Claire Dornoy

An American Pastoral

Elizabethtown is a picturesque little town in rural Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. But behind the supposed US-American small-town idyll lies a deep political divide, which is particularly evident at the meetings of the local school board. It all began with a dispute over a ban on books in school libraries. But in reality it is about something much more fundamental: the question of the continued existence of secular democracy. In the conservative district, the local movement of right-wing extremist Christians now holds three seats on the school board and is gradually pushing the moderate Republicans to the sidelines. Five seats are at stake in the 2023 elections. With just two more seats, the right-wing extremists would have a majority on the board and could push through a new, theocratic program for the public schools in Elizabethtown. The documentary shows the commitment of some courageous citizens to democratic, censorship-free education.

Girl for a Day

18th century. Anne, grown up, has to "change her clothes" because of her attraction to women. Now a man, he marries and has a great love affair with his new wife, until his past catches up with him. The shocking true story of Anne Grandjean, born intersex, and their resounding trial, which still questions all our certainties today.

Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World

On behalf of a multinational company, a production assistant drives around the Romanian city of Bucharest, interviewing various citizens who have been injured due to work accidents to cast one of them in a “safety at work” video.

Rage

Alentejo, Portugal, 1950. In a desolate region, where the wind seems to speak, where misery and hunger reign over poorest, a desperate man takes his revenge on those who caused his ruin during the darkest night, unable to get honestly the bread needed to feed his family in the daylight.

I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians

"I do not care if we go down in history as barbarians." These words, spoken in the Council of Ministers of the summer of 1941, started the ethnic cleansing on the Eastern Front. The film attempts to comment on this statement.

Rainbow: A Private Affair

Summer 1943, Piedmont, Italy. Milton loves Fulvia who plays with his love: she only likes the depth of his thought and the letters he writes to her. One year later, Milton has joined the Resistance and fights beside other partisans. He learns during a conversation that Fulvia was secretly in love with his best friend Giorgio, a partisan like him. Milton decides to go find Giorgio in the Langhe region of Italy with all its misty hills...But Giorgio has just been arrested by the Fascists.

Certified Copy

In Tuscany to promote his latest book, a middle-aged English writer meets a French woman who leads him to the village of Lucignano.

Summer Hours

After the death of a septuagenarian woman, her three children deliberate over what to do with her estate.

A Lost Man

Inspired by the photographic travels of Antione d'Agata, Danielle Arbid's worldly drama follows a French photographer who travels the globe to seek out the most extreme experiences imaginable. Thomas is a fearless shutterbug who's always willing to put his life on the line for the sake of a good shot. Upon falling under the spell of an enigmatic old man named Fouad Saleh, the photographer travels to the Far East in hopes of uncovering the secrets of the man who can no longer recall his own past. As the photographer soon finds out, it's often the most innocent endeavors that yield the most profound and transformative results.

Winged Migration

This documentary follows various migratory bird species on their long journeys from their summer homes to the equator and back, covering thousands of miles and navigating by the stars. These arduous treks are crucial for survival, seeking hospitable climates and food sources. Birds face numerous challenges, including crossing oceans and evading predators, illness, and injury. Although migrations are undertaken as a community, birds disperse into family units once they reach their destinations, and every continent is affected by these migrations, hosting migratory bird species at least part of the year.