WF Online Series 2022 - Second edition
Where we stand
15 - 22 September 2022

There are dozens of synonym for the word stress. There are thousands of examples for the physical or psychological impact due to stress. Depending where we stand, going through life's challenges will be lived differently from one and another.

The means and opportunities to pursue our dreams are not given to all. Ability, class and education are forms of privilege in our societies. It is hard to acknowledge our own privilege because privilege is the other side of oppression. Many are trying to make a difference fighting marginalization for more diversity and inclusion.

Who are we? Where do we stand? What is culture ? These are some of the questions we looked into putting together this program. Swiss independent documentary filmmaker and author Edgar Hagen wonderful and poignant documentary Who are we? follow a family dealing with unimaginable challenges.

It would be immeasurable to encompass in one film program all possible sides to these introductory questions. Nevertheless, we have chosen alongside our feature four short films dealing with commonalities facing aging, forbidden Love, expulsion and profiteering and economic stratification. These themes are part of our structural inequalities in society.

Escort
by Guido Hendrikx
the Netherlands, 2014, 19 min., Dutch with English subtitles

'ESCORT' reveals the story of young, inexperienced members of the Dutch Border Patrol (Royal Netherlands Marechaussee). They undergo an intensive training on escorting refused asylum seekers to their ‘country of origin’.
We experience this three-week programme through the eyes of two archetypical characters. How are they being prepared? And to what extend can you get emotionally involved, while deporting these rejected refugees to their ‘homeland’?
‘ESCORT’ approaches one of the most urgent political issues from a unique perspective. Never before the final stage of the deportation process in The Netherlands was filmed from the viewpoint of the executors.

Depart at 22
by Wiep Teeuwisse
the Netherlands, 2015, 3 min., no dialog

'Depart at 22' is a poetic animated short about growing old and the fear of losing the beauty of youth.

I am afraid to forget your face
by Sameh Alaa
Egypt/France/Qatar/Belgium, 2020, 15 min, Arabic with English subtitles

After being separated for 82 days, Adam travels down a rough road to be reunited with the one he loves, whatever it takes.

Pile
by Toberg
UK, 2020, 3 min. 27, no dialog

Water then food. Agriculture then industry. Old then new. Critical then extra. Simple to complex. Concrete to abstract. Dirt to clouds. Real to unreal.

Who are we?
by Edgar Hagen
Switzerland, 2019, 98 min., Swiss-German, German with English subtitles

How do we deal with it, if everything turns out differently than we imagined? Helena (19) and Jonas (11) are people with high support needs and put their parents, families, schools and society to the test. The film breaks with them the wall that separates them from our world, shows how language and community develop from the ground up – and poses the question of who we are.

WF Online series second edition include four curated screening programs each giving a curatorial focus featuring Basel, Swiss and international productions. Each program is available for one week.

September: Where we stand
October: Focus: International Short Film Festival Oberhausen with Hilke Doering, Head of the International Competition, the Children's and Youth Cinema and the Market of the International Short Film Festival
November: Circling the garden (in collaboration with Treibsand
and the exhibition: The Other Kabul. Remains of the Garden)


This project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Mary & Ewald E. Bertschmann-Stiftung and the Division of Cultural Affairs Basel-Stadt.