Samson & Delilah - Australia
Produced by Kath Shelper
Samson and Delilah live in an isolated world - a remote Aboriginal community in the Australian desert. In amongst a tiny collection of houses, everything here happens in a cycle. Day in and day out, nothing changes, everything stays the same and no one seems to care. Except for Samson, a cheeky 15-year-old who yearns for the horizon. Even though boredom set in long ago, Samson attempts to occupy himself with his offbeat humour. Unable to express his desire for something more, Samson’s private escape comes in a tin - he’s a petrol sniffer. Sixteen-year-old Delilah is the sole carer of her artist grandmother, who fancies the hopeless Samson for her son-in-law. When Nana passes away Delilah is held responsible and the traditional punishment is harsh. Battered and bruised, an unlikely young man comes to Delilah’s rescue. Samson. In a stolen car with no food, money or idea where they are headed they turn their backs on the community and head towards the desert horizon. Lost, unwanted and alone, Samson and Delilah embark on a journey of survival.
Mei Lanfang (Forever Enthralled) People's Republic of China
Produced by Han Sanping and Du Jiayi
Forever Enthralled is an opulent period drama about the life of Mei Lanfang, one of Peking Opera’s most significant performers and innovators. Born in Imperial China, Mei Lanfang follows in his grandfather’s footsteps to become a male performer specialising in playing female roles. His charm as a woman on the stage captures the hearts of countless men, while women swoon over his masculine beauty off the stage. The whole country falls under the spell of his enchanting voice. With the help of Qiu Rubai, his best friend and mentor, Mei’s modernised Peking opera triumphs over the traditional performance of Master Shishan. Master Shishan’s dying wish to Mei is that he strives to raise the social status of actors who are considered on par with prostitutes. It dawns on Mei that his success will be not only short-lived but is destined to be followed by failure, a realisation that puts him in constant fear of the future. In 1929, Mei Lanfang receives an invitation to the US to perform on Broadway and he becomes the first Chinese performer to set foot on an international stage. But Mei Lanfang pays a high price for his success, and when China falls under the Japanese occupation, he puts an end to his career with spectacular determination.
Nanjing! Nanjing! (City of Life and Death) People's Republic of China
Produced by Han Sanping, Qin Hong, Zhou Li, John Chong and Andy Zhang
China, December 1937. The country is at war with Japan. Beijing and Shanghai have already fallen. Japanese troops arrive at the doors of the capital, Nanjing. Following weeks of bombardment, local and foreign officials have fled and the city is in ruins. Lu, a charismatic Chinese General intensely determined to repel the enemy, leads his men in defense of their capital, street by street. They have little ammunition left as they face the Japanese tanks, but they refuse to leave. Mr Tang is guardedly optimistic as he and his family flee to the International Safety Zone, where a growing number of Chinese civilians find shelter. Operated by the city's few remaining foreigners, the zone has become a large refugee camp. Miss Jiang, a young Chinese teacher with a strong sense of mission, coordinates life in this crowded enclave, attempting to protect as many individuals as she can. The Japanese are taking over the city and installing their troops. The occupation of Nanjing begins. Kadokawa, a quiet and romantic Japanese soldier, observes the brutality of the war, unable to delay the impending atrocities. As hell is slowly taking over Nanjing, all of them are striving to survive in a city where death is easier than life.
Darbareye Elly (About Elly) Islamic Republic of Iran
Produced by Asghar Farhadi and Mahmoud Razavi
With the return of their friend Ahmad from Germany, a group of old college friends decide to reunite for a weekend outing by the Caspian Sea. The fun starts right away as they quickly catch on to the plan of lively Sepideh, who has brought along Elly, her daughter's kindergarten teacher, in the hope of setting her up with recently divorced Ahmad. But seemingly trivial lies, which start accumulating from the moment the group arrives at the seashore, suddenly swing round and come back full force when Elly disappears in a troubling incident. The joyful atmosphere evaporates as the friends try to understand how and why she is no longer there. Panic sets in. Accusations fly and the friends become judgemental, picking over the previous day’s conversations trying to find fault in Elly’s character. The group’s opinions of Elly veer from those of the first day, until at last the truth is out.
The Time That Remains - Palestinian Territories / France / Italy / Belgium / UK
Produced by Hani Farsi and Elia Suleiman, Co-Produced by Avi Kleinberger
The Time That Remains is a semi-autobiographical film, in four historic episodes, about a family – Elia Suleiman’s family - spanning from 1948, until recent times. Set almost entirely in Suleiman’s hometown of Nazareth, the film is inspired by his father’s diaries of his personal accounts, starting from when he was a resistance fighter in 1948, and by Elia’s mother’s letters to family members who were forced to leave the country. Combined with his intimate memories of them, The Time That Remains attempts to portray the daily life of those Palestinians who remained in their land and were labelled ‘Israeli-Arabs’, living as a minority in their own homeland.