Klara Jagovit

The Handmaiden

crime 01:04:00

There are cinematic gems which amaze us with the beauty of images, complications of plot and unexpected endings. There are stories built on grounds far different from the cliches of predictability. There are romances barely touching the lips of obvious and traditional. If you want to be taken to the exotic world of the sexual play, observe a conman's plan to seduce and conceive a beautiful woman. If you want to witness a game, where victims are real villains and the naive prove to be holding the reins. If you want to engage in sex which is in most cases banned from our - viewers' - eyes and if you are fond of books and stories which are full of eroticism and corrupt, enjoy this masterpiece. It's definitely worth your time. The Handmaiden.

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The Summer of Sangaile

dreams 08:39:00

Women are complicated, powerful and motivated creatures. When everyone talks about their basic roles (of mothers, lovers, daughters, and wives) their real desires seem to be neglected. How to deal with a difficult situation at home, how to overcome fears which are a stumbling block in the fulfillment of dreams, how to float on a swinging boat of a summer love affair which helps to spread wings and deal with self-harm? The Summer of Sangaile. A sensuous romance making us forget all the trivial things and focus on the few important ones. Freedom and dreams in one teenage love story. Enjoy.

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Litling

Ben Whishaw 01:52:00

Parents seem to know us better than anyone else.They were with us from the time we could barely open our eyes and scream out of hunger, fatigue or pain. They watched our every step, they followed our mistakes at school, our failed friendships, our desires. And then we grew up, with different desires, with a whole lot of secrets kept from them, with truths they have difficulty digesting and accepting. We turned as much flawed as they are, as fragile and weak. It takes time to deal with a child who is no longer a child. It takes time to accept the most uncomfortable truths. A mother. A son. A love story. Litling.

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Womb

children 03:36:00

Love and loss go together hand in hand. Isn't losing the one you love what you're most afraid of? And what would you do to prevent this event from happening? Would you keep the beloved no matter what? Would you create an individual having the same features, the same genes, the exact same looks and the timbre of voice? Would you be able to give birth and bring to life the ones who were taken away from it? Would you be brave enough to play with fate? And, taking it all into account, would it be the same exact person? What are the limits of selfishness and how expectations crash when facing the reality of roles, social prejudices, and relationships? The thought-provoking Womb.

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Toast

dreams 01:24:00

It's funny how different desires shape us as people. Some girls want to be mothers, as they like playing the house and pushing strollers with dolls. Some boys like to imagine themselves in spacecrafts made of cardboard boxes and some are pushing cars imitating ambulances or fire engines. Some girls want to be soldiers as they don't mind the perils of war. Others want to be singers. And some boys want to be fashion designers, dressmakers, and bakers. Sex shouldn't be the limit for all of us achieving our dreams. Family life shouldn't be the inhibiting factor. This is one inspirational story of growing up and one boy's fight to be the one who he always wanted to be. Toast.

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Willow

adventure 03:41:00

There were times when cinema was there to take you to the land of knights, evil queens, blessed children and helpful little people who played a big part in fulfilling the destiny of a prophecy more eagerly than anyone else. There were stories which took you to beautiful countries and exciting circumstances, where castle were houses, dragons - house pets and wizards - a must. There were also adventures you would gladly take part in. What is the outcome if you put together a child, a dwarf, a slightly irresponsible knight, a beautiful lady, an evil queen and a whole lot of funny and unpredictable characters? Willow. A classic never to be missed and a fantasy that should be enjoyed by many over and over again.

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Chicken People

animals 02:34:00

Do you live your life of passion? Honestly, can you tell that your job is based on your love, hobbies, and interests? Did your vocation help to cure your depression, failed relationships, drinking problems? Do you wake up every day with a feeling that you do what you love doing? Or are you stuck in a hopeless situation, doing what you're supposed to do, out of financial stability or out of fear of changes? Maybe it's the right time to change something in life, to get back to things which had always made you happy. Chicken people - people who look for all the above in surprisingly exceptional bird. Everyone has to find a perfect match. For some it is chicken. Enjoy.

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After the Dark/The Philosophers

boarding school 08:16:00

I simply adore the phase your mind falls into, occasionally, when bored, weighed by the life events, or when there's nothing to do and nothing to talk about. You wonder, then, what is the purpose of our life, think about the reasons for our behaviors, imagining countless what ifs and what nots. You make possibilities seem greater than life.

Doing that with people and counterbalancing various scenarios is equally exciting. If you want a philosophical and stimulating game between a teacher and a group of students, if you are willing to decide whose life is worth living, who is more important in the hierarchy of world's survival, what is needed by humans to stay in the seeming psychological peace and what mistakes should we avoid, take part in this philosophy class. Mind-bending After the Dark.

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Let the Right One In/ Låt den rätte komma in

children 01:42:00

Bram Stoker didn't predict one thing. Times change. Civilizations develop. Sunlight can be created by machines and blood can be stored in little plastic bags. One legend of an unhappy Count produced dozens of stories about creatures whose lives are dependent on someone's death. This time it's a tale of a friendship between the two: a human boy, and a nonhuman. In the magical darkness of Swedish winter, in the thrilling surrounding of contemporary blocks of flat, there is someone lurking behind the shadow. The task is to Let the Right One In and leave the evil outside the door.

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Tristan & Isolde

chivalry 04:20:00

We have needs of profane nature. We need food, water, shelter, warmth, we need people to surround us and interact with. We need jobs to make us feel important. Sometimes we desire power, success, the improvement of our financial status. But what can change all our priorities is one act of falling... in love. Then, the success, shelter, and occupation don't really matter. Then, the loyalty to a friend is no longer important. Then, your life goals seem to be overshadowed by time spent together with this one creature who takes your breath away.

It's a compelling love story which didn't lose any of its beauty, even though centuries passed, political systems were changed and global heroes are long buried under the ground. Find some beauty in one of the most tragic love stories ever written. For love is stronger than death. Tristan & Isolde.

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Other People

cancer 03:50:00

How to deal with loss? How to survive the sickness of your parent? How to deal with the lack of acceptance, break-up, the turmoils and lack of chances in your vocational life? How to go through the process of pain, frustration and how not to fall apart under life circumstances? How to make your family accept your sexuality and how to deal with the fact that accepting adulthood is still a very lonely road, as it's difficult to be yourself among people who have the same problem. And why, while bad things happen to other people, these other people happen to be us?

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Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World

artificial intelligence 11:07:00

Technology fascinates us. It dominated every sphere of life, it turned upside down the way we conduct shopping, business and love affairs. It shrunk the world as nowadays, no matter where you live, you can be as close to the second hemisphere as sitting on the couch right next to someone else. Internet got rid of distance. It changed movies, newspapers, publishing. It made people willing to open up and find a way for living which years before would be impossible. That's the bright side. Have you thought about the darker side of the internet world? Are you possibly addicted to games, social network, and YouTube vlogs? Are you in pain because of constant exposure to technology? Has your life shattered due to the time you spend online rather than in real life? Can you be replaced by robots? How science, politics, and economy changed thanks to one important message? An in-depth documentary about the digital world. Is it really that great that we are all connected?

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Sirens

art 22:57:00

People have various relationships with sex. Some still believe that it is only for procreation and has no other purpose than producing children. Others think that its Carpe diem of the hedonistic world and surround themselves with RedTube videos, gadgets, dildos and fake vaginas. Addiction has varied forms. But what if a rigid, timid and conservative couple visited a place which followed more liberal rules of conduct? What if exposure to nudity destroyed one square mind? What if pleasure was worth breaking a few guidelines? Still beautiful. Sirens.

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Swiss Army Man

adventure 10:36:00

I love it when people loosen the strings of imagination and let themselves be carried by creativity. The outcome might be amazing. If you want to learn what is important in life, what makes us human, what our lives look like from a perspective of someone who lost contact with the reality of literally being alive. If you want to be taken to an exciting journey of two people exploring friendship, fear, love, sex and all basic emotions in life. If you want to see a fable which your mind's eye and your strangest dreams couldn't ever produce, you should take a chance with this film. There is the magic of imagination which takes us to the level of Swiss Army Man. And you really forget Harry Potter, as some actors can apparently escape the box. Enjoy.

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Heavenly Creatures

children 01:19:00

You'd think that being born a girl makes you innocent. You'd think that women are the gentlest of them all, that they smell of freshly picked flowers, that they have no fantasies and dirty thoughts. There were once two girls, whose friendship led them to carry out a terrible deed. Surrounded by a blissful world of imagination, romance and rebellion. Coming from an utterly different background, lonely without each other and dangerous in each others company, two girls inspired one Peter Jackson to make a film. Based on true events and immersed in the bubble of childhood castles and knights: Heavenly Creatures. The story of a crime.

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The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain

comedy 04:50:00

There are small local initiatives which highlight the pride and drive of its people. There are world record holders who out of pure sense of competition want to outdo others and win the chance of being better, whether it's the longest bike ride in Africa or the biggest sandwich. There are stories which had really taken place and they are still remembered for their impact. Every small town has its local hero. Every small town has pride which can challenge any big city.
What if a small town blessed with one particular mountain, had this mountain demoted into a hill? What if a local initiative decided that such a demotion cannot in fact occur? Everyone has its five minutes of fame. Some hills/mountains share the same privilege.

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The Neon Demon

beauty 03:13:00

What money can't buy? Youth, beauty, and love. Let's skip the love part for a while. When I was sixteen, I didn't notice the sixteen-year-old girls running around in their fashionable clothes, fancy haircuts, meandering in packs from Starbucks to Dunkin' Donuts. I really just didn't pay attention. But now, when I'm wearing a T-shirt remembering my early twenties (an item which should probably be thrown away by the fashion police) I realize that at a certain age you're just really not important. You're not Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid. And if you're over 25, God forbid, where is your husband and where are your children? The obsession with youth is like an obsession with time. You cannot stop the aging process. In your eighties, you're probably no longer sexy, fancy and glamorous. And reminiscing about the past is as hopeless as reminiscing about the time when you were 15 and you really lost those 20 kilograms. The Neon Demon. Nothing about education, experience, and personality. But a little scary neon parody of the overly important world of unattained, circulated around a young innocent beauty. I loved the ending.

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Heaven

Cate Blanchett 23:27:00

Is a crime in the name of higher good an explainable crime? Is killing someone in an act of revenge for another criminal deed understandable and, thus, should be left without punishment? Is an act of activism the only way to bring the public eye to the problem? In the troubled times of terrorist attacks and mass migration, should we change our rules of conduct? Should we treat law differently? A film which will make you think. Is leaving the one who deserves punishment a crime in itself, and is helping those who hurt in the name of higher purpose an act of good will or a selfish token of love? Heaven.

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Fantaghiro/The Cave of the Golden Rose

adventure 01:23:00

If you're a woman tired of discrimination at work or if you're a girl longing for something more than marriage and children, you should go back to the world of fantasy which raised a generation. Among the brave knights, magical creatures, talking stones, white horses and dark villains, there was a girl who made slightly different life choices. Getting rid of the dress and the so-called beauty, she headed for adventure, passion, and journey for love. Still exciting, magical and beautiful. Italian tale about a girl who made eyes wide-open for many little and bigger girls. Fantaghiro.

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Hackers/The Social Network/Nerve

Anjelina Jolie 03:34:00

It started with a message sent from one computer to another. Text turned into pictures, images moved to movies, revolving around the melody of the sound. And now we are looking for a Pokémon around the world's streets. Three different films, from three different time periods, show us the intricacies of the world of computers. From the domination of the hackers underground youth scene, through one invention which was to revolutionize the social world and entertainment, up to the dangers of the money-making machine which exposes your personal life and makes you risk your life for popularity reasons. Without the internet, it would be difficult to fall in love, to expose cheating partners, to boast about summer vacations and newborn's first steps, to communicate with the world. That's obvious. But the phenomenon itself makes all of us interested in the impact of the internet. It's a powerful tool. The question arises how powerful it really can be. We just have to wait for new revolutionary technologies and another film.