21-28 April2023
21-28 April
07.03.23
As every year, the festival will be taking in many different topics and stories, including the resistance against Islamic fundamentalism in Iran, the war in Ukraine, the story of the harkis, Algerian soldiers who fought on the side of the French Army in the Algerian War, 20th-century migrations, the current circumstances in Western Sahara, and the situation of young Romanians in the Ceaușescu era.
The discussions to be held after the 7:00 / 7:30 p.m. screenings will explore in greater depth a number of current topics, involving representatives of the films, and individuals, activists and organisations working in the field of human rights, who will be sharing their experiences with the audience.
The Festival Award will this year be handed to the Chilean writer and filmmaker Carmen Castillo, whose most well-known film, Calle Santa Fe (2007), will be featured at a special screening, and who is also the subject of an exhibition at Okendo Kultur Etxea which has already opened.
PREVIEW OF THE FEATURE FILMS OFFICIAL SELECTION
During the Algerian War, many poor young Algerians join the French army: they are known as harkis. Salah and Kaddour are two of them, and end up in a unit under the orders of Lt Pascal. The situation in the conflict suggests that Algeria's independence is drawing near, and the harkis face an uncertain fate. Pascal clashes with his superiors in an attempt to have all the men in his unit repatriated to France.
Early 20th century, Ughettera, northern Italy, home to theUghetto family. Life in the region has become very hard, and the Ughettos dream of a better life elsewhere. According to legend, Luigi Ughetto crossed the Alps to begin a new life in France, changing his family's destiny forever. His grandson travels in time to recall his story.
In 2022 the Lithuanian filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius returned to Mariupol, Ukraine, to meet up again with the people he had filmed in 2015. Following his death, his producers and colleagues dedicated all their efforts to continuing his work and completing the project in accordance with his vision. Mantas wanted to bear witness as a filmmaker to what was happening there, far from the noise of media and politicians. With great strength and sensitivity, this documentary tells how life continues under the bombardments, and shows images which blend equal parts of tragedy and hope.
Bucharest, 1972. Ana is 17 years old, and dreams of love and freedom. One night, at a party with her friends, they decide to write a letter to Metronom, the music programme broadcast in secret by Radio Free Europe in Romania. At that moment Ceaușescu's feared secret police, the Securitate, arrive.
Two parallel love stories in which couples are frustrated by hidden and unavoidable obstacles, the force of superstition and the mechanics of power. The mere existence of this film is almost a miracle. Filmed in secret by Jafar Panahi, shortly before being arrested and sentenced to 6 years in jail (which he has for a few months been serving at home), No Bears is a major work in the filmography of the Iranian master. A monument to the artist's commitment to his art, to society and freedom of expression.
Iratxe Fresneda takes us on a personal journey where past and present blend in a stunningly sensorial visual experience; from the calm shores of the Danube to the hectic life of Madrid, four interlaced stories converge and become lost in the mysteries of Tetuán.