Transcendence

Director: Rabie Mustapha

Year: 2026

In this participatory documentary, filmmaker Rabie Mustapha works with a group of children living in Northern Ireland to tell stories about their family life and cultural backgrounds. Despite the children’s globalised nature, they manage to bring in an insight to specific cultural journeys from Al-Nuba, Halab and the Northern Irish countryside. We see Maya, an inquisitive 9 year old girl whose hobby is to deliver shocking facts within a deadpan and to ask deep philosophical questions. Through an interview with her mom we learn about her Nubian heritage and a long history of generations displacement. Mahmoud and Khalid on the other hand are more calm and observant. Through their filmmaking journey we learn about their Syrian and Turkman heritage. With Mila we see the countryside of Limavady and learn about a more relaxed way of living where children are more connected to nature and where the girl’s artistic abilities are developing. Through this pluralistic film Northern Ireland is portrayed as a changing place with more than one face.

Director: Polina Chizhova, James Stephen Wright

Year: 2018

The work “A Skulk in London” explores the human projections onto animal life from a satirical perspective. Its aim is research the life of urban foxes amid the Anthropocene environment of central London and the mythologies surrounding them to highlight the human tendency of understanding and perpetually interpreting the natural world limited by the point of view of “man”. The main character is a city man who becomes fascinated with finding nature in the city and is following urban foxes to fulfil his dream of wilderness. The character lives in a world of fantasy and does not consider the perspective and agency of urban wildlife. His obsession is so blinding and absorbing that he doesn’t realise that the fox he finds is, in fact, a dog in a costume.

Director: Benjamin Wigley

Year: 2022

Can one footprint imprint on our collective consciousness and create change? A walk; a pilgrimage, an odyssey…for the planet. Five hundred miles from London to Glasgow Cop26: Eight weeks, 56 days and more than 56 host organisations, over a thousand walkers and thirty rolls of 16mm celluloid film. Official Selection Encounters Film Festival 2022