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Guillaume Juin is a French filmmaker, with a pretty incredible portfolio - he does everything rom commercials, events, drone photography, to motion design and narrative. But his most prominent videos are the ones from his travels. He's always on the road and on his Vimeo channel you can find videos from Argentina, Peru, Turkey and most recently Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. 

For our next video of the week, we've chosen the short film he created during his trip to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. On this trip Guillaume visited the most important natural sights in both countries. First on the list was the Ustyurt Plateau in Kazakhstan. This area of around 200,000 square kilometres is also called an "island", because of its edge cliffs of over 300 metres high. The colour of the cliffs ranges from white to pink, with no green in the sight.  

Keep reading Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan

A modern day bachelor shares his apartment with the memory of all his past lovers put together. In his fantasy they all share a harmonious loving relationship, synced into one being. The fantasy falls apart when he meets a real woman and has to choose between the safety of daydreaming and the challenges of real love.

The description of Second Hand Lovers by Oren Lavie promises an unusual story that will convince you that an artist's imagination can result in surprising pieces of art. This short film carries a unique style which is underlined with stunning visual imagery, splendid performances and a bit of melancholy.

Keep reading Second Hand Lovers

Slovakia is a small country - but its natural wonders are countless. From majestic mountains to about 2,000 caves, there is all you can imagine. While Slovak nature might not be known internationally and many of us living here haven't visited all the "must see" places, Slovak filmmaker Majo Chudý is dedicated to documenting some of the country's most beautiful landscapes. Majo's work is showcasing different parts of Slovakia and always featuring fascinating shots: it was difficult to choose just one film - but the process behind Few Moments 3 made it a clear choice:

For this video I travelled around Slovak national parks, in a one full year period, I walked more than 10,000 km and hiked more than 16,000 height meters on the hiking trails. I took pictures of more than 40,000 photographs. The video consists of approximately 16,000 shots.

Keep reading Few Moments 3

Ny-Alesund is a scientific place. It's a town made for science, designed for science; so there are no children around, there are no retired people around. Everybody is working in science or related to science.

Ny-Alesund is a research town on the island of Spitsbergen in Svalbard. If you are wondering where is Svalbard, just look at the map: you may be surprised to find out that the archipelago is located between continental Norway and the North Pole. This is a place where the population is only about 2,600 people while about 3,000 polar bears live here; where one can't be born or buried; and where the rhythm of life is very different from the rest of the world. The magic of Svalbard was already featured in one of our previous Video of the Week posts. Additionally, this remote part of the world is so fascinating that learning more about it inspired me to embark on my very own Arctic adventure.

While Longyearbyen is the main centre of the island, there are several other settlements scattered throughout Svalbard, one of them being Ny-Alesund, the world's northernmost functional civil settlement. Ny-Alesund has an all-year permanent population of 30 to 35 in the summer reaching the number of 120, and is host to sixteen permanent research stations run by agencies from ten countries. The "last town before the North Pole" is home to 40-50 buildings, one main street and, most importantly, the world's northernmost post office.

Keep reading Portraits at the Edge of the World: Ny-Alesund

We travel along the coastline for several days. All we need fits in our waterproof and floatable backpacks. We set out to explore nature and what we carry with us is reduced to a minimum. We dive deep into the ocean and swim along wild cliffs, discovering untouched beaches where we spend our nights under the clear sky.

- Bernhard Wache, Founder of Seatrekking.

It's highly possible that you never heard about seatrekking: the sport was created more than 12 years ago by German designer and free-diver Bernhard Wache who successfully combined diving and hiking, allowing adventurers to discover land and water without limits. This was made possible by a unique watertight rucksack, a result of years of experiments with different materials and technology. “We wanted to escape everyday life. We were looking for a way to feel what’s essential again", he says about his inspiration. 

Keep reading SEATREKKING - Trekking the Ocean

What is the common point between ballet and motor racing? They may seem completely different but Royal Ballet Principal dancer Steven McRae is passionate about both. 

The Apiary is an Australian-born, Berlin-based directing duo working across fashion, advertising and arts. Lily Coates and Gavin Youngs are known for their eye for detail and visual imagery. Starting with almost no funds but with a dream of creating conceptual films in collaboration with musicians or artists, the duo also successfully carved out its niche, projecting their own style to short films for both cultural organisations and brands: their clientele includes Vice, The Australian Ballet, STVDIO, Calvin Klein, Ikea and more. 

Keep reading Portrait of a Dancer: Steven McRae