Films 2024

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Films

This year, Doc Edge Festival 2024 screens 66 local and international films, in cinemas across Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington and online on Doc Edge Virtual Cinema across Aotearoa New Zealand. Films are categorised into seven different categories as below:

Being Oneself

Films that explore the multifaceted nature of identity, from the challenges of being a present or past icon, and the search for achieving greatness, to the complexities of youth and elders and the struggles they face.

Bridges of Understanding

Cancellation is not an option to foster reconciliation whether you agree or disagree. Regardless of the outcome, these stories will help to build bridges of understanding, critical to our ongoing humanity.

Democracy On the Edge

All over the world, democracy is under attack. This selection of films witnesses firsthand the struggles, triumphs, and complexities of safeguarding democratic principles in an ever-evolving world.

Facing The Edge

Films that celebrate the indomitable human spirit and shine a light on the struggles, triumphs, and sacrifices of those who fight against injustice, discrimination, and oppression.

In Truth We Trust

Films that offer a gripping exploration of the darker side of human nature, uncovering secrets, unravelling mysteries, and delving into the complexities of crime and conspiracy.

The Edge of Impact

Films that showcase the power of human actions to make a positive difference in our world through inspiring stories of indigenous wisdom, rebel warriors, environmental conservation, climate change, and wildlife protection.

Shorts Collection

Five collections of short films from New Zealand and around the world.

Special Presentation - FIFO Pacific Double Features

A special presentation evening in support of our Pacific filmmakers – the FIFO Pacific Double Features. Two feature films, WILLIAM ALBERT ROBINSON / LA DERNIÈRE TRAVERSÉE and KAUGERE: A PLACE WHERE NOBODY ENTERS (Grand Prize at FIFO 2024) will screen as free event at Christchurch Art Gallery.

A Two Hearted Tale

Dave Chappelle asked for a Bell’s Beer during a comedy set in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Taking a sip, he casually called out, "The Two-Hearted Ale? Why the hell did you put a fish on the label?" This is the story of that label, and its eccentric artist, Ladislav Hanka.

And So It Begins

Amidst the traditional pomp and circumstance of Filipino elections, a quirky people’s movement rises to defend the nation against deepening threats to truth and democracy. In a collective act of joy as a form of resistance, hope flickers against the backdrop of increasing autocracy.

Breaking The Mould

A visceral glimpse into the life and work of acclaimed New Zealand sculptor, Jaime Jenkins, whose unconventional upbringing combines with the elements to inform her ceramic explorations.

Bye Bye Tiberias

Leaving her native village to follow her dream of becoming an actress, Hiam Abbass also left behind her mother, grandmother and seven sisters. Thirty years later, her filmmaker daughter Soualem returns with her to journey through the vanished places among the scattered memories of four generations of daring Palestinian women.

A true crime podcaster from Appalachia blurs the line between fact and entertainment as she investigates the mysterious death of a local girl. The film examines the ethics of the true crime genre and how the power of narrative affects truth, victims, and communities.

Dancing on the Edge of the Volcano

In the aftermath of the catastrophic explosion from 4 August 2020 in Beirut, a film crew is facing a serious dilemma: should they defy the chaos and move forward with the shooting of their film or surrender to the multiple crises that are spreading all over the country?

Nepal's Civil War ended in 2006, but not for Devi; rebel warrior, mother and sexual violence survivor. As those in power try to erase rape from the history of the war, Devi has to battle her own demons before she can begin to build a movement to fight for justice.

Festival Winner

Diary of a Head Injury

A bleed on the brain and concussion inspire a crash victim to confront the heartbreak, trauma, and confusion of losing connection with the only person he ever really knew.

Festival Winner

An artist's sculpture is burnt down, a protester is charged with a criminal case, and a democracy movement is violently attacked. Three exiled Chinese dissidents fight for democracy against a superpower through art, petition, and grassroots organising. But not even exile is safe.

Every Little Thing

One woman's tireless work caring for the hummingbird population in Los Angeles

Festival Winner

FIFO Pacific Double Features

A special free double feature presentation by the Pacific International Oceanian Documentary Film Festival (FIFO) in support of our Pacific filmmakers.

"Auntie Mandi...Am I fat?” These five words changed the trajectory of Master Photographer Mandi Lynn's life. Afraid that the next generation was going to face the same body shame that had impacted her life, she answered her niece as an artist and created a “Golden Breasted Shield Wall”.

Flickering Lights

Chafing against officials' apathy and the absurdly haphazard process of bringing electricity to their tiny town on the India-Myanmar border, the people of Tora are divided. Will electricity bring the close-knit community the progress it hopes for?

Yang Yang, a lonely deaf girl, often climbs with her bare hands on top of 500 tall buildings in the city. By chance, Nanhsi, met her and the two started to share a special life journey together.

Festival Winner

Girls Move Mountains

A group of young girls use soccer to fight for gender equality and gain independence in one of the most remote places on earth, the Karakoram Mountain Range, Pakistan.

A rhythm-filled odyssey follows five young Cubans visiting Havana.

I Shall Not Hate

Surrounded by violence and oppression, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish chose education and tolerance. When war claimed his daughters, he responded with forgiveness. But peace must be a two way street.

Festival Winner

No amount of preparation can guarantee a safe return. The story of Australian adventurer Lisa Blair, as she attempts to be the first woman to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around Antarctica.

Instruments of a Beating Heart

First graders in a Tokyo public elementary school are presented with a challenge for the final semester: performing “Ode to Joy” at the ceremony for the new students. Ayame, who often struggles to keep up with the group, is determined to play a major part, the big drum.

Special Mention

Invisible Nation

Director Vanessa Hope’s intimate view of the presidency of Taiwan’s sitting
head of state, Tsai Ing-wen, as she fights for the future of her nation.

Special Mention

Invisible Summit

Blind masseur Zhang Hong, driven by a lifelong pursuit of changing his fate, defies expectations and ventures to climb Mount Everest.

Festival Winner

Ko au te Awa, ko te Awa ko au – I Am The River, The River Is Me

A canoe trip down the Whanganui River in New Zealand, led by a Māori elder, awakens spiritual belief and practice, and becomes a call to action to draw closer to nature and fight climate change through a fundamental value shift.

Opening Night Film

Life is Beautiful

Living the diaspora wasn’t a choice. In forced exile, in the dark, arctic winter, Palestinian filmmaker Jabaly is fighting using his camera to feed hope for a better future.

Life Upside Down

Mery fled from Armenia to the Netherlands and left everything behind. Her 14-year-old son David, is a talented breakdancer. Can David make up for his mother's lost dreams, or will he choose his own path?

Three individuals with a shared love for birdwatching each share their battle with mental health. This film does not sugar-coat life's challenges, but it does remind us that sometimes, the simple act of connecting with nature like watching birds, can be a powerful remedy.

What does it mean to lose a colour? The film is a cinematic poem about losing the otherworldly blues of ancient mountain lakes, now fading due to climate change.

A cinematic exploration of Ireland's beautiful coastline juxtaposed with the inner strength of an 83-year-old man who refuses to let age define him. Uplifting, inspiring and beautiful, it's the tale of the man from Árainn Mhórine.

Mauri unveils the profound ancestral wisdom woven into Māori healing traditions, illuminating a restorative path to mend the wounds inflicted by colonialism. The film is a testament to the radiant beauty and unbreakable resilience of the Māori culture.

Mediha was 10 years old when ISIS raided her Yazidi village and sold her into sexual slavery. This is her quest for justice.

Mourning in Lod

The fates of three families are inextricably intertwined in a vicious cycle of violence in the city of Lod, Israel, where Israelis and Palestinians live side-by-side. The outpouring of love, anger, and forgiveness that follows offers a glimpse of morning light to offset a collective state of seemingly endless mourning.

Mozart’s Sister

The film reveals and tests controversial new evidence by music experts and forensic handwriting analysts to find if Maria-Anna Mozart played a part in well-known compositions attributed to her brother Wolfgang Mozart.

Void of any language or a true sense of self, profoundly deaf five-years-old Lawand is challenged to adapt to his new home in Derbyshire after a traumatic and turbulent year seeking asylum to allow him to learn Sign Language and finally communicate with the world.

A film about Beverly Hills farmers, marketing madness, water privatisation, drought, environmental collapse, and...war with Iran?

Festival Winner

Out of the ashes of loss, can one man use mixed martial arts to save young people from the toughest parts of our society?

Racing Mister Fahrenheit

Bobby Haas may have made billions selling fizzy drinks, but now retired, nothing will quench his desire to have his legacy be successfully breaking a land speed record at Bonneville.

Rather Be Ashes Than Dust

Chronicles of a journalist-filmmaker's struggle with his conscience while witnessing intense police brutality against protesters during the 2019 movement in Hong Kong.

Festival Winner

Refuge: A Duty to Care

Director Annie Goldson's film centres on life and work at a secret pet shelter, allowing victims of family violence to seek safety while knowing their animals are being cared for.

Renee Gracie: Fireproof

Australia’s first female V8-Star, Renee Gracie, attempts to re-enter racing after being pushed out of the sport and becoming Australia’s top earner on OnlyFans.

Festival Winner

Steven McRae was the principal dancer at London's Royal Ballet. In the middle of a performance, his Achilles heel ruptured. Refusing to see this as the end of his career, he sets out to return to the pinnacle of his art.

The true story of the courageous field rangers who risk their lives every day to
protect South Africa's rhinos from being poached to extinction

Tuvalu, a tiny island nation, in the Pacific halfway between Hawai'i and Australia, stands at the epicentre of the climate crisis. Unless the international community acts urgently, Tuvalu and other Pacific Atoll island nations face complete inundation of their lands via rising sea-level.

Filmed over 21 years, the film follows Amichai Lau-Lavie from drag-queen rebel to rabbi, as he radically reinvents religion and ritual and stands up for peace.

Searching for Amani

A son investigates his father’s mysterious murder within the boundaries of one of Kenya’s largest wildlife conservancies, only to have an encroaching drought reveal the collateral damage of a warming world.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest Rugby League players ever, kiwi hard-man Mark Graham was feared off and on the field, though few knew the real man or the destruction behind his success. An intimate look at the life of a father, a son and the cost of greatness.

Special Mention

This session screens a collection of three short films.

This session screens a collection of three short films.

This session screens a collection of four short films.

This session screens a collection of three short films.

This session screens a collection of three short films.

Spontaneous Combustion: Songs for Barry Brickell

A celebration of one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most provocative artists and thinkers, Barry Brickell.

Standing Above the Clouds

Through the lens of mothers and daughters in three Native Hawaiian families, this film explores intergenerational healing and the impacts of safeguarding cultural traditions.

Special Mention

An investigation into the abuse and disappearance of children at an Indian residential school ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.

Festival Winner

Teaches of Peaches

Artist and musician Peaches is a feminist icon leaving an indelible mark on popular culture as proven by this blend of archival gems, interviews and riveting tour footage from her 2022 Anniversary Tour.

Exposing the dark side of online advertising: a lucrative business with a human cost.

The Great White Whale

Five times it tried to kill the first team that tried to climb it. But back they sailed, through the worst seas in the world, to try again, this time with the legendary Bill Tilman as skipper.
A gripping tale of both expeditions, told by those that were there.

The Ground Under Our Feet

In a country facing the devastating effects of climate change, the Solomon Islands Futsal Team battle against the odds to reach the FIFA Futsal World Cup, with the goal of securing a future for their sport and their nation.

The Jewish Nazi?

Dubbed “The Mascot”, Hitler’s youngest soldier was in fact a Jewish boy who hid his secret in Australia for 50 years before embarking on a rollercoaster ride for his true identity that culminates with a blistering sting in the tail.

The Life Before

Filmmaker Young found a suitcase that had been packed away for over 60 years containing the remnants of her mother's life before she emigrated to New Zealand from Hong Kong in 1957.

The Man I Left Behind

For 40 years, Magnum photographer Larry Towell has documented the plight of the displaced around the world and the universal longing of people looking for a place to call their own.

The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Orin O’Brien never wanted the spotlight, but when Leonard Bernstein made her the first female musician hired to the New York Philharmonic, it was inevitable. Exploring Orin’s remarkable career we discover the key to life: "you don't mind playing second fiddle."

Journalist Sean Langan goes into Russia’s heart of darkness, travelling inside Putin’s war on Ukraine in occupied Donbas. An intimate look at the human side of Russia’s war rarely seen in Western media.

The Poem We Sang

An experimental film that meditates on love and longing contemplated through overcoming the trauma of loss of family home and of forced migration, transforming lifelong regrets into a healing journey of creative catharsis and bearing witness.

The Presidents’ Tailor – From Auschwitz to the White House

Martin Greenfield learned to sew while mending shirts for the Gestapo in Auschwitz and went on to make suits for U.S. presidents and stars. Now, at 95, America’s greatest tailor is grappling with his legacy.

Then Comes The Body

When a video of kids dancing in the rain goes viral, it brings global attention to an unlikely ballet school outside Lagos, Nigeria. Daniel Ajala, who learnt ballet over YouTube, is training students to perform on the world stage.

They Call Me Wazza

The film intimately captures the remarkable journey of Warren Hawke, the lovable 70-year-old surf photographer as he battles with health, cameras and an obsession with surf.

Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other

In the shadow of mortality, each with a long and dramatic life behind them, the hard truths of life together provoke in Maggie and Joel an attempt to find a shared inner-peace while there is still time.

Uncle Bully’s Surf Skool

Surf lessons become life lessons for homeless youth on Maui, and a true example of resilience after the devastating Lahaina wildfires.

A charismatic 84-year old Vika is a DJ and a true star of Warsaw clubbing scene. Facing the passing of time, Vika repeats that age is just a number and inspires others to live life to the fullest.

War and Justice

For the last twenty-five years, the International Criminal Court's mission has been to end the most serious crimes against humanity. But can war crimes in war be prevented at all?

Festival Winner

We Will Dance Again

7 October, the day the music stopped, and the world changed. But we will dance again.

Festival Winner

Wouldn’t Make it Any Other Way

Having built a colorful queer life in Iowa, an aspiring costume designer visits their island homeland of Guam to make costumes for a children’s theatre while reconnecting with distanced parents.

Haunted by her mother’s death, a young Indian-American medical student travels back to India to find closure. While there, an unexpected encounter with a young indigenous girl makes her confront her past and question her future.