Louis le Prince International Short Film Competition 2
The second of four programmes in our major international competition for short films, with selections from Belgium, France, Canada, Germany, Kosovo and Poland.
Our second Louis le Prince programme creates a cinematic tapestry of how violence transforms our many definitions of home. In Happiness is Close, aging changes a man’s relationship with his apartment and body. In Zanatany, When soulless shrouds whisper, On the way, and Aïda Neither, government failings lead to death and desecration, severing each protagonist’s relationships with their hometown and histories. With humour and heartbreak, these visually rich stories asks us to examine the often invisible brutalities that exile us from ourselves and, by concluding with the irreverent Honey Bunny, what it takes to reacquaint ourselves with tenderness.
Happiness is Close
In the midst of a celebration, Mr. Rubens’s cathartic dance is awkwardly interrupted by his downstairs neighbour, unable to tolerate the noise. Yearning for companionship, he encounters yet another rejection. A late visit from a mysterious stranger ultimately provides the treatment he craves, unravelling the absurd tragicomedy of his fate.
Albi Fouché | Germany | 2024 | 13 mins | World Premiere
Zanatany, when soulless shrouds whisper
One morning in 1976 Majunga, Ali witnesses a seemingly simple neighbourhood quarrel. But, as revolt sweeps through the city, could there be a greater conflict brewing beneath the surface? A bold historical reconstruction and memorialising of a long-forgotten Madagascan tragedy.
Hachimiya AHAMADA | Belgium | 2024 | 27 mins | UK Premiere
On the way
Kosovo’s uncompromising administrative procedures are brought to light when an award-winning filmmaker struggles to access his award. This road journey, shared between a father and son, welcomes reflections on what it means to stay, and what it would mean to leave when defeat feels inevitable.
Samir Karahoda | Kosovo | | 15 mins | UK Premiere
Aïda Neither
Leïla returns to her hometown in Corsica to see her brother Amine and to visit the tomb of her stillborn child. Upon discovering the city are emptying abandoned graves, conversations with her family delicately explore ideas around belonging, grief, grave ownership and the bureaucracy of death.
Elisa Gilmour | France, Canada | 2024 | 15 mins | European Premiere
Honey Bunny
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When retired firefighter Staszek notices his wife Alina disappearing in the afternoons, he mistakenly believes she has become a sex worker. But when he learns she has become a professional cuddler in a cuddling salon, he is forced to reexamine his masculinity, methods of communication, and their shared definitions of intimacy outside the bedroom.
Gracjana Piechula | Poland | 2024 | 24 mins | International Premiere
Content Guidance
Contains themes of suicide and child loss, and scenes of violence.