SHAKESPEARE IN CASABLANCA

INFO: Thurs 2 Mar / Light House 2 / 16:00 / 60 mins

DIRECTOR: Sonia Terrab + Q&A

COUNTRY: Morocco, France

Writer and human rights activist Sonia Terrab’s documentary embraces an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most-beloved plays. In the Moroccan city of Casablanca, she follows a group of young people as they set out to stage Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is no easy task as the text must first be translated into Moroccan Arabic.

The group brings Shakespeare to the people, as the exotic, romantic streets of Casablanca become their stage. In doing so, they ask the people of the city who they would feel about the classic story of star-crossed lovers. What emerges is a charming and gently funny tale about the universality of storytelling.

*DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE

*A RECORDED INTERVIEW OF LEÏLA SLIMANI WITH THE DIRECTOR WILL BE PLAYED AFTER THE SCREENING

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

INFO: Thurs 2 Mar / Light House 2 / 20:30 / 100 mins

DIRECTOR: Pierre Földes

WRITER: Pierre Földes

CAST: Michael Czyz, Zag Dorison, Jesse Noah Gruman

COUNTRY: France, Canada, Luxemburg, Holland

Adapted from the beloved short story collections by Haruki Murakami, Pierre Foldes turns to animation for his directorial debut. Set in Tokyo shortly after the 2011 earthquake, a lost cat, a giant toad and an unambitious salesman are among the characters who band together to try and save the city. What emerges is a surreal, powerful and truly original movie, described by Screen International as: “Storytelling which balances moments of flighty whimsy against deeper existential questions”.

*DIRECTOR

In Attendance

Bread and Salt

INFO: Fri 3 Mar / Light House 1 / 13:30 / 100 mins

DIRECTOR: Damian Kocur

WRITER: Damien Kocur

CAST: Tymoteus Bies, Jacek Bies, Nicola Raczko

COUNTRY: Poland

Damian Kocur’s tense and gripping drama centres on Tymek, a gifted young pianist studying at the prestigious Warsaw Academy of Music. Returning to his small hometown for the holidays, he notices a growing tension between his peers and the Arab workers who have set up a kebab shop in the town. The fact that the film is inspired by true events and features a non-professional cast serves to add to its sense of urgency and authenticity.

Cairo Conspiracy

INFO: Mon 27 Feb / Light House 1 / 20:30 / 126 mins

DIRECTOR: Tarik Saleh

WRITER: Tarik Saleh

CAST: Tawfeek Barhom, Fares Fares, Mohammad Bakri

COUNTRY: Sweden, Finland, Denmark

Swedish director Tarik Saleh returns to his Egyptian roots with a multi-layered, edgy thriller examining class and elitism. It centres on a fisherman’s son who’s offered a place at the esteemed Al-Azhar University in Cairo - the main seat of power of Sunni Islam. It screened in competition for the Palme d’Or and won best screenplay at Cannes. Saleh’s last film, The Nile Hilton Incident, was banned in Egypt for its presentation of the country’s police.

Chevalier

INFO: Fri 3 Mar / Light House 1 / 18:00 / 107 mins

DIRECTOR: Stephen Williams

WRITER: Stefani Robinson

CAST: Kalvin Harrison Jr, Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Minnie Driver

COUNTRY: Ireland

The son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Chevalier tells the remarkable story of Joseph Bologne. He was a musical prodigy who rose from poverty to the highest echelons of French society - but an ill-fated love affair and subsequent falling out with Marie Antionette posed a threat to his status. From its high-octane opening violin battle, director Stephen Williams’ lavish, handsome film gives Bologne a sense of rock-and-roll swagger.

Close

INFO: Sat 25 Feb / Light House 1 / 18:10 / 105 mins with HoH Captioning

DIRECTOR: Lukas Dhont

WRITER: Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens

CAST: Eden Dambrine, Gustav De Waele, Émilie

Dequenne

COUNTRY: Belgium

Proudly supported by the Belgian Embassy

The Eight Mountains

INFO: Sat 4 Mar / Light House 2 / 13:00 / 147 mins

DIRECTOR: Felix van Groeningen & Charlotte

Vandermeersch

WRITER: Paolo Cognetti, Charlotte

Vandermeersch, Felix van Groeningen

CAST: Alessandro Borghi, Luca Marinelli, Filippo Timi

COUNTRY: Belgium

Proudly supported by the Belgian Embassy

A remarkable bond between teenage best friends Léo and Rémi is dramatically threatened in Lukas Dhont’s elegant and deeply moving drama. When their close relationship comes under the scrutiny of their peers, one of the boys moves to distance himself. What follows is a remarkable portrait of growing up, friendship and identity, told with grace and a simplicity of storytelling. Close comes to DIFF following widespread critical acclaim at Cannes, where it won the Grand Prix.

Friendship, childhood and the ties of tradition are explored in this screen adaptation of the acclaimed bestselling novel from Belgian filmmakers Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch. It tells the story of a friendship from boyhood to adulthood as two young boys meet for the first time in the Alps during a memorable family vacation. Their friendship is deep and instantaneous - but when they reunite years later, will it survive the test of time and distance?

Medusa Deluxe

INFO: Tue 28 Feb / Light House 2 / 18:30 / 101 mins with HoH Captioning

DIRECTOR: Thomas Hardiman

WRITER: Thomas Hardiman

CAST: Clare Perkins, Kae Alexander, Harriet Webb, Lilit Lesser

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

Victim

INFO: Mon 27 Feb / Light House 1 / 15:30 / 91 mins

DIRECTOR: Michal Blaško

WRITER: Michal Blaško

CAST: Gleb Kuchuk, Igor Chmela, Viktor Zavadil

COUNTRY: Czech Republic

First-time feature director Thomas Hardiman takes a competitive hairdressing competition and turns it into a fun and extravagant murder mystery when one of the stylists dies in violent circumstances. Hardiman, a Screen Star of Tomorrow winner in 2021, has gathered a host of diverse characters – each one devoted to hairstyling. But which of them believes a good haircut is worth committing murder for? Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan (The Favourite) vividly brings the film to life.

*DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE

Slovak director Michal Blaško’s towering debut examines morality and prejudice when a Roma family is wrongfully accused of a violent act in the Czech Republic. When attackers badly beat Igor, he is encouraged by the police to say his assailants are not white, allowing the authorities to pick on the boy’s Roma neighbours. Igor’s mother, a Ukrainian immigrant, finds herself hugely conflicted when she learns the truth about the boy’s injuries in this powerful social drama.

Mother and Son

INFO: Mon 27 Feb / Light House 2 / 20:30 / 116 mins

DIRECTOR: Léonor Serraille

WRITER: Léonor Serraille

CAST: Stephanie Bak, Laetitia Dosch, Thibaut Evrard

COUNTRY: France

Léonor Serraille’s tender and intimate drama centres on Rose, who leaves her home on Côte d’Ivoire to begin a new life in Paris with her two boys. It’s the 1980s, and the family moves into a small apartment with relatives. Despite difficult conditions and a demanding job, Rose is determined to be positive and give her sons the best life Paris can afford them. It’s a dream told over decades in Serraille’s big-hearted and beautifully acted film.

On the Fringe

INFO: Sat 25 Feb / Light House 2 / 20:30 / 104 mins

DIRECTOR: Juan Diego Botto

WRITER: Olga Rodriguez & Juan Diego Botto

CAST: Penélope Cruz, Luis Tosar, Adelfa Calvo

COUNTRY: Spain

Universally relatable, On the Fringe looks at the homeless crisis in Spain through the eyes of Rafe (Luis Tosar), an eviction lawyer undertaking the arduous task of dealing with unsympathetic landlords. What emerges is a tense social thriller reminiscent of the work of Ken Loach or the Dardenne Brothers, as it follows three personal stories of people in immediate crisis. This is actor Juan Diego Botto’s directorial feature debut - Spain’s finest, Penélope Cruz, produces and stars.

Suitable for 15 years or over.