16mm | 76 min | b/w | 2020

Aurochs is the name given to the wild ancestor of modern cattle. The aurochs has the distinction of being the first documented case of extinction. The last known wild aurochs died in the Jaktorów Forest in Poland in 1627. Both, hunting and the introduction of domesticated cattle led to its decline and disappearance. Its value, however, derived not just from being a source of sustenance. Traits that were attributed to the animal, such as speed, strength and courage, imbued it with great symbolic power.

Some of its body parts were ascribed with supernatural powers. The skin of the forehead and a cross-shaped bone inside the heart were prized for their magical properties. Those who carried them became possessors of the animal’s traits.

In the 20th century, efforts to bring back the aurochs from extinction began to materialize.

Screenings:

Nova Cinema, Brussels; Belgium 2023
Ponrepo Cinema; Prague, Czech Republic 2022
Slovenska kinoteka; Ljubljana, Slovenia 2022
OJOBOCA:True Counterfeits, Institute of Contemporary Arts; London UK 2022
Kaskcinema; Ghent, Belgium 2022
Zumzeig Cinema; Barcelona, Spain 2022
Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth, Wales 2022
Star and Shadow; Newcastle, UK 2022
Filmhuis Cavia; Amsterdam, Netherlands 2022
WORM; Rotterdam, Netherlands 2022
Le 102; Grenoble, France 2022
Elektronik Cinema; Warsaw, Poland 2022
Panorama Du Cinéma Colombien; Paris, France 2022
Limits of Control – Films by Ojoboca, Museum of the Moving Image; New York, USA 2022
Other Futures Festival; Amsterdam, Netherlands 2021
Kara Animal Film Festival; Seoul, South Korea 2021
Arkaoda Berlin – Transdemo e.V.; Berlin, Germany 2021
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival; Yamagata, Japan 2021
Experimental Tuesdays, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee; Milwaukee, USA 2021
Ex-is; Seoul, South Korea 2021
Cinemancia Festival Metropolitano de Cine; Envigado, Sabaneta, Colombia 2021
Dokumentarfilmwoche Hamburg; Hamburg, Germany 2021
Kino im Hildegarten; Leipzig, Germany 2021
Garten als Weltbild, D21 Kunstraum; Leipzig, Germany 2021
New York Film Festival Redux; New York, USA 2021
FIDMarseille; Marseille, France 2021
Docaviv; Tel Aviv, Israel 2021
Academia Film Olomouc; Olomouc, Czech Republic 2021
Vilnius Film Festival; Vilnius, Lithuania 2021
DocumentaMadrid; Madrid, Spain 2020
Pravo Ljudski Film Festival; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2020
Rizoma Festival; Madrid, Spain 2020 – Contemporary Surrealism Award
Cámara Lúcida Festival Internacional de Cine; Cuenca, Ecuador 2020
Viennale; Vienna, Austria 2020
Linea d’Ombra Festival; Salerno, Italy 2020 – Winner LineaDoc 2020 competition
Imagine Science Film Festival; New York, USA 2020
Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de La Plata FestiFreak; La Plata, Argentina 2020
Black Canvas Festival de Cine Contemporáneo; Mexico City, Mexico 2020
New York Film Festival – Currents; New York, USA 2020
Lima Alterna Festival Internacional de Cine; Lima, Peru 2020
Cinematik Film Festival; Piešťany, Slovakia 2020
IndieLisboa; Lisbon, Portugal 2020
20 Sunsets, Haus der Kulturen der Welt; Berlin, Germany 2020
Berlin International Film Festival – Forum Expanded; Berlin, Germany 2020

Reviews:

MUBI, Michael Sicinski
Stir World, Utkarsh
In Review, Daniel Gorman
Desistfilm, Mónica Delgado
Desistfilm, José Sarmiento Hinojosa
Cinesinfin, Borja Castillejo Calvo

Interviews:

Ever Green Magazine, Alexandra Moralesová
Museum of the Moving Image, Sonia Shechet Epstein
Desistfilm, Mónica Delgado