Happy nostalgia. Natsukashii tells the story of one night of remembering, as memories of a certain time, and a certain person, come flooding back.
Social & External
Man
Woman
A young woman depends on her partner for happiness. As her mental stability wavers, their relationship strains and loneliness take a hold.
In a haunting night, *Orang Malam* tells the story of Kimung, a man haunted by 750 years of solitude and the disappearance of his beloved Cempaka. He meets Dirah, a mysterious woman carrying her own burdens. Together, they share stories of heartbreak and injustice, confronting questions of fate and redemption. This poetic film explores memory, love, and resilience amidst despair. DOI: 10.5281/ZENODO.15477686
A young man from rural Turkey arrives in Istanbul with dreams of working on a ship and stays with a cousin while he searches for work. Over time, the former’s struggles to find employment and the latter’s troubles and disappointments strain their relationship and living situation.
Inhabitants of a small village in Hungary deal with the effects of the fall of Communism. The town's source of revenue, a factory, has closed, and the locals, who include a doctor and three couples, await a cash payment offered in the wake of the shuttering. Irimias, a villager thought to be dead, returns and, unbeknownst to the locals, is a police informant. In a scheme, he persuades the villagers to form a commune with him.
Sitting Idle (2021) is a meandering, meditative visual poem that follows the life of a nameless character over the course of a year - as he traverses across the country, meeting and living with friends along the way. Luke Olutunmogun presents an unconventional plot-free narrative that acts as a visual longitudinal study and diary - exploring feelings of loneliness, alienation, and jadedness amid the death throes of a decaying urban landscape.
An ultraconservative police officer suffers a debilitating stroke and is assigned to a rehabilitative program that includes singing lessons - with the drag queen next door.
Xiao Bo, is one of three orphans on the run who take refuge in a derelict corner store. Once there, they find a mysterious letter seeking advice, ending up in adventure in time and finding unexpected connections with their own past.
Two brothers, who have not seen each other for a long time, meet again at their mother's grave. The opportunity for their re-connection is threatened by the emerging ghosts of the past.
Sophia and Oliver are two little siblings who enjoy playing at their grandma's place while she sleeps. However, their games get interrupted when Oliver realizes that grandma is not moving anymore. Sophia and Oliver encounter death for the first time and have to deal with it on their own.
After a depressive episode, a pet shop attendant can no longer work. Medicated but still struggling, she is forced to return to her normal life.
Mist. Dust. A bowling alley in the crosshair of a thunderstorm. A pregnant woman, a businessman and a widower find shelter in its midst. Pins are knocked down until gloomy moths kindle an outage.
Miguel returns to his homeland with anticipation, ready to showcase a film he stars in at a local film festival. His heart yearns for the thunderous applause of adoring fans, yet reality may paint a different picture. In this poignant essay, we delve into the nuanced shapes of loneliness, even amidst company.
A car magnate watches his personal and professional life hit the skids because of his business and romantic indiscretions.
Fernandez is a lonely man leading a lonely life. All he does is work for an old man in a hardware store. But all that changes, when he meets the girl of his dreams... and her family.
Trey feels small. He is gay, HIV-positive and lonely in NYC. All around him are hulking, powerful men, intimidating and challenging him everywhere he looks. Throughout his day, he obsesses over how to get BIG - and his insecurities keep him trapped in a cycle of trauma and abuse.
A lonely middle-aged woman dines alone in a Chinese restaurant on her birthday. She pays close attention to the other patrons, imagining their relationships and personal situations. She remembers her past lovers and child, and broods on her bitter sense of loss and loneliness. In an unthinking moment, she announces to the waitress that it is her birthday, and the entire social dynamic in the restaurant is altered. An intensely moving, bittersweet and realistic look at emotional loss and disconnection.
Two brothers argue over what to do with the old house left to them by their late grandfather.
Being different often means feeling alone. But it means being unique, unconventional and rare too. What happens then when two lonely and unusual people meet? Problems become shared and lives connected.
Nesrin and Erdem talk about their relationship, which they don’t remember in exactly the same way. Çevik’s visually stunning essay uses their conversations to forge a pensive treatise on what it means to forget, where word and image play an equal role.
A departing professor gathers his closest colleagues for an intimate farewell, but the night takes an unexpected turn when he shares a stunning secret about his past. As the conversation unfolds, skepticism and curiosity collide, challenging everything they thought they knew about history, science, and belief.