Posted on the October 30th, 2011 under Uncategorized by The Culturist
The 48 Hour Film Project is the oldest and largest timed film competition in the world with a mission to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. The tight 48-hour deadline puts the focus squarely on the filmmaking, emphasizing creativity and teamwork and ‘doing’ instead of ‘talking’. The emphasis is also on building communities of local creative people – facilitating making new connections, showcasing skills, and celebrating what creativity and teamwork can accomplish in just one weekend.
For this year’s edition, Dubai will be taking part in the 48 Hour Film Project for the first time – making it one of a record 101 cities worldwide – from Beijing to Lisbon – competing in the 48 Hour Film Project this year (Dubai is also the second city in the Middle East to take part, Beirut took part last year). The Dubai 48 Hour Film Project will start on 10th November and end on 12th November.
The competition is open to everyone in the United Arab Emirates, regardless of experience or background. You can make a film with any camera you choose, including a phone camera. There is a registration fee of AED 550 per team (it’s also possible to join someone else’s team through the website if you don’t know enough people to assemble a team). To register, visit www.48hourfilm.com/dubai.
The Dubai 48 Hour Film Project Schedule
10th- 12th November – Shooting weekend 10th November at 6.00 pm: Kick off assembly at The Pavilion Downtown Dubai. You can start shooting your film from 7.00pm onwards. 12th November at 7.00 pm: Deadline to submit films at The Pavilion Downtown Dubai.
17th November at 8.00 pm Premiere screening of all the films followed by a Q & A session with the filmmakers. Venue: Shelter Dubai in Al Quoz
24th November at 8.00 pm “Best of” screening followed by a Q&A session and awards for best films. A wrap party will follow close the event. Venue: Shelter Dubai in Al Quoz
How the competition works On Thursday, 10th November the participating teams will gather at Shelter Dubai in Al Quoz where they will be given a genre out of a hat, a character, a prop and a line of dialogue that they must work into their film. The only preparation that can take place before the weekend of shooting is the assembling of cast and crew and securing equipment and locations. Films submitted even one minute late after 7.00pm on 12th November will be disqualified from the awards, but will still be screened at Shelter Dubai on the 17th November.
Submitted films will be screened for the public at Shelter Dubai on 17th November. The films will be judged by a panel of judges and the Best Films will screen again on 24th November. The winners will then be in the running for top honors at Filmapalooza, the 48 Hour Film Project’s annual awards Festival. The top 10 international 48HFP films will be screened at the Cannes Short Film Corner in 2012.
Prize for the winning film There will be local prizes awarded by local sponsors on 24th November and the Dubai Best Film will go on to represent the UAE on the international stage to compete against over a hundred other countries for the best 48 hour film in the world. The overall Best Film will receive $3000 cash and an assortment of prizes from international sponsors. The 10 best films internationally will also be featured at the Cannes Short Film corner in 2012. There will be honorable mentions in Dubai for the other categories including Best Writing, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Use of Line of Dialog.
For more information and to register, please visit www.48hourfilm.com/dubai. Good luck to everyone that takes part, I’m looking forward to seeing the final results.
I leave you with a small selection of award winning films from recent years.
48 Hours to Live
Awarded Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Use of Locations Buffalo for the 2010 48 Hour Film Project
The Auctioneer Awarded Best Use of Line in written form, Best Direction and Best Film for the 2011 Baltimore 48 Hour Film Project
One Step Forward Awarded winner of the 2011 Boston 48 Hour Film Project
Due to its young and energetic urban cultural scene and its influences on fashion, Berlin designers became extremely popular in Europe, America and Asia. Dubai with all its multicultural influences became also a hub for modern fashion, influenced by its Arabic and Asian heritage. Similarities and differences in fashion and in the designers’ approaches will be explored and discussed during the events by professionals and the interested public.
Schedule of events:
Exhibition – Inspiration Berlin Dates: 29th October – 2nd November 2011 Venue: The Pavilion Downtown Dubai
Panel discussion – Globalised Fashion Date: 30th October 2011 at 8.00pm Venue: The Pavilion Downtown Dubai
Dubai-based designers and Berlin designers will discuss the challenges and problems of the fashion industry in a globalised world and the importance to keep traditions alive.
Participants include Christine Pluess, co-founder of Berlin-based fashion label Mongrels in Common, Khulood Al Thani, founder of Emirati fashion label bint thani, Mona Fares, founder of the Dubai based fashion label Neon Edge, Leila Al Marashi, co-founder of Emirati label Sugar Vintage and Julia Bruchwitz, co-founder of Dubai-based fashion label JZ Couture.
Film Screening – Notebook on Cities and Clothes Date: 30th October 2011 at 9.30pm Venue: The Pavilion Downtown Dubai
Notebook on Cities and Clothes by Wim Wenders is a documentary about fashion and its place in contemporary society. Wenders talks with Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto about the creative process and ponders the relationship between cities, identity and the cinema in the digital age. Moving between Tokyo and Paris, the movie creates a dialogue between two rapidly changing forms of communication – fashion and film, which both search constantly for new modes of expression.
Workshop – Fashion Blogging Date: 31st October 2011 at 8.00pm Venue: The Pavilion Downtown Dubai
Jessica Weiß, the cofounder of Germany’s most popular fashion blog lesmads.de will host a workshop on Fashion Blogging. Since the creation of the first fashion blogs, the fashion debate has become more multi-voiced and faster moving. Today, everyone can express his or her ideas about fashion, styling and trends. Jessica Weiß will talk about her experiences and the opportunities and challenges of creating one’s own fashion blog.
Jessica Weiß studied marketing communication in Berlin. In 2007, she cofounded LesMads.de, today Germany’s leading blog for fashion, which won the Lead Award 2010 (Gold) and was shortlisted for the Grimme Online Award 2011. 2011, she starts working as Executive Editor Online at Interview Magazine Germany. She lives in Berlin.
Book Presentation – German Fashion Design 1946-2012 1st November 2011
The German journalist and author Nadine Barth, the editor of “German Fashion Design 1946-2012” a miscellany of essays, interviews, portraits and photo collections, will talk about the significance of fashion in Germany during the last decades and today, the existence of a typical German fashion style, and its influence on modern culture.
Nadine Barth lives in Berlin. She studied philosophy, literature, and art history in Hamburg, worked as an author and journalist, was one of the chief-in-editiors at Amica magazine, and founded a gallery for fashion photography. She now owns the agency barthouse and organizes exhibitions and cultural projects. She has published the books “Berlin Fashion”, “Traumfrauen”, “Traummänner” and “Amazonen”.
Closing Reception – Fashion Party Date: 2nd November 2011 at 8.00pm Venue: Kempinski Hotel & Residences, Palm Jumeirah
DJ Terrible, who is part of the legendary “Washing machine” parties and who played in all the famous Berlin clubs e.g. E-Werk, Tresor and Chacha, will let you dive into the trend-setting ear of Berlin music. A fashion show with designs of young Berlin and Dubai fashion designers will be the highlight of the evening.
Although I have yet to see Teta, Al Marra myself, I’ve featured it on the blog a couple of times already – so now is my chance to watch it. The documentary premiered last October at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival and since then it’s been touring the film festival circuit around the world. It has been screened in 28 cities so far and won numerous awards including Best Film at the London International Documentary Festival, Best Film at the Mumbai Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.
Teta, Alf Marra is a 50 minute Arabic language film, with English subtitles that looks into the life of Kaabour’s feisty Beiruti grandmother. “The poignant and often playful documentary commemorates her many worlds before they are erased by the passage of time and her eventual death.”
Screening in Dubai: Date – till 9th November 2011 Venue – The Picturehouse, Reel Cinemas in Dubai Mall (session times)
Screening in Abu Dhabi: Date – till 5th November 2011 Venue – VOX Cinemas in Marina Mall (session times)
Posted on the October 23rd, 2011 under Uncategorized by The Culturist
Michael Love Rexen is the lead singer from the Danish indie folk band A Key Is A Key. I saw this band play at The Fridge last January and it was one of my favourite concerts I’ve been to in Dubai. So I’m glad to hear Michael Love Rexen is back in Dubai and will be performing with a sextet of Dubai based musicians, playing a selection of unreleased songs and personal favorites. Throughout the concert, Michael “will give an insight into his own life in the free town of Christiania, where he lives on his boat in a self-built harbor”.
Personally, I would have preferred if the whole band returned. But if the show I attended is anything to go by, I’m expecting a night of quirky music, lyrics and storytelling. The night will also include artist Jakob Bue who will build a sculpture for the evening and share his silkscreen masterpieces.
Event details Date and time: Monday, 24th October at 8.00pm (doors open at 7.00pm) Venue: The Fridge, Al Quoz, Dubai (location map) Phone: +9714 3477793 Tickets: Dhs 50
Posted on the October 11th, 2011 under Uncategorized by The Culturist
The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni by Rania Stephan is an homage to one of Egypt’s iconic cinema stars. Soad Hosni appeared in more than 80 movies between 1959 and 1991. She died in 2001 in London after falling off the building she was living in. Her death was ruled as a suicide, although many believe there were mysterious circumstances that led to her death.
The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni is a compilation of VHS footage of movie scenes she starred in, constructed as a tragedy in three acts. It was screened at the Sharjah Biennial 10 earlier this year, but I never got a chance to see it. Since then, it’s been screening at various festivals and I hope and pray it will be part of this year’s Dubai International Film Festival.
The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni is a rapturous elegy to a rich and versatile era of film production in Egypt which has lapsed today, through the work of one of its most revered actress and star: Soad Hosni, who from the early 1960 into the 90s, embodied the modern Arab woman in her complexity and paradoxes.
Born in Cairo in 1943, Soad Hosni committed suicide in London in 2001. Between the ages of 19 to 49, she played in eighty-two feature films with thirty-seven directors. Inspired by her rags to riches story, she was given the nickname ‘The Cinderella of Arab cinema’; she was the daughter, sister, friend, fiancée, lover and wife to illustrious stars of Egyptian cinema when it was the chief purveyor of cinematic fiction in the Arab world.
Pieced exclusively from VHS footage of Egyptian films starring Soad Hosni, The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni is constructed as a tragedy in three acts where the actress tells her dreamed life story in the first person singular. The re-use of fiction, the most compelling register of her work and body over the years, ultimately becomes the closest to a documentary about her life and work. The coarse and scratched visuals are an ode to the VHS tape that revolutionised the wide dissemination of film for home and personal use.
Irreverent, playful, marvelous and serious, The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni underscores the saving grace of fiction. In seventy-minutes, the film proposes a singular and poetic rewriting of a golden period of Egyptian cinema, enacted by Soad Hosni, an exceptional artist, tragic star and symbol of modern Arab womanhood. (Synopsis via arteeast.org)
Posted on the October 10th, 2011 under Uncategorized by The Culturist
I am addicted to this song On a Train by Mega Mystery Band and have been listening to it for the past few weeks. The band is a bit of a mystery, as their name suggests, and would rather we focus on their music.
This is how they describe themselves:
You don’t know who we are but you’re gonna love what we do. We are everywhere and nowhere at the same time, we are every artists, we are no one, we believe that music is stronger than fame.
We want you to enjoy our music and maybe try to discover who is behind the Mega Mystery Band… Have fun!
Posted on the October 8th, 2011 under Uncategorized by The Culturist
Here’s a delightful video with toys from the 1980s that reminded me of my childhood. The video is by Micaël Reynaud, a webdesigner, illustrator, animator and photographer. The music is by Hunting Charlie’s Band(e).
This post is dedicated to everyone that grew up in the 1980s. Enjoy.
Posted on the October 7th, 2011 under Uncategorized by The Culturist
Scene from Sea Shadows, directed by Nawaf Al Janahi
The 2011 edition of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival is on next week from 13th-22nd October. I’m looking forward to going back to Abu Dhabi again to watch as many movies as I can. Majority of the screenings will take place at VOX Cinemas at Marina Mall, but I’m very glad there will be some screenings at the charming Abu Dhabi Theatre, my favourite venue from last year. There’s a new venue added to this year’s edition of the festival, an open-air cinema at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr.
Overall, there’s a good range of titles. I’ve shortlisted my top 20 which you can see below. Visit www.abudhabifilmfestival.ae/en/program/films/2011 to see the complete list of movies and schedule.
Let me know what’s on your list and see you at the cinema, front row and centre.
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)
Loyalty, truth and honor are the issues in this absolutely gripping family drama by Asghar Farhadi (About Elly). It has riveted the attention of audiences all over the world since its triumphant premiere at Berlin, where it was named Best Film and its skilled ensemble cast received both the major acting prizes – a sweep no previous Iranian film has ever earned at a Western film festival. Schedule and ticket information.
Always Brando
After meeting young Tunisian actor Anis Raache, a dead ringer for Marlon Brando, director Ridha Behi wrote a script casting both actors. Against all odds, Brando agreed to work on the project in 2004, but he died shortly after. At once a loving elegy to cinema and a meditation on the cruelty of the film world, Always Brando presents Behi’s saga with the screen legend alongside the story of Raache, whose destiny veers toward tragedy with the promise of Hollywood fame. Schedule and ticket information.
Bobby Fischer Against The World
To many, Bobby Fischer will always be the world’s greatest chess player, but his talent is often overshadowed by his sensational legacy. Academy Award® nominated director Liz Garbus chronicles Fischer’s journey – from child prodigy to global superstar and finally to bitter recluse – as a captivating walk along the tightrope between genius and madness. A treasure trove of archival material and interviews helps illuminate a shadowy man who was ultimately destroyed by the one thing he loved. www.bobbyfischermovie.co.uk Schedule and ticket information.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Visionary director Werner Herzog leads us on a breathtaking journey back in time to the place where art began. The first filmmaker granted access to the site of the oldest known cave paintings in the world, Herzog exploits 3-D technology to make this astonishing archaeological find come alive in riveting detail. The 32,000-year-old drawings also provide fertile ground for earnest and often humorous reflection on our primal urge to communicate the human experience. www.caveofforgottendreams.co.uk Schedule and ticket information.
Chicken with Plums (Poulet aux prunes)
Nasser Ali Khan (Mathieu Amalric) has a broken heart. His true love is long lost, he is stuck in a loveless marriage, and now the precious instrument he used through decades as the world’s most renowned violinist has met a violent end. So Nasser Ali gets into bed and gives up. But that is only the beginning of this delirious fairy tale. Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) adapts her popular graphic novel. With the marvelous Golshifteh Farahani and Maria de Medeiros as Nasser’s neurotic wife. Schedule and ticket information.
El Gusto
The jovial energy of traditional Chaabi melodies, the beautiful scenery of Algiers, wonderful friendships and a serene nostalgia… Safinez Bousbia’s El Gusto is Algeria’s version of Buena Vista Social Club. Told through the story of a group of Muslim and Jewish musicians who meet for an extraordinary reunion concert 50 years after being separated by the Algerian War, the film is a celebration of co-existence and dialogue, and the power of music to transcend boundaries. Schedule and ticket information.
I Wish (Kiseki)
Beloved storyteller Hirokazu Kore-Eda returns with I Wish, a wistful fable for the 21st century. Two brothers are separated after their parents take them to far-flung cities. When the boys hear a rumour that a miracle will occur when the new bullet trains running between their cities first pass, they hatch a plan to fix their family plight. Kore-Eda’s visually delightful film is a charming tribute to youthful spirit and optimism. Schedule and ticket information.
In My Mother’s Arms (Fi Ahdan Ummi)
When he discovered the abysmal horrors in government-run orphanages in Baghdad, Husham established a makeshift foster home to give young victims of violence a new lease on life. Bound by shared sorrows, the orphaned boys are a microcosm of Iraq’s ethnic, cultural, religious and class mosaic. But when Husham and his troupe face eviction, they find distraction by staging a musical performance, giving voice to the children’s longing for a mother’s unconditional love. Schedule and ticket information.
Pina
You might not expect “Wim Wenders” and “3-D” to appear in the same sentence, but the revered German director uses the multidimensional format to pay stunning tribute to the late Pina Bausch, the most innovative choreographer in modern dance. Letting Bausch’s talents take center stage in visceral, imaginatively filmed performances by the choreographer’s own ensemble, Wenders crafts both a eulogy to a formidable genius and a timeless tribute to the ecstatic power of dance. www.pina-film.de/en Schedule and ticket information.
Project Nim
At the heart of Project Nim is the story of a chimpanzee who was part of a linguistics experiment in the 1970s. If taken into a family and raised as though he were a human child, could Nim develop language? Oscar® winning director James Marsh (Man on Wire) brings us an extraordinary biopic, from which we learn as much about the unpleasant side of human nature as we do the workings of another primate’s mind. www.project-nim.com Schedule and ticket infrormation.
Reasons of the Heart (Las razones del corazón)
One of Mexico’s most famous directors – his The Beginning and the End also shows in the Festival this year – returns with an ensemble melodrama inspired by Madame Bovary. Emilia’s only respites from her failed marriage are brief love affairs, but when her lover leaves her she faces a drastic choice. Crisp black-and-white cinematography and film noir aesthetics complement actress Arcelia Ramírez’s wonderful embodiment of a suffering heroine who fears neither tragedy nor love. Schedule and ticket information.
Sea Shadow (Dhil al Bahr)
Set in a small seaside town in Ras Al Khaimah, Sea Shadow follows Emirati teenagers Mansour and Kaltham as they struggle with traditions and conventions on their journey toward adulthood. Bound by family and deeply rooted values, the pair must find the courage to forge their own paths. In this charmingly low-key follow-up to his debut feature The Circle, director Nawaf Al-Janahi combines a nostalgic feel for a simpler time with genuine cultural insight. www.seashadowmovie.com Schedule and ticket information.
She Monkeys (Apflickorna)
Distinctively wrought with graceful visuals, haunting rural settings, muted suspense and potent performances, Lisa Aschan’s debut is at once a coming-of-age psychodrama and modern gothic Western. As two 15-year-old girls compete for a spot on the local equestrian acrobatics troupe, their friendship twists into a rivalry that reveals dark dimensions in their nascent personalities. A winner at Berlin and Tribeca, She Monkeys is a quiet film that loudly proclaims the arrival of a bold new filmmaker. www.atmo.se/film-and-tv/shemonkeys Schedule and ticket information.
Stories Only Exist When Remembered (Histórias que só existem quando lembradas)
Like a piece of seamless haute couture, Julia Murat’s elegant first feature is a carefully cut and lovingly assembled film that intertwines Brazilian landscapes with superb production design for a deeply moving story. In a remote valley in the northeastern state of Paraíba, life moves along slowly and unchanging for a community of aging citizens. Then a young woman, a photographer, arrives seeking lodging, opening a new set of eyes on the village. Schedule and ticket information.
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
From 1967 to 1975, a group of Swedish journalists traveled to the United States to report on the burgeoning Black Power movement, but the footage they captured remained locked away for 30 years. Now this rich collection of 16mm film has been unearthed and assembled with present-day interviews featuring artists and activists like Harry Belafonte to remind us that the issues fought over in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s are still alive and enduring worldwide today. www.blackpowermixtape.com Schedule and ticket information.
The City Dark
Director Ian Cheney spent his childhood in the rural United States surrounded by a brilliant night sky. Now he lives in New York City, where the night is mostly devoid of stars. Talking with astronomers, cancer researchers, ecologists and philosophers, Cheney ponders what humans really lose to light pollution. This beautifully composed ode to the disappearance of darkness features stunning astrophotography, dazzling animation and a haunting score. www.thecitydark.com Schedule and ticket information.
The Source
For the women of a remote village in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, fetching water means a dangerous daily trek high into the hills and back. That is until Leila (Leila Bekhti) an educated young wife, organizes a drastic “love strike” – no affection toward the men until they build a pipeline to channel water down the mountain. This charming fable of female empowerment is a song-filled crowd pleaser that fearlessly takes on many issues in the Arab world. With Hiam Abbass, Hafsia Herzi and Saleh Bakri. Schedule and ticket information.
The Tiniest Place (El lugar más pequeño)
The tiny town of Cinquera was nearly wiped off the map during El Salvador’s 12-year civil war. But in a moving example of their love of life, at the end of the conflict the survivors returned to their town and resurrected their lives. Beginning in 1979, before the war, The Tiniest Place follows the remarkable story of Cinquera through both the terrible tales of its survivors and the quiet lives they live today. www.tiniestplace.weebly.com Schedule and ticket information.
Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren)
In the wintry Norwegian countryside, there lives an endangered species unlike any you’ve ever seen. When three gutsy film students tag along with a hard-bitten hunter named Hans in the hopes of making an investigative documentary on bear poaching, they soon find out that Hans is the predator of a different prey. Loaded with sensational special effects, Troll Hunter brims with all the edge-of-your-seat energy of seminal suspense films like Jaws and The Blair Witch Project. www.trollhunterfilm.com Schedule and ticket information.
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Eva (Tilda Swinton) never really wanted to be a mother – and certainly not the mother of an unlovable, manipulative boy who ever more cruelly taunts her inability to impose her authority over him as he grows up. But is it Eva’s own lack of motherly affection that has made her son a sociopath? Beautifully adapted by director Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher) from Lionel Shriver’s international bestseller, this searingly honest film holds up a mirror to an entire culture. Schedule and ticket information.
Posted on the October 7th, 2011 under Uncategorized by The Culturist
Scene from Sea Shadows, directed by Nawaf Al Janahi
The 2011 edition of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival is on next week from 13th-22nd October. I’m looking forward to going back to Abu Dhabi again to watch as many movies as I can. Majority of the screenings will take place at VOX Cinemas at Marina Mall, but I’m very glad there will be some screenings at the charming Abu Dhabi Theatre, my favourite venue from last year. There’s a new venue added to this year’s edition of the festival, an open-air cinema at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr.
Overall, there’s a good range of titles. I’ve shortlisted my top 20 which you can see below. Visit www.abudhabifilmfestival.ae/en/program/films/2011 to see the complete list of movies and schedule.
Let me know what’s on your list and see you at the cinema, front row and centre.
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)
Loyalty, truth and honor are the issues in this absolutely gripping family drama by Asghar Farhadi (About Elly). It has riveted the attention of audiences all over the world since its triumphant premiere at Berlin, where it was named Best Film and its skilled ensemble cast received both the major acting prizes – a sweep no previous Iranian film has ever earned at a Western film festival. Schedule and ticket information.
Always Brando
After meeting young Tunisian actor Anis Raache, a dead ringer for Marlon Brando, director Ridha Behi wrote a script casting both actors. Against all odds, Brando agreed to work on the project in 2004, but he died shortly after. At once a loving elegy to cinema and a meditation on the cruelty of the film world, Always Brando presents Behi’s saga with the screen legend alongside the story of Raache, whose destiny veers toward tragedy with the promise of Hollywood fame. Schedule and ticket information.
Bobby Fischer Against The World
To many, Bobby Fischer will always be the world’s greatest chess player, but his talent is often overshadowed by his sensational legacy. Academy Award® nominated director Liz Garbus chronicles Fischer’s journey – from child prodigy to global superstar and finally to bitter recluse – as a captivating walk along the tightrope between genius and madness. A treasure trove of archival material and interviews helps illuminate a shadowy man who was ultimately destroyed by the one thing he loved. www.bobbyfischermovie.co.uk Schedule and ticket information.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Visionary director Werner Herzog leads us on a breathtaking journey back in time to the place where art began. The first filmmaker granted access to the site of the oldest known cave paintings in the world, Herzog exploits 3-D technology to make this astonishing archaeological find come alive in riveting detail. The 32,000-year-old drawings also provide fertile ground for earnest and often humorous reflection on our primal urge to communicate the human experience. www.caveofforgottendreams.co.uk Schedule and ticket information.
Chicken with Plums (Poulet aux prunes)
Nasser Ali Khan (Mathieu Amalric) has a broken heart. His true love is long lost, he is stuck in a loveless marriage, and now the precious instrument he used through decades as the world’s most renowned violinist has met a violent end. So Nasser Ali gets into bed and gives up. But that is only the beginning of this delirious fairy tale. Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) adapts her popular graphic novel. With the marvelous Golshifteh Farahani and Maria de Medeiros as Nasser’s neurotic wife. Schedule and ticket information.
El Gusto
The jovial energy of traditional Chaabi melodies, the beautiful scenery of Algiers, wonderful friendships and a serene nostalgia… Safinez Bousbia’s El Gusto is Algeria’s version of Buena Vista Social Club. Told through the story of a group of Muslim and Jewish musicians who meet for an extraordinary reunion concert 50 years after being separated by the Algerian War, the film is a celebration of co-existence and dialogue, and the power of music to transcend boundaries. Schedule and ticket information.
I Wish (Kiseki)
Beloved storyteller Hirokazu Kore-Eda returns with I Wish, a wistful fable for the 21st century. Two brothers are separated after their parents take them to far-flung cities. When the boys hear a rumour that a miracle will occur when the new bullet trains running between their cities first pass, they hatch a plan to fix their family plight. Kore-Eda’s visually delightful film is a charming tribute to youthful spirit and optimism. Schedule and ticket information.
In My Mother’s Arms (Fi Ahdan Ummi)
When he discovered the abysmal horrors in government-run orphanages in Baghdad, Husham established a makeshift foster home to give young victims of violence a new lease on life. Bound by shared sorrows, the orphaned boys are a microcosm of Iraq’s ethnic, cultural, religious and class mosaic. But when Husham and his troupe face eviction, they find distraction by staging a musical performance, giving voice to the children’s longing for a mother’s unconditional love. Schedule and ticket information.
Pina
You might not expect “Wim Wenders” and “3-D” to appear in the same sentence, but the revered German director uses the multidimensional format to pay stunning tribute to the late Pina Bausch, the most innovative choreographer in modern dance. Letting Bausch’s talents take center stage in visceral, imaginatively filmed performances by the choreographer’s own ensemble, Wenders crafts both a eulogy to a formidable genius and a timeless tribute to the ecstatic power of dance. www.pina-film.de/en Schedule and ticket information.
Project Nim
At the heart of Project Nim is the story of a chimpanzee who was part of a linguistics experiment in the 1970s. If taken into a family and raised as though he were a human child, could Nim develop language? Oscar® winning director James Marsh (Man on Wire) brings us an extraordinary biopic, from which we learn as much about the unpleasant side of human nature as we do the workings of another primate’s mind. www.project-nim.com Schedule and ticket infrormation.
Reasons of the Heart (Las razones del corazón)
One of Mexico’s most famous directors – his The Beginning and the End also shows in the Festival this year – returns with an ensemble melodrama inspired by Madame Bovary. Emilia’s only respites from her failed marriage are brief love affairs, but when her lover leaves her she faces a drastic choice. Crisp black-and-white cinematography and film noir aesthetics complement actress Arcelia Ramírez’s wonderful embodiment of a suffering heroine who fears neither tragedy nor love. Schedule and ticket information.
Sea Shadow (Dhil al Bahr)
Set in a small seaside town in Ras Al Khaimah, Sea Shadow follows Emirati teenagers Mansour and Kaltham as they struggle with traditions and conventions on their journey toward adulthood. Bound by family and deeply rooted values, the pair must find the courage to forge their own paths. In this charmingly low-key follow-up to his debut feature The Circle, director Nawaf Al-Janahi combines a nostalgic feel for a simpler time with genuine cultural insight. www.seashadowmovie.com Schedule and ticket information.
She Monkeys (Apflickorna)
Distinctively wrought with graceful visuals, haunting rural settings, muted suspense and potent performances, Lisa Aschan’s debut is at once a coming-of-age psychodrama and modern gothic Western. As two 15-year-old girls compete for a spot on the local equestrian acrobatics troupe, their friendship twists into a rivalry that reveals dark dimensions in their nascent personalities. A winner at Berlin and Tribeca, She Monkeys is a quiet film that loudly proclaims the arrival of a bold new filmmaker. www.atmo.se/film-and-tv/shemonkeys Schedule and ticket information.
Stories Only Exist When Remembered (Histórias que só existem quando lembradas)
Like a piece of seamless haute couture, Julia Murat’s elegant first feature is a carefully cut and lovingly assembled film that intertwines Brazilian landscapes with superb production design for a deeply moving story. In a remote valley in the northeastern state of Paraíba, life moves along slowly and unchanging for a community of aging citizens. Then a young woman, a photographer, arrives seeking lodging, opening a new set of eyes on the village. Schedule and ticket information.
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
From 1967 to 1975, a group of Swedish journalists traveled to the United States to report on the burgeoning Black Power movement, but the footage they captured remained locked away for 30 years. Now this rich collection of 16mm film has been unearthed and assembled with present-day interviews featuring artists and activists like Harry Belafonte to remind us that the issues fought over in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s are still alive and enduring worldwide today. www.blackpowermixtape.com Schedule and ticket information.
The City Dark
Director Ian Cheney spent his childhood in the rural United States surrounded by a brilliant night sky. Now he lives in New York City, where the night is mostly devoid of stars. Talking with astronomers, cancer researchers, ecologists and philosophers, Cheney ponders what humans really lose to light pollution. This beautifully composed ode to the disappearance of darkness features stunning astrophotography, dazzling animation and a haunting score. www.thecitydark.com Schedule and ticket information.
The Source
For the women of a remote village in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, fetching water means a dangerous daily trek high into the hills and back. That is until Leila (Leila Bekhti) an educated young wife, organizes a drastic “love strike” – no affection toward the men until they build a pipeline to channel water down the mountain. This charming fable of female empowerment is a song-filled crowd pleaser that fearlessly takes on many issues in the Arab world. With Hiam Abbass, Hafsia Herzi and Saleh Bakri. Schedule and ticket information.
The Tiniest Place (El lugar más pequeño)
The tiny town of Cinquera was nearly wiped off the map during El Salvador’s 12-year civil war. But in a moving example of their love of life, at the end of the conflict the survivors returned to their town and resurrected their lives. Beginning in 1979, before the war, The Tiniest Place follows the remarkable story of Cinquera through both the terrible tales of its survivors and the quiet lives they live today. www.tiniestplace.weebly.com Schedule and ticket information.
Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren)
In the wintry Norwegian countryside, there lives an endangered species unlike any you’ve ever seen. When three gutsy film students tag along with a hard-bitten hunter named Hans in the hopes of making an investigative documentary on bear poaching, they soon find out that Hans is the predator of a different prey. Loaded with sensational special effects, Troll Hunter brims with all the edge-of-your-seat energy of seminal suspense films like Jaws and The Blair Witch Project. www.trollhunterfilm.com Schedule and ticket information.
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Eva (Tilda Swinton) never really wanted to be a mother – and certainly not the mother of an unlovable, manipulative boy who ever more cruelly taunts her inability to impose her authority over him as he grows up. But is it Eva’s own lack of motherly affection that has made her son a sociopath? Beautifully adapted by director Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher) from Lionel Shriver’s international bestseller, this searingly honest film holds up a mirror to an entire culture. Schedule and ticket information.
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