International Shorts 4: Old School Danger

Guatemala City. A family is keeping a secret: their gardener, Koki, is a vampire. At night, he has to do what vampires do – procure blood. The big question is: when and how will his son make his debut? A film about what we pass down through generations and how we deal with it, cleverly disguised as a vampire film that had its world premiere at Cannes this spring.

We are in Sakha, a Russian republic in eastern Siberia, home to some of the world’s most extensive permafrost. “Chuuraa” is the name of a heroic figure from a well-known local poem about a haunting and fascinating journey into the underworld. The film echoes this story while also exploring what happens when the permafrost begins to thaw.

A German teacher, a fixer for foreign delegations, and a daughter in a country steeped in strong traditions. The different worlds of Saida’s life in Uzbekistan increasingly clash, pushing her towards a decision about her future. A moving story that leaves room for the viewer to draw their own conclusions.

During a train journey, an innocent game turns into something much darker when a strange fellow passenger enters the world of two friends. In this animation, influenced by manga and anime, fantasy, anxiety, and the unknown collide in a story where fears take on a life of their own.

Patricio is getting a little tired of his life. Another Tinder date, sex with yet another man. But he is growing weary of the dramatic endings. And of being at the beck and call of his sisters, as he has been for as long as he can remember. A stylish and entertaining nocturnal drama that premiered at the Berlinale earlier this year.