Finalist films 2023

Arrivederci Paris version sous-titrée en anglais

One evening, in a luxurious building in the centre of Paris, an armed woman bursts into the apartment of Adriano Rizzo, an actor who exploits his status to abuse young actresses. Later, the mysterious woman reveals her identity: Hélène de Saint-Amand, owner of the apartment. She intends to kill him to put an end to his sexual assaults. She thinks she has the perfect plan to make people believe that the death is suicide by poisoning. But what she doesn’t know is that everything will be filmed. Hélène de Saint-Amand kills her tenant, disguising the crime as suicide, and leaves the apartment.

Ghosted

Emily befriends Imogen online which is the start of a relationship that takes an unexpected course leaving Emily in the dark.

Adaptive Adventure

While navigating her way through an arduous journey with lupus, Kate Appleby continually engages and wholeheartedly immerses herself in outdoor adventures. Spreading awareness of hidden illnesses, Kate has become a powerfully inspiring woman among those in the outdoor community. This documentary examines the psychological and physical benefits yielded through thoughtful and respectful engagement with one’s environment and explores the human connection to nature.

Time Spent

Nathan and his girlfriend are struggling with the cost of living crisis in the UK, so when Nathan gets a chance to interview for a dream job, he jumps at it.

After arriving in London for his interview, Nathan finds himself at a luxury apartment which feels a world away from his council flat on the estate. Nathan quickly realises that something is off when he’s faced with making an impossible decision that will affect the rest of his life. With the clock ticking, Nathan will have to decide whether to accept an opportunity of a lifetime or give up his memory of these events.

Orpheus

The story of Orpheus takes the Greek myth and focuses on the sense of loss and guilt. Only in this story rather than being a musician Orpheus is an artist, an artist trapped in his studio with a fading memory of his lost love – but nightly he is pestered and bullied by The Critic, a living embodiment of his own troubled mind.

On this particular night Orpheus, exhausted from his mental torture, is forced to confront his guilt and fight for his sanity. The Critic taunts and bullies Orpheus, reminding him that he is the author of his own plight.

Can Orpheus ever face his own truth or will he remain trapped with The Critic forever?

The Button Lady

The mysterious Button Lady delves into the supernatural to save Becky from the acolytes of the fire-lord Moloch, who need to sacrifice her to resurrect the ancient demon in this supernatural adventure comedy.

On / Off

Endless distractions threaten to destroy creativity.

caring for mom

What happens when your parent(s) can’t care for themselves?
Do you look for a nursing home to send your parent to?
Do you become your parent’s caregiver?

These questions have no easy answers because there are so many variables.

This documentary shows what happened when Alzheimer’s came into my mother’s life and how we managed it.

What started out as a private memorial video for Mom found a new life in its current metamorphosis as a possible motivator for others to consider home-care for their parents instead of automatically going the nursing home route.

You’re not smacked over the head about having to take care of your elderly parents at home when the time comes that they need care. It’s an option that’s not cut out for everyone but this documentary shows how — should that route be taken — it’s possible to have a meaningful experience and part of that experience can be taking your parent(s) out and about, hoping that the trip itself, plus whatever happens to be seen and experienced along the way, provides a stimulating and joyful experience for the aging parent.

Or, simply taking advantage of the many opportunities that can be had in the seemingly mundane day-to-day life at home finding unexpected precious moments with your parent—opportunities that would be lost, or few and far between, if the parent was living away from home.

It’s not all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, but in the end, this can be a journey that’s rewarding for the cared, as well as the caregiver.

Call Me Back

The subtlety of memory and grief is studied in this heartfelt exploration of a bereaved older woman. Grace (Lindsay Duncan), returns home from the funeral of her husband, George (Jim Broadbent), accompanied by her daughter, Lucy (Sophia Myles). Mother and daughter clash, leading Grace to attempt to mourn in isolation.
Confronted by memories of happier times, she begins the process of cleansing the house – and herself – of the medical paraphernalia of the sick man she nursed.
Ignoring phone calls from her daughter, she chaotically extends the purge of George’s earthly manifestations beyond what she can bear.
Faced with her error, she has a choice to make – to either continue on her destructive path, or reach out to her daughter for help.

Perfectly Good Moment

This psychosexual thriller asks the question: what happens when the things that make your relationship passionate and exciting are the same things that make it toxic?

Ruby and David have been together on-and-off for 8 years, since she was 19 and he 34. Six months after Ruby last ran out on him, she has returned. Once the initial bliss of the reunion wears off, old toxic patterns re-emerge. Is David too demanding and controlling or is Ruby just too sensitive? Is Ruby as delicate and demure as she appears to be…or is there something more sinister behind the surface? Why did Ruby really come back?

Perfectly Good Moment is Lauren Greenhall’s narrative directorial debut. It features Broadway star Stephen Carlile in his cinematic debut and Amanda Jane Stern (1 Angry Black Man, Lifetime’s Amish Witches). It marks Stern’s first feature screenwriting credit, and boasts an original score by Mdou Moctar’s Mikey Coltun.

Remembering Nearfield

A wife and entrepreneur devoted to her family and business tragically loses everything as her health mysteriously declines. A wife and entrepreneur devoted to her family and business tragically loses everything as her health mysteriously declines. Why is she abandoned by everyone and facing an uncertain future? The answer is revealed through a series of startling events and a final, uncomfortable diagnosis.
She has a disability known to exist for over 100 years. We’d assume society widely accommodates it with suitable support, but we’d be wrong. Sadly, as she discovers, people with this disability are marginalised and the cause treated like a taboo. The social stigma and discrimination she experiences are as shocking as the increased reporting of this disability around the world.
In this revealing true story, we glimpse the social exclusion, the deep anxieties, the sense of vulnerability and search for remedy as we are absorbed into the world of the protagonist. Her disability is called Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposures from man-made sources including wireless devices drive her disruptive symptoms and functional impairment. She is just like everyone else – she’d assumed it was impossible to be harmed by the EMR in her environment.
Why does this story need to be told? Because there is little help or acceptance for people with EHS, which is an isolating and imprisoning disability causing those highly sensitive to man-made electromagnetic radiation to become widely excluded from society. Remembering Nearfield’s compelling testimony and animation brings the issues to life, giving a voice to the voiceless, envisaging a more inclusive, accessible, and safer society for people with EHS.
No-one should be excluded from society because of the nature of their disability.

Lapavooni

A young business consultant, once a hotshot at a major consulting firm, now finds himself working for a small-town outfit in rural Finland.

Hoping to mask his insecurities, the consultant fills the silence with chatter about mundane things while being plagued by a negative inner voice that taunts him and constantly undermines his self-esteem.

Feeling somewhat lost he tries to navigate the troubled waters of the first day in his new role.

Jeanne’s Audition

‘No matter where you may run, you can never run away from yourself.’

Jeanne dreams of leaving her life as a farmer behind to become an actress, but her path is troubled, because she tirelessly tends to her mother, who’s battling inner demons.

BLACK PUDDING

A man and a teenage girl arrive at a café and order coffees, when the topic of ‘black pudding’ comes up, a sinister argument ensues.

EVA. HERO GIRL

“Eva. Hero Girl” is an inspiring documentary film about Eva Zhigalina, who became a trailblazer in the world of Kokpar in Kazakhstan—a traditional male game of nomadic peoples.
Amidst the vast steppes, windswept landscapes, and towering mountains, we are introduced to the heroine of our story — Eva, a young and determined girl.
In a traditional society where the participation of women in Kokpar has been prohibited, Eva overcomes social and cultural barriers to pursue her passion for this brutal game.
Eva encounters fierce opponents who believe Kokpar is exclusively a male domain and that a girl’s participation distorts traditions and values.
However, Eva has numerous supporters who see her true strength and dedication to her dream. They rally behind Eva, helping her overcome obstacles and fight for recognition of her talent.
The film “Eva. Hero Girl” immerses viewers in an emotional journey, showcasing not only the challenges faced by the protagonist but also her profound love for horses. Eva not only displays physical strength and agility but also reveals her inner power, passion, and determination, which become an inspiration to many.
“Eva. Hero Girl” is a captivating voyage into the world of traditions, strength, and self-sacrifice, where one young woman fearlessly goes against the current, proving that love and passion know no boundaries.

Reclaiming the Night

Norwegian Professor Jon-Håkon Schultz has dedicated over a decade to combating the trauma-induced nightmares of war-affected children with his pioneering programme. On a research trip to Lebanon, Schultz encounters a Syrian child deeply traumatised by a brutal act perpetrated by ISIS. As he grapples with the immense weight of the stories he encounters, there emerges a powerful testament to the human spirit’s ability to confront and transform its traumatic past.

Widowed

A young woman moves from Cardiff to London after her husband’s death and begins to snort his ashes.

Incognito Mode

This animation addresses the need for education to address easily accessible internet pornography, especially as it impacts young people’s lives

Communion

In rural Ireland a priest and young widow develop a bond over their shared trauma.

Hidden

11-year-old Sean lives with his mother, a single parent with young-onset dementia. When the birthday boy returns home from school one afternoon, frustration and resentment rise to the surface, resulting in harsh realities being faced.

Youthless

Welcome to a world where the adults act like kids, so the kids must act like adults.’⁣ Set in the early 2000s, and inspired by director Jordon Scott Kennedy’s own childhood, Youthless explores the adultification of three thirteen-year kids on a council estate in Bradford, as they unknowingly embark on the last day of their childhoods.⁣

Written & Directed by Jordon Scott Kennedy
Funded by Channel 4 & Bradford Council

Last Girls’ Trip

Three life-long middle-aged girlfriends set off on the last of their many girls’ trips, to find that a huge ask is about to change their lives and challenge their bond.

REBIRTH

PORFYRI LEMONIA

Lemonia wants to escape , from a traumatic, force of violence against her, that violates her right to life, as well as the right to enjoy life without discrimination. And she demands an end to a situation that tests and undermines democracy and culture.

Cornelia

Cornelia shows the last minutes of the life of a Dutch female resistance fighter while she is being lead to the place of her execution. She asks herself: how did it come this far? Did I make the right choices?

Put Away

A woman tries to keep sane in a mental hospital by telling her story to the decaying walls.

No Place Like Home

Gul, his wife Mujaheda, and his family narrowly escaped Kabul, Afghanistan in late 2021. As the US military retreated from their 20 years of occupation of the country the Taliban swiftly retook power. Caught in the middle were ordinary citizens like Gul who is a Hazara, a member of a Shia Muslim minority who have been persecuted for over a century.

Gul narrowly escaped but was forced to abandon other family members in the rush to leave. He also lost his thriving tourism business which he had built up over a decade. His greatest achievement during that time was organising Afghanistan’s first international mixed gender marathon in 2015.

Now Gul and his wife must rebuild their lives in New Zealand, with Gul trying to restart his tourism business, Mujaheda learning English, and their youngest daughter starting school. To reignite his passion for running Gul trains for the Auckland Marathon and plans to organise a commemorative running event to honour his home country.

The Old Cowboy

In a Chinese family with strong patriarchy, the mother’s departure made the relationship between father and son closer. A father who loves movies likes to take his son to watch movies together. The movie opens a window to the world for his son and engraved the man’s creed about cowboys and tough guys in his heart. The rebellion and reflection brought about by growth has forced the son to rethink the absence of his mother and the education of his father. When the boy finally grows into a man, the cowboy his son once admired seems to be facing old age and physical decline. The majestic and towering mountain he fears is also crumbling. Is it trying to change or try to reconcile?

PRESERVING TASTE

In the era of food sustainability, Hanif Sadr, an engineer turned chef from Tehran, Iran, has opened his first Iranian regional restaurant in San Francisco, USA. He delved into the farm to table gastronomy world after working as a cook for a Montessori school in Berkley. His mission is to introduce the regional and seasonal recipes of Northern Iran, learnt from his childhood, to the North American public where its ingredients geographically match California. With his wife banned from the US and a lack of distribution of Iranian food ingredients due to sanctions, he travels back and forth between Iran and the U.S, attempting to bridge the personal and political to bring back a taste of home. Alongside other renowned food figures Hanif aims to show the depth of a unique forgotten cuisine that is connected with nature, influenced by seasons, and which defines the art of preservation techniques.

Trees

On the death of her husband, Malal retrieves her hidden pencils and paper from beneath a floorboard to draw the flowers in her garden. While her sons argue over who will look after her now, she leaves the house alone for the first time in years.

By Any Other Name

“Within the chilling underworld of sex-trafficking, the heart-wrenching bond between two sisters unfolds. One sister, ensnared in the shadows of exploitation, fights for her very survival, while the other, a determined working-class mother, wages a relentless battle against insurmountable odds to bring her sister home”

Dert Boom

Moroccan women free their voices in forum theater workshops. Together, they dissect patriarchy, laugh at its absurdity, talk about their desire for freedom, their dreams and their aspirations. Brimming with emancipatory fervor, their life stories are a rallying cry against insidious patriarchy.
In a country (Morocco) divided between conservatism and modernity, their emancipation is the catalyst for the fight against patriarchy, domination and alienation. Women lead their tireless fight with resilience, smiles and determination.
What was the trigger for each of them? How do they circumvent patriarchal rules? How do they face the resistance of those around them?
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This film is produced as part of the project ‘Culture for Inclusive and Sustainable Peace’

Unanswered Phone Call

This film is based on the true story of an Uyghur man who has been living in London for more than 20 years. The suffering of the Uyghurs who live in exile has reached unbearable levels in recent years after China pursued a total blockade of international telephone calls between Uyghurs at home and abroad.

Since October 2016, Uyghurs in East Turkistan (Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China) have been forbidden to make or receive phone calls from their relatives abroad. China claims this policy is part of the “anti-religious extremism campaign”, and responds to Xi Jinping’s call to erect “iron walls” around the region.

This film provides a personal view of the situation from the perspective of a Uyghur exile in the UK attempting to contact his ailing parents in a rural region. It provides insights into the life experiences of his mother under the revolutionary campaigns of the mid-20th century, the frustrations of the exiled nationalist, and the struggles of his daughters in the UK who comes from a place that no-one has heard of: “East Turkistan”.

Lyubima

Lyubima, an artist in her 30s, is left by her partner. She needs to start anew, but the grief is there, as big as an African elephant…

Lyubima does not see the Elephant that leaves a mess on her carpet, when she is back from stalking her ex and his new girlfriend… She does not understand that the Elephant drinks water from her fish tank and turns her place upside down overnight… Lyubima does not see it, while the Elephant eats from her plate over breakfast… She does not have a clue, that the Elephant takes most of her bedroom, while she is asleep, but in her dream…

In her dream she calls the Elephant for help… Her way to finally move on is by giving the love memories, along with the grief, back to her ex.