Private Project

Spark (2023)

“SPARK” addresses our relationship with Time, Aging and the paradoxes of Knowledge, through the clash between views of Philosophy, Physics and personal experience around one of the most important theories in the history of science: the Theory of Relativity .
Created by Albert Einstein, the Theory of Relativity was proven more than 100 years ago to the world through an experiment carried out IN BRAZIL. And later, he ended up changing the course of history with one of mankind's most infamous and dangerous inventions: the atomic bomb.
With the participation of philosopher Mario Sergio Cortella, poet Rubem Alves (in memorian) and one of the last survivors of the atomic attack on Hiroshima, Takashi Morita, Átimo talks about this small cosmic spark that makes up our lives.

The project gained even more educational character after Brazil became involved, from 2018, in a thick fog of lies, denialism and anti-scientific radicalism. Identified and strengthened in large groups formed on social media, they dedicated themselves to denying things like Covid19, vaccines, democracy, basic socio-environmental rights and all kinds of science.
ONE OF THEM GAINED THE MEDIA AND FOLLOWERS DENYING ALBERT EINSTEIN'S THEORY OF RELATIVITY, AND EVEN FILED A POLICE PROCEEDING "COUNTLESS ERRORS AND DISTURBS IN THE SCIENTIFIC EVOLUTION OF THE PLANET BECAUSE OF THE THEORY" (no, he didn't dedicate himself to studying physics to challenge Einstein ).
Brazil, or a good part of it, is at war against Knowledge.
This film was made so that young people in Brazil also know who Einstein was, what his brilliant mind was capable of and WHERE he got the definitive proof of his theory.
And it does so by studying one of the most representative examples of the paradox that science and knowledge represent for Humanity.

  • BETO SPORKENS
    Director
    SILVA, EXPEDIÇÃO FLORIANO, 100 ANOS ESTA NOITE
  • BETO SPORKENS
    Writer
    SILVA, EXPEDIÇÃO FLORIANO, 100 ANOS ESTA NOITE
  • BETO SPORKENS
    Producer
    SILVA, EXPEDIÇÃO FLORIANO, CARANDIRU.DOC, 100 ANOS ESTA NOITE
  • MARIO SERGIO CORTELLA
    Key Cast
  • TAKASHI MORITA
    Key Cast
  • GEORGE MATSAS
    Key Cast
  • RUBEM ALVES
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    ÁTIMO
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Drama / History of Science
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Brazil
  • Country of Filming:
    Brazil
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital/DSLR/1920x1080p
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1,85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • The Impact DOCS Awards
    San Diego, CA
    United States
    Award of Merit Special Mention: Editing
  • The Impact DOCS Awards
    San Diego, CA
    United States
    Award of Merit Special Mention: History / Biographical
  • The Impact DOCS Awards
    San Diego, CA
    United States
    Award of Excellence: Documentary Short
  • Docs Without Borders Film Festival
    Rehoboth Beach, DE
    United States
    Outstanding Excellence Award
  • Tokyo International Monthly Film Festival
    Tokyo
    Japan
    Honorable Mention
  • Make Art Not Fear
    Porto
    Portugal
    Award Winner
  • WIFA FEST (World Indie Film Awards)

    Award Winner
  • Bridge Fest
    Vancouver
    Canada
    Award Winner
  • Best Documentary Award
    London
    United Kingdom
    Award Winner
  • Indie Doc Pro
    Barcelona
    Spain
    Award Winner
  • Seattle independent film festival
    Seattle
    United States
    Award Winner
  • The Filmmaker's Space Film Festival

    India
    Award Winner
  • Aljaw International Film Festival

    United Arab Emirates
    Award Winner
  • Doha Independent Film Festival

    Qatar
    February 1, 2023
    BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
  • Gwangju International Film Festival

    India
    January 31, 2023
    BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
  • Qatar Indie Film Festival

    Qatar
    February 3, 2023
    BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
  • Saudi Arabia International Film Festival

    Saudi Arabia
    February 5, 2023
    BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
  • 2023 ARFF Berlin // International Awards
    Berlin
    Germany
    Honorable Mention - Documentary Short
  • ORION IFF International Film Festival

    Australia
    January 14, 2023
    FINALIST - BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
  • Thilsri International Film Festival

    India
    February 11, 2023
    Best Short Documentary
  • Close Film Festival
    Tabriz
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    February 19, 2023
    Best Documentary
  • Accolade Global Film Competition
    LA JOLLA
    United States
    February 21, 2023
    Award of Excellence Documentary Short
  • Golden Wheat Awards
    Istambul
    Turkey
    February 28, 2023
    Best Documentary
  • Manama International Film Festival
    Manama
    Bahrain
    March 1, 2023
    Best Documentary Short
  • Indonepal International Film Festival
    Kathmandu
    Nepal
    March 1, 2023
    Best Documentary Short
  • The Gladiator Film Festival
    Istambul
    Turkey
    March 17, 2023
    Best Documentary
  • Depth of Field International Film Festival
    Rehoboth Beach
    United States
    April 1, 2023
    Award winner - Viewer Impact: Inspirational
  • Tabriz Cinema Awards
    Tabriz
    Azerbaijan
    April 6, 2023
    Best Documentary
  • Cuckoo International Film Awards
    Chennai
    India
    April 25, 2023
    Best Documentary Short
  • Indian Independent Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    April 26, 2023
    Best Short Documentary
  • Andromeda Film Festival
    Istambul
    Turkey
    April 28, 2023
    Best Documentary
  • INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD OF DUBAI
    Dubai
    United Arab Emirates
    May 1, 2023
    Best Documentary Short
  • 2 11 17 International Film Festival
    Chennai
    India
    August 24, 2023
    Best Editing
  • Campinas Film Festival
    Campinas
    Brazil
    October 15, 2023
    Best Brazilian Documentary
  • New York Brazilian Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    September 23, 2023
    Official Slection
  • Phoenix Shorts
    Phoenix
    United States
    June 26, 2023
    Semi-Finalist
  • San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival
    San Francisco
    United States
    August 5, 2023
    Semi-Finalist
  • Berlin Shorts Awards
    Berlin
    Germany
    October 26, 2023
    Semi-Finalist
  • CANNES 7th ART AWARDS
    Cannes
    France
    April 22, 2024
    France
    Winner - Best Documentary Short
  • Spotlight Documentary Film Awards
    Atlanta
    United States
    January 31, 2024
    Best Documentary Short
Director Biography - BETO SPORKENS

Graduated in Film and Video from FAAP(SP), he began his career making short films and award-winning documentaries.
He is a Screenwriter, Executive Producer and Director of Audiovisual Content and Storytelling projects, and participated of some of the greatest projects of brazilian cinema between 2001 and 2008.
Likes to make documentaries with complete independence, especially on Social and Environmental issues, having produced memorable snapshots and analyzes in the first decade of the 2000s.
After almost 10 years away from documentaries, doing work for environmental-themed NGOs, got back to documentaries with "Spark" and is looking for partners worldwide.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Documentaries are projects in which you dive into an unknown reality without being absolutely sure of what you will find. If someone forces me to start a documentary establishing what to find, I don't consider it a documentary.