Ελληνική Πρεμιέρα / Greek Premiere

Μυθοπλασία/Fiction, Αλγερία, Γαλλία, Κατάρ/Algeria, France, Qatar, 2019, 100 ́, DCP, Έγχρ./Color, Αλγερινά, Αραβικά, Γαλλικά, Αγγλικά/Algerian, Arabic, French, English

Malika is the owner of a small one-table road-cafe, which serves only tea, eggs and water, and lies somewhere along the national route, in the desert, some 10 hours drive south of Algiers. Α passer-by describes Malika as a “gatekeeper of the void”. However, the hybrid film of Hassen Ferhani, due to the elements of observational documentary it contains, shows that this seemingly desolate place is actually teeming with life. Truckers, tourists on motorcycles, and regulars, who bring her news from the close-by city of El Menia, are served in Malika’s doorstep, while she remains always there.

Hassen Ferhani //  Hassen Ferhani was born in Algiers in 1986. His film Tarzan, Don Quichotte et nous (2013), which was presented at the festivals of Marseille and Locarno, already reflected his interest in documentary bordering on fiction. Roundabout in My Head (2015), shot in slaughterhouses in Algiers, was his first feature.

Σκηνοθεσία/Direction Hassen Ferhani,
Σενάριο/Screenplay Hassen Ferhani,
Φωτογραφία/Cinematography Hassen Ferhani
Μοντάζ/Editing Stéphanie Sicard, Nadia Ben Rachid, Nina Khada, Hassen Ferhani
Ήχος/Sound Antoine Morin
Παραγωγή/Production Narimane Mari, Olivier Boischot, Allers Retours Films, Centrale Électrique
Ηθοποιοί/Cast Malika, Chawki Amari, Samir Elhakim
Προέλευση ταινίας/Film Source Centrale Électrique, Pascale Ramonda

* Suitable for English speaking audience

Ελληνική Πρεμιέρα / Greek Premiere

Μυθοπλασία/Fiction, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο/United Kingdom, 2019, 96 ́, DCP, Έγχρ./Color, Αγγλικά/English

Best mates, since childhood, Johnno and Spanner, on the cusp of adulthood, will now have to be separated. The summer of 1994 however is going to be special for them, and for the country. The explosion of the free rave party scene and the largest counter-cultural youth movement in recent history is happening across Britain. The boys head out to an illegal rave: an adventure into underground anarchy and freedom, that ends with a full on collision with the forces of law and order. A film about friendship, rebellion, and the rave movement, set to an eclectic and electrifying soundtrack.

Brian Welsh // Brian Welsh (1981, UK) was already working as an editor in documentaries, before studying directing. Then he made the micro-budget feature film In our Name (2010). Since then, he has directed several TV dramas, winning multiple awards, including an Emmy for his episode for the seminal TV series Black Mirror.

Σκηνοθεσία/Direction Brian Welsh
Σενάριο/Screenplay Kieran Hurley, Brian Welsh
Φωτογραφία/Cinematography Benjamin Kracun
Μοντάζ/Editing Robin Hill
Ήχος/Sound Christopher S. Aud
Παραγωγός/Producer Steven Soderbergh
Παραγωγή/Production Rosetta Productions
Ηθοποιοί/Cast Cristian Ortega, Lorn Macdonald, Laura Fraser, Amy Manson, Gemma McElhinney, Kevin Mains, Rachel Jackson, Ross Mann
Προέλευση ταινίας / Film Source Wild Bunch

 Continue your evening on the same… beat and join as at STEAM Athens’ party “Watt with Keith Carnal at Steam” [3, Evrimedontos Street, Gazi] Your movie ticket will grant you free entrance! 

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Ελληνική Πρεμιέρα / Greek Premiere

Μυθοπλασία/Fiction, Ινδία/India, 2019, 94 ́, DCP, α/μ./b&w, Ινδικά/Bengali

On a rainy night in Calcutta a group of desperate addicts chase brown sugar, but the permanent intoxication they seek proves elusive. Cat Sticks weaves their stories into a chiaroscuro, traverses with them through states high and low, spaces real and unreal. A relentless downpour plays backdrop to lives balanced on a precarious high. For Ronny Sen’s first feature, can be said, that it is a combination of style drawing elements form the great Indian director Satyajit Ray and the American Abel Ferrara.

Ronny Sen // Ronny Sen (b. 1986, India) is a film director, writer and photographer based in Calcutta. His debut feature film Cat Sticks won the jury honorable mention at Slamdance Film Festival in 2019. He has directed television documentaries for BBC, and, as as a photographer, has published two artist books.

Σκηνοθεσία/Direction Ronny Sen
Σενάριο/Screenplay Ronny Sen, Soumyak Kanti DeBiswas
Φωτογραφία/Cinematography Shreya Dev Dube
Μοντάζ/Editing Nikon Basu
Ήχος/Sound Sukanta
Παραγωγός/Producer Tanaji Dasgupta, Soumyak Kanti DeBiswas, Theodore Shivdasani
Παραγωγή/Producer Design-Devika Dave
Ηθοποιοί/Cast Tanmay Dhanania, Sumeet Thakur, Rahul Dutta, Joyraj Bhattacharya, Saurabh Saraswat, Sreejita Mitra, Kalpan Mitra, Raja Chakravorty, Sounak Kundu, Soumyajit Majumdar
Προέλευση ταινίας/Film Source Ronny Sen

Presentation from the director

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Μυθοπλασία/Fiction, Πορτογαλία, Βραζιλία/Portugal, Brazil 2018, 114 ́, DCP, Έγχρ./Color, Πορτογαλικά/ Portuguese

There are no spirits or snakes tonight and the forest around the village is quiet. Fifteen year old Ihjãc has nightmares since he lost his father. He is an indigenous Krahô, from the north of Brazil, destined to be a shaman. A chant comes through the palm trees. His father’s voice calls him: it’s time to organize the funerary feast so the spirit can depart to the dead’s village. The mourning must cease. Ihjãc runs away to the city and faces the reality of being an indigenous in contemporary Brazil.

Renée Nader Messora // Renée Nader Messora (1979, Brazil), since 2009, is participating in the local collective of Krahô filmmakers, which is focused in the strengthening of the indigenous identity.
João Salaviza //  João Salaviza (1984, Portugal), has won the Berlinale Golden Bear for his short film Rafa (2012) and the Palme d’Or at the Festival de Cannes for his short film Arena (2009).

Σκηνοθεσία/Direction Renée Nader Messora, João Salaviza
Σενάριο/Screenplay Renée Nader Messora, João Salaviza
Φωτογραφία/Cinematography Renee Nader Messora
Μοντάζ/Editing João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora, Edgar Feldman
Ήχος/Sound Pablo Lamar
Παραγωγός/Producer Ricardo Alves Jr., Thiago Macêdo Correia, Renée Nader Messora, João Salaviza
Παραγωγή/Production Entrefilmes, Karõ Filmes, Material Bruto
Ηθοποιοί/Cast Henrique Ihjãc Krahô, Raene Kôtô Krahô
Προέλευση ταινίας/Film Source Luxbox

* Suitable for English speaking audience

Ελληνική Πρεμιέρα / Greek Premiere

Μυθοπλασία/Fiction, Αργεντινή/ Argentina, 2019, 84 ́, DCP, Έγχρ./Color, Ισπανικά, Γερμανικά/Spanish, German

Are they getting divorced? Romina doesn’t think so, but she is living temporarily with her 4-year-old son at her mother’s place in Bueno Aires, while her husband is at home snowed under with work. Actress Romina Paula points the camera at herself, to rediscover who she is. After the first overwhelming years as a mother, she’s a little too old for disco parties and hanging round with 20-somethings, but still young enough to fantasise about others. Romina Paula’s debut, between documentary and fiction, is a fragile investigation into motherhood, femininity and growing up, with surprising reflections and refreshingly honest analyses, without prudishness.

Romina Paula //  Romina Paula (1979, Argentina) is a writer, actress and theatre director. She graduated in dramaturgy and has written and directed internationally successful plays. She has written several novels. Αgain once again is her directorial debut.

Σκηνοθεσία/Direction Romina Paula
Σενάριο/Screenplay Romina Paula
Φωτογραφία/Cinematography Eduardo Crespo
Μοντάζ/Editing Eliane D. Katz
Ήχος/Sound Mercedes Tennina
Παραγωγός/Producer Paula Repetto
Παραγωγή/Production Compania Cine
Ηθοποιοί/Cast Romina Paula, Mónica Rank, Ramón Cohen, Esteban Bigliardi, Pablo Sigal, Mariana Chaud, Denise Groesman
Προέλευση ταινίας/Film Source Compañia de Cine

* Suitable for English speaking audience

Ελληνική Πρεμιέρα / Greek Premiere

Μυθοπλασία/Fiction

Ιαπωνία, Γαλλία/Japan, France, 2018, 119 ́, DCP, Έγχρ./Color, Ιαπωνικά/ Japanese

A film, based on a Tomoka Shibasaki’s novel, on the earthly magic of falling in love. When Asako, a shy student from Osaka, meets Baku, it’s love at first sight. Baku is a mysterious and gorgeous-looking young man, who often disappears. Then, one day, he’s gone for good. Two years later, Asako, now working as a server in a coffee shop, spots Ryohei, who looks exactly like Baku. Ryohei will love Asako in a different way — the kind of love that’s so reassuring it might even be scary for Asako.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi //  Ryusuke Hamaguchi (1978, Japan) studied film and new media in Tokyo. In 2013, he directed Touching the skin of eeriness. In 2015, his 5-hour film Happy- hour, was awarded twice at the Locarno Festival. His latest film Asako I & II competed in the Cannes Film Festival.

Σκηνοθεσία/Direction Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Σενάριο/Screenplay Sachiko Tanaka, Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Φωτογραφία/Cinematography Yasuyuki Sasaki
Μοντάζ/Editing Azusa Yamazaki
Παραγωγός/Producer Comme des Cinémas, Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Bitters End
Παραγωγή/Production Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Bitters End, Comme des Cinémas
Ηθοποιοί/Cast Masahiro Higashide, Erika Karata, Koji Seto, Rio Yamashita, Sairi Ito
Προέλευση ταινίας/Film Source ΜΚ2

* Suitable for English speaking audience

Ελληνική Πρεμιέρα / Greek Premiere

Ντοκιμαντέρ/Documentary, Γαλλία/ France, 2019, 96 ́, DCP, Έγχρ-α/μ./ Color-b&w, Γαλλικά/French

Jean-Gabriel Périot, in this documentary, which unites cinema with politics, collaborated with a group of students. The students worked both in front of and behind the camera, re-staging scenes of strikes, resistance, and labour disputes, from films dating from the late 1960s to the late 1970s, including La Chinoise by Jean-Luc Godard. While barely able to define neither political commitment nor the idea of revolution at first, the students gradually realize that the perspectives from the past still echo in our present politics and that within our defeats may rise the strength to face today’s chaos and its challenges.

Jean-Gabriel Périot // Jean-Gabriel Périot (1974, France) works as a video-artist, cinematographer, editor and director. Ηe makes film projects using archive material and the majority of his works are documentary, animation and experimental projects, dealing with violence and history. His documentary German Youth (2015) won the French César award.

Σκηνοθεσία/Direction Jean-Gabriel Périot
Φωτογραφία/Cinematography Amine Berrada
Μοντάζ/Editing Jean-Gabriel Périot
Ήχος/Sound Claire Goldmann-Fournier
Παραγωγός/Producer Frédéric Dubreuil
Παραγωγή/Production Envie de Tempête Productions
Προέλευση ταινίας/Film Source Doc&Film International

* Suitable for English speaking audience

Ελληνική Πρεμιέρα / Greek Premiere

Ντοκιμαντέρ/Documentary, Ιράν, Ηνωμ. Βασίλειο/Iran, U.K., 2019, 84 ́, DCP, Έγχρ-α/μ./Color-b&w, Γαλλικά/ French

This documentary reveals a rarely seen and barely acknowledged image of Iranian pre-revolutionary popular cinema, banned after 1979. According to the seminal British film theorist Laura Mulvey: “As a long standing admirer of the New Iranian Cinema, I often wondered about its popular predecessor. Ehsan Khoshbakht has finally opened up this story. His essayistic, meditative and cinephile analysis celebrates an unashamedly exploitative genre, steeped in sex and violence; Filmfarsi very usefully locates this crazy cinema within the Iranian popular and political culture of its time, and also allows it to find a place in the wider context of World Cinema”.

Ehsan Khoshbakht // Ehsan Khoshbakht is a London-based Iranian documentary filmmaker, film curator and writer. Architect by training, he has authored and edited numerous books, such as on the history of movie posters, the western genre, etc. Ehsan is the co-director of Il Cinema Ritrovato film festival in Bologna.

Σκηνοθεσία/Direction Ehsan Khoshbakht
Σενάριο/Screenplay Ehsan Khoshbakht
Μοντάζ/Editing Niyaz Saghari and Abolfazl Talooni
Ήχος/Sound Rob Szeliga
Παραγωγός/Producer Ehsan Khoshbakht
Προέλευση ταινίας/Film Source Ehsan Khoshbakht

Presentation from the dirtector

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Ελληνική Πρεμιέρα / Greek Premiere

Μυθοπλασία/Fiction, Ελβετία/ Switzerland, 2019, 83 ́, DCP, Έγχρ./ Color, Ιταλικά/Italian

Seconda is bound to her family apartment and her cloistered routines. She is a 32-year-old woman with acute agoraphobia. One day,her mother dies and her father deserts her, leaving Seconda to battle her demons and fend for herself. She has sporadic connections with the outside world: a little girl who verbally attacks her from the courtyard and abusive phone messages from Henry, a debt collector who threatens action. Preoccupied yet burdened with her own survival, Seconda gets a chance for release when a homely bottle collector named Santo visits, but she must play her cards right.

Klaudia Reynicke // Klaudia Reynicke is a Swiss-Peruvian filmmaker. She attended New York University Tisch School of the Arts and holds a Master of Arts in filmmaking from the École cantonal d’art de Lausanne. She has directed the feature documentary Is this how men are? (2013) and the fiction feature The Nest (2016).

Σκηνοθεσία/Direction Klaudia Reynicke
Σενάριο/Screenplay Klaudia Reynicke
Φωτογραφία/Cinematography Diego Romero Suarez Llanos
Μοντάζ/Editing Paola Freddi
Παραγωγός/Producer Gabriella De Gara, Tiziana Soudani, Michela Pini
Παραγωγή/Production Amka Films Productions
Ηθοποιοί/Cast Barbara Giordano, Antonio Bannò, Gilles Privat, Maurizio Tabani, Anna Galante, Federica Vermiglio
Προέλευση ταινίας/Film Source Summerside International

Presentation from the leading actress Barbara Giordano

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