Synopsis

Using diverse methods of observation, animation, and essay, the filmmakers in this program showcase the flexibility of documentary form. Each zeroes in on a unique point of view, eliciting intimate first-person portraits about the broad spectrum of human experience and emotion. Featuring works by Haley Watson, Saurav Ghimire, Leo Berkeley, Samira Elagoz, Z Walsh, Ellie Land, and Assia Boundaoui.

Mary McGee shares stories from her life as the first American woman to race motorcycles in Motorcycle Mary (United States). In Songs of Love and Hate (Nepal, Belgium), the heartbroken host of a love advice radio show traverses the mountains, haunted by testimonies from his audience. Dark Matter (Australia) follows Leo Berkeley, a chronically ill Melbourne filmmaker, as he observes inner city apartment living and grapples with the nature of his existence. The first year of a love story between two long-haired trans men unfolds via messages and pics in You can’t get what you want but you can get me (Netherlands, Finland, Germany, United States). Plunge (United Kingdom) depicts a journey of mental health within the vast reaches of the ocean, where one woman finds peace in both her body and mind. In Estranged Letters (United States), Maryam Taghavi discusses her ideas and background as she prepares to open a solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

Synopsis

At once intimate and mundane, this creative slideshow follows a developing relationship between two long-haired trans men through a year ‘s worth of texts and pics. Over that year, they meet, date long-distance, get acquainted with each other’s families, and manage recovery from top surgery.

This film screens as part of the Documentary Shorts: Near and Far program.

Synopsis

A playful ode to silent cinema, Silent Trilogy is a collection of three charming short films written and directed by distinguished Festival alum Juho Kuosmanen (winner of the Gold Hugo in our New Directors Competition for his feature debut The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, 2016).

In Romu-Mattila and a Beautiful Woman (2012), a widower is forced to cast off his worldly possessions; The Moonshiners (2017) finds a pair of down-on-their-luck bootleg distillers and their trusted pig pursued by the police; and A Planet Far Away (2023) details a lighthouse keeper’s oddball odyssey through space and time. Featuring a cast of loveable characters and vivid, lively visuals, these three dialogue-free stories are a witty and winning tribute to early Finnish cinema.

Synopsis

A multi-layered love story, this lyrical portrait follows 22-year-old Finnish climate activist Ida and her friends, all passionately devoted to preserving the forest. While they relish swimming in the crystalline lakes and embracing the ancient trees of their native woods, they are also unafraid to infiltrate corporate offices, shut down paper factories, and put their bodies in front of bulldozers. On their journey, they also find each other.

With stunning cinematography of Finland’s beautiful landscapes — think vast coniferous woods and magical snow forests — and an empathetic look at her young protagonists, director Virpi Suutari (Entrepreneur, ChicagoIFF 2019) steeps the viewer in the idealistic perspective of her subjects. And it’s impossible not to get swept up in their fervent mission. Immersive, engaging, and inspiring, Once Upon a Time in a Forest is a bittersweet ode to youthful dreams and our natural world, more under threat than ever before.

Synopsis

Set in the lush days of a Finnish summer, Mika Kaurismaki’s Long Good Thursday is a gentle comedy of growing older and of accepting the never-ending possibility of finding joy. Finnish comedy star Heikki Kinnunen plays an aging farmer intent on finishing his life in the home he shared with his late wife. Much to his surprise, he finds himself smitten with a free-spirited artist (the ever alluring Jaana Saarinen) intent on using him as a model for her photography. Similar in tone to Hannes Holm’s A Man Called Ove, Long Good Thursday perfectly balances deadpan humor with simple yet profound observations about our shared journey of aging.