ENCOUNTERS 2026: SHORTS BLOCK - When Things Fall Apart

Every year since our founding in 2010, The Bioscope has proudly hosted screenings of The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival. Now celebrating its 28th year as a festival, Encounters returns to The Bioscope once again with screenings at The Bioscope from 5 - 14 June. Tickets are R90. 

SEE THE FULL BIOSCOPE ENCOUNTERS PROGRAM HERE.

Broken Windows (10PG)

Dir. Mohamed Amine Harboul | South Africa | 2026 | 4 min

In Benoni, communities confront crime and neglect by cleaning their environment, revealing how resilience found in collective action challenges cycles of violence, poverty, and institutional failure

Oops, I died (A)

Dir. Lara Carmo | Brazil | 2025 | 15 min.

This exquisitely filmed short follows a group of four children as they play an online multiplayer game, collaborating on their strategies to advance while each trying to stay alive.

The Spectacle (A)

Dir. Yasmin van Dorp | Sweden/Norway/Türkiye | 2025 | 20 min.

This lushly filmed documentary plays out against incredibly beautiful landscapes. It’s not clear, however, whether the film’s title refers to the breathtaking beauty on display or to the behaviour of the tourists that the landscapes attract.

Sueña Ahora (10PG)

Dirs. Gabriele Licchelli, Francesco Lorusso & Andrea Settembrini | Cuba/Italy | 2025 | 20 min.

During a blackout in Cuba, the city slips into darkness as everyday life unfolds through sound, memory, and fleeting light, revealing intimate rituals and shifting perceptions of what remains visible.