Held in Florence, Festival dei Popoli has a long history that dates back to the year 1959. During over 50 years of its existence, the festival has managed to establish a recognisable brand in the documentary industry. In addition to the competition itself, a review of the work of outstanding filmmakers constitutes an important element of the festival’s programme. Among others, the following world-famous artists had their retrospectives at the festival: Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, John Cassavetes, Ken Loach, Nagisa Oshima, Lindsay Anderson, Aleksandr Sokurov, Jørgen Leth, Claire Simon, Thomas Heise, Peter Mettler, Isaki Lacuesta, Andrés Di Tella, Raymond Depardon, and Claudine Nougaret.
The award-winning “The Whale from Lorino” tells the story of people who live in one of the most inaccessible and hostile places on Earth – the Chukchi Peninsula. Separated from Alaska by a narrow strait, the Peninsula lies at the north-eastern tip of Eurasia, bordered by the Chukchi Sea to the north and the Bering Sea to the south. It is currently inhabited by Russians, Chukchi, and Eskimos. The film shows how the ancient tradition of whale hunting brings together various members of the local community.
More information about the festival is available here.