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Section: Competition of European Feature Documentaries for Young Audience

Alis (2022) 15

“Close your eyes and imagine Alis, a 15-year-old classmate. And now tell me her story…” Thus begins a documentary from a Colombian shelter for teenage girls. The directors ask a group of teenage girls to close their eyes and imagine the life story of a fictional classmate named Alis. Like them, Alisa's story begins in the ruthless streets of Bogota, where the girls struggle to survive. Alis becomes their empty screen, a projection of their past selves. In a sensitive way, the film shows how the girls' initial fiction begins to blend with reality and how this distance gives them the opportunity to step out of themselves for a bit and see their own experiences from a different perspective. A pair of acclaimed directors bring a unique insight into the world of girls who, no matter how hard life has treated them, do not give up and are ready to break the cycle of violence and fight for a better future.