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Films
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Russia
The gray belt
The red triangle. One of the oldest industrial enterprises of the city of St. Petersburg.The first rubber factory in Russia.Since the beginning of the 2000s, the factory buildings have been in a deplorable state. Most of the plant's premises are abandoned. The windows are broken. And the territory of the plant itself no longer belongs to its original owners and is attractive for lovers of the aesthetics of abandoned buildings. Several shoe companies operate in separate buildings of the industrial zone, but the volume of production of rubber shoes is very small.Sevkabel Port is a favorite place for residents of St. Petersburg in the Harbor of Vasilievsky Island. A recently closed industrial area, today it is one of the most welcoming and hospitable spaces of the city. All the monuments of industrial architecture that are on the territory are carefully restored, endowed with new modern functions. And the architectural concept of the project delicately emphasizes the historical memory of the place. There are various functional zones on the territory of the Port where you can create projects, work, spend free time, engage in creativity and sports. There are bureaus, workshops and offices, exhibition, concert and sports halls, children's studios, shops and showrooms, restaurants, cafes and bars.Today, the share of the so-called "gray belt" in the central part of the city is almost 40%. The appearance of the "gray belt" is a feature of more than one St. Petersburg. Many cities in Europe, and indeed all over the world, have faced this problem to varying degrees. Based on convincing examples of renovation of depressive zones, we are able to adapt former industrial buildings to new functions!
Albania
Shofer taksie
A short film created as a spontaneous action of inclusion of a local taxi driver into the conversation of foreign passengers, three friends. Although we didn’t speak the same language as him, in this short moment in time we let the music he likes become our way of silent communication with him. The simultaneous scenes of walking along the labyrinth of meander lines, drawn on the floor of Rruga Sermedin Said Toptani, symbolize the complex paths of interpersonal relations between strangers. While I was staying in Tirana I had a strong feeling of empathy towards older, local people. I saw that often they don’t speak any foreign languages, while at the same time, because of economic challenges Albanian people face, they are “forced to” work with tourists. As Tirana is rapidly growing and changing, the city center is full of foreigners, both investors and tourists. Local people don’t take a taxi — they take a bus or they drive a taxi. Local people often don’t go out to eat in restaurants — the eat at home or they work in restaurants. Economic differences between local people and foreigners are felt in all areas of life. In Tirana, I had a strong feeling that local people from Tirana often feel as second-grade citizens in their own city, “occupied” by English-speaking foreigners, surrounded by fancy shops, cars and restaurants, which they, local people — can’t afford. This short film is a documentation of one humble effort of trying to make a local taxi driver feel he’s at home in his own city, by a simple act of showing an interest in his culture via his own personal — music playlist.
Azerbaijan
There is no space for you
Baku hosts almost 5 million citizens and there are 2 million cars on the roads. The expansion of roads and the construction of new bridges almost paralyzed traffic for the past decade and even now, after the constructions, things are not better. Mass tourist waves and the large number of people moving to Baku every year for better opportunities worsen the situation. Thus, overpopulation and bad city infrastructure leave many citizens of Baku going through a hell of traffic and congestion during rush hours. Public transport is also very packed and not so safe for many to use. The situation proves that there is a significant need for more alternative and green forms of transportation. Cycling is proven to be one of the most sustainable ways of transport and the city’s road infrastructure exclusively leaves cyclists behind. There are no bike lanes in most parts of the city, and only a few parks have them that have no point or connection points. Also, the drivers are very aggressive and impatient with the cyclists. Many drivers create very precarious situations for cyclists and the aggression is the same for those who ride motorcycles as well. Driving on big roads with no bike lane and around the sidewalks with many underground paths make things really worse for cyclists. Also, the lack of community and cycling culture kills its potential for the future. Baku needs sustainable and innovative solutions to its major urban problems and leaving the cyclists behind only challenges the situation further.
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