Films in cycle

Hyenas

(Hyenes, Senegal, 1992)

Directed by: Djibril Diop Mambéty
PHOTOGRAPHY: Matthias Kälin
Synopsis:

There is unbelievable news for the people of Coloban: Linguere Ramatou has become a billionaire and is returning home. Draman Drameh, Linguere’s former lover immediately comes to her. At a big party Linguere Ramatou announces that she will donate a large sum of money to the town if they sacrifice her lover who had betrayed her. Festivals, awards: Cannes, Locarno, New York, Carthage, Brussels Director’s statement: To the question of whether there is any sense in creating a new phenomenon...

35 mm, color, 110 min
PROJECTION:
Monday 06.02.2006 AT 21:15
Saturday 04.02.2006 AT 19:00

Rice People

(Neak sre/Les Gens de la riziére, Kambođža, 1994)

Directed by: Rithy Panh
PHOTOGRAPHY: Jacques Bouquin
Synopsis:

Vong Poeuw and his family’s life, their joys, beliefs and survival follow the rhythm of growing rice. They have little land, the family is big, and the children grow fast. Due to a banal event, their lives cycle takes a tragic turn from the routine. Festivals, awards: Cannes (ecumenical jury’s praise), Singapore (award for the best actress, jury’s special praise), Hawaii (jury’s special award) Director’s statement: Personally, I do not like the director to give out instructions. Sometime...

35 mm, color, 130 min
PROJECTION:
Monday 06.02.2006 AT 19:00
Saturday 04.02.2006 AT 21:00

The Silences of the Palace

(Samt elkusur/Les Silences du palais, Tunisia, 1994)

Directed by: Moufida Tlati
PHOTOGRAPHY: Youssef Ben Youssef
Synopsis:

Twenty-five year old Alia is fed up with singing at weddings. When she gets humiliated at yet another wedding she expresses her disappointment with her life and quietly protests against Lofti, a man that does not want to marry her or let her have a baby even though they have lived together for the last ten years. When Alia receives news of Sid Ali’s death, she returns to her past and decides to look for her father, whom she has never met. Festivals, awards: Cannes (jury’s special award, award...

35 mm, color, 128 min
PROJECTION:
Thursday 09.02.2006 AT 21:00
Wednesday 08.02.2006 AT 19:00

West Beyrouth

(Bejrut al Garbija/West Beyrouth, Lebanon, 1998)

Directed by: Ziad Doueiri
PHOTOGRAPHY: Ricardo Gale
Synopsis:

Civil war breaks out on April 14, 1975 in Beirut. Teenagers Tarek and Omar and a young Christian, May, who has recently moved to the city, live in west Beirut in the Muslim part. Christians mostly live in east Beirut. This geographical division causes rampage in the whole state. Festivals, awards: Cannes (award François Chalais), IMA (Arabian critics’ award, grand prix of the biennale), Toronto (critics’ award), Taipei (jury’s grand prix), Carthage (award for the best debutant), Brussels (au...

35 mm, color, 105 min
PROJECTION:
Thursday 09.02.2006 AT 19:00
Wednesday 08.02.2006 AT 21:15

Moon Father

(Luna Papa, Tajikistan, 1999)

Directed by: Bakhtiyar Khudojnazarov
PHOTOGRAPHY: Martin Gschlacht, Dušan Joksimović, Rostislav Pirumov, Rali Ralchev
Synopsis:

One night a stranger seduces the young Mamlakat Bekmaroudovo. Mamlakat becomes pregnant and the stranger disappears. Her proud father Safar wants to regain respect for his family. Together with Mamlakat and her brother, who has just returned from the war in Afghanistan and has severe psychological trauma, he sets off to look for the stranger. Along the way, they have tragic and comical adventures. Festivals, awards: Venice, Tokyo (award for the best artistic achievement), Nantes (grand prix,...

35 mm, color, 117 min
PROJECTION:
Saturday 11.02.2006 AT 21:00
Friday 10.02.2006 AT 19:00

Ali Zoua: Prince of the Streets

(Ali Zaoua, prince de la rue, Morocco, 2000)

Directed by: Nabil Ayouch
PHOTOGRAPHY: Vincent Mathias
Synopsis:

Ali, Kwika, Omar and Boubker are street children. In spite of their hard lives they are faithful friends. Ali dies as a victim of a street gang war. His friends decide to organize him the funeral that he deserves. Festivals, awards: Toronto, Tokyo, Sundance, Berlin, Mar del Plata, Amiens (audience’s award), Stockholm (grand prix), Fespaco (grand prix) Director’s statement: The main hero of this film dies very soon and I did not want to characterize him physically but rather I wished to t...

35 mm, color, 99min
PROJECTION:
Saturday 11.02.2006 AT 19:00
Friday 10.02.2006 AT 21:00

Zulu Love Letter

(Letre d'amour zoulu/Zulu Love Letter, South Africa, 2004)

Directed by: Ramadan Suleman
PHOTOGRAPHY: Manuel Teran
Synopsis:

Thandeka, a black woman, is a journalist. Her job and relationship with her teenage daughter are endangered by her addiction to alcohol. One day an older woman comes to Thandeka’s office and asks her to testify in front of the commission of “truth and justice” in order to find the body of her murdered daughter and bury her according to Zulu tradition. Festivals, awards: Ouagadougu (award for the best actress, special award of the European Union)

35 mm, color, 105 min
PROJECTION:
Wednesday 15.02.2006 AT 21:00
Monday 13.02.2006 AT 19:00

The Swamp

(La Ciénaga, Argentina, France, Japan, Spain, 2001)

Directed by: Lucrecia Martel
PHOTOGRAPHY: Hugo Colace
Synopsis:

February in Northeast Argentina is very hot. Heat and humidity increase the tension between people. Mecha, her husband and four children decide to spend their summer on the big Mandragora estate. Their cousin Tali and her four kids live close by. An unhappy event connects the family and turns their lives into a living hell. Festivals, awards: Berlin (award for the best debut film, award Alfred Bauer), Toulouse (grand prix, critics’ award), Havana (grand prix, award for direction, award fo...

color, 103'
PROJECTION:
Wednesday 15.02.2006 AT 19:00
Monday 13.02.2006 AT 21:00

Platform

(Zhantai, China, 2001)

Directed by: Zhang-ke Jia
PHOTOGRAPHY: Yu Lik Wai
Synopsis:

This film tells the story of the gradual liberalization of Chinese society, between 1979 and 1989. A group of cultured youths, after the department of workers’ propaganda has been closed, decide to continue their odyssey throughout Chinese provinces and try to culturally educate the citizens of China. Instead of slogans they offer rock ‘n’ roll to the masses. Festivals, awards: Venice, Toronto, New York, Rotterdam, London, Berlin, Nantes (golden award, award Jacques Demy for the best direct...

35 mm, color, 155 min
PROJECTION:
Monday 27.02.2006 AT 21:00
Thursday 16.02.2006 AT 18:00
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