Discover the Eastern-European Film Weeks!
This October, we at Cinema ZED are delighted to dedicate an entire month to Eastern European cinema, in collaboration with KU Leuven’s Forum for Central and Eastern Europe. It’s a part of the world that is often overlooked or left out of the conversation when we talk about the best films or directors of all time, but that’s absolutely unjustified.
The program features recent films, documentaries, short film compilations, and classics that should not be underestimated.
All screenings will be preceded by an introduction by KU Leuven professors, who will provide the necessary context and background. This is a unique opportunity to get a taste of Eastern European cinema in all its facets.
As a CLT student, you can also attend any film in the series for just 10 euros.
On the eve of World War I, the young Franz Kafka tries to balance his passion for literature with his daily responsibilities. With a remarkable talent for blending realism and fantasy and a penchant for razor-sharp criticism of bureaucracy and humanity, Kafka lives in a world constrained by his battle with tuberculosis. He navigates the expectations of his father, his job, intense relationships, and his endless urge to write.
On October 8th, the film will be introduced by Huub van Baar, professor of political science (KU Leuven). This screening features English subtitles.
Buy your tickets for the premiere here!
Over the past ten years, cartoonist Victoria Lomasko has dedicated herself to meticulously documenting Putin’s Russia, focusing on the connections between domestic and state-sponsored violence. As Putin launches a “military operation” in Ukraine and denounces Russian dissidents, Lomasko is confronted with the harsh reality that she can no longer continue her work in Russia.
The screening on October 9th will be followed by a discussion with Pieter Boulogne, professor of Russian literature (KU Leuven), artist Victoria Lomasko, and director Anna Moiseenko. The screening will feature English subtitles.
Buy your tickets here!
Angela is a young, overworked production assistant at a Romanian media company that is producing a corporate video on workplace safety for a multinational corporation. Early in the morning, she sets out by car in search of a suitable candidate for the video. It turns out to be a long day, during which she takes one testimony after another from workers who have been in accidents, while her own fatigue steadily increases.
The screening on October 18th will be introduced by Jonas Vanderschueren, a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Arts. The film has English subtitles.
Buy your tickets here!
Iwona Pom is a Polish-Belgian filmmaker who curated a compilation of Polish animated short films especially for this occasion. From a dark social satire denouncing the concentration of wealth, to a picturesque impression of how horses have been depicted throughout art history, to a snow-covered Christmas story about torn families, loneliness, healing, and connection.
All short films will be shown in their entirety with English subtitles.
Buy your tickets here!
Despite the deep scars of trauma caused by sexual violence and torture at the hands of Russian troops, Ukrainian female survivors are coming together to break through stigma and silence. Six women transform their testimonies into a powerful form of resistance: they recount their own heart-wrenching, often deeply disturbing stories in voice-overs against a backdrop of tender, poetic, and serene images of their current lives. Their testimonies and the lives they are cautiously rebuilding are the weapons with which they fight back.
The screening on October 20th will be introduced by Ria Laenen, professor of Eastern European politics (KU Leuven). The film is subtitled in English.
Buy your tickets here!
In Putin’s Russia, criticizing the government can mean a painful death. *Antidote* follows, in real time, three people who dare to resist. Investigative journalist Christo Grozev, head of the investigative collective Bellingcat, led the investigation into the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, but now fears for his life. There is also an anonymous Russian scientist who developed a poison until he discovered that the government was using it against dissidents. He became a whistleblower and was forced to flee the country. Finally, there is political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was poisoned twice and is now fighting for his release from prison.
The screening on October 22nd will be introduced by Peter Vermeersch, professor of political science (KU Leuven). The film has English subtitles.
Buy your tickets here!
Poland, 1944. During the final days of the Warsaw Uprising, the 43-man company led by Zadra finds itself surrounded by the Germans. Between battles, they try to live as normally as possible amid the ruins of the destroyed city. But their pistols and grenades are no match for tanks and bombers. The only way to avoid falling prey to the advancing Germans seems to be the underground sewer system. They flee underground, but the Germans manage to corner the freedom fighters further and further.
The screening on October 25th will be introduced by Kris Van Heuckelom, professor of Polish and Cultural Studies (KU Leuven). The film is subtitled in English.
Buy your tickets here!
August 2020, Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko, who had already been in power for 26 years, is declared the winner of the presidential election for the sixth time. Thousands demonstrate against this implausible victory; the protests grow more massive by the day. Pavel, Denis, and Maryna are members of the Belarus Free Theatre in Minsk and are following the situation closely. Denis had already protested against the regime in the 1990s and now doubts the point of the protests. Maryna is worried about the future. Pavel is considering emigrating. They realize that they must make their voices heard not only on stage, but above all in the streets.
The screening on October 30 will be introduced by Peter Vermeersch, professor of political science (KU Leuven). The film is subtitled in English.
Buy your tickets here!
Gerelateerde films
