For centuries women have picked tea on the steep slopes of Turkey's Black Sea region. It is gruelling work, and much of what they earn has traditionally been handed to their husbands. But now a new generation are turning their backs on tea picking, and the industry's survival is uncertain. 'Harve...

What if our way of life could connect with a thriving nature, rather than destroying its richness and diversity? This is what socio-bioeconomy proposes and is turning into a reality on the ground. This model connects the traditional knowledge of communities about the best ways to use, restore, an...

19-year-old Mukesh Rajak was born into a marginalized community in an impoverished region of rural India. His childhood was marked by discrimination and social exclusion due to his status as a dalit, a member of India's 'untouchable' castes. But a chance opportunity to attend a nonprofit private ...

Lucia, an indigenous K'iche woman from Guatemala, is forced into exile. After more than a decade of activism through art and community communication, Lucia leaves after all the violence she had to live through in her country and now living in several countries and her situation led her to want to...

Shakirah (29), entrepreneur and activist, a vivid presence on social media where she fights to preserve the heritage of her home district – Bo-Kaap, Cape Town – against rampant gentrification. 50 kilometres away in Strand, Western Cape, 27-year-old Rughshana builds a second career in comedy, usin...

In Ramgarh, one of India's oldest coal towns, over 50% of the mines have been abandoned without proper closure measures. Over the years, this has led to severe unemployment and ecological degradation. However, local community member Shashi Kumar has found an innovative way to repurpose these open...

A village in the north eastern Indian state of Assam devises innovative solutions to mitigate damaging human elephant conflict and develop community tolerance.

Director(s): Biswajit Das
2023 | 20 minutes
India
Language(s): Assamese
Subtitles: English

WATCH NOW: https://www.simaacademy.tv/videos...

In the city of Qom, the most restricted city in Iran, there are many restrictions on human rights such as mandatory hijab to assure sexual safety; Hossein (M, 30) grew up in this environment and experienced multiple sexual assaults by men, despite these measures. Due to stereotypes around masculi...

THE HAPPINESS SHOP is more than just a retail shop in the streets of Vietnam - it’s a beacon of empowerment and inclusivity. Founded with a unique mission to provide meaningful employment opportunities for women with disabilities. Through their work crafting souvenirs from recycled materials, the...

HUSH NOW. offers a bluntly intimate look at world leaders during some of their everyday moments, pondering what’s in their minds when the world mourns, what they think about when they're alone, in their moments of relaxation, or what they dream about during their power naps.

Director(s): Laen Sa...

While navigating a myriad of life challenges, Anjelica turned to the outdoors to improve her mental health only to discover a noticeable lack of other plus-size women of color on trail. By posting a simple flyer looking for more women to hike with, Anjelica created a community she never could hav...

Could Australia’s past help secure its future? 65,000 years in the making, BURNT COUNTRY is about fighting fire, with fire. Exploring the profound knowledge and wisdom of First Nations, this film is an invitation to connect to country and community.

Director(s): Kirsten Slemint
2024 | 18 minute...

In Cape Town's V&A Waterfront, a dedicated team works to protect urban wildlife amid the hustle of crowds and a busy harbour. They strive to resolve conflicts, safeguard species, and promote harmony between people and animals. Their efforts reflect compassion, aiming for a future of coexistence i...

Prankster activists perform an elaborate hoax to improve conditions for garment workers in the Adidas supply chain. Staging a shocking runway show at Berlin Fashion Week, they use humor and mischief to make the world pay attention to labor and environmental abuses that the massive sportswear bran...

In the heart of Los Angeles, two members of an innovative Street Medicine team devote their livelihood to helping their unhoused patients receive care, hope, and connection.

Director(s): Reed Martin
2023 | 22 minutes
United States |
Language(s): English
Subtitles: English

WATCH NOW: https://ww...

How do you rebuild home from nothing but memories? We are thrust us into the intimate conversations between Maria and her grandchild, Marucha: two Indigenous refugees living in displacement. To Maria, the Venezuelan delta is her home. To Marucha, refugee camps are all she knows. Through the rhyth...

Garment worker Veasna bets big on her husband’s barber shop, providing her family’s land title as collateral to obtain a microfinance loan and finance his business. Soon after opening, the business goes bust and her husband runs off with his mistress, leaving her alone to face credit officers. Ph...

For storyteller Andri Snær Magnason, climate change is so big, it’s larger than language. Retracing his grandparents’ annual spring journey to Iceland’s Vatnajökull glacier to witness the loss of Europe’s largest ice cap with his son, Andri Snær Magnason searches for the stories that can help him...

In their new album, the Catalan group Xiula delves into death and mourning. As both musicians and therapists and educators, they decide to spend a weekend in the countryside with families who have lost loved ones and are willing to share their experiences to collectively create a song. This poign...

26 years older than his wife, Nasar has started a family late in life. Afraid that he won't be around to see his children grow up, he decides to be cryogenically frozen upon death in the hope of coming back to life. As his family grapples with what it means for their lives, and whether they shoul...

Beirut's Shatila camp was built in 1949 for 3,000 Palestinian refugees, but now hosts up to 40,000 people, including many Syrians displaced by war. Appalling conditions and bleak prospects for the future leave families longing for their lost homes. Three generations of a Palestinian family descri...

Testimony is an interactive documentary for virtual reality that shares the stories of five survivors of sexual assault and their journey to healing. Beyond just a film, Testimony is an advocacy platform to allow the public to bear witness to those who have been silenced. The Brock Turner case, B...

The Dandora Landfill is the largest of its kind in Kenya. It receives industrial, agricultural, commercial and medical waste, amounting to about 2,000 tonnes per day. It is estimated that more than a million people live in the vicinity of the landfill. Residents work informally, sorting scrap by ...

The stylised fashion documentary Goodwill Dumping brings the enormity of the industry surrounding donated secondhand clothing to light. The film showcases the journey that discarded pieces of clothing make and what kind of impact this has on local industries. Due to its globalised scale this imme...