AFO - Academia Film Olomouc

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Academia Film Olomouc
https://afo.cz/en/home/

56th International Festival of Science Documentary Films
https://afo.cz/en/afo56-2/
27/4 — 11/5/2021 AFO ONLINE
free streaming that is, unfortunately, geo-blocked (CZ ip address)!
https://online.watchandknow.cz/

Academia Film Olomouc... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academia_Film_Olomouc
Olomouc... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olomouc

https://afo.cz/en/about-festival/
The international festival of science documentary films has been organized by Palacký University, Olomouc since 1966.

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Programme Section:
Visualization – Imagine Facts ... (8/8)
https://online.watchandknow.cz/collecti ... ce-afo-56/

No1
I'M NOT SURE (Gabriel Hensche, 2017) 7m

The experimental film about artificial intelligence is a gallery series of commentated surreal images. Whether it is a human body, an animal, an umbrella, or an abstraction, it always depends on what set of data we proceed from when attributing meaning to an image.

What do I see when I only analyse? The order of the images in the film is purely random and does not matter. What is important is the commentary in the background. Despite his apt, completely logical and even absurd naming, the unknown commentator sometimes admits he is not sure. It begs the question of how well the narrator knows and understands art to be able to determine the meaning of a painting. If this is how he sees art, what is his perspective on the rest of the world?

https://vimeo.com/212729255

No2-3
VISUAL SOUNDS OF THE AMAZON (Andy Thomas, 2016) 5m
VISUAL SOUNDS OF THE AMAZON 2 (Andy Thomas, 2016) 4m

Explosion of color, colorful fireworks with blue and red spirals and moving purple orbs. Feast your eyes on the songs of parrots, the warbling of kingfishers, and mysterious chatter of tropical insects.

How does a sound look when in a visual form? The short film originally transforms sounds of the Amazon rainforest into beautiful, rich abstract images. How? With the help of 3D animations that change depending on the sound recorded in the heart of the rainforest. This fusion leaves viewers breathless and is an audiovisual piece of art, showing the beauty of the planet Earth that should not be missed.

https://vimeo.com/229927018
https://vimeo.com/439637788

No4
STRUCTURES OF NATURE (Martin Gerigk, 2017) 19m

An audiovisual story, an insight into the world of nature, society, and the order of everything around us. Three elements are connected here: the soundtrack consisting of twelve violoncellos, the commentary of four narrators, and the video sequences.

Those portray the microscopic nature as well as mankind, their origin, development, community, and, conversely, solitary existence. The detailed look at the world is shown in different aspects, be it chemical reactions, sociological and physical principles, or mathematical symbols and formulas. From beginning to end, these systems are connected and influence each other. The film proves the author’s lifelong fascination and desire to know his environment, its mysteries, and laws.

No8
UNENDURABLE LINE (Daihei Shibata, 2017) 3m

How do commonplace objects we use every day change, if their motion parameter crosses the threshold value?

The film shows the sudden changes in the motion of ordinary, everyday things—a spring, a magnet, a paperclip, and a switch—with the help of real-time graphs. On separate screens we can see an almost banal action, like switching on a light, which on the next screen is simultaneously represented by a curve in a simple chart. The entire event is accompanied by a musical rendering of these movements by a chamber choir, which results in an unusual viewing experience.

No9
UNKNOWN FIELDS: MADAGASCAR - A TREASURED ISLAND (Toby Smith, 2013) 5m

Treasure island—smugglers and illegal gold diggers. Where abundant natural resources meet poverty and exacting human labour. How much are we willing to pay for luxury?

For many years, Madagascar remained unmapped and beyond the reach of the law. The island, once inhabited by pirates, is now the largest sapphire deposit in the world. However, the numerous sapphire mines were not dug by machines, but by hundreds of people with pickaxes and shovels. It is a great paradox that such a place with unique treasures is inhabited by one of the poorest nations on Earth. Instead of narration, the information is conveyed in the form of embedded factual data and motion graphics. The film was initiated by experimental architect Liam Young.

Liam Young... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Young

No14
COSMIC ZOOM (Eva Szasz, 1968) 8m

Animator Eva Szasz, inspired by Cosmic View by the Dutch Kees Boeke, uses animation to portray things that are inaccessible to us by common means. She explores places that put a human individual into an impressive, albeit disturbing perspective. The film, partially balancing between scientific and philosophical work, encourages us to reassess the dimensions of everything, from our everyday challenges to ourselves. Even though the film was made more than fifty years ago, and both science and animation have come a long way since then, the effect of this small piece remains strong.

Cosmic View... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_View

No16
THE JOY OF DATA (Catherine Gale, 2016)

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Programme Section:
Czech & Slovak Competition ... (5/18)
https://online.watchandknow.cz/collecti ... mpetition/

No0
PERSONAL LIFE OF A HOLE (Ondřej Vavrečka, 2020) 62m ... watched during JIDFF2020

PERSONAL LIFE OF A HOLE (Ondřej Vavrečka, 2020)
The most amusing film on JIDFF so far (and i anticipate altogether).
Film exercise in aleatory materialism.
Bohemian essay film at its finest...

Die Welt ist alles, was der Abfall ist. Wovon man nicht schweigen kann, darüber muss man sprechen.

https://youtu.be/hEwji4vzx4g

Holes are no longer a simple absence of space into which we can step and twist our ankle, alternatively catch a mammoth. A hole is an absorber of meaning, whose character function is to refer to the absent. A dot under an exclamation point that should alert us to the easily overlooked aspects of otherwise fairly crowded reality.

In an self-referential and holey meta-chase for null characters in our world — which often resembles a strange strainer rather than a solid and tidy shape — the authorial team meets scientists, philosophers, trains, revolutionaries, cannibals, and Antonín Dvořák in order to try to create a map of holey space that could help us start looking more attentively for these meaningful objects.

No5
SECRET HISTORY – SEXUAL PAST OF THE BOHEMIAN COUNTRY, Ep.1: CHILDREN, KITCHEN, CHURCH (Pavel Šimák, 2020) 52m

Rapid social development in the 19th century primarily influenced public life. However, private life and sexuality were bound by strict and often unspoken rules applied differently to men and women.

An example of a fictional middle-class family shows how social norms were reflected in day-to-day lives and how intimate matters can testify to the development of Czech society. Archival materials accompanied by a commentary of experts in history, criminology, religion, and psychology show the attitude towards prostitution, pornography, and marriage with their transition from taboo to public discourse. The experts also explore the differences between city and countryside life among various social classes.

No6
OF WOLVES AND MEN (Michal Gálik, 2020) 26m

Wolves were a natural part of our environment until man practically made them extinct. After more than a hundred years, these predators return to the Czech Republic. Can we learn how to live with them in harmony?

Wolves are the apex predators that play an essential role in the ecosystem. Thanks to the protection efforts, the population of these beasts of ill repute is growing, and many European countries deal with their return. This documentary shows the collaboration between Czech and German experts who monitor and study them. It also presents ways how to create suitable conditions for the wolves to live in. The crucial step is to mend their reputation by informing and educating the public, including pet owners and gamekeepers.

No7
CUCKOO (Daniela Hýbnerová, 2020) 4m

How many of you have seen a cuckoo with your own eyes? We may consider it a local bird and think we know everything about it, but this well-known feathered animal hides many secrets they forgot to tell us at school.

The fact that cuckoos are not a picture of parenthood and lay their eggs in the nests of other birds is common knowledge. But did you know that cuckoo can lay eggs of different colours? Have you heard the tale of a man-eating cuckoo? And can we even call it a local bird or is it only here on holiday from Africa? The light-hearted nature and cheerful animation will captivate the attention of both children and adults, and prof. Tomáš Grim will answer the questions you never even thought to ask.

No15
AM I STILL BURNING?: PETR JURAČKA (Hana Pinkavová, 2020)

His photo is on the cover of Paulo Coelho’s book. He was awarded for filming mold. The popularizer of science and globally acclaimed photographer continues to amaze with his drive and playful disposition.

After fifteen years, the director Hana Pinkavová follows up on the Do Not Extinguish! I’m on Fire! cycle about promising individuals with exceptional zeal. The then sixteen-year-old Petr Juračka dreamed of saving endangered species. Today he teaches at Charles University, has travelled to every continent, and has written a book. The medallion combining statements, the backstage of popularizing TV spots, and archive footage from travels reveals that Petr cannot contain the enthusiastic young turtle-logist with wild dreams.

[sally]

PERSONAL LIFE OF A HOLE (Ondřej Vavrečka, 2020)

this sounds and looks wonderful. but it's not even on docalliance! pffft

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pffft

patience! sooner or later it will be there.
behind the scene pics... http://www.ondrejvavrecka.cz/osobnizivotdiry.html

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Programme Section:
Special Screening ... (2/6)
https://online.watchandknow.cz/collecti ... ng-afo-56/

No10
SECRETS OF THE SURFACE: THE MATHEMATICAL VISION OF MARYAM MIRZAKHANI (George Paul Csicsery, 2020) 60m

The internationally awarded documentary maps the life and work of one of the foremost figures in the field of natural sciences. Maryam Mirzakhani was the first woman and the first Iranian woman to hold the highest honor in mathematics with the Fields Medal in 2014. Her vision is shown through attractive animations and statements by leading scientists. Thanks to interviews with those close to her, we have the unique opportunity to get a glimpse into the private life of a woman who inspired a generation.

Maryam Mirzakhani... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryam_Mirzakhani
Roya Beheshti Zavareh

No11
WE ARE EPICENTERS OF THE EARTHQUAKE (Tomáš Hlaváček, 2020) 41m

A young couple travels around the Czech Republic and deals with the weighing environmental grief and their position in the systems that actively produce it.

The film takes a close look at the relationship of two young people and their confrontation with the emotions they experience while identifying the scope and impact of human activity on the environment. One does not need to go to melting glaciers or dying tropical forests, humanity’s destructive footprint is visible in our immediate vicinity. This can be seen in the forests, which we no longer recognise. As a silent observer, the camera captures the protagonists’ intimate moments of awareness, as well as various ways in which they both cope with it.

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Programme Section:
Short Competition ... (11/15)
https://online.watchandknow.cz/collecti ... on-afo-56/

No0
SOLASTALGIA (Eline Kersten, 2020) 19m ... watched during JIDFF2020

We are attached to the place where we spend a greater part of our lives as it is attached to us. We can perceive its changes over time and see the marks that people leave. The feeling we have for such a place is called solastalgia. A long drone shot with a thematic voice-over serves as a perfect means to convey such marks and feelings.

25/10
SOLASTALGIA (Eline Kersten, 2020)

Nostalgia refers to the feeling one has of a place they left behind. Solastalgia, on the other hand, refers to the homesickness one has when they are still at home.

When i watched the film i was thinking that the place could be truly worthy of a visit (once the industry will be gone and nature will start taking the area back). Devastation is sometimes so enchanting. Sometimes, the devastation is very close to land art.

Landmark staircase complete
A viewing platform now soars 40 meters above the limestone quarry in Maastricht (NL). And a new staircase down the quarry face that focuses on restoring a culturally significant long-distance foothpath from Maastricht (NL) to Liège (B).

No12
LUMINOUS VARIATIONS IN THE CITY SKIES (Giuseppe Spina, 2019) 7m

The Bologna night sky gives viewers the opportunity to observe a dance of celestial bodies. Giuseppe Spina’s silent film tours records of stellar phenomena observed in Bologna from the perspective of historical telescopes.



Guido Horn d'Arturo... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_Horn_d%27Arturo

No13
HYSTERICAL GIRL (Kate Novack, 2020) 13m

Sigmund Freud's sole case study of a female patient is re-examined from a modern feminist perspective.

There is only one major study of Sigmund Freud dedicated to a female patient, yet it resonates with society to this day. Dora, diagnosis: hysteria. What is her version of the story on which the medical record is based, and what is actually meant by hysteria?

No17
LICHEN (Lisa Jackson, 2019)

No18
A DEMONSTRATION (Sasha Litvintseva, Beny Wagner, 2020)

“A Demonstration” is a monster film with no monsters. Inspired by the existence of taxonomies of monsters at the heart of Early Modern European science, the film explores and reinterprets a way of seeing the natural world that is almost impossible to imagine from today’s vantage point. Early Modern naturalists were guided by a logic in which scientific truths were discovered through visual analogy. The word ‘monster’ comes from the latin ‘monstrare’, meaning to show, to reveal, to demonstrate. “A Demonstration” picks up on these themes in a poetic exploration of the boundaries of sight and the metamorphosis of form.

A Demonstration is a poetic exploration of the boundaries of sight and the metamorphosis of form. The history of Western science offers a story of how these boundaries have been negotiated, and the film’s point of departure is a uniquely ambiguous chapter in this history. Late Renaissance attempts to classify the natural world introduced taxonomies of monsters alongside more prosaic taxonomies of animals, plants and minerals. The fantastical collaging of human and nonhuman forms, understood as monstrous deviations from the norm, captivated the minds of Renaissance naturalists, who took these to be just as real as the chickens they catalogued elsewhere. One of the many ways one can read the taxonomies of monsters is through a reconfiguration of the boundaries of sight. The word ‘monster’ comes from the latin ‘monstrare’, meaning to demonstrate, reveal or show. The monsters that proliferate in the early foundations of Western science reveal a fundamental ambiguity in the quest for knowledge of the natural world. They demonstrate a tense negotiation of what was considered to be real, what would be perceived as ‘normal’, the distinction between human and nonhuman and the very meaning of life. While the terms have changed dramatically, many of these questions inform our always fragmented understanding of the world today.

No19
THE CLOUD HOUSE (Elias Heuninck, 2019)

Year 1894. An incident at the Ben Nevis observatory led to the creation of the first particle detector. A hypnotizing reconstruction interprets pure statistical data into a visual form.

Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider produce no images, as the research is based on statistical data. However, as its innermost sensor is actually similar to the construction of a camera, Heuninck tried interpreting the data as images. On his soundtrack he reconstructs an incident at an observatory from 1894.

No20
RECODING ART (Bruno Moreschi, Gabriel Pereira, 2019)

Glitches, errors, ideologies and unexpected readings by AIs working in a museum of contemporary art.

Can machines extend our understanding of what is (and perhaps what is not) art? An ambient stroll through a gallery accompanied by Lisa, computerized guide, grants an opportunity to see artificial objects not only through the eyes of artificial intelligence, but also through the optics of so-called Mechanical Turks, a work force somewhere between humans and machines.

No21
NIGHT FAIR (Cynthia Naggar, Gueze, 2020)

Asleep or awake? An experimental journey through REM and non-REM brain activity sleep phases.

Unique alliance of art and science, the experimental film Night Fair focuses on brain activity through the different cycles of a night's sleep. Through voice mail, media artist Cynthia Naggar and sound designer Gueze collected the dreams of citizens. These are ingeniously combined with graphic and sound representations generated by algorithms from anonymous medical data.

https://youtu.be/DH9AtdshoMQ

No22
THE GREAT CALCULUS – INFINITE LIMITS (Elisabetta Zucchi, 2020)

No23
UNDER CONTROL (Ville Koskinen, 2021)

Insects are tormenting the botanical garden. The gardeners need to use harsher and harsher methods to control the situation. The more they try to rid themselves of these intruders, the worse the problem becomes.

The botanical garden as a little world of its own. Although artificially grown under the watchful eye of the bipeds, it leads its own rich life. What happens if an intruder gets in? Where is the line between human aid and absolute dictatorship?

No24
LIFESPAN (Juliette Martineau, 2020)

We all age, but is it truly inevitable? Findings in a wide range of scientific disciplines bring new perspectives to human longevity.

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Programme Section:
Adaptation ... (2/4)
https://online.watchandknow.cz/collection/adaptace/

No0
MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES (Jennifer Baichwal, 2006) ... watched in the past

No14
OPERATION JANE WALK (Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner, 2018)

A city tour through the architecture of an Online Shooter Game. Operation Jane Walk is based on the dystopian multiplayer shooter Tom Clancy’s: The Division. In this work, the game’s digital war zone is appropriated with the help of an artistic operation.

Within the rules of the game’s software, the militaristic environment is repurposed for a pacifistic city tour. The urban flâneurs avoid the combatants whenever possible and become peaceful tourists of a digital world, a detailed replica of Midtown Manhattan. While walking through the post-apocalyptic city, issues such as architectural history, urbanism, and the game developer’s interventions into the urban fabric are discussed.

https://vimeo.com/301933682

Robert Moses... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moses
Jane Jacobs... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs

[DT.]

No14
OPERATION JANE WALK (Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner, 2018)

What a cool concept - thanks for sharing, jiri! Like a documentary extension of machinimas.

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yw.
i cherished the concept too and i would like to watch a full-length feature film of this kind.

[sally]

that was great!

(also since i haven't played a computer game since the shooting duck thing and lemmings, wow graphics, and oh horrific violence)

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the only "game" i was shortly passionate about was feeding fishes in a virtual aquarium on social media (in the bygone internet ages).
but i was interested in it only because one of the items by which one could adorn one's aquarium was a Santa with one raised hand.
this Santa could be optionally mirrored (and thus it might seem he raised either left or right hand).
and one could make a snapshot of the aquarium and post it on social media.
so, in the bygone ages of the internet i "bought" (via tokens earned by feeding virtual fishes) a lot of these Santas and populated with them my aquarium.
and i was organizing underwater polls on various issues and let the Santas vote (via optional mirroring them — thus raising either their right or left hands).
then i took a snapshot of my aquarium, posted it, and wrote (as a caption) an extensive (graphomaniacal) elaboration in which the Santas from the virtual aquarium were voicing out their opinions — why they voted pro issue 1 (by raising left hand) or pro issue 2 by (raising right hand).
it was my short-lived exercise in dialectics.
so, i was never a "gamer" but i do have experience with appropriating a virtual "game" for some other purpose (repurposing it).

edit: those were actually not clowns but Santas (i was able to clarify because i could recall i made the Santas to vote (among other different issues) if they prefer Pepsi or Cola.)