Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

The 2015 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival unveiled the official competition lineup, featuring some of the youngest filmmakers in the festival’s recent history.  The lineup includes premiere of new movies by Dietrich Brüggemann and Romanian filmmakers Anca Damian and Florin Şerban, as well as the feature debut of the “rising star of Italian cinema” Ferdinando Cito Filomarino. “This year, we are excited to present the youngest competition line-up in the KVIFF’s recent history, the average age of the filmmaker in the main festival section is 39 years old,” says KVIFF’s artistic director Karel Och. The competition will feature a trio of up-and-coming European directors including German director Dietrich Brüggemann (Stations of the Cross) who will premiere his radical anti-Nazi film Heil, a comedy satire that delivers acrid, rapid-fire commentary on the state of German society. Inspired by actual events, leading Polish docudirector and DOP Marcin Koszałkaʼs feature debut The Red Spider is a precisely constructed psychological thriller that delves into the mechanisms that give rise to a mass murderer. Renowned Danish documentarist Daniel Dencik will present his first feature, Gold Coast, an original historical film that blends lyric poetry with a terrifying nightmare while offering clear-cut testimony about European colonialism. Also on the lineup is the outstanding debut Antonia, with its ground-breaking insight into the life of a poet Antonia Pozzi (1912-1938), by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, who also directed the short Diarchy (awarded at Locarno and Sundance), and shot the film in production with his celebrated colleague Luca Guadagnino. In the Karlovy Vary competitionKosovar talent Visar Morina will present his first feature Babai, the story of a 10-year-old boy who follows his father on a dramatic journey from Kosovo to Germany. Two female directors will bring their markedly stylized films to Karlovy Vary. In her new artistic-cinematic effort The Magic Mountain, Anca Damian, creator of Crulic: The Path to Beyond, delves into the adventurous life of mountain climber and photographer Adam Winkler using animated collage techniques of period materials. An acclaimed work by renowned Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem served as inspiration for Ukrainian filmmaker Eva Neymann (House with a Turret, KVIFF 2012), whose third picture Song of Songs offers fascinating, loosely connected images of the lost world of the Jewish shtetl at the beginning of the 20th century. Bob and the Trees (pictured above), an American production by Massachusetts-based Frenchman Diego Ongaro, is one of seven competition debuts. Shot in cinéma vérité style, the story features 50 years old logger and farmer Bob Tarasuk, a charismatic workhorse with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap. Five years after the multi-award-winning Berlin competition film If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle, Romanian director Florin Șerban will bring to Karlovy Vary his intense drama Box, whose story follows the movements of a talented 19-year-old boxer and an attractive theater actress and mother who is looking for her lost balance. In his intimate debut The Sound of Trees, Canadian filmmaker François Peloquin comprehensively portrays a drama of adolescence set against the photogenic wonder of the Québec landscape. Austrian director Peter Brunnerʼs soul-searching study Those Who Fall Have Wings, whose title acknowledges inspiration from Ingeborg Bachmannʼs poetry, is a cinematically ambitious, symbol-based method of coming to terms with the painful loss of a loved one. The Czech Republic will be represented in the main competition by two titles. First-timer Slávek Horákʼs Home Care fixes its gaze upon a devoted home care nurse, whom fate has decided to burden with an almost insurmountable obstacle, relating deadly serious issues with a gentle humor. The uncompromising drama The Snake Brothers from Jan Prušinovský tells the story of Cobra and Viper, each of whom deals in his own way with the desolation and lack of funds in their small Central Bohemian town. Official Selection – Competition Antonia / Antonia / Antonia Director: Ferdinando Cito Filomarino Italy, Greece, 2015, 96 min, World premiere Distinguished Italian poet Antonia Pozzi (1912–1938) was among those women who were at odds with the times in which they lived. Her poems record her inability to adapt to social norms and her desire to live fully, and in poetry she sought an escape from reality and from her own complex soul and emotional life. An exceptional debut from a talented Italian filmmaker whose short work has been awarded at the festivals in Locarno and Sundance. Babai / Babai / Babai Director: Visar Morina Germany, Kosovo, Macedonia, France, 2015, 104 min, International premiere The story of ten-year-old Nori plays out in Kosovo, Germany, and on the road between the two countries. His father Gezim dominates his entire world, however, one day he leaves for work in the “West” and Nori won’t be placated concerning his sudden disappearance. This feature debut from a talented Kosovan filmmaker is rendered with exceptional intensity and a flair for portraying the emotional complexities of the child’s situation. Bob and the Trees / Bob and the Trees / Bob a stromy Director: Diego Ongaro USA, 2015, 91 min, International premiere Massachusetts logger Bob Tarasuk, a charismatic workhorse and hard-head with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, plays himself in this vérite-style drama – an unpretentiously intense character study of an individual surrounded by a landscape both majestic and inscrutable. Box / Box / Box Director: Florin Şerban France, Germany, Romania, 2015, 96 min, World premiere The story of this keenly anticipated film by acclaimed Romanian director Florin Șerban (If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle, Berlinale 2010) follows a talented 19-year-old boxer named Anghel, for whom a session in the ring is everything, and Cristina, an attractive, 30-something mother who finds herself at a critical moment in her life. Two characters with their own secrets, two journeys, two outlooks. An intense drama that penetrates to the core. Le bruit des arbres / The Sound of Trees / Šum stromů Director: François Péloquin Canada, 2015, 79 min, World premiere At 17 Jérémie dreams of a life different from the one that awaits him at the family sawmill in the small Canadian town where he lives. Jérémie is more interested in pimping his car, listening to hip hop, and slacking off with his friends. This impressionistic debut, built upon convincing performances, tells of a summer that completely changed a teenager’s life. Czerwony Pająk / The Red Spider / Červený pavouk Director: Marcin Koszałka Poland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, 2015, 95 min, World premiere The feature debut by a leading Polish documentarist and cameraman was inspired by actual mass murders committed in the 1960s. A precisely constructed psychological thriller, the film delves into an intricate story of the fascination with evil that hides in places we would never expect. Domácí péče / Home Care / Domácí péče Director: Slávek Horák Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, 2015, 92 min, World premiere Everyone knows about the finality of human existence but the realization of life’s actual limits comes to each of us individually and often unexpectedly. Dedicated home care nurse Vlasta (Alena Mihulová) lives for her husband Láďa (Bolek Polívka), her daughter, and her patients. But then one day things change and Vlasta is forced to react. This mature debut portrays deadly serious issues with a gentle humor. Guldkysten / Gold Coast / Zlaté pobřeží Director: Daniel Dencik Denmark, 2015, 100 min, International premiere Young anti-colonial idealist Wullf Joseph Wullf sets out for Danish Guinea to set up a coffee plantation but not everything goes according to plan. This bold contribution to the historical film genre casts light on a dark chapter of European history, employing the music of Angelo Badalamenti to help shift the experience into a dreamlike trip that partakes in equal measure of lyric poetry and a horrifying nightmare. Heil / Heil / Heil Director: Dietrich Brüggemann Germany, 2015, 103 min, International premiere Renowned German filmmaker Dietrich Brüggemann (Stations of the Cross) has come out with a radical satirical comedy where, in the carefree spirit of punk, he pitches into the neo-Nazis, the media, police, and the European Union. The acrid commentary on the state of contemporary German society fed to the viewer at an impressive tempo can easily be applied to the countries bordering the director’s homeland. Jeder der fällt hat Flügel / Those Who Fall Have Wings / Má křídla, kdo končí pádem Director: Peter Brunner Austria, 2015, 92 min, World premiere In the face of death, time seems to stop for those left behind. What can they do to start the clock ticking again? This inward-looking, artistically striking, and exceptionally strong drama from one of Austria’s greatest talents presents its protagonists in moments of sorrow and the occasional joy, but always as fragile, vulnerable people. Kobry a užovky / The Snake Brothers / Kobry a užovky Director: Jan Prušinovský Czech Republic, 2015, 111 min, International premiere This uncompromising drama tells the story of two brothers, who answer to the nicknames Viper and Cobra, each dealing in his own way with the bleakness, lack of funds, and the alcohol-filled evenings repeated ad nauseam in their small Central Bohemian town. Brothers Matěj and Kryštof Hádek excel in one of the must-see domestic films of the year. La montagne magique / The Magic Mountain / Kouzelný vrch Director: Anca Damian Romania, France, Poland, 2015, 95 min, International premiere The Magic Mountain investigates the adventures of mountain climber and photographer Adam J. Winkler, who fought in Afghanistan with the mujahedin against the Soviets in the 1980s. The director employs a highly original artistic technique involving animated collage of period materials. Pesn pesney/ Song of Songs / Píseň písní Director: Eva Neymann Ukraine, 2015, 75 min, World premiere The acclaimed work by renowned Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem served as inspiration for the Ukrainian filmmaker, whose third picture offers a markedly stylized vision of the lost world of the Jewish shtetl at the beginning of the 20th century. Poetic scenes created using truly magical images are loosely connected via the motif of childhood love, while the film’s imaginative form is imbued with nostalgia. Czech-Polish debut Journey to Rome to open the East of the West competiton of the 50th KVIFF East of the West – Competition A szerdai gyerek / The Wednesday Child / Středeční dítě Director: Lili Horváth Hungary, Germany, 2015, 94 min, World premiere History sometimes repeats itself. As a nine-year-old, Maja was abandoned by her mother and placed in an orphanage. Now it’s ten years later and she keeps returning to the institution, now to visit her four-year-old son. Will she be able to take control of her life despite the unfavorable circumstances and her own self-destructive tendencies? Cesta do Říma / Journey to Rome / Cesta do Říma Director: Tomasz Mielnik Czech Republic, Poland, 2015, 100 min, World premiere There are as many stories in the world as there are people, and Vašek, a timid guard at a gallery who becomes a reluctant painting thief, hears plenty of them on his train trip to Rome. This multilevel comedy road movie (on a train) and quest for the meaning of life is director Tomasz Mielnik’s feature debut. Chemia / Chemo / Chemo Director: Bartek Prokopowicz Poland, 2015, 105 min, World premiere After a nontraditional romance blossoms between Benek and Lena, a young couple immersed in questions of life and death, they decide to defy the natural order by having a baby. A mournful yet lightly-rendered tale about the search for identity, finding love, and the battle against a fatal illness that is nearly impossible to win. KROM / CHROMIUM / CHROM Director: Bujar Alimani Albania, 2015, 78 min, World premiere While a mute and lonely mother lives a life that is far from easy, she nevertheless bares her lot with dignity and courage. Her 15-year-old son is trying to stand on his own two feet, but in so doing he only complicates the grim situation in the family. This sensitive coming-of-age picture is the second feature from Albanian director Bujar Alimani. Lumea e a mea / The World Is Mine / Svět patří mně Director: Nicolae Constantin Tanase Romania, 2015, 104 min, International premiere Sixteen-year-old Larisa lives in a small coastal town in a social environment where image and money afford power over others. With courage and a dogged determination that commands and intimidates, Larisa attempts to attain just such a “dream.” Talented Romanian first-timer Nicolae Tanase captures the most intense period of a person’s life with skill and disarming authenticity. Między nami dobrze jest / No Matter How Hard We Tried / Mezi námi dobrý Director: Grzegorz Jarzyna Poland, 2014, 70 min, International premiere The Mother, the Daughter, the Grandmother, and other archetypal characters gradually come together in a room where they talk incessantly. Their monologues rarely cross over into dialogue but taken together they create an absurdly humorous and satirical look at contemporary Poland, which in their opinion isn’t (and perhaps never was) a nice place to live. The movie is an adaptation of Dorota Masłowska’s successful theater play. Prach / Dust of the Ground / Prach Director: Vít Zapletal Czech Republic, 2014, 95 min, World premiere Two brothers, the elder married, the younger with a lover and a young child meet up at their parents’ country place after the father has a stroke. A subtle family drama from debut director Vít Zapletal that distinguishes itself from the usual Czech production through its unaffected accent on the Christian faith. Sarmaşık / Ivy / Břečťan Director: Tolga Karaçelik Turkey, 2015, 104 min, European premiere A cargo ship suddenly anchors out at sea. It is prohibited from entering the port, so the crew is left to wait things out in a claustrophobic environment with dwindling food supplies. A Turkish psychological thriller on what becomes of the principles of power, authority and hierarchy the moment the traditional social order breaks down. Sutak / Heavenly Nomadic / Nebeští nomádi Director: Mirlan Abdykalykov Kirghizia, 2015, 81 min, World premiere There are still places in the world where people live in harmony with nature and the mythology which comes out of it. A family of nomads dwelling high in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan find contentment without the conquests of modern civilization. This poetic sketch about traditions that are slowly disappearing was based on a screenplay by renowned director Aktan Arym Kubat. Tetarti 4:45 / Wednesday 4:45 / Středa 4:45 Director: Alexis Alexiou Greece, Germany, 2015, 116 min, European premiere Thanks to the efforts of owner Stelios, musicians love his small jazz club in the heart of Athens and the place seems to be prospering. But an early demise threatens this island of quality music, and Stelios has a mere 32 hours to save his beloved nightclub – and himself. The movie’s tough generic shell (crime thriller) masks a bitter treatise on the Greek economic crisis. Ti mene nosiš / You Carry Me / Ty mě nosíš Director: Ivona Juka Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, 2015, 155 min, World premiere Ives, Nataša, Vedran, and his wife. Four people, four different destinies that cross during the filming of a soap opera entitled “Prisoners of Happiness.” Ivona Juka’s feature debut offers a colorful portrait of four strong personalities whose desire for satisfaction bumps up against seemingly insurmountable day-to-day problems. Zero / Zero / Zero Director: Gyula Nemes Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, 2015, 83 min, World premiere It’s 2017. Bees are dying out and, in the words of Albert Einstein; humanity has only four more years left. Young radical ecologists set out to wage a ruthless battle for their survival. A formally inventive and thoroughly nonconformist vision of the fight against globalization. Brazil’s Aspirantes to open the Forum of Independents competition Forum of Independents – Competition Aspirantes / Hopefuls / Adepti Director: Ives Rosenfeld Brazil, 2015, 75 min, World premiere This debut by a talented Brazilian filmmaker offers a sensitive rendering and sincere initiation study of a lonely hero (still almost a boy with the nickname Junior) whose dream of becoming the star of an elite football team is jeopardized under the weight of circumstances. David / David / David Director: Jan Těšitel Czech Republic, 2015, 78 min, World premiere At age 20, David is increasingly aware of how his mental illness influences his parents’ behavior. So one evening he decides to run away to Prague where, alone, he has to face numerous tricky situations – as well as his own thoughts. This courageous and moody debut is crowned with a fine lead performance from Patrik Holubář. Le dep / Le dep / Večerka Director: Sonia Boileau Bonspille Canada, 2015, 77 min, World premiere One night Lydia is attacked as she’s preparing to close her father’s store, and in the next few hours she is forced to make a number of life-altering decisions. In her powerful psychological drama, the director demonstrates her sensitivity in depicting the world of the Inuit community as well as the inner emotions of the young protagonist. Gerilla / Guerrilla / Gerila Director: Anders Hazelius Sweden, 2015, 74 min, International premiere Young Adam has lost his girlfriend and mother of his child, but he’d like to win her back. In order to banish his feelings of emptiness, he agrees to help with a controversial project. A love story set in Stockholm during the filming of a feminist movie. Outre ici / Beyond Here / Za tím Director: Hugo Bousquet Belgium, 2015, 72 min, World premiere A desolate mountainous region, a young couple exhausted from a long journey, an abandoned house discovered by chance, and finally the arrival of a mysterious stranger speaking an unfamiliar language – the director defly employs these ingredients to create suspense in a psychological drama compressed by time and space. Princess / Princess / Princezna Director: Tali Shalom-Ezer Israel, 2014, 92 min, European premiere Puberty is giving 12-year-old Adar a rough ride. A fascinating chamber piece in which debuting Tali Shalom-Ezer deftly transforms a playful dream into a provocative, even devastating nightmare. Shadow Behind the Moon / Shadow Behind the Moon / Stíny ve skrytu Měsíce Director: Jun Robles Lana Philippines, 2015, 115 min, World premiere The armed conflict between the Philippine military and the communist resistance at the beginning of the 1990s forms the backdrop to this study of three individuals who, for different reasons, are trying to resolve an untenable situation. The film makes sophisticated use of the narration to encourage contemplation of the dignity, morality, and also the manipulation of people trapped in tough circumstances. Shinkiro No Fune / The Ark in the Mirage / Archa přízraků Director: Yasutomo Chikuma Japan, 2015, 99 min, World premiere A gang of young hoodlums preys on vulnerable elderly people, isolating them in undignified circumstances and stealing the bulk of their retirement money. But after the arrival of a new mark, played by renowned Japanese dancer Min Tanaka, one of the thugs begins to question his conscience and sets out to explore his past and discover who he really is. Tangerine / Tangerine / Transdarinka Director: Sean Baker USA, 2014, 88 min, European premiere Sin-Dee is back and she’s mad as hell. During the month she was gone (read: in prison) she found out her boyfriend was stepping out on her – and with a “normal” girl to boot. And Sin-Dee, a girl with a capital G (and with something that hints at her past life as a man), isn’t about to put up with that. Violence, love, and friendship – all this in a comedy shot on an iPhone 5. Viaje / Viaje / Cesta Director: Paz Fábrega Costa Rica, 2015, 71 min, European premiere San Jose, Costa Rica, the present. Pedro (30) and Luciana (29) meet at a party. Although there’s no fatal attraction, there’s a hint that something is happening between them. What follows is an impulsive decision to travel together to the base of the Rincon de la vieja volcano in the northwest of the country. Forget about past traumas, this unassuming romance focuses on the importance and singularity of the here and now. Violator / Violator / Rozrušení Director: Dodo Dayao Philippines, 2014, 101 min, European premiere A typhoon is slowly approaching Manila. And in the swelter that accompanies the storm something ominous is hiding which awakens suicidal tendencies and other inexplicable urges in the city’s inhabitants. This surprisingly self-assured and mature directorial debut is a sophisticated portrait of a society into which evil has come a-creeping. The Violators / The Violators / Rebelky Director: Helen Walsh United Kingdom, 2015, 96 min, International premiere The protagonists of this visually commanding picture are two girls who come from different social backgrounds. Shelly, who lives alone with her brothers and financially carefree Rachel are connected via emotional alienation. Their mutual encounter proves to be a milestone in their lives – with one emerging reborn, the other scarred. New films by Helena Třeštíková and Mark Cousins in the documentary competition of the 50th KVIFF Documentary Films – Competition 23 Kilometres / 23 Kilometres / 23 kilometrů Director: Noura Kevorkian Canada, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, 2015, 82 min, World premiere Suffering from an advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease, Barkev Kevorkian spends his time recalling the past when he worked at a foundry, loved fast drive, and enjoyed time with his little girl. In this courageous documentary essay, the Lebanese-born director contemplates all the things a serious illness takes from your life. Amerika / Amerika / Amerika Director: Jan Foukal Czech Republic, 2015, 67 min, World premiere A nontraditional documentary road movie or a staged pseudo-documentary meditation? However we perceive this story of a couple wandering through the Czech countryside, we can best experience it by yielding to the calm tempo of their journey through the shady woods. Amerika isn’t a portrait of specific individuals but rather a probe into the Czech phenomenon of “tramping”. Cats in Riga / Cats in Riga / Kočky v Rize Director: Jon Bang Carlsen Latvia, 2014, 17 min While the news media sift through current affairs and the inhabitants of Riga focus on their daily cares, cats are completely occupied by their aimless wanderings through stairways, offices, and apartments, sublimely indifferent to the preposterous hustle and bustle of our civilization. This ingenious and playful para-documentary investigates the role of subjectivity in the perception of the world around us. Game Over / Game Over / Game Over Director: Alba Sotorra Spain, Germany, 2015, 78 min, International premiere Djalal has loved weapons since before he could walk. But success in the virtual world, where thousands of followers watch his videos, is not enough – so he heads to Afghanistan as a sniper. Unfortunately, actual war is a dull business that drags on endlessly. Will the young man, who is still searching for his place in the real world, realize that the game is over and that it’s time to grow up? Horizontes / Horizons / Horizonty Director: Eileen Hofer Switzerland, 2015, 67 min, International premiere A dance school in Havana. Ballet means everything to adolescent Amanda, experienced Viengsay, and renowned local legend Alicia Alonso. The contours of the characters intermingle as three portraits flow into one: a single female destiny presented in three forms. A documentary of commitment and passion for ballet that become a metaphor for the lack of freedom suffered by the inhabitants of the island nation. I Am Belfast / I Am Belfast / Já jsem Belfast Director: Mark Cousins Ireland, United Kingdom, 2015, 84 min, International premiere “I met a woman. She said that she is Belfast, the city in Northern Ireland where I grew up. The woman said that she’s as old as the city,” states Mark Cousins at the beginning of his meditative dialogue with the personification of Belfast. This cinematic essay abandons the parameters of classic documentary language, asking us to perceive the film as a magical-realist mix of reality, dreams, myths, and local storytelling. IEC Long / IEC Long / IEC Long Director: João Pedro Rodrigues, João Rui Guerra da Mata Portugal, 2014, 30 min Macao, the former Portuguese colony on Chinese soil, was known as a centre of fireworks production. The IEC Long factory, the last monument to the area’s industrial past, today lies in ruins. The half-hour documentary captures the eerie silence and starkness of a place that for decades belched out products guaranteed to provide explosive fun. Kacey Mottet Klein, naissance d’un acteur / Kacey Mottet Klein, Birth of an Actor / Kacey Mottet Klein, zrození herce Director: Ursula Meier Switzerland, 2015, 14 min How does a child become an actor? And how does the acting profession influence his or her relationship to the world? In Ursula Meier’s documentary teenage Kacey Mottet Klein answers these very questions. Following the road from the playground to the film set, the film presents a study of how mind and body mature before the camera lens. Mallory / Mallory / Mallory Director: Helena Třeštíková Czech Republic, 2015, 97 min, World premiere Life hasn’t been easy on Mallory but after the birth of her son she tries desperately to kick her drug habit, and to stop living on the street. She wants to turn her back on her dark past and help those she knows best – people on the fringes of society. In her latest long-term documentary, Helena Třeštíková demonstrates that even seemingly hopeless lives needn’t be cut short halfway.   Once Upon a Dream – A Journey to the Last Spaghetti Western / Once Upon a Dream – A Journey to the Last Spaghetti Western / Tenkrát ve snu: Cesta za posledním spaghetti westernem Director: Tonislav Hristov Finland, Germany, Bulgaria, 2015, 60 min, International premiere It’s not so long since they shot one cult film after another in the Andalusian town of Tabernas. But the fame of the movie stars has since faded and the charm of the place evaporated in the face of the economic crisis. When word gets out about the production of a new blockbuster, the eyes of the local inhabitants shine with hope. A humorous documentary fairy tale about a life reminiscent of an endless Hollywood movie. Palio / Palio / Palio Director: Cosima Spender United Kingdom, Italy, 2015, 90 min, European premiere The oldest and most famous palio – a rough-and-tumble bareback horserace – takes place twice yearly in the heart of Siena. The race not only requires riding skills but also a healthy dose of behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing. Who will come out on top – legendary jockey Gigi Bruschelli or his gifted former trainee Giovanni Atzeni? The answer lies in this gripping docudrama, in which emotion, movement, and gesture are pared down to their most crystalline form. Resort / Resort / Resort Director: Martin Hrubý Czech Republic, 2014, 20 min In the 1960s an architecturally unique resort built on the banks of Orlík reservoir became the secret getaway of the communist establishment, then later passed into the hands of notorious businessmen during the early days of unrestrained capitalism. Suffused with an air of mystery, this portrait captures the genius loci and turbulent history of a hidden summer paradise that was left off every map. Vaterfilm / The Father Tapes / Otec Director: Albert Meisl Austria, 2015, 78 min, International premiere When Albert Meisl began to suspect that his father was writing the final chapter of his life, he decided to visit his parents with a movie camera in tow. This harrowing documentary deliberately suppresses any estheticization of the hopeless situation, thereby placing us in the role of disinterested observers of their sorrowful parting. White Death / White Death / Bílá smrt Director: Roberto Collío Chile, 2014, 17 min Using a variety of formats and animation techniques, a story unfolds before our eyes of a Chilean military company trapped in the snow during a cruel Andean storm. Yet the film doesn’t aim to provide a faithful reconstruction of events but rather to investigate the boundless solitude and blistering cold that bores down to the bone when a person stands on the threshold of white death. Women in Sink / Women in Sink / Ženy v umyvadle Director: Iris Zaki United Kingdom, Israel, 2015, 30 min It’s packed at Fifi’s beauty salon in Haifa. As is normal in such a place, the women are quick to enter into conversation. The young director takes advantage of the situation, allowing her customers to air their opinions on the coexistence of Arabs and Jews as she washes their hair, while also offering a more general look at politics, history, love, and life. Zhyva vatra / The Living Fire / Živoucí oheň Director: Ostap Kostyuk Ukraine, 2014, 77 min, European premiere The snow is starting to melt and spring has announced its arrival. Three Carpathian herdsmen, just like their fathers and grandfathers before them, set off with their livestock into the mountains on a lonely journey lasting several months. A nostalgic, mystery-tinged essay about an ancient profession that unbridled civilization may soon swallow up.

Read more