Our Guardian Cities and Barbican City Visions film competition challenged readers around the world to make a three-minute film about their city – in any style. This week, as we look forward to the unveiling of the winners at the Guardian Cities Surprise Screening at the Barbican on 27 September, we take a look at some of the best entries. In this roundup we meet a Venetian gondolier, watch the rhythms of Porto Alegre and hear the story of Doha’s urbanisation.
Venice
Venice - the Invisible City
Venice is a city that residents share with thousands of tourists every day, yet aside from the odd gondola or vaporetto ride, the waterways, only visible from intersections with the pedestrian world, remain a mysterious and impenetrable alternate reality. Franco and Massimo, members of the oldest rowing club in Venice, took me out on their boat to explore the city's canals.
Porto Alegre
Doha
Doha Lullaby A film by Suzannah Mirghani
This film is about how Doha evolved from a one-night tribal settlement into one of the fastest modernization projects the world has ever seen, transforming an overnight camp into a bustling metropolis over the course of a few decades.
