The 21st IndieLisboa International Film Festival will take place from 23rd May to 2nd June in Lisbon. The festival aims to address the gap in film distribution created by the dominance of mainstream productions. Each year, it attracts casual viewers and film professionals worldwide, offering them the chance to discover recent works by emerging talents and revisit films made by renowned directors.
IndieLisboa features 7 sections, with 4 of them being competitive. Additionally, it offers events for industry professionals, including workshops, masterclasses, debates, a script-writing lab, a film fund, a pitching forum, and screenings of works in progress. This year, apart from the retrospective of Palestinian artist Kamal Aljafari, the festival will present 12 short and 13 full-length films that are productions or co-productions of Asian countries.
A Traveler’s Needs (2024) by Hong Sang-soo (National Premiere)
South Korea, 90′
The newest film of the prolific director had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. This narrative follows a French woman in South Korea whose actions are confusing to those around her. Her passion for the makgeolli and her enjoyment of playing a recorder for children leads her to uncover a talent for teaching her language through poetry.
Ade (On a Sunday) (2023) by Theja Rio (National Premiere)
India, 17′
Two friends, Ade and Abu, sneak out of Sunday school to go for a swim. After being chased away from the water, they decide to try something more adult – a sip of alcohol. This results in an introduction to the complexities of adulthood.
An Asian Ghost Story (2023) by Bo Wang (National Premiere)
Netherlands, Hong Kong, 37′
This movie delves into the topic of Asia’s modernization in the late 20th century through an unlikely object – the wig. Beginning with the export of hair for wigs, a major income source in Mao Zedong’s China, progressing to Hong Kong’s pivotal role as a trade centre, and culminating in the American embargo, known there as the “Communist Hair Ban”.
Architect A (2022) by Jonghoon Lee
South Korea, 25′
The story depicts how creativity can triumph over painful memories. The architect constructs homes using items from his clients’ pasts. When he decides to leave his profession, a new client inspires him to re-engage with life.
Battery Mommy (2023) by Jeon Seung-bae
South Korea, 9′
This short film was awarded at the Chicago International Film Festival, Uppsala International Short Film Festival, and Sapporo International Short Film Festival and Market. Battery Mommy serves at a nursery, fulfilling diverse roles such as powering a thermometer and a camera. However, her significance is heightened when an urgent situation arises – the Christmas tree ignites while everyone is asleep.
City of Wind (2023) by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (National Premiere)
France, Mongolia, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Qatar, 103′
This coming-of-age film garnered nominations and awards at many festivals, such as the Venice Film Festival, and Pingyao International Film Festival. What’s more, it has a chance for another award, since at the IndieLisboa it is presented in the International Competition section. The story follows Ze, aged 17, who leads a structured life burdened with multiple responsibilities, and the unique role of being the shaman of his town. However, upon encountering Maralaa, his world expands.
Cobweb (2023) by Kim Jee-woon (National Premiere)
South Korea, 135′
Kim Jee-woon’s tenth feature film is an experimental drama that garnered 5 nominations at the Grand Bell Awards. It tells the story of a director who feels the need to change the ending of his film. Consumed by criticism of his lack of originality, he decides that this last picture has to be his masterpiece. The crew is forced to return, and the attempt to save the film is made with time constraints, back-and-forth with the censors and all sorts of other shenanigans.
Crossing (2024) by Levan Akin (National Premiere)
Sweden, Denmark, France, Turkey, Georgia, 105′
Five years after the premiere of the critically acclaimed “And Then We Danced”, Levan Akin presents his new movie, which also addresses LGBTQIA+ themes. Lia, a retired teacher, is worried about her transgender niece, Tekla, who hasn’t been in touch since she travelled to Istanbul some time ago. However, tracking down someone who wishes to remain hidden is far more challenging than anticipated.
Deer (2022) by Hadi Babaeifar (National Premiere)
Iran, 14′
The movie, nominated for the Crystal Bear Award at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, depicts how superstitions can impact a family. The story follows Ehsan, an Iranian boy residing with his family in a village. As his brother’s health deteriorates from an incurable illness, Ehsan endeavours to shield him from the spectral threat of deer that could claim his soul.
Following The Sound (2023) by Kyoshi Sugita (National Premiere)
Japan, 84′
Kyoshi Sugita is a filmmaker dedicated to capturing the essence of observation, who grants his characters the freedom to experience each other in their quietude and entirety. This contemplative story presents three people’s different methods of dealing with grief as they go on a small journey together. The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and at the IndieLisboa is nominated for the Silvestre Award.
Jabal (2023) by Zayd Lahham (International Premiere)
Jordan, United States, 20′
The Promised Land is more of an eternal promise than it is a real place. In this movie it is a journey undertaken by three friends, leading them to a Palestinian community nestled within the heart of the United States.
Monisme (2023) by Riar Rizaldi (National Premiere)
Indonesia, Qatar, 115′
In his full-length debut, Riar Rizaldi portrays an ecosystem, as indicated by its title – monism is the doctrine according to which all existing entities are part of a whole. While this unity is often associated with a divine force, in this narrative, it revolves around a volcano. The narrative is set amidst the fiery landscape of recent eruptions, and presents both fiction, and non-fiction stories.
No Other Land (2024) by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor, Yuval Abraham (National Premiere)
Palestine, Norway, 95′
A documentary created by a Palestinian-Israeli collective delves into the devastation wrought by Israeli soldiers on the occupied West Bank’s Masafer Yatta. It also explores the unlikely connection between an Israeli journalist and a Palestinian activist. The movie was presented at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Panorama Audience Award, and the Berlinale Documentary Award.
R21 AKA Restoring Solidarity (2022) by Mohanad Yaqubi (National Premiere)
Palestine, Belgium, Qatar, 71′
This documentary explores the story of an undelivered letter written by a Japanese activist, and was lost for 30 years. The Japanese solidarity movement with Palestine was committed to the cause of self-determination. Mohanad Yaqubi found a set of 21 16mm reels from a collective of militant filmmakers, and the restoration of these films resulted in a picture that questions the universality of certain political struggles. Some of these reels were subject to contentious censorship during Documenta 15.
Rally (2023) by Myojung Noh
South Korea, 5′
Without words, the story shows Tyrano’s attempt to find a tennis partner, leading him to join forces with Brachi, who has much to learn when it comes to playing this sport. Driven by determination, Tyrano goes to great lengths to maintain their partnership, only to realize that everyone faces their own challenges.
Rising Up At Night (2024) by Nelson Makengo (National Premiere)
Congo, Belgium, Germany, Burkina Faso, Qatar, 95′
In this documentary, Nelson Makengo ventures into Kinshasa during a period of turmoil in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The film centres around the development of a power plant, highlighting the city’s struggle to obtain electricity. At the IndieLisboa the movie is a part of the International Competition.
Sleep With Your Eyes Open (2024) by Nele Wohlatz (National Premiere)
Brazil, Taiwan, Argentina, Germany, 97′
In her first movie after 8 years, the German director Nele Wohlatz shows a humorous series of misunderstandings in which three characters – Kai, Fu Ang, and Xiao Xin – meet and lose sight of each other. Presented in a non-linear fashion akin to a series of fragmented postcards, the film’s narrative revolves around the city of Recife.
Steppenwolf (2024) by Adilkhan Yerzhanov (National Premiere)
Kazakhstan, 102′
In his 13th movie in the past 10 years, Adilkhan Yerzhanov presents a narrative that follows two individuals who team up with one objective – to find a kidnapped child. The story unfolds with brutal violence against stunning desolate landscapes.
The Bridge (2023) by Sohyun Kim (National Premiere)
South Korea, 6′
This short animation takes place at the top of serene forest cliffs, where Golem awakens. Through a stroke of chance, he transforms into a bridge, and the animals inhabiting the area can travel between the cliffs.
The Day Spring Comes (2023) by Shin Sooyeon
South Korea, 7′
A film about discovering the courage to leave one’s comfort zone, through the story of a lion seed that is afraid to blossom. However, when the wind carries him to meet a gardener, the flowers he encounters imbue him with the courage.
The Diary of a Sky (2024) by Lawrence Abu Hamdan (National Premiere)
Lebanon, 45′
During the pandemic, Lawrence Abu Hamdan sets out to record the noise levels in Beirut. He notices that despite the halt in air traffic over Lebanon, the presence of Israeli planes generates a persistent and formidable hum, contributing to atmospheric violence.
The Human Surge 3 (2023) by Eduardo Williams (National Premiere)
Argentina, Portugal, Brazil, Netherlands, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Peru, 122′
The film presents people living in a reality that is almost-the-same-as-ours, as they try to pass the time by telling discouraging stories about their work. It was a nominee for the Golden Leopard at the 76th Locarno International Film Festival.
The Missing (2023) by Carl Joseph Papa (National Premiere)
Philippines, 90′
The story concentrates on Eric, an animation artist, who is depicted without a mouth. He communicates through a frame around his neck. His introverted nature prevents him from expressing his feelings to a coworker, leading him to live in solitude. However, everything changes when his mother urges him to visit his uncle Rogelio. The animation in this movie serves as a metaphor for trauma, and as the journey towards reconciliation. At the IndieLisboa the film is a part of the International Competition.
There is No Friend’s House (2023) by Abbas Taheri (National Premiere)
Iran, France, 19′
Two friends, Sarah and Mehri, drank alcohol on school grounds. Their relationship is challenged when Mehri’s father, a powerful government official, confronts them.
Void (2024) by Yusuke Iwasaki (National Premiere)
Japan, 24′
Satake’s death occurs due to a strange accident, leaving her friend Asagi devastated. However, the rest of their friend group appears noticeably less impacted by the tragedy. This disparity in reactions creates tension.
Besides a chance of watching new movies from all around Asia, there will also be an opportunity to become familiar with the filmography of a Palestinian artist, film director and producer – Kamal Aljafari. His work has been shown at film festivals such as the Berlinale, Locarno, Viennale and Rotterdam, and museums such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The retrospective consists of 10 movies, including “A Fidai Film” – Aljafari’s newest documentary about the military intervention in Lebanon during the summer of 1982, during which the Israel Defense Forces took possession of the photographic and film archive housed at the Palestine Research Center in Beirut. Kamal Aljafari retrieves these images countering the effort to erase the visual memory of a people stripped of their heritage.
