European 2024 Archives - Page 3 of 5

Warm Film

Two young Serbian actors get an offer to play in a gay movie with daring sex scenes. They are torn between the need to make a living and be famous and the fear of being notoriously labelled. The two begin to research how this subject was treated throughout the history of Serbian, and before that, Yugoslavian, cinema. What was the meaning of queer representation on screen?
“Warm Film” is a fascinating and surprising journey through the history of queer cinema in Yugoslavia and post-Yugoslavia region, from the days of the silent movie to the present, especially given the modern rise of nationalism and LGBTphobia in Eastern Europe.

Two of the films discussed in “Warm Film” will be screened during the TLVFest: “Life and Death of a Porno Gang” (2009) and “Marble Ass” (1995).

Sultana’s Dream

Ines is an artiste who travels to India and finds a novel by Begum Rokeya Hossain in a book shop. Begum Rokeya was a Bengali feminist philosopher and writer. Her sci-fi novella “Sultana’s Dream” was published in 1905, and tells of a feminist utopia Ladyland, where women have all the power while men take care of the household. Ines, inspired by the novel, searches for a place where women can live peacefully, away from the world of men.

Short film director Isabel Herguera in her first feature film, with three distinctive animation styles: Begum Rokeya story is told through shadow animation, Ines’ journey is depicted with water colors and Ladyland is designed using traditional Mehndi prints.
The result, interlaced with traditional Indian music, is breathtaking and inspiring.

Courtesy of The Hive Distribution

Gondola

In the mountains of west Georgia, a rural community relies on a pair of cable cars that connect two sides of a steep valley. Iva returns to her home village following the death of a relative and takes up a job operating one of the cable car gondolas. She forms a long distance friendship with Nina, the operator of the other gondola. In time, those aerial meetings turn to naughty flirting between the two young women and then deepen into love.
This strange romance is wordless, but has a very unique and original cinematic vision from writer/director Veit Helmer. It is a delightful piece, very visually pleasing, full of fun and charming cinematic ideas. 82 minutes with no dialogue but with a lot of love for the art of cinema as well as its two wonderful heroines. In “Gondola” love truly floats between heaven and earth, and it is simply a film of pure fun.

In association with the Embassy of Germany

Sad Jokes

Like in his debut film “Bones and Names”, director Fabian Stumm manages in his new film to delicately and with very intelligent humor describe modern family structures and all the absurd complexities that life can provide.
Joseph and Sonya share a lifelong friendship and raise a child together. While Joseph, a film director, is busy with his next cinematic project, Sonya suffers from mental illness and struggles with hospitalization. Joseph must juggle between his everyday chores, his artistic aspirations and trying to hook up with a nude model.
Fabian Stumm wrote a wonderful and contemporary script about the turbulence of life and unexpected challenges that might grind you down. “Sad Jokes” is a quietly comic film that manages to touch on complex issues and do that in a smart and entertaining manner.
The film includes guest stars Knut Berger (“Walk on Water”) as the nude model and esteemed German actor/director Sebastian Schipper as himself.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque, 3.11, 20:15

In association with the Embassy of Germany

Winter Boy

Christophe Honoré’s (“Dans Paris”, “Love Songs”, “Man at Bath”) new film is an autobiography, and for the first time brings the director’s story to the big screen.

Lucas (Paul Kircher) is going to a boarding school, far from the small town where his parents live, and has a boyfriend, a fellow student. Lucas has endless joie de vivre and he can’t wait to graduate and join Quentin (Vincent Lacoste), his older brother, in Paris. A sudden tragedy turns Luca’s world upside down and everything he took for granted is suddenly taken from him. Lucas is filled with sadness and despair, lost in his own pain. His mother Isabelle (Juliette Binoche, in a very moving role) doesn’t really know how to help her youngest son. Lucas joins his older brother in Paris, but Quentin is not emotionally available to support his young sibling, and so 17 years old Lucas has to find his own path, looking for solace in the cold wintery Paris, through dating apps and problematic sexual encounters.
Paul Kircher is perfect as Lucas, a blunt young man who cannot express, contain or release the enormous pain he’s carrying. His scenes with Juliette Binoche create intense and heartfelt complexity.
“Winter boy” gives us an intimate glimpse into the world of a teenager on the cusp of adulthood and the journey of that boy to try and find his way back to hope.

All of Us Strangers

One night, in an almost empty apartment tower in current London, Adam (Andrew Scott) has a random meeting with a curious neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal), a meeting that brings life to his daily routine. When a relationship starts to develop between them, Adam is drawn to the memories of his past and finds himself returning to the working-class town where he grew up in and his childhood home where his parents lived. To his immense surprise, his long deceased parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy), still live in the house and look exactly as they did 30 years ago.

Directed by Andrew Haigh (“45 years”, “Weekend”).

The movie is also available on Disney Plus

The Favourite

Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion.

The movie is also available on Disney Plus

OUT

Tom and Ajani have been a couple since they were in high school. They yearn for a life outside their small rural community in the Netherlands and the solution is Amsterdam, where the queer scene is lively and they can both live their dreams. Tom is planning to study films and become a director and Ajani discovers the nightlife, makes new friends and maybe finds a new identity. Both are destined to ask themselves for the first time who they really are and how they fit in the world, or even with one another.
In his debut film, director Dennis Alink gives us a thrilling glimpse into the world of young queer folk today who are on a journey of self discovery that is unapologetic, full of life and heartbreaking all at the same time. The film is shot in a stylish black-and-white cinematography that brings to mind classic films about coming-of-age, such as Peter Bogdanovich’ “The Last Picture Show” and Gus Van Sant’s “Mala Noche”.

Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sexual content and drug use.

Courtesy of PrideTV

Trans Memoria

Victoria examines her past in order to understand her gender affirming process and what it is that defines her as a woman.
After losing her best friend Meryl, with whom she went through transition, she shares the pain with Athena and Aamina, who are both in the process of transitioning themselves. Together, the three women explore who they were before and who they are today, listening to the ghosts of the past, the giggles of today and the whispers of the future.
“Trans Memoria” is a personal, honest and deep piece that deals with the results of losing someone close and with life itself through the transgender experience. Heroines’ journey goes through Thailand and France, old video diaries, and illuminates the friendship of three women with unique internal lives.

In association with the Embassy of Sweden

Three Kilometres to the End of the World

17 years old Adi, who is in love with a male student from Bucharest, comes to spend the summer in his small and traditional home village on the bank of the Danube river. After a violent attack one night, Adi’s world is turned upside down, when his parents seem to prefer their religion and monetary interests over him, and the villagers and the authorities justify his attackers.

“Three Kilometres to the End of the World” is directed by Emanuel Parvu, who is part of Romania’s New Wave, that is characterized by realistic, fascinating and well acted cinema. The film, which won the Queer Palm Award at Cannes, is a sharp and intelligent drama about family, corruption, courage and identity.
This is Romania’s nominee for the 2025 Academy Awards.

Please note: the film contains violence and depiction of non-consensual conversion therapy.

In association with the Embassy of Romania

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European 2024

Warm Film

Sultana’s Dream

Gondola

Sad Jokes

Winter Boy

All of Us Strangers

The Favourite

OUT

Trans Memoria

Three Kilometres to the End of the World

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