Focus: Borders is a competition dedicated to medium and feature-length fiction, animated, and hybrid films distinguished by a strong authorial voice and a search for original ways of telling stories about the contemporary world. The diversity of approaches to long-form cinema presented in the selected works proves that film still has much to offer. This year’s competition features 8 titles.

Water Lillies, dir. Chanho Lee (Republic of Korea) 2024, 119’, 15+

Hyowon dreams of becoming an actress. Together with Eunseo, a high school student who has run away from home, she arrives in Seoul — a city that promises a fresh start but quickly reveals its merciless side. Their shelter becomes a cramped basement apartment, and their everyday life — a constant struggle for survival. Hyowon begins working at a theater, where she meets Suyeon, an experienced actress who teaches her that “acting is the art of embodying someone else’s suffering.” Over time, Hyowon comes to realize that true empathy is not born on stage, but in life itself.

A poetic and deeply sensitive film about coming of age in a world that does not welcome its heroes with open arms. With its subtle observation of emotions and small gestures, “Water Lilies” evoke the cinema of Ryûsuke Hamaguchi and Lee Chang-dong, through their attentiveness to the nuances of human relationships and their ability to find beauty in life’s hardships.

Film awarded at e.g. Cine del Mar. Polish premiere.

After the screening, we invite you to join a discussion.

Audio description version available.