European 2024 Archives - Page 5 of 6

To Live, to Die, to Live Again

Renowned French director Gaël Morel’s new beautiful and moving film had its World Premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Victor Belmondo (“Lie with Me”) and Théo Christine (“My Best Part”) star in a moving and surprising drama that brings a complicated love triangle to the big screen.
Emma loves Sammy, who also loves Cyril, who loves him back. What starts as a non-conventional threesome in the early 90’s, takes a turn with the rise of the AIDS pandemic and with it an unexpected twist that will change the lives of all three, and will lead them to face a new world full of challenges and fears.
The film also features gay icon Amanda Lear.

Gaël Morel was TLVFest’s guest in 2012 with his film “Our Paradise”.

In association with the Embassy of France

Block Pass

A breathtaking drama that was shown during the Critics Week at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Queer Palm award.
Director Antoine Chevrollier’s first full length feature explores masculinity and sexuality in rural France, and particularly in Longué-Jumelles, the director’s home town, where the film was shot.
Willy and Jojo are best friends, sharing a joint passion for motorcycles. Jojo is a motorcycle racing driver on the way to become famous in the scene and Willy is there to help him live his dream.
When a secret from Jojo’s past is revealed, his fast track to fame crumbles. The two friends embark on a self discovery journey neither of them wanted.
Young stars of the film, Amaury Foucher and Sayyid El Alami, present impressive, authentic and brave performances.

Contains depictions of homophobia and self harm.

In association with the Embassy of France

The Substance

“Have you ever dreamt of a better version of you? You, only better in every way possible. Seriously, you have to try this product. It’s called ‘The Substance’. It changed my life! It creates a different “you”, newer, younger, prettier, more perfect. There’s only one rule – you share time. One week for you, one week for her. Perfect balance, easy, right? If you respect the balance, what could possibly go wrong?”

“The Substance” which had taken this year’s Cannes Film Festival by storm and got 11 minutes of standing ovations, gives one of Hollywood’s beloved veterans Demi Moore (“Indecent Proposal”, “Ghost”, “A Few Good Men”) one of her best roles, with high chances of getting an Oscar nomination. The film won its director Coralie Fargeat the script award at the Cannes Film Festival and helped cement her status as a groundbreaking filmmaker. Get ready for an unbelievable, wild and funny film you will not stop talking about.

In association with the Embassy of France

Emilia Pérez

The new and much talked about musical crime drama by director Jacques Audiard (“Rust and Bone”, “A Prophet” “The Beat That My Heart Skipped”) which premiered at the last Cannes Film Festival to standing ovations. This film earned its amazing cast a joint award and the Judges Choice main award. This is the film that introduced to the world one of the best cinematic newcomers of recent years – transgender actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who takes over the screen and the viewers hearts with an unforgettable performance.

Zoe Saldaña (“Avatar”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”) is Rita, a frustrated lawyer who works for a big and corrupt company. One day she gets a chance to change her life – a one-on-one meeting with the head of one of the cruelest cartels in Mexico. To her immense surprise the man asks her to help him realize his dream – to undergo a gender affirming procedure and start a new life as a woman under the name of Emilia Pérez.
Other cast members include one of todays’ biggest stars as the cartel head’s wife, Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”) and the Israeli actor Mark Ivanir.
This is a film that you will not forget.

In association with the Embassy of France

What a Feeling

Marie Theres, a successful doctor has some very special plans for her 20th anniversary with her husband Alexander, but he has a completely different idea. He’s about to break up with her that very evening. Alexander wants to be happier, freer and doesn’t want Marie Theres in his life anymore. As a result of this very unpleasant turn, Marie Theres will do what every logical woman might do when everything in her life goes completely wrong: she goes drinking in a lesbian bar. There she meets Fa, who lives in order to enjoy life and prefers non committal relationships. After a night of heavy drinking Fa took Marie Theres home, but Marie Theres cannot remember if they’ve done “anything”.
Two women in their 40s, seemingly completely unrelated to each other, but new feelings make them rethink, is this love? The result is a heartwarming comedy that will make you believe again in love.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque, 1.11, 18:30

In association with the Austrian Cultural Forum

Lesvia

Since the 70’s lesbians from all over the world have been drawn to the island of Lesbos, the birthplace of the famous ancient Greek poet Sappho. They find refuge on the wild beaches that are void of tourists, next to small traditional fishermen villages. The women create their own environment that does not align with the conservative mind set of the nearby villagers and brings forth tensions. Some lesbians decide to relocate to the village and start a new community, hotels and businesses that cater to the lesbian crowd, which makes the locals feel like their home had been invaded and turned upside down.
Filmmaker Tzeli Hadjidimitriou, a Lesbos native and a lesbian herself, directed an immersive experience about 40 years of love, community, conflict and gentrification.

1.11 – An introduction by Dr. Amal Ziv

In association with the European Union

Lesbian International Mix 1

Duration 95 min

Opening Ceremony & “The Belle from Gaza

.
Opening Ceremony of the 19th TLVFest: The Tel-Aviv International LGBTQ+ Film Festival

19:30 – Cocktail sponsored by

20:30 – Opening Ceremony with performance by Galina Port de Bras
& TLVFest Honorary Awards.
Afterwards, screening with the Lead Actresses in attendance.

.
During the filming of her previous movie, director Yolande Zauberman heard a story of a young transgender woman who fled from Gazza after death threats based on her gender identity and came to Tel Aviv to live as her true self. Several years later Yolande Zauberman returns to Tel Aviv to look for her. While searching for the mysterious young woman she meets several Palestinian and Israeli trans women, some doing sex work and some other temp jobs, all of them reaching for their dreams in their own way.
The film “The Belle from Gaza” is a celebratory hymn to women who fight daily on that ever so dangerous line between Gaza and Tel Aviv just so that they could be themselves. “The Belle from Gaza” is a brave cinematic piece that puts a mirror in front of reality and offers images of struggles for self acceptance in a sad reality that is all conflict and oppression.

Two more movies by Yolande Zauberman are screened at the festival.

!Love & Revolution

The year is 1977 and Miguel is going to be the first one in his family to go to university. But Miguel has different dreams: to become a singer and take part in a popular TV competition. He’s exposed to social activists, finds himself doing drag in underground clubs and becomes an activist himself, all this in secret and against the will of his mother Reme, a 50 year-old woman, who works as a seamstress in a luxury suits shop.
In the 70’s homosexuality was still taboo in Spain, the police regularly used violence against the LGBTQ community and being associated with the gay community was an offence that could get you in jail. When Miguel is caught in drag by the police, his conservative mother decides to step up and join Miguel’s friends – other activists from the gay community, to fight the police, the court and the government in order to make Spain a better place.
In his debut film, director Alejandro Marín manages to get into the hearts of his audience with a thrilling and sweeping dramedy on the right to love. A film that is a salute to all those who fought and are still fighting to live in a liberal country with equal rights and no fear.
The film’s original name, “Te estoy amando locamente” (“I love you madly”), refers to the power of mother’s love to her son, and therefore it is also a film that honors all the mothers that support their LGBTQ children, and even if sometimes it’s hard for them, they would fight for their sons and daughters till the end.
The film is based on real events.

In association with the Embassy of Spain & PrideTV

Woman Of…

Set against the landscape of the Polish transformation from communism to capitalism, “Woman Of…” spans 45 years of the life of Aniela Wesoły, who lived more than half of her adult life in a provincial Polish town as a man. Aniela’s journey to find personal liberty as a trans woman reveals hardships in marriage and parenthood, strained family relations and complicated attitudes in her environment, which constantly place her in impossible situations. What choices will Aniela have to make? Will she be ready to sacrifice all to become who she truly is?
.
.

Courtesy of