In The Dark What’s New: Nuisibles

Ka-Young Park and Dimitris Roidis (FR 2023)

13 min

This work combines two worlds: a vermin exterminator in Paris and stories of the oppressed youth. After a police union’s public statement on 30th July, these two worlds suddenly intersect.

Producers - Ka Young Park and Dimitris Roidis during the Louis Lumiere Sound Documentary programme, taught by Frédérique Pressman

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In The Dark What’s New: The Lost Son

Julianne Chandler (US 2024)

11 min

A father's 27-year search for his son, who was taken from him at birth.

Produced by Julianne Chandler.

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In The Dark What’s New: Friends of the Wall

Evan Green (UK 2024)

13 min

Every Friday, a small group of volunteers paint red hearts on the National Covid Memorial Wall, in the heart of Westminster. As the world moves on, why do they keep coming back?

Producer - Evan Green

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Where is my Mind?

Molly-Rose Crossley, (UK 2024)

MRC Audio · WHERE IS MY MIND

11 min

What is it like to living with a condition which turns your mind against you? Having thoughts that go against your morals, ethics and heart? This condition is called POCD, which stands for Pure-OCD. It’s the sibling of the more popularly known OCD and comes with its own unique set of struggles and traits which can be incredibly distressing for those who have it.

We have spoken to someone who has lived with this condition all their life. Most recently the obsessions made her believe she had killed her best friend, who passed away from cancer.

How has she overcome this and what does the future hold when your mind can be your worst enemy?

Produced by Molly-Rose Crossley

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All-American Ruins: Sunset Town

Blake Pfeil (US 2024)

6 min

A multimedia travelogue where Blake Pfeil recounts experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States and reimagines them through multimodal storytelling.

The cornerstone piece of the project is abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, an award-winning audio series which guides listeners through immersive sonic fantasies, recreating experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States and around the world. Along the way, the show asks critical questions about American history and culture, community, capitalism and economics, the environment, and mental health while encouraging folks to activate their imaginations as a tool for healing.

The show was recently featured as an Official Select at On Air Fest in Los Angeles, California. The finale for season two is the most personal journal yet. In the episode, which takes place at an abandoned brewery in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Blake reflects on his journey to sobriety, and how his spiritual connection to abandoned places pulled him through the darkest time in his life

Produced by Blake Pfeil
Music by Jakob Ahlbom, Anna Dager, Hanna Ekström, Sarah, the Illstrumentalist

Follow the series

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The Ecco: Margery

Sara Zarreh Hoshyari Khah (DE 2024)

8min

What happens if someone finds your autobiography and republishes only very specific parts? And what if that almost ends up being the only version? A story about a selective monk, a lucky pingpong match and a woman who's not afraid to cry in public.

THE ECCO is an international non-commercial initiative designed to tug at the boundaries of the world of audio storytelling, journalism, and documentary work. We bring together talents in different parts of the world — journalists, sound designers, audio producers, sound artists, & writers— all united by a common goal: to push themselves and each other out of their work-related comfort zones and explore the different shapes audio documentaries can take, where they may intersect with art and what the impact of such playful exploration can have.

This was made during an immersive retreat where a curated group of talents collaborate, experiment, and support each other in crafting audio projects that are as diverse as they are profound

Producer: Sara Zarreh Hoshyari Khah

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The Ecco: Space

Lena von Holt (DE 2024)

7 min

Lena von Holt usually doesn’t sing. But since she started hearing people sing everywhere, she felt challenged to sing, too. So she tried, again.

THE ECCO is an international non-commercial initiative designed to tug at the boundaries of the world of audio storytelling, journalism, and documentary work. They bring together talents in different parts of the world — journalists, sound designers, audio producers, sound artists, & writers— all united by a common goal: to push themselves and each other out of their work-related comfort zones and explore the different shapes audio documentaries can take, where they may intersect with art and what the impact of such playful exploration can have.

This was made during an immersive retreat where a curated group of talents collaborate, experiment, and support each other in crafting audio projects that are as diverse as they are profound

Produced by Lena von Holt

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We Will Not Stop, We Will Not Rest

Melanie Marich and Sajina Shrestha (US 2024)

7 min

The CUNY Gaza Solidarity Encampment lasted almost a week before the police were sent in. Reporter Melanie Marich and Sajina Shrestha were at the encampment for all of its six days, interviewing protestors, collecting tape, and witnessing the night of the arrests from both inside (Marich) and outside (Shrestha). This audio piece is a documentation of the encampment, as a whole, from start to finish.

Produced by Melanie Marich, Sajina Shrestha
Edited by Kalli Anderson
Engineered by Chad Bernhard

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Empty Clouds: The Waking

Patrick McNameeKing (US 2024)

8 min

Nancy, 77, shares the words she lives by, and the story of her enduring love of poetry.

Produced by Patrick McNameeKing
Music by Patrick McNameeKing

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Citadel: Building Bridges Through Music

Alan Meaney (IRE 2024)

45 min

Citadel is a group of musicians formed at the Kinsale Road Accommodation centre in Cork city, Ireland in 2018, who refuse to be put down by the system. They are from different countries, such as Burundi, South Africa, DR Congo, Angola and Tanzania.

The musicians perform songs from home, accompanied by rhythms and tunes from around the world. Citadel have played many concerts around Ireland and help to build bridges with the Irish community through their music. Some of the musicians are refugees, others are newly arrived International Protection Applicants. They all speak different languages, but music is their universal language.

‘Citadel: Building Bridges Through Music’ is a documentary that explores the different stories of band members, how they came to be refugees in Ireland and the difficulties they face here. The founders of the band; Roos and Norbert speak about how they started the band and a not for profit organisation, International Community Dynamics. In June 2023, International Community Dynamics hosted ‘The Festival of Belonging’ in the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork. With poetry, spoken word, a conversation cafe, an art exhibition by refugee and Traveller artists and a conference on belonging at University College Cork, it was a busy weekend. The highlight of the weekend was a performance by Citadel.

The documentary follows the band in the buildup to their performance, taking in rehearsals and nerves before they take to the stage on the night. Citadel raises awareness and spreads joy, peace and understanding by sharing their music with each other and with the Irish community and this is reflected in the programme.

Produced and presented by Alan Meaney
The contributors are Roos Demol, Neziswa Mali, Daniel Motaung, Esmeraldo Tavares, Gloria Zulu, Tshoko Music, Phindile Moloi, Jason De Wet, Norbert Nkengurutse, Dr. Debora Kayembe, Elton Sibanda, Joanna Dukipati, Layali Al Fan Band.

The programme was funded by the Coimisiún na Meán with the television licence fee.

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