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Chanting of the Dunes has so far won over 40 awards and 20 nominations!
The film takes viewers on a dazzling journey through multiple countries and during momentous world events that extend from the Levant in the 1920s to the U.S. and China in the 1990s.
Chanting of the Dunes recounts the life of Wahbi Al-Hariri-Rifai who was an accomplished international artist, architect, archeologist, and author. It is told through the mixed perspective of his wife, Widad Marachi, who married him at the age of 15. The fascinating storyline is full of unexpected turns and is accompanied by a superb award-winning soundtrack.
The film is beautifully illustrated through hundreds of meticulously restored black/white and color archival photographs and original footage.
According to festival managers, the film exceeds all expectations and represents a new cinematographic genre between narrative feature and documentary. Many have called it “extraordinary, moving, mesmerizing, full of messages...”
Uluslararası Kısa Film Yarışması
Not My Film
Astra Zoldnere
What happens if older people challenge stereotypes in films about aging? Six seniors re-perform scenes of poor health, sexual invisibility, and gendered stereotypes of the wise old man and the bad witch. Toward the end of the film, the participants rebel against these cinematic images, proving that older age can be associated with love, sexuality, and self-revelation.
Uluslararası Uzun Film Yarışması
Mother of Snow Cranes
Iiris Härmä
Over 90 years old, Ellen Vuosalo has lived many lives. First as a Finnish immigrant in Canada, then as an American citizen and student of zoology at UCLA and finally as a Mother of Cranes in Iran. Iiris Härmä's Mother of Snow Cranes tells the story of an incredible woman's extraordinary life, from love to tragedy to revolution. It is a story about nature, humanity, and the role of women in both the West and Iranian culture. Or as Ellen herself says " What a life! What a world!"
Reference story: Unlike the world famous story of Betty Mahmoody (NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER, 1991), MOTHER OF SNOW CRANES tells the story of the Western woman who had to stay in Iran and later who decided to stay.
Our production company Guerilla Films has produced award-winning documentary films for international broadcasters (YLE, SVT, NHK, ARTE, NETFLIX etc.), cinemas and film festivals for more than 20 years.
Mother of Snow Cranes (orig. Kurkien äiti)
Duration: 78 mins
Director: Iiris Härmä
Producer: Visa Koiso-Kanttila/ Guerilla Films
Production Country Finland
Filming location Iran
Release Date: Cinematic release in Finland September 2024.
Uluslararası Deneysel Film Yarışması
Halal Dreams
Mohammed Mamdouh
In the sleepless lights of New York, a father's longing becomes the city's quiet heartbeat.
Türkiye’den Belgeseller Yarışma Dışı Seçki
Free Words: A Poet from Gaza
Abdullah Harun İlhan
"Free Words" follows Pulitzer-winner Mosab Abu Toha, a detained poet from Gaza whose art becomes a powerful voice of resistance and hope amid oppression.
Türkiye’den Belgeseller Yarışma Dışı Seçki
Block E, No. 5
Çağla Gillis
Çağla moves to Austria for university, facing the loneliness of a temporary dormitory, a liminal space that shapes her emotional journey. Meanwhile, her family in Istanbul struggles with the uncertainty and frustration of living in a rented apartment. Their home, demolished due to aggressive urban policies under the guise of earthquake risk prevention, remains incomplete for years. Through intimate yet online conversations, they share their longing for belonging, the weight of waiting, and the mundane tasks of daily life. In these cold, fractured spaces, time seems to blur, and memories echo as voices.
Uluslararası Kısa Film Yarışması
Bocuk: An Ancient Ritual
Buğra Mert Alkayalar
"Bocuk" traces the remnants of a Balkan-Turkic belief said to date back to the Middle Ages, still alive in a remote village of Thrace. This docudrama explores the contemporary meaning of an ancient winter ritual and documents the local narratives surrounding it. Blending fear with tradition, the film invites viewers to discover the extraordinary Night of Bocuk, a practice still observed across generations in Turkey.
Uluslararası Kısa Film Yarışması
The Stonemason’s Daughter
Arturo Franco
The film was shot around the place of O Fieiro, a small village of no more than twelve houses and nine inhabitants, among them Rosa. A ninety-year-old woman who dedicates her last years to watching the rain through the window. Her father was a canteiro, a house builder, before the reservoir changed everything. Rosa remembers how her father lifted the stones and the people transported them from one place to another.
It is shown as an abstract visual poem where the rain and the stones are the protagonists of the story Rosa tells us.
Türkiye’den Belgeseller Yarışma Dışı Seçki
The Seasons Within Me
Sevda Doğan
I am a documentary filmmaker living with bipolar disorder. I have turned the camera toward myself and begun documenting the process of making my first feature film. Throughout this journey, bipolar disorder and the shifting conditions of my country have been my greatest challenges, while inner reflection and artistic creation have been my strongest sources of support. In this sense, the documentary offers a sincere companionship both to those on the path of self-discovery and to individuals going through similar experiences.
Uluslararası Kısa Film Yarışması
Maestro’s hands
Aleksey Barykin
He has amazing hands. With the most delicate gestures he directs a symphony orchestra. He worked with great people: Maya Plisetskaya, Rodion Shchedrin, Mstislav Rostropovich. He conducted at the Bolshoi Theater, the Bavarian Ballet, the Royal Swedish Opera. One of the best conductors in the world, Renat Salavatov shares the secrets of his mastery.
Longarms (Uzunkol)
Cemal Karaaslan
Dilara is an art student striving to become a successful painter despite the challenges in her life and dreams of studying abroad. Cemal, a film student, wants to document her journey, knowing that their last days together could come at any moment. However, things do not go as planned. They try to overcome the difficulties of pursuing art and creating something meaningful in a small town with the support of their friends.
Dilara, hayatındaki zorluklara rağmen başarılı bir ressam olmaya çalışan ve yurt dışında eğitim almak isteyen bir resim öğrencisidir. Sinema öğrencisi Cemal, arkadaşı Dilara'yla geçireceği son günlerin her an gelebileceğini düşünerek onun belgeselini çekmek ister fakat işler planladıkları gibi gitmez. Küçük bir şehirde sanatla uğraşmanın ve bir şeyler üretmenin güçlüğünü arkadaşlarının desteği ile aşmaya çalışırlar.
Evara
Cansu Carlak
Evara, which means gift of God, deals with the cycle journey of our character who finds herself in the middle of the climate change
crisis in the conflict between city and nature. Based on the philosophy of second nature and social ecology, Evara is a critique consisting of questioning, resistance, observation and feelings and is reflected through performance art.
Mosaic - موزايك
Ibrahim Ayoub
Dive into the mesmerizing world of architecture through "Mosaic," a captivating film that pays homage to the intricate patterns and designs that defined an empire. Using innovative stop-motion animation, "Mosaic" invites audiences on a visual journey through the majestic beauty of architecture, where every stone tells a story and every tile is a piece of art.
As the camera seamlessly glides through elaborate mosques, palaces, and bazaars, viewers are immersed in the rich history and cultural significance of these architectural marvels.
"Mosaic" celebrates the timeless beauty and craftsmanship of architecture. Prepare to be transported to a world where history comes to life in every meticulously crafted frame.
Uluslararası Uzun Film Yarışması
I Just Keep Dancing
Natasha Fefelova, Galina Goldfeld
An American, a Japanese, a Canadian, a Frenchman and a Brazilian work as ballet dancers in very different Russian cities. The world around them collapses for reasons beyond their control, and the characters have to make the most difficult choice in their lives. A choice on which not only their career, but also their destiny depends.
Uluslararası Deneysel Film Yarışması
Under my Mother's Roof
Christian Abi Abboud
A film where fiction and reality collide; Richard and Kim decide to cowrite with the filmmaker, pieces of their future lives together. “Under my mother’s roof” is a portrait of a man who is facing his biggest fear; the diagnoses of his love with autism. A journey which will lead him back to his childhood biggest trauma,
the loss of his mother.
Türkiye’den Belgeseller Yarışma Dışı Seçki
Radio, My Love
Nazan Haydari, Özden Cankaya, Cem Hakverdi
Radio, My Love is an investigative documentary that frames radio broadcasting as an arena of struggle. The film revolves around the experiences of women who entered the profession in the 1970s by taking exams to join TRT, first established as an autonomous broadcasting institution. The documentary is based on the oral history project titled “Women Radio Broadcasters in the History of Turkey. It weaves together archival recordings with contemporary interviews, bringing voices from different eras together to reveal how these broadcasters shaped both the sound of radio and the cultural landscape of Turkey during a pivotal period.
Türkiye’den Öğrenci Belgeselleri
CAHİDE SONKU "Türkiye's first female producer and director"
Nurullah Güzel
Our film aims to introduce the life of Cahide Sonku to students of the Radio, Television, and Cinema department. In this context, it focuses on examining the historical development of Turkish cinema to better understand Cahide Sonku and to inspire future generations through her story. Cahide Sonku’s cinema career is important not only because of her success in the arts but also because it reveals the role of women and gender dynamics in Turkish cinema and the art world in general. Her life and contributions help us develop a deeper understanding of women’s presence in the film industry. As a result, this documentary will add meaningful value to the literature by focusing on Cahide Sonku’s unique contributions to cinema.
Mexico Day Zero
Pablo Siciliano
Are you aware that Mexico is the world's number one consumer of bottled water?
This film brings awareness to the water crisis in Mexico and the ways to solve it, interweaving visual poetry and the reasons for the problem.
Uluslararası Uzun Film Yarışması
A Legend of Foça: Nihat Dirim
Hakan Barçın
A Legend of Foça: Nihat Dirim
A Legend of Foça: Nihat Dirim is a 60-minute documentary that chronicles the life and legacy of Nihat Dirim, the legendary mayor of Foça, a district renowned for its historical and natural beauty on Turkey's Aegean coast. Serving two terms as mayor from 1989 to 1999, Dirim shaped Foça's identity through his commitment to environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation, and a people-centered governance approach. Despite today's generally adverse climate, his influence continues to be a defining force in the town.
The documentary delves into Dirim's profound passion, love, and dedication to Foça, illustrating how this emotional bond contributed to the town's development. His visionary leadership is exemplified by initiatives such as building bridges of friendship with Greece's Lesbos Island and Palea Fokea, leading environmental campaigns against a proposed thermal power plant in Aliağa, and launching projects to protect the endangered Mediterranean monk seals.
Beginning with Dirim's childhood, the film explores his journey through his mayoral tenure to his enduring impact on Foça today. This narrative is conveyed through interviews with nearly 40 individuals conducted over a year, led by his close friend Hakan Barçın. These interviews provide deep insights into Dirim's genuine relationships with the public, his leadership style, and his unwavering devotion to Foça.
Türkiye’den Belgeseller Yarışma Dışı Seçki
The Last Nest
Hasan Hüseyin Alkan
"Son Yuva" (The Last Nest) tells the story of Ahmet Karakaya, a shepherd in Anatolia facing the harsh impact of the climate crisis. Torn between leaving his homeland or staying to fight for it, Ahmet must make a difficult choice. His struggle reflects the profound and universal disruptions caused by climate change, as well as the resilience required to face an uncertain future.
Uluslararası Uzun Film Yarışması
Chanting of the Dunes
Mokhless Al-Hariri
Chanting of the Dunes has so far won over 40 awards and 20 nominations!
The film takes viewers on a dazzling journey through multiple countries and during momentous world events that extend from the Levant in the 1920s to the U.S. and China in the 1990s.
Chanting of the Dunes recounts the life of Wahbi Al-Hariri-Rifai who was an accomplished international artist, architect, archeologist, and author. It is told through the mixed perspective of his wife, Widad Marachi, who married him at the age of 15. The fascinating storyline is full of unexpected turns and is accompanied by a superb award-winning soundtrack.
The film is beautifully illustrated through hundreds of meticulously restored black/white and color archival photographs and original footage.
According to festival managers, the film exceeds all expectations and represents a new cinematographic genre between narrative feature and documentary. Many have called it “extraordinary, moving, mesmerizing, full of messages...”
HaulHaul
Yeliz Kıroğlu, Damla Mozioğlu
This documentary shows the new popularity of thrifting; the core between sustainability and subculture creates a conflict because of the commodification of aesthetics- the perspectives of different people from different backgrounds.
Fekry's Thoughts
Essam Hayder
A contemporary portrait follows the life of an Alexandrian Framemaker born in the 1930s. Through his personal story, the film explores the profound changes in Egypt over the past 80 years, capturing society's transformation through a dedicated craftsman's eyes.
Uluslararası Uzun Film Yarışması
The Mission
Gaza Collective
The film follows the internationally renowned British nerve surgeon, Dr Mohammed Tahir as he returns to Gaza for his third medical aid mission. Dr Tahir’s medical team risk their lives to capture footage of his work amidst the carnage of Gaza’s operating rooms. Bound by the impartiality of their oaths, Dr Tahir and his team are the only neutral and reliable witnesses to the genocide. The unique footage they capture is a historic testimony to the grotesque reality of a genocide filmed in real time.
Türkiye’den Öğrenci Belgeselleri
NONE
Ezel Manay
"NONE" is a black-and-white documentary that explores an inner journey during the Şebi Aruz night. The film captures moments in the backstreets of Konya, where divine love and music intertwine. Focusing on this special night, it highlights how people from diverse cultures express their emotions through music. What seems like a celebration from the outside transforms into a profound spiritual quest and an exploration of the universal language of love. The film reveals the power of music to unite souls, emphasizing the common thread found in each culture's unique sound. "Hiç" offers an emotional experience that invites viewers on a journey not only through visuals but also through deep emotional discovery.
Türkiye’den Öğrenci Belgeselleri
Our Home, The Theater
Fatma Nur Arslan
After the devastating earthquake on February 6, 2023, which affected 11 provinces in Turkey, the Kimyonok family, whose homes were rendered uninhabitable, moved into their cinema business and set up a home in the lobby.
Uluslararası Kısa Film Yarışması
Baghdad Graphic
D.K. Odessa
Based on fragments from a never finished graphic novel, Baghdad Graphic presents an unflinching account of an Iraqi journalist and his desperate effort to survive the invasion of his country. An intensely personal portrait of the costs of war.
Tight Lines
Cihan Berkay Mahçup
Uluslararası Kısa Film Yarışması
Yazbek: A Portrait
Frederick Shelbourne, Lucy Andia
Yazbek: A Portrait recounts a Sergio's life, leading up to the moment he uncovers a box of his late father’s lost negatives. As he develops the photographs, Sergio reconnects with his father in ways he never expected, discovering new facets about the man and his legacy. Sergio reflects on how his father taught him not only the secrets of photography but also of life itself, shaping his understanding of the world through the lens. This film explores themes of memory, family, and the profound connection between art and life.
...
'Yazbek: A Portrait' narra la vida de Sergio, hasta el momento en que descubre una caja con los negativos perdidos de su difunto padre. Mientras revela las fotografías, Sergio se reconecta con su padre de maneras que nunca imaginó, descubriendo nuevas facetas sobre el hombre y su legado. Sergio reflexiona sobre cómo su padre le enseñó no solo los secretos de la fotografía, sino también de la vida misma, moldeando su comprensión del mundo a través del lente. Esta película explora temas como la memoria, la familia y la profunda conexión entre el arte y la vida.
Türkiye’den Belgeseller Yarışma Dışı Seçki
It Was Nice to Meet You
Jehan Barbur, Güneş Kazdal
World Premiere: Antalya Film Festival Documentary Competition
This mid-length documentary follows Deniz (28) and Can (30), two siblings with SMA who are bedridden and live with the support of their mother, Aysel. Highlighting issues such as societal neglect, restricted rights, and equality, the film aims to raise awareness. After losing their home in the Maraş earthquake, the family now resides in a relative’s house in Alaçatı. Through five days of interviews and observations, the documentary sheds light on their lives and perspectives.
Uluslararası Kısa Film Yarışması
Sukande Kasáká | Ailing Land
Kamikia Kisedje, Fred Rahal
Kamikia and Lewaiki, from the Khĩsêdjê people, are forced to abandon their largest village after detecting pesticide contamination that poisons their land, rivers, and food. Surrounded by monocultures of soy, they fight to protect their culture, their families, and their territory, facing an invisible enemy that threatens their very existence.
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Fatherland
Özgür Canel
Arab/Palestinian make up 20% of the total Israeli population. They are Christian, Muslim, Bedouin, Druze etc. Not much is known about this minority who hold Israeli nationality. They live, work, go to school in Israel, but do they feel Isreali? What does it mean to be Arab in a jewish state.
Forty Days Road
Ali Ziani
In Forty Days Road, two colleagues (Ali and Ian) set out on a captivating journey across Egypt to trace the long route of camels traveling from Sudan to a market near Cairo. Along the way, they uncover the tough conditions of transport and join the camels on a 24-hour journey from the Sudanese border to one of the biggest Egyptian camel market near Cairo.
Yalla, Baba!
Angie Obeid
Angie (34) takes her father Mansour (74) on a roadtrip from Brussels to Beirut by car in an attempt to retrace the same path he took 42 years ago. However, the route is no longer the same, and neither is their relationship.
Uluslararası Kısa Film Yarışması
Trains
Maciej Drygas
TRAINS is a found-footage documentary composed entirely of archive footage and sound design that creates a collective portrait of people in 20th century Europe, capturing their hopes, desires, dramas and tragedies. A train compartment is a place where people are taken out of their everyday context for a while. Sometimes the journey is accompanied by the hope that something will change in our lives upon reaching the destination, or conversely, by a stark absence of hope. And yet the history of the 20th century unfolds in railway carriages in a repetitive refrain. Every few years, hauntingly similar scenes play out in railway stations around the world: carriages full of men leaving for war, only to return wounded or as casualties. This cycle is followed by an exodus of civilians, evacuees mingling with prisoners of war returning from camps, and soldiers of victorious armies leading the defeated, until ordinary passengers reappear at stations.
Türkiye’den Belgeseller Yarışma Dışı Seçki
Alley
Defne Kırmızı
The camera lingers, tracing a quiet alley where people go in and out of frame — glimpsed, reflected, and lost. A game unfolds in this stage, where shifting perspectives turn passersby into unwitting performers. Elsewhere, landscapes are slipping away and rebuilt on a cyclical pattern. A brief syncopation in a daily routine, a fleeting interplay of a place and bodies in motion.
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Enemy Number Three
Vladimir Sumashedov
During World War II, artist and photo montage master Alexander Zhytomyrsky uses his art to convince the enemy to end the bloodshed. Propaganda leaflets — passports to surrender — are dropped from planes in millions, aimed at soldiers on the front lines. Unlike bombs, they do not take lives, they are meant to save them. The creator of these leaflets works hard every day to see the humanity in his enemy amidst the hatred. Will he be able to preserve his talent and himself in this struggle?
Uluslararası Kısa Film Yarışması
What We Carried
Carolina Pereira
Filmed entirely with a mobile phone in displacement, What We Carried explores memory, loss, and resilience through the voices of those who stayed - three generations of Palestinian women — a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter — recount what remains after a lifetime of forced displacement. From the Nakba of 1948 to the ongoing military occupation and ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
GIOJA22
Stefano De Felici
A new skyscraper stands out against the sky amidst massive mirrored buildings and vertical forests, symbols of Milan’s new skyline. Alone, one man bravely scales the building, defying the concrete and glass bastions of new world finance. His act of civil disobedience at 500 feet in the sky makes people look up for a few hours and reflect on the meaning of the expression “stay human”.
Türkiye ’den Öğrenci Belgeselleri
Foto Akgün
Fidan Çaça
A tribute to Mehmet Akgün, a camera repairman in Konya who has been restoring memories for nearly 50 years. Foto Akgün tells the inspiring story of resilience, craftsmanship, and passion—despite physical limitations.
Wind Blows By
Paula Fuentes, Guillermo Carrera
Among the Galician mountains hides Vilar do Courel, a small village that has been resisting to disappear for decades. Its last three inhabitants are the guardians of a timeless space, which transits its past and looks to its future from an empty, immobile and fragile present. With Branca's return from Barcelona, the reality of the place begins to transform. At night, memories, dreams and ancient legends guide the characters through magical forests and forgotten paths.
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Toprağın Hatırası
Didem Tütüncü
''Toprağın Hatırası”, İzmir’in kadim geçmişinden günümüze uzanan bir yolculukta, üzüm bağlarının ve Buca’nın kültürel mirasını keşfe çıkıyor.Levanten konaklarından günümüz üreticilerine kadar uzanan bu hikâye, üzümün yalnızca bir meyve değil; zaman, hafıza ve toplumsal belleğin simgesi olduğunu gösteriyor. Belgesel, bağ bozumu ritüellerinden şarap üretim geleneğine, halkın belleğinde saklı kalan anılardan bugünün umutlarına kadar, İzmir’in toprağında kök salmış bir kültürü görünür kılıyor.
Türkiye’den Belgeseller Yarışma Dışı Seçki
Back to the Land
Kerem Kurtuluş
Tevfik, who moved to New York with his family at the age of 2, relocated to his grandfather's home in Rize, where his father was born, at the age of 35 and started a new life there.
Tevfik has been living in Rize for 19 years and is now the father of two children, working in agriculture. He sustains his life by producing tea and kiwi.
Türkiye’den Öğrenci Belgeselleri
ALTAY
Pelin Girgin
The Altai Mountains, one of the ancient heritages of human history, are not only home to towering peaks and vast steppes, but also the birthplace of a culture, an identity, and a belief system. “Altai” is the documentary that tells the story of the Kazakh Turks, who carry the traces of the past forward and pass them on to future generations.
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Mukunan Aprendiz de Pajé
Rodrigo Sena Sena Sena
Mukunã prepares to become the Shaman of the Potiguara Katu village in Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), older than us, the power plants become the teacher teaching environmental care.
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Who Shot Jr.?
Gül Abus Semerci
This documentary takes a closer look at the passionate fans of the Turkish TV series industry. It explores how fans feel so connected to the stories that they even influence actors’ lives or the script’s flow. Their passion leads to social media campaigns targeting writers and efforts to "save" favorite characters, reflecting their strong sense of belonging. Meanwhile, industry representatives’ comments on fans and the cold realities of their professional world add another striking layer. This contrast of admiration and distance paints a portrait of the series world and its fans.
Türkiye’den Öğrenci Belgeselleri
Playing on the Road
Eminhan Çakır
The documentary focuses on the daily lives of young artists performing in the streets and venues of İzmir. Each artist, with their own unique style and story, meets audiences in public spaces, highlighting the importance of music in their lives. Despite bans, pressures, and hardships, these young musicians strive to sustain their art and lives, seeking support and solidarity. Their stories of resilience and creativity, intertwined with the power of music, not only inspire but also reveal the ways in which they hold on to life and nurture hope.
Uluslararası Deneysel Film Yarışması
The Land In Between
Yilu Zhou
In a remote village in Xinjiang, language lost creates a quiet barrier between generations. Mountains, wrinkles, songs, children’s eyes—a bond beyond words lingers in the air.
Master of Time
Muhittin Yüceli
When Adana's iconic Great Clock Tower broke down in 2014, it was brought back to life by the expertise of Murat Yurtbulmuş. Having been involved in clockmaking since childhood and honing his skills in Germany, Yurtbulmuş shares the challenges of clock repair, his personal memories, and the mysteries of clocks in this documentary. This work not only captures a repair process but also reveals the life story of a passionate craftsman.
Le chien qui boit le thé
Jean-Claude Moschetti Moschetti, Arnaud Nouvel
Le chien qui boit le thé, is a film that explores Beninese Voodoo as it is lived on a daily basis. It's a rare immersion in cults and ceremonies, in traditions shaped by men for men.
Populated by magical and supernatural creatures, voodoo enchants photographer Jean-Claude Moschetti, who for over 20 years has been making visible to the uninitiated a parallel world that is superimposed on reality.
The face of the Dog who drinks tea, he is the one who opens doors, knows secrets and codes. Neither an ethnologist nor a researcher, he is simply on a quest for magic. In his lens: mermaids smoking by the ocean, the dead dancing, a bird-woman spreading fear...
His studio is in the modest ghost convent of Affinon, his friend and Egungun dignitary. It was Egungun who initiated him into the secrets and sacred cults of the ancestors. But this year, their destinies take opposite paths: one rises to the sacred, the other is struck by a curse. Fate or destiny? Voodoo offers those who dare to step forward the chance to negotiate their path. But beware of the unwary: a vengeful pig is on the prowl, stalking evil.
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