Russel Crowe, an ex-detective facing Alzheimer’s in Shadows of the Past
Directed by Adam Cooper, the film places Russell Crowe in the shoes of a former homicide detective who grapples with the early stages of Alzheimer’s. As the condition advances, he revisits a chilling cold case: the brutal murder of a university professor. The narrative follows his relentless pursuit of clues that once slipped away, revealing layers of memory and motive. The story blends a personal battle with a gripping investigative thread, inviting viewers to witness how memory and resolve can collide in the most intimate ways.
Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway chase Perfect Lives
French director Benoît Delhomme guides Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway through a tense thriller that unfolds as an escalating sequence of events between two friends, Alice and Celina. The two women enjoy seemingly flawless lives, defined by thriving careers, devoted partners, and well-raised children. A single tragic accident disrupts that balance, sending each woman spiraling into secrets, loyalties, and choices that threaten their futures and the stability they’ve built. The film delves into the fragility of happiness and the repercussions of trust in modern relationships.
Agnieszka Holland highlights Lukashenko’s shadow in Green Border
Renowned Polish director Agnieszka Holland, twice nominated for the Academy Award, unveils Green Border, a drama set at the so-called green border between Belarus and Poland. The story situates refugees caught in a bureaucratic limbo as they attempt to reach the European Union. It paints a stark portrait of a space engineered by a dictator, where the lives of Julia, a young activist, Jan, a border guard, and a Syrian family intersect in a tense and morally charged environment. The film examines policy, humanity, and the limits of compassion in travel routes that outsiders rely on for safety.
Imanol Arias confronts legacy and family in La Bandera
Directed by Hugo Martín Cuervo, this family comedy centers on a septuagenarian father, Tomás, and his two children, Jesús and Antonio, as well as Lina, a young biographer helping him document his life. Over a shared meal, Tomás wrestles with the news he plans to share, and the debate about inheritance, memory, and the bonds that hold a family together comes to the fore. The film weaves humor with warmth, exploring how a single moment can redefine relationships and futures for multiple generations.
When the world doesn’t breathe, there’s a fight to survive
Milla Jovovich returns to a high-stakes science-fiction drama as a future unfolds without air. The film follows a grim landscape where survival hinges on resilience and cunning. The cast includes Jennifer Hudson, Sam Worthington, Raúl Castillo, and James Saito, who bring urgency and grit to a society forced to innovate for survival. The story uses a claustrophobic atmosphere and big questions about resource control, human endurance, and the will to endure when breath itself is scarce.
The First Film School, A Glimpse at Freedom
Luis E. Parés presents a documentary about Spain’s first film school, founded under a repressive regime and becoming a sanctuary of free expression. Narrated by Pedro Casablanc and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, the film recounts how this institution nurtured legendary names such as Luis García Berlanga, Juan Antonio Bardem, Carlos Saura, Antonio Mercero, Víctor Erice, Pilar Miró, and Josefina Molina. It highlights how a place of learning can become a beacon of artistic liberty under censorship, shaping an entire generation of filmmakers and changing the cultural landscape.
Alzheimer’s in Benedetti’s Life and the Story of Luz López
This intimate documentary written and filmed by Andrés Varela follows a lifelong love story. It traces the relationship between Mario Benedetti and Luz López, from their youth through exile and the late years marked by Luz’s battle with Alzheimer’s. The film paints a portrait of devotion and resilience, showing how memory, affection, and shared history endure even as the mind falters. It invites viewers to reflect on how memory anchors love and how art toils in the background of personal struggle.
La patria perdida, memories from a Serbian director
Serbian filmmaker Vladimir Perisic writes and directs La patria perdida, a reflective piece drawn from his own memories about adapting to democracy after the Balkan wars. Set in Serbia in 1996 amid student protests against Milosević’s regime, the film explores awakening civic consciousness and the personal costs of political upheaval. The narrative blends personal history with collective memory to reveal how national identity is negotiated in moments of change.
The Arctic Convoy: Allied Hands in the USSR
Norwegian director Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken transports viewers to 1942, during the invasion of the Soviet Union by German forces. Allied ships, laden with vital war materials, undertake a perilous journey to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. Civilian sailors, pressed into wartime service, face incredible danger and uncertain fates as they navigate ice, storms, and relentless threats. The film captures the grit and sacrifice of those who carried the weight of victory on freezing seas.
El cielo rojo, love, fire, and blood by Petzold
Christian Petzold crafts El cielo rojo, a drama with touches of romance that follows a group of friends spending holidays in a Baltic coast house. They are suddenly boxed in by a growing fire, forcing deep bonds and long-buried emotions into the open. The film balances warmth and tension, using a setting of seaside serenity to intensify the conflicts that erupt when danger arrives and love becomes a source of strength and vulnerability.
Eureka, hunting the indigenous spirit in nature
Lisandro Alonso presents a new experimental film pairing Chiara Mastroianni with Viggo Mortensen. The narrative follows a bird named Eureka as it traverses landscapes across the American continent, moving through time and space and celebrating indigenous life and culture. It’s a meditation on place, memory, and the relationship between humanity and the natural world, told through a contemplative, cinematic sensibility.
Chinese Animation and football-inspired stories for kids
The Chinese animation Pico de Oro y sus amigos tells the tale of a young eagle raised by hens who leaves home to discover his true identity. In contrast, the Dutch comedy Campeón follows two friends, Dylan and Youssef, who dream of becoming professional football players. The double bill offers adventure, humor, and a sense of belonging for younger audiences, while exploring themes of self-discovery, friendship, and perseverance.