Illuminated Texts(1982)

Lamentations: A Monument for the Dead World(en)

Lamentations: A Monument to the Dead World belongs to a 35-hour film cycle, The Book of All the Dead, which comprises the bulk of Toronto-based Bruce Elder’s filmmaking from 1975 to 1994. In ancient Egyptian culture, the Book of the Dead consisted of religious texts intended to help preserve the spirit of the departed in the afterlife — but in Elder’s reading, that comforting idea of continuity takes on a rather darker cast. Lamentations is comprised of a complex audio and visual patchwork: a philosophical meditation superimposed as text throughout the film; vignettes featuring a comical but disturbing Franz Liszt, a debate between Isaac Newton and George Berkeley, an angry, deranged man in an alley, and an arrogant psychiatrist; and a final search for salvation in the forests of British Columbia, the American Southwest, and Mexico’s Yucatan.

Brutal Ardour(es)

Boy meets girl (or vice versa) and they predictably fall in love to follow the canons of the strictest convention.

Mustard Fields(en)

Peter loves nature, especially during summer. Known for his sense of humor, he enjoys the warmth and long days of the season. One day, his friend Lisa suggested a trip to the mustard fields in Alton, Hampshire. The two decided to go, and when they arrived, they were greeted by the stunning sight of blooming yellow mustard flowers. The fields were bright and beautiful, a perfect summer scene. This is the story of Peter and Lisa's visit to the mustard fields.

Return Return Return(es)

Forest(en)

Short film built from photographs, sped up like a traditional stop motion and is meant to be an evocation of the English Eerie and Folk Horror.

Marcello Mio(fr)

Pressured from all sides by the figure of her father, Chiara Mastroianni decides to bring him back to life through her own self. She goes by the name of Marcello, dresses like him and asks to now be considered an actor, not an actress. The people around her believe this to be a temporary joke, but Chiara is determined not to give up her new identity…

Only Three Nights(ru)

The love story in the remote village. Lyuba has a child, Nikolai has a wife. Nikolay, having become a projectionist, now, once a week, brings cinema to the village of Babino, where Lyuba lives. Once they loved each other, but Nikolai, unexpectedly for everyone, married another and since then tried not to be in this village. And now feelings have surged again, and both are unable to resist this love.

The Painter(en)

An ex-CIA operative is thrown back into a dangerous world when a mysterious woman from his past resurfaces. Now exposed and targeted by a relentless killer and a rogue black ops program, he must rely on skills he thought he left behind in a high-stakes game of survival.

A Day of Happiness(ru)

As a rule, a person’s life is a swimming flowing from one to another. Radically changes the direction of this size. In an ambulance, he was riding a bus and met a beautiful stranger. They turned out to be Alexandra Nikolaevna, he - Alexander Nikolaevich, lost in the crowd. The outstanding geophysicist, the husband of Alexandra Nikolaevna, did not go on another expedition, stayed at home with his wife, arranged for himself “a day of happiness,” and lost his job ...

Michael Lives Alone(en)

A young photographer's home is haunted by it's former residents.

Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara(hi)

Once known for his intellectual prowess, a retired professor (Anupam Kher) begins experiencing memory gaps and periods of forgetfulness. But while he tries to laugh it off, it soon becomes clear that the symptoms are a sign of a more serious illness, prompting his grown daughter (Urmila Matondkar) to move in as his caretaker. Meanwhile, as his mind regresses, he recalls a traumatic childhood memory involving the death of Mahatma Gandhi.

Nostalgia(en)

A young college student is given a disturbing ultimatum when a dark secret from his past is resurrected.

The Girl I Want(en)

A brainy girl turns bimbo and a football star turns brainy in order to attract each other's attention, only to discover that they liked each other the way they were in the first place.

Python 2(en)

A man, his business partner, and his wife are enlisted to transport an unknown object from a Russian military base, only to discover that the object is a giant, genetically-altered python.

Q(ja)

Seven men and women caught in a strange death game are forced to survive!

The Main Event(en)

A bankrupt entrepreneur attempts to recoup some of her losses by getting a washed-out boxer she picked up as a tax loss back into the ring — an idea her protégé isn't fond of.

OVERLOAD(de)

Overwhelmed student Shido is looking for a way out of his impending burnout. By chance, he meets Roy, who is offering a tutoring session. Although Shido is the only one who signed up, Roy's unconventional approach helps him progress, while Roy's story catches up with him.

So They Say(en)

Set in 1985 and the present day, the film explores and reflects on the often forgotten histories of black and brown community struggle in East London. The legacy of community and activist group, Newham Monitoring Project is spotlighted.