London Film Festival 2010

A selection of innovative and intriguing films from around the world.

View other London Film Festival Films by strand: Cinema Europa, Experimenta, Films On The Square, French Revolutions, Galas and Special Screenings, New British Cinema, Treasures from the Archives

Sawako Decides Sawako Decides
Sawako Decides and Cold Water Of The Sea
Autumn (Country: India; Year: 2010; Director: Aamir Bashir; Writer: Aamir Bashir, Shanker Raman, Mahmood Farooqui; Stars: Shahnawaz Bhat, Reza Naji, Shamim Basharat, Salma Ashai)
A young Kashmiri man struggles to get by and do the right thing for his family in a war-torn world.
Catfish (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman)
An internet flirtation leads to a complicated romance in which things are not as they appear.
Chongqing Blues (Country: China; Year: 2010; Director: Wang Xiaoshuai; Writer: Yang Yishu, Wang Xiaoshuai; Stars: Wang Xueqi, Fan Bingbing, Qin Hao, Zi Yi)
A grieving father searches for answers after his son is shot in a police siege.
Circo (Country: Mexico, USA; Year: 2010; Director: Aaron Schock)
A documentary following a travelling circus.
Cold Fish (Coldfish,Tsumetai nettaigyo) (Country: Japan; Year: 2010; Director: Sion Sono; Writer: Sion Sono, Yoshiki Takahashi; Stars: Denden, Megumi Kagurazaka, Tetsu Watanabe, Asuka Kurosawa, Taro Suwa)
An innocent tropical fish salesman gets caught up in a series of murders in this violent and extremely gory thriller.
Thomas Mao Thomas Mao
Thomas Mao and Cold Fish
Cold Water Of The Sea (Agua Fría De Mar) (Country: Costa Rica, France; Year: 2010; Director: Paz Fábrega; Writer: Paz Fábrega; Stars: Lil Quesada Morúa, Montserrat Fernández, Luis Carlos Bogantes)
A couple on a trip to the beach have an unexpected encounter with a runaway child.
Cold Weather (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Aaron Katz; Writer: Aaron Katz; Stars: Cris Lankenau, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Raúl Castillo, Robyn Rikoon, Jeb Pearson)
A crime fiction fan returning to his hometown gets caught up in a complicated mystery.
Dear Doctor (Country: Japan; Year: 2009; Director: Miwa Nishikawa; Writer: Miwa Nishikawa; Stars: Tsurube Shofukutei, Eita, Kimiko Yo, Teruyuki Kagawa)
A conman posing as a doctor in a remote mountain village finds himself in trouble when a local woman he likes becomes seriously ill.
Don't Be Afraid, Bi! (Country: Vietnam; Year: 2010; Director: Phan Dang Di; Writer: Phan Dang Di; Stars: Tran Tien, Phan Thanh Minh, Nguyen Ha Phong, Le Huynh Anh)
A six year old boy is confused by the sexual behaviour of the adults around him.
End Of Animal (Country: South Korea; Year: 2010; Director: Jo Sung-Hee; Writer: Jo Sung-Hee; Stars: Lee Min-ji, Park Hae-il, Yoo Sung-bok, Park Sae-jong, Kim Yeong-ho)
A young woman seeks the help of a mysterious stranger after the sudden failure of all electricity leaves her stranded in an instantly dog eat dog world.
It's Your Fault It's Your Fault
It's Your Fault and Spork
Home By Christmas (Country: New Zealand; Year: 2010; Director: Gaylene Preston; Writer: Gaylene Preston; Stars: Tony Barry, Martin Henderson, Chelsie Preston Crayford)
A documentary exploring the experiences of the director's father as an ANZAC soldier in World War Two.
Imani (Country: Uganda, Sweden; Year: 2010; Director: Caroline Kamya; Writer: Agnes Kamya; Stars: Rehema Nanfuka, Stephen Ocen, Philip Buyi)
The stories of a former child soldier, a maid and a hip hop dancer entwine one day in Kampala.
Infiltration (Country: Israel, France; Year: 2010; Director: Dover Kosashvili; Writer: Dover Kosashvili and Reuven Hecker, based on the book by Yehoshua Kenaz.; Stars: Guy Adler, Oz Zehavi, Michael Aloni)
Complex stories emerge as a platoon of trainee Israeli soldiers get to know each other in this adaptation of the literary classic.
It's Your Fault (Por Tu Culpa) (Country: Argentina, France; Year: 2010; Director: Anahí Berneri; Writer: Anahí Berneri, Sergio Wolf; Stars: Erica Rivas, Nicasio Galán, Zenón Galán, Rubén Viani, Marta Bianchini)
When a single mother takes her injured son to the hospital, the suspicions she encounters turn her world upside down.
I Am Kalam (Country: India; Year: 2010; Director: Nila Madhab Panda; Writer: Sanjay Chouhan; Stars: Harsh Mayar, Hussan Saad, Gulshan Grover, Beatrice Ordeix)
An ordinary boy and a young prince become close friends and swap identities so that they can each enjoy fresh opportunities in life.
Life, Above All Life, Above All
Life, Above All and The Peddler
I Am Sindhutai Sapkal (Country: India; Year: 2010; Director: Ananth Mahadevan; Writer: Ananth Mahadevan and Sanjay Pawar, based on the book Mee Vanvasi by Sindhutai Sapkal.; Stars: Tejaswini Pandit, Jyoti Chandekar, Upendra Limaye, Neena Kulkarni)
A determined woman educates herself and turns her life around despite poverty and forced marriage.
I Wish I Knew (Country: China; Year: 2010; Director: Jia Zhangke; Writer: Jia Zhangke; Stars: Zhao Tao, Lim Giong, Han Han, Huang Baomei, Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
An odyssey through many centuries of Shanghai life, celebrating the character of the city.
Journey's End (Country: Canada; Year: 2009; Director: Jean-François Caissy)
A documentary exploring the lives and experiences of the residents of an old people's home.
Just Another Love Story (Country: India; Year: 2010; Director: Kaushik Ganguly; Writer: Kaushik Ganguly; Stars: Rituparno Ghosh, Chapal Bhaduri, Indraneil Sengupta, Raima Sen)
A filmmaker making a documentary about an elderly transgender actress is inspired by her tale of thwarted love to pursue a perhaps impossible commitment in his own affair with his cameraman.
Leap Year (Country: Mexico; Year: 2010; Director: Michael Rowe; Writer: Michael Rowe, Lucia Carreras; Stars: Monica Del Carmen, Gustavo Sanchez Parra, Marco Zapata)
An isolated writer meets an aggressive stranger and the two embark on an intense, obsessive sado-masochistic relationship.
Smash His Camera Smash His Camera
Smash His Camera and End Of Animal
Lemmy (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Greg Olliver, Wes Orshoski; Stars: Lemmy, Dave Grohl, Mick Jones, Henry Rollins, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Hook, Slash, Jarvis Cocker, Alice Cooper)
A documentary portrait of the Motorhead and Hawkwind star.
LENNONYC (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Michael Epstein; Writer: Michael Epstein; Stars: John Lennon, Yoko Ono)
Documentary charting John Lennon's relationship with New York.
Life, Above All (Chanda's Secret) (Country: South Africa, Germany; Year: 2010; Director: Oliver Schmitz; Writer: Dennis Foon, based on the book Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton.; Stars: Khomotso Manyaka, Lerato Mvelase, Harriet Manamela)
A 12-year-old girl struggles to protect her family as her stepfather descends into alcoholism and her mother becomes increasingly ill, in a small town full of prejudice and hostility.
The Light Thief (Country: Kyrgyzstan, France, Netherlands, Germany; Year: 2010; Director: Aktan Arym Kubat; Writer: Aktan Arym Kubat, Talip Ibraimov; Stars: Aktan Arym Kubat, Taalaikan Abazova Askat Sulaimanov, Asan Amanov, Stanbek Toichubaev)
An electrician's heroic but sometimes illegal attempts to help his neighbours place him at odds with corrupt and sometimes violent authorities.
The Lips (Country: Argentina; Year: 2010; Director: Santiago Loza, Iván Fund; Writer: Santiago Loza, Iván Fund; Stars: Eva Bianco, Victoria Raposo, Adela Sánchez, Walter Aguirre)
The personal stories of three medics intertwine with those of local people in the remote community they have travelled to help.
The Parking Lot Movie The Parking Lot Movie
The Parking Lot Movie and The Taqwacores
Manila Skies (Country: Philippines; Year: 2009; Director: Raymond Red; Writer: Raymond Red; Stars: Raul Arellano, John Arcilla, Ronnie Lazaro, Soliman Cruz, Raul Morit)
A desperate unemployed man tries his hand at robbing banks and hijacking aeroplanes.
Mars (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Geoff Marslett; Writer: Geoff Marslett; Stars: Mark Duplass, Zoe Simpson, Paul Gordon, Howe Gelb, Liza Weil)
Three mismatched astronauts take a rotoscoped ride to the red planet.
Microphone (Country: Egypt; Year: 2010; Director: Ahmad Abdalla; Writer: Ahmad Abdalla; Stars: Khaled Abol Naga, Menna Shalabi , Yosra El Lozy, Hany Adel)
A young man returning to Alexandria becomes immersed in the city's underground music culture.
October (Octubre) (Country: Peru; Year: 2010; Director: Daniel Vega, Diego Vega; Stars: Bruno Odar, Gabriela Velásquez, Carlos Gassols)
When a moneylender finds himself sole carer of his newborn baby, his neighbour offers to help, hoping to win his heart.
Oki's Movie (Country: South Korea; Year: 2010; Director: Hong Sangsoo; Writer: Hong Sangsoo; Stars: Moon Sungkuen, Jung Yumi, Lee Sunkyun, Jung Jeehye, Baek Jungrim)
A young woman thinks about her relationships with two very different men.
Cold Weather Cold Weather
Cold Weather and Mars
Orion (Country: Iran; Year: 2010; Director: Zamani Esmati; Writer: Zamani Esmati; Stars: Nasim Kiani, Mehrdad Sheykhi, Hamed Baraghani)
A young Iranian woman who loses her virginity to her college professor seeks a backstreet doctor to sew up her hymen and protect her reputation.
Paan Singh Tomar (Country: India; Year: 2010; Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia; Writer: Tigmanshu Dhulia, Sanjay Chouhan; Stars: Irrfan Khan, Mahie Gill, Vipin Sharma, Imran Hasnee)
A biopic about a famous athlete who, falling into poverty, becomes a bandit in order to survive.
The Parking Lot Movie (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Meghan Eckman)
A documentary about parking lot attendants, their feelings about their job, and their theories about other aspects of life.
The Peddler (El Ambulante) (Country: Argentina; Year: 2009; Director: Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano, Adriana Yurcovich; Stars: Daniel Burmeister)
A documentary about a self-taught filmmaker visiting a small town in search of a cast and crew for his latest b-movie.
Relentless (Country: Nigeria; Year: 2010; Director: Andy Amadi Okoroafor; Writer: Andy Amadi Okoroafor; Stars: Nneka Egbuna, Gideon Okeke, Aloba Taiwo)
A peace keeping soldier in Sierra Leone faces personal tragedy and struggles to save lives.
Revolución (Country: Mexico; Year: 2010; Director: Fernando Eimbcke, Patricia Riggen, Gael García Bernal, Amat Escalante, Carlos Reygadas, Gerardo Naranjo, Mariana Chenillo, Rodrigo Plá, Diego Luna, Rodrigo García)
Ten Mexican directors explore the legacy of their country's revolution.
Sandcastle (Country: Singapore; Year: 2010; Director: Boo Junfeng; Writer: Boo Junfeng; Stars: Joshua Tan, Elena Chia, Bobbi Chen, Ng Jing-Jing)
A young man's discovery about his father's life changes his feelings about his family and the political history of his country.
Sawako Decides (Kawa No Soko Kara Konnichi Wa) (Country: Japan; Year: 2009; Director: Yuya Ishii; Writer: Yuya Ishii; Stars: Hikari Mitsushima, Masashi Endo, Kira Aihara, Kotaro Shiga, Ryo Iwamatsu)
A young woman struggles to save her family's ailing clam-packing business.
Shungu: The Resilience Of A People (Country: Zimbabwe; Year: 2009; Director: Saki Mafundikwa)
A documentary look at the lives of assorted Zimbabweans at a time of political and economic meltdown.
Smash His Camera (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Leon Gast; Stars: Ron Galella)
Documentary about the 'original' paparazzo, Ron Galella.
Southern District (Zona sur) (Country: Bolivia; Year: 2009; Director: Juan Carlos Valdivia; Writer: Juan Carlos Valdivia; Stars: Ninón del Castillo, Pascual Loayza, Nicolás Fernández, Juan Pablo Koria, Mariana Vargas, Viviana Condori, Luisa De Urioste, Glenda Rodriguez, Ximena Alvarez, Juana Chuquimia)
In La Paz, Bolivia, in a villa surrounded by beautiful gardens, an upper-class family experiences final halcyon days of luxury as social change penetrates their bubble.
Spork (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: J B Ghuman Jr; Writer: J B Ghuman Jr; Stars: Savannah Stehlin, Sydney Park, Rachel G. Fox, Michael William Arnold, Oana Gregory, Keith David, Elaine Hendrix, Beth Grant, Yeardley Smith, Chad Allen, Richard Riehle, Aria Wallace, Rodney Eastman, Alissa Dean, Taaffe O'Connell), Official Site
Foul-mouthed, musical coming-of-age tale
Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt And The Magnetic Fields (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Kerthy Fix, Gail O'Hara; Stars: Stephin Merritt)
A documentary exploring a decade in the life of the influential musician who appeared with The Magnetic Fields, The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes and The Gothic Archies.
Stray Bullet (Country: Lebanon; Year: 2010; Director: Georges Hachem; Writer: Georges Hachem; Stars: Nadine Labaki, adih Abou Chacra, Hind Taher)
A community breaks down during the early days of the Lebanese civil war.
Taipei Exchanges (Country: Taiwan; Year: 2010; Director: Ya-chuan Hsiao; Writer: Ya-chuan Hsiao; Stars: Lunmei Kwai, Zaizai Lin, Han Chang, Chen-Xi Lin), Official Site
A coffee shop becomes an exchange mart... and brings romance.
The Taqwacores (Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Eyad Zahra; Writer: Michael Muhammad Knight, Eyad Zahra; Stars: Noureen DeWulf, Dominic Rains, Rasika Mathur, Tony Yalda, Anne Marie Leighton), Trailer
A good young Muslim boy moves into a house where punk turns the tables on everything he thought he knew about Islam.
Thomas Mao (Xiao Dong Xi) (Country: China; Year: 2010; Director: Zhu Wen; Writer: Zhu Wen; Stars: Mao Yan, Thomas Rohldewald, Jin Zi, Ye Feng, Gou Zi)
When a Westerner comes to stay in the guest room of a shepherd's house, an unlikely friendship develops.
The Tillman Story (I’m Pat _______ Tillman) (Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Amir Bar-Lev)
The story of professional football star and decorated US soldier Pat Tillman, whose family takes on the US government when their beloved son dies in a "friendly fire" incident in Afghanistan in 2004.
Two Gates Of Sleep (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Alistair Banks Griffin; Writer: Alistair Banks Griffin; Stars: Brady Corbet, David Callm, Karen Young)
Two brothers caring for their ailing mother prepare to take her on one last remarkable journey.
Udaan (Country: India; Year: 2010; Director: Vikramaditya Motwane; Writer: Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap; Stars: Rajat Barmecha, Ronit Roy, Ram Kapoor, Aayan Boradia)
Expelled from school, an awkward boy has to cope with life in a strange town in the company of his domineering father.
What I Love The Most (Country: Argentina; Year: 2010; Director: Delfina Castagnino; Writer: Delfina Castagnino; Stars: Pilar Gamboa, María Villar, Esteban Lamothe, Leonardo Castañeda)
A friendship is tested as two women find themselves drawn in different directions.
When Love Comes (Country: Taiwan; Year: 2010; Director: Chang Tso-Chi; Writer: Chang Tso-Chi, Hsieh Hui-Ching; Stars: Li Yijie, Gao Mengjie, Lu Xuefeng, Lin Yushun, He Zihua)
A family dominated by women conceals some remarkable secrets.
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within (William S Burroughs: A Man Within) (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Yony Leyser; Stars: William S. Burroughs, Peter Weller)
A biopic of revolutionary writer William S. Burroughs, exploring his drug use, his sexuality, his methods, his madness and his work.
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