International Competition 5
People should avoid being motivated by romantic nostalgia just as they should avoid being held back by other people’s objections. At a zoo in Prague, a gorilla is afraid of cameras. Elsewhere, a hotel unintentionally becomes a new home. A look at history reveals the horrors of war.
Housekeeper – Director: Aaron Denolf · Belgium · 19 min · Dutch (OmeU)
A family of three is staying at a hotel. That sounds normal. But what was meant to be a temporary stay is slowly becoming their new reality. The father tries to cope with the situation by gradually transforming the impersonal hotel room into a home.
Garden Of Edie – Director: Miri Klischat · Germany · 20 min · English (OF)
When Edie was little, she wanted to be a writer. Twenty years later, she writes a letter to her younger self and tells her how she made her dream come true: in order to have enough time and money to write, she became a part-time sex worker. But to do that, she first had to free herself from the voices in her head.
Their Eyes – Director: Varo López · Spain · 12 min · Spanish (OmeU)
It’s 1937. Helena’s brother, Bruno, returns from the Spanish Civil War, where he was wounded. Only one of his eyes is visible; everything else is covered in bandages. Is that really Bruno? Somber imagery creates a mood in which suffering, identity, and reality increasingly fade into the shadows.
Amma, Do Giraffes Cry? – Director: Kartikeya Saxena · Czech Republic · 26 min · English (OmeU)
During a visit to the Prague Zoo, an Indian film director calls his mother, a zoologist. He describes what he’s observing about the lives of the caged animals. Using their own memories, projections, and scientific precision, they decipher the mysterious mechanisms of life.
No Place Like Home – Director: Shen-Chieh Tsang · Taiwan · 12 min · English (OmeU)
Johney, a Filipino migrant worker, returns home after her night shift, only to find strange men clearing out her dorm for what they claim is a building inspection. She tries with all her might to defend her living space and figure out what fraudulent schemes are unfolding there.