The Shyness of Trees, Bingqing Shu, Maud Le Bras, Jiaxin Huang, Simin He, Lina Han, Loïck Du Plessis D’argentré, Sofiia Chuikovska, France 2024, 8’56’’
Hélène, 40 years old, comes to visit her aging mother in the french countryside. But her mother isn't being her usual self. She seems to have formed a strange bond with the plants, insects, and the old oak tree at the end of her garden…
Extremely Short, Koji Yamamura, Japan 2024, 5’18’’
A man sets out in search of the shortest thing in Tokyo, which turns out to be a single syllable uttered by a dying man. . . . The first installment in a series of animated shorts called "Bungaku Bideo" (Literature Videos), Koji Yamamura's Extremely Short translates into film a powerful story by Hideo Furukawa, read by the author himself.
Tako Tsubo, Fanny Sorgo, Eva Pedroza, Austria, Germany 2024, 6’04’’
Mr. Ham decides to have his heart removed in order to be relieved of his complicated feelings. The doctor assures him that this is no problem at all in this day and age. Thoughtfully inclined, however, Ham keeps his heart for a while after the removal, perhaps to understand it better after all. "Tako Tsubo"* is an animated, surrealistic reflection on how to deal with feelings in a meritocracy. Tako Tsubo, also known as stress cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome, is a rare, acute-onset and often severe dysfunction of the heart muscle, similar to that of a heart attack, and usually results from extraordinary emotional or physical stress.
The Car that came back from the Sea, Jadwiga Kowalska, Poland 2023, 10’48’’
Full of exuberance and frivolousness, six friends drive to the Polish Baltic coast and back in a small, dented car. During their trip, their car and their country fall apart. Nevertheless, life goes on. Their journey is interfused with memories and snapshots from the past.
Voiceless, Samuel Patthey, Switzerland 2024, 15’23’’
Dan is a young man who spends a lot of time in his flat. His routine is always accompanied by electronic music pumping through his headphones. But when he steps outside, he feels disconnected from the world around him and only finds solace in nightclubs. Techno music and drugs transport him to a world where he can be himself, where he feels free. One day, he catches the eye of a baby which will change his perception of the world around him.
Jak być męczennikiem, Maksymilian Rzontkowski, Poland 2023, 8’51’’
Tony always puts others first, even as a child sharing cake. He helps strangers and lives with a literal angel who influences his extreme kindness. When Tony's selflessness backfires, he must learn to balance altruism with self-care.
Wander to Wonder, Nina Gantz, Belgium 2023, 13’50’’
Mary, Billybud and Fumbleton are three miniature, human actors who perform in an eighties kids TV series called “Wander to Wonder”. After the creator of the series has died, they are left alone in the studio. With their slowly decaying costumes and growing hunger, they continue to make increasingly strange episodes for their fans.
