Contrasting visions of world cinema
IRELAND, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium | 105 minutes | 2019
Jade, a young London mother, leaves the hospital. The doctors seem pleased with her progress. But how can she face daily life with a two-year-old when she’s been the victim of an acid attack by her ex-boyfriend? Heartrending and often hard to watch, Sacha Polak’s film opens a window onto a tragic reality. Using camera work reminiscent of Andrea Arnold’s and a stripped-down, intense mise-en-scène, the Dutch filmmaker captures her heroine’s plight with infinite tenderness. In the role of Jade, the non-professional actor Vicky Knight, who herself suffered burns as a baby, is a true revelation.CANADIAN PREMIERE"An astonishingly vibrant and engaging performance by feature first-timer Vicky Knight drives this urgent, passionate drama from Dutch film-maker Sacha Polak." The Guardian"Despite the down-to-earth toughness of its subject, Polak and cinematographer Ruben Impens explore an expressionistic palette, full of vivid splashes of colour." The Guardian"An unflinching portrait of a strong-willed yet immature young woman facing a radical change in how the world looks at her as well as how she sees herself following an acid attack." Variety
World Cinema Competition - Sundance Film Festival
Rotterdam Film Festival
No biography
HEMEL (2012)ZURICH (2014)
In this utterly one-off début feature, Susanne Heinrich’s archetypal “melancholy girl” wanders the city in search of shelter. Po-faced and pensive,...
Feature film, Fiction
GERMANY | 80 minutes | 2019
Facing an imminent blizzard, Yazmine, a young homeless woman, has just one goal: survive without compromising her own rules. Prowling the dilapidated...
UNITED STATES | 74 minutes | 2019
The lives of twenty-something Pete and Sasha revolve around orgies and any random substance in a Russia where dancing to EDM in a club could get them...
RUSSIA | 98 minutes | 2019
Sign-up for our newsletter to get all the latest Festival news!
To learn more about our privacy policy, click here