National Competition 1

Lucky Girl Syndrome

A self-reflecting collage made up of the director’s thoughts and moods while relocating to an alien, poetic Zurich.

Within the confines of a small south London flat, the filmmaker decides to finally say goodbye to her already lacking confidence and her friends come together to help her see this task through. Structured as a succession of informal conversations and exchanges between friends, Bye Bye Confidence opens up a space for un-mastering and un-learning expected behaviours.

On the Impossibility of an Homage

Xandra Popescu | Duration 19’

Who is responsible for the portrait, the painter or the subject? Ion Tugearu was a rockstar of ballet in Communist Romania. When discussing the possibility of a shooting, Ion is initially overjoyed. He’s been dreaming that someday there’d be a film about him. But as things progress, he finds it hard to accept the director's approach. He questions Xandra's ability to make the film happen.

The Tempest

Alex Mirutziu | Duration 14’ 36"

A film straddling the contemporary teaser culture and the legacy of Germaine Dulac’s visual style, emphasizing absolute freedom in imagery and analogies. Its brisk pace contrasts with sloppy campness, overacting, and sharp reflections on mortality and solitude. The text and voices in the film reflect a struggle for control over bodies and desires, exploring themes of permeability, the tender and pliable nature of the male physique and the satisfaction derived from the erosion of specific bodily boundaries.