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May 16, 2023 | 19:00 | By Invitation
SCHEDULE
16 MAY 2023
Hilma
Hilma, the festival’s opening film, is a stirring drama that explores themes of love, loss and personal growth. It tells the story of the revolutionary Swedish artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint. Well ahead of her time, in the early 1900s, she created evocative abstract paintings. The movie portrays the intense struggles she faced as a female artist trying to find a place for herself and gain recognition in a male-dominated field. The multi-layered and nuanced biopic explores also the spiritual beliefs that influenced her art and her body of work. Directed by Lasse Hallström, starring Tora Hallström, Catherine Chalk and Lily Cole, the film pays tribute to an exceptional artist whose groundbreaking work gained recognition decades after her death.
17 MAY 2023
Hilma
Hilma, the festival’s opening film, is a stirring drama that explores themes of love, loss and personal growth. It tells the story of the revolutionary Swedish artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint. Well ahead of her time, in the early 1900s, she created evocative abstract paintings. The movie portrays the intense struggles she faced as a female artist trying to find a place for herself and gain recognition in a male-dominated field. The multi-layered and nuanced biopic explores also the spiritual beliefs that influenced her art and her body of work. Directed by Lasse Hallström, starring Tora Hallström, Catherine Chalk and Lily Cole, the film pays tribute to an exceptional artist whose groundbreaking work gained recognition decades after her death.
18 MAY 2023
The Grandson
Rudi and his grandpa share a special bond extending well into adulthood. When Grandpa falls victim to a uniquely heartless scam that breaks his spirit and his health, Rudi (normally a polite and quiet office hand) decides he is not going to let the petty criminals get away with it. But to get close to them, he needs to step out of his comfort zone and turn into a different person. This brings unexpected allies to his side and dramatic twists in this Hungarian revenge thriller.
19 MAY 2023
Siccita | Dry
In this story set in Rome, there has been a severe drought for three years, causing major changes in the city's way of life. The lack of water affects everyone, including a diverse cast of characters who are all searching for redemption in their own ways. From the young to the old, successful to marginalised, and victims to victimizers, their lives are interconnected as they navigate the challenges of living in a city overwhelmed by thirst and restrictions.
20 MAY 2023
The Tyrant Father | O Pai Tirano
The Tyrant Father is a Portuguese comedy that highlights the country’s culture and society,
both in 1940 and 2021, through the story of a theatre company and their romantic
misadventures. The play follows Chico’s pursuit of Tatão, who is also being courted by Arthur,
while Grace pines for Chico. Santana writes a play that becomes a script for Chico’s love
confession, but the play lands them all in jail. The 2021 remake incorporates futuristic
elements, portrays Lisbon and Portugal, and aims to boost trust in the nation.
Kalev
Inspired by real life ‘Kalev’ tells the story of a legendary basketball team’s tense journey through the last championships of the crumbling Soviet Union. In the summer of 1990 as the small Baltic nations struggle to regain their independence, society is divided, there is fear and turmoil on the streets, just as the Soviet Union’s basketball championship is about to begin. The Estonian team Kalev faces a momentous decision. With independence seemingly within arm’s reach, a rising tide of public opinion opposes their participation in the championship. As professional athletes, the team makes the unpopular choice: to play. Against all odds, Kalev makes it to the finals only to find their battle has become much larger.
The Castle | Pilis
This coming-of-age drama centres on Monika, a 13-year-old Lithuanian girl who has recently moved to Dublin with her mother and grandmother who has dementia. Monika is a passionate singer and tries to convince her mother, a professional pianist, to play with her, but her mother is working in a fish factory to make ends meet. When they are invited to perform at ‘The Castle,’ Monika’s mother refuses to give her the money she needs to hire a keyboard. This results in dramatic twists that sees Monika kidnapping her grandmother and demanding a ransom from her mother.
21 MAY 2023
Oink
Babs is an almost nine-year-old girl who is having a perfectly ordinary summer holiday until her grandfather, whom she’s never met before, arrives from America. He wins Babs’s heart by getting her a piglet for her birthday, and she calls him Oink. However, when Tijn, Babs’s best friend, becomes increasingly suspicious of Grandpa Tuitjes’s big suitcase, he finds a meat-mincing machine and starts to doubt Grandpa’s true intentions. The story takes a turn when Babs’ mother reveals Grandpa Tuitjes’s past and with the help of her family, Babs manages to save Oink from getting minced in the meat-mincing machine just in time. This heartwarming stop-motion animation tale about a child and her pet serves as a charming romp that investigates animal welfare, the meat industry and familial bonds, all while daring to ask the ultimate question: can a pig actually be housebroken?
The Robber Hotzenplotz | Der Räuber Hotzenplotz
When the infamous Robber Hotzenplotz leaves his hideout in the forest to steal a beloved musical coffee grinder belonging to Kasperl's grandmother, the town's clumsy police sergeant proves to be of little help with arresting him. The young Kasperl and his friend Seppel decide that they will track down the thief themselves, but stopping him will not be easy - especially when Hotzenplotz involves the wicked magician Petrosilius who lives in a terrifying castle where he will imprison our heroes. Joined by a fairy-turned-toad, Kasperl and Seppel must escape the castle, catch the two vicious crooks, and bring the coffee grinder back to Kasperl's beloved grandmother!
The Bohemian | Il Boemo
Il Boemo tells the life story of 18th century Baroque composer Josef Mysliveček (1737–1781), who travelled from Prague to Venice, Italy in 1763 at the age of 25 to pursue his dreams. At the height of his career, the Czech-born composer – a friend and mentor to Mozart - was the most prolific and sought-after composers in Italian opera. However, he died in relative obscurity. Through a creative blend of music, story-telling and lush costumes director Václav’s award-winning biopic recreates his life. The film, hailed by critics as a “sumptuously appointed musical biopic” features many of Mysliveček’s compositions, which were both performed during the shoot itself and recorded separately.
22 MAY 2023
More Than ever | Plus Que Jamais
Hélène, a woman in a happy relationship with Mathieu, goes through a complicated event in her life and seeks answers on a Norwegian blogger's website. She contacts the blogger, known as Mister, and crosses Europe alone to Norway to meet him, feeling a new sense of freedom in the vast landscapes. Mathieu eventually follows her to Norway to bring her back to Bordeaux, but Hélène's experience has given her a whole new perspective on life.
23 MAY 2023
Woman On The Roof
Mirka, a 60-year old woman, appears to have a normal life. One morning she starts her day like any other, wakes up early, puts her family’s clothes out to dry and purchases food for her fish and commits a bank robbery with a kitchen knife. She discovers her need for money is surpassed only by her need for love.
24 MAY 2023
.DOG
Young Dimitris has always romanticised his absent father and dreams of a happy family reunion. However, when his father is finally released from prison, their reunion brings unexpected challenges and violence. As Dimitris fights to hold onto his dreams and navigate the complexities of his new found reality, he is forced to confront the harsh realities of adulthood in this moving coming-of-age story.
25 MAY 2023
Die Fälscher | The Counterfeiters
This tells the true story of a master criminal. Salomon Sorowitsch, counterfeiter extraordinaire was captured by the Nazis in 1944. He agreed to help them in an organized counterfeiting operation set up to finance the war effort that led to “Operation Bernhard.” Prisoners were brought from other camps to implement this Operation and soon professional printers, fastidious bank officials and simple craftsmen became members of the top-secret counterfeiter crew. They had a choice: If they cooperated, they had a chance to survive in a golden cage or else face death. This award-winning film is based on the 1983 Czech-language memoir Komando padělatelů (The Commando of Counterfeiters) by Adolf Burger.
The Exchange
‘Exchange’ is a war drama that depicts the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014. The film follows the story of a Kyiv surgeon, Oleksandr, who learns that his estranged son has been captured by a separatist group. To secure his son’s release, Oleksandr must navigate a dangerous exchange involving a corrupt Russian colonel and an unknown hostage. The film is based on real events and was shot in the Kyiv region, some of which were destroyed during the conflict in 2022.
26 MAY 2023
The Quiet Girl | An Cailín Ciúin
Irish filmmaker Colm Bairéad’s debut turns a short story by Irish author Claire Keegan into a tender coming-of-age film. Nine-year-old Cáit quietly struggling at school and at home is sent away from her overcrowded, dysfunctional family to live with distant relatives for the summer. She is left at the strangers’ house with only the clothes she is wearing. Her foster family, the Kinsellas, are hard-working farming people, like her own. Slowly, in their care, Cáit blossoms and discovers a new way of living. But in this house where affection grows and there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers a painful truth. Set in rural Ireland in the early 1980s.
27 MAY 2023
Tale of the sleeping giants
Tale of the Sleeping Giants is a mythical story about the ancient roots of the mountains in Lapland, which are believed to be sleeping giants. This documentary features stunning nature photography and focuses on various animals such as wolverines, reindeer and bears, each with their own unique beliefs and tales related to Lapland’s eight different seasons. The story spans billions of years and showcases the mountains’ witness to the dawn of life on Earth and mankind’s history. Tale of the Sleeping Giants was filmed over a period of three years entirely in Lapland in the most magical wilderness.
Hope
Anja and Tomas live together with their blended family, but have grown apart over the years. When Anja is diagnosed with terminal cancer, they are forced to confront their neglected love and come together for the sake of their children. Through their struggle, they rediscover their love for each other and learn to truly appreciate one another in this touching love story that is all about Hope. This semi-autobiographical film directed by Maria Sødahl is based on some of the experiences she faced with her husband.
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Into the Darkness | De forbandede år
In this sweeping Second World War saga, a wealthy clan is ripped apart after choosing different sides. The film explores the moral dilemmas faced by the Danish population through the story of a father and son. While the father tries to maintain his successful electronics factory by collaborating with the Germans, his son joins the resistance movement to fight against oppression and persecution of Jews and Communists. The film portrays the different ways people responded to the challenging situation of the war and the tough choices they had to make.
28 MAY 2023
Precious Ivie | Ivie Wie Ivie
Ivie, nicknamed “Schoko” (“Choco”) by her childhood friends, is a 30-year-old woman with
African roots from Leipzig, who is in search of steady employment as a teacher while working at
her best friend’s solarium. One day, her half-sister Naomi from Berlin, previously unknown to
her, shows up at her front door to break the news of their father’s death, urging her to travel to
Africa for his funeral. As their worlds collide, Ivie begins to feel the weight of a culture she does
not truly know, with a name she can no longer accept. Sarah Blaßkiewitz’s tender feature debut
explores the nuances of mixed-race identity across different cities and communities in
Germany, to present the complexities and contours of what it means to be a multikulti society.
La Gomera | The Whistlers
Not everything is as it seems for Cristi, a policeman who plays both sides of the law. Embarking on a high-stakes heist with the beautiful Gilda, both end up navigating life’s many twists and turns facing off corruption, treachery and deception.
Confine | Kordon
This critically acclaimed documentary narrates the story of ordinary women doing extraordinary things to help and give hope to refugees after Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine. Five Ukrainian women volunteers paths intertwine in a suburban station on the border between Ukraine and Hungary. United through and at this timeless train station they do everything they can to help and give hope to Ukrainian refugees. Director Tomassini’s first feature film underlines the importance of women’s role as peacemakers in the time of war. It weaves an emotional and compelling portrait of courage and solidarity in an intensely trying and testing time.
29 MAY 2023
THE BEST OF DORIEN B.
Dorien has everything to be happy: a successful husband, two adorable children and a booming veterinary practice. One day, everything falls apart. She discovers her mother’s long-running love affair; her husband appears to be very close to a colleague and she has this lump in her breast. She needs someone to talk to but no one seems to listen. Is this really the life she dreamt of? Dorien realises the time has come to make some changes. The Best of Dorien B. is a comedy-drama about a woman who rediscovers herself amid all this chaos.
30 MAY 2023
Father & Soldier | Tirailleurs
Set in 1917 during World War I, Bakary Diallo enlists in the French army to protect his son Thierno, who enlisted against his will. Together, they navigate the harsh realities of war, with Thierno learning to become a man while Bakary tries to keep his son safe from the dangers of the battlefield. The poignant film explores the bond between a father and son in the midst of war and the sacrifices they make to protect each other.
31 MAY 2023
Champions | Campeones
This compelling Spanish film tells the story of a professional basketball coach who is sentenced to community service and must coach a basketball team made up of people with intellectual disabilities. As the coach interacts with the players, he learns to respect their limitations and discover their strengths. Together, the team overcomes social barriers and manages to triumph in the Spanish adapted basketball championship. Campeones addresses issues of human rights, social inclusion, self-improvement and shows us the importance of teamwork.