The Chronicler + Berthe is dead but it's ok

THE CHRONICLER
Dir. Armands Strauja
2024, LV, 25'
Trailer

Margers stores his life's work in banana boxes, that fill an entire room. The film "Chronicler" reveals the life of Margers Martinsons – a father of 13 children and a devoted Latvian patriot – and his passion for filming, which has been a way to preserve special moments for decades. With a VHS video camera, he captured everything important to him: cultural events, family celebrations, concerts, and scenes of everyday life. Now that Margers has recently celebrated his 85th birthday and his eyesight continues to deteriorate, the question is: what will happen to this unique legacy?

BERTHE IS DEAD BUT IT'S OK
Dir. Sacha Trilles
2024, FR, 40'

Berthe, my grandmother, wants to end her life. Nothing can stop her or convince her to stay with us. So instead of resisting, why not try to support her? Let's help Berthe go, but let's do it with flair. On June 6, 2023, Berthe chose to end her life with the help of a suicide assistance organization. So, for our final moments together, we decided to create a film, like a grand finale. A short film where anything goes, where I turn my grandmother into a giant piñata, a cowboy, or a mob boss, a film where I playfully take shots at her. A celebration of life through death, where the only rule I followed was not to make a sad film.