Cinema Nomad

We explore Sarajevo, a city once celebrated as the “Jerusalem of Europe” for its multi-cultural diversity. Now full of survivors and poets, singers and creatives; stuck between the desire to break free from past terrors, along with the aim to “never-forget.” Writer, director, and academic, Tina, makes and studies films in order to process the horrors of the war she survived as a young child.

Egypt is a country rich in history, full of spirited people seeking greater social freedoms. We visit 5,000 year-old temples to discover ancient storytelling and see how the stories of the past relate to power structures today. We visit Mina in Alexandria, an acclaimed cinematographer and passionate director; and we explore the role of filmmaking during the Arab Spring revolution.

We visit Atzin in Mexico City, where he shows us a rich history of cinema, including the Golden Age of the 1930s and ‘40s. Stephanie explores her love of Mezcal, and Atzin takes us to his hometown of Puebla to meet his hospitable mother, who has the personality of a Golden Age star. Atzin has made incredible films with universal appeal, but finds himself asking, “Are my films Mexican enough?”

Explore Uganda, a biodiverse country with multiple kingdoms. Stephanie hikes through local villages and treks mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkeys. She traces the path Katherine Hepburn took on “The African Queen.” We meet Patience, a bold and brave director in Entebbe, who strives to tell “decolonized stories” and bring dignity to her ancestors.

Journey to colorful La Paz, the highest capital city in the world, to meet Alejandro, photographer-turned-director, who hails from a filmmaking family. We travel across the world’s largest salt-flats to a Quechuan village, where Alejandro made his Sundance winning film, “Utama.” We attend film premieres, ceremonial dances, and explore the cultural landscape of Bolivia’s indigenous population.

Cambodia has a rich tradition of storytelling from ancient times to today. We meet Ines, who grapples with historical trauma by telling fable-like stories as metaphors to the past. From ancient temples of Angkor; to luscious rice fields; the hip-hop art scene of Battambang, and the French Colonial whims of Phnom Penh; Cambodia is full of color, joy and a revival to the tune of better days ahead.

Azerbaijan has an eclectic mix of Persian, Turkish, and Russian influences. Our filmmakers Oktay and Elvin fight to maintain their voices in this former Soviet country. Elvin, a hopeless romantic, takes pride in cinematic storytelling while trying to better his Azerbaijani community. Oktay pursues social justice stories while trying to find the proper balance between film and family man.

Daiyan, our filmmaker in Havana, is in an industry over-dominated by government control. He made his first film with $30 in his pocket to later receive full funding from the Norwegian Embassy to make his second film, “adoleCe.” As an independent filmmaker in Cuba, Daiyan is a rebel with a heart: sacrificing all he has to make cinematic art in hopes that the muse continues to inspire.

We travel to São Paulo to meet Paula, a dynamic woman who left a career as a professional journalist to become a documentary filmmaker, focused on stories that expose injustices and inequalities in Brazilian society. In São Paulo we scope out the street art splattered around the city; and our friend, Miro, takes us on a tour of Embu Das Artes, a community of craftsmen and artists.

We travel to Ghana, the first country in Sub Saharan Africa to gain independence. We visit Peter on the set of his fourth feature film. In Accra, we catch up with the voices shaping Ghana’s film industry: Juliet, a prominent filmmaker and festival director; Alpha, a passionate film scholar; and Carl, a documentarian interested in exploring the history of Ghana in his films.

Mukhlisa is the first and only film commissioner of Uzbekistan, an institution which she co-created in 2018. She is the director of a big-budget action-thriller flick, “Scorpion,” the highest grossing film in Uzbekistan’s history, which brought her national fame. She is proud to share her culture on screen as we visit this Silk Road country full of stunning Islamic architecture.

We travel towards the Arctic Circle during the Winter Solstice to experience the Northern Lights and quirky Christmas antics. Our entrepreneurial filmmaker, Eyþór, lives in Flateyri, a small town in the Westfjords, where he owns and operates the oldest bookstore in Iceland, passed down from his great-grandfather. In Iceland, democracy thrives and storytelling is cherished as an age-old tradition.