Festivals >> Sundance >> 2008 >> World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Absurdistan(Country: Germany; Director: Veit Helmer; Cast: Maximilian Mauff, Kristyna Mlérova)
This inventive and allegorical comedy centers on two childhood sweethearts who seem destined for one another until the women of their isolated village, angered by male indifference toward the water shortage, go on a sex strike that threatens the young couple's first night of love.

Blue Eyelids (Párpados azules)(Country: Mexico; Director: Ernesto Contreras; Writer: Ernesto Contreras; Cast: Cecilia Suárez, Enrique Arreola, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Tiaré Scanda, Luisa Huertas)
A pair of lonely people come together in offbeat romance. Full Review

Captain Abu Raed(Country: Jordan; Director: Amin Matalq; Writer: Amin Matalq; Cast: Nadim Sawalha, Hussein Al-Sous, Rana Sultan, Uday Al-Qiddissi, Ghandi Saber)
An ageing airport janitor who is mistaken for an airline pilot by a group of poor neighborhood children weaves fantastical stories to offer hope for a sad, and sometimes unchangeable, reality. Full Review See: Sundance Film Festival 2008: Day Eight

The Drummer (Jin. Gwu)(Country: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Germany; Director: Kenneth Bi; Cast: Jaycee Chan, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Josie Ho, Roy Cheung, Lee Sinje, Kenneth Tsang)
A young man transforms from a reckless youth and gangster into a mature adult through the inspiration of Zen drumming.

I Always Wanted To Be A Gangster (J'ai Toujours Rêvé D'être Un Gangster)(Country: France; Director: Samuel Benchetrit; Cast: Sergi López, Jean Rochefort, Alain Bashung, Anna Mouglalis)
Told in four vignettes, this existential comedy relates the exploits of four aspiring criminals who hope to improve their lot, but find that they might not have what it takes for a life of crime.

Just Another Love Story (Kærlighed På Film)(Country: Denmark; Director: Ole Borendal; Writer: Ole Bornedal; Cast: Anders W. Berthelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Charlotte Fich, Dejan Cukic, Ewa Fröling)
Jonas's quiet life as a suburban family man takes an unexpected twist when he causes a car crash that leaves a young woman with amnesia. When he is mistaken for her boyfriend, Jonas's decision to play the role gradually unravels his life. North American Premiere. Full Review

The King Of Ping Pong (Ping-pongkingen, The King Of Ping-Pong)(Country: Sweden; Director: Jens Jonsson; Writer: Jens Jonsson, Hans Gunnarson; Cast: Jerry Johansson, Hampus Johansson, Ann-Sofie Nurmi, Frederik Nilsson, Georgi Staykov, Alicia Stewen, Carolina Westman, William Blomfeldt)
Coming-of-age drama sees trouble brew between two siblings. Full Review See: Sundance 2008: Day Three

Megane (Glasses)(Country: Japan; Director: Naoko Ogigami; Cast: Satomi Kobayashi, Mikako Ichikawa, Ryo Kase, Ken Mitsuishi, Masako Motai)
Somewhere in Northern Russia in a small Russian Orthodox monastery lives an unusual man whose bizarre conduct confuses his fellow monks, while others who visit the island believe that the man has the power to heal, exorcise demons and foretell the future.

Mermaid (Rusalka)(Country: Russia; Director: Anna Melikyan; Cast: Masha Shalaeva, Evgeniy Ciganov, Maria Sokolova, Nastya Doncova)
The fanciful tale of an introverted little girl who grows up believing she has the power to make wishes come true. She must reconcile this belief with reality when, as a young woman, she journeys to Moscow and grapples with love, modernity and materialism.

Máncora(Country: Spain, Peru; Director: Ricardo De Montreuil; Writer: Angel Ibarguren, Juan Luis Nugent, based on a story by Diego Ojeda and Ricardo De Montreuil; Cast: Jason Day, Elsa Pataky, Enrique Murciano, Phellipe Haagensen, Liz Gallardo)
A young man mourning the death of his father sets out with his estranged stepsister and her arrogant husband for adventures in the lush, picturesque beach town of Máncora, Peru. Full Review See: Sundance 2008: Day Four

Perro Come Perro (Dog Eat Dog)(Country: Colombia; Director: Carlos Moreno; Cast: Marlon Moreno, Oscar Borda, Alvaro Rodríguez, Blas Jaramillo, Paulina Rivas))
In the crime world of Colombia, there is an unwritten code. When Víctor and Eusebio, two hoods who bungle a shake-down job, break that code, they unwittingly sign their own death sentence.

Riprendimi (Good Morning Heartache)(Country: Italy; Director: Anna Negri; Cast: Alba Rohrwacher, Marco Foschi, Valentina Lodovini, Stefano Fresi, Alessandro Averone)
A modern young couple with a new baby are forced to deal with the almost comedic pain of breaking up while being the subject of a documentary that quickly crosses professional lines into their private lives.

Strangers (Zarim)(Country: Israel; Director: Erez Tadmor, Guy Nattiv; Writer: Erez Tadmor, Guy Nattiv; Cast: Liron Levo, Lubna Azabal, Abdaliah El Akal, Birol Ünel, Partick Albenque, Dominique Loilia)
An Israeli man and a Palestinian woman meet serendipitously during the carefree atmosphere of the World Cup finals in Germany, drawing them out of the stark reality of their lives and into a passionate affair. Full Review See: Tribeca 2008 Diary: Day 3 and 4

Under The Bombs (Sous Les Bombes)(Country: France; Director: Philippe Aractingi; Writer: Michel Leviant; Cast: Nada Abou Farhat, Georges Khabbaz)
As the Israeli army bombs Lebanon in 2006, a mother makes a desperate journey to try to save her son. Full Review

The Wave (Die Welle)(Country: Germany; Director: Dennis Gansel; Writer: Dennis Gansel, Peter Thorwarth, based on the novel by Todd Strasser; Cast: Juergen Vogel, Frederick Lau, Max Riemelt, Jennifer Ulrich, Christiane Paul, Elyas M'Barek, Christina do Rego, Jacob Matschenz, Amelie Kiefer)
A high school teacher demonstrates with his class the true meaning of autocracy. Full Review

The Wind And The Water(Country: Panama)
A young indigenous teen seeking his fortune in Panama City struggles to acclimate to chaotic urban life, where he becomes enamored with a girl from a wealthy, assimilated family. Later, he encounters his crush once again - but this time the landscape and tradition define their interaction.

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