We’ll learn about biodiversity, ecosystem balance and the importance of looking after our surroundings, and the teachings of ancestral cultures that invite us to live in harmony with the earth and to recognise our deep-seated connection with nature. The programme includes a commissioned work by Galician artist Xiana do Teixeiro.
Animals Moving to the Sound of Drums, Jonathan Schwartz, USA, 2013, 8 min
A soundtrack improvised by a group of children fills the air as we watch a herd of deer, an off-course butterfly and a nest full of hungry baby birds. In this serene landscape, time fades slowly away, like a dream receding.
Fadenspiele 2, Ute Aurand, Detel Aurand, Germany, 2003, 8 min
A snow-covered forest transforms into spring as figures play and become a show of colour. Fadenspiele, or “games with thread”, is part of a series of films que Ute made with her sister Detel, a painter.
Mosolygó szomorúfűz (Smiling-Sad Willow-Tree), Dóra Keresztes, Hungary, 2001, 3 min
In an ancient Hungarian forest, a willow turns into a fish-man and a water fairy. In beautiful bright colours, this animated film tells how the willow cares for the earth and ensures good harvests.
Long Live Mountains, Alisi Telengut, Canada, 2020, 1 min
The artist combines handmade paintings with real flowers and plants to create a magical world in which nature and art come together. The film invites us to think that there is no separation between humankind and the earth, but that everything is in harmony.
Un temblor (A Tremor), Xiana do Teixeiro, Spain, 2024, 4 min
A summer afternoon by the river. We come across creatures who, with us, form part of the same forest; together we are the forest, vibrant and alive.
Winter in the Rainforest, Anu-Laura Tuttelberg, Estonia, Mexico, Lithuania, 2019, 9 min
The forests of Chiapas, Mexico, and the Amazon rainforest in Peru are home to magical porcelain creatures: birds with human fingers and strange insects that weave traps for tiny dancers. A surrealist world and a very special atmosphere that blend together nature and magic.
The Hoarder, Evelyn Lambart, Canada, 1969, 7 min
A greedy bluejay steals everything he can: berries, eggs and even the sun in the sky. He keeps it all in his secret cache with no thought for others. In the end, he and his friends find out that it’s much more fun to share what they have.
Krtek malirem (The Little Mole as a Painter), Zdeněk Miler, Czech Republic, 1976, 10 min
Krtek, the famous little mole, decides to become a painter. With his brush and his creativity, he starts to paint everything around him: flowers, trees and even his friends.
Todos contra el fuego (Let’s Fight Fire), Instituto para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ICONA), Spain, 1990, 2 min
In 1990, the Instituto para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (National Institute for Nature Conservation-ICONA) launched the campaign Todos contra el fuego (Let’s Fight Fire) to stop forest fires. Well-known singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat participated in the advert about the importance of looking after our forests. Today we know that fire can be part of ecosystems and that rather than always being put out, it needs to be managed responsibly. Present-day campaigns teach us to “live with fire” and to look after the environment to avoid big fires.
La boda (The Wedding), Lorena Álvarez, Spain, 2012, 2 min. Directed by Iván Pérez, with screenplay by Lorena Álvarez and Juan Carlos Roldán, and editing by Orencio Boix.
In this music video, Lorena Álvarez has a series of nighttime adventures in the forest, surrounded by strange masked animals, her faithful dog Peanut and a smiling derrière.
A program by Almudena Escobar López with contributions by Gloria Vilches.
Credits
Copy of animals moving to the sound of drums from Canyon Cinema. Copy of Mosolygó szomorúfűz / Smiling sad willow tree from Nemzeti Filmintézet. Copy of Winter in the Rainforest from Miyu Distribution. Copy of El topito pintor from the Centro Checo de Madrid. Copy of The Hoarder from the National Film Board of Canada. Copy of Todos contra el fuego courtesy of ICONA. Copies of Long Live the Mountains and Fadenspiele II courtesy of their authors. Copy of La boda courtesy of Lorena Álvarez and Orencio Boix.
Special thanks to Centro Checo de Madrid.
