Q
An intimate and haunting portrayal of a quest for love and acceptance at any cost, Q depicts the insidious influence of a secretive matriarchal religious order in Lebanon on three generations of women in the Chehab family. Filmmaker Jude Chehab potently documents the unspoken ties and consequences of loyalty that have bonded her mother, grandmother, and herself to the mysterious organization. A masterful portrait of the toll that decades of unrequited love, lost hope, abuse, and despair takes on a person, Q is a multigenerational tale of the eternal search for meaning. A love story of a different kind, this documentary delicately portrays the complexities of the unseen power that intermesh the lives of those who love a woman whose heart is in the hands of someone else.
"a visually-stunning cinematic approach. With Q, Chehab presents a respectful but altogether haunting exploration of faith, belief, and the ramifications of allegiance to a cause" - Tribeca Film Fest, Winner, Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director
House of Gloss
House of Gloss is an intimate and affectionate portrait of a Scottish queer trans femme couple — Opal, a drag queen, and Lana, a DJ & graffiti writer — as they live out their dreams and desires in Dundee.
"Closeups and interior shots draw beauty out of the ordinary every day as the bond between the couple is captured through seemingly simple acts of affection and household chores such as cooking or washing-up. Considering that both have faced rejection from their families, these mundane gestures hold a world of meaning" - Guardian
Chagrin Valley
The sun always shines in Chagrin Valley, a pastel assisted living home for people with dementia in the USA. Within its carefully staged 1950s decor, a fragile community drifts through slow days marked by confusion, fleeting tensions and long awaited family visits. Florence and her companions dream of an elusive elsewhere, suspended between memory and illusion.
Behind the scenes, caregivers who are both tender and exhausted sustain the rhythms of this sanitised social theatre. Between shifts, they quietly share their own hopes for a different future, not so distant from that of the residents they care for.
Chagrin Valley is a tender and lucid inquiry into our relationship with old age, care, and the quiet persistence of hope: a glimpse into the substance of our collective dreams.
"Examining our relationship with old age, illness and the universal fear of dying, and gently probing into the matter of our individual and collective dreams, she interrogates the false promises of our contemporary society." - Visions du Reel, Winner, Jury Prize National Competition
Naima
Naima, a 46-year-old Venezuelan, lives in precarious conditions in Basel and, after many years in the low-wage sector, she secures a traineeship in nursing. However, her happi- ness collides with a harsh reality: patients love her compassionate humour, but her col- leagues perceive her as lacking professional distance. When she fails her internship, her world falls apart. Yet, Naima rises to fight her toughest battle: standing up for herself.
"a testament to the human spirit’s ability to endure and even overcome conflagration. It is a must-watch for anyone seeking an inspiring and emotionally touching documentary." - DOK Leipzig
Breaking the Cycle
Breaking The Cycle captures the political awakening among Thais after the rise and fall of Thanathorn, a young politician who calls to end the cycle of coups d’etat. The film explores the 2019 election in Thailand, which marked the end of five years of full military rule and a new group of young politicians who campaign against an authoritarian constitution, sparking hope and a once-in-a- generation youth movement.
"a bold and uncompromising account of a troubled political landscape and a thrilling portrait of an individual who challenged it" - Sheffield Doc Fest