Ascension

From the workers in a sex doll factory to the production of Trump fan hats: Jessica Kingdon's documentary about the "Chinese Dream" fascinates with unique insights into Chinese factory work and mass consumption. However, the focus is not only on production, but also on consumption and prosperity, and one recognizes that China is also a country of contrasts.

Saloum

Spaghetti Western meets Agatha Christie, meets Bird Box: In this Senegalese genre mix, a trio of mercenaries must make an emergency landing at the Sine Saloum Delta during a kidnapping. In the camp of the friendly Omar, however, nothing is as it seems. In impressive images, Jean Luc Herbulot stages the suspense story interwoven with African mythology, which turns out to be both a Western and a horror film.

Alcarràs

The family Solé is shocked when they find an eviction notice in their postbox. They have until the end of the summer until they are supposed to leave their land, which has been their source of income for generations. Everyone in the family has his or her own way to deal with the loss and change. One may be very loud in his grief, others completely silent.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (偶然と想像)

Chance encounters and random steal aways make up three stories in The Wheel of Fortune: a dodgy love triangle, a tense and sensual conversation, and two strangers meeting each other. The wheel of fortune spins inexorably, and soon everyone discovers that what seems like a chance encounter is actually a trick of fate.

Fire of Love

Daring French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft loved each other as much as they loved volcanoes. "Once you've seen an eruption," says Katia, "you can't live without it." Fire of Love is an adventurous documentary about the fascination with the unknown and the meaning of human existence. It consists of spectacular images taken by the couple in search of the mystery of volcanoes.

On the Other Side (Del Otro Lado)

During the Colombian civil war, kidnappings by FARC guerrillas are commonplace. Beatriz is also abducted for almost two years. When she dies a few years after her release, her sons find the diary in which she describes the time she was imprisoned. This marks the beginning of a journey for the brothers across the Colombian jungle.

The Worst Person in the World (Verdens verste menneske)

Julie is nearing 30, and the pressure of falling behind expectations weighs on her, as she looks for something that will light up the spark in her again. “The Worst Person in the World” may have the shape of a romantic comedy, but its complexities run deep. A portrait of a generation by a filmmaker who has captured like no other the zeitgeist of living in our uncertain times.

Shall I Compare You To a Summer’s Day?

Queer affection, non-normative relationships, poetry, and pop are intermingled in a series of tales that deal with the good, the bad, the ugly, and the political in the lives of queer Egyptian migrants. What may seem anecdotal becomes spectacular thanks to a hyper-stylized stage, theater-like lighting, and a Greek chorus of men singing and following the stories.

Venus in Nykes

A man leaves his psychoanalyst’s office calm and confident, leaving her puzzled and agitated. He has recounted his sexual fetishes. Her attempts at medicalizing him are vacuous in the face of this deviant’s pride. “Venus in Nykes” is a fun, flamboyant, narcissistic, self-referential, and erotic experiment free from any stylistic or narrative constraints. Queer desire has seldom looked this unapologetic. Come for the sexuality, stay for the philosophy.

Beautiful Beings (Berdreymi)

Alienated by the outside world, fourteen-year-old Balli lives the life of an outsider. But then he meets three boys of the same age and slowly a close friendship develops between them. Left to their own devices, their behavior leads the gang into life-threatening situations...

The Employer and the Employee (El Empleado y el Patrón)

Class conflict and unequal power relations overshadow this story set in rural Uruguay. Due to a shortage of workers, the young farmer Ricardo hires Carlos, who is only 18 years old. When tragedy finally happens, Ricardo takes care of him. The class study about two fathers in an asymmetrical dependency relationship develops into a "low intensity" thriller.

Adults in the Room + Q&A

Greece's debt crisis is approaching its peak. Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is confronted with demands that would aggravate not only the economic but also the social situation in Greece. Compromise proposals are ignored. Political decisions at the highest EU level mutate into a farce behind which a modern tragedy becomes visible.

The Sacred Spirit (Espiritu Sagrado)

In the Spanish city of Elche, a little girl disappears without a trace. Mother Charo does everything to find her daughter. Meanwhile, her brother José Manuel continues his studies of supernatural phenomena. When the head of his ufology group dies, José Manuel sets out to carry out his master plan, which he believes will change the fate of mankind.

International Short Film Programme

Poetic visions of figures, landscapes and events, fascinating riddles or funny encounters - all of this, short film provides. In our international short film compilations, we’re presenting a very personal selection of works, some from our partner festival in Contis, some from friends of the festival. This year, many of the films revolve around different shapes of human relationships, such as the question of what a real kiss is (“La Chamade”, France), real love (“Nicht nur Körper”, Germany), what is merely played on stage and what is meant (“Rehearsal”, Nigeria).

Leonor Will Never Die (Ang Pagbabali Ng Kwago)

Instead of facing the problems of everyday life, retired director Leonor comforts herself with the ghost of her dead son, who hovers bossy and semi-transparently through the scenes until something even worse befalls her. A bizarre incident leaves Leonor unconscious and plunges into a mixture of truth and fiction. With the sound of a beep, we realize that Leonor has plunged into one of her own half-written screenplays. A real movie within a movie!

Faceless

In 2019, videos of people in the front lines of protests in Hong Kong, and the police repressing them, were countless. The heart-throbbing “Faceless” weaves together the stories of four very different protesters defending their identities as Hongkongers in the face of Chinese repression. A society’s fight for the freedom to define who they are and what they want in their own terms.

Flee (Flugt)

Flee is not a classic documentary. With the help of animated scenes, Amin reports on his escape from Afghanistan in interviews. For more than 20 years, he didn't confide in anyone about the true events of his odyssey - with good reason. Even if we encounter war and flight on a daily basis, Flee is an absolute must-see to understand how long such a trauma can haunt a person.

Meet Me in the Bathroom

This documentary is a nostalgic homage to the New York music scene of the early 2000s. Between political events like 9/11 and ongoing gentrification, subculture carves its place in places like Sidewalk Café and CBGB. A journey into the early days of The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio and the Rapture.

A Night of Knowing Nothing

A youthful dance scene is followed by somber protest images, gorgeous wedding photos are followed by dreamy mornings on a university campus: at the Mumbai State film school, love letters of an inter-caste love affair are discovered in a box. As a paratactic montage, they become the testimony of violent injustices in modern-day India.

International Shorts Freedom – Dream – Illusion – Desire

"Starfuckers" by Antonio Marziale deals with power abuse in Hollywood, but also the film and television industry. Olivia Martin-McGuire’s "Freedom Swimmer" presents the tough reality of the past migration of Chinese people to Hongkong and confronts us with the not very hopeful situation of the city. "Soum" by Alice Brygo navigates the historic and current generational conflicts and wishes for harmonious togetherness.

The Middle Ages (La Edad Media)

The Middle Ages is something special, unusual, has drive and most of all: Humour! Mother, father and daughter (and the beloved family dog) give it their all in front and behind the camera. It’s about art (and money), it’s about dancing (without big stages), about learning English (via Zoom), about Beckett and magical realism. We are in the middle of Buenos Aires in a little house where no stone remains unturned.

A Chiara

Chiara's world is like that of any teenager. But when her father suddenly disappears without a trace, the 15-year-old becomes suspicious. While searching for her father, Chiara suddenly finds herself caught between the Calabrian mafia and the police. While a highly sensitive camera takes us on a journey into the merciless world of adults, Chiara has to learn that her freedom begins with the decisions she has to make. Director Jonas Carpigno once again succeeds in creating a neo-realistic drama with captivating images.

The Passengers of the Night

Elisabeth and her children are having a hard time in 1980’s Paris, after the family father leaves them behind. Elisabeth falls into a hopelessness that seems hard to overcome – only a new job in a nightly radio show and the appearance of the young girl Talulah, is what truly brings a wind of change. Her discovery of a nurturing and loving family is what helps all of them to grow.

Children of the Mist

In the misty mountains of North Vietnam, young Di lives a life between tradition and modernity. She is part of the Hmong ethnic group, who maintain their own way of life - and who still practice the forbidden bride kidnapping to this day. When the Lunar New Year celebrations begin, the 14-year-old's unselfconscious attempts to flirt quickly turn bitterly serious.