Categories
films completed

Comrades

Simone, Francesca and Olivia are three young people from Bologna who are members of the Communist Renewal Party. Full of life, they take part in demonstrations and party meetings and believe that they can change the current world, dominated by ruthless capitalism and pressure for performance, for the better. At least until the moment when it turns out that it is almost impossible to change the minds of the older party members and the unsuccessful attempts to win new supporters intersect with the difficulties in their personal lives. Comrades is an empathetic time-lapse portrait that shows how the current young generation is losing its illusions due to social pressure and turbulent internal changes, and how difficult it is to keep faith in what we believe makes sense.

“By telling the stories of Olivia, Francesca and Simone, I try to show topics shared by many 20-30-year-olds: overstimulation, confusion, and awareness of social inequalities, accompanied by a difficulty in translating their good intentions into actions that bring about real change.” — Joanna Janikowska

Categories
films in progress

White Queen

Manuela, the title character of “The White Queen”, is the wife of an exiled Togolese king, Jules. Manuela’s unusual, royal function provides a distraction from her mundane life in Germany. Each trip to Africa is a fulfillment of her dreams and fills her with satisfaction that she can finally be of use to other people. With every return, she faces the challenge of reconciliation with the problems that were left behind.

The film concerns Manuela’s intuitive search for her identity, as she faces the opportunities and limitations only a life split between two continents can offer.

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