Horseplay

It’s the Christmas holidays and Andy leaves town for a vacation with friends in a luxurious villa in the countryside. Spending time with a bunch of men is a new experience for him – there are moments of rest, friendship and teasing, but there are also games – macho games, boys games, where each one pushes his own personal boundaries.
Since his debut film “Plan B” (2009), Marco Berger became one of Latin America’s leading queer filmmakers. In his films he explores queer narratives, erotic fantasies, sexuality and gender. “Horseplay” keeps well with those themes and delivers a subservient and political film that describes masculinity in its most toxic and dangerous form.

Viewing is 18+ due to nudity, explicit sex scenes and violence.

The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future

An Israeli premiere of one of the latest Sundance Festival most talked about films.
With sensual images and gentle narrative courage, “The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future” provides a rich cinematic vision that captures the humane and the inexplicable, equally.
Cecilia (Leonor Varela, “Blade 2”) is a tough surgeon and a single parent who refuses to accept her daughter’s trans identity. She receives a call that her elderly father Enrique (Alfredo Castro, “From Afar”, “The Prince”) believes he had seen her long dead mother Magdalena (Mía Maestro, “Mayan M.C.”, “The Strain” and the LGBT film “End of the Century”). Cecilia returns to the family farm to discover a series of disturbing occurrences amongst the farm animals.
In her debut film, director Francisca Alegría creates a ghost story, a family melodrama, a surreal fairytale, and ponders about the ‘here and now’, while refusing to commit her film to one specific genre. Undoubtedly, Francisca Alegría is one of present time most fascinating filmmakers.

Video movie review (no spoilers)

Additional screenings: Jerusalem Cinematheque 3.11, 18:00
3.11 , 20:30 , Rosh Pina Cinematheque

Finlandia

The ‘Muxes’ are a unique group of people in Oaxaca state in Mexico. They are an example of a third gender, and proof that gender norms are a lot more fluid than what we might think.
“Finlandia” is a spectacular film about a community not many people know. Marta is a fashion designer who is assigned to explore this vibrant muxes community for ideas for a new fashion line of a high fashion company. She pretends to be a curious Spanish tourist and befriends the heads of the community, while hiding her real intentions. As the friendship between Marta and her new acquaintances becomes stronger, she begins to question the integrity of her assignment.
In his debut film, director Horacio Alcalà brings to the big screen the breathtaking views of the southern Mexican desert and combines artistic and visual cinema with a sweeping melodrama full of love for the Muxes community.

In association with the Embassy of Mexico

8 Years


Please be aware – the screening is NOT in Tel-Aviv Cinematheque.


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Spanish dramatic comedy “8 Years” takes us to the breathtaking views of the Canary Islands and raises the question “How do you get over your true love? “.
Jose considers David to be the love of his life, but when David breaks up with him after eight years together, Jose is haunted by memories of their relationship. Those memories take him back to the place where the two met, and back to the past that wasn’t as ideal as he remembered.

Miguel Diosdado and Carlos Mestanza are wonderful as Jose and David, as well as guest appearances by the legendary Isabelle Torres (from the mini-series “Veneno”), in her last role before her death, and by the Netflix star Sergio Momo (“Elite”, “Welcome to Eden”, “The Neighbour”), who steals the show as a sexy mobster.

Viewing is 18+.

In association with 

Soy Nino

Bastian is a young trans boy from Chile who is facing a very difficult time – adolescence. It all becomes much harder when he has to devote most of his efforts into expressing his own individualism. His cousin, film director Lorena Zilleruelo, followed and filmed Bastian from the age of 12 until he was 18 years old, and witnessed his most intimate, moving and hard moments. This is also the journey of Bastian’s parents, who decide to support their son despite their own difficulties and eventually become activists for trans rights.
Despite the support he receives at home, Bastian has to face social and economical difficulties that might jeopardise his ambitions.
Bastian’s journey introduces us to a more trans tolerant Chile, thanks to a new and liberal generation.

Jezabel

Venzuelian director Hernan Jabes’ third film is a bold and surprising erotic psychological thriller.
In a country where political chaos reigns, a group of upper class privileged youth – Lolo, Caca, Eli and Alan, live carelessly amongst drugs, sex and petty crimes, until one day Eli is brutally murdered. 16 years later Alan is experiencing a beautiful romance with an author who specialises in unsolved murders. The memories start to resurface and the haze of drugs alcohol dissipates and reveals an unexpected truth.
Jezabel” is a film that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, with many surprising turns and twists and gives us a dazzling performance by Gabriel Agüero as Alan.

Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sex scenes.

Camila Comes Out Tonight

Camila’s entire world is thrown into a spin when her mother moves the family to Buenos Aires. She starts attending a new school, million miles away from her liberal world view. Politically opinionated Camila is like a breath of fresh air to the other students and she quickly draws the attention of fun loving Bruno and Clara. Even though Bruno is nothing like the boys Camila dated in the past, it’s the flaming haired Clara that invokes something stronger in Camila’s heart. But Camila is unaware that Clara has a secret that can ruin their budding relationship before it even begins.
Director Inés Barrionuevo brilliantly captured the teen spirit in all its chaotic glory, and actress Nina Dziembrowski is absolutely mesmerizing as Camila.

We Will Never Belong

Adolescence can be tough, especially for young queer girls who haven’t yet fully formed and accepted their identity. Emi recently discovered that her mother is in a loving relationship with another woman and she’s not handling it well. She leaves her mother and returns to her birthplace to live with her father and his new family and spends more time with her maternal grandmother. Everything there is a lot less confusing until her intriguing step-sister shows up. Soon Emi realizes why she’s been having such a hard time dealing with her mother choosing to live her life freely.
We Will Never Belong” delicately traces the journey of one girl to find her truth. Director Amelia Eloisa’s debut film does that with plenty of style and grace.

Director in attendance

Huesera

This was supposed to be the best time of Valeria’s life. She and her husband Raul finally manage to make one of their dreams come true – having a child.
At first everything seems perfect, but as the pregnancy progresses, Valeria’s mood starts to change. The closer she comes to her due date, the more Valeria is plagued by heavy self-doubt and fear she can’t shake off. Visions of a disturbing, spider-like presence and other supernatural threats, all thanks to a being called ‘La Bonzara’. Valeria discovers she’s not the only one in her family who had to face the ancient demons and she decides to confront them. She reconnects with her old life, including her first love, Octavia.
In her debut film, director Michelle Garza Cervera delivers an intense and raw horror film, complete with very disturbing images that will raise goosebumps. Actress Natalia Solián as Valeria creates a character that has to make some very hard choices, but at the same time we feel a lot of empathy for.

In association with the Embassy of Mexico

Mars One

This darling of the Sundance Film Festival 2022, brings to the screen the story of growing up in a working class Brazilian family, when in the background rage the social and political upheavals after the elections that made Bolsonaro president in 2019.
Eunice is a young student falling in love for the first time. She meets Joana in a club and they form an intimate connection. But Eunice is hesitant about sharing her love and sexuality with her parents. Deivinho, Eunice’s younger brother, is also hiding a secret – he wants to be a scientist and one day travel to space, but his father dreams of his son becoming a successful professional football player and getting their family out of poverty.
While avoiding all the clichés of such films, director Gabriel Martins brings us the story of a first love, where it seems Eunice is the adult one, while her parents never really matured.
Mars One” brings to life a familial, humane drama, wrapped in all the colours and music Brazil has to offer.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque 1.11.2022