Between shadow and light, different facets of intergenerational transmission are addressed. In Heartbeat of a Nation and Spring Roll Dream, passing on one’s know-how or life skills is a question of identity. A darker side of the human psyche is shown in Échos and Je ne veux pas être devant la caméra, where we witness children absorb the traumas and anger of their parents to suffer the short and long-term consequences. Shirampari: Herencias del río takes us to a tribe in Peru to observe a rite of passage into adulthood, while Maale Akravim is a journey of initiation into the Israeli desert.These stories are variations on the theme of family and help us discover traditions, rituals and behaviours that are sometimes cultural, sometimes universal.