Synopsis

Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a university researcher, is on the lam. He holes up in the seaside city of Recife, hoping to reconnect with his young son before ultimately escaping the country. Fearing for his life, he assumes an alias to avoid attracting the attention of Brazil’s military dictatorship. As he awaits his opportunity to flee, mysterious forces beyond his control start to close in around him.

Director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Pictures of Ghosts) offers an urgent, entertaining political thriller replete with international intrigue, mistaken identities, and red herrings galore. The film is at once a loving snapshot of a place in time and a timely fable about greed, power, and forces beyond our control. Winner of both the Best Actor (Wagner Moura) and Best Director prizes at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, The Secret Agent captivates with its twisting, turning plotlines and colorful ’70s flare.

Synopsis

Budapest, 1957. In the aftermath of a quelled uprising against the ruling Communist party, a young Jewish boy named Andor and his mother are struggling to make ends meet. Both work at a local general store, living in fear of the regime’s violent reprisals against friends and coworkers involved in the failed revolution. When a menacing, brutish man appears in town, claiming to be Andor’s father, the boy is plunged into personal crisis as he’s forced to come to grips with a new and unwelcome family history.

Director László Nemes (Son of Saul) sets this tender, heartbreaking coming-of-age tale amid a violent historical backdrop, balancing the intimate and internal against the grand sweep of history. The struggles of Andor and his family mirror the tumultuous reckoning of the post-WWII world, as Orphan bears witness to the tyrannies of the period through the eyes of a child.

Screening in 35mm.

Synopsis

The Chilean desert, 1982. It is rumored that a single loving gaze between two men is how the plague spreads—an illness both mysterious and lethal that is tearing through a remote mining town. At the center of the paranoia is a community on the margins: a home where eleven-year-old Lidia grows up among a fierce and loving queer family. As fear and violence begin to spread even faster than the plague, Lidia sets out to find the truth about this mythical epidemic to protect her beloved kin.

With sensuous magical realism and poetic tenderness set against the harsh desert backdrop, director Diego Céspedes draws us into a pivotal moment in queer history as lived by its most marginalized and misunderstood protagonists. An ode to the care and resilience of trans family, this breathtaking debut never loses sight of the power of love in the face of dire circumstances.

Synopsis

Weekending in the countryside, Laura’s life is turned upside down by a violent car crash. She survives, and though she miraculously suffers only minor physical injuries, the accident leaves her dazed and adrift. A local woman who witnessed the incident offers to take her in while she regains her bearings, tending to her with motherly dedication. Over time, the woman’s husband and son, initially skeptical of the unconventional arrangement, come to see this stranger as a member of the family. Soon, though, the ghosts of the past come calling, forcing Laura toward a reckoning.

Veteran auteur Christian Petzold (Transit, Undine) offers a filmic puzzle that plumbs the depths of human psychology and poses questions about the transitory nature of identity. Actress Paula Beer imbues Laura with an enigmatic, elusive depth, while a hauntingly beautiful score suggests that mystery and menace lurk beneath the warm glow of the sun-dappled landscapes.

Synopsis

Curious about what life has in store, 22-year-old Luisa moves out of her parents’ home and into a residential facility for people with disabilities on the outskirts of a small German town. Taking a job in a laundry, the outgoing young woman is excited for new adventures. But when an unexpected pregnancy leads to suspicions of sexual abuse, an ensuing investigation tests Luisa, her family, and the staff at the group home, threatening to upend the residents’ sense of security and stability.

This deeply affecting and empowered drama is based on extensive research into true crimes of sexual abuse and features an incredible inclusive cast. As the resolute Luisa, actress Celina Scharff deftly captures her character’s vulnerability and defiance; intimate close-ups convey the tumult and upheaval Luisa experiences as she faces a very difficult decision. Even as the film grapples with the weight of personal trauma, it strikes a hopeful note, suggesting that Luisa’s inner strength, her strong sense of autonomy, and the support of loved ones will help her regain equilibrium.