IFFR 2015

Alexey Fedorchenko

A group of avant-garde Soviet artists is sent by the government to propagate the utopian ideas of communism amongst the people of Northern Asia, whose culture is resistant to the newborn ideology. Super-inventive, original view of the Russian revolution, the art of propaganda and its agents.

Signals: Everyday Propaganda

Angels of Revolution

Tiit Ojasoo

Ene-Liis Semper

Tallinn-based theatre company NO99 sets a bigger-than-life experiment. To undermine Estonia's rotten political scene, they create a fake political party using all the tricks of propaganda. Surprisingly, the party becomes very popular. A very smart mockumentary on manipulation in politics and media.

Ash and Money

Adam Curtis

Britain, USA, Russia. All invaded Afghanistan and created a solid, corrupted view of a country that still traps politicians and people around the globe. Unravelling the complex relationships between Afghanistan and the West, BBC-journalist Curtis goes further and creates a fascinating epic about our incapability of understanding the history itself.

Bitter Lake

Stéphanie Barbey

Luc Peter

The Mexican-US border is a sacred place for many of the Americans based there. They guard it furiously in order to prevent illegal migration and live in constant fear of the Other. This fascinating documentary explores their lifestyle, determined by an ideology of self-protection and militarism.

Broken Land

Elle Flanders

Tamira Sawatzky

Josh Schonblum

The Dialogues are video works that make use of classic propaganda slogans and iconic texts from the history of film to address contemporary dilemmas.

The Dialogues

Arash T. Riahi

Arman T. Riahi

Cross-media project on creative forms of worldwide, non-violent protest and civil activism. The Wall (website) and app of the project can be found in the Newsroom exhibition.

Everyday Rebellion Online Platform and App

Alexander Shein

Alexander Svetlov

In the 1970s, the Soviet art group SOVPOLIKADR created unique experimental cinema. Here, propaganda meets avant-garde, made with a touch of an almost post-modern irony.

Internationale

Kim Dong-Hoo

A Chinese eel farmer illegally goes to South Korea to fight against its officials, who label his products contaminated and ban them. Written by Kim Ki-Duk, this furious drama and heartbreaking love story examines the dreadful extent to which neighbouring nations go to protect their mindsets, formed by years of propaganda.

Made in China

Pacho Velez

Maryland Public Television Interviews the Reagans

Julian Oliver

Danja Vasiliev

The audience is invited to change the news and disseminate its own propaganda. This interactive installation raises questions on the democratisation of the media. Newsroom, Rotterdamse Schouwburg, first floor

Newstweek

Oleg Mavromatti

Sergey Astahov is a gay man converted by Church and state propaganda into an orthodox pro-Putin activist. Composed of terrifying images from Astahov's blog, this documentary by contemporary artist Oleg Mavromatti is the most radical insight into today's Russia and its ideological clashes.

No Place for Fools

Ryan Murphy

New York in the early 1980s. AIDS has not been identified yet but it is already killing people, mostly gay men. This is forcing them to strengthen the gay community and fight for their rights, freedom and safety. A superbly acted adaptation of the classic play by Larry Kramer, a pioneer of LGBT activism.

The Normal Heart

Various Artists

The difference between state propaganda, advertising and popular culture can be difficult to distinguish. What is propaganda and how can we recognise it? On these news channels, the general public is invited to watch images from the Internet and television and to form an opinion on what propaganda is today.

Propaganda Channels

Gogol 's Wives

Pussy vs Putin II

In three short films, put together from archive footage of Ronald Reagan, Pacho Velez takes a look at 'propaganda' malfunctions: moments during ceremonies, presentations and interviews that don’t go as planned.

The Reagan Shorts

Guy Debord

Guy Debord analyses public feedback to The Society of the Spectacle and states that the perception of the film is also determined by rules of mass marketing and a society focussed on spectacle.

Réfutation de tous les jugements

Michael Moore

In the mid-eighties, General Motors decided to shut down its plants in the city of Flint, leaving thousands of people unemployed. Son of a GM worker, Michael Moore was eager to investigate the case. A brilliant satire on capitalism and a great example of activist filmmaking.

Roger and Me

Ronald Reagan Lights the Lights

Ronald Reagan Pardons a Turkey

The contemporary world as a realm of easily-consumed, meaningless images. A world without actual freedom, where even a personal way of thinking is determined by a certain ideology. A political manifesto from the French philosopher and left-wing icon Guy Debord, whose critique of capitalist propaganda is still very current.

La société du spectacle

Tamara Erde

Filmmaker Tamara Erde visits different schools in Israel and Palestine and examines how the history of the region is being rewritten there according to political agendas. A compelling view of the propaganda war between the two countries and the shocking influence it has on their youths. With Critics' Talk on Sun 25-1 in the lobby of LantarenVenster.

This Is My Land

Adel Abidin

Three Iraqi songs, the lyrics written for Saddam Hussein, and performed here by Western singers as if they were love songs. An excruciating contrast. Newsroom, Rotterdamse Schouwburg, first floor

Three Love Songs

Esfir Shub

As the Soviet Union builds its Communist society, America consolidates capitalism and alienates the classes from one another. Russia at war with the West is the focus of this Soviet 1930s avant-garde masterpiece. Surprisingly contemporary in its propaganda techniques. With live piano by film journalist, film composer and DJ Kevin Toma.

Today

Tom Harper

What would happen if Pakistanis exploded an atomic bomb in Mumbai? For a period of three days, a British crisis workers' group discuss all possible scenarios. Feelings run high in this strongly acted drama, with Sophie Okonedo as the chair and Ben Chaplin as a smooth advisor, leaving the audience with the burning question: what would you do? <em>Opening Film IFFR 2015</em>.<em></em>

War Book

Peter Watkins

Britain before and after the nuclear attack that happens as a result of the escalated Cold War. The government tries but fails to take the situation under control. This Oscar-winning film is disguised as a documentary and TV news, thus undermining the propagandistic nature of all media during times of war.

The War Game

Richard Wiebe

The invasion and partition of Cyprus happened forty years ago, but the island is still divided and part of it is abandoned. The many icons on the island serve as holy places, but also are misused by the occupiers.

IFFR 2025
30 Jan – 9 Feb 2025