International Film Program 2024

The future is always grounded in a promise–a declaration that something will happen. It is often thought of as the end result of a series of actions taken from our present moment in time until it arrives. But, when it inevitably arrives, what has been forgotten and left behind in our way towards it? Which stories, which objects, which people have been ignored or set apart because they did not serve to fulfill the promise of the future?

The films in the 2024 International Program of the Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt International deal with these questions in various ways. By looking at the past, they understand what we have been leaving behind to arrive at our present, and worry about what we are shedding to get to our future. Mountains of videotapes are discarded and then re-found in “Kim’s Video”, while the visionary work of Nam June Paik in “Moon is the Oldest TV” reminds us that there are no old artworks–just artworks we have not seen yet. Buildings are torn to pieces, perhaps needlessly replaced by newer ones in “Architecton”, a condemnation of modern architecture. But a whole country may need to be torn to pieces in order for a brighter future to be created, or at least dreamed, as in “Nome”.

More intangible things are also left behind: the emotionality that transpires in another person’s expressions in a face-to-face interaction is gradually lost in “The Beast”; the hopes of children wanting a bright future for themselves that may never come are subtly lost in “Favoriten”; the existential meaning of inhabiting Earth when labor disappears runs through “After Work”. Is all hope for sensitivity lost in a hyper-productive, hyper-competitive, hyper-automatized future? Or do robots feel? “Robot Dreams” may have a heartbreaking answer.

Through the lens of characters at crossroads, unsure of which path to take, on what future to choose, the films in the program manage to capture both the angst and the eagerness when thinking about what’s next: what’s next after an emotional mid-life crisis (“Simple Comme Sylvain”, “The Blue Star”), what’s next after the death of a loved one (“All Shall be Well”, “Brief History of a Family”), or what’s next after finally feeling you have grown up and understanding how your decisions affect the ones around you (“Blondi”, “Langue Étrangere”, “Solo”).

The films in the program also reflect the inevitability of the future, and give us pause regarding the fear of getting older. “Echo of You” and “My Favorite Cake” paint tender and caring portraits of their protagonists and assure us that the grass will be greener on the other side, ahead of us. Are we ready for it?

WED, 17. Apr

18:00 h

Favoriten

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Ruth Beckermann

Dokumentarfilm, 2024

Language: Deutsch, Türkisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 118 min

Berlinale 2024, CPH:DOX

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Wednesday 17 April 2024, 18:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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Spending three years with a classroom of elementary school kids in a migrant working class neighbourhood in Vienna allowed Ruth Beckermann to capture both everydayness and decisive moments in the lives of 7 year olds. With tenderness, Favoriten follows their teacher through thick and thin as she helps them in finding a place in a world in which they often feel they don’t belong. What future lies ahead for these children? Can education truly be emancipatory if children cannot be freed from societal constraints?

20:00 h

The Beast (La Bête)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Bertrand Bonello

Spielfilm, Sci-Fi, 2023

Language: Französisch & Englisch mit deutschen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with German Subs

Playtime: 146 min

Venice Film Festival 2023

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Wednesday 17 April 2024, 20:00 h, Kino des DFF

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2044. Emotions are nothing more than handicaps. Undergoing a procedure to get rid of her feelings, Gabrielle remembers her past lives, and the signs of a preordained fate shake her to her core. Time-travelling through three eras tinted by a deep existential angst, The Beast is an engaging and off-beat sci-fi about losing the sentimental core that makes us humans. Isn’t it dangerous to know the future?

20:15 h

Foreign Language (Langue Étrangère)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Claire Burger

Drama, 2024

Language: Französisch & Deutsch mit Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with Subs

Playtime: 101 min

Berlinale 2024

IN THE PRESENCE OF THE DIRECTOR

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Wednesday 17 April 2024, 20:15 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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As part of a German-French exchange program, teenagers Lena and Fanny see each other for the first time in person after a long time of being pen-pals. At first, they don’t get along, despite suffering similar problems with their parents and their shared interest in left-wing activism – until they exchange a fateful French kiss at a house party under the influence of mushrooms. Where foreign tongues, foreign languages touch and mingle, that is where it grows: the future of Europe.

THU, 18. Apr

18:00 h

Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Amanda Kim

Dokumentarfilm, 2023

Language: Englisch, Deutsch, Koreanisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 107 min

The best film - The Guardian's Best Films 2023, Sundance Film Festival 2023, DOK.fest München 2023

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Thursday 18 April 2024, 18:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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Years before The Buggles proclaimed "video killed the radio star" on MTV, someone had already set out to understand the medium of video and to destroy it from within: Equipped with the radical attitude of the avant-garde and inspired by countercultural figures like John Cage, the pioneering video artist Nam June Paik wages a bitter battle against the self-proclaimed "high arts."

18:00 h

After Work

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Erik Gandini

Dokumentarfilm, 2023

Language: Koreanisch, Englisch, Italienisch, Arabisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 81 min

CPH:DOX 2023, DOCVILLE 2023, Chicago IFF 2023

GERMAN PREMIERE

Thursday 18 April 2024, 18:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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There are great disparities in the global work-life balance: In South Korea, people are having their computers forcibly shut down to be prevented from systematically working themselves to death. At the same time, companies like Amazon cunningly pit their workers against each other with absurd tactics, only to replace them with automation soon after. Instead of discussing the absence of work ethics, we should be asking: what should a fair labour market look like in the future?

20:15 h

The Nature of Love (Simple comme Sylvain)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Monia Chokri

Spielfilm, Komödie, 2023

Language: Französisch, Englisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 112 min

César Awards: Best Foreign Film, Cannes Film Festival 2023

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Thursday 18 April 2024, 20:15 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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After 10 years together, habits seems to weigh on the academic couple Xavier and Sophia like a shroud. So, it’s no wonder that midlife crisis is looming. This takes the form of the simple handyman Sylvain, who encounters Sophia during the renovation of her country house. A fiery affair can provide temporary distraction, but does the mismatched couple have a future?

FRI, 19. Apr

18:00 h

Robot Dreams

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Pablo Berger

Spielfilm, Animation, 2023

Playtime: 96 min

Oscar Nomination 2024: Best Animated Feature, Cannes Film Festival 2023

Friday 19 April 2024, 18:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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“Are you alone?” addressed by a TV commercial, the lonely DOG buys himself a robot friend and from then on, they spend every minute together. But when they are unexpectedly separated, the future of their friendship is suddenly at stake. The fact that this animated film has no dialogue is quickly forgotten amid the touching moments and infectious dance scenes.

18:00 h

Architecton

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Victor Kossakovsky

Dokumentarfilm, 2024

Language: Englisch, Italienisch mit deutschen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with German Subs

Playtime: 98 min

Berlinale 2024

IN ATTENDANCE OF THE DIRECTOR

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Friday 19 April 2024, 18:00 h, Kino des DFF

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Stone or concrete - Victor Kossakovsky’s film Architecton is a poetic journey to the world of construction materials. His explorative view at the megalomania of humans and their precarious relationship to nature raises urgent questions: How do we build, and how can we build better in the future, before it is too late? The visually stunning documentary shows that between the stones and the dust of past civilizations, there might be found an architecture of hope.

20:00 h

Blondi

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Dolores Fonzi

Drama, 2023

Language: Spanisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 87 min

San Sebastián International Film Festival, Filmfest München

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Friday 19 April 2024, 20:00 h, Kino des DFF

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The young mother Blondi and her teenage son Mirko share an extraordinary relationship. They are like best friends, sharing joints and their circle of friends, and enjoying their time at concerts. But as Mirko slowly begins to consider his own future, the two suddenly find themselves on a road trip to retrieve Blondi's sister, who has disappeared into a commune.

22:00 h

Kim's Video

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Ashley Sabin, David Redmon

Dokumentarfilm, 2023

Language: Englisch, Koreanisch & Italienisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 88 min

Best Documentary - Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival 2023

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Friday 19 April 2024, 22:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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Due to the extinction of video libraries, New York lost one of the biggest and most diverse movie collections in the world with the offer of Kim’s Video. Years later, a former regular is searching for the 55,000 lost films. Gradually, his film references take the helm and steer the documentary towards a course that becomes more and more surreal and entertaining.

22:00 h

Solo

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Sophie Dupuis

Drama, 2023

Language: Französisch, Englisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 102 min

Toronto International Film Festival 2023, Palm Springs International Film Festival 2024

GERMAN PREMIERE

Friday 19 April 2024, 22:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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“With a taste of your lips, I’m on a ride.” The young drag queen Simon stalks across the catwalks of Montréal’s drag scene with natural grace, until he meets charming Oliver and falls in love – head over heels. But his other half proves to be an insidious manipulator. Simon quickly becomes addicted to him and his love. ”I’m addicted to you. Don’t you know that you’re toxic?”

SAT, 20. Apr

17:00 h

Echo of You (Ekko af kærlighed)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Zara Zerny

Dokumentation, 2023

Language: Dänisch mit deutschen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with German Subs

Playtime: 76 min

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Q&A WITH THE DIRECTOR

Saturday 20 April 2024, 17:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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Ghostly echos resonate through the empty rooms of the small Danish apartments. Between white tulle curtains and worn-out leather armchairs, an echo floats in the dusty air. An echo of past love, illuminated by warm sun rays. In intimate conversations, bereaved spouses remember their deceased loved ones and reinvigorate them and themselves for a moment.

17:00 h

My Favourite Cake (Keyke Mahboobe Man)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Maryam Moghaddam, Behtash Sanaeeha

Drama, 2024

Language: Farsi mit Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with Subs

Playtime: 97 min

Berlinale 2024: Fipresci Price, Price of the ecumenical Jury

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Saturday 20 April 2024, 17:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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She doesn’t seem like a rebel at all – the widow Mahin lives a modest, solitary life in Tehran. She enjoys fondly reminiscing about her youth, when women didn't have to constantly fear the wrath of the moral police. So one day, after a fleeting encounter with the taxi driver Faramarz, the 70-year-old decides to plunge into a romantic adventure. But what future remains for the rebellious power of love in the shadow of the Iranian regime?

19:15 h

Brief History of a Family (Jia ting jian shi)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Lin Jianjie

Spielfilm, 2024

Language: Mandarin mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 100 min

Sundance Film Festival 2024, Berlinale 2024

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Saturday 20 April 2024, 19:15 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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The private life of a family is thrown into chaos when Wei brings his classmate Shuo home. Shuo proves remarkably adept at fulfilling the paternal ambitions and maternal longings of Wei’s parents. Wei, initially happy to escape his parents' expectations in this way, soon sees his status within the family threatened. This leads to a silent struggle for the right to one's own future.

19:30 h

Alien Island (Isla Alien)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Cristóbal Valenzuela Berríos

Dokumentarfilm, 2023

Language: Spanisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 87 min

Chicago International Film Festival

GERMAN PREMIERE

Saturday 20 April 2024, 19:30 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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UFO panic in Chile – As the dictator Pinochet subjugates the country, people look up; scanning the night sky for the lights of flying saucers. Starting from the mysterious island “Friendship Island”, the alien craze spreads like wildfire. When a group of radio geeks make contact with the island’s strange inhabitants, they find themselves dragged deeper and deeper into a conspiracy of unprecedented proportions.

20:30 h

The Blue Star (La Estrella Azul)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Javier Macipe

Drama, Musik, 2023

Language: Spanisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 127 min

San Sebastián International Film Festival

IN ATTENDANCE OF THE DIRECTOR
GERMAN PREMIERE

Saturday 20 April 2024, 20:30 h, Kino des DFF

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Mauricio is one of the lucky few who can actually make a good living from their music, but the rock’n’roll musician is not completely satisfied with his current situation in the business. He goes on a trip to Argentina to search for inspiration and meets the Chacarera legend Carlos Carabajal. In addition to coming in contact with a different way of making music, this also shows him a new perspective on life and consequently their lives and creative paths mix for a while.

SUN, 21. Apr

16:00 h

All Shall Be Well (Cóng jīn yǐhòu)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Ray Yeung

Drama, 2024

Language: Kantonesisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 93 min

BERLINALE: Teddy Award 2024

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Sunday 21 April 2024, 16:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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Angie and Pat have everything they could wish for. They live together, they share goals, dreams, and a future with each other. But then Pat suddenly dies and Angie’s world collapses. Subsequently, her home is troubled too. Although the two of them have been a couple for a few years, Angie has no claim to her partner’s inheritance. Angie wants to fight but there’s one question left: shall all be well?

18:00 h

Nome

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Sana Na N'Hada

Drama, Krieg, 2023

Language: Guineabissauisches Kreol, Portugiesisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 118 min

Acid Cannes 2023, International Film Festival Rotterdam 2024

GERMAN PREMIERE

Sunday 21 April 2024, 18:00 h, Kino des DFF

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1969. A bloody war of liberation has torn Guinea-Bissau in two. While young men like Nome join the guerrilla troops to fight against Portuguese colonial power, the women stay behind in their villages. The pregnant Nambú must pray for the protection of a nature spirit in order to survive. The fate of a country and the future of its inhabitants are decided between threatening archive recordings and powerful images of the rainforest

18:00 h

Mountains

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Monica Sorelle

Drama, 2023

Language: Englisch, Kreyòl, Spanisch mit englischen Untertiteln

Language Version: OV with English Subs

Playtime: 95 min

Tribeca Film Festival 2023, Toronto International Film Festival

Sunday 21 April 2024, 18:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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The dutiful demolition worker Xavier has one big dream: leave the old house in Miami’s Haitian quarter where he lives with his wife Esperance and their son Junior. Their new home shall be larger and more luxurious. But as his own employer's wrecking ball comes closer and closer to the family's old home, the consequences of gentrification becomes noticeable and Xavier's loyalty is put to the test. In her feature film debut, director Monica Sorelle creates a unique and lively study of Little Haiti and at the same time sets a style-defining mark for a new era of American indie film.

International Film Program 2024

Section

Country

Language

language version

WED, 17. Apr

THU, 18. Apr

FRI, 19. Apr

SAT, 20. Apr

SUN, 21. Apr

International Film Program 2024

Section

Country

Language

language version

WED, 17. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

THU, 18. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

FRI, 19. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

SAT, 20. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

SUN, 21. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

WED, 17. Apr

THU, 18. Apr

FRI, 19. Apr

SAT, 20. Apr

SUN, 21. Apr