Scarecrow is a story of hope, love, and art. The film tells the story of Lida, a third-generation Armenian refugee from Turkey to Iran. Lida is a gifted ballet dancer, but ballet is forbidden for women in her homeland. When she is no longer allowed to dance, she retreats to the Caspian Sea coast to work as a scarecrow—an absurd, poetic image of someone who has lost her own wings. In her solitude, she meets a soldier, and a tender, vulnerable love story blossoms between them. But even this love cannot completely free Lida from her inner darkness. Matarsak is the story of a woman who, despite pain, loss, and prohibitions, searches for freedom and beauty. Will she find her way back to dance? Filmed in northern Persia on the Caspian Sea, the film combines poignant emotions with stunning images of a region where nature and longing intertwine.

Addam Yekutieli, often referred to as the “Israeli Banksy,” prefers to avoid such mystification. Under his pseudonym Know Hope, he creates fragile, humanoid figures in public spaces that use empathy as a political language. With them, he questions the myths and narratives of a fragmented Israeli society—and as a result, increasingly finds himself in conflict. Know Hope accompanies an artist who fights against cynicism and the hardening of a polarized world in favor of radical empathy.

In Mosul after the destruction of the city by ISIS. Three men whose lives revolve around memory and forgotten culture: Bashar, a fisherman who wants to protect the ruins of his family home from looters. Fakhri, a former soldier and collector of Iraqi artifacts, who wants to save the artistic evidence of the past. Fadel, a violinist who has vowed to fill Mosul with music again after years of prohibition. The focus is on the contested doorframe decorated with lions, which becomes a symbol of both tenacity and the survival of culture.

When filmmaker Areeb sees a video of young men doing parkour on the beach in Gaza, memories come back. The liveliness of the young runners contradict the explosions heard in the distance. Areeb gets in touch with the parkour runners, including Ahmed. Together, they make their way through the devastated Gaza Strip, where he finds it difficult to imagine a future for himself.

Ein Wiener Sport Club is a cinematic kaleidoscope of community, inclusion, and transformation, showing how sport can be more than goals and scores—a place where the future is already being imagined.

Ein Wiener Sport Club is more than a football documentary. It is a poetic portrait of one of Vienna’s last true cult clubs, rooted in the 17th district between morbid charm and leftist resistance. The film explores a world where football becomes a social mirror and a utopian space of possibility. At its heart is the Friedhofstribüne, a vibrant meeting place where activists, artists, queers, retirees, and dreamers turn fandom into political art and collective ritual. Here, football is reimagined through anti-fascist banners, LGBTQ+ projects, and refugee support, creating a living social utopia. The film follows the people who bring WSC to life: Emina, captain of the women’s team fighting for equality; Frida, a young fencer uniting sport and activism; Stefanie, a queer artist promoting FLINTA visibility; Wolfgang, the idealist president; Alan, a devoted father; and Roland, the blind announcer whose voice captures every game.