World Premiere
On the way to the airport a teen girl jumps from a moving car to flee a sex trafficking abduction; while she escapes, she records it all on a stolen cell phone. This is a terrifyingly real and brilliantly original first-person run-for-your-life thriller. The phone camera perspective puts us right in the action, offering a believable, constantly shifting, and relentless documentary of her abduction evidence. Tight direction and solid ensemble performances create a tense, frightening episode—a small example highlighting a worldwide sex trafficking problem that exploits and destroys the lives of many young women.
Community Partner
Afroditi Baharnikou, Efthalia Papacosta, Aris Servetalis, Nikolakis Zeginoglou
Greece
2022
In Greek with English subtitles
Sexual Violence
Featured in:
International Shorts: Having a Bad Day
Misadventures, bad choices, and a series of unfortunate events are all present in this program of short films. There is some serious drama and a bit of comedy on display in these exhilarating, thoughtful, and unpredictable tales.
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
La Bola Negra
A big, old-school historical melodrama gets a thrillingly modern, queer makeover from Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who artfully juggle three gay protagonists across stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. Winner: Best Director, Cannes. Screening on 35mm.
A. Rimbaud
Patrick Wang (The Bread Factory) presents the life of French poet Arthur Rimbaud in this staggeringly adventurous and deeply considered movie, a three-hour, one-man show quite unlike anything we have seen before. "Poetic, audacious and singular."
The 39 Steps
In our new film studies series, FRAMEWORK, film scholar Michael van den Bos explores the work of Alfred Hitchcock, across four monochrome masterworks. This week: The 39 Steps (1935), a witty and fast-moving spy thriller from Hitchcock's English period.
Credits
Executive Producer
Phaedra Vokali
Producer
Phaedra Vokali, Orestis Plakias
Screenwriter
Andreas Vakalios, Fili Olsefski
Cinematography
Fili Olsefski
Editor
Andreas Vakalios, Fili Olsefski
Production Design
Sofia Vaso, Anna Vokali
Directors
Fili Olsefski
Fili Olsefski was born in Łódź, Poland, and raised in Athens. She studied painting at the Fine Arts School of Aristotle University. She works as a cinematographer.
Andreas Vakalios
Andreas Vakalios was born in Budapest and raised in Athens. He obtained an MFA in Digital Arts at the Athens School of Fine Arts. He works as a screenwriter and a director.