Festival in Graz

Automatically saved draft

The film "Yintah" follows the struggle of indigenous peoples in Canada for their ancestral land.

(Bild: Amber Bracken)

The Crossroads Festival for Documentary Film and Discourse is taking place in Graz for the eleventh time this year from October 31 to November 9. Once again, the team led by organizer Josef Obermoser will bring people who are fighting for more justice and a future worth living in front of the curtain. Admission is free!

One morning in 1975, women in Iceland had had enough: because their contributions to the functioning of society - whether in the family, at work or in politics - were not valued, they walked off the job without further ado. 90 percent of Icelandic women went on strike and came together for a large solidarity rally. The day is now seen as the birth of an Iceland in which the gender gap is particularly small compared to other countries.

"Want to show inspiring people"
"The Day Iceland Stood Still" is the name of the documentary film by Emmy award-winner Pamela Hogan, which humorously commemorates this day. It can be seen for the first time in Austria at Crossroads - and is a perfect example of the type of films that Josef Obermoser and his team select for the festival: "We want to showcase inspiring people, initiatives and movements that do not lose heart in the face of the great challenges of our time and are committed to justice, democracy and a future worth living in a variety of ways," he says.

A total of 14 films are on the program at the festival from October 31 to November 9 - they deal with the struggle of indigenous peoples for their land ("Yintah") and the struggle of Amazon employees for a union ("Union") as well as the efforts to prevent climate collapse ("Once You Know") or to establish new forms of agriculture ("The Combine"). And the opening film "Democracy Noir" by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Connie Field portrays people in Hungary who are fighting against Viktor Orban's authoritarian regime.

The films can be seen in the Forum Stadtpark and in the Heimatsaal of the Folklore Museum - the screenings will be followed by discussions with experts. Admission to all program items is free. All information about the festival and the films can be found here.