Documentary

In November 1948, James Baldwin left New York and, thanks to a fellowship grant, relocated to Paris. The 24-year-old writer would spend most of the next decade there, escaping American racism and his own social alienation, ensconcing himself in the city’s Algerian quarters and the community of Left Bank artists in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and writing his first books. In his first feature, photographer and filmmaker Yashaddai Owens imagines Baldwin’s first experiences in Paris in impressionistic fashion. Shooting in black-and-white on 16mm film, Owens conveys a subjective feeling of wonder and freedom as Baldwin (Benny O. Arthur) observes and absorbs his new environment, and experiences newfound individuality and erotic liberation. A work of exhilaration, set to a lush original score by Paco Andreo, Jimmy is a portrait of the artist reconnecting with the world.

A prismatic exploration recounting the 1950s visit of Parisian elites led by Chris Marker and Claude Lanzmann in the newly formed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the communist state that claims the allegiance of the filmmaker’s grandmother during the Korean War.

After two failed suicide attempts, Jiyoon finds herself in a locked hospital ward. During her stay, a video she had previously uploaded to YouTube documenting her first attempt resurfaces due to the platform's algorithm. Titled "Video of Me Smoking a Cigarette Two Hours Before Suicide Attempt," the video has amassed 2 million views and 6,000 comments. Disturbingly, nearly half of the comments on this brief video are harassing and abusive. Upon her discharge from the hospital, Jiyoon embarks on a mission to track down those responsible for the hurtful comments. This personal journey unfolds against the backdrop of 2023 Korea, where news of suicides seems to surface with alarming frequency, painting a stark picture of a society grappling with a pervasive crisis.

This film creates a "video mixtape" by assembling fragments from over 50 films produced by the now-defunct Korean film company Nama-jinheung between the late 1960s and early 1990s. Through these carefully curated scenes, it captures the inner landscape of Koreans during the Cold War and the era of rapid economic growth, offering a unique reflection of a nation in transformation.

In an era defined by climate crisis and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a group of individuals embarks on a mission to sow the seeds of a controversial plant. They initiate their farming venture in Paju, near the border between North and South Korea, attracted by hemp's ecological benefits and its potential to foster peace. However, they soon face significant obstacles in a country where hemp is classified as an illegal drug. Those who require hemp for medical purposes, along with its advocates are criminalized as the plant itself is. In a nation that has declared a war on drugs, no one associated with hemp remains untouched by the shadow of illegality.

In April 1980, a massive "disturbance" erupted in Sabuk, a town in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province. Over 3,000 miners, pushed to the brink by relentless surveillance and exploitation, seized control of the area and clashed with authorities. A last-minute deal was struck, narrowly averting the deployment of martial law forces and a potential bloodbath. Nevertheless, the conflict resulted in numerous casualties. Even now, more than four decades later, the scars of this event remain deeply etched in the community's collective memory.

Directed by a Rwandan-born adoptee raised across France and the UK, the film follows the the journey of two adult adoptees authentically sharing, in their own words, the moments that have shaped their path to coming home to themselves.

A deeply moving portrait of an architect tested by the impossible choices between career, country and motherhood

LES PIEDS SUR TERRE counts the adventure of Caroline, Antoine, and Tristan, who set out to investigate the environmental impact of travel. Driven by their desire to bring about change on environmental issues, they went to meet people who are thinking about a different kind of travel, one that is more responsible and conscious. Between moments of realization and unexpected twists and turns, they invite you to dive into their journey with them...

Milena, a young woman from Ukraine, who along with her mother and grandmother (and cat), desperately struggle to escape their war- torn home while an army of supporters on the opposite side of the world fight to keep them safe. Milena survived the destruction of Mariupol, cowering for a month in the basement of a bombed-out building, watching her home and history burn. She managed to contact Ken Pontac, long-time Facebook friend and father figure. Their conversations bolstered Milena's spirits while Ken listened with growing apprehension.

After being steeped in Chinese traditional culture for 30 years, CHEN went to Paris in 1984. The different cultural environments of China and France enabled him to grow into a unique figure in the field of classical music. CHEN neither seeks approval from the West, not even his advisor Olivier Messiaen, nor caters to China. Instead, he uses his personal musical language to tell Eastern stories.

A weekend getaway down South pits four friends on an advenure.

Sanctuary explores queer spirituality and utopian sexualities through the figure of Purusha Androgyne Larkin (1934–1988), a monk, pioneering gay filmmaker, and self-proclaimed cosmic-erotic mystic. Larkin’s 1981 book, 'The Divine Androgyne According to Purusha', challenged repression with a spiritual vision rooted in eroticism and presented a radical path to cosmic-erotic consciousness through ‘extreme’ forms of sexual pleasure. Sanctuary explores Larkin's attempt to form a utopian, pleasure-based spiritual community, and considers the complex legacies of his ideas in queer culture. Shot on 16mm, the film weaves together the voices of Larkin’s friends and followers, creating a portrait in absentia of a figure ahead of his time.

In "The Cost of Forever", we uncover the hidden and costly dangers of ‘forever chemicals’ in our rivers and drinking water sources, following Riverkeepers and water protectors as they strive to protect communities—and themselves—from PFAS contamination.