Klara Jagovit

Miss Congeniality

beauty 10:28:00

If you're in the middle of applying makeup, waxing your genital area, shaving your legs or upper lips, plucking your eyebrows or sniffing your armpits in search of the tiniest remains of body odor, it means that you gave up. You made yourself civilized for the sake of being attractive, accepted and liked. Not that it's a problem. We all do it. We all switch from pizza to salad as we cannot zip our trousers and jackets. We all search for various looks-enhancing procedures to find a miraculous cure for our low-self esteem. While, as a matter of fact, we look better when we leave things the way they are. But if you really want to take part in a beauty competition and watch Sandra Bullock get prettier every second of tormenting procedures, this is the best kind of entertainment. Legendary, Miss Congeniality.

Share |

Argo

Ben Affleck 08:04:00

You think that films are silly? People pretend to be other people and act out situations which were invented by other people for the sake of entertainment. Maybe to some extent, it's true, but there are actors who change history, there are stories which break political taboos, there are finally situations which help rescue real people. In the whole silliness and superficiality of red carpet fashion shows, in the insatiable sack of money, producers, investments, box office, casting and the whole movie product in the pipeline, there's still hope and usefulness. From time to time film industry actually, helps to make things better. This is one such case. A fake Hollywood crew attempted to rescue people imprisoned in political conflict and then Ben Affleck decided it's worth changing the story into a film. Argo.

Share |

The Stepford Wives

competition 09:42:00

Being a woman is such a hard thing to do. Even though you are probably best at physics or you are a great driver, an exemplary employee, an accomplished scientist or you have a wide variety of other skills, you are still faced with expectations. Does being born a woman ultimately mean that you should be a great baker, a talented cleaner, a great mother with an excessive amount of maternal instinct and your husband's biggest supporter even in his tiniest achievements? Does it force you to have a perfect figure, always dress fashionably and be the best lover in the bedroom, while if you dare to oppose, there's a newer model which is going to replace you, so you'd better not dare to object? Or maybe behind this cover of perfection, there are a whole lot of unhappy women who hate cooking, don't enjoy ironing and would rather watch a basketball match and become the CEO of a big company than spending time with children? Maybe behind the perfect neighborhood of immaculate housewives, there is a secret revealing the shocking truth that perfection is a figment of men's imagination and is not really possible? Thoroughly enjoyable films from 1975 and 2004. I suppose current version would be as much accurate as the previous ones. The Stepford Wives.

Share |

La Guerre du feu/Quest for Fire

Canada 02:38:00

It's actually fun that we witnessed some major inventions being brought to this world and revolutionize our lives in a significant way. Mobile phone, computer, the internet, drone, digital cameras, 3d printers all came along and were slowly incorporated into our work, making themselves indispensable. Our brains help the civilization move forward, create the comfort of life, open possibilities for the future. But nothing would have happened without the greatest discovery of life, a simple invention that helped us protect ourselves from each other and dangerous animals, prepare food, give warmth and light the darkness of the dangerous night. Before there was any pursuit of inventions, there was a Quest for Fire. A visually still impressive epic adventure where you don't really understand people's talk but, surprisingly, as a human being, you get everything else.

Share |

Radin!/Penny Pincher

comedy 05:06:00

Are you a penny pincher? Would you rather prepare a meal at home than go to a restaurant to pay three times as much for the same amount of food? And if you are in a restaurant, do you always choose the cheapest option? And what about your daily expenses? Do you cut down on electricity and hot water? Do you take a shower instead of taking a bath? Do you stay at home instead of paying for all-inclusive holidays? Do you buy second-hand clothes, use second-hand furniture and repair broken equipment instead of buying something new? Do you still use the same phone and the same car which (for years) still seems to be working so well? If you are a mother of six and managing your family budget is one of your top priorities, that's a different story. But if your life is solely dependent on the price tag, discount and coupons, there might be something wrong. Is there a chance for someone who takes enormous pleasure in saving, calculating and checking his bank account? Is there a space for family and love between numbers, banknotes, and coins? Utterly funny Radin!

Share |

Pleasantville

family 05:20:00

Some people live a life of routine. They wake up every day with the same agenda, strive at perfecting their homes and jobs. Their suburban life is ordered, moral and exemplary. What is good is good. What is bad is bad. The black and white rules of life apply from making breakfast, through sport and school life, to dating, marriage and making life as uneventful as possible. But what if perfection didn't mean happiness? What if breaking some rules and following your passions was actually more exciting and added to your gray days a little bit of color? A cinematic adventure of two naughty kids who decided to mess about a pleasant black and white TV show. Enjoy.

Share |

Twice Born/ Venuto al mondo

Bosnia 10:24:00

If you are an adult, you probably had this instant realization that your parents are only people. They are not heroes who can protect you from the world, they are not a shield that will help you hide from every difficulty of life, each troubled relationship or your helplessness at work. They don't have all the answers. And they were once young, with their youthful dreams, background history, passions, and mistakes. You were just a blank page, a tiny creature brought to this world with great expectations. Every generation has a story to tell, a story about war or some political conflict, as war tends to pop up now and again throughout the course of our lives, a story about love, as love happens to many of us, whether it's happy or unhappy. Or a story which shows you that there is no ideal story, as there are no ideal people. This is one more beautiful story which makes you a little more considerate as a child, and even more so, as an adult. Twice Born.

Share |

Ghost Town

black comedy 03:04:00

Death seems to be so final. You rarely have time to say goodbye to your friends and family, you don't have time to catch up on some unfinished business, to drink your last cup of coffee. It usually meets you unexpected, proving you wrong that all the things that you were striving for: career, money, promotion or good looks don't really matter. Everything fades to leave you in the unknown abyss of the finite. But what if you die just for a little bit to be returned to the living with a mission? What if your pragmatic, unemotional life needed some boost of sensitivity, humanity, and love? A film about life, death, and a dentist. Ghost Town.

Share |

Lion

adoption 02:53:00

You can be offered the best salary in the world, the best possible conditions of life, you can be presented with the future no one would be able to grant you otherwise. You can be finally given love, family and a new life. Taken it all into account, why is it so that you never stop missing the place in which you were born? Why even the cheapest home food tastes twice better than the most expensive restaurant meal? Why you get so much used to the views and the landscapes of your home cities and towns that you miss them even harder when you are away? Why will even the most secure family situation never let you forget about your roots, your childhood, and your past? An amazing story of lost home, an inspiration for many, tragedy of countless and a thought-provoking adventure for us all: immigrants, emigrants, work commuters. And those who lost all and will never stop missing. Lion.

Share |

Quills

church 00:55:00

What's wrong with us as a civilization that for centuries we are entirely fine with killing other human beings: since ancient Roman battles, through crusades, wars and terrorist attacks; and we cannot accept sex? What's wrong with us, as today we watch people from Syria sending messages pleading for help and we're numb as we're afraid of our religious beliefs threatened, our jobs filled and people taking away the safe air we breathe? What's wrong with Muslims as they see a woman's sunbathing body in a bikini a threat to their patriarchal perception of the world? What's wrong with those who run a truck into a group of innocent people, having their brain washed and deceived that there's a reward for killing in the name of fanaticism, as there's really no reward? What's wrong with the two-faced Catholic morality of infidelity, greed, and lust, hiding behind the cover of goodness, tradition and preaching? Why do people need to have God to hurt and kill others, as without God they seem to be little children not willing to take responsibility for their actions? Why are small people afraid of words which expose their weaknesses, insecurities and their lack of reasoning? And why it all seems less controversial than a nasty tribute to penis and vagina? All about freedom of speech, sex, pleasure, and perversion. It seems that we haven't changed that much. Unforgettable Quills.

Share |

Taxi

adventure 10:51:00

If you wish to watch something adventurous and entertaining, with the European sense of humor, you'd most likely enjoy Taxi. There are no speed limits in the pursuit of friendship, romance, and professional ups and downs, while every ordinary guy can be a hero, win a beautiful girl and literally save the world. Three parts of exciting pursuits, kidnappings, organized criminal groups and mission impossibles of a hilarious but effective couple: a policeman and a taxi driver. Sometimes one commercial car can be more successful than the whole state-funded investigation department. Enjoy.

Share |

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

disability 23:31:00

Life is such a fragile thing. One day you're the king of the world with your plans, expectations, and boosts of confidence. And then BAM! One event turns your life upside down. Yes, it is unexpected. Yes, it hurts as hell. Yes, this is the life, 'Why me?' does apply and you can ask pleading questions as biblical Job, never expecting the answer. You see, some people win the lottery, some lose. And either way, it doesn't make your life any less worth the deal.

Can you deal with your life once you're struck by a tragedy? Can you manage with the irreversible circumstances of your fate, survive physical pain, the lack of control and disability? Can you accept that you cannot be always on top and at times the game of life places you in the losing position? Can you find meaning and optimism in what's left and all the little things that remind you that life isn't over yet, even though for you it might be over? Can you start from the beginning and try again to learn everything that made you once a complete human being? A beautiful film about a life, a fight, a struggle. And love, as without love any suffering hurts twice as much. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

Share |

Morgan

artificial intelligence 02:25:00

Medical and technological advances spring up like mushrooms after rain. Granted a certain amount of money, you can have control over the features of your child: you can choose an egg, a sperm donor, even a surrogate. Let's take a step further, possibly in the future you will be able to choose more specific features: hair color, the shape of eyes, level of intelligence. It might be possible that you will produce a better you, without flaws, without defects and genetically predisposed diseases. But what if your plan went slightly wrong? What if, instead of a perfect creature, you'd create something a little bit too perfect? Morgan.

Share |

Brothers

brothers 09:15:00

You'd think that having the same genes would create a bond between people, a connection which develops into mutual respect and reliability. You'd think that sisters would love each other despite comparisons, that brothers would be comrades in spite of competitiveness. Two children can be as different from each other as two sides of the same coin. Two siblings can grow up to be completely separate people.
In the circumstances of war, would you rather choose a hero traumatized in the turmoils of war or a troubled family man easy to spend time with? A significant number of women: wives of policemen, firefighters and soldiers have to make the same, this time life, choice. An interesting outtake on the matter, a remake of a Danish film which poses many questions about morality, love, and death.

Share |

The Cement Garden

brothers 10:42:00

What if children happen to be abandoned by parents and are left with no form of guidance and protection? What can occur if they have a house to themselves and all the curfews and rules suddenly taken away from them? What roles will be usurped by the remaining family members? Will they change and grow up? Will the family stay a family despite a major loss of two important people: its head and neck: the father and the mother? And what children left to their own devices are capable of doing? Based on a novel by Ian McEwan The Cement Garden.

Share |

Byzantium

crime 09:41:00

Can you put an equivalent between every crime? What should be perceived more punishable? Killing someone on the verge of dying or killing someone whose life priorities are not necessarily of the highest morals? Is there a hierarchy of crimes when all you have to do to survive is drink the blood of other living beings? Is there a survival for those who not only broke the rules of life and death but happened to break the rules of the patriarchal society where a man was the voice, power, and money (and the woman was only a property and had to be obedient)? Is there a chance for a mother and a daughter in the flawed world which from the start placed women in the inferior position? Is there a hope for a normal life when you had been tinted with the drop that through centuries created blood-sucking monsters? Byzantium.

Share |

In Hiding/W Ukryciu

crime 06:41:00

There are so many stories of war victims. While millions perished in gas chambers or were killed in battles, uprisings and bombings, from time to time an individual story of survival comes to light. A boy who spent years in someone's attic, a girl adopted by a couple, forced to pretend that she's of a different faith. Or a woman who lost everything because of war circumstances and was kept in the cellar of an apartment. What if a friendship between two women turned into something deeper and more intense under the pressured intimacy of fear and loss? What if in times so terrible for women, when hundreds of thousands were raped and manslaughtered by soldiers, there were two who created their own idea of home, peace, and happiness? What if one of them tried to do everything to keep this situation for ever? What if a lie in hiding was easier than telling the truth?

Share |

The War of the Roses

black comedy 10:24:00

You fall in love. You get married. Your children are born. You build a house, buy a flat, travel the world. And one day you wake up and this intense fondness towards your partner is gone. You don't feel anything, you don't even wish him/her well. But can you end your relationship in a civilized way? Can you divide your possessions without grudges and aggression? Can you deal with the trauma of a break-up as a grown-up or will you do everything to win the metaphorical battle between good and evil, showing that you're always right? Will you resort to the most humiliating, unforgivable acts to get even? A film about divorce. Enjoy.

Share |

The Light Between Oceans

Alicia Vikander 10:44:00

We live in gaps. Some people have too much of everything and they spend money on unnecessary things. Some people live below a dollar a day and don't spend at all because they cannot afford anything. Some people live a lifetime with one person, for some even a hundred lovers don't seem to be enough. Some don't want to have children and they give them up for adoption, others invest money in fertility treatment and in-vitro. And then, there are twists of fate.

What if somewhere in the middle of nowhere there was a couple who desperately wanted to have something, but was unable to get it? What if a surprising giggle of fortune brought them a spark of hope, home and happiness? What if they did something wrong for all good reasons? Can you be really happy, depriving others of their precious possessions? Will you manage to gain from someone's loss? The Light Between Oceans.

Share |

Little Children

children 09:54:00

Marriage. Stability. Routine. Little happy feet waking you every day, craving food, attention and endless play time. Every day, day by day. Never ending sameness turning your life into an impossible nightmare. And on the other hand: sex, desire, adventure, and escape. Can you leave it all to once again feel desired and uninhibited? Is your life of stability really such a nightmare? And why so many people decide to abandon the families they already have for the happiness with someone else? Is the dream romance with this someone doomed to the same final collapse? On the other hand, is it worth getting stuck in a hole with no escape just for the sake of children? Would you stick to what is known and sure or would you fight for your happiness? What will be your choice, and will you judge those who made different choices? Little Children.