Synopsis

A former chess champion, a homeopath, and a watchmaker – old friends Samuel, Marcos, and Joaquin seem to belong to another era. Routine days find them on well-worn paths from work to the cafes and casinos of Bogotá and home. As the stresses of life pile up, the three wonder if they will ever take a risk again. Lighthearted charm and affecting pathos permeate this bittersweet slice-of-life drama about facing failure and turning over a new leaf.

Synopsis

Vicenta is a Cuban santera who possesses the gifts of being able to see into the future and communicate with spirits. She lives harmoniously with her only son, and has loyal customers who come to her for spiritual guidance. When Vicenta’s son decides to leave the country in search of opportunity, she suddenly finds herself deep in a crisis of her own belief—the spirits are no longer speaking to her. Vicenta embarks on a journey to hear the spirits once more, confronted by her solitude in a country where it seems that everyone is losing their faith. Carlos Lechuga (Melaza, Santa & Andrés) returns to the Festival with this lyrical and meditative study of faith, tradition, and human connection.

Synopsis

Streetwise teen Rá receives a long-awaited letter from the government certifying his rightful inheritance of family land snatched away decades earlier by paramilitary groups. Intoxicated by the prospect of a place to finally call home, he gathers his found family of brothers—five boys scavenging on the streets of Medellin—and together they embark on a journey across a landscape whose lush forests and inveigling mists conceal a pandemic of pervasive violence. Along the way, they encounter others inhabiting the margins of a society in turmoil, who alternatively offer lessons in courage and kindness, brutality and greed. Swinging between unbridled delirium and bitter reality, Roger Ebert Award-winning director Laura Mora’s (Killing Jesus) kaleidoscopic road movie follows an at-once surreal and perilous odyssey into the legacies of violence in contemporary Colombia.

Winner

58th Chicago International Film Festival Silver Hugo: Best Production Design. Learn more…

Synopsis

Inside a state-run shelter for teenage girls in Bogotá, Colombia, filmmakers Clare Weiskopf and Nicolás van Hemelryck invite ten subjects to imagine a 15-year-old classmate named “Alis.” As they describe this fictitious person, some recount her troubled past and indominable nature; others, her sexual experiences, or their own romantic relationships with her. In time, “Alis” begins to take shape as a complex projection of their own identities, revealing intimate truths about the traumas, loves, and lives of the interviewed adolescents. In this impressively crafted documentary–winner of the Youth Jury Prize and the Teddy Award for Best Documentary at the Berlin Film Festival–Alis uses its innovative conceit to create an insightful and moving portrait of youth and resilience.

Winner

58th Chicago International Film Festival Gold Hugo and OutLook Special Mention. Learn more…

Synopsis

Beloved by his boisterous family and the Medellín communities he cared for, Doctor Héctor Abad Gomez was a prominent physician, tireless public health activist, and cherished father. This adaptation of the tender memoir by son and celebrated author Héctor Abad Faciolince moves between sun-dappled carefree days in the 70s and a starker, foreboding late 80s defined by violent forces and ideological extremes to chronicle the life and times of Dr. Abad, a courageous and resolute man of principle.