This Sorry Life

Ukabu(ja)

Unclenching the Fists(os)

In a former mining town in North Ossetia, a young woman struggles to escape the stifling hold of the family she loves as much as she rejects.

Lessons in Red(en)

When a junior high student in 1963 suspects his teacher of being a communist, he investigates the truth to gain approval from his father.

The Male Gaze: First Kiss(en)

The Male Gaze is a new series of releases from New Queer Visions that showcases short LGBTQ films from across the world. The first instalment, First Kiss, brings together five shorts that are based around men experiencing romantic and/or sexual interaction with other men for the first time. It takes in films from Sweden, Indonesia, USA, Australia and France giving a rounded look at how similar experiences are depicted across the world. The films are: Naked [Naken] (2013); Pria (2017); Walk With Me (2018), One Night Only (2018); Michel's Mouse [Tapette] (2016).

Gone West(en)

It's been one year since teenage boy Xander was dealt a sudden and tragic loss. Now he must confront the people from his life he has since pushed away.

Modified Apocalypse(en)

Apocalypse now re-interpreted

Turning Ten(ar)

A ten minute wait in a medical clinic forces a young mother and her daughter to collude together at a pivotal point in time that will shape both their lives together.

The American(en)

Dispatched to a small Italian town to await further orders, assassin Jack embarks on a double life that may be more relaxing than is good for him.

Pashi(hi)

When his mom’s handsome friend unexpectedly shows up in the village, Ashish, a teenage boy living in a remote area of Himachal Pradesh, is swept in a whirlwind of desire and vivid fantasy. As he struggles to rein in his strong impulses, he learns about “pashi”, an ancient technique of trapping birds, and begins to practice it.

Portrait of Four Beauties(zh)

Four sisters, each with their different characters, embark on their separate roads to romance. Elder sister has vast experience of romance; second sister is predisposed to vampiness and wantonness; third sister is righteous and of noble character; fourth sister is just reaching puberty and experiencing the pangs of first love. Being sentimental, flirtatious and amorous, the four sisters form a backdrop conducive to songs and tripping the light fantastic.

New Queer Visions: The Last Days of Innocence(en)

When adulthood looms, naivety fades, and a whole new, strange world opens up. These four beguiling European stories, from acclaimed film festivals the world over, explore these years of youthful wonder with a deftness and artistry that lingers. The short films are: Ruins [Ruines] (2019); Aline (2019); Snake [Змија] (2020); The Touching [Dotýkání] (2020).

The Playground(fr)

After years of traveling, Anyas parents have decided to return from Australia to their native France, and she has to attend a public school for the first time in her life. But normal everyday school life quickly causes problems for the girl. On the first day, she gets a shot with a soccer ball on the head. When no one wants to apologize for this, a violent argument immediately ensues. So she messed it up with the locals right from the start. Anya becomes an outsider, which doesn't even really bother her. But Zoé, Nils and Jade, who are also a bit different, take care of her. A new clique is formed. But the pretty outsider would prefer to be friends with Nathan, the school director's son. But he gives her the cold shoulder because it wouldn't be cool to be interested in girls in front of his buddies. Meanwhile, the girls hatch a plan to win their place in the schoolyard. A real fight ensues between the students. Now it's girls against boys. But how far can a dispute between children go?

Lys(de)

Teenage girl Lys is discovered inside the reactor of the newly build TERRA Power Plant and finds she is developing special powers that connect her to the energy of all living things.

Finally Home(en)

Raised in the South African township of Zamelda, Johannes 'JoJo' Radebe faced prejudice as a young boy who was captivated by dance – and Barbies… rather than football and rugby, as was the norm among his peers. With the support of his mother, sister, and a dance coach who spotted his gift, he became a champion ballroom dancer and popular celebrity. Having been one of the professional dancers on the South African Strictly Come Dancing, he has appeared on the British version of the show since 2018.

Tits(no)

After an argument, best friends Jasmine and Iben loose the sight of each other at the beach. Jasmine meets up with the girls. Iben hooks up with Jonas, the boy she is crazy about. Later on, the seemingly shy boy Oscar has an unpleasant run in with Iben. When both of them are left behind by their friends, one of them makes a friendly gesture and they soon realise that they are dealing with similar issues. The summer night doesn’t turn out like they had expected but leads to an experience that might be the beginning of an unexpected relationship.

Carlito Leaves Forever(es)

In the Amazonian jungle, the village of Palma Real resists the modern world. Carlito, a silent young man, decides to leave. On the muddy bed of the immense river, an encounter reveals the secret that Carlito has hidden from his community.

Sin & Illy still alive(de)

Sin and Illy have a plan: on a Greek island they want to get 'clean' on their own. But the intention of the two girls fails already on the way to the airport. Finally Sin realizes she has to go the way out of heroin addiction all alone.

My Hair Is Mine(tl)

Akin Ang Buhok Ko follows the story of Juan, a 9-year-old kid, who simply wants to keep his long hair against the wishes of the adults around him. When his father finds out that Juan skips classes to evade a mandatory haircut in school, he promises to cut his child’s hair himself. All the while, Juan, together with his best friend, devises a plan to escape their homes.

Solitude Ability(ja)

Aki is an adolescent who is still unsure of their identity. When Aki moves to a new school, they meet and begin to spend time with Kiita. As the two spend time together, Aki eventually comes to terms with the feelings that have been building up in their mind like stagnation.

Biology!(de)

A small town shortly before the end of the GDR: 15-year-old Ulla lives with her mother in a dilapidated old building where not even the electricity works properly. Economy of scarcity and national bankruptcy are visible everywhere. Only higher party comrades live in the lap of luxury. When Ulla meets Winfried after a summer bathing trip, the two fall in love. Winfried is the son of an influential general director and owns things from West Germany that others only dream of: a computer, a games console, a walkman. On an excursion with her biology class, the high school student discovers that a dacha is being built in the middle of the nature reserve and the creek has been dammed. Winfried's father turns out to be the culprit, but the mayor is on his side. Ulla rebels against this environmental destruction connected to political corruption and organizes a protest. Her activism not only endangers her own future, but also her first great love.