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International Showcase
4
Directed by Ilya Khrzhanovsky
Written by Vladimir Sorokin and Ilya Khrzhanovsky
From its startling opening scene to its assured conclusion, Ilya Khrzhanovsky's debut feature, filled
with unforgettable images and deadpan, rueful humor, confounds expectations.
Before the Flood
Directed by Li Yifan and Yan Yu
This intimate documentary captures the plight of a two-thousand-year-old Chinese village that only
has a few years to relocate to higher ground when a dam project threatens to submerge its residents'
homes-and heritages-under water.
Bitter Dream
Directed and written by Mohsen Amiryoussefi
A deadpan Iranian comedy about life and death, Bitter Dream follows the trials and tribulations of a
surly corpse washer who has to mend his ways if he wants a proper burial.
Fatima, the Algerian Woman of Dakar
Directed and written by Mel Hondo
When a young Senegalese soldier proposes to marry the Algerian girl he raped and impregnated during her
country's struggle for independence, her reluctant acceptance of his offer leads her to an unexpected
liberation.
The Forest for the Trees
Directed and written by Maren Ade
A small town teacher with dreams of a stylish life in a new city encounters a soul-shattering reality in
newcomer Maren Ade's harrowing gem The Forest for the Trees.
Le Grand Voyage
Directed and written by Ismaël Ferroukhi
The old and new worlds come to terms with each other as Mustapha, a Moroccan immigrant living in France
who wants to make a last pilgrimage to Mecca, enlists his reluctant, thoroughly westernized son as his
driver.
Kamikaze Girls
Directed and written by Tetsuya Nakashima
Teenaged Japanese subcultures clash when a befrocked and bonneted "Lolita" girl unites with a
tough-as-nails biker chick in a quest for a legendary embroiderer in this delirious, popsicle-bright
adaptation of a bestselling cult novel.
One Out of Two
Directed and written by Alejo Hernan Taube
In this tense, meticulously-observed drama, set at the height of Argentina's 2001 economic crisis,
the cocky, two-bit thug Martin tempts fate by playing Robin Hood to the impoverished residents of his
rural hometown.
Pilgrimage
Directed by Bahman Kiarostami
Bahman Kiarostami reveals the surreal, at times humorous, and utterly chaotic nature of Iran today in
his documentary focussing on the town of Mehran, a jumping off point for pilgrimages to the Iraqi city
of Karbala.
Sentenced to Marriage
Directed and written by Anat Zuria
This shocking documentary exposes the plight of women seeking divorce in Israeli society, where the
rabbinical courts invariably rule in the man's favor.
Spying Cam
Directed by Whang Cheol Mean
Two men are locked in a cheap hotel room with just a video camera to pass the time. Who they are and
why they're there is the enigma that slowly reveals itself in this intensely engaging film of power,
politics, and intertwining identities.
Avanim
Directed and written by Raphael Nadjari
A sudden tragedy forces a Sephardic woman to confront her suffocating existence as a dutiful Tel Aviv
wife, mother, and daughter in Raphael Nadjari's powerful and intimate Avanim.
Swenkas
Directed by Jeppe Rønde
A lyrical tale of fathers, sons, and how to wear the right suit, Jeppe Rønde's Swenkas explores a Zulu
male subculture that uses high fashion as the ultimate means of self-expression.
Syrian Bride
Directed by Eran Riklis
Written by Suha Arraf, Eran Riklis
This wide-ranging story of a young Druze Arab woman who must cross the Israeli-Syrian border in order to
marry creates a vivid tapestry of the passions and conflicts of the region.
Tony Takitani
Directed and written by Jun Ichikawa
Based on a short story by Haruki Murakami, this story of one man's solitude and appreciation for high
fashion explores the undeniable allure of a perfect Size 7.
Unknown White Male
Directed by Rupert Murray
A man loses his memory - his name, family, friends, and identity gone - and in detailing how and why
this happened to his friend, Rupert Murray has created a provocative examination of how we define ourselves.
Vento di Terra
Directed by Vincenzo Marra
In an understated drama that quietly reveals both the promise and harshness of contemporary Naples,
an impoverished young man learns what it means to survive when he has to join the military after his
father dies.
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