OF
Opening Film
Фільм Відкриття
Nicolas Bedos / France / 2019, 115’
Victor, sixty-something, has his life turned upside down the day that Antoine, a flourishing entrepreneur, offers him a unique new brand of entertainment. Using a combination of theatrical artifice and historical re-enactment, his company gives its clients the opportunity to delve back into the period of their choice. Victor decides to relive the most memorable week of his existence, 40 years earlier, when he met the love of his life.
IC
International Competition
Міжнародний конкурс
Levan Akin / Georgia, Sweden / 2019, 105’
The gender-conservative ancient Georgian dance scene is the setting for a story about Merab, a headstrong young dancer who desperately struggles to rise above the mediocrity and poverty surrounding him. Going through rigorous auditions, he dedicates his life to obtaining a place in the prestigious Georgian National Ensemble. The last-minute addition of Irakli in the dance troupe threatens to destroy everything Merab has fought so hard for. Irakli is everything Merab is not. He dances effortlessly with unwavering confidence. In Merabs desperate struggle to achieve greatness, he decides to break the codes and risk it all.
Nariman Aliev / Ukraine / 2019, 96’
Having lost his oldest son in the war between Russia and Ukraine, Mustafa resolves to bring the boys body to the land of his birth, the Crimea. Together with his younger son, they set out on a journey that will profoundly mark their relationship.
Alejandro Landes / Colombia, Argentina, Netherlands, Uruguay, Germany, Denmark, Sweden / 2019, 102’
Patagrande, Rambo, Leidi, Sueca, Pitufo, Lobo, Perro, and Bum Bum. Eight stray teenagers, each bearing a code name, form a paramilitary squad on a remote hilltop. They are instinctively drawn towards hedonism and ferocity. A messenger delivers instructions from the Organization: they are to look after a dairy cow called Shakira and an abducted woman from the USA known as Doctora. But their carefree time comes to an end when death pays them a visit and their position is compromised, forcing them to relocate deeper into the jungle.
Ernestas Jankauskas / Finland, Lithuania / 2018, 94’
Jurga and Tomas are driving to meet the 6-year-old girl they plan to adopt. Once they arrive at the orphanage, they find out there has been a mistake: instead of the girl, 12-year-old boy, called Sasha greets them. Director offers them a single option: either they spend a day with the boy and she will explain the error to the adoption agency, or they refuse and she records their refusal and they will not get a girl. Jurga decides to accept the offer without consulting with Tomas first. By the end of the day, they will need to find an answer to what is a real family.
Sameh Zoabi / Belgium, France, Israel, Luxembourg / 2018, 97’
Salam, a charming 30-year-old Palestinian living in Jerusalem, works as an intern on a popular Palestinian soap opera, Tel Aviv on Fire. Every day he must pass through an arduous Israeli checkpoint to reach the television studios. He meets the commander of the checkpoint, Assi, whose wife is a huge fan of the show. In order to impress her, Assi gets involved in the writing of the show. Salam soon realizes that Assis ideas could get him a promotion as a screenwriter. Squeezed between an Israeli officer and the Arab backers, Salam can only solve his problems with a final masterstroke.
Paolo Zucca / Italy, Argentina, Albania / 2018, 103’
A secret agent from Northern Italy must investigate a rather bizarre case: someone in Sardinia has taken possession of the Moon. Trained by a grumpy emigrant to behave like a real Sardinian man, he arrives on the island to investigate in disguise, but at the first bar, he gets drunk and reveals his identity. Beaten almost to death, he manages to escape and is saved by a fisherman, who will reveal the secret of the moon to him. To keep a romantic promise, he has acquired its property according to a legal process that is hinky but irrevocable.
Joanna Hogg / United Kingdom / 2019, 115’
A shy but ambitious film student begins to find her voice as an artist while navigating a turbulent courtship with a charismatic but untrustworthy man. She defies her protective mother and concerned friends as she slips deeper and deeper into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship that comes dangerously close to destroying her dreams.
Luo Hanxing / China / 2018, 90’
When Xiao Bang returns to China after studying abroad, he starts a debt collection business with two friends. Their methods are unconventional, a style somewhere between gangster, intellectual and hippie. Dong Rui, the classmate of Xiao Bangs 11-year-old brother Liu Dun, thinks he is dying. In exchange for 100 yuan, Dong Rui asks Xiao Bang to help him scare off his love rival. The 100-yuan note travels from hand-to-hand in the neighborhood, drawing a vivid portrait of the community.
Shahrbanoo Sadat / Denmark, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Afghanistan, Qatar / 2019, 90’
In the late 1980s, 15-year-old Qodrat lives in the streets of Kabul and sells cinema tickets on the black market. He is a big Bollywood fan and he daydreams himself into some of his favorite movie scenes. One day the police bring him to the Soviet orphanage. But in Kabul the political situation is changing. Qodrat and all the children want to defend their home.
May el-Toukhy / Denmark, Sweden / 2019, 127’
Anne runs a successful law firm specialized in cases involving children and youth. She is happily married to Peter, with whom she has twin daughters, but the family's life is stirred when Gustav, Peters reckless teenage son from a previous marriage, moves in with them. While Peter has a hard time reconnecting with his long-lost son, Anne is used to handling difficult youngsters in her job and finds a way to establish a bond with Gustav. Gradually their relationship evolves, and when Anne seduces Gustav, she jeopardizes both her career and her family. Soon she finds herself drawn towards a choice with unimaginable consequences.
Quentin Dupieux / France, Belgium / 2018, 73’
Upon finding a dead body at the door of his apartment building, Fugain does the right thing and reports it to the police. Little did poor Fugain know that hell end up spending the entire night at the police station being subjected to the increasingly rough and strange interrogation of police chief Buron.
Rania Attieh, Daniel Garca / Argentina, United States, Lebanon / 2019, 98’
Sergio Garces thinks himself a suave, attractive, talented Argentine man. He is in his 50s, but he thinks he is still 35. He lives in Buenos Aires, drinks a lot, and smokes a ton of weed. He wears fitted clothes and walks and talks like a gigolo. His friends call him Frances because when he was younger he recorded an album of Spanish language covers of Serge Gainsbourg songs, and ultimately believes himself to possess a certain French quality. He scrapes by in life by getting odd acting jobs here and there, mostly as an extra in films that shoot around town. But his real passion, his dream, is to be an actor, a real artist.
NCF
National Competition (Feature)
Національний конкурс. Повний метр
Tymur Yashchenko / Ukraine, Poland / 2019, 102’
Myshko and Lev are two guys from a Ukrainian village. Due to different reasons, they are aboard a Ukrainian Navy ship Cherkasy stationed at the port of the Donuzlav Bay in the Crimea. While the crew of the minesweeper Cherkasy is on the maneuvers, the Ukrainian president Yanukovych flees the country and the Crimea is occupied by the little green men. The boat is returning to its base but the port is already lost. Cherkasy and several Ukrainian ships are blocked in the Donuzlav Bay by scuttled vessels. Ukrainian ships surrender in single file and only the Cherkasy crew resists and keeps fighting a brave yet desperate struggle against the enemy.
Vadym Ilkov / Ukraine / 2018, 76’
In this touching family narrative, a bohemian singer and artist becomes a father to his five-year-old niece when his sisters mental health deteriorates. All of a sudden, he finds himself awkwardly balancing fairy tales and playtime with his rowdy nightlife and provocative art.
Antonio Lukich / Ukraine / 2019, 104’
Vadym is a 25-year-old composer and sound recordist living in Kyiv. Having experienced many setbacks in both his professional and personal life, he gets a chance to start it all over. Just a simple task to record the sounds of the Transcarpathian animals could be his chance to leave uncomfortable Ukraine behind and move to much desired Canada. However, things get complicated when the main companion in the job turns out to be Vadyms mother.
Yuriy Shylov / Ukraine, Poland / 2019, 72’
For 44 years Valentin worked as a projectionist in one of the oldest movie theaters in Kyiv city center. Eccentric and active Valentin is always in the center of attention and always feels relevant. One day a fire happens at the movie theater. This coincides with Valentins 60th birthday. Hes forced to leave. While at home he has to take care of his bed-bound mother, who he feeds and washes, whose diapers he changes. Valentin doesnt know how to accept his retirement and aging
Andy Iva / Ukraine / 2019, 90’
This is a portrait of a man, for whom the war in Eastern Ukraine has become a personal challenge. Beard is a native of the Donbas, a man of about forty-five, a family guy, an ordinary worker. Director is a young man of about twenty-six, single, a westman, coming from the intelligentsia. This is the usual day of the ordinary military. These are events and people whom you can meet there. This is the relationship between people who have to be here and now during the war. This is not only a unique life experience but also a kind of cultural exchange between different social strata and communities. This is the birth of new, special traditions.
NCS
National Competition (Short)
Національний конкурс. Короткий метр
Valeria Sochyvets, Philip Sotnychenko / Ukraine / 2019, 18’
That Christmas wasnt particularly snowy in Lviv, however it didnt spoil the mood for tourists and locals. Mother and her daughter taking advantage of peoples inattention steal from shops and sell it in social networks.
Marina Stepanska / Ukraine / 2019, 10’
A visual comedy about overcoming clichs in cinema and in life. A desaturated girl tries to get her color back, until she meets someone who changes her perception of herself and the world around her.
Ivan Orlenko / Ukraine, France / 2018, 19’
A boy tries to find out what happened in the old local synagogue. Obsessed, he is chasing something he never saw and does not pay any attention to what is happening around him. Inspired by Franz Kafkas unfinished novel.
Daria Turetski / Ukraine, Israel / 2018, 23’
Completing the paperwork for immigration to Israel, Anya learns that her dad, whom she has not seen for 20 years, is the person who must sign her permit that will allow her a better future.
Anastasiia Falileieva / Ukraine / 2019, 7’
When the truth hurts and nothing can be changed, it seems like an escape to the world of dreams is the only way out. Fantasy could relieve the pain, but is that a magic pill?
Yelizaveta Smith / Ukraine / 2019, 28’
During a large storm, the sea flushes a Second World War bomb to the beach of a port city. The city authorities decide to evacuate the area. Khrystyna, a 45-year-old single woman, has no choice but to leave the place. The gathering point for the people is the city theatre. There she meets a young man Illia, a stage worker, who is responsible for the evacuated people. There is an understanding and intimacy between them that frightens both.
Zhanna Ozirna / Ukraine / 2019, 17’
Bodia is 18 years old today; his father gives him an old Lada. His fellows from the college come to see it in the garage. An ordinary day turns into a real fight for what belongs to you.
Arkasha Nepytaliuk / Ukraine / 2019, 4’
Ukraine. Night. The parents want to accept the homosexuality of their daughter. But the fear takes its toll.
Maryna Nikolcheva / Ukraine / 2018, 17’
The story of a small hairdressers on the outskirts of Kyiv, which goes into repairs to get rid of Soviet aesthetics. The place is still open while under construction. The staff are saving the furniture from the dust using depreciated historical artifacts, the flags of the Orange Revolution. The visitors come hoping to leave the place with a new image and share absurd stories of their lives. Nobody doubts these confessions, same as nobody notices the chaos, noise, and construction dust.
Oksana Kazmina / Ukraine / 2018, 13’
The Girl and the Boy play in a garden. They are left alone there and they do not have any obligations to behave in a certain way. This gives them the freedom to create their own ways of interaction with the world. During such an interaction, adult social constructs intertwist into weird children folklore and shift into an abstract sphere. There are secrets and various modes of being in the world of the Girl and the Boy.
EDC
European Documentary Competition
Конкурс європейських документальних фільмів
Alba Sotorra / Spain, Germany, Syria / 2018, 77’
On the barren plains of the Syrian countryside, 30-year-old military commander Arian leads her battalion of women as they fight ISIS. For her, the armed struggle is the only path to emancipation from a deeply patriarchal society. Wounded by 5 bullets, Arian is forced to deal with the wounds of war, both visible and invisible, and to find new ways to fight for womens freedom.
Isa Willinger / Germany / 2019, 88’
With an A.I., you have to keep your sentences short and to the point. This piece of advice is given to Chuck as he is picking up his robot partner Harmony fresh from the factory. In Tokyo, Grandma Sakurai is given the cute robot Pepper, so that she feels less lonely. How will robots and artificial intelligence change our lives? This stunning emotional documentary shows us tomorrows world today
Rozlie Kohoutov, Tom Bojar / Czech Republic / 2019, 75’
In the summer of 2017, young ice hockey players from East Bohemia set off on a long-distance trip to Morocco to participate in what was surely the most entertaining training camp they had ever experienced. A few months later, their visit was reciprocated by ice hockey players from Morocco. This exchange trip fostered a lively dialogue between two different cultures, spiced up by many little surprises and doses of liberating humor.
Peter Sommer, Jo Vemud Svendsen / Norway / 2018, 75’
Every Tuesday twenty-five tattooed middle-aged men take a break from their everyday lives, leave their wives and kids behind to meet and drink beer, tell bad jokes, and sing dirty rock songs. Once, jokingly, they promised one another that if one of them died, they would sing together at his funeral. It turns out that Ivar, who directed the choir for many years, is the first one to go.
Anna Eborn / Sweden, Denmark, Belgium / 2019, 93’
Set in the self-proclaimed state of Transnistria, a group of teenagers plays hide and seek in an abandoned construction site. In stark contrast to their seemingly carefree existence, there is the shadow of the old communist society reminding them of the limits of their possibilities. While weaving a fragile narrative thread of a classic love story, the movie is carried forward by the youths in their belief in walking towards adulthood in their own way.
Nadia Parfan / Ukraine / 2019, 64’
For many years, Ivan Vasylovych is a chief of Ivano-Frankivskteplokomunenerho public utility companys labor union. His opus magnum is the unions choir consisting of dispatchers, metalworkers, repairers, accountants, and other employees. The unions chief is proud of the staffs artistic achievements; however the heating season amends the schedule of rehearsals. Will cold radiators be heated by warm Ukrainian folk songs?
Ece Ger / Turkey, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany / 2019, 75’
A journey back to the lifetime of Jim Haynes, an extraordinary 83-year-old man who grabbed the spirit of the 60s and continued to carry it throughout his life. This journey becomes also a physical one when he takes a train from the city of Paris, where he lives, to London and Edinburgh, the cities where he left his unique mark. At the age of 83, he keeps introducing people to each other because he thinks that the more people meet each other, the better the world is.
Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts / United Kingdom / 2019, 95’
A love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateabs life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter, and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughters life.
SE
Special Event
Спеціальна подія
George W. Hill, Clarence Brown / USA / 1928, 74’
Lukashka is the son of a fierce Cossack chief, but he would rather relax in the woods or flirt with his sweetheart Maryana than go to battle with the neighboring Turks. However, his life changes when he is publicly humiliated by his fellow villagers and rejected by Maryana, who regards him as a coward. Overnight, Lukashka proves himself a capable warrior to prove them all wrong, impressing his father and Maryana; however, when she tries to apologize for her cruel treatment of him, he ignores her, even though he is still in love with her. Matters get complicated when the Tsars son comes to the village in search of a bride and sets his eyes on Maryana. And then there іs still the Turks to contend with. Music by Robert Israel
Robert Wiene / Germany / 1920, 67’
The mysterious Dr. Caligari arrives in a rural German village with his companion Cesare, a man in an eternal state of sleep who can be ordered to perform his masters commands. A series of gruesome murders leads some to believe that the doctor and his strange assistant may well be to blame. The film features a dark and striking visual style, with sharp-pointed forms, oblique and curving lines, structures and landscapes that lean and twist in unusual angles, and shadows and streaks of light painted directly onto the sets.
FF
Festival of Festivals
Фестиваль фестивалів
Nadav Lapid / France, Israel, Germany / 2019, 123’
Yoav, a young Israeli, is determined to wipe out his origins and become French. In Paris, he abandons the Hebrew language and strives in all sorts of ways to find a new identity. The dictionary becomes his constant companion. Golden Bear for Best Film at the 2019 Berlinale
Isaki Lacuesta / Spain / 2018, 137’
Isra and Cheito are two brothers, who have taken very different paths in life: one is released from prison and other comes home after a long tour with the Marines. Their reunion on the island of San Fernando will bring with it the memory of the violent death of their father. The need to get back on track with their lives will bring brothers together again. Golden Shell for Best Film at the 2018 San Sebastin International Film Festival
Richard Billingham / United Kingdom / 2018, 108’
On the outskirts of Birmingham and the margins of society, the Billingham family perform extreme rituals and break social taboos as they muddle through a life decided by factors beyond their control. At times shocking and laced with an unsettling humor, three episodes unfold as a powerful evocation of the experience of growing up in a Black Country council flat. Special Jury Prize at the 2018 Locarno International Film Festival
Rodrigo Sorogoyen / Spain, France / 2018, 131’
Manuel Gmez Vidal is a beloved politician in his region. He is also a corrupt man who has been enriching himself with public funds for years. After attempting to cover up for an associate, Manuel is left exposed. To his surprise, the Partys members seek to place the blame for the entire plot on his shoulders. But he will not surrender. How far is a person willing to go in order to hold on to power? Official Selection at the 2018 San Sebastin International Film Festival
Cline Sciamma / France / 2019, 120’
Brittany, 1770. Marianne, a painter, is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Hlose, a young woman who has just left the convent. Hlose is a reluctant bride to be and Marianne must paint her without her knowing. She observes her by day, to paint her secretly at night. Best Screenplay Award at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
Bong Joon-ho / South Korea / 2019, 131’
The family of four unemployed people has a bleak future ahead of them. Their situation is improved once the older son is recommended for a well-paid tutoring job. With his sisters assistance, he makes a fake diploma and arrives at the luxury house for an interview. Having impressed the family, he learns about one more open vacancy and starts developing a very unusual plan for his sister as a candidate. Palme dOr at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
Pedro Almodovar / Spain / 2019, 112’
A gifted film director at the end of his career reflects on his past and finds himself in a swirl of vivid memories. Tender feelings towards his mother, love and parting, the pursuit of happiness and success all of it make him think about life and art, pain and glory Best Actor Award at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
Phuttiphong Aroonpheng / Thailand, France, China / 2018, 105’
Near a coastal village of Thailand, by the sea where thousands of Rohingya refugees have drowned, a local fisherman finds an injured man lying unconscious in the forest. He rescues the stranger, who does not speak a word, offers him his friendship and names him Thongchai. But when the fisherman suddenly disappears at sea, Thongchai slowly begins to take over his friends life his house, his job, and his ex-wife. Orizzonti Award for Best Film at the 2018 Venice Film Festival
Kantemir Balagov / Russia / 2019, 137’
1945, Leningrad. World War II has devastated the city, demolishing its buildings and leaving its citizens in tatters, physically and mentally. Although the siege is finally over, life and death continue their battle in the wreckage that remains. Two young women, Iya and Masha, search for meaning and hope in the struggle to rebuild their lives amongst the ruins. Un Certain Regard Best Director Award at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
Kleber Mendona Filho, Juliano Dornelles / Brazil, France / 2019, 130’
A few years from now Bacurau, a small village in the Brazilian serto, mourns the loss of its matriarch, Carmelita, who lived to be ninety-four. Days later, its inhabitants notice that their community has vanished from most maps. Jury Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
GP
Gala Premieres
Гала-Прем'єри
Peter Strickland / United Kingdom / 2018, 118’
A little red dress is exhibited in the shop window. It is incredibly beautiful and fits everyone who tries it on. It makes you desired. But it has a price not everyone can pay... Official Selection at the 2018 San Sebastin International Film Festival
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck / Germany / 2018, 188’
The story of a young art student, Kurt, who falls in love with fellow student, Ellie. Her father, Professor Seeband, a famous doctor, is dismayed at his daughters choice of boyfriend, and vows to destroy the relationship. What neither of them knows is that their lives are already connected through a terrible crime Seeband committed decades ago. Official Selection at the 2018 Venice Film Festival
Ken Loach / United Kingdom, France, Belgium / 2019, 100’
Ricky and his family have been fighting an uphill struggle against debt since the 2008 financial crash. An opportunity to wrestle back some independence appears with a shiny new van and the chance to run a franchise as a self-employed delivery driver. It is hard work, and his wifes job as a carer is no easier. The family unit is strong but when both are pulled in different directions, everything comes to breaking point. Official Selection at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
Jim Jarmusch / United States / 2019, 103’
In the sleepy small town of Centerville, something is not quite right. No one quite knows why. News reports are scary and scientists are concerned. But no one foresees the strangest and most dangerous repercussion that will soon start plaguing Centerville: the dead rise from their graves and savagely attack and feast on the living, and the citizens of the town must battle for their survival. Opening Film at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
Fatih Akin / Germany, France / 2019, 110’
Hamburg-St.Pauli in the 1970s: At first glance, Fritz Fiete Honka is a pitiful loser. The man with the broken face carouses through his nights in the neighborhood dive, the Golden Glove, chasing after lonely women. None of the regulars suspects that the apparently harmless Fiete is actually a monster. Official Selection at the 2019 Berlinale
Ursula Macfarlane / United Kingdom / 2019, 98’
The story of the meteoric rise and monstrous fall of movie titan Harvey Weinstein. It reveals how Weinstein acquired and deployed his formidable power over the course of decades. Former staffers, college friends, and reporters reflect upon the public perception of Weinstein as a visionary, while detailing his ruthless attempts to preserve his power as scandal threatened to engulf him.
Quentin Dupieux / France / 2019, 77’
Georges, 44 years old, becomes obsessed with owning the designer deerskin jacket of his dreams. This obsession will lead him to turn his back on his humdrum life in the suburbs, blow his life savings and even turn him to crime. Opening Film at the Directors Fortnight of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
UR
Ukrainian Retrospective "Hollywood by the Black Sea"
Українська ретроспектива "Голлівуд на березі Чорного моря"
Petro Chardynin / USSR / 1918, 44’
A circus actress works together with her husband to make the ends meet. After an unsuccessful trick, the man is crippled and his wife takes on the role of the breadwinner. In a while, she performs in a rich mans house, accepts his courtship, and leaves the husband. However, the sympathy of a new protector does not last long In the Soviet time, the picture was subjected to harsh criticism for its bad taste, indecency, and philistinism.
Oleksandr Dovzhenko / USSR / 1926, 25’
A barber Zhan Kovbasiuk founds out he is a father now. A baby cancels all his plans, so he decides to get rid of her. But wherever he tried to abandon the firstborn, she always comes back to him miraculously. Only when Zhan ascertains that he can get financial aid for a child, it turns out to be not so easy to find her again
Feliks Myroner, Marlen Khutsiev / USSR / 1956, 95’
A young teacher Tania starts to work in an evening school. However, it is not so easy for her to adjust to the students who are grown-ups. The most annoying of them is a local lady-killer Sashko Savchenko. Tania avoids this persistent admirer, who, in the end, abandons his studies. While Tania was growing roots at the new place and sorting out her feelings, the spring has come, the time of examination.
Heorhii Yunhvald-Khilkevych / USSR / 1966, 70’
A young scientist Volodymyr creates an exact copy of himself, a robot named Yasha. However, the creature rebels against its creator and decides to live on its own. The search for it is complicated: Yasha has a superpower to change its appearance. After the escape, it makes lots of trouble that undermine the reputation of the creator. That is why Volodymyr is forced to neutralize his creature.
Petro Todorovskyi / USSR / 1983, 92’
During the war, a young soldier Sasha Netuzhilin falls in love with a nurse Lyuba, who lives with his commander. They part quite fast just to meet a few years later. Now he is married, works as a motion picture operator, and studies history at the university. She sells doughnuts in the square. The protagonists relationship with the gruff street vendor and his sophisticated wife gradually transforms into a classic love triangle. Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 1984 Berlinale
Kira Muratova / Ukraine, Russian Federation / 2004, 154’
A piano tuner Andrii is the happiest and the most desperate person in the world at the same time. He is passionately in love with the most beautiful woman, Lina, who reciprocates his feelings. He is poor, whereas Lina is used to living in prosperity and luxury. Love towards the blonde forces Andrii to cross the fatal line: he is ready to betray, to steal, and even to kill. Golden Lily Award for Best Film at the 2005 goEast International Film Festival
ML
Mike Leigh
Майк Лі
Mike Leigh / United Kingdom / 1993, 131’
Johnny flees Manchester for London, to avoid a beating from the family of a girl he has raped. There he finds an old girlfriend, and spends some time homeless, spending much of his time ranting at strangers, and meeting characters in plights very much like his own. Best Director Award at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
Mike Leigh / United Kingdom, France / 1996, 142’
When her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, 27-years-old black woman, decides to look for her real mother. She is overwhelmed when she discovers that her biological mother, Cynthia, is white and she has a 20-years-old daughter, Roxanne, who she lives with. Despite the panic, Cynthia feels when she hears from this long-forgotten child and despite everything that separates them, a genuine bond of trust and love gradually grows between them. Palme dOr for Best Film at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival
Mike Leigh / United Kingdom / 2018, 142’
An epic portrayal of the events surrounding the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre. The massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to demand political reform and protest against rising levels of poverty. The Peterloo Massacre was a defining moment in British democracy, which also played a significant role in the founding of The Guardian newspaper. Official Selection at the 2018 Venice Film Festival
CD
Catherine Deneuve
Катрін Деньов
Agns Varda / France, Sweden / 1966, 92’
After a road accident, a writer, Edgar, and his wife, Mylne, take up residence on an island off the coast of France to recuperate. Edgar soon recovers from his injuries and begins writing his next novel, seeking inspiration from the local people. His wife, however, has lost her voice and can only communicate through written notes. In the creative process, reality and imagination are constantly intertwined. Official Selection at the 1966 Venice Film Festival
Jacques Demy / France / 1970, 89’
In a magical land, a widower king decrees that he will wed his princess daughter, because she is the only woman able to match his former queens beauty. To dodge the incestuous union, the princess with the help of a magical fairy disguises herself as a donkey and escapes to a neighboring kingdom.
Andr Tchin / France, Germany / 2019, 103’
Muriel is overjoyed. Her grandson, Alex, will be staying at her place for a few days before moving to Canada. Intrigued by his curious behavior, she soon discovers he has been lying. Alex is preparing a different life. Distraught, Muriel must act and there is no time to lose.
SS
Special Screenings
Спеціальні Покази
Agnes Varda / France / 2019, 115’
This professional photographer, installation artist, and pioneer of the New Wave is an institution of French cinema but a fierce opponent of any kind of institutional thinking. Whether in front of the camera or behind it, Agns Varda is a visual storyteller, who eschews convention and prescribed approaches to drama. Together with some of her fellow travelers, she takes the audience on a journey through her world of unorthodox images.
Sergey Loznitsa / Netherlands / 2018, 127’
Moscow, USSR. 1930. The Pillar Hall of the State House of the Unions. A group of top rank economists and engineers is put on trial accused of plotting a coup detat against the Soviet government, aimed to destroy the Soviet power, restore capitalism, and break up the USSR. All charges are fabricated and the accused are forced to confess to the crimes they never committed. The court, presided by Andrey Vyshinsky, who later became known a key-figure in Stalinist show trials, delivers death verdicts.
Bill Guttentag, Dan Sturman / United States, France, United Kingdom / 2009, 83’
The story of the American Civil Rights Movement told through the freedom songs protesters sang in their fight for justice and equality. Performances by top artists including Joss Stone, Wyclef Jean and The Roots; archival footage and interviews with civil rights activists including Martin Luther King.
Milos Forman / Czechoslovakia / 1965, 81’
With sixteen women to each man, the odds are against Andula in her desperate search for love that is, until a rakish piano player visits her small factory town and temporarily eases her longings. After spending the night together, the girl travels with her suitcase to Prague to visit the young man, but on arrival, she realizes that no one is expecting her there. Official Selection at the 1965 Venice Film Festival
Stanislav Suknenko,Halyna Kuvivchak-Sakhno / Ukraine / 2019, 71’
This documentary is a first study of the Ukrainian track in Hollywood. Hidden behind American pseudonyms, Ukrainian immigrants were identified as Russians in various dictionaries and all kinds of biographical sources. But time has come to put the record as straight as possible. The story of the Ukrainians achievements of the past is intertwined with the personal stories of those who are trying to light their own stars in Hollywoods star-dusted heaven today.
Mania Akbari, Douglas White / Iran, United Kingdom / 2019, 75’
Mania Akbari collaborates with British sculptor Douglas White to coin a tender fusion of language, where a meeting of cinema and sculpture investigates the processes of physical and psychological destruction and renewal. As she undergoes various surgeries on a body decimated by cancer, her bodys history engages in a conversation of how bodies are traumatized, censored, and politicized, and yet ultimately remain a site of possibility. New Vision Award at the 2019 CPH:DOX Film Festival
Edoardo De Angelis / Italy / 2018, 100’
If I have to die, I want to die my way. Marias time flows along with the river. She walks firmly, her hood up. A hand-to-mouth life, without dreams nor desires, spent taking care of her mother and at the service of a merciless, bejeweled old lady. With her brave-eyed pit-bull, Maria ferries pregnant women across the river, leading them to an infernal fate. But hope will pay her a visit, teaching Maria that staying human is the greatest of all revolutions.
Peter Brosens, Jessica Woodworth / Belgium, Netherlands, France / 2012, 93’
A mysterious calamity strikes: spring refuses to come. The cycle of nature is capsized. Alice and Thomas, two teenagers living in a Belgian village deep in the Ardennes forest, struggle to make sense of the world that is collapsing around them. Official Selection at the 2012 Venice Film Festival
Vitaly Mansky / Latvia, Switzerland, Czech Republic / 2018, 102’
The events of the film begin on December 31, 1999 when the Russian Federation was acquainted with its new president. The film is based on documentary testimonies the operation Successor, as a result of which the country ended up with the president who is still in power. The protagonists of the film are Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin, and the Russian nation, as always being a silent witness of its own destiny. Best Documentary Award at the 2018 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Ken Loach / United Kingdom, France / 2014, 109’
In 1921, Jimmy Graltons sin was to build a dance hall on a rural crossroads in an Ireland on the brink of Civil War. As the hall grew in popularity, the church and politicians forced Jimmy to flee and the hall to close. A decade later, he returns from the US to look after his mother and vows to live the quiet life. However, Jimmy makes the decision to reopen the hall Official Selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival
Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze / Poland / 2017, 113’
A picture of the psychological consequences of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 that changes into an engaging tale which is full of drama, but also hopeful about the meaning of life and an existence marked by trauma. Best Actress Award at the 2017 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
SR
Series
Серіали
Paco Len, Anna R. Costa / Spain / 2018, 90’
The Spanish secret services want to infiltrate the home of the scandalous Hollywood star Ava Gardner, who recently moved to Spain and is suspected of being an enemy of the Franco regime. Manolo, a hustler, and Ana Mari, an inhibited limping spinster, form an unlikely couple who go to work for the star to spy on her in a 1960s whirlwind of sex, whisky, and flamenco.
Anton Azarov, Ihor Volkov / Ukraine, Latvia / 2019, 45’
The story of Polina Klochko, a schoolteacher of English, whose life changes drastically after her little son Mark is kidnapped from the kindergarten. A few years later, Polina sees her son in a newscast about an incident in a Riga shopping mall. His name now is Markuss, but Polina is sure this is her son. The woman goes to the police, but they claim they have no grounds to resume the investigation. So she decides to return the son on her own.
Fabrice Gobert / France / 2019, 90’
Devoted mother and wife, Elvira feels more and more invisible to her family. One day, she gives into temptation and becomes caught up in a dreadful web of lies in her quest for love and attention.
Shane Meadows, Jack Thorne / United Kingdom / 2019, 92’
Joseph uses alcohol to numb the pain and loneliness of an existence that is gradually eating away at him. He decides to confront the past he fled when he was still young. He discovers a loving home with his sister, whom he has not seen for 30 years, and establishes a deep spiritual relationship with his sister-in-law, a fiery young woman. When the dark secrets he has kept buried since childhood return to the surface, Joseph must choose revenge or forgiveness.
Dariusz Jablonski / Ukraine, Czech Republic, Poland / 2019, 100’
It all starts on the Odesa beach, where on warm summer evening a naked body of a young girl is found. Later, identical killings are taking place in Warsaw and Prague, where the police finds the bodies of killed people with similar injuries. Investigators working under mysterious crimes begin to understand that this is the case of one person. Protagonists will have to work together to catch the cold-blooded killer.
OK
OIFF for Kids
ОМКФ Дітям
Michel Ocelot / France, Belgium, Germany / 2018, 95’
With the help of her delivery-boy friend, Dilili, a young Kanak, investigates a spate of mysterious kidnappings of young girls that is plaguing Belle poque Paris. In the course of her investigation, she encounters a series of extraordinary characters, each of whom provides her with clues that will help her in her quest.
Dliaver Dvadzhiev / Ukraine / 2018, 75’
This is a fairy tale about kindness and evil, friendship and love, cruelness and justice. It is based on a Crimean Tatar legend about Khydyr Dede, a wise man who could enter any house and help to solve any problem. A greedy, unfair taxman prevented two loving hearts from getting together. Their little brother and sister asked Khydyr Dede for help. The story has a happy ending. The greedy taxman is punished by a just khan. Good always fights evil.
Anu Aun / Estonia / 2018, 90’
10-year-old Eia has to spend her Christmas break at a Southern-Estonian farm called Phantom Owl Farm. Little Eia has no idea that she would be the one to save the forest behind the farm from being cut down by a greedy forest manager, Raivo. Eias arrival helps two young people find love and helps Eia find out her familys biggest secret.
Charlie Chaplin / USA / 1928, 72’
The Tramp comes to a carnival. There, a pickpocket plants him a stolen wallet to avoid the arrest. The Tramp is blamed for a steal, so he is trying to escape. In this attempt, he finds himself at the circus arena in the middle of a show. Trying to hide from a police officer, he disrupts the magicians performance but the audience likes this. The circus is having a tough time, so the owner hires the Tramp to work there.
/ Ukraine / , 40’
In the fall of 2018, Children KinoFest announced the start of the third competition of short films made by children from 7 to 14 years old. This screening includes 10 best films as decided by the selection committee. Robots, dir. Artem Borodai, 3 My Yard, dir. Lidiia Malinovska, 2 Children And the City, dir. Maksym Shelest, 5 Forest School, dir. Anna Zusmanovska, 8 A Story from the Cats Life, dir. Valerii Borodai, 2 Do You Hear?, dir. Yaroslav Bahno, 5 Live Real, dirs. 6-A class pupils, 1 2017, or A Girl with a Cockroach, dir. Olesia Myronenko, 4 To Wash Or Not to Wash, dirs. Amina Saseii, Olha Antoshko, Diana Bozhko, Kateryna Tkachenko. Kateryna Pokora, Oleksandra Fedarkova, 3 I Will Give You the Sea, dirs. Lina Kior, Kateryna Prokopenko, Arina Nedbailo, Oleksandra Riabokon, Diana Kurkchi, Alisa Zichuk, Davyd Morozov, Anastasiia Kosolapova, Liza Kuznetsova, 7
CF
Closing Film
Фільм Закриття
Teona Strugar Mitevska / North Macedonia, Belgium, Slovenia, France, Croatia / 2019, 100’
In Shtip, a small town in Northern Macedonia, every January the local priest throws a wooden cross into the river and hundreds of men dive after it. Good fortune and prosperity are guaranteed to the man who retrieves it. This time, Petrunya dives into the water on a whim and manages to grab the cross before the others. Her competitors are furious how dare a woman take part in their ritual? All hell breaks loose, but Petrunya holds her ground. She won her cross and will not give it up. Ecumenic Jury Prize and Guild Film Prize at the 2019 Berlinale
MC
Master Classes
Майстер-класи