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Young Eyes 2025

Blue – A Black European Tale

Mwita Mataro, Helmut Karner
All creatures in Greenland are green, except Bluekid. In this partly animated handicraft world, Mwita Mataro reflects on experiences of racism in Austria with children and experts.
Filmstill Blue – A Black European Tale
Filmstill Blue – A Black European Tale

Blue – A Black European Tale

Austroschwarz
Mwita Mataro, Helmut Karner
Young Eyes 2025
Documentary Film
Austria
2025
98 minutes
German
Subtitles: 
English

In his early twenties, Mwita Mataro set himself three big goals: become a rock star, make a film, and then found an art school in Tanzania. He has already accomplished the rock star part – he is the frontman of a band. And this film is his directorial debut. There was a choice of many subjects, something beautiful like friendship, for example. But there is one thing that bothers him more than his white film colleagues, and that is the colour of his skin. So what does it mean to grow up as a Salzburg native with Tanzanian roots, as a Black Person of Colour in predominantly white Austria? To investigate this, he has teamed up with young BPoCs to create the animated fantasy world Greenland: a place where all the potato creatures are green except Bluekid and his blue family. They paint themselves green to be less conspicuous, but since this does not always work out, Bluekid experiences rejection and marginalisation.

In his documentary essay, Mataro reflects on a daily reality based on colours: racism, alien attributions, otherness, blues experiences in Greenland. He listens to children and adults, lets the audience participate in talks with pedagogues, psychologists and politicians and opens up in front of the camera at home. With “Austroschwarz”, Mataro also comes one step closer to his third goal.

Tina Jany

Credits DOK Leipzig Logo

Director
Mwita Mataro, Helmut Karner
Script
Mwita Mataro, Helmut Karner
Cinematographer
Jasmin Schwendinger
Editor
Christin Veith
Producer
Stephan Herzog, Andrea Elaiza Arnold
Sound
Cristi Iorga
Sound Design
Eli Frauscher
Score
Nicola Mpunga
Animation
Vladimir Savić
Nominated for: Gedanken Aufschluss Prize, Young Eyes Film Award, Leipziger Ring
Young Eyes 2025

Niñxs

Kani Lapuerta

Kani Lapuerta has followed Karla over eight years as she grew up and transitioned. Together they tell the tale of Karla’s coming-of-age: colourful, playful and from a trans perspective.

Filmstill Niñxs
Filmstill Niñxs

Niñxs

Niñxs
Kani Lapuerta
Young Eyes 2025
Documentary Film
Mexico,
Germany
2025
84 minutes
Spanish
Subtitles: 
German
Karla is a dreamer, Karla is charismatic, and Karla is trans. She grows up with her parents in the small Mexican town of Tepoztlán. She loves to wear make-up and dress up. But sometimes, when the world is too much for her, she hides in her room for hours. Fortunately, Karla has friends and a family who support, often understand and sometimes challenge her.
Trans filmmaker Kani Lapuerta followed the daily life and transition of his protagonist over a period of eight years. The result is a colourful, playful and political coming-of-age story told from a trans perspective. Together, Karla and Kani create a cinematic space where their fantasy is as important as their identity – and where both flow into each other. The title of the film refers to a possible gender-neutral form of the Spanish term “niños” that also includes non-binary, trans and gender-fluid children. “Niñxs” is a touching, encouraging film about childhood, creativity and self-empowerment – and a compelling plea for a world in which everyone is simply allowed to be themselves.
Tina Jany

Credits DOK Leipzig Logo

Director
Kani Lapuerta
Script
Kani Lapuerta
Cinematographer
Quetzalli Malagón
Editor
Yuri Amaral
Producer
Sulecia Pineda
Co-Producer
Dirk Manthey, Anke Petersen
Sound Design
Eloisa Diez, Janis Grossmann-Alhambra
Score
Boris Skalsky
German Distributor
MissingFILMs
Commissioning Editor
Sabine Bubeck-Paaz
Nominated for: Young Eyes Film Award