Campo Abierto (2023)
Campo Abierto takes place in the steppe of Argentina and deals with the almost forgotten Tehuelche culture of the Gününa Këna. Since the european inmigrants have wrested and fenced the land from the natives by force, the remaining villages are threatened with extinction, forced to move to the big cities or to work for a starvation wage on the land of their formerly open land. The fences, which turn the High-Plateau into a patchwork carpet of private properties, divide the vast and beautiful landscape till the horizont. In one of the few remaining villages we meet the family Kwal one of the last chieftain tehuelche families. We accompany the youngest descendant of this family on his journey through the mesmerising steppe. He sets off on the ancient path that formed the core of the nomadic way of life of his ancestors to record the almost lost language of his culture. The path, however, leads across the vast properties of the great landowners who do not have any interest in the reopening of the once open land.
Mandaragat (in post-production 2024)
“Today, Filipino Seafarers largely participate in the global arena of shipping and maritime trade as they are employed worldwide more than any other nationality”. - Olivia Swift
Mandaragat chronicles the lives of Filipino seafarers as they embark on yet another long and lonely journey at sea away from their families. From karaoke nights, secret drinking sessions, to giving each other that much awaited haircut, it tells a story of friendship and brotherhood forged at sea among fellow seafarers, who all find themselves in the “same boat”.
Interwoven in these stories, the documentary follows the tales of two men from different generations, each inspired by his own goal and ambition. Aldrin, a charismatic seaman, who fends for himself alone in his effort to support and provide for his relatives while he yearns to grow a stable family of his own back home. And Renz, a thriving young boy who is set to finish his maritime training, eagerly pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a seaman. Both are stirred with questions of uncertainty and high hopes of eventually finally being able to sail their “own” seas.