Three short films based on short stories by expatriate American novelist Paul Bowles capture the sense of loss and alienation so common in his works. "Merkala Beach" follows the dissolution of a friendship after a pretty face enters the picture; "Call at Corazon" traces a newlywed couple's challenges while cruising up the Amazon River; and "Allal" chronicles the extraordinary transformation of an Indian boy who befriends a cobra.
Sondos BelhassenGirl (Episode 'Am Strand von Merkala')
Samir GuesmiLahcen (Episode 'Am Strand von Markala')
Veronica QuilliganWoman (Episode 'Zwischenhalt in Corazón')
Paul BowlesNarrator
Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she’s sleeping with her mother’s boyfriend.
A road movie that follows a solitary man as he sets of on a journey to the south of Brazil. The strange characters and absurd situations he encounters along the way present an extraordinary portrait of human relations.
A woman who desperately wants a baby asks a girl who is considering abortion to give her the baby instead. The two arrive at an isolated vacation home to spend time in seclusion until the girl gives birth to a baby, but they unexpectedly encounter a mysterious young painter and some criminal hunters.
A man becomes lured into a fictional game his ex-girlfriend has initiated. Sexually ensnared by her, and now realizing the fragility of the border between the real and the imagined, he begins to unravel. He convinces himself that if he can only write an ending to his life story, he can regain control of his life. But playing with fiction is not an innocent game…
Two girls clean places after somebody dies there. Sometimes they sell the belongings of the dead at a flea market. When they meet an odd guy who has a passion for boxes, a strange game unfolds.
After a phone call ends in despair, a young woman faces a fatal decision.
The true story of Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers (Charlayne Woodard) and her fight to combat Graves disease while becoming the fastest female sprinter in the world. From a setback in Seoul that nearly costs her the use of her feet to her excruciating battle with the crippling illness to victories in Barcelona and Atlanta, Gail proves she's got the heart of a champion in this inspirational original biography. Louis Gossett Jr., Jeffrey Sams, Tina Lifford, Robert Guillaume and Paula Kelly costar.
Desmond has a secret he cannot share with anyone. His grades are slipping, rumors are swirling and he feels powerless, especially when he sees his sister being hurt, too. With the support of his father and a new friend, Desmond is able to tell his story of being sexually assaulted and end the cycle of abuse. Desmond regains his power when he uses his voice.
A family loaded with quirky, colorful characters piles into an old van and road trips to California for little Olive to compete in a beauty pageant.
Two teenage girls are making love. Then one of them suddenly turns into a boy. After a fever dream everything appears to be back to normal again. Yet it isn’t.
After many years, geologist Ina Sedlitz returns to her home village of Neukirch - a place that has been transformed from a former brown coal mining area into a popular tourist destination. Ina only wants one thing: to transfer her inheritance of the family hotel to her niece Mara and finally put the past behind her. But when she is asked to draw up a geological report for the man-made lake, she comes across dangerous instabilities - and the shadows of a long-suppressed family secret.
While waiting for her divorce papers, a repressed literature professor finds herself unexpectedly attracted by a carefree, spirited young woman named Cay.
In the last days of 1999, ex-cop turned street hustler Lenny Nero receives a disc which contains the memories of the murder of a prostitute. With the help of bodyguard Mace, he starts to investigate and is pulled deeper and deeper in a whirl of murder, blackmail and intrigue.
Rahul Seth is a dashing young millionaire who believes he is "western" enough to rebel against his mother and grandmother. They are not too keen about his Caucasian girlfriend Kimberly who, to make matters worse, is a pop star. Before you can say "karmic intervention," Kimberly dies in a freak accident and Rahul is devastated. Instead of allowing him to mourn in peace, Rahul's mother sees the opportunity she's been waiting for. She threatens to call off his sister's wedding unless he finds himself a "nice Indian girl." Rahul enlists the services of Sue, a fiercely independent escort whom he believes to be Hispanic, and therefore not "married" to the conventions taught to young Indian women. With a wink in her eye, Sue accepts the deal to pose as his Indian bride-to-be. She needs the money and having never been a fan of the typical Indian male, she feels her heart is safe. The charade begins....
Anaïs is twelve and bears the weight of the world on her shoulders. She watches her older sister, Elena, whom she both loves and hates. Elena is fifteen and devilishly beautiful. Neither more futile, nor more stupid than her younger sister, she cannot understand that she is merely an object of desire. And, as such, she can only be taken. Or had. Indeed, this is the subject: a girl's loss of virginity. And, that summer, it opens a door to tragedy.
Six filmmakers present six short films about the experiences of Chinese immigrants. Shot across Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar, the anthology depicts the crisis of identity that accompanies international migration.
It's winter in a suburb. A housewife is brutally raped. A young woman becomes a victim of attempted rape. The Police tighten noose on Anders, a young road worker who was seen on the site in both cases. The two women think they recognize him in the lineup, and police investigators use all their strength to solve the case. Anders is a common and simple individual. He could be any youth. The meeting with the ongoing investigation and the solid judiciary, forces him out of a seemingly monotonous, habitual life and forces him to react and think.
Shirin is struggling to become an ideal Persian daughter, politically correct bisexual and hip young Brooklynite but fails miserably in her attempt at all identities.
Alma returns to Mexico seeking the man who caused the loss of her childhood home. He is not easily found, but the road to him brings her closer to her late father, and the secrets he took with him to his grave.
Pia is coming back to her mediterranean family to annonce that she wants to emancipate herself.