30.09.
27. ročník Medzinárodného filmového festival FEBIOFEST sa uskutoční. Jeho pôvodný marcový termín zastavilo tesne pred štartom zatvorenie kín ako aj všetkého verejného života. Od 30. septembra do 4. októbra 2020 však konečne k divákom prinesie očakávané aj dlho odkladané premiéry nových slovenských aj zahraničných snímok od oceňovaných režisérov. Organizátori pripravujú pre divákov bezpečný festival.
„Kiná sú (našťastie) otvorené, rúško je v nich potrebné mať cez nos a ústa. Oči a uši, rozum a cit ostávajú voľné a slobodné. Bolo by teda škoda, aby sme divákom nielen v Bratislave, ale výberovo aj v regiónoch, neponúkli program, ktorý sme počas roka, pôvodne na marec 2020 pripravovali. Bola by to veľká škoda aj pre filmy, ktoré na svojich divákov čakajú,” vysvetľuje výkonná riaditeľka Febiofestu Ľubica Orechovská.
„Festival je pre nás všetkých veľkou oslavou filmového umenia. Okrem silnej koncentrácie dobrých filmov je zároveň miestom zdieľania zážitkov z projekcií, tvorcov, odbornej aj laickej reflexie filmových diel, ich inšpirácií, tém, žánrov. Aj Febiofest je (našťastie) silne kontaktnou udalosťou – v zdravých časoch. V tomto roku to bude trochu inak, ale aj napriek okolnostiam sme sa rozhodli jeho 27. ročník zorganizovať,” dodala.
Febiofest ako jeden z najväčších a najdlhšie prebiehajúcich filmových festivalov na Slovensku tak čoskoro odštartuje už svoj 27. ročník. Projekcie sa uskutočnia v bratislavských kinách Lumière a Mladosť, pôvodne plánovaný sprievodný program bude prebiehať v obmedzenej podobe a ostane výlučne v priestoroch kinosál. Organizátori pripravujú bezpečný festival, počas jeho konania budú dodržané všetky hygienické a protiepidemické opatrenia v súlade s aktuálne platnými predpismi Úradu verejného zdravotníctva Slovenskej republiky.
This, the very first film made about the 1944 Warsaw Uprising during which 200,000 died, captures the uprising’s last days when the German Army are overrunning one rebel position after another. When the Polish resistance fighters led by Lieutenant Zadra find escape routes cut off, their only remaining option is to descend into the city’s sewers and fight for their lives until the bitter end. The hopelessness of their heroic fight mirrors the Polish nation’s traumatic war experience. The screenplay of this iconic film was written by Jerzy Stefan Stawiński, who witnessed events at first-hand. The film won the Special Jury Award at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival, and became one of the first Eastern Bloc films to receive international success beyond the Iron Curtain. Show more
This documentary about an exceptional personality of Slovak culture captures the creativity and life journey of Milan Sládek, full of unexpected twists and turns. Sládek was present in the early 1960s at the birth of modern Slovak mime. His performances influenced not only Slovak but also European Thespians. Following the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968, he emigrated to Germany and travelled all over the world with his performances. The film is a testimony not only to his individual efforts, but also to the fates of an entire generation of Slovak Thespians. Show more
After arriving home to find her husband completely mad, young literary editor Helga Pato is forced to put him into a psychiatric clinic in the country’s north. On the return train journey, a stranger suddenly asks her to help pass the time: “Would you like me to tell you about my life?” He is Ángel Sanagustín, a psychiatrist who works in the same clinic. He is investigating the worst clinical case he has ever come across: Martín Urales de Úbeda, an extremely dangerous paranoid, obsessed with garbage and other stuff. After finishing Martínʼs story, Ángel bids farewell to Helga and disappears, but he has left behind a file full of stories. Helga is fascinated and decides to publish them. With this objective in mind, Helga searches for Ángel. But she mistakes narrators with authors, and authors with characters... Show more
One day in the life of hospital attendant Jaroslav K is a tough and uncompromising view of domestic violence. While handsome and a seemingly good-natured son, father and husband, Jaroslav K actually has an obsession with sex and cooking. He is also pathologically jealous of his wife Blanka, whom he terrorises in their large house in a small town. Terrified by the thought of his wife leaving him and taking their three children, he resorts to using violence, deceit and terror on others. Yet that approach backfires and ultimately leads to a family tragedy. On this metaphorical journey with a videogame’s structure, he fights his darkest traits and demons to sacrifice more than viewers anticipate. Show more
After being involved in a crash on a rainy night, fierce and feared Zeus gang boss Jang is attacked without warning and ends up with some nasty wounds. He fights back and only just escapes with his life, but his gang boss reputation is damaged beyond repair. His only way to somehow recover his tough-man image is to find his attacker and exact revenge. So he teams up with Det. Jung, who believes that Jang’s attacker is none other than a serial killer. His boss nevertheless downplays this lead due to the killer’s habit of leaving no evidence. Without another option, he must use Jang’s resources to track down the serial killer and follow what little pattern there is. The two men pool their talents and resources to find the serial killer known simply as “K”. Show more
A rough “romantic” sadomasochistic comedy aimed at audiences bored with rom-com clichés. Juha, the protagonist, has recently lost his wife and can no longer commit to any relationship. His lethargy is only alleviated by meeting Mona, a BDSM dominatrix, who offers him “good old torture”. Juha feels alive again and becomes addicted to these encounters. But what if this erotic pastime has gone too far? A film about a different kind of love. Show more
Brave, funny, and one of a kind: that’s eleven-year-old Rocca who lives a rather unique life. While her astronaut dad is watching over her from outer space, Rocca lives alone with her squirrel and is attending a normal school for the first time in her life where her carefree and non-conformist way of life instantly stands out. She fearlessly confronts class bullies because first and foremost Rocca stands up for justice, which is why she makes friends with and tries to help homeless Caspar. All the while she is also striving to win over her grandmother’s heart. With never-ending optimism, Rocca proves – together with her new friends – that even a child has the power to change the world. Show more
Deerskin is the story of forty-four-year-old Georges, whose obsession with his designer deerskin jacket causes him to blow his life savings and turn to crime. Show more
Jill and Lisa live in perfect homes in an idyllic suburban community with happy families. Their days are spent in the grocery store exchanging fashion tips, and at birthday parties complimenting their neighbors’ potluck dips. As the women desperately vie for validation, they struggle to maintain pleasantry and normalcy, even when things get weird. And they do get weird. When Jill gifts Lisa her newborn baby in an altruistic gesture, paranoia overwhelms Jill while her fears and anxieties quickly unravel. Show more
On January 5, 1895, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young promising officer, is tried for spying for Germany and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island. Witnesses to his humiliation include Georges Picquart, who had been promoted to head the military counter-intelligence unit that found Dreyfus. But when Picquart discovers that secrets are still being leaked to the Germans, he enters a dangerous labyrinth of deceit and corruption that threatens his honour and life. Show more
College student Jeffrey Beaumont returns to his hometown Lumberton after his father suffered a stroke. Walking home from the hospital he finds a human ear, which he takes to police detective Williams. Williams’s daughter Sandy tells Jeffrey that it somehow relates back to a lounge singer named Dorothy Vallens. Jeffrey attends Dorothy’s nightclub act. Fascinated by her, he leaves early and breaks into Dorothy’s apartment. There he witnesses a brutal rape, and subsequently discovers that Dorothy’s husband and child had been abducted by psychopathic murderer Frank Booth... David Lynch’s psychological thriller offers a glance into the world of violence and sexual perversion concealed behind the facade of an idyllic American provincial town with blooming and well-tended front yards. Show more
Eastern Ukraine in the near future. An uninhabitable desert. Serhii, a former soldier with PTSD, is struggling to adapt to his new reality: a life in pieces, a land in ruins. When the smelter closes down and he loses his job, he finds an unexpected way to cope by joining the volunteer Black Tulip mission which exhumes war corpses. By working alongside Katya, he understands that a better future is possible. Will he learn to live without war and accept himself as he is? The film analyzes the possibility of human survival in an area devastated by war – against the backdrop of a destroyed economy, broken infrastructure, and irreversible environmental disaster. With the formerly prosperous land degraded into a wasteland, the hero vainly seeks reasons to stay. Show more
Corpus Christi, directed by Jan Komasa (Suicide Room, Warsaw 44) is the story of twenty-year-old Daniel who experiences a spiritual transformation while detained at a Youth Detention Center. His wish to become a priest is impossible because of his criminal record. When sent to work at a carpenter’s workshop in a small town, on arrival he dresses up as a priest and accidentally takes over the local parish. Yet the arrival of this young, charismatic preacher gives the local community an opportunity to begin the healing process after a recent tragedy. – The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, won 11 awards at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. Show more
Entropia
director: Flóra Anna Buda, Maďarsko, 2019, 10 min
Three versions of one young woman, each of which lives in a certain space where they confront their frustrations. Following a breakout, they meet.
Grimmelstein
director: Bruno Kratochvil, Rakúsko, 2019, 25 min
Whoever wants to die, goes to Mount Grimmelstein. All alone in the terrifying mountains, Naomi searches for her boyfriend Max. But her anguished calls lead to nowhere, and her screams disappear into the fog. Max is nowhere to be found. Naomi starts to wonder whether love really is bigger than death.
Breaking the Waves | Prelomiť vlny
director: Andrej Kolenčík, 2019, 25 min
Strange events take place in a cabin between two worlds... Look into the dark, listen aloud, rush no more.
The Tough | Harda
director: Marcin Polar, Poľsko, 2019, 14 min.
The Tough carries multiple meanings: defiant, vicious, resistant, relentless, strong, resilient, cold, hard. The film’s protagonist had good reason to choose this name for his discovery. The camera follows him, step by step, taking part in the exploration of spaces never before seen, which increasingly resist delicate human matter.
Daughter | Dcera
director: Daria Kashcheeva, Česko, 2019, 15 min.
A girl hurt as a child keeps that memory alive. Having been deprived of love and empathy from her father, she is unable to share her feelings with him. She cannot escape painful memories returning her to the day she brought a little dead bird home and her father offered no support. Show more
Frontier | Hranice
director: Damián Vondrášek, Česko, 2020, 29 min
A young boy escapes during a roundup of illegal immigrants near the Czech border. The commander’s attempt to deal with the situation by the book conflict with his conscience.
Matches
director: Géza M. Tóth, Maďarsko, 2019, 12 min
Každý z nás je iný, dokonca aj ja! Osamelý chlapec sa hrá s farebnými zápalkami, ktoré mu ožívajú pod rukami, keď hovorí o svojich snoch, strachoch a túžbach. Film je vytvorený na základe rozhovoru so sedemročným L. S.
Above the Styx | Ponad Stiksom
director: absolventi Filmového programu Sergeja Bukovského, Ukrajina, 2019, 5 min
Thousands go to the cemetery on Hrobky (Memorial Day) to commemorate their departed relatives, to get blessed, to celebrate life... A wonderful tradition, isnʼt it?
Story
director: Jola Bańkowska, Poľsko, 2019, 5 min.
Story is a reflection about modern people in the age of omnipresent technology. Looking through social media platform stories, we see people who are lonely, lost or indifferent to the reality around them. The action takes place over one day, told in short, often (self)ironic scenes, where the virtual world sinks into reality.
Four Days after Christmas | 4 dni po Vianociach
director: Matúš from eastern Slovakia tries to park his car in Bratislava’s jam-packed streets while avoiding a fight with his eccentric sister. For the third consecutive year. Show more
Thereʼs No Shooting in Kyiv | V Kyjevě se nestřílí
director: Jakub Šedý, Česko, 2020, 30 min
You needn’t live in a war zone to experience war. The conflict in eastern Ukraine is part of everyday life. In the countryside, an alternative to the faltering social system has emerged with communities and volunteers providing help in unexpected places: a pizzeria, a Christian center, and a dog shelter. The film is a social travelogue about self-sufficiency – a small visit to several human microcosms.
Thorax
réžia: Siegfried A. Fruhauf, Rakúsko, 2019, 8 min
Rattling, diamond shaped refractions of light: a projector? fluorescent tubes? Actually more like a “human machine” the filmmaker is dissecting with a fine surgical blade.
Sh_t Happens
réžia: Dávid Štumpf, Michaela Mihályi, Slovensko, Česko, Francúzsko, 2019, 13 min
An exhausted caretaker, his frustrated wife, and a totally depressed deer. Their mutual despair leads them to absurd events, because... sh_t happens all the time.
Banality
réžia: Balázs Simonyi, Maďarsko, 2019, 12 min.
The anatomy of a terror attack – and how it becomes an everyday banality. A live-action experimental drama with the film as one continual sequence shot. Inspired by the 2013 Boston Marathon terror attack, where the director was running and survived.
Strážca | Der Wächter
réžia: Albin Wildner, Rakúsko, 2019, 30 min.
Raphael is fifty-four and forced to accept a position offered by the job center: a night-shift security guard. He and his beloved dog Rio have long moved back home again to his bedridden mother. As Raphael slowly comes to terms with the situation, an accident tears it all apart. Show more
One is big while the other is tiny: Nedvěd and Miška are constantly hungry bears whose everyday adventures revolve around tracking down a good munch. Hungry Bear Tales episodes explore how these funny hairy animals became chums, cooked dinner and tried truffles, celebrated Christmas in the summer (because they hibernate through winter), and argued but soon made up. They even organized a big feast for bears from around the world. These stories full of humour, adventure, and morals are great entertainment for kids and all ages. So three cheers for the bears! + predfilm: Cez paľubu! Krátky nemý animovaný pilotný film pripravovanej série pre deti sa pohráva s biblickým príbehom o arche, v ktorej mal Noe zhromaždiť páry niektorých zvierat, aby ich zachránil pred istým vyhynutím, no tvorcovia tu pridávajú drobný bonus – zvierací pár, ktorý by Noe určite zachrániť nechcel. Tvorí ho spomalený chameleón a prekvapivo rýchly a vrtký kivi. Show more
Karel, Me and You reflects on the stability of relationships, the quandary of choosing a life partner, and on thirty-something life from both the female and male perspectives. Karel and Saša’s marriage has gone stale – so she moves out for a while and finds temporary refuge at Dušan’s, an old flame who played at their wedding. The film follows a series of meetings, conversations and minor incidents through which the main characters explore and examine the fleeting nature of relationships. Bohdan Karásek’s debut has been called the “the first Czech mumblecore”. As alias Miroslav Faderholz, the director plays Dušan: “I aimed to act like Ivan Trojan, but more naturally.” Show more
There are dirty and grotesquely petrifying people on Mallorca. Archbishops, standard-bearers of the civilized world, come ashore and find the indigenous population literally physically decaying. The conquerors call themselves “Mallorcans” and the governor sets a cornerstone of the new era. Yet his speech is interrupted by the cries of lovers: a man and woman – unconcerned with the crowd – are rolling in the mud, which represents the first sign of the revolt against imperial Rome. – Luis Buñuel used Age of Gold to demystify all fundamental articles of law and order, such as the church, family, army, and police, and subsequently emerged as world cinema’s most controversial director. Show more
For five years, during which the people of Aleppo dreamed of a free life while being subjected to daily bombing, local journalist and filmmaker Waad al-Khateab filmed the situation, from the protests in 2011 to the outbreak of the worst civil war of our time. With camera always in hand, she married a doctor and give birth to a daughter, to whom the film is dedicated, as a diary that can answer the burning question of why she had to experience the first years of her life amid the everyday horror of war and omnipresent death. Show more
A story of two friends who run a flourishing drone rental service. For the former classmates, drones are a ticket to many areas of human activity. A presidential candidate as well as artists organising happenings are among their clients. The drones in the film monitor power plants, they carry luxury handbags at a fashion show instead of the models, or they spray the Petřín Lookout Tower from the air. However, when one of the protagonists decides to use a drone for something completely different, the situation in the company starts getting complicated. Show more
“Alchemical Furnace“ is a unique portrait of one of the most original and, at the same time, internationally acclaimed figures of Czecho-Slovak cinema – the director and artist Jan Švankmajer, made by the young directors Adam Oľha and Jan Daňhel. They were granted the unique opportunity to enter the “alchemical workshop” of the film production company ATHANOR and take part in the creation – as the filmmaker himself calls it – of Jan Švankmajer’s latest film, “Insect“. Show more
The last part of the trilogy reflecting the history, identity and culture of Moravia as an autonomous enclave of its own kind. Ivana Slabáková, singer in the legendary Moravanka band, announces the finding of a historical sensation – the Mikulčice manuscript, which reveals the historical importance of Great Moravian Empire culture. Yet this manuscript is a parodical and fake text elaborated to prove the importance of Great Moravia’s literary culture. Slabáková gathers regional cultural figures to theatrically stage this text (which closely resembles the Maryša script by the Mrštík brothers): a Great Moravian drama The Fall of Argema... The predominant theme of the trilogy is to explore the roots of Moravian nationalism. However, everything is portrayed with exaggeration. Show more
A film about humankind having nowhere to escape from itself. Éva is allergic to all kinds of chemical substances, air pollution, radio waves, and electronic fields. She needs to live in total isolation, with no contact with the environment: the slightest mistake could lead to her death. She only meets her brother and the doctors that are continuously experimenting on her. One day a psychiatrist comes to investigate whether her illness is real or only exists in Éva’s mind. Will love alone be enough to save her? Show more
Petr is a young theatre director in a small Czech town. But his world falls apart after he decides to live his dream: to adapt a very ambitious play based on Euripides’ classic Phaedra (Hippolytus). His two main actors walk out of rehearsals, and the municipality threatens to cut funding due to the play’s political content. Petr falls for young lead actress Karolína, while tensions at home grow due to his absence as husband and father. Shortly before the premiere both women leave: his wife has had enough and Karolína simply disappears. Petr strives to save his theatrical masterpiece amidst the unfolding fiasco. Devastated, he tries to regain the last pieces of his life – but is it too late? Show more
Colour Out of Space is based on the eponymous short story by H. P. Lovecraft about the cosmic terror of The Gardners, a family who moves to a remote farmstead in rural New England to escape the hustle of the 21st century. They are busy adapting to their new life when a meteorite crashes into their front yard. The mysterious aerolite seems to melt into the earth, infecting both the land and the properties of space-time with a strange, otherworldly colour. To their horror, the Gardner family discover that this alien force is gradually mutating every life form that it touches... including them. This film is a neon ride with a touch of horror. It is a feast for the eyes for all fans of experimental film, while also addressing burning social issues. Show more
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Joël Farges, a French filmmaker in his 60s, is looking for the destiny of his favourite childhood film: Prince Bayaya by Jiří Trnka (1912 – 1969), whose films were once known and popular in France. His career peaked at the height of the Cold War between the Eastern and Western blocs, when his films were presented as an artistic counterweight to Disney’s commercial production. Leftist western intellectuals were amazed; Trnkaʼs films were narrated by Jean Cocteau and Richard Burton, and winning prizes in Cannes and Venice. As the films became a valuable export for the totalitarian regime, Trnka found that he himself had become a puppet of the political system. His disillusion led to revolt. He left us a body of work celebrating a unique experience, the freedom associated with eternal youth. Show more
“Paradise on Earth“ is a documentary by Jaro Vojtek about journalist and war photographer, Andrej Ban. Jaro, as his friend, has been a silent witness to his struggles, failed relationships and depressions. Their intimate conversations, in contrast with the tragic and painful war and refugee crisis, form the foundation of the film’s concept. Jaro follows Andrej to various destinations around the world, the camera observing his interactions with people in need and his photographic work. “Paradise on Earth“ is a topography of individual and global struggles – an endless ongoing therapy. Show more
After eight years toiling in bit-parts, aspiring actress Nina Wu finally gets her big break with a leading role in a spy thriller. The part is challenging, not least because it calls for full nudity and explicit sex scenes, and the film’s director is often tough on her. But both the industry and the press are confident that the results are sensationally good. But on the brink of triumph, Nina’s psychological resolve begins to crack. She rushes home to deal with two crises: her father’s business bankruptcy and her mother’s heart attack. She dreams of rekindling a close relationship with her childhood friend Kiki, but is haunted by paranoid fantasies that a mysterious woman is stalking and attacking her. As Nina clings to memories of happier times, it seems she’s repressing one crucial memory... Show more
Haiti, 1962. A man is brought back from the dead only to be sent to the living hell of the sugarcane fields. In Paris fifty-five years later at the prestigious Légion d’honneur boarding school, a Haitian girl confesses an old family secret to a group of new friends – never imagining that this strange tale will convince a heartbroken classmate to do the unthinkable. Show more
Set in a small Icelandic farming community, The County tells the story of Inga, a middle-aged dairy farmer who rebels against the all-powerful local Cooperative. Inga tries to get other farmers to join her in rising up against the Co-op’s corruption, but their resistance forces her to confront the community’s dependence and loyalty to this single, dominant enterprise. Inga must use her resourcefulness and cunning to break free of the Co-op’s grasp and finally live life on her own terms. Show more
A beautiful and contemporary retelling of Colin Thiele’s classic Australian tale. “Storm Boy” has grown up to be Michael Kingley, a successful retired businessman and grandfather. When Kingley starts to see inexplicable images from his past, he is forced to remember his long-forgotten childhood – growing up on an isolated coastline with his father. He recounts to his grand-daughter the story of how, as a boy, he rescued and raised Mr Percival, an extraordinary orphaned pelican. Their remarkable adventures and very special bond has a profound effect on all their lives. Based on the beloved book, Storm Boy is a timeless story of an unusual and unconditional friendship. Show more
Set over one night in Tokyo, we follow Leo, a young boxer down on his luck as he meets his “first love” Monica, a call girl and addict yet still innocent. Little does Leo know that Monica is unwittingly caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme, and the two are pursued through the night by a corrupt cop, a yakuza, his nemesis, and a female assassin sent by the Chinese Triads. Their fates intertwine in Miikeʼs spectacular and anarchic style. Show more
Swim Test | Plavání pro pokročilé
director: Šimon Štefanides, Česko, 2019, 14 min
A young mother is rarely allowed access to her son, and even then in the presence of a social worker. During one such meeting at a swimming pool she tries to become closer to the boy, who is evidently cold-hearted. Upon gaining his trust again, she is haunted by her memories of the failure that led to their separation.
Deep Love | Kochanňa
director: Mykyta Lyskov, Ukrajina, 2019, 14 min
The bald eagle, powerful symbol of the United States, flies with a star-shaped cloaca over a Ukrainian city and drops an egg whose impact generates a rising nuclear mushroom. Comrade Lenin’s skull bursts. A confident man dives head first into a waterless pool. Things don’t look good in this country, which is only beginning to try to find itself and paints its facades with blue and yellow stripes.
Playing | Hra
director: Lun Sevnik, Česko, 2019, 22 min
Boris and Hugo, 16-year-old friends, arrive at Hugo’s parents’ apartment. They have bought a gun. They set up a livestream internet video and announce that in one hour they will commit suicide. While Boris is sure about the decision, Hugo still harbours doubts. In the final moments of their lives, sadism, homoeroticism, and destructive desire are released.
Letter to a Daughter | Brief an eine Tochter
director: Wilbirg Brainin-Donnenberg, Rakúsko, 2019, 8 min.
From the Mediterranean to an exotic paradise. From a mother to a daughter. Easter rituals. The idyll shatters and develops into a reflection about being a young self-empowered woman. An essay that inextricably relates the personal and the political.
My Country So Beautiful | Mój kraj taki piękny
director: Grzegorz Paprzycki, Poľsko, 2019, 19 min.
The documentary’s ironic title refers to the exacerbation of radical sentiments in Poland in recent years. The information at the outset states it’s a “non-chronological documentation of selected social events”. The director juxtaposes rallies, demonstrations and street riots, as well as speeches by antifascist organisations.
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