Anna Belova

Collective work of students Of the school-Studio "SHAR". In the summer of 2018, all of them were gathered by George Boguslavsky and sent around the city to observe Moscow life. And then I covered the Windows with a black cloth, and the students drew, smeared, and scratched on celluloid scenes from the life of summer Moscow.

A short animated film “Contact” reflects on the ability to express and accept love. Living far away as an emigrant, young woman learns about her beloved grandmother’s death and dives into deep reflection. On the flight to the funeral, she must choose to repeat her parents’ cold pattern or embrace the warmth her grandmother taught her.

Hun Tun was an ancient emperor of chaos. He was both admirable and scary. Life with him was beautifully unbearable. In the Chinese myth, the world is born out of Hun Tun's dying body. Magdalena is an ordinary millennial. Her life is full of little twists and adventures: work, friends and love. But now she has only one mission – to get her sleep back. The more she tries, the more she gets stuck. It is only when she sees the chaos in her life clearly that the situation changes. And suddenly, there are other people with their “chaoses” too. This is how being spotted and recognized, Hun Tun starts losing power over Magdalena. Living together (un)happily forever.

The film is an intimate portrait of Marie-Luisa Purkrábková, co-founder of You Don’t! Have to Endure It, which draws attention to sexual harassment and abuse of power in Czech art schools. For years, the rampant sexism and bullying that exist behind the walls of many Czech universities have escaped media attention. In 2021, Marie-Luisa Purkrábková decided to speak out about toxic university relationships. She invited her DAMU (Faculty of Performing Arts) classmates to do the same. As the co-founder of the feminist initiative You Don't! Have to Endure It, she has become the voice of a humiliated student body for many. In this documentary, she shares the joy of her small successes as well as her doubts regarding how long she can face the pressure of such a responsible role. Scenes from her private life and public appearances create a portrait of a woman who clearly understands that even when pushing for far-reaching changes, one cannot afford to ignore one’s own health.