Anna-Maria Dutoit

Eleven short documentaries about eleven youth football teams for different age groups and with varying prospects. This Berlinale project is part of the cultural programme of the 2024 European Football Championship hosted by Germany.

Strong winds shake the leaves of drought-stricken trees in an ancient olive grove near Delphi, reminding us of the wildfires that are engulfing the country. Here, a family of farmers attempts to restore its land.

A landscape remembers how it developed into the mountain it is today. From glacial tongues to raging wildfires, the story is a reminiscence of the human impact on landscapes.

I’tikaaf (Arabic: اعتكاف) – “a practice of isolating oneself for a certain number of days, in order to reflect and stay away from worldly affairs” For six months Ahmad and Bilal have been living with Pastor Klaus Wening, unable to leave the house. The film accompanies their time in church asylum, waiting for news about their asylum process in Germany. I’tikaaf tells a story of exile and community, by documenting one station on the long journey of refugees, leaving their home.

The 14 to 16-year-old players of FFC Wacker from Munich use the time before and after the matches for a personal conversation. The game of soccer brings together young people from different social and ethnic backgrounds.

A search for the hidden rivers that flow beneath the streets of Montreal, forgotten and buried by the course of urbanization. When heavy rain falls, the waters rise again and flood the streets, reminding the city of its forgotten past.

In the 1970s, a rebellious commune was founded in the still wild Munich district of Schwabing in a spirit of optimism. For 45 years, different people found their place in the apartment again and again, shaping different ways of living and living together in each generation. Today, two young filmmakers live in the flat share and set off in search of clues: DIE WG tells stories about the goals and hopes, worries and ideals of different generations and the changing zeitgeist of an apartment. The film reflects on the places and people from our past and the significance of living in a shared flat as a stage of life.