Luminous

    • set 23 items

    The Luminous section presents 24 titles and a wide spectrum of stylistic approaches: from cinéma vérité to experimental; from artist-driven works to socio-politically engaged films. Together, they claim the personal as a window onto the universal. Explore the titles below.

    Selected for Luminous

    Art Talent Show

    • Adéla Komrzý, Tomas Bojar
    • 2022

      An award-winning documentary taking a humorous look at the entrance exams at the Prague art academy, held under the watchful eye of the receptionist. How do you apply a selection procedure to something as subjective as art?

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      Aurora

      • Masume Samereh Rezaei, Hossein Hosseini
      • 2022

        For the second time in his life, rabab maker Gholam Nabi experiences the Taliban’s occupation of Afghanistan. Will he once again choose to only hear the sound of this musical instrument—so linked to his country’s soul—in secret, or is it time to leave?

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        Between Father and Son

        • Ronin Hsu
        • 2022

          A patient family portrait in black-and-white, featuring an elderly father, who lives with his wife in the Chinese countryside, and their alcoholic son, who lives in the city. At his parents’ home, his isolation becomes tangible.

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          Blue ID

          • Burcu Melekoglu, Vuslat Karan
          • 2022

            An intimate report on the transition of the former actress Rüzgar Erkoçlar, who has to go through his journey of self-realization under media scrutiny in the traditional society of Turkey.

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            Dear Mother, I Meant to Write About Death

            • Siyi Chen
            • 2022

              Why did her mother not reveal that she had cancer? This is just the first of many questions the filmmaker has in this tender feature-length debut where mother and child explore their relationships—with illness, death and each other.

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              From the Other Shore

              • Maher Abi Samra
              • 2022

                Sylvana and Mohammed, both from Lebanon, like to go for walks together. She is in a wheelchair, he is blind; as he pushes her, she guides the way. They discuss the obstacles they face on a daily basis, which are physical, but above all societal.

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                Guapo’y

                • Sofia Paoli Thorne
                • 2022

                  Celsa looks back on her time as a political prisoner during the brutal regime of Alfredo Stroessner in Paraguay (1954-1989). Traumatic memories are reawakened when what may be the remains of her murdered husband are found.

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                  Inside My Heart

                  • Saskia Boddeke
                  • 2022

                    The boundaries between the rehearsal process and the performance of a piece are blurred in this colorful and elaborate film about the Kamak theater group, a professional ensemble for actors with intellectual disabilities.

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                    Kam Loo Tsui

                    • Pang-Chuan Huang, Chunni Lin
                    • 2021

                      The life-size nude statue “Kam-lōo-tsuí” survived the war and the White Terror period in a factory warehouse belonging to the family of an art-loving clinician. His sons now reminisce about their lives with the artwork, as at last it is restored.

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                      Loving Martha

                      • Daniela López
                      • 2022

                        Daniela López aims her camera at members of her own family—at her grandmother Martha, who escaped a violent marriage after 39 years, and at the rest of the family, who is struggling not only with that trauma but also with the film project itself.

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                        Malavoune Tango

                        • Jean-Marc Lacaze
                        • 2022

                          On Mayotte, the only French island in the Comoros, a group of outlawed young men lead their lives in the shadows, with nothing to rely on but their dogs. An empathetic portrait of a lost existence, both rough and tender.

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                          Mom

                          • Xun Sero
                          • 2022

                            Mexican filmmaker Xun Sero questions his mother about her life as a Tzotzil woman. The answers reveal a strong woman who has managed to create a place for herself within a patriarchal society.

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                            The Northeast Winds

                            • Nikoloz Bezhanishvili
                            • 2022

                              Local Stalinists resist when the statue of Stalin in Gori, the dictator’s birthplace, is torn down. But immersed in nostalgia and ideology, they fail to see that the world has irrevocably changed.

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                              Petit Taxi

                              • Samy Sidali
                              • 2021

                                A documentary view of taxi driver Oussama as he crisscrosses Casablanca in his compact cab taking passengers to their destinations. His lively conversations with his customers reveal a potpourri of the city.

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                                Polish Prayers

                                • Hana Nobis
                                • 2022

                                  As a traditional Catholic, the young Antek holds deeply conservative views: homosexuality can be cured, Poland is for the Poles, abortion is evil, and sex before marriage is forbidden. Until he falls in love, and doubt begins to set in.

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                                  Shangri-La, Paradise Under Construction

                                  • Mirka Duijn, Nina Spiering
                                  • 2022

                                    The earthly paradise of Shangri-La was invented by James Hilton for his 1933 novel Lost Horizon. But it was rediscovered two decades ago—that’s what local authorities claim, at least. This playful investigative film unpacks all the myths and tales.

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                                    Sisterhood

                                    • Mohamed James Sessy Kamara
                                    • 2022

                                      A vibrant and richly emotional portrait of spirited twin sisters Husai and Hassi. They have decided to leave Sierra Leone to seek work in the Middle East. But how can they persuade their mother that’s a good idea?

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                                      The Soiled Doves of Tijuana

                                      • Jean-Charles Hue
                                      • 2022

                                        Whether they’re all dressed up and in full make-up, or looking like the Virgin Mary, the inhabitants of the red light district of Tijuana, Mexico, live in a world of their own. Zona Norte is their home, but their minds are always elsewhere.

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                                        Stuntwomen

                                        • Elena Avdija
                                        • 2022

                                          Stuntwomen Virginie, Petra and Estelle are regularly thrown down stairs, hit by cars or beaten up on film sets. Usually they play the victim, while men are the heroes. Where are the roles for action heroines?

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                                          Transactions

                                          • Rumbi Katedza
                                          • 2022

                                            Frank, Miles and Portia have left Zimbabwe, but often send money to the families they have left behind. They discuss the financial support via group chats and video calls—because they are short of money themselves.

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                                            Uncanny Me

                                            • Katharina Pethke
                                            • 2022

                                              Photo model Lale creates the illusion of perfection, but there’s almost no space left for the real Lale. Should she risk having a digital copy of herself made? Documentary meets science fiction in a mirror of our times.

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                                              Walls That Scream

                                              • Evi Cats
                                              • 2022

                                                Two years after the death of a resident of the disadvantaged Cureghem quarter in Brussels, the graffiti still cries out for justice. The district is changing, but the improvements aren’t intended for the current residents.

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                                                When Spring Came to Bucha

                                                • Mila Teshaieva, Marcus Lenz
                                                • 2022

                                                  A touching documentary on the personal impact of the Russian occupation of the Bucha region in March 2022. Traumatized locals and volunteers try to restore life from the ruins, while the war is still present in cities that have suffered heavy attacks.

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