This year's selection of short films from the archives of the Slovak Film Institute offers a rich blend of period authenticity, observational filmmaking with an experimental edge, and educational cinema. We will revisit the anxieties of graduation exams, the care of three young orphans, the long construction of a family home marked by weddings and funerals, the joys and struggles of an amateur band, and the challenges of ageing at a time when concepts such as active ageing or the "silver economy" had yet to exist. These stories are seen through the eyes of several generations of documentary filmmakers – from the oldest, Kazimír Barlík (born 1923), to the younger Dušan Trančík (1946) and Fero Fenič (1951). The programme is curated and presented by film historian Eva Filová.

Graduates

Jaroslav Pogran, 1964, 11 min.

A documentary capturing the preparations for and the excitement surrounding students' graduation exams.

Vlado, Marienka, Jojo, Grandfather

Pavol Sýkora, 1966, 21 min.

A documentary about the lives of three young orphans and their grandfather.

Photographing the Residents of the House

Dušan Trančík, 1968, 16 min.

The happiest and most tragic moments in the life of a rural family.

Diadem

Fero Fenič, 1978, 22 min.

A documentary exploring the challenges faced by young members of an amateur music band.

The Problem of Age

Kazimír Barlík, 1980, 16 min.

An educational documentary about the principles of healthy nutrition for older people.