The IndieLisboa Film Festival begins at the São Jorge Cinema with the absurd comedy ‘Une Langue Universelle’ by Canadian director Matthew Rankin, which envisions a Canada where everyone speaks Persian. The film has been selected by Canada for the Oscars race.
The festival will close with ‘Caught by the Tides’ by Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke. The film follows a ballerina and a dubious music producer, set against the backdrop of China over two decades.
Between these bookending films, audiences can expect a wide array of cinematic offerings, categorized into competitive sections such as national and international competitions, along with retrospectives, including one dedicated to Bulgarian director Binka Jeliaskova.
IndieLisboa will also spotlight British artist Charlie Shackleton, who will be present in Lisbon to showcase his films, including ‘Paint Drying’. This experimental protest piece challenges the British entity that assigns and charges for film ratings.
‘Paint Drying’, a static shot of a freshly painted brick wall, runs for ten hours and will be shown in the Rank Room of the São Jorge Cinema, historically used during the Estado Novo regime for the preliminary censorship of films.
The festival will feature prominent Chinese director Wang Bing, who will attend a discussion session with audiences following the screening of his trilogy, ‘Youth’.
‘Youth’ is an observational documentary split into three films—’Spring’, ‘Hard Times’, and ‘Homecoming’—exploring the lives of young textile workers who annually migrate to factories in Zhili, China.
Additional festival attractions include films screened in the municipal swimming pool of Penha de França and the ‘Boca do Inferno’ midnight marathon.
The national competition boasts ten feature films and 16 short films, a record for the festival. There is also a notably increased presence of Portuguese films across the program. Some films are being nationally premiered after their rounds in international festivals, while others will make their debut appearance.
World premieres include ‘A vida luminosa’, the first fiction feature by João Rosas, and short films ‘Um dia, depois outro’ by Catarina Romano and ‘Antígona ou a história de Sara Benoliel’ by Francisca Mira Godinho.
Also featured are the acclaimed ‘Hanami’ by Denise Fernandes, ‘Duas vezes João Liberada’ by Paula Tomás Marques, and ‘Pai Nosso – Os últimos dias de Salazar’ by José Filipe Costa.
The national competition has removed ‘Balane 3’ by director Ico Costa, along with a project he produced, following allegations of domestic violence, which the filmmaker has denied and labeled as false.
In a statement released last week, the IndieLisboa management explained that their decision stemmed from the disclosure of an open letter by one of the alleged victims of a relationship with the director, alongside new allegations that have emerged.
“The situation demands integrity and social responsibility, principles that guide our code of conduct. We are deeply sensitive to violence allegations and recognize that the social and legal context of gender-based violence often revictimizes those who report it,” IndieLisboa’s management stated.
The Portuguese director is accused of assaulting several women, which he denies. One woman alleges her “hair was pulled out.”
The full IndieLisboa program is available at indielisboa.com.
