A Match (Jayant Somalkar) India. Official Section

A Match
Jayant Somalkar
India. 2023. 104 min

In rural India, a determined young girl, Savita, yearns for education and a bright future. However, as her farmer parents anxiously struggle to find a suitable match for her, societal expectations place immense pressure on her to prioritize marriage over personal aspirations.
Facing countless rejections from suitors, she must navigate a world where the pursuit of marriage overshadows the very sustenance of life. Shot with non-actors from the village, A Match is the director’s debut feature film.

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Two Way Street (Asmit Pathare) India

Two Way Street
Asmit Pathare
India. 2023. 22 min

An ordinary taxi ride becomes a battle-ground when the Taxi Driver refuses to enter a particular lane. The passenger, in turn, decides to not alight the vehicle until he reaches his destination. What ensues is a projection of an inherent bias of the taxi Driver against a particular community and the defiance of the Passenger to end up as a victim of discrimination.

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The Core (Jeo Baby) India. Official Section

The Core
Jeo Baby
India. 2023. 114 min

The Core unveils the captivating narrative of Mathew and Omana, a seemingly harmonious couple residing in the serene village of Teekoy in the Kottayam district of Kerala. Mathew Devassy, a retired Co-operative bank secretary with a stellar reputation in the community, reluctantly steps into the realm of politics to contest a Panchayath by-election, upon his party’s request. However, shockingly, just two days after submitting his nomination, Omana files for divorce, plunging their relationship into turmoil.

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Kaleidoscope Now (Anjan Dutt) India.Official Section

Kaleidoscope Now
Anjan Dutt
India. 2023. 90 min

A film based on true events. A film made to celebrate the birth anniversary of the legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen. Anjan Dutt, the popular actor, singer and filmmaker started his career with Mrinal Sen. This film is about their first experience and the shooting of Mrinal Sen’s film Chaalchitra. A comedy about a 26 year old Ranjan Dutt (Anjan Dutt) who is selected by a 57-year-old great filmmaker Kunal Sen ( Mrinal Sen) and their friendship. A film about the making of a film and how Ranjan Dutt slowly gets to understand his city Kolkata and through various funny and emotional sequences grows up to realise his future. A story about how a filmmaker changes his hero’s understanding of life. How the filmmaker changes his perception of the city. How an actor finds his roots. A very funny, yet very emotional film.

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Chai Coffi (Sanjoli Malani) India

Chai Coffi
Sanjoli Malani
India. 2023. 22 min

After her husbands demise, Lata a 60 year old homemaker embarks on a solo trip to a tea estate in Kerala, leaving the comforts of her village behind for the first time ever. The film follows her extraordinary adventure as she navigates feelings of wonder, grief and surprises. The film takes a turn when she meets 12 year old Mira who is carefree, independent and lives life to the fullest. Chai-Coffi is a heartwarming tale that weaves together themes of friendship, loss, courage and self discovery.

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Kurdish Cinema

BY MANO KHALIL

Since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, which previously ruled over the entire Arab world and the Kurdish region, in the World War I, followed by the division of Kurdistan into four countries – Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Iraq – these governments, up to the present day, have prevented the Kurdish people in these regions from expressing their cultural, social, and national identity in all areas of art, literature, and culture. Cinema was most affected by this ban since it has a significant impact on the younger generation.

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The Beekeeper (Mano Khalil) Switzerland

The Beekeeper
Mano Khalil
Switzerland. 2013. 100 min

In the mid-1990s, Ibrahim Gezer, a Kurd, was living happily in Turkey with his family, making a good living producing honey with his 500 bee colony.

Then came the Turkish-Kurdish war and he lost everything. On the run for seven years, he arrived in Switzerland as a refugee.

This moving documentary tracks the story of how this gentle soul, nearing retirement age, was able to rebuild his life—with nothing more than his faith in humanity and his love of bees.

Mano Khalil was born in Kurdistan – Syria.
1981-1986 Studied history and law at Damascus University in Syria. 1987-1994 Studied fiction film direction in the former Czechoslovakia.
1990-1995 Worked as independent film director for Czechoslovakian and later for the Slovakian Television. Since 1996 lives in Switzerland, working as independent film director and producer. 2012 grounded the production film company Frame Film.

FILMOGRAPHY

2021 Neighbours – Fiction 124 Min
2018 Hafis & Mara – documentary 88 Min
2016 The Swallow – Fiction 102 Min
2013 The Beekeeper – documentary 107 Min
2010 Our garden of Eden. Documentary 97min
2009 My Prison, my Home. Documentary 33 Min.
2007 David the Tolhildan, Documentary, 54 Min
2005 Al-Anfal, in the name of Allah, Baath and Saddam Documentary.
2003 Colorful dreams. Fiction 52 Min
1999 Triumph of Iron. Fic-Doc.
1995 Kino-ocko (Kino eye) Doc.16mm, 20Min
1992 The place where god sleeps. doc.16mm, 30Min

mano.khalil@bluemail.ch

The Life of a Snowflake (Kazim Oz) Turkey

The Life of a Snowflake
Kazim Oz
Turkey. 2022. 110 min

During the last days of autumn, snow falls like never before in Trabzon and the roads are blocked. Miase and Adar, who attend the same school but have never met before, meet that dayat a bus station, while they are waiting for the bus which is late. They fall in love at first sight. Miase, who is the daughter of a Turkish family from Trabzon and Adar, who is the son of aKurdish family from Hakkari skip classes, they meet up everyday, walk for hours and they live aromantic love story for thirty-one days. On the night of New Year’s Eve, Adar disappears.Miase hits the road and heads to Dersim in order to find Adar. This movie tells the story of Miase looking for her lover in Dersim for a week, of her fluctuating emotions, and of her gloomy and broken love story, which we witness beneath the snow.

Kazim Öz, who is known as a director, scenarist, editor, cinematographer and producer of many awarded films, was born in 1973 in Dersim in Turkey with a Kurdish origin. He started his career in 1992 by acting at Teatra Jiyana Nu and at the same time, he worked as a director. During these times, he also became one of the founders of Mezopotamya Sinema & Yapim 13 film production.
With his first short film Ax (The Land), he won recognition in national and international level and the movie was awarded in many festivals as the ’Best Short Film.
His first feature-length film ‘’Fotoğraf (The Photograph)’’ is completed in 2001. The film was screened in many festivals and one of these festivals is National Geographic All Roads Film Festival. The film also is granted many awards. Unfortunately, like some of his films, it was released in Turkey and Germany in 2002.

kozfilm@gmail.com

This is not Norway (Alicia Albares, Paco Cavero) Spain

This is not Norway
Alicia Albares, Paco Cavero
Spain. 2023. 18 min

Jorge’s father’s last wish is to have a viking funeral: to be cremated at sea in a drakkar. And fulfilling that wish is crucial for Jorge: not only will it honor his memory, but it will prove to himself and his family that he is capable of anything, that he is already well and has overcome the slum he was going through.
However, the lack of means and the mistrust of his mother, brother and sister-in-law will not help at all. But sometimes persistence, a bit of luck and the love of a family can change everything.

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A Boy Called Piano (Nina Nawalowalo) New Zealand

A Boy Called Piano
Nina Nawalowalo
New Zealand. 2023. 60 min

A Boy Called Piano – The Story of Fa’amoana John Luafutu tells the remarkable story of Fa’amoana’s time as a state ward in the 1960’s and the intergenerational impacts of these experiences. Growing from the long term collaboration with Fa’amoana Luafutu and the Luafutu Aiga, the film blends dramatised sequences alongside powerful interviews and beautiful aerial and underwater photography – translating Nina Nawalowalo’s celebrated visual storytelling to the screen for the first time. The Conch has been honoured to walk alongside Fa’amoana and the Luafutu Aiga as they courageously bring their untold story into the light, with the kaupapa of connecting directly with survivors – and illuminating the survivor experience in wider society.

“I began in innocence, new born, a blank page. The story was written, the story of thousands of children, has to be heard. Our History must be faced. May the truth set us free.” Fa’amoana John Luafutu

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