Raised like a wild child in the woods by his bitter and fearsome father, a boy finds himself discovering the world beyond the forest in this enchanting visualization of Jean-Francois Beauchemin’s novel.
Synopsis
A Berlin courtyard becomes an unwitting battleground as a xenophobic property owner, the threat of gentrification, and simmering political unrest converge in Azli Özge’s volatile drama Black Box. When an apartment building is put under lockdown by police after an undisclosed event, tensions within the tight-knit community escalate on multiple fronts. Frustrations boil over and conflicts collide as residents unite to take legal action against their landlord, an unemployed mother faces a critical job interview, and the discovery of a corpse in an abandoned unit forces the residents to confront their personal politics and prejudices.
Özge’s deft direction creates a unique crucible where the boundaries of power, fear, and community are tested, raising unsettling questions about the rights and autonomy of those who call this courtyard home. Their preconceived biases deepen the divisions, unearthing long-buried conflicts as residents reveal their true natures, driven by personal agendas in a complex web of capitalism and power.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Daniel Mann, Till Derenbach, Michael Souvignier
- Aslı Özge
- Patricia Rommel
- Emre Erkmen
- Luise Heyer, Felix Kramer, Christian Berkel, Timur Magmedgadzhiev, Manal Issa, André Szymanski, Sascha Alexander Geršak, Anne Ratte-Polle, Jonathan Berlin, Inka Friedrich, Anna Brüggemann, Marc Zinga
- Zeitsprung Pictures, Les Films du Fleuve
- https://www.betacinema.com/138/pid/313/Black-Box.htm
Sponsors
International Competition Program Sponsor
John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation
Film Supporter
Bye Bye Tiberias
Synopsis
Thirty years ago, Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass (known for Succession as well as films like Lemon Tree and Paradise Now) left her village in Galilee to follow her dreams of acting in France. In this poignant portrait, both deeply personal and inescapably political, filmmaker Lina Soualem — who is also Abbas’ daughter — traces the story of her mother, her mother’s mother, and their extended family, all of whose lives have been defined by separation, exile, and displacement. Interwoven with nostalgic home video recordings and rich archival footage of Palestinian life through the decades, Bye Bye Tiberias is a moving memoir about the burden of leaving, the endurance of memory, and the determination to forge one’s own destinies and identities.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Jean-Marie Nizan
- Lina Soualem, Nadine Naous, Gladys Joujou
- Gladys Joujou
- Frida Marzouk
- Hiam Abbass
- Amine Bouhafa
- Be All Productions, Altitude 100 Production, Philistine Films
- https://lightdox.com/
Sponsors
Documentary Program Sponsors
Cynthia Stone Raskin