INTERFILM 39 International Short Film Festival Berlin
14 - 19 November 2023

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IC INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

IC 03 Up a Creek Without a Paddle

The saying "to be in the same boat" has taken on a very cynical overtone. These days, one goes out of one's way to avoid using it indiscriminately when describing shared suffering. Whether the subject matter is swimming against the tide in a familiar group, having the system work against you, or being alone together – the six films of the competition program "Up a Creek Without a Paddle" vividly capture what it feels like to be drifting with no means of forward propulsion.

16.11.23, 17:30h, Cinestar Kino in der KulturBrauerei

17.11.23, 19:30h, Pfefferberg Theater

18.11.23, 15:30h, Rollberg Kino

Up a Creek Without a Paddle
6 films
La historia interminable

La historia interminable

The Neverending Story

David Valero // Spain // 2023 // 13:50 min

Live Action

How exciting can everyday life actually be? Amid family relations and generational conflict, "La historia interminable" depicts a congenial working-class family from Spain.

Tomato Kitchen

Tomato Kitchen

Junyi Xiao // China // 2022 // 08:42 min

Animation

An animated horror-veggie thriller! An accident introduces Lee to the concept of "tomato trafficking", forcing him to confront his own role. Sounds weird? It is! But tragic and super cool too. Really something special!

Calf

Calf

Jamie O'Rourke // Ireland // 2023 // 15:00 min

Live Action

This one is intense! A typical morning on a (somewhat creepy) farm. A cow is about to calve. If only the farmer's super bloody accident didn't intervene. And then there's his daughter's worrying behaviour – [CW: physical and psychological violence, death]

Warszawa, Holandia

Warszawa, Holandia

Ming-Wei Chiang // Poland // 2023 // 17:30 min

Live Action

Selling ice-cream in the morning, working delivery in the evening, playing lover in between: in bustling Łódź, a man loses himself in the gig economy. It's tough to escape the daily grind of rough words and raw streets.

The Family Portrait

The Family Portrait

Lea Vidakovic // Croatia, France, Serbia // 2023 // 14:35 min

Animation

What could a quiet afternoon in an aristocratic villa have looked like just prior to the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire? In this take, a brother pays a visit with extended family, disturbing domestic tranquillity.

Warm

Warm

Masego Lynia / Alfie Barker // England // 2022 // 12:28 min

Live Action

A mother and her kids flee and take refuge in a swimming pool, where they find a sense of freedom after hours. But that can only work for so long, and soon the family is forced to trust a stranger. Based on a true story.