Volubilis

Faouzi Bensaïdi : 2017

A tale of love in a world of despair, of beauty among the ruins. In the Moroccan city of Meknès, recently married Abdelkader and Malika struggle to make ends meet. He works as a shopping mall security guard, she as a housemaid. They dream of leaving the family house and finally starting a life of their own together. But one day at work, Abdelkader gets mixed up in a violent incident that will turn their lives upside down. The drama contrasts a poor but deeply in love young couple with the rich but inhumane and hypocritical upper class. Abdelkader suffers violence only because he is part of the powerless working class, and the corrupt law and government tramples on the weak as though only natural. A powerful criticism about injustice and discrimination in Morocco. Faouzi Bensaïdi's feature premiered in competition at Venice Days 2017.

Burning Mountains That Spew Flame

Samuel M Delgado & Helena Girón : 2016
Montañas arditens que vomitan fuego

Out in the open, on a mysterious volcanic island, a goatherd is tending his flock. The island's black rock, however, hides the murky depths of a cave complex, as well as shafts that formed in the course of volcanic activity. In these bowels of the earth, which served as a refuge for the resistance during the war but still welcome any lost soul, time has stopped. The enchanting magic of the place exists out of time and geographical location, yet the heart of the island quietly whispers a testimony of local history and mythology. Samuel M Delgado and Helena Girón's short premiered in the Imagina section at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2017.

Waiting for Ana

Giorgi Mukhadze : 2016
Anas molodinshi

Their mother's death becomes the pretext for long-estranged siblings to reconnect. They lead different lives, so much so that they find it hard to communicate. If they could live quietly together in one apartment they might find their way back to each other, but the constant interruption of grieving rituals and mourning relatives makes this impossible. Then something seemingly insignificant from the past helps them break down the barrier dividing them, and they remember how it was when each other's presence brought them joy. Giorgi Mukhadze's short had its international premiere in the Future Frames section at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2017.

Breaking News

Iulia Rugină : 2017

Following the tragic death of his cameraman, TV reporter Alex Mazilu is assigned the difficult task of shooting a video obituary in a small town on the Black Sea coast. He himself needs time to physically and mentally recuperate and to deal with his guilt over the fact that he alone came out of the accident alive. But instead of resting, he sets out to investigate his colleague's private life. The only member of the family willing to help is Simona, the deceased's 15-year-old daughter, whose relationship to her father was more than complicated. During three pre-Christmas days, Alex becomes an involuntary witness to the girl's struggle to come to terms with the loss of her father. At the same time he discovers that he didn't really know the man he saw every day at work, although he was convinced of the contrary. Iulia Rugină's feature premiered in competition at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2017.

The Stone

Orhan Eskiköy : 2017
Taş

Over the centuries, the inhabitants of a remote village have created an intimate bond with the infertile soil, and their modest dwellings seem to merge into the ubiquitous stone and ruins. The old stone walls whisper secret wishes and wait for a miracle or at least a spark of hope. The walls confide their prayers to Emete, and soon afterwards she reconnects with her missing son Hasan after an absence of years. Or does she merely succumb to strong desire and begin to see her son in the face of the stranger to whom she offers shelter? The sinister Officer, however, also arrives in the village bent on taking the runaway back, otherwise he'll deprive the villagers of the one thing they hold dear – stone. Bordering on archetype, the story speaks in mysterious allusions, leaving the viewer – fascinated by a region whose forbidding nature is entwined with reassuring myths – to wander uncertainly through the meanders of blind faith, self-deception, and real hope. Orhan Eskiköy's feature premiered at İstanbul Film Festival 2017, and had its international premiere in competition in the East of the West section at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2017.