XConfessions 27[2021]

Stories of Our Lives(en)

Created by the members of a Nairobi-based arts collective — who have removed their names from the film for fear of reprisal — this anthology film that dramatizes true-life stories from Kenya’s oppressed LGBTQ community is both a labour of love and a bold act of militancy.

A Side of a Relationship(ko)

Life in a Metro(hi)

A group of Mumbai up-and-comers search for love and struggle for success in this ensemble drama that centers on an eager young call centre executive.

Dog Days(ko)

Min-sang, a meticulous planner and tidy single man, is frustrated daily by his tenant, Jin-young, a veterinarian who turns his newly mortgaged building into a mess. During another quarrelsome day with Jin-young, Min-sang encounters an elderly lady at the animal hospital, who turns out to be the world-renowned architect Min-seo. Desperate for Min-seo's approval for an ongoing project, Min-sang starts to persuade Jin-young and her cared-for puppy to impress Min-seo. Meanwhile, Hyun, the leader of a small band, is left bewildered while looking after his absent girlfriend's dog, especially when her ex-boyfriend Daniel shows up unexpectedly, demanding to see the dog, claiming he used to raise it together and insisting on visiting the dog once a month...

New York, I Love You(en)

New York, I Love You delves into the intimate lives of New Yorkers as they grapple with, delight in and search for love. Journey from the Diamond District in the heart of Manhattan, through Chinatown and the Upper East Side, towards the Village, into Tribeca, and Brooklyn as lovers of all ages try to find romance in the Big Apple.

Dreams(ja)

Eight visually rich vignettes drawn from Kurosawa’s own dreams—fox weddings and vanished orchards, a soldier’s ghosts, a walk through Van Gogh’s canvases, nuclear nightmares, and a water-mill utopia—meditate on childhood, art, mortality, and humanity’s uneasy bond with nature.

Men in Love(ja)

The first part, "My Brother's Lover," tells the story of a gay man's sister falling for his boyfriend. Graduate student Takeo lives with his sister, but he can't bring himself to tell her about his gay boyfriend, Riku. When Riku comes over to their house to have sex with Takeo, his sister falls in love with him. The second part, "His Child," tells the story of Akihiko, a man who falls for his straight friend and ends up looking after his friend's baby at his request. His lover, Yuki, can't stand seeing the baby. Is balancing love and child-rearing just as difficult for gay men?

Batman: Gotham Knight(en)

Six interlocking stories reveal Bruce Wayne's earliest adventures as Batman and the steps he took to become the grim avenger of Gotham City.

42 One Dream Rush(en)

An omnibus project bringing together acclaimed directors from around the world, each contributing a 42-second short inspired by a dream. Produced by 42 Below vodka, the collection blends surreal, poetic, and experimental visions into a mosaic of oneiric cinema.

There Is No Evil(fa)

Set against the backdrop of Iran's strict and oppressive legal system, this anthology film tells the stories of four men who each face a moral crisis when having to deal with death penalties.

The Peeper, the Model and the Hypnotist(zh)

An anthology of tales from Hong Kong.

Sillu Karuppatti(ta)

An anthology of four romantic stories across four age groups connected by that magical thread called love.

Tasty Ending(ko)

An anthology of three short films by Kim Jeong-in, Jung So-young, and Hwang Seul-gi. It uses food and people to capture the warmth of everyday life that everyone can relate to.

The Dynamite Watcher(cs)

Three separate short stories by Jan Drda from the collection The Dumb Barricade: The Dynamite Watchman, Hatred and Traces.

Coffee and Cigarettes(en)

An anthology of eleven vignettes featuring star-studded casts of extremely unique individuals who all share the common activities of conversing while drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes.

My Freedom(cs)

30 years of freedom = 30 authors = 30 minutes of films. A unique project of Reflex magazine and Czech Television, which in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution reflects many forms and understanding of freedom. Various personalities of the Czech cultural sphere have made their minute films.

The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story(en)

A comic study of 20th-century history, reconstructing the life of writer, creator and professional prisoner Tulse Luper. Born in 1911 Newport and last heard of in 1989, Luper’s life is pieced together from the evidence found in 92 suitcases scattered across the globe. In the first of three parts, we follow Luper through three distinct episodes: as a child during the First World War; as an explorer in Mormon Utah; and as a writer in Belgium during the rise of fascism.

The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 2: Vaux to the Sea(en)

A comic study of 20th-century history, reconstructing the life of writer, creator and professional prisoner Tulse Luper. Born in 1911 Newport and last heard of in 1989, Luper’s life is pieced together from the evidence found in 92 suitcases scattered across the globe. In the second of three parts, we follow Luper as he works in a cinema, giving him ample opportunity to cross paths with virtually every artistic device and dramatic character known to man.

The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 3: From Sark to the Finish(en)

A comic study of 20th-century history, reconstructing the life of writer, creator and professional prisoner Tulse Luper. Born in 1911 Newport and last heard of in 1989, Luper’s life is pieced together from the evidence found in 92 suitcases scattered across the globe. In the final installment, Luper continues his adventures as a professional prisoner during the later years of the Second World War and the Cold War.

A Life in Suitcases: A History of Tulse Luper(en)

A comic study of 20th-century history, reconstructing the life of writer, creator and professional prisoner Tulse Luper. Born in 1911 Newport and last heard of in 1989, Luper’s life is pieced together from the evidence found in 92 suitcases scattered across the globe. A Life in Suitcases condenses the six-hour trilogy into a single two-hour feature, and in doing so, accentuates the project as a filmic essay in multiple narratives, listings, sidebars, footnotes, commentaries and anecdotes; a project for an Information Age ready to understand that there never is a phenomenon called History, there can only be Historians, gatekeepers to vested interests.