Are your weekends lacking inspiration? Elevate your downtime with a curated list of 5 films that take you through life with a new and transformative lens. These compelling narratives from acclaimed European filmmakers challenge conventions and open the doors to fresh perspectives.
Turn your weekend into an exploration of ideas, emotions, and newfound inspiration at the ongoing 28th Edition of the European Union Film Festival in New Delhi across three venues – The Indian Habitat Center, The Instituto Cervantes (Spanish Cultural Center), and The Goethe-Institut /Max Mueller Bhavan.
Saint Omer
Winner of the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival 2022, Saint Omer is a heartfelt drama that revolves around the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. The story is narrated through the young, pregnant novelist Rama, who attends the trial, as she feels a personal connection with the case because of her complex relationship with her mother. As the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies make Rama anxious, shake her convictions, and call into question her judgment.
The movie is a personal journey, taking one through multiple perspectives and leaving people with thoughts on heartbreak, childhood traumas, communication, and the way life relates to one another.
Genre: DramaDirector: Alice Diop
Wolf and Dog
This thought-provoking movie revolves around the lives of the LGBTQI/Queer community and their unacceptance by society and family. Originally titled LOBO E CÃO, the film is about two best friends, Ana and Luis, who settled on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, ruled by religion and traditions. The two best friends are expected to fit into the lives that have been laid out for them. As Luis defies his father’s expectations, Ana starts having doubts about the environment in which she is being raised. With the arrival of a friend from Canada, Ana embarks on a journey of self-discovery filled with new desires that will reveal the right sea for her to sail.
The movie reflects the importance of being self-aware and making life choices, and how they can shape one’s destiny. The film has won the Venice Film Festival 2022: Winner GdA Director’s Award and has bagged many other accolades.
Genre: Drama Director: Cláudia Varejão
Mikado
This human drama explores the sensitivity of any relationship and how broken trust can
have irreversible consequences. The movie revolves around a teenager, Magda, who offers her expensive necklace to a sick child in the hospital she volunteers for. Her father doesn’t believe her and accuses her of lying. When she proves her innocence, he is guilty and ashamed but fails to admit he is wrong. This chaos leads to a broken relationship, leading to an irreversible outcome.
This film deals with the challenges of adult relationships and how trust forms the fulcrum of them. The movie has been awarded a “Winner Special Mention” at the Bucharest International Film Festival 2022.
Genre: DramaDirector: Emanuel Parvu
Mother
This real-life story is about a Bulgarian Director, Elena, who loses her ability to bear a child at the age of 32. Caught between the desire to have her own child run her dream theatre, she chooses later, and it changes her life completely. The life-transforming theatre programme for orphans in Africa reinvents the word mother for her.
The film talks about one’s biggest fear, trusting one’s gut, hope, and new beginnings. The emotional drama evokes a roller coaster of emotions and delves deep into what also inspires young women to fearlessly chase their dreams. The film has earned many accolades, including the Gandhi-UNESCO Medal (ASIAN PREMIERE) at the International Film Festival of India.
Genre: DramaDirector: Zornitsa Sophia
Listen
The movie sets you on a journey of self-discovery. Valmira, a 16-year-old deaf girl, is forced by financial hardship to leave her progressive Athens school and return to her father’s struggling island, where she experiences prejudice and intolerance, including her own.
This movie dives into self-consciousness and navigates through the complexities that make you reflect on the situations in life and how growing self-awareness can change the trajectory of one’s life. The film has received the Winner Orpheus Award at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) in 2023.
Genre: DramaDirector: Maria Douza