Backstory
Films tracing back through history. The present explained through the past.
Bright Future
A deeply fascinating time travel to North Korea, where young socialists from all over the planet gathered in 1989, a few months before the collapse of the Eastern Bloc.
Andra MacMasters / Romania / 2024
Fiume o Morte!
The wittiest history lesson of the year is the story of the flamboyant Italian poet and fascist Gabriele D'Annunzio, who conquered a Croatian town and declared war on his own country.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Four decades of the long, painful conflict between Palestine and Israel, presented with sober clarity and exemplary overview by the director of 'Black Power Mixtape 1967-75'.
My Sweet Land
Vrej is a tender 11-year-old boy living in Artsakh, a small mountain paradise with porous borders. But when war breaks out again, will he be able to carry the hopes of his wounded homeland on his young shoulders?
Sareen Hairabedian / United States, Jordan, France & Ireland / 2024
Rule of Stone
In-depth and thought-provoking analysis of Israeli architecture and the type of stone that has shaped modern Jerusalem and has been used to control the city.
Scars of a Putsch
A filmmaker unfolds the story behind the scars on her husband's body. The answer is the story of the 1980 military coup and Türkiye’s slide towards authoritarianism.
The Helsinki Effect
Hundreds of hours of archival footage from a historic Cold War summit is rolled out with ironic wit and a sharp political eye for the human drama on the grand, diplomatic stage.
Arthur Franck / Finland / 2025 / World Premiere
The White House Effect
How US climate policy changed course and set the stage for decades of polarization, told through archival footage that unfolds the overlooked story.
Pedro Kos, Jon Shenk & Bonni Cohen / United States / 2024