breath. “It's going to be a combination of compelling, thrilling, but at the same time deeply psychological,” she says. “Having a young, Asian female in this male dominated sport as a lead protagonist really brings another layer to the storytelling.”