Dounouia, la vie (2010)

Nowy świat

Three stories of immigrants trying to start new lives in Poland: an Afghan traumatised by the war, a Ukrainian lost in her own body, and a Belarusian running away from painful love. The Afghan, Azzam, works as a translator for the Polish army. In his homeland he is treated like a traitor. Having been evacuated to Poland, he is unable to shake off the war experiences. The Ukrainian, Wiera, escapes to Poland to undergo sex reassignment surgery in secret from her family. An unexpected visit from her father and little son will make her face the question of her own identity once more. Żanna, the Belarusian, leaves her husband, a dissident, and lives together with her daughter at her sister’s in Warsaw. She wants to move out as soon as possible and make a normal home. Things get complicated when her husband gets arrested again.

The Water's Whisper

A teenager wanders into the jungle towards a virgin lagoon inhabited by an intriguing and sinister creature, a mermaid.

Le Retour

In the early 1970s, Lakhdar, an Algerian peasant, is forced to leave his desert land and his family for France, but immigration weighs on him and he dreams of returning. This day arrives, he walks in Paris, events decide otherwise.

The Tribe

Deaf-mute Sergey enters a specialized boarding school for the deaf-and-dumb. In navigating through the school's hierarchy, he encounters a corrupt underbelly of criminality, known as The Tribe. By participating in several robberies, he gets propelled higher into the organization, when he meets one of the Chief’s concubines Anya, and unwittingly breaks all the unwritten rules of the group.

L'enfer c'est les autres

Plot unavailable

Age 13

Tells the story of Andrew, a 13-year-old whose mother dies and leaves him with an indifferent step-father. Andrew, receiving only hostility from his classmates and step-father, begins to steal. An understanding counselor at school helps Andrew reform and readjust.

Waterandland

Life intersects between an Afghan refugee boy and a Hong Kong migrant girl in Britain.

Aïssa

Aïssa is a Congolese immigrant in France. She says that she is under eighteen but the authorities consider her an adult. To determine if she can be deported, a doctor must give her a physical examination.

Trona Pinnacles

Gabrielle, a 19 years old, finds herself stuck near Death Valley between two parents who no longer speak to each other. The three of them, feeling trapped, try to escape the tension, in a huge scenery that feels unchangeable. The situation seems impossible, until an unexpected event comes to unravel everything...

Los hongos

Ras is a graffiti artist from the city of Cali who works in construction, he works during the day and paints walls at night. One day he is caught stealing cans of paint from the construction site where he works, for which he is fired. With no money, he will look for Calvin, another popular urban artist. Both will circulate through the streets without a fixed destination, spreading their art to every corner.

La Salada

Three intertwining stories that take place in La Salada — the largest unregulated market in Buenos Aires: a Korean father prepares his daughter for an arranged marriage, a young Bolivian man searches for work, and a Taiwanese DVD seller tries to woo a young woman to be his girlfriend.

Sway

Three parallel love stories set in three different cities are set against some of the major international events of the last five years, in this ambitious.

Hula Fulla Dance

Hiwa Natsunagi is a high school student living in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. Worried about what to do with her life after graduation, she spots a poster for Spa Resort Hawaiians the “Hawaii of Tohoku” the place where her sister Mari used to work and applies to their new dancer (hula girl) campaign on a whim. Despite her lack of experience, Hiwa is accepted for the job, and starts on the path towards becoming a Hula Girl with her classmates, Kanna, Ranko, 'ohana and Shion. However, unable to keep in step with one another due to their differing personalities, their first stage ends in disaster. Called the “most pitiful rookies ever” the girls are disheartened, but they learn to share the good and bad...and strengthen their bond despite the occasional fumble. With their hearts and minds firmly set, the girls grace the stage once more.

The House Is Burning

One day. One night. A group of teenagers struggles to find their way in a world that offers them few choices.

The Visitor

A college professor travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment.

Gran Torino

Disgruntled Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, Thao Lor, a Hmong teenager who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: a 1972 Gran Torino.

Skirt Day

A teacher, driven to exasperation from insults and insubordination, takes her class hostage.

Duma

An orphaned cheetah becomes the best friend and pet of a young boy living in South Africa.

Tree of Knowledge

As a group of Danish children pass into adolescence, gradually the most popular girl becomes an outcast, for trivial reasons that she never understands.

Residents of Arcadia

Steve and Anika are two social media Influencers and entrepreneurs, living an accomplished and ideal life. One night, a man breaks into their backyard, disrupting the peaceful life they had created. The ensuing fear culminates with the appearance of a mysterious countdown on screens and mirrors throughout their home. As the countdown approaches zero, it reveals the true nature of what is hiding behind their perfect lives.

Princesses

Caye is a young prostitute whose family is unaware of her profession. She meets her striking Dominican neighbour Zulema, an illegal immigrant, after she finds her in the bathroom, badly beaten up. They strike up a close friendship unbeknownst to Caye's xenophobic co-workers.

An American Tail

A young mouse named Fievel and his family decide to migrate to America, a "land without cats," at the turn of the 20th century. But somehow, Fievel ends up in the New World alone and must fend off not only the felines he never thought he'd have to deal with again but also the loneliness of being away from home.

L'autre France

Social drama about Algerian immigrant workers who came searching for work in France.

Mala Noche

Walt is a lonely convenience store clerk who has fallen in love with a Mexican migrant worker named Johnny. Though Walt has little in common with the object of his affections — including a shared language — his desire to possess Johnny prompts a sexual awakening that results in taboo trysts and a tangled love triangle.

Live Flesh

When Victor attempts to seduce Elena, all he gets for his trouble is a one-way, six-year ticket to prison, where he concentrates on strengthening his mind, his body... and his desire for vengeance on the man who put him there. After his release and still madly in love with her, Victor will stop at nothing to win her over even if means revenge, for Elena has married David, the cop who sent him to prison!

Short Sharp Shock

Gabriel, Bobby and Costa are old friends from Altona, a multicultural hood in Hamburg. Just out of prison, Gabriel wants to turn his back on crime, but the others continue to operate as petty criminals. Friendships are tested as the trio navigate a dark world of mafia bosses and deals gone wrong.

I Love Anna

Santeri (13) looks on as older guys are driving their motor bikes and wants to be part of their world. He combs his hair and goes to meet his friend Anna (13). At Anna's home childhood's anarchy meets puberty.

Paris Je T'aime

Olivier Assayas, Gus Van Sant, Wes Craven and Alfonso Cuaron are among the 20 distinguished directors who contribute to this collection of 18 stories, each exploring a different aspect of Parisian life. The colourful characters in this drama include a pair of mimes, a husband trying to chose between his wife and his lover, and a married man who turns to a prostitute for advice.

Khadak

Set in the frozen steppes of Mongolia, a young nomad is confronted with his destiny after animals fall victim to a plague which threatens to eradicate nomadism.

1st of May: All Belongs to You

An eleven-year-old Turkish boy, two young men from a small town, and a cuckolded policeman from the sticks all find their way to Berlin on May Day, where, in the district of Kreuzberg, emotions come to the boil every year.

La León

Deep in the lush river jungles of Argentina, Alvaro lives a solitary existence fishing and harvesting reeds. What sets him apart from the rest of his village is that he is gay. There are no other gay men in his world, his only means of expression is with the occasional outsider who passes through. Most of these men come via the river taxi El León, whose captain El Turu is a mean man with a homophobic streak and a secret. When illegal loggers appear in the jungle El Turu accuses Alvaro of aiding them, a dispute which leads both men towards confrontation.

El Norte

Brother and sister Enrique and Rosa flee persecution at home in Guatemala and journey north, through Mexico and on to the United States, with the dream of starting a new life.

Ábreme

The collision between two cultures explodes in one household as all three wait for Javier's immigration papers. A dark comedy that explores immigration, mental health and the magnetism hiding as aversion.

The Departure

Morocco, 2004. Adil, aged 11, spends the summer playing with his friends and waiting for his idol, Olympic runner Hicham El Guerrouj, to compete in his last Games. The arrival of his father and older brother from France for a few days will mark him forever.

Violet

15-year-old Jesse is the only one who witnessed the stabbing of his friend Jonas. Now he has to face his family and friends from the BMX riders crew and explain the unexplainable - how he feels about it.

The Perfect Man

Holly is tired of moving every time her mom Jean breaks up with yet another second-rate guy. To distract her mother from her latest bad choice, Holly conceives the perfect plan for the perfect man, an imaginary secret admirer who will romance Jean and boost her self-esteem.

Europe by Bidon

Biodun is Nigerian. In this animated documentary, he tells the story of his journey on foot from Lagos to Paris, how he survives with a container (un bidon) and thanks to his courage. With his amazing patter, he transforms the events into extraordinary adventures.

In the Blood

It’s summer in Copenhagen, it’s a time of endless days and careless nights. Simon is a 23-year-old medical student. He and his friends party and drink and chase girls and wake up the next day to do the whole thing all over again. But it’s also a time of unrest and change among the boys. Dreams shatter, love hurts, and friendships dissolve.

World's Greatest Dad

In the wake of a freak accident, Lance suffers the worst tragedy and the greatest opportunity of his life. He is suddenly faced with the possibility of fame, fortune and popularity, if he can only live with the knowledge of how he got there.

An Education

Despite her sheltered upbringing, Jenny is a teen with a bright future; she's smart, pretty, and has aspirations of attending Oxford University. When David, a charming but much older suitor, motors into her life in a shiny automobile, Jenny gets a taste of adult life that she won't soon forget.

Forbidden Fruit

Two 18-year old girls from a christian fundamentalist community flee to a city for a summer job.

The Wolves

Max and Leo are 8 and 5 years old and have just immigrated to the US with their mother. Their days pass inside a tiny apartment, while they wait for their mother to come back, as they hold on to the hope of traveling to Disney.

My Future Love

In 1973, the 20-year-old Svante has a heart condition that the doctors cannot fix. When he has a breakdown on a subway platform, a strange train suddenly appears. He steps into the subway car filled with wonder, without knowing that the destination is the future. In the future he meets Elsa and together they must solve Svante's problems and figure out how to live together when they are from two different eras.

In the Name of God

The film is about the difficult situation in which the Pakistanis in particular and the Muslims in general are caught up since 9/11. There is a war going on between the Fundamentalists and the Liberal Muslims. This situation is creating a drift not only between the Western world and the Muslims, but also within the Muslims. The educated and modern Muslims are in a difficult situation because of their approach towards life and their western attire. They are criticized and harassed by the fundamentalists and on the other hand the Western world sees them as potential suspects of terrorism just because of their Muslim names.

Étoile aux dents ou Poulou le magnifique

In the 70s, in the Goutte d'or district, three friends of Algerian origin: Poulou, a failed boxer, Amar, the clumsiest of thieves, and Jibé, a public writer for illiterate compatriots whose lives he knows in detail. As he betrays none of their secrets, he enjoys great prestige in the bistros where he works. The three of them lead a casual life, raising money by illicit means. It's only when Poulou and Amar leave that Jibé understands his isolation and marginalization. The images as well as the sounds help to reinforce the feeling that Paris is a city where he is both at home and a terrible stranger.

things that won't die

After finding some videos she uploaded to YouTube when she was a child, Manuela attempts to follow the trail she herself has left on the Internet. A search that looks into all that things that won't never die and that, especially, thinks about the way we look at ourselves.

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

Urashima Tunnel – Once you enter that tunnel, you can get whatever you want, but at a price. Kaoru Tohno, who seems to have an elusive personality and traumatic past, and Anzu Hanashiro, who is struggling to reconcile her ideal image and true-to-heart attitude, team up to investigate the Urashima Tunnel and get what they want. This is an unforgettable summer story of nostalgia and sprinting in a remote countryside.

The Wanderings of Ivan

During a beautiful summer, Ivan, a young Russian arriving in Paris, lives in extreme precariousness. He settled in a small camp, but soon he discovered a clandestine life where rode male prostitution is a law. He meets young equivocal men and women over whom he has no hold. Then it's his meeting with Pierre, a young father who will seal his destiny and with which he will commit the irreparable.

The Male Gaze: Strikers & Defenders

Work up a sweat from the soccer field to the locker room in these drama-fueled four films from Germany, France and the UK that explore how rivalry between teams can spill over into teacher-pupil relationships, high school crushes and brotherly compassion. The short films are: Islands [Inseln] (2018); Play It Like a Man [Un été viril] (2018); Colours (2015); Through the Fields [Passer les champs] (2015).

Live and Become

In 1980 the black Falashas in Ethiopia are recognised as genuine Jews and are secretly carried to Israel. The day before the transport the son of a Jewish mother dies. In his place and with his name (Schlomo) she takes a Christian 9-year-old boy.

Visible: Transgender Youth Stories

Two teenagers seek the fullness of their identities with time on top and normality against it. First hand testimony of transgender kids and the support of their family.