DOM: A RUSSIAN FAMILY

(Dom)

Russia | Dir: Oleg Pogodin

North American Premiere

Tue. Oct 2, 12:15 pm, Granville 5
Fri. Oct 5, 4:00 pm, Granville 7

With the Shamanov clan celebrating their patriarch’s 100th birthday, ex-con Viktor returns to the family farm. A villain to his siblings, he’s also the target of heavily armed trespassers. As an intricate family drama transforms into something else entirely, Oleg Pogodin’s film "offers a microcosm of Russian society and the Russian soul… a mesmerizing, almost abstractly beautiful spectacle."—Indiewire. Winner, Best Actor, Nika Awards 2012.

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TOMORROW

(Zavtra)

Russia | Dir: Andrey Gryazev

Related Links: Trailer

North American Premiere

Wed. Oct 10, 9:15 pm, Granville 5

The avant-garde Russian art collective "War" has been a persistent thorn in Putin’s side, and Andrey Gryazev’s immersive documentary on these political provocateurs more than shows why. "An oddly stirring, gripping and thought-provoking piece of work about a group of artists… whose art-actions have exposed them to arrest and beatings, and attracted the support of fellow artists from Brian Eno to Banksy."—Screen

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TWILIGHT PORTRAIT

(Portret v sumer kakh)

Russia | Dir: Angelina Nikonova

Related Links: Trailer | Review

Canadian Premiere

Thu. Oct 4, 9:30 pm, Granville 2
Fri. Oct 5, 10:30 am, Granville 2

Disenchanted with both her philanthropic work and privileged domestic life, Marina (the utterly fearless Olga Dykhovichnaya) responds to being sexually assaulted by becoming a nocturnal creature drawn to depravity. Angelina Nikonova’s uncompromising first feature offers a unique feminist perspective on the ills of contemporary Russia. Winner, Best Film, FIPRESCI prize, Thessaloniki 2011.

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THE HOLY QUATERNITY

(Svatá Ctvenice)

Czech Republic | Dir: Jan Hrebejk

Related Links: Trailer

Fri. Oct 5, 6:30 pm, Granville 2
Mon. Oct 8, 12:30 pm, Granville 2
Thu. Oct 11, 4:00 pm, Vancity

VIFF fave Jan Hrebejk (Divided We Fall, Beauty in Trouble) takes his perennial concerns about the personal and the political being indivisible, and applies them to a quintessentially Czech genre: the sex farce. Two couples—long-time friends—find themselves on a near-deserted tropical island; the men hatch a plan to spice up their sex lives. Needless to say, things don’t go as planned…

Guest In Attendance

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LONG LIVE THE FAMILY!

(Rodina je základ státu)

Czech Republic | Dir: Robert Sedlácek

Related Links: Official Website

International Premiere

Wed. Oct 10, 11:40 am, Granville 3

Accused of embezzlement, a corporate suit disguises his flight from justice as a family road trip. Robert Sedlácek pairs his satirical jabs with keen insights into the conflicted psyche of the modern business/family man. Winner, Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Czech Film Critics Awards 2012.

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CHILDREN OF SARAJEVO

(Djeca)

Bosnia-Herzegovina/Germany/France/Turkey | Dir: Aida Begic

Wed. Oct 3, 9:30 pm, Granville 3

In war-ravaged Sarajevo, Rahima (a mesmerizing Marija Pikic) has rebuilt herself through her faith. Now, she yearns to be her delinquent brother’s salvation. An intense sensory experience, Aida Begic’s drama offers us "a passionately stark story of the strength of family, driven by an intense sense of honour and compassion…"—Screen. Winner, Special Jury Prize (Un Certain Regard), Cannes 2012.

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ROSE

(Róza)

Poland | Dir: Wojtek Smarzowski

Related Links: Trailer

Sun. Oct 7, 10:30 am, Granville 2
Wed. Oct 10, 7:00 pm, Granville 7

Wojciech Smarzowski’s riveting period drama reveals a little-known chapter of Polish history: the post-WWII persecution of the Mazurians, indigenous residents of what is now northeastern Poland. Boasting strong direction, impeccable performances and top-of-the-line craft credits, the tragic tale of war, ravishment and survival bears comparison with masterworks such as Elem Klimov’s Come and See..—Variety. Winner, Audience Award, Warsaw 2011.

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WHY ARE YOU HERE?

(Dlaczego Tutaj Jestes)

Poland | Dir: Laurence Walsh

Related Links: Trailer

Canadian Premiere

Wed. Oct 3, 9:15 pm, Granville 2
Fri. Oct 5, 11:00 am, Granville 6

Late in WWII, a German patrol gets shot at from a remote shack; the skirmish reveals much about the delusions of war and one victim’s unique way of standing his ground.

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BEYOND THE HILLS

(După dealuri)

Romania/France/Belgium | Dir: Cristian Mungiu

Tue. Oct 9, 10:30 am, Granville 2
Thu. Oct 11, 9:30 pm, Granville 7

A nun is torn between her devotion to god and her loyalty to a lifelong companion in Cristian Mungiu’s riveting follow-up to 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days. "The increments with which the screws of tragedy turn are finely calibrated."—Sight & Sound. Winner, Best Actress (shared by leads Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur), Best Screenplay, Cannes 2012.

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EVERYBODY IN OUR FAMILY

(Toata lumea din familia noastra)

Romania/Netherlands | Dir: Radu Jude

Related Links: Trailer

North American Premiere

Wed. Oct 3, 12:20 pm, Granville 1
Sat. Oct 6, 10:45 am, Cinematheque

Only wanting to take his daughter to the beach, Marius finds himself stonewalled by his callous ex-wife. With Rada Jude asserting that "everything is chaos," absurdity escalates to insanity in this "masterwork of black comedy and suspense… Even when heartbreakingly honest and sad, it still manages to sustain a heightened sense of hilarity."—Indiewire

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HIGH FIVE: AN ADOPTION SAGA

Canada | Dir: Julia Ivanova

World Premiere

Classification: G—Coarse language

Sat. Oct 6, 9:15 pm, Granville 4
Mon. Oct 8, 4:00 pm, Cinematheque
Fri. Oct 12, 3:45 pm, Cinematheque

After their plans to adopt a baby are thwarted, Cathy and Martin decide to adopt five Ukrainian siblings—at any cost. The real journey begins when, after several years, they succeed. Director Julia Ivanova confronts the complicated aftermath of an international adoption in this moving documentary.

Guest In Attendance

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WHEN DAY BREAKS

(Kad svane dan)

Serbia/France/Macedonia | Dir: Goran Paskaljevic

Related Links: Trailer

Sun. Oct 7, 6:00 pm, Granville 3
Tue. Oct 9, 3:00 pm, Granville 3
Thu. Oct 11, 11:40 am, Granville 3

Serbia’s leading director Goran Paskeljevic’s beautifully crafted drama—about a retired music professor, a recently discovered document that contains a bombshell about his origins, and an unfinished piece of music left behind by the victim of a Nazi concentration camp—takes us into the shadows of the past, with force and emotion.

Guest In Attendance

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