The Focus: Emotions competition is devoted to short dramas that evoke strong emotions in the audience. Sorrow mixes with joy, excitement with powerlessness, and sometimes, it brings out some tears. This cinema from all around the world makes us realise that although our cultures often differ, we are very similar when it comes to emotions.
Please Hold the Line, dir. Tan Ce Ding (Malaysia) 2022, 19’, 16+
A young woman extorting money through a fake call center finds herself in a situation from which there is no good way out. Film presented at Venice IFF.
Oysters, dir. Maïa Descamps (Belgium) 2022, 24’, 16+
A group of friends is at a bachelorette party together. One of the women is hiding a secret and her behaviour is destroying the fun atmosphere. Will the truth rise to the surface?
Assi Doesn’t Live Here, dir. Neta Murat, Rotem Murat (Israel) 2022, 15’, 15+
Assi is a sailor. During a one-day stopover in his hometown, he is looking for a way to meet the child he once abandoned. Film presented at Jerusalem FF.
The Three of Us, dir. Claudia Bottino (France) 2022, 19’, 15+
30-year-old Julien visits his 6-year-old daughter Cléa, whom he has not seen for a while. While the child looks for his attention, Julien makes every effort to come home to Lucie, Cléa’s mother. Film presented at Clermont-Ferrand ISFF. Polish premiere.
A Beautiful Wildflower Meadow, dir. Emi Buchwald (Poland) 2022, 30’, 15+
Emil, a landscape architect, is fighting an uneven battle with those indifferent to the beauty of nature. He is trying to be a good father, but his neurotic rigidity pushes him into a spiral of absurd events. Film awarded at WFF and PFF in Gdynia.
