A fugitive criminal must escort a young woman to the sin city of Pattaya after a botched drug handover. In their struggle against a life controlled by others, these two strangers forge an unexpected bond, becoming a united front in their fight for freedom.

Driven by the hope for a fresh start, Dominik arrives at Bangkok airport, hearing the stamp in his passport as the starting shot of an unknown marathon. In Pattaya, he meets LOLO, an old friend of his father’s who runs a massage parlor and nightclub with his wife NONG. Lolo, a seasoned dropout, proudly shows Dominik the ‘Florida Club,’ a place where lonely men’s hearts are revived for a price. To secure a new identity, Dominik begins working for Lolo. After collecting money from a debtor together, Dominik gets his first solo job: delivering a parcel to a small town in northeast Thailand and returning with two parcels.

Following a dangerous delivery, Dominik is surprised to find KOOKAI on his motorcycle, ready to leave. Along with a bag of money, she is the second parcel. Back in Pattaya, Dominik receives his new identity and burns his old passport, severing ties with his past. Kookai, meanwhile, is relegated from the Thai countryside to a strip club stage, surrounded by old, white men. Her initial unease quickly shifts to determination as she needs to support her family.

Dominik plans to leave Pattaya but discovers his money and new passport have been stolen. Trapped between his past and future, he is forced to work for Lolo again. The supposed warmth and security turn into dependence and danger. Kookai becomes Dominik’s accomplice, as both share a longing for freedom and self-determination.

Hamburg’s St. Pauli: a gentrifying powder keg. Dealers, underground rappers, call girls, toyboys, and petty criminals – “real types” who avoid “real” work – clash with the newcomers: media yuppies, celebrities, the nouveau riche, and advertisers. This collision of worlds guarantees problems and provides the dramatic foundation for our series.

In this microcosm, everyone knows each other, and their lives are intertwined. Despite the differences between a fringe drug dealer and his yuppie customer, their desires for happiness and love are strikingly similar. They are all heightened versions of ourselves, seeking a bit of joy and affection, using every lever available to them.

An unstoppable crime soap with a golden heart, set amidst the filth of Hamburg’s underworld, led by the petty criminal DENNY, who with his unintentionally triggers an odyssey of drugs, alcohol and violence. violence. And yet he is only interested in one thing above all: love.

Director duo Leonelruben traveled to Benavente, north of Lisbon, to capture the essence of Portuguese-style female bullfighting in a breathtaking documentary. It follows eight fearless women who are subverting gender roles by redefining a masculine Portuguese tradition. Captured through the eyes of eight-year-old Leandra Peirera, Forcadas contrasts the vulnerability and fears of a young girl with the brutality of the fights. This short film explores both modernism and tradition within the Grupo de Forçados Femininos de Benavente and how they take life by the horns. These eight women, all sisters, mothers, and daughters, come together to challenge the bull directly, without any protection or defensive weapons. Unlike Spanish bullfighting, they do not kill the animal but try to surround and secure it until it is subdued. This dangerous activity is not just a spectator sport but an invocation of values that include courage, bravery, family, solidarity, and trust. Shot on 16mm film, Forcadas aims to emphasize “the traditional, analog, and highly intense nature of their culture”, said the directors. Strong poses, low camera angles, and close-ups of the fierceness in the womens’ eyes tell of the epic heroism needed to engage in this sport. As a contrast, Leandra’s reflections on the generational tradition come with a naive clarity that simplifies bull wrestling into three emotions: fear, love, and protection. “The precious relation between mother and daughter, which in this case is circling fear and respect for each other, is a gateway to understanding a culture full of idiosyncrasies and contradictions,” say the directors. Forcadas marks the starting point of a long-term project that is being developed into a coming-of-age documentary about Leandra, which will be released in seven to eight years.

“When I think of certain books, I often remember exactly when and where I read them—on the subway, on a sunny balcony, at a bus stop while it rained, in the comfort of my bed, on the beach, in a restaurant or on vacation,” says Joffrey Jans, director of this visual ode to the pleasures of reading. “As I recall a specific passage, I can even remember the pleasant coolness of the shade, the burning hot sun on the tips of my feet, the smell of sunscreen, the lapping of water…” “In the past year many of us have rediscovered the beauty of holding a book and the pleasure of escaping the difficult reality we all shared” Fluttering Pages consists of tranquil vignettes of people reading in places they enjoy the most. The slow zoom in and out of each shot is reminiscent of the feeling one experiences when they are being pulled into an engrossing story. “A good book takes us places, it makes us experience things. When we put it down for a moment we can almost let the action play dreamily before our eyes,” says Jans. “I remember reading “American Psycho” on the subway and whenever the book got particularly explicit I looked around the subway car as if my fellow travelers knew what I was reading—as if they too were with me in those moments.” “When watching people read, immersed and focussed, it does something to us. We wonder which adventure they are living in at that moment, what is touching them, what’s making them think or simply amusing them,” says the director. “In the past year, more than ever, many of us have rediscovered the simple beauty of holding a book and the immense pleasure of escaping the difficult reality we all shared even if just for a few hours. The film I had in mind is an ode to readers, to the corners they have found for themselves in cramped homes, to the endless days they’ve filled with incredible stories, to that feeling of not being able to put a book down, and to the timeless joy of turning a page.”