Images of the world and images of ourselves: Cinema finds ways to bring together the gaze at what surrounds us, the gaze at what lies far away, and the gaze into the mirror – two directions that can never be conceived of as entirely independent of one another. The films in this program sometimes sort through these images, and at other times immerse themselves completely in the whirlwind of contemporary visual streams. Always with the question of where we ourselves appear within them. From the images of the world, they form new ones: some in which we can reaffirm ourselves, and others that take the absurdity of the world – which can be quite painful – and push it further, until it can be met with laughter. (Sebastian Markt)
Memes are a contemporary form of communication that works through imitation and repetition, appropriation, and variation. Seven young women, who have spent a good part of their youth on or with TikTok and are now on the cusp of adulthood, perform the gestures, phrases, and dances that were part of their online personas’ vocabulary. In their childhood bedrooms, home – as the most intimate of places – meets the public sphere of social media; the women transform patterns into individuality and form a chorus of sisterly solidarity.
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Premiere:
German Premiere
- Director: Élie Grappe, Anna-Marija Adomaitytė
CN: Depression, Suicide
In a space between documentary observation and fictional molding, teenagers play the roles of teenagers who aren’t them – but who could be. On car rides, while hanging out in places and non-places, conversations arise that challenge reality: about overcoming one’s own feelings, about dealing with the most difficult emotions, about the judgments others pass on you. What if things were not as they are, what if you weren’t exactly who you are?
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Nominated:
A38-Production Grant Kassel-Halle
“I often wonder how old I really am,” the director says at the beginning. She has gone through 20,000 photos from the family archive and organized them into the structure that is this film. Pictures of birthday tables stand out – especially the cakes. But what do these images tell us? What does the young woman learn about herself through them? What connection is there between the person in the photos and the adult reflecting on them? What does it mean to look at these images? A short essay on the act of remembering.… >>>
Premiere:
World Premiere
- Director: Alessia Franzese
The very tiny dress of a Polly Pocket doll catches the attention of a pair of twins who aren’t alike in every way. The banter about the doll’s dress is playfully silly, yet it takes on a philosophical depth; the conversation spills over into the picture. One moment they were just talking about toys; the next, they’re already delving into the question of what makes art art, and how to be yourself when there’s also two of you.
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- Director: Mariola Brillowska
CN: Violence
A woman is desperate to get rid of the vast quantities of Gatorade she has brewed herself at home and finds a willing buyer online. So she sets off on a road trip that takes her through a decaying America of motorways and eerie petrol stations, as well as through the bizarre world of internet forums, from which she cannot quite tear herself away, even whilst at the wheel. This grotesque animation, which increasingly turns into a nightmare, reflects a world that has gone off the rails in a way that is both deeply weird and deeply unsettling.
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- Director: Carter Amelia Davis
