FILMS AND GUESTS

Arrigoni and Manzioli Open-air Cinemas

Kummatty

Govindan Aravindan, India, 1979, 90’

A vivid tale of a travelling magician and his extraordinary encounter with children. A work of art brimming with song, dance, and children’s laughter.

Screened with: ‘Sto Scoio, Remigio Grižonič, Slovenia, 2019, 2’

Dedicated to the festival’s long-standing programme contributor, friend, and cofounder, Helmut Groschup. Long live Cooperative!

There’s Still Tomorrow / C’è ancora domani

Paola Cortellesi, Italy, 2023, 118’

Tracing life in a working-class family, this is a tenderly ironic drama about the apparent role of a woman as a mere wife and mother but, in fact, a force for change.

Screened with: El Porton A Me Nona, Remigio Grižonič, Slovenia, 2019, 3’

With the support of: Italian Cultural Institute

78 Days / 78 Dana

Emilija Gašić, Serbia, 2024, 80’

Fleeting videos capture the lives of three sisters as friendships, first kisses and disappointments overshadow the fear of NATO bombs.

Screened with: . . Rumene zore, Davorin Marc, Slovenia, 2022, 2’40”

Emilija Gašić will join us after the screening for a Q&A.

Manga d’terra

Basil Da Cunha, Switzerland, 2023, 96’

Drawing its explosive substance from the stories of a Lisbon ghetto, this musical is a tribute to women’s unyielding spirit and the healing power of music.

Black Tea

Abderrahmane Sissako, France, Taiwan, Luxembourg, Mauritania, 2024, 110’

A mysterious film about love and freedom that bridges the divides between Africa and China, dreams and reality, past and present.

Beyond Dreams

Music & film

A musical performance by guitar virtuoso Elvis Šahbaz, enhanced with visuals by film experimentalist Davorin Marc.

Art Cinema Odeon & House of Culture

1489

Shoghakat Vardanyan, Armenia, 2023, 76′

Shot on a smartphone, this is a poignant personal documentary about the process – emotional and otherwise – of searching for a brother who went missing in the war.

Selected by young programmers in collaboration with the Trieste International Film Festival.

Shoghakat Vardanyan will join us after the screening for a Q&A.

Dahomey

Mati Diop, France, Senegal, Benin, 2024, 68’

In 2021, 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey, which had been looted by French colonial powers, returned to Benin.

Mother of All Lies / Kadib abyad

Asmae El Moudir, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, 2023, 96’

Buried history, tangled in a web of lies, comes to life in this precise reconstruction of painful events for Morocco and the author’s family.

The Echo / El Eco

Tatiana Huezo, Mexico, Germany, 2023, 102’

Life is hard for children in a remote village in northern Mexico as they learn about nature, animals and people but also love, illness and death.

El Shatt – A Blueprint for Utopia/ El Shatt – nacrt za utopiju

Ivan Ramljak, Croatia, Serbia, 2023, 96’

In the heart of a desert, 28,000 Dalmatian Croats, evacuated to Egypt from Italy after its capitulation, create a model for post-war Yugoslavia.

Screened with: I Draw A Line, The Sky Will Be Above. #3, Davorin Marc, Slovenia, Croatia, 2021, 3’

Ivan Ramljak will join us after the screening for a Q&A.

Eureka

Lisandro Alonso, France, Argentina, Germany, Portugal, Mexico, 2023, 146’

A journey on the wings of a bird across space, time and three stories that contemplate the future of a life haunted by the ghost of colonialism.

A Fidai Film

Kamal Aljafari, Palestine, Germany, Qatar, Brazil, France, 2024, 78’

The film combines visual interventions in official Israeli archives and parts of the Palestinian archive seized by the Israeli army in Beirut in 1982.

Bread And Milk

Jan Cvitkovič, Slovenia, 2001, 68′

A raw yet tender poetically realist film about people seeking warmth and love but doing everything they can not to find it.

Selected by young programmers in collaboration with the Slovenian Cinematheque.

After the screening, Jan Cvitkovič will have a talk with the young selectors.

Medtem ko trava raste / While the Green Grass Grows

Peter Mettler, Switzerland, Canada, 2024, 166’

A hypnotic meditation on the life of people and nature – everything flows, multiplies and continues, revealing no meaning.

The Child of the Sea
Fisherman Mirč and His Orada

Remigio Grižonič, Slovenia, 2023, 34’ + 16’

Two films about the tangled life of Mirko Andrejčič – Mirč, a fisherman from Izola, and his unconditional love for fishing and the sea.

Remigio Grižonič and Mirko Andrejčič – Mirč will join us after the screening for a Q&A.

The Dupes / Al Makhdu’un

Tawfik Saleh, Syria, 1972, 107’

A film about three generations of Palestinians trying to escape to Kuwait becomes an allegory of the multifaceted hardships of Palestinian existence.

Point d’Impact

Neil Young, Austria, Poland, UK, 2022, 64’

In the Youtube landscape, in 2020/21, hardcore Eurovision fans see Switzerland rise like a phoenix from the ashes of oblivion.

Screening with: Fictional Breweries, Neil Young, Austria, Poland, UK, 2020, 2’

Listen to Me / Escuchame

Guillermo Giampietro, Italy, 2022, 55’

An experimental film born out of activism dedicated to overcoming the prejudices that weigh on what is usually interpreted as madness.

Guillermo Giampetro and Pavel Berdon will join us after the screening for a Q&A.

Just a Movement / Juste un Mouvement

Vincent Meessen, Belgium, France, 2021, 108′

An innovative account of the life of Senegalese Maoist activist Omar Blondin Diop and a free adaptation of Godard’s La Chinoise.

The Old Oak

Ken Loach, UK, France, Belgium, 2023, 113′

The arrival of Syrian refugees fuels the resentment of a once thriving mining community. A fierce call for compassion and solidarity.

Here

Bas Devos, Belgium, 2023, 82’

Today, when the flow of time is monopolised and shaped by distractions, the film calls for attention – to nature and to people we would otherwise fail to notice.

The Tuner/ Nastrojščik

Kira Muratova, Russia, Ukraine, 2004, 154’

Explosive satirical existential and crime drama about human relations controlled by social and economic norms.

Snatched from the Source

Maja Weiss, Slovenia, 2023, 79′

Harrowing intimate stories of four stolen children, the last surviving Slovenian victims of Nazi Germany’s Lebensborn racial experiment.

Maja Weiss and Nataša Konc will join us after the screening for a Q&A.

Zinzindurrunkarratz

Oskar Alegria, Spain, 2023, 89’

Following in the footsteps and byways of his shepherd grandfather, the author’s journey with a super-8 camera reveals fields, animals, wind, rituals, memories, lullabies…

Oskar Alegria will join us after the screening for a Q&A.

With the support of: Embassy of Spain

The Golden Thread

Nishtha Jain, India, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Netherlands, Norway, UK, 2022, 91’

A detailed and astonishing account of the decline of jute production, a once thriving industry where work has seen little change in the last 100 years.

Nishtha Jain will join us after the screening for a Q&A.

Found Image: A programme of Premio Cesare Zavattini shorts and presentation of UnArchive festival and the Audiovisual Archive of the Labour and Democratic Movement (Aamod)

Gabriele Ragonesi presents Premio Cesare Zavattini, the UnArchive festival and the Audiovisual Archive of the Labour and Democratic Movement (Aamod), all dedicated to found footage films and the creative use of archive material. The event will be in English.

Found Image: A programme of shorts and panel discussion with found footage filmmakers

Found images find different ways to live new lives in new films, acquiring fresh meanings and raising various political, social, and aesthetic issues and interesting questions. The one thing old images turned new films have in common is reinterpretation – the gaze of the filmmaker imbuing the images with new meanings that speak to their current reality. Join us for a panel discussion on the creative challenges of using found footage with filmmakers from the festival lineup. The event will be in English.

The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion with the following film professionals: Emilija Gašić, Laura Samani, Bill Morrison, Neil Young in Davorin Marc.

Found Image: A programme of shorts and masterclass by Bill Morrison

Bill Morrison is a NY-based independent filmmaker who often uses found, archival footage, combined with new original music, to explore the aesthetic and narrative effects of the decay of analogue film stock. His latest work Incident (2023) may be untypical for his creative expression in that it is constructed from the surveillance footage of the body-worn police and street security cameras. The event will be in English.

Largo pri Špini

End of Summer – Notes on Furio / L’estate è finita – Appunti su Furio

Laura Samani, Italy, 2023, 15’

The end of summer always brings a sense of loss. A journey through memories of summers past in search of lost love – and ourselves.

Video on the Beach

Video on the Beach I: Beyond Searching for Memories

The Box, Tomaž Pavkovič, Slovenia, 2023, 22’

1976: Search For Life, Tess Martin, Netherlands, 2023, 10’56’’

Fran And Verka; Or a Usual Day in an Abandoned Village, Sovran Nrecaj, Kosovo, 2023, 14’

Pillar, Ciril Zupan, Slovenia, 2024, 3’21’’

Veronica of Desenice, Mery Gobec, Slovenia, 2023, 23’25’’

Modern Woman, Maya Salvini, Slovenia, 2023, 4’41’’

Octopus Banana Hotchpotch, Milanka Fabjančič, Slovenia, 2023, 7’40’’

The Last Day of Spring, Jan Krevatin, Slovenia, Croatia, 2023, 19’

The Garden of Heart, Olivér Hegyi, Hungary, Slovakia, 2022, 10’32’’

Video on the Beach II: Beyond Atmospheres

Retreat, Tina Šulc Resnik, Slovenia, 2023, 1’25’’

Swimming Pool Gardens, Ester Ivakič, Slovenia, 2022, 6’24’’

March 8, 2020: A Memoir, Firat Yücel, Turkey, Netherlands, 2023, 15’

Know Your Stones, Katarina Jazbec, Germany, Netherlands, 2023, 21’

Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear, Lucija Klauž, Slovenia, 2023, 19’26’’

Hope Fills Your Hearts, Juš Premrov, Slovenia, 2024, 4’2’’

Split Ends, Hannah Koselj Marušič, Slovenia, 2024, 14’59’’

Zdenka’s Stairs, Aleksandar Tadić, Slovenia, 2023, 10’15’’

+ special screening: Auntie Milena, Mila Peršin, Slovenia, 2019, 9’

+ special screening: Koala Voice – Vertigo, Matevž Jerman, Slovenia, 2020, 5’41’’

Video on the Beach III: Beyond Obedience

Quebrante, Janaina Wagner, Brazil, 2024, 23’

Shooting Watermelons, Antonio Donato, UK, Italy, 2023, 20’

Sweet Like Lemons, Jenny Jokela, UK, Finland, 2023, 5’31”

Line Rider, Simon Intihar, Slovenia, Australia, 2023, 25’

(Un)lucky Day, Karin Likar, Slovenia, 2023, 4’14”

Juvies, Jure Štern, Slovenia, 2023, 21’

Disobedient Kids, Maya Salvini, Slovenia, 2023, 1’37”

Bye Bye, Bowser, Jasmin Baumgartner, Austria, 2023, 20’

Video on the Beach IV: Beyond Evanescence

Let Me Breathe, Katarina Brglez, Slovenia, 2023, 2’40’’

Dreams Like Paper Boats, Samuel Suffren, Haiti, 2024, 19’

(In)visible Walls, Giulio De Paolis, Italy, Slovenia, 2023, 19’9’’

Kinderfilm, Total Refusal, Austria, 2023, 11’

Been There, Corina Schwingruber Ilić, Switzerland, 2023, 11’

All-Inclusive, Marko Plejić, Croatia, Serbia, 2024, 3’12”

Beautiful Figures, Soetkin Verstegen, Belgium, Switzerland, 2023, 4’

Deathmaiden, Nika Otrin, Slovenia, 2024, 10’ 3”

You Land, Debora Maité, Italy, UK, 2023, 15’

Farmer Online, Neo Nor, Slovenia, 2023, 4’9’’

The Real Truth About the Fight, Andrea Slaviček, Croatia, Spain, 2023, 14’

Calling My Existence, Gregor Kocjančič, Slovenia, 2023, 4’31’’

Video on the Beach V: Beyond Survival

Sports Day, August Adrian Braatz, Slovenia, 2023, 22’’

Life Is Silly, I Love You, Vita Eva Weisseisen, Slovenia, 2024, 1’44’’

Rooted in Code, Nejc Trampuž, Slovenia, 2023, 13’23’’

Timecapsule, Rebeka Bratož Gornik, Slovenia, Croatia, 2023, 10’19’’

Her Dress for the Final, Martina Meštrović, Croatia, 2023, 8’45’’

3MWh, Marie-Magdalena Kochová, Czechia, 2024, 12’

Just Keep Breathing, Anej Golčar, UK, 2023, 6’

Spring, Pernille Kjær, Denmark, 2023, 12’28’’

Les Chenilles, Michelle Keserwany, Noel Keserwany, France, Lebanon, 2023, 30’

Submarine

The Quiet Girl / An Cailín Ciúin 13+

Colm Bairéad, Ireland, 2022, 95′, in Irish Gaelic and English with Slovenian subtitles

A painful truth concealed beneath the idyllic beauty of Irish countryside. A quietly poignant coming-of-age story shot in the rarely-heard Irish language.

Selected by young programmers from Elvira Vatovec Prade Primary School.

Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo / Dounia et la princesse d’Alep 6+

Marya Zarif, Canada, France, 2022, 72′, dubbed in Slovenian

An emotionally and visually striking journey to Syria, imbued with song, fragrances, and magical powers, through the eyes of a refugee girl.

And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine / In kralj reče, kako fantastičen stroj 13+

Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck, Sweden, Denmark, 2023, 88′, in German, Swedish, English, Arabic and French with Slovenian subtitles

A work of provocative wit, this whirlwind of images, from camera obscura to social networks, raises questions about the society and images that surround us.

Magical Friendships 3+

32′, no dialogue

Koyaa – Creepy Blanket (Kolja Saksida, Slovenia, 2019)

Franzy’s Soup-Kitchen / La Soupe De Franzy (Ana Chubinidze, France, 2021)

Animanimals: T-Rex (Julia Ocker, Germany, 2022)

To Be Sisters / Entre deux soeurs (Anne-Sophie Gousset, Clément Céard, France, 2022)

Don´t Blow It Up / Odpusť (Alžbeta Mačáková Mišejková, Czechia, 2022)

Ink / Inkt (Erik Verkerk, Joost van den Bosch, Netherlands, 2020)

A selection of six captivating, stylistically varied short animated stories about warm and unusual friendships.

Optical Toys workshop

A playful way to learn the ABCs of animated cinema and its history.

Michele Bernardi and His World of Animation

Legendary Italian illustrator Michele Bernardi shows a selection of his animations and original animation materials from the era of films stock. Free admission.

Animation Time with Michele Bernardi 9+

Animation workshop for a closed group of participants aged 9 and over. Admission is free, but spaces are limited so please book yours at meri.viler@isolacinema.org.

The Path / Der Pfad

Tobias Wiemann, Nemčija/Germany, 2022, 99′, in German with Slovenian subtitles

Two children and a dog fleeing from the Nazis. An adventure on courage and solidarity that has captivated children and youth festival juries worldwide.

Selected by young programmers from Elvira Vatovec Prade Primary School.

Tobias Wiemann will join us after the screening for a Q&A.

Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds / Sirocco et le Royaume des courants d’air 6+

Benoît Chieux, France, Belgium, 2023, 75′

Lavish visuals blur boundaries between poetry and cinema in this epic, dreamy adventure guaranteed to enthral children and adults alike.

Fair Winds! Creative workshop

A workshop to celebrate the windiest film in the lineup by making simple devices: pinwheel, kite, and wind-powered car. In collaboration with Trieste Bora Museum. Admission is free, but spaces are limited so please book yours at meri.viler@isolacinema.org.

Otok in Ljubljana and elsewhere

La Chinoise

Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1967, 95′

An iconic, playful and revolutionary snapshot of quasi-revolutionary bourgeoise youth.

With the support of: Institut Français

Just a Movement / Juste un Mouvement

Vincent Meessen, Belgium, France, 2021, 108′

An innovative account of the life of Senegalese Maoist activist Omar Blondin Diop and a free adaptation of Godard’s La Chinoise.

Essential Thruths of the Lake

Lav Diaz, Philippines, Germany, Portugal, Singapore, Italy, Switzerland, UK, 2023, 215’

Memories blend with nightmares as an ex-policeman driven mad by Duterte’s war on drugs takes on an unsolved case.

The Path / Der Pfad 9+

Tobias Wiemann, Nemčija/Germany, 2022, 99′, in German with Slovenian subtitles

Two children and a dog fleeing from the Nazis. An adventure on courage and solidarity that has captivated children and youth festival juries worldwide.

The Cemetery of Cinema / Au cimetière de la pellicule

Thierno Souleymane Diallo, France, Senegal, Guinea, Saudi Arabia 2023, 96’

A multi-layered portrait of Guinea, which is only slowly rediscovering the importance of films and film archives for its cultural identity and history.

With the support of: Institut Français