Yanagawa
Lu Zhang
China. 2021. 112 min

Yanagawa is a film about two very different brothers who travel from Beijing to Yanagawa, Japan. They meet a girl who they both were in love with in their youth. One day she had disappeared without goodbyes. Wistful undertone is given by the fact that the film starts with one of the brothers getting diagnosed with cancer. The young man wishes to depart without leaving much behind, but without knowing it, he leaves so much in other people’s hearts. The story takes a look at the individuals’ memories and helps to make sense of the seemingly small events that sometimes play a decisive role in the course of a life. Zhang Lu precisely directs this organic and vital film, which takes the viewer to drift on the Yanagawa Canal in the light of a full moon peeking between the clouds.

LU ZHANG

Korean-Chinese filmmaker ZHANG Lu started out as a novelist before turning to filmmaking. Renowned for his artful portrayals of idyllic scenes, Zhang has received awards from the Cannes, Locarno and Berlin film festivals over the last two decades. Yanagawa is his thirteenth film and his first feature film directed in China.

He does not need too much introduction among filmlovers. His films have gained success in different international film festivals such as 2007’s “Desert Dream,” 2010’s “Dooman River” and last year’s “Fukuoka” at Berlin; 2001’s “Grain in Ear” at Cannes; and “Gyeongju” at Locarno. His film A Quiet Dream had it’s international premiere at Tallinn. He has a long history as a writer and his films are imbued with poetry of life.

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liu.qianmeng@hishow.net

On The Second Floor
Marco Araujo
Spain. 2022. 19 min

Aurora is an elderly woman who lives alone in a small apartment in Madrid. She lives a simple, monotonous life, so any change in her routine is something eventful. Since her husband passed away, and most of her friends, her only visitor is a small bird that comes to her window every morning. She feels alone and neglected as she looks melancholically at all the things surrounding her… constantly reminding her of her past.

MARCO ARAUJO

Marco Araujo Dolado, born in Madrid, began his interest in cinema at a young age and directed his first short films when he was 11 and 12 years old. His first serious short film, made alone in 2018 at the age of 13, is called “Cooking”. In the spring of 2019, he shoots his second short film “The Piano Room”. Already in 2020 and 2021 his two main short films are selected at various festivals, along with his third short, “No Abras esa Naranja”. It is in the summer of 2021 when he manages to make the short film in which he has been working for a year and a half and which stars the actress María Galiana.

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marco.clod.ad@gmail.com

Reconstruction of Occupation
Jan Sikl
Czech Republic. 2021. 100 min

Documentary filmmaker Jan Šikl has spent many years seeking out and collecting private film archives. Faded footage of family lives, celluloid echoes of celebrations and everyday moments. Through his work, Šikl came across several hours of footage showing the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. These unique images long remained unseen – until August 21, 2021, when historical memory awakened from a long slumber. Reconstruction of Occupation is a cinematic adventure of a truly archeological nature in which anonymous faces are transformed into living witnesses of the days that sent Czechoslovakia into two more decades of bondage.

JAN SIKL

Born in 1957, Prague. Graduated from FAMU in 1982. From 1984 to 1990 he was employed as a director at Krátký film Praha. In 1991 he founded his own production company, Pragafilm. He is a collector of amateur family archives that he works with also in his films, especially in his documentary series Private Century (2004-2007) that was awarded in Czech republic and abroad (Best Czech documentary at Jihlava IDFF, Pavel Koutecký’s award, Trilobit award, Elsa TV award and others).

Selected filmography:
Private Century – TV series:
The King of Velichovky (2002, TV doc. film)
A Stroke of Butterfly Wings (2005, TV doc. film)
A Low-Level Flight (2006, doc.)
See You in Denver (2006, TV doc. film)
Small Russian Clouds of Smoke (2007, TV doc. film)
Reconstruction of the Occupation (2021, doc.)

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tabery.alice@gmail.com

Tree Full of Parrots
Jayaraj
India. 2021. 90 min

Tree Full of Parrots is about an elderly person who has lost his sense of hearing and memory. Narayanan who is visually challenged and is the main teacher at the Dharmashala Model Blind school plays the leading role. He hails from Kannur Mayyil Cherupazhassi. The elderly man forgets his way home once he reaches the city. Finally, it is a fisherman’s son who helps him find his way back home. Master Adityan plays the part of the fisherman’s son.

All he knows is that his house is near a tree that had a lot of parrots. The film revolves around the search and the events surrounding it. Jayaraj’s wife Sabitha also plays an important role in the film. Another highlight of the film is that they have used the famous poem by Vayalar Rama Varma and LPR Varma.

JAYARAJ

Jayarajan Rajasekharan Nair, professionally credited as Jayaraj, is an Indian filmmaker, who predominantly works in Malayalam film industry. He is the founder of the Birds Club International and is actively involved in philanthropic work. Jayaraj is a recipient of the Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Golden Peacock award at the IFFI , the Golden Crow Pheasant award at the IFFK , the FIPRESCI Award from the International Federation of Film Critics, the Don Quijote Award from the International Federation of Film Societies, The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) award and a special mention award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. He is also a 7 time recipient of the National Film Award and several Kerala State Film Awards. His notable films include, Desadanam (1996), Kaliyattam (1997), Karunam (2000), Shantham (2001), Daivanamathil (2005), Vellapokkathil (2007), Ottaal (2015), Veeram (2017) and Bhayanakam (2018).

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jayarajfilms@yahoo.com