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Albania

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.

Russia

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

Contemporary urban life plays in fast-forward. People use public space mainly as a medium to get from place to place, not as a destination. They practically share the space with each other, but they rarely use it to connect. That lack of connection creates alienation that ends up in exclusion. What would happen if we could simply pause for a moment and connect with what surround us and actually experience the space and the people in it? Wouldn't it be nice to meet you?

Brazil

Film "REDSHIFT - 3'- Direction and Script - Patricia Lume. Country- Brazil Site: https://en.humanaexpress.com/ Synopsis: The saga of the human being to overcome the suffering of existence and its anguish in the confrontation of the trilogy of time (past, present and future). To reach the forces of liberation and rediscover his path, man must recognize the illusion of time and his own light as a guide.

Azerbaijan

The movie is filmed around the streets of suburban districts of Baku. The background voices are from the YouTube interviews/archives about LGBTI+ experiences from the general public and personal archives . Occasionally, different media platforms carry out public surveys and interviews about queer experiences in the streets of Baku and the results are mostly very hateful and alarmingly homophobic and transphobic. Many people see queerness as a major sin or health issue, or just deny the community's existence by just simply ignoring LGBTI+s. The phobia against the community affects trans people and particularly trans sex workers the most and unfortunately, many trans folks are the victims of hate crimes in the country. For the past 5 years, Azerbaijan is ranked as the most dangerous and worst country to live in for LGBTI+s by ILGA-Europe. Rising homophobia and transphobia raise major concerns for the community and the film addresses the realities of public opinions about the queer community.

Albania

A story about the symbiotic relationship between Tirana and its Grand Park told from the point of a dweller. As the city transforms into a bustling metropolis, the pace of change can be overwhelming for some. Now that Tirana has become one of Europe's busiest metropolises it has overwhelmed some, as the rate of change is hard to keep up with. Amidst the towering skyscrapers and rapidly growing structures, the Grand Park serves as a sanctuary of peace and serenity, providing a much-needed escape for the people of Albania. In this film, the park serves as a metaphor for Tirana, symbolising the link between the towering Dajti mountains and the city's new urban landscape. The park now serves as a key protagonist in the Tirana 2030 Design Plan, acting as a beacon for preserving the city's green spaces and preventing urban sprawl.