The Kinder Programmer
The Kinder Programmer: Programmer SEO Seunghee
Presenting The Kinder Programmer:
The Kinder Programmer is a project designed to bring to our audience members and subscribers recommendations from this year's selection, hand-picked by BIFF's very own programmers.
Programmer SEO Seunghee
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Among many selected movies, I would like to introduce two very poignant and beautiful movies, our long relationship with cineaste Miguel Gomes, and masterpieces by filmmakers who visit Busan this year.
Two Poignant but beautiful films
Some movies leave you feeling so overwhelmed that, for a while, you only want to think about the movie and nothing else. Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, the final film I previewed for this year’s selection just a week ago, is exactly that kind of film. With the film festival just a month away, such a luxury is out of the question. The expressions of the actors as they gaze at each other, or the reflection of the protagonist on a large glass window, which has already begun to fade away, keep coming back to me as I brew coffee or wait for the bus—and in those brief moments, I find myself becoming solemn and yet, strangely happy. Even in his first English-language film, Almodóvar does not lose his unique style; the sensuous mise-en-scène, a screenplay filled with secrets, the cinematography that makes you feel like you’re stepping into an Edward Hopper painting, and the fantastic ensemble of Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. This culminates in The Room Next Door, a poignant and beautiful melodrama that tackles the profoundly difficult theme of dignified and peaceful death.
The new film April by Georgian female director Dea Kulumbegashvili, known for Beginning (2020), is a work that delves into the dichotomy and convergence between existence and femininity. The film begins with Nina, a gynecologist in a rural area, who faces an internal investigation due to a medical accident and rumors that she is assisting illegal abortions. For April, the director traveled through villages in a region inhabited by ethnic minorities, conducting research and shaping the characters based on her observations. Kulumbegashvili didn’t just stop at having Sukhitashvili, who plays Nina, perform the role but sought to embody it fully. Together, they met gynecologists, observed childbirth and abortion procedures, and even built a set in the hospital courtyard to stay. Has there ever been a fiction that so deeply and painfully explores femininity? Like its title, Dea Kulumbegashvili’s April is a profoundly painful yet beautiful film.
The Long Road to Miguel Gomes
Masterpieces of Filmmakers Visiting Busan International Film Festival
Patricia Mazuy's Visiting Hours
Patricia Mazuy, the director of Paul Sanchez Is Back! (2018), and Saturn Bowling (2022), portrays two women's intertwined fates in the social drama and comedy film Visiting Hours. The bourgeois character Alma is played by Isabelle Huppert, while Mina, a young mother from a working-class background, is performed by Hafsia Herzi. Patricia Mazuy, following in the footsteps of Claire Denis, is one of France’s most prominent female directors. She has crafted numerous masterpieces, including her debut feature, which was invited to the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.
Roberto Minervini's The Damned
Director Roberto Minervini, known for his poetic and lyrical depiction of marginalized people in The Other Side (2015), received critical acclaim for the film and was later awarded the Busan Cinephile Award at the Busan International Film Festival. Roberto Minervini presents The Damned, a war film that stands out for its focus not on the war itself but on the individuals within it; the film has been described as an indeed “beautiful” war movie. Reportedly, all the actors lived together in a recreated war camp during the filming process. Following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, The Damned has become one of the most talked-about films of the year.
Johan Grimonprez's Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
The film itself is like a grand jazz symphony. In the political thriller musical Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, the director masterfully weaves together vast archival material with the rhythms of rumba and jazz, offering a fresh and dynamic way of narrating history. Director Johan Grimonprez, whose retrospective is being held at this year's International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and the Pompidou Centre, is already highly recognized across Europe. Don't miss the chance to engage in conversation with this visionary filmmaker.
Gints Zilbalodis' Flow
Flow is a film that garnered praise from both critics and audiences at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It also swept four awards at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, including the Audience Award, Jury Award, and Best Music Award. With Flow and his previous work Away (2019), director Gints Zilbalodis has been hailed as the successor to Miyazaki Hayao.
Agathe Riedinger's Wild Diamond
Wild Diamond is a debut feature selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The director paints a portrait of a French girl named Liane, who dreams of becoming a reality TV star. The protagonist, Liane, evokes the image of an Amazon warrior on the brink of battle.
Margherita Vicario's Gloria!
In her debut feature film, a famous Italian singer, composer, director, and actress, Margherita Vicario, presents a captivating story of solidarity among 18th-century girls who love music. The film intriguingly portrays their audacious musical revolution.
Milad Tangshir's Anywhere Anytime
This film is a touching and intriguing homage to Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (1948), and I can confidently call this one of this year’s most remarkable discoveries. I also recommend watching it back-to-back with Souleymane’s Story for an enriching experience.
Boukherma Brothers' And Their Children After Them
This touching coming-of-age film is an adaptation of Nicolas Mathieu's novel, which won the Prix Goncourt. With this film, the Boukherma brothers have solidified their status as next-generation auteurs poised to carry the future of French cinema.
Tallulah H. Schwab’s Mr. K
Director Tallulah H. Schwab, born in Oslo, Norway, is an editor and writer. Mr. K (2024) combines black comedy with a peculiar adventure story, featuring Crispin Glover in a standout performance as Mr. K.
Louise Courvoisier’s Holy Cow
At the Cannes Film Festival, many cinephiles spoke about this film, smiling. It is undoubtedly the most charming and lighthearted comedy among the selections, and without doubt, every audience member in Busan will find themselves rooting for the protagonist, Totone.
Dani Rosenberg’s Of Dogs and Men
This is the latest film by director Dani Rosenberg, who visited Busan last year with The Vanishing Soldier (2023) but had to return to Israel after just two days to be with his son. Through the eyes of a 16-year-old Israeli girl, the director powerfully portrays the devastating reality left behind by war.
Mo Harawe's The Village Next to Paradise
“Above everything else, I would like you to leave the cinema with a heart full of love when you watch the film and remember the eyes, the faces, the feet, the smiles, the gestures, the people, the animals, and the landscape.” As filmmaker Mo Harae said, The Village Next to Paradise is a very touching and heartwarming movie.
Bonne projection à tous.
SEO Seunghee
