Love Wins

There is no such evil that cannot be overcome by love – it gives hope to fight, allows us to endure pain and suffering, and gives energy to act. The heroes of the “Love Wins” section will show that what is most beautiful is to be found in that feeling closest to the heart. Every love matters and every love has the power to heal. Here are the first films we will see as part of this section in Krakow cinemas during the May holiday.

The Shameless

From the very beginning, the main character of Konstantin Bojanov’s film is forced to flee. After fatally stabbing a policeman, she leaves a brothel in Delhi in a hurry and under cover of darkness to seek refuge in a smaller town. She joins a local community of comfort women, where her attention is immediately drawn to the beautiful and young Device. The girl’s fate seems to be sealed, and she is to earn her living by engaging in prostitution. A close bond develops between the women, which quickly turns into a passionate, forbidden romance. Renuka becomes not only a lover, but also a mentor to the young heroine. Together they decide to embark on a dangerous journey, fearing that the harsh law will reach them. In doing so, they decide to fight for their freedom in a world where women have no voice. The Bulgarian-born director’s new film uses the theme of forbidden lesbian love to show a broader picture of society in India. Hierarchical, filled with class inequalities and fostering misogynistic attitudes for generations. The strength of The Shameless is based on two very intense female roles. Especially Anasuya Sengupta, who plays the role of Renuka and won an award for this performance at the recent Cannes Film Festival.

Director: Konstantin Bojanov
Screenplay: Konstantin Bojanov
Cinematography: Gabriel Lobos
Cast: Anasuya Sengupta, Omara, Auroshikha Dey, Rohit Kokate, Kiran Bhivagade
Country: Switzerland, France, Bulgaria, Taiwan, India
Release date: 2024
Running time: 115 min./color
Awards: Cannes IFF – Best Actress (Anasuya Sengupta – Un Certain Regard)

Glimmers

Isabel’s life (Patricia López Arnaiz) turns on its head the moment her daughter asks her to regularly visit the woman’s ailing husband Ramón. Given that the two have lived apart for fifteen years, the heroine – despite their shared past – initially treats the man as a stranger. She is not thrilled about the fact that she must open this chapter of her life, a chapter which was closed long ago. And as it turns out, there is still a lot of bitterness, frustration, and unreconciled issues in it. Communing with a seriously ill man, however, gradually changes Isabel’s attitude. Resentment begins to supplant empathy, and indifference turns into concern for a loved one, even if she hasn’t thought that way about Ramón in recent years. Circumstances make it possible for the heroine to look at the shared past from a slightly different perspective. It’s also a time for her to reconcile and say goodbye to her former partner in peace. Spanish director Pilar Palomero creates an extremely subtle portrait of human solidarity and humanity. In doing so, she focuses on sincerity and formal restraint. With great sensitivity, she depicts moments of sadness interspersed with fleeting joy, related to what was, is, but also will be.

Director: Pilar Palomero
Screenplay: Pilar Palomero
Cinematography: Daniela Cajías
Music: Vicente Ortiz Gimeno
Cast: Patricia López Amaìz, Antonio de La Torre, Julián López, Marina Guerilla, Carlos Burot
Country: Spain
Release date: 2024
Running time: 101 min./color
Awards: San Sebastián IFF – Best Leading Performance (Patricia López Amaìz)

Last Breath

For years Costa-Gavras has been regarded as a leading specialist in political thrillers. His new film, however, revolves around entirely different issues. Last Breath is a poignant but also humanistic story about the anxiety of aging, the attempt to come to terms with the inevitable, and finally – about passing away on one’s merits. All this is framed by philosophical considerations between a well-known writer and a specialist in palliative care. The plot of the film is largely set in the hospital, where the first man can accompany the doctor during his daily duties – rounds and meetings with patients. He learns their stories, observes their reactions, and sees firsthand the bond they have built with the staff of the place. Each patient in these final moments of life needs something different – the presence of family, a conversation about the afterlife or simply holding a hand. In addition to the two lead actors, Denys Podalydès and Kad Merad, the attention is drawn to the well-written supporting characters, whose roles are played by Charlotte Rampling and Ángela Molina, among others. The film by ninety-two-year-old (!) Costa-Gavras captivates with warmth, wisdom, and respect with which he approaches human life.

Director: Costa-Gavras
Screenplay: Costa-Gavras
Cinematography: Nathalie Durand, Olivier Rostan
Music: Armand Amar
Cast: Denis Podalydes, Kad Merad, Marilyne Cato, Ángela Molina, Charlotte Rampling, Hiam Abbass
Country: France
Release date: 2024
Running time: 100 min./color

Eye For an Eye

The desire for revenge has accompanied man basically since the beginning of his sense of separateness. He began to taste it as retribution for the wrongs done to him. Revenge has always been accompanied and co-defined by a sense of justice, only what are they truly? Gathered in the special section “Eye For an Eye”, the entries will make a difficult attempt to answer the question: can revenge bring solace in pain and guarantee peace?

In the Name of Blood

Akaki Popkhadze’s feature-length debut is set in the French city of Nice. However, it has little to do with the common image of the city as a place full of sunshine, beautiful beaches, and azure-colored water. The Georgian-born director breaks through this idyllic facade to tell the story of a dark criminal underworld that has subjugated the city’s working-class neighborhoods. The conflict between the various criminal groups intensifies in intensity when a member of the Georgian diaspora, taken for a Russian oligarch, is murdered by mistake. He has orphaned two sons – Tristan, wishing to become an Orthodox priest, and Gabriel, returning from a long exile. Their reunion is not only an attempt to mend family ties, but above all a desire to avenge their father. Each of them, however, is guided by a completely different moral code daily. The suspenseful thriller is not only a story of a bloody vendetta, but also a tale of loyalty, faith, and a sense of duty. A great asset of Akaki Popkhadze’s film are the acting performances of Florent Hill and Nicolas Duvauchelle, who play the roles of the Pératzé brothers.

Director: Akaki Popkhadze
Screenplay: Akaki Popkhadze, Florent Hill
Cinematography: Justin Vaudaux
Music: Guillaume Pinto
Cast: Florent Hill, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Ia Shugliashvili, Denis Lavant, Finnegan Oldfield
Country: France, Belgium, Austria
Release date: 2024
Running time: 108 min./color

The Kingdom

Corsica, 1995. Fifteen-year-old Leisa (played by debutant Ghjuvanna Benedetti), convinced that a carefree summer awaits her, is completely unaware of what is about to happen. A stranger on a motorcycle suddenly takes her to the isolated villa where her father (Saveriu Santucci) is hiding. From snippets of conversations and media reports, the girl learns of an assassination attempt and the death of a prominent local politician. It soon turns out that the target of the attack was Leisa’s father. Pierre-Paul is regarded as the island’s gray eminence and has influence over everything that happens on the island. The man has also been wanted by the police for several years. Recent events, which are still escalating with time, threaten to erupt into a major conflict and write a bloody chapter in the island’s history. Despite the increasingly tense atmosphere and the threat of danger, Leisa has no intention of leaving her father. Julien Colonna’s feature debut is striking for its raw authenticity and superbly nuanced roles. The Corsican-born director manages to strike a balance between a gripping thriller centered around the theme of organized crime and an intimate portrait of the developing relationship between father and daughter.

Director: Julien Colonna
Screenplay: Julien Colonna, Jeanne Henry
Cinematography: Antoine Cormier
Music: Audrey Ismael
Cast: Ghjuvanna Benedetti, Saveriu Santucci, Anthony Morganti, Andrea Cossu, Frédéric Poggi
Country: France
Release date: 2024
Running time: 108 min./color
Awards: Lumiere Awards – Most Promising Actress (Ghjuvanna Benedetti); El Gouna FF – Silver Star

Red Path

The film by Tunisian director Lotfi Achour is based on a true story. The director takes us to 2015 in Mount Mghila’s area, in the northwestern part of his homeland. This is an isolated and poor region, whose residents are almost invisible to the authorities. As a result, they are forced to rely only on themselves. Despite warnings from adults, the two teenage protagonists decide to cross the mountainous area controlled by jihadists. However, they are quickly caught and charged with espionage. This is the last moment that thirteen-year-old Achraf remembers. After regaining consciousness, he sees the massacred body of his cousin in front of him. Achraf is sent home by his assailants with a macabre package meant as a warning to the local community. Winner of the Audience Award at the Vancouver Film Festival, the film is a harrowing tale of coming of age in the shadow of brutal violence, of which children are often the victims. Realism is mixed in Achour’s film with dreamlike scenes depicting the boy’s imagination and how he tries to cope with the traumatic experience. Thus, poeticism is mixed here with the political and social dimensions of the whole story. All this takes place against the backdrop of an extraordinary landscape, which we get to know thanks to the cinematography of an outstanding Polish cinematographer – Wojciech Staroń.

Reżyseria: Lotfi Achour
Scenariusz: Natacha de Pontcharra, Doria Achour, Sylvain Cattenoy, Lotfi Achour
Zdjęcia: Wojciech Staroń
Muzyka: Jawhar Basti, Venceslas Catz
Obsada: Ali Hlali, Yassine Samouni, Wided Dabebi, Younes Naouar, Latifa Gafsi
Kraj: Tunezja, Francja, Belgia, Polska, Arabia Saudyjska, Katar
Rok produkcji: 2024
Czas: 100 min/kolor
Nagrody: MFF w Vancouver – Nagroda publiczności