They Shot the Piano Player
Synopsis
In this lively animated music documentary, a New York journalist named Jeff Harris (Jeff Goldblum) goes on a quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of a young Brazilian jazz pianist, Tenorio Jr., in the 1970s. The film switches back and forth between Harris’ present-day investigations in Brazil and Argentina, where he tracks down and talks to music virtuosos like Gilberto Gil and João Gilberto, and beautifully envisioned memories of the Bossa Nova music scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
From the directors of the Oscar-nominated animated feature Chico and Rita, They Shot the Piano Player is both an engaging political murder mystery and a snapshot of the creative freedom and musical innovation that took place during a turning point in Latin American history, just before the continent was engulfed by totalitarian regimes.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Cristina Huete
- Fernando Trueba
- Arnau Quiles
- Jeff Goldblum
- Nano Arrieta, Fabien Westerhoff
- Fernando Trueba P.C., Les Films d’Ici, Submarine Animanostra
Sponsors
Documentary Program Sponsors
Cynthia Stone Raskin
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waking up in silence [short film]
Mila Zhluktenko, Daniel Asadi FaeziGermany, Ukraine
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Through the Night Quitter la nuit
Synopsis
Late one night, Aly calls the police from the passenger seat of a car racing along a deserted road. She feels she is in danger from Dary, the man in the driver’s seat whose behavior is becoming increasingly explosive. Anna fields the call, deftly decrypting Aly’s conversation with her “sister” and talking her through the unfolding nightmare. Dary is arrested, and an investigation is underway. Weeks go by, and tensions mount. Aly must figure out what it means to carry on. Anna becomes obsessed with Aly’s future. Dary must account for his actions.
An intelligent and provocative expansion of director Delphine Girard’s Oscar-nominated short of the same title, Through the Night turns the traditional thriller on its head, intertwining the paths and points of view of these three characters in the aftermath of a sexual assault. The film deftly navigates between the shifting perspectives and story lines to create a tense, 360-degree view that never loses sight of the trauma’s impact rippling out over time and across communities.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Versus production (BE) – Haut et court (FR) – Colonelle Films (CA) – The Reunion (BE)
- Delphine Girard
- Damien Keyeux
- Juliette Van Dormael
- Selma Alaoui, Veerle Baetens, Guillaume Duhesme, Anne Dorval
- Ben Shemie
- Gwennaëlle Libert
- Versus Production, Haut et Court, Colonelle Films, The Reunion
- https://playtime.group/film/626b30db8d97dd0004c5bb1a
Sponsors
New Directors Program Sponsors
Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation
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The Crime is Mine Mon crime
Synopsis
In 1930s Paris, best friends Madeleine and Pauline — a penniless actress and an unemployed lawyer — struggle to pay their rent. It doesn’t help when, after an audition gone awry, Madeleine is accused of murdering a famous producer. Despite her innocence, Madeleine decides to plead guilty, as the friends spy an opportunity to step into the spotlight at the trial and put on the performance of a lifetime. After testifying that she did indeed kill the producer after he made unwanted advances, Madeleine is acquitted — to the court’s, and the public’s, surprise.
But Madeline and Pauline’s newfound fame and success is tenuous as long as the truth remains a secret, and an eccentric stranger (Isabelle Huppert) will arrive to upend their new lives. A quippy and hilarious caper, François Ozon’s The Crime is Mine is a clever nod to the #MeToo movement that takes a farcical stab at the courtroom drama genre.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Éric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
- François Ozon, Philippe Piazzo
- Laure Gardette
- Manu Dacosse
- Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Rebecca Marder, Isabelle Huppert
- Philippe Rombi
- Mandarin & Compagnie, FOZ
Sponsors
Comedy Program Sponsor
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Sisterhood HLM Pussy
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-olds Amina, Djeneba, and Zineb have been an inseparable trio since childhood. When one of the girls is the victim of a predatory incident, an emboldened Amina posts a video of the assault on social media as a means of denouncing the assailant. The video unexpectedly goes viral, eliciting both widespread support and backlash from their community and the internet at large. Amina’s actions force a wedge into this formerly invincible friendship, shedding light on the divides in the girls’ race, class, and cultural privilege.
A poignant commentary on the act of speaking out in the age of the viral internet, Sisterhood takes a critical closer look at the complex factors at play that, all too often, force women and girls into silence in the face of gendered violence.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Philippe Gompel
- Nora El Hourch
- Quentin Jourde d'Arzac
- Maxence Lemonnier
- Léah Aubert, Médina Diarra, Salma Takaline, Oscar Al Hafiane, Bérénice Bejo, Mounir Magroum
- Clément Tery
- Philippe Gompel
- Manny Films, La Prod
Sponsors
New Directors Program Sponsors
Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation
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Robot Dreams
Synopsis
In this love letter to 1980s New York City, Dog lives in Manhattan. Tired of being alone, he orders and builds himself a robot companion, and their friendship blossoms. Dog and Robot become inseparable, living life to the fullest in time with the vivacious rhythms of the big, bustling city. And then one summer night, Dog, with a heavy, reluctant heart, has no choice but to abandon Robot at the beach. Will the two ever meet again?
Based on the popular graphic novel by Sara Varon, director Pablo Berger (Blancanieves) brings us a unique animated feature that follows the adventures and misfortunes of two souls, forever united. Full of charm, daydreams, deadpan comedy, and moments of subtle heartbreak, Robot Dreams is an ingeniously playful, tenderly articulated tale of friendship in all its fragility and glory.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Ignasi Estapé, Sandra Tapia, Ibon Cormenzana, Pablo Berger, Angel Durández
- Pablo Berger
- Fernando Franco
- Animators: José Luis Ágreda, Benoît Feroumont, Daniel Fernándes Casas, Patricia Andrades
- n/a
- Alfonso de Vilallonga, Yuko Harami
- Arcadia Motion Pictures
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