KATHARSIS(2023)

Hisser(en)

The story told in Hisser was inspired by a true occurrence. In 2013, a young man in Florida was literally "swallowed up by the earth" when a cesspool suddenly opened up under his bedroom. The film's main setting is a bedroom by night. From the way it was shot, the viewer has the feeling of peering into an abandoned life-size dollhouse. Other sequences show close-up views of a young man lying on a bed with a tormented look on his face or cowering in a corner. The scene is accompanied by an exaggeratedly romantic song whose refrain – "It took me so long to get my feet back off the ground" – alludes to the loss of a loved one and a sense of abysmal loneliness. The song's emotionality contrasts starkly with the artificiality of the scene. The boundary between reproduction and reality grows fluid, and the virtuality – which the artist has carried to a near- perfect extreme – begins to crumble in view of the protagonist's physical and emotional frailty.

I'm Feeling Sad Today, But I'll See Her Again Soon.(es)

A girl who's living abroad, alone for the first time, misses her cat.

War Pony(en)

The interlocking stories of two Lakota boys growing up on Pine Ridge Reservation. At 23, Bill just wants to make something of himself. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho can’t wait to become a man. Bound by their shared search for belonging, each of the boys grapple with identity, family, and loss, as they navigate their unique paths to manhood.

Remnants(fr)

Zoe and her younger brother deal with the remnants of a drunken evening at their family cottage. They must clean-up a catastrophic mess and attempt to piece together yesterday's events before their mother's return, and as the clean-up revives memories from last night, the sibling face the truth behind the chaos.

Aline(fr)

Alban lives in a ski resort with his mother. Each night, the teenager slips away to meet up with Julien – this boy who curiously has the same name as the hero of the novel Alban is devouring.

Bare-assed Japan(ja)

Taro, who recently graduated from high school, doesn't know what he wants to do. He rents a house and plot of land in the country-side determined to make a living in agriculture. His expectation is great as the girl he likes, Yoko, will also go with him, but his father, recently laid off by his company's down-sizing, is also tagging along and so begins the the trio's strange life in the country. Set at a solitary house in the middle of the desolate, country-side, the relaxed tempo and off-hand humor are impressive despite the themes of parent-progeny conflict and reconciliation that unfold in the film.

Saudade(es)

X(en)

A brief encounter causes one man to reflect on the monumental impact that an 'ex' has had on his life...but whilst living with a broken heart & a cynical worldview, can the man rediscover his once sentimental soul and reconnect with the notion that “all you need is love”?

Chrysalis(en)

Joshua and Penelope are survivors of a deadly infection that laid waste to humanity 25 years ago. When they encounter fellow survivor Abira, their lives are forever changed as they fight off the remnants of the infected.

The Sleeping Shepherd(en)

The world's greatest art thief collects almost two-billion dollars in masters only to have his mother burn them all in the family backyard.

Love You More(en)

Two teenagers are drawn together by the Buzzcocks' single 'Love You More' during the summer of 1978.

Green Chair(ko)

When she falls in love with a handsome minor, a South Korean housewife finds herself at the center of a sexual scandal and hounded by hungry tabloid journalists. She vows to cut him out of her life but then he reaches the age of legal consent.

Vision Quest(en)

After deciding he needs to do something meaningful with his life, high school wrestler Louden Swain sets out on a mission to drop weight and challenge the area's undefeated champion, which creates problems with his teammates and health. Matters are complicated further when Louden's father takes in an attractive female drifter who's on her way to San Francisco.

1981(fr)

Filmmaker Ricardo Trogi recalls the events surrounding his family moving to a new neighborhood when he was 11 years old.

Living at 100 miles an hour(fr)

Louis, Éric and Daniel are inseparable. They are young, reckless and live at 100 miles an hour. Quickly, children's games take the path of small, disorganized crime. Their friendship will be put to the test. A tender and offbeat look at the turbulent and intoxicating period of the transition to adulthood, with the city of Quebec and its 1970s and 1980s as a backdrop.

A Ship of Human Skin(en)

A gothic tale of mysticism and violent crime. Two women go out into the fringe of rural culture to seek a revelation. They get trapped in a fierce place, and one murders a man with an ax after she has a vision that he is an evil thing.

Lolita ou le Bréviaire des Simulacres(fr)

Sweetheart(en)

A socially awkward, environmentally-conscious teenager named AJ is dragged to a coastal holiday park by her painfully 'normal' family, where she becomes unexpectedly captivated by a chlorine smelling, sun-loving lifeguard named Isla.

Reinventing Marvin(fr)

Telling the true story of Marvin Bijou, a young boy from a working-class family in a small village, who suffers constant bullying at school and home for being ‘different’ – too sensitive and too feminine. A chance encounter with a drama teacher opens the doors to a world that offers him the chance to escape his situation.

Lust for Life(en)

An intense and imaginative artist, revered Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh possesses undeniable talent, but he is plagued by mental problems and frustrations with failure. Supported by his brother, Theo, the tormented Van Gogh eventually leaves Holland for France, where he meets volatile fellow painter Paul Gauguin and struggles to find greater inspiration.