Film programme 2017

Sami Blood (2016)

Section: International Competition of European First Films

Directed by: Amanda Kernell

Sweden, Denmark, Norway, 2016, 110 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

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The Scandinavian variant of a shameful practice employed by self-proclaimed “civilized" nations around the world in the 19th and 20th centuries: the systematic removal of Indigenous children from their parents, homes, and traditional lifestyles and forced integration into an educational system that taught them that their customs and lifestyles were inferior at best. Elle Marja is a teenage Sámi girl in the 1930s who is sent to a boarding school intended on raising its Indigenous charges to a level "acceptable" to the rest of Swedish society. Curious and excited, Elle Marja at first excels in her new surroundings, mastering the Swedish language and her other lessons while her younger sister, Njenna, struggles. But this very success, coupled with Elle Marja's intense desire to be accepted by her teachers, her internalization of the school's vile lessons about race and class, and her burgeoning sexuality, soon drives a wedge between her and her fellow students, forcing her to take an action she may not have the opportunity to regret.

Sebbe (2010)

Section: Days of Swedish Cinema

Directed by: Babak Najafi

Finland, Sweden, 2010, 83 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5

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Sebbe is 15 and lives with his mother in an apartment that is really very small. Sebbe does what he can. He never strikes back. He loves his mother because otherwise he couldn't carry on. He escapes to a junkyard where his hands bring unliving things to life. He has the power of creativity. He's free there, but alone. His detachment increases at the same pace as his world shrinks, until finally one day he is completely isolated, with only his mother. If she fails, everything else will disappear.

Butterfly Kisses (2017)

Section: International Competition of European First Films

Directed by: Rafael Kapelinski

U.K., 2017, 89 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

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At the housing estate they call home, Jake, Kyle and Jarred hang around playing billiards, partying, smoking pot, watching porn, and talking about sex. They welcome anything that breaks the routine, even if it's a fight at the snooker hall – or a new neighbour such as the pretty Zara, a teenage girl who just moved into the estate with her younger sister. Standing at the window on the top floor, Jake can survey the whole housing block. Something about this place captivates him: the solitude, the isolation, the anonymity. In high contrast black and white, set to haunting organ music, the film portrays the life of a teenager whose increasing isolation takes on a sinister form under the burden of a secret he cannot tell anyone.

As You Are (2016)

Section: Panorama

Directed by: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

U.S.A., 2016, 105 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5

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Jack is a high school student who lives with his single mother Karen in a nondescript suburban town. Considered a social outcast and loner, Jack is friendless until Karen’s new boyfriend Tom moves in and brings his son Mark into their lives. The two outsiders quickly bond and form a tight friendship and, after a chance encounter at a diner, bring fellow student Sarah into their group. The three teens become each other’s saving grace until changing relationships and emerging secrets force them to look at themselves and see how far they are willing to go live the lives they choose.

Gasping for Air (2016)

Section: Night Horizons

Directed by: Carlo Obispo

Philippines, 2016, 104 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

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Luis is a teenage boy on the idyllic fishing island of Silag. He goes through the regular trials of adolescence with his childhood sweetheart, Maricar, while his younger sister, Lulu busies herself by joining amateur singing contests in hopes of becoming a star. One day, a talent manager discovers her singing and offers her to undergo vocal coaching in Manila, and later to join a popular TV singing contest. Lulu eagerly takes the opportunity and leaves for the city, thinking her dreams are finally coming true. However, after a few months, Lulu’s family loses communication with her. This drives Luis to go to Manila in search for his sister.

Storm - Letter of Fire (2016)

Section: Panorama

Directed by: Dennis Bots

Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, 2016, 105 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1

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What if you are suddenly on your own and anyone could be your enemy? 12-year-old Storm ends up on an adventure when his father Klaas accepts a new job. He secretly prints forbidden texts in his print shop. Storm's mother does not like this one bit; it’s dangerous to have different opinions. The safe life Storm knew is turned upside down when Klaas gets caught in the act. Storm flees just in time with the original letter and becomes the focus of a manhunt. He gets help from someone unexpected when he meets Marieke, a girl that lives in the city's underground tunnels. In a race against time, Storm tries to save his father. But who can he trust?

Memories of Summer (2016)

Section: Panorama

Directed by: Adam Guzinski

Poland, 2016, 87 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

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Summer. Late 1970s. A small provincial town. Twelve-year-old Piotrek lives with his mother – there is a very strong bond between them. While his father is away, Piotrek's mother starts going out almost every night. Instantly their simple and clear relationship starts to get complicated. Entangled in the affairs of the adult world, Piotrek feels lost and lonely. Spending time with his peers brings first fascinations, then disappointments. Upon his father's return, Piotrek must face an uncomfortable choice. Will he support his mother? Will he be loyal to his father? How will his painful and difficult experience influence his relationship with his mother?

Little Wing (2016)

Section: International Competition of European First Films

Directed by: Selma Vilhunen

Finland, Denmark, 2016, 100 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

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A sharp and touching portrait of adolescence. A tender-hearted coming-of-age story shot in a low-key, realist style. It centers on a resourceful adolescent who decides to track down her biological father… Twelve years old and small for her age, Varpu may not be as physically developed as other girls but she is mature and independent beyond her years. Indeed, it's her mother that behaves in an inappropriately child-like manner: crying when she can't pass her driver's test, clambering into her daughter's bed when she feels sad and lonely and complaining about her life rather than asking Varpu about hers. She can't even remember her daughter's birthday. Yearning for a less self-centered parent, one night Varpu decides to go find her dad. But even though she can act like an adult, it doesn't mean she has an adult's understanding of the world...

Package - Nadasdy Films presents...

Section: Welcome to Switzerland

, 0, 86 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

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Nadasdy Films presents...

That Time Together (2017)

Section: Czech Films and TV

Directed by: Marta Santovjáková Gerlíková, Jiří Novotný

Czech Republic, 2017, 75 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1

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This is the story of a young Jewish girl, Tereza Zágorová, who finds shelter from deportation in the Wallachian hills; her family has already been taken. Tereza tries to fit into her new environment and learns how life in the village is different from the city. But the wartime period also reaches the countryside and the girl must be careful to hide her secrets.

The Land (2016)

Section: Night Horizons

Directed by: Steven Caple Jr.

U.S.A., 2016, 104 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

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A vivid inner-city saga set amidst Cleveland's hip-hop underground. Teenage buddies Cisco, Junior, Boobie, and Patty Cake shrug off school to practice skateboarding, which they hope will be their ticket to a better life. In the meantime, they steal cars to finance their dream. But when they get mixed up in a drug deal and cross a ruthless crime queen-pin, they put their friendship--and lives--on the line. Set to a choice hip-hop soundtrack and featuring an impressive ensemble cast that includes The Wire's Michael K. Williams, Erykah Badu, and rapper Machine Gun Kelly, The Land crackles with the energy and poetry of the streets.

The Brothers Lionheart (1977)

Section: Days of Swedish Cinema

Directed by: Olle Hellbom

Sweden, 1977, 102 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5

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Nine-year old Karl Lejon, 'Skorpan' suffers from tuberculosis and knows that he will die soon. But his older brother Jonathan tries to comfort him by promising that they one day will meet in Nangijala, a magic country beyond the stars. Jonathan dies soon after in a house fire and Skorpan also passes away not long after. They meet in Nangijala, a country divided into the Cherry Blossom Valley and the Briar-Bush Valley. The people in the later are oppressed by the black knight Tengil and his dragon Katla. The two brothers, who now call themselves Jonathan and Karl Lion Heart, decide to help the freedom fighters against the oppression.

Bag of Marbles (2016)

Section: Panorama

Directed by: Christian Duguay

France, 2016, 110 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2

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This film follows the experiences of two young Jewish boys living in France during World War II. When Joseph Joffo was ten years old, his father gave him and his brother Maurice some money and a map and sent them on a dangerous mission to escape Nazi-occupied Paris in 1941. Making their way to the demilitarized zone in the South, the boys become unavoidably caught up in the whirlwind of war. Aided by the occasional kind soul, the two young boys swerve and dart through obstacles set by Nazi soldiers in order to avoid succumbing to the dreadful fate of so many others in this situation.

Summer 1993 (2017)

Section: International Competition of European First Films

Directed by: Carla Simon Pipó

Spain, 2017, 96 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

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In the summer 1993, following the death of her parents, 6-year-old Frida moves from Barcelona to the Catalan province to live with her aunt and uncle, who are now her new legal guardians. The country life is a challenge for Frida – time passes differently in her new home and the nature that surrounds her is mysterious and estranging. She now has a little sister for whom she has to take care of and has to deal with new feelings, such as jealousy. Often, Frida is naively convinced that running away would be the best solution to her problems. Yet, the family does what it can to achieve a fragile new balance and bring normality to their life. Occasional family outings to a local fiesta or a swimming pool, cooking or listening to jazz in the garden bring them moments of happiness. Slowly, Frida realizes that she is there to stay and has to adapt to the new environment. Before the season is over, she has to cope with her emotions and her new parents have to learn to love her as their own daughter.

My First Highway (2016)

Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth

Directed by: Kevin Meul

Belgium, 2016, 82 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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During his annual family holiday to Spain, 16-year-old Benjamin becomes infatuated with one of the local girls. Anne is fascinating and beautiful and he quickly falls in love with her, little suspecting the direction in which events are about to turn. One drunken night, Anne shares a dark secret with him; she wants to find and confront the man who raped her. Head over heels in love and desperate to prove himself, Benjamin resolves to become her hero and the pair embark on a voyage of discovery from which there can be no turning back.

Jimmie (2008)

Section: Welcome to Switzerland

Directed by: Tobias Ineichen

Switzerland, 2008, 90 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

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Kathy is a single mother who is reluctant to have her 17-year-old autistic son Jimmie return to a home. After he completes school, she takes him in, even though everyone dissuades her from doing so. Painful though it is, she is forced to accept that her proximity to Jimmie does not have the desired effect for his progress. On the contrary, his reactions to the unfamiliar situation are fierce, taking her to her limits time and again. The only thing that makes Jimmie feel comfortable is swimming: his greatest passion. When the swim coach discovers his talent, new prospects seem to open for him.

Butterfly Kisses (2017)

Section: International Competition of European First Films

Directed by: Rafael Kapelinski

U.K., 2017, 89 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

Score:

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At the housing estate they call home, Jake, Kyle and Jarred hang around playing billiards, partying, smoking pot, watching porn, and talking about sex. They welcome anything that breaks the routine, even if it's a fight at the snooker hall – or a new neighbour such as the pretty Zara, a teenage girl who just moved into the estate with her younger sister. Standing at the window on the top floor, Jake can survey the whole housing block. Something about this place captivates him: the solitude, the isolation, the anonymity. In high contrast black and white, set to haunting organ music, the film portrays the life of a teenager whose increasing isolation takes on a sinister form under the burden of a secret he cannot tell anyone.

Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Section: Days of Swedish Cinema

Directed by: Ingmar Bergman

Sweden, France, 1982, 188 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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Fanny and Alexander Ekdahl belong to a prosperous theatrical family in Uppsala at the beginning of the twentieth century. Oskar Ekdahl, their father, falls ill during the Christmas season and passes away, leaving their mother Emilie devastated. Shortly afterwards she marries Edvard Vergerus, a rigid and demanding bishop. The two children are deeply unhappy in their cheerless new home – especially the imaginative and stubborn Alexander, who constantly butts heads with his new stepfather. Isak, a Jewish antique shop owner and longtime friend of the Ekdahl family, agrees to help with a risky scheme to rescue the children and return them to the Ekdahl family residence.

Bag of Marbles (2016)

Section: Panorama

Directed by: Christian Duguay

France, 2016, 110 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1

Score:

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This film follows the experiences of two young Jewish boys living in France during World War II. When Joseph Joffo was ten years old, his father gave him and his brother Maurice some money and a map and sent them on a dangerous mission to escape Nazi-occupied Paris in 1941. Making their way to the demilitarized zone in the South, the boys become unavoidably caught up in the whirlwind of war. Aided by the occasional kind soul, the two young boys swerve and dart through obstacles set by Nazi soldiers in order to avoid succumbing to the dreadful fate of so many others in this situation.

Hunting Flies (2016)

Section: International Competition of European First Films

Directed by: Izer Aliu

Norway, 2016, 106 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

Score:

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The rise and fall of a dictatorship in a classroom. At first glance this is a film about childhood, but it is also deeply political. The story takes place in Macedonia, where politics and ethnicity still create great divisions in the population. On their first day in junior high school, three friends meet their new classmates. The teacher Ghani quickly discovers that old conflicts divide the class. Ghani, who will lose his job as the new government replaces the old teachers with their own administration, tries to convince the director to keep him on. He declares his intention to make peace in his class, and starts work on mediation. He is determined not to quit until the groups have reconciled. This is a film about boys who reproduce their fathers’ feuds and about a country where choosing the wrong side in politics can have serious consequences.