In production

Kyrgyzstan is a country in the mountainous part of Central Asia. It is half the size of Germany and is sparsely populated. Almost half of the Kyrgyz population lives a simple life and only 20% of the country is suitable for agriculture. That is why many nomads and their animals move up to the meadows of the high plains at over 3500 meters altitude during the summer months – of course together with their kids – and for a few years now, there are special kindergartens and schools in the Yurts of the elevated plains of Kyrgyzstan.

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the UNESCO world heritage convention, the documentary series will link the past to the present and examine how the spirit of individual sites can remain vivid, valuable and inspiring for future generations. The series focuses on four important European cultural heritage sites: Arles, Aachen cathedral, St. Petersburg and the Amalfi coast. It will explain why each site has been put under the special protection of the international community, what it means for these world heritage sites, how sustainable they are and what they have to offer to future generations. The agreement, which was ratified by 193 nations, on November 16th 1972, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2022. The agreement produced a list of monuments to be declared “world heritage sites”. These have been protected by the member states since 1975. The idea of a world cultural heritage belonging to all of humanity was revolutionary.

Museums have been a place of education, edification and self-discovery for over half a millennium and are currently experiencing a fascinating metamorphosis: from royal quirks to multi-billion dollar prestige objects of states, cities or business magnates. The fight for media attention leads to spectacular architecture and programming in order to generate a distinctive modern image. A cultural history.

Almost 300 years ago, at the beginning of the 18th century, European scientists, commissioned by the newly founded Petersburg Academy of Sciences, started on a long and adventurous journey into the Russian Far East – Siberia, a large, unknown, cold land full of secrets. The results of this Great Northern Expedition continue to be of great importance today. The result will be a two part documentary series.

Pasha is 11 years old and lives in the Russian city Arzamas. He loves to paint and paints all the time. His favourite motifs are pets – cats, dogs, guinea pigs and even horses. He prefers acrylic paint and loves colours. Since he was 4 years old he has been practicing painting and his first small successes came about quickly: for some years now, people have commissioned him to portray their pets. Pasha started a non-profit initiative, together with his mother, called “The Kind Paintbrush”, a kind of homage to his beloved four-legged friends. The first paintings were posted on Pasha’s instagram account and then the commissions started coming in. Pasha is so well-known that he even gets commissions from other countries, like Spain, Germany, France, the USA and Latvia. Customers send a photo and a story of their pets. The little artist does not get paid in money for his work, but rather in pet food, medicine and other necessary products for animal shelters.

For centuries, white artists have predominantly painted powerful white people. Michelle and Barack Obama set a new precedent, when they commissioned two African-American painters to paint their official presidential portraits. Using this break with tradition as a starting point, the film shows the diverse aspects of the international debate surrounding the representation of marginalized groups in art. It does so by looking at paintings by predominantly African-American artists, who are increasingly claiming their place in art history with their outstanding works of art.

What secrets are hidden in the jungles of Honduras? Archeologists want to prove the existence of an ancient civilization over 1000 years old. The lost city is located in an area where only very few people are living today. Starting from their base camp in the east of the country, a German-Swiss expedition led by the German Archeological Institute, the university of Zurich and the museum Rietberg (Zurich) will explore uncharted territory with the help of modern technology. They will turn the area upside down scientifically in order to reveal its archeological secrets. They already know that they will be entering an area that was densely populated in the past.

The Gorals are an almost forgotten pastoral tribe that has maintained its traditions like no other ethnic group in Europe. They are admired for their culture, their close affinity to nature, their craftsmanship and for being down-to-earth; but by no means do they want to become a living and breathing open-air museum.

Most senior citizens do not think about where they want to spend the last years of their lives ahead of time. They prefer to live at home as long as possible. But unfortunately this wishful thinking is often met with a different reality.

The film accompanies people who are self-determinedly and actively searching for a new home for the last years of their lives. We follow them and their families looking for a suitable residential facility. They share their thoughts, expectations, desires and hopes with us.