East of the West - Competition

Two brothers, the elder married, the younger with a lover and a young child meet up at their parents' country place after their father has a stroke. A subtle family drama from debut director Vít Zapletal that distinguishes itself from the usual Czech production through its unaffected accent on the Christian faith.

There are still places in the world where people live in harmony with nature and the mythology which comes out of it. A family of nomads dwelling high in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan find contentment without the conveniences of modern civilization. This poetic sketch about traditions that are slowly disappearing was based on a screenplay by renowned director Aktan Arym Kubat.

After a nontraditional romance blossoms between Benek and Lena, a young couple immersed in questions of life and death, they decide to defy the natural order by having a baby. A mournful yet lightly-rendered tale about the search for identity, finding love, and the battle against a fatal illness that is nearly impossible to win.

While a mute and lonely mother lives a life that is far from easy, she nevertheless bares her lot with dignity and courage. Her 15-year-old son is trying to stand on his own two feet, but in so doing he only complicates the grim situation in the family. This sensitive coming-of-age picture is the second feature from Albanian director Bujar Alimani.

A cargo ship suddenly anchors out at sea. It is prohibited from entering the port, so the crew is left to wait things out in a claustrophobic environment with dwindling food supplies. A Turkish psychological thriller on what becomes of the principles of power, authority and hierarchy the moment the traditional social order breaks down.

There are as many stories in the world as there are people, and Vašek, a timid guard at a gallery who becomes a reluctant painting thief, hears plenty of them on his train trip to Rome. This multilevel comedy road movie (on a train) and quest for the meaning of life is director Tomasz Mielnik’s feature debut.

The Mother, the Daughter, the Grandmother, and other archetypal characters gradually come together in a room where they talk incessantly. Their monologues rarely cross over into dialogue but taken together they create an absurdly humorous and satirical look at contemporary Poland, which in their opinion isn’t (and perhaps never was) a nice place to live. The movie is an adaptation of Dorota Masłowska’s successful theater play.

History sometimes repeats itself. As a nine-year-old, Maja was abandoned by her mother and placed in an orphanage. Now it’s ten years later and she keeps returning to the institution – to visit her own four-year-old son. Will she be able to take control of her life despite the unfavorable circumstances and her own self-destructive tendencies?

Thanks to the efforts of owner Stelios, musicians love his small jazz club in the heart of Athens and the place seems to be prospering. But an early demise threatens this island of quality music, and Stelios has a mere 32 hours to save his beloved nightclub – and himself. The movie’s tough shell (crime thriller) masks a bitter treatise on the Greek economic crisis.

Sixteen-year-old Larisa lives in a small coastal town in a social environment where image and money afford power over others. With courage and a dogged determination that commands and intimidates, Larisa attempts to attain just such a “dream.” Talented Romanian first-timer Nicolae Tanase captures the most intense period of a person’s life with skill and disarming authenticity.

Dora would like to become a football manager. During a tough period growing up she draws closer to her dad, who is in trouble with the law. A young woman named Ives nurses her ailing father. This exhausting stage of her life makes her aware that as she gradually loses him, the weaker she herself becomes. Nataša, a successful middle-aged producer, is pregnant and the problems associated with her condition lead to her decision to confront her estranged father. In her latest feature Ivona Juka constructs a mosaic of stories whose common denominator is the fight for survival, forgiveness, and new opportunities.

We find ourselves in the very near future when bees are dying en masse and humanity has a mere four years left to live. An anarchist beekeeper sets out to wage a ruthlessly radical battle for survival. A formally inventive and wholly nonconforming vision of the fight against globalization.