Behind the Lens (2024)

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

Natural Born Killers

Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.

Antoine and Colette

Now aged 17, Antoine Doinel works in a factory which makes records. At a music concert, he meets a girl his own age, Colette, and falls in love with her. Later, Antoine goes to extraordinary lengths to please his new girlfriend and her parents, but Colette still only regards him as a casual friend. First segment of “Love at Twenty” (1962).

Ben

A journey inside the mind of a troubled child.

Buddy

A young man agrees to support his ex lover during an HIV test. What starts out as an awkward reunion, soon becomes something more tender. Is there still hope for reconciliation?

All These Days When I'm Foreign

Two northeastern brothers live and work as waiters in Baixada Fluminense. The duo tries to balance themselves in an underworld permeated by financial difficulties, prostitution and urban violence. Antônio feels out of place.

¿Qué hacemos?

Pampa in Patagonia. June 1982. A chance encounter between a mute Argentine man who isn't mute, a lying Chilean woman who tells the truth, and some terrifying but actually scared shitless English soldiers gives rise to a dramatic comedy that summarizes three opportunities—the same opportunities that Argentina, Chile, and England failed to take in June 1982.

Tumba sin nombre

Ángela Ferrer lost her grandson during the Falklands War. A year has passed since the end of the war, and Ángela has not resigned herself to accepting her grandson's death, much less to not being able to visit his grave and pay him the tribute she considers more than deserved. Today, Ángela searches the cemetery for an abandoned grave that could serve as a space to visit her grandson. Finally, she decides on one that shows signs of neglect. She refurbishes it and leaves behind a small painting she made, in which we see a sailboat sailing across the sea. These visits take place weekly, while Ángela continues her daily routine, until one day they are suddenly interrupted.

Con amigos así

The Falklands War began on April 2, 1982, with the Argentine landing on the islands ordered by Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri, and culminated with the cessation of hostilities between Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain on June 14, 1982. Through dynamic editing and the use of archival materials, the documentary considers the war as part of our recent past, but also opens up multiple questions and reflections on contemporary society and the future projection of what such a conflict generates for us Argentines.

After School

Fifteen year-old Jack is forced to come face-to-face with his growing romantic feelings for his best friend Danny.

Twins

On the eve of his wedding Daniel meets again with his true love-his identical twin brother Jan. For the last five years he's been running away from his feelings. Now, on his stag night he is being tested once more.

Burning Soul

Australia, June 1727, a ship from the Dutch East India Company wrecked on the hostile coast. Pieter and Hendrick are friends like brothers - they grew up together, sailed together, survived together. But when Hendrick discovers the true nature of Pieter's heart, the two men are taken in a storm where friendship and faith collapse.

Homework

A young father, his twelve-year-old daughter, a night club, two secrets and a lie that will solve everything.

Ganef

Confusion escalates when a little girl thinks she sees her beloved family cleaner steal a precious ornament.

Dear My Beloved Wife

"Dear My Beloved Wife" is a heartrending exploration of grief, love, and the fragile threads that connect us to the ones we've lost. the film invites viewers to grapple with the reality of losing a loved one and the delicate process of letting go while keeping cherished memories alive.

Shadow / Self

Shadow / Self is a film project that combines dance, fashion and music to explore the darker side of the feminine psyche. A story of human struggle told with movement, beauty and light.

The Summer House

A young girl flees to France to forget her boyfriend; first his letters pursue her, then he himself follows her there. During a party to celebrate the moon landing she takes her own small step...

Islands

A sexual reverie unfolds over the course of one ethereal night. Characters wander through an erotic maze of love and lust, blurring the lines between wet dream and lucid nightmare as a macabre, erotic stage performance sends a ripple of lustful desires through its audience and performers.

Bad Bunny

Wayward boy punishes his mother’s lover. Beauty and horror fondle each other. Young gods callously abjure conventional morality. Death goes whoring in child’s guise.

Tenure

When a dedicated college professor is denied tenure, he turns to black magic in a moment of desperation but finds himself trapped in a private hell of his own making.

My Girl

Since the rooster died, Jasper's only surviving hen has been depressed. Forced to come down from his mountain where he lives far from everything, the septuagenarian sets out in search of company for his beloved gallinaceous bird.

Kissing Drew

Inside a drab middle school in 1992, a sexually-confused eighth-grader attempts to regain his dignity after being bullied by a sex-obsessed 'cool kid' whom he privately fantasizes about.

The Henry Smurf Project

El proyecto del Pitufo Enrique is a document about the existence of a mysterious goblin from the province of Catamarca. During the filming of the movie there were some tragic incidents, such as the disappearance of six people or the violent deaths of another three. Some of these incidents were registered on video but couldn't see the light because of the ongoing legal battle between the director and the victim's families opposing its screening. On the contrary, Elvira Serio director of the movie, thinks that what is on the tape could be of great help shedding some light over all the mysteries around this thread. She hopes that her work can serve as a warning as well to all the residents and tourists who often visit that place.

In the Eyes

A Sunday like any other among a Russian community in France. Victor, a discreet young man, has to overcome the elusiveness of the one he loves in secret.

The North-Ming Fish

Short film from Taiwan.

To Err

237 years after mankind's extinction, an android longs for a past it can never experience.

Lorena: Light-Footed Woman

A young woman of the Tarahumara, well-known for their extraordinary long distance running abilities, wins ultramarathons seemingly out of nowhere despite running in sandals.

Spectres

Three ancient heroes encounter the spectres of their dead loved ones and struggle to let them go.

Despertar

Nico and Thomas are childhood friends who were separated. Years later, at the beginning of their adult lives, they meet again and feelings from the past resurface, causing them both to face personal dilemmas. This is how, between dreams and disagreements, Nico and Thomas reflect on life, themselves, and love.

A Fish Out of Water

Thanks to his 'friend' Ollie, Zac learns how to fish.

Cast Off

Simon has to leave the island on which he lives to go to boarding school. One day he plays with his sister and finds a beached little wooden boat. Through his attempts to repair it he will accept, or not, to cast off.

Nothing Really Happened

Kata lives with her husband and 12 year old son, Peti in a housing estate. One day something terrible happens to Peti. The parents have one night to decide how to handle it.

Omar

The story of Omar, a young gay man who lives in a neighbourhood he loves and neighbours that love him. But he is under pressure because he has fallen in love and he cannot even talk about it as he will end up revealing that he is homosexual — not even to his best friend Morad.

Rufus Stone

Rufus Stone is a short film about “love, sexual awakening, and treachery.” According to Director Josh Appignanesi, “the story dramatizes the old and continued prejudices of village life from three main perspectives.

An Exploration in Blue

A former couple has one last rendezvous on a lakeside to reflect on their relationship.

The Southern Wind

In Canada, the village of Val Gagné is facing a rural exodus. Life seems to be dissolving, the future is uncertain. But these Franco-Ontarian villagers are surprised by a wind of renewal. A wind that will give them hope.

Metrotopia

A brief visual journey through the subways of major world cities. Without narration, Marker captures anonymous gestures, repetitive rhythms, and the unique atmosphere of underground urban spaces. A sensory meditation on modern life, the homogenization of environments, and the quiet beauty of places in transit.

Candela

An insoluble quest.

Neon Lights

In 2053, amidst a devastating pandemic, an old gravedigger from Elementar Corporation insists on burying his wife with just a shovel, rejecting the corporation's new burial technology, the "Cube Of Miracles." Conflict arises when a young gravedigger armed with the "Cube of Miracles" challenges the old gravedigger's traditional methods at the cemetery. The film explores the clash between tradition and innovation, delving into broader themes of man versus machine in a society grappling with AI and automation.

Crushed

Through a powerful visual metaphor, Camille Vigny gives a first-person account of the domestic violence she suffered. The images and text interact with remarkable precision to convey the devastating impact of the cataclysm. It's a political gesture, brimming with courage, an icy cry that takes your breath away.

How Funny (This Country Is)

Three freshly graduated adults try to educate young beggars to become street vendors, but are opposed by their fathers.

Rå

Rå is the story of an initiation. Sixteen-year-old Linn longs to be admitted to her father’s community of hunters. She has long been familiar with the rules of the hunt but has yet to prove herself.

Sleep, Eternally

When naive Ryan took on the role of a caretaker for his exhausted mother over the weekend. He doesn't realise the severity of his situation until he confides in his concerned teacher, Mrs. Watson. Together, they check on Ryan's mother only to be confronted with a harrowing discovery that challenges Ryan's innocence and changes his outlook on life forever.