18th OCT 2016 // LDN // OPENING GALA: TOGETHER YET ALONE

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Dynamic shorts from all corners of the globe that address the same human phenomena: being alone and feeling someone is there, or loneliness despite companionship. The longing expressed in this programme finds itself through comedies of self-realisation, tender haptic illustrations of human ego, documentaries of urban isolation, and eye-catching compilations of iconography and consumption. Nobody wants to be lonely, but this programme strikes a chord through eye-opening stories.

TOGETHER YET ALONE PART I

Cecil & Carl // dir. Elvis León, Gaston Yvorra // 14’ // documentary // 2016 // United States 
Cecil lives alone ever since Carl, his partner of 43 years, was moved to a nursing home with advanced dementia. This beautiful story focuses on commitment and the duties that come with it.

Venice // dir. Venetia Taylor // 4′ //  narrative short // 2015 // Australia // International team: Australia, Malta
Josh is in Venice, Mum is in Sydney. Josh doesn’t understand backpacking, Mum doesn’t understand Skype.

Ego // dir. Pei Hsin Cho // 6′ // animation // 2016 // Taiwan
A tender animation in black and white that chronicles the identity of a young girl, playing powerfully on philosophy and symbolism.

Lost in Manboo // dir. Jérôme Plan // 9′ // documentary // 2015 // France // International team: France, Japan
There are thousands who spend their lives in Japanese cyber-cafes. The Manboo in Tokyo has its own permanent residents: Masata and Hitomi.

The Mother // dir. Paolo Monico // 11’// narrative short // 2015 // USA // International team: USA, Italy, Finland // TOP 10
When a hardened widow receives an unexpected visit, she is given the chance to shed light on her husband’s death.

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TOGETHER YET ALONE PART II

The Last Soldier (org. El Ultimo Milico) // dir. Cesar Augusto & Malaga Barrera // 7′ // narrative short // 2015 // Peru
A soldier is found by a community in the Andean highlands, in an age of terrorism. A song of lament accompanies the sound of shovels digging to bury the dead as a narrator describes his kills.

Repression // dir. Peter Roe // 12′ //  narrative short // 2016 // United Kingdom
Filmed in a single shot, Repression is a psychological drama set within the mind of a psychiatrist who relives memories he has lost.

Je Te Veux // dir.Kenji Hirano // 5’ //experimental, fashion video // 2015 // Japan // International team: Japan, Estonia // TOP 10
An original love story, inspired by both Dutch Baroque painter Vermeer and girls on the Tokyo subway addicted to their phone chats.

The Frame (org. Fotograma) // dir. Luís Henrique Leal & Caio Zatti // 9′ // experimental // 2015 // Brazil
This experimental film contains images of culture and of barbarism, whilst exploring film form. The Frame imitates the unassembled pieces of a film.

Mayday Relay // dir. Florian Tscharf // 14’ // narrative short // 2016 // Germany //  International team: Germany, Italy // TOP 10
When German sailor, Max, and his daughter Emily receive a mayday call on the Mediterranean sea, they act immediately.

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