International Competition 9
Families are complicated, and that’s usually the parents’ fault. They’re the ones whose misguided concern causes them to underestimate their children and keep things from them that they could in fact understand. And the parents are the ones who can turn the family home into a terrible place.
Home Is Where The Heart Is – Director: Timothée Engasser · France · 23 min · French (OmeU)
Mia uses a VR headset to reconstruct the house in which she grew up. It’s the place where her father abused her. Piece by piece, the building takes shape in a painful act of catharsis meant to prevent those memories from dominating her life.
Sounds Of Cicadas – Director: Filip Dučić · Poland, Croatia · 16 min · Croatian (OmeU)
Emir and Gabriel would rather be spending this beautiful summer day at the beach. But the visas of this Bosnian worker and his son expire today. Do they have all the necessary documents? Lost in the bureaucratic jungle, fraught with obstacles, they embark on a frustrating race against time.
Hidden in Frame – Director: Ana Sarukhanova · United Kingdom, Georgia · 17 min · Georgian (OmeU)
In the apartment of her recently deceased grandmother, Nata happens upon Tiko, a political activist who’s hiding there. Through old photos, the two of them discover that they share a family connection. A fragile bond develops between them while people protest on the streets of Tbilisi.
Señorita – Director: Karols Navarro · Venezuela · 13 min · Spanish (OmeU)
At a family gathering, Heidy’s older cousin Michi is the person she’s most looking forward to seeing. But Michi is acting differently than last time. Little by little, Heidy notices various changes in her that she doesn’t understand: Michi is in the process of leaving her childhood behind.
Murmurs of the Balloon – Director: Hera Khanmirzaei · Iran · 12 min · Farsi (OmeU)
The house is full of the bereaved, but six-year-old Ahmad doesn’t understand what’s going on. And why isn’t he allowed to see his grandmother, who only yesterday joined him in playing with a balloon? A magical story about loss from a child’s perspective.