Ralf Kukula & Matthias Bruhn about FRITZI: A REVOLUTIONARY TALE

“You can still recognise what is a Trabant, a Wartburg or a Skoda” 

East Germany, 1989. Nothing foretells the socio-political revolution that is around the corner. Twelve-year-old Fritzi is occupied by more important matters, taking care of her best friend Sophie’s dog Sputnik, while Sophie’s family is on vacation. After the holidays, when Sophie still hasn’t returned, Fritzi and Sputnik set out in search of her. A postcard from West Germany puts her on the right track. 

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Alejandro Fernández Almendras about MY HERO ALEXIS

“It seems common for parents to shout at their children”

When making a film, you want it to be remembered for the right reasons, for being a good movie. With a popular football star like Alexis Sanchez in one of the main roles, there is a risk that the presence of such a persona might put the rest of the story into the shadows. MY HERO ALEXIS by Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Fernández Almendras avoids this trap by telling a vibrant story for soccer fans and sports haters alike.

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Benjamin Parent about MAN UP!

Jacket-in-a-box

Wherever Tom goes, his older brother Leo is going with him. At school, on the sports field or hanging out with girls, Leo is always there to protect and guide him, like a guardian angel. But who is this Leo? Is there no crack to find in his seemingly perfect façade? How to grow from under the wings of your brother, especially when they’re like angel wings? 

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Eva Cools about CLEO

“There is beauty in human failure”

The Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov adored not only the splendour of nature, but also fast cars. Fortunately, Cleo is not aware of this trivial fact. Rachmaninov’s music is one of the few things still offering her comfort, since she lost both her parents in a traffic accident. Now the 17 year old is terrified of cars. In her own, somewhat stiff way her grandmother Bobonne offers Cleo a warm home, but ends up bearing the brunt of a rebellious teenager. Then Cleo crosses paths with Leos. He is a bit older, not unattractive, and a warm bond grows between the two.

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Kurt Martin about MOON ROCK FOR MONDAY

“I think she’s even learning Polish”

9 year old Monday is terminally ill, she probably will not live to be older than 16. She is a cheerful Australian kid with a sunny approach towards life, however, in her eyes there is a desire for adventure and excitement. She dreams about a trip to Moon Rock but never expected to embark on that journey in the company of Tyler, a sympathetic criminal. During the trip, a beautiful brother-sister bond grows between them. 

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Agnese Laizane about THE GRANDFATHER

“The fields and apples are stored somewhere deep inside me”

Emilia will spend a few days with grandpa and grandma on a farm in the Latvian countryside. What a surprise… In the barn she finds a litter of little cats. This will be a holiday full of cute and cuddly kittens. But her grandparents don’t see it that way. Emilia must find a home for the animals as quickly as possible, or grandpa will kill them. We spoke with Agnese Laizane  about her rustic, fascinating short film, that carries the smell of fresh apples hanging from trees and hay in the barn.

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Johanne Helgeland about THE CROSSING

“Night falls quickly here in wintertime”

THE CROSSING is set in 1942 during Germany’s occupation of Norway. One day, after their parents have been arrested, ten year old Gerda and her brother Otto discover two Jewish children whom they are supposed to help to escape. Their destination: Sweden. Together they embark on an adventurous journey through snowy forests, heading to the border. 

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Stefan Westerwelle about INTO THE BEAT

“Every gaze they gave each other was real”

Katya will dance anyway, there is no way around it… Dancing runs in her blood. But whether she’ll go for the ballet classes that she is so good at, or for the hip-hop style that she recently embraced wholeheartedly, will have a big impact on her life. There’s family traditions involved, that brutally clash with the free expression of the hip-hop style. Marlon, introverted by nature but extroverted on the dance floor, might help Katya to bite the bullet.

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