Shorts: On Family
On Family asks a simple yet unsettling question: what makes a “normal” family and does such a thing even exist? This programme brings us into four realities, into the intimate and often uncomfortable details that make every family an exception to the rule. By peeking behind the public façades, these films offer new ways of seeing ourselves and one another.
Spanning three continents, the four short films explore the complex relationships that shape us from within and are shaped by the world around us. They touch on intergenerational trauma and untold histories, the desire to save those closest to us and the impulse to change them to fit social norms. Four diverse realities show that the emotional intensity and intricate dynamics within these microcosms can resonate universally.
In this combined programme
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Death of the Fish
Eva Lusbaronian
A girl tries to prevent her mother from drowning in depression, after the death of a fish.
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What If They Bomb Here Tonight
Samir Syriani
Samir and Nadyn, a Lebanese couple, spend a sleepless night anxious and fearing an Israeli airstrike could shatter the glass walls of their home. With their children peacefully asleep, they battle with whether to flee or risk the worst and stay.
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Triangle
Anaël Dang
Revealing portrait of the family formed by director Anaël Dang and his parents. Twenty-one years after a painful family secret came to light, they reflect on the past and their mutual bond.
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Correct Me If I’m Wrong
Hao Zhou
A filmmaker undergoes a series of home remedies and spiritual rituals as their family attempts to purge their gender-fluid identity. Caught in a struggle of love, legacy, and belief, a Southwest Chinese family seeks to rid their queer heir of what they perceive as an unwanted entity.