FF40: Shame + Q&A from a gender studies perspective

The screening of short films and following discussion will be part of the festival FAMUFEST 40.

Who among us has never felt shame? It may have been a trivial situation, but we still felt a rush of heat, our cheeks flushed, and we longed to be somewhere else at that moment. Yet (or maybe because of it), shame is one of the most human qualities. Immerse yourself in a film block full of intimacy, shyness, pain, but also unspeakable courage.

The Steam / Markéta Sehnalová / 8 min / original language: CZ / subtitles: EN – How long can a person remain silent in a dysfunctional, undefined, raw sexual relationship? And what if the cup overflows and hot steam erupts?

Trigger warning: explicit / sexual content.

*Transition * / Matouš Vítek / 2 min / original language: no dialogue

Lilith And a Body / Eliška Lubojatzká / 12 min / original language: CZ / subtitles: EN – Lilith a tělo is a short feature film based on the theme of Lilith, a taboo mythological character and according to the Bible, the first woman of Eden. The film fosters the themes of trauma, ambivalence and discovery of inner power, while adapting the original myth and presenting its continuation in a surrealist landscape. After her escape from the Gardens of Eden, Lilith finds herself on a strange new planet, where she meets several mysterious characters. The encounters slowly reveal Lilith’s traumatic experience and help her find the strength to overcome them. However, the path leading to the discovery of inner power proves to be truly tricky. Through the combination of myth and dreamy lens, the film observes the line between reality, dream and mythology.

Night Mode / Eliška Jirásková / 2 min / original language: no dialogue – Along the dark, fear comes with night, fear a girl must face on her way home.

Electra / Daria Kashcheeva / 27 min / original language: EN / subtitles: CZ – Electra recalls her 10th birthday again but the line between her memories and dreams is blurry. Isolated in her dream world full of dolls with boobs, plastic parts of men’s bodies or dental equipment, she connects with her own body and sexuality. Deeply immersed in memories of her childhood, she relives even the most painful ones in order to give way to her repressed feelings.

Trigger warning: Explicit / sexual content, abuse. This film can cause epileptic seizures in more sensitive individuals.

Advent / Petr Hátle / 20 min / original language: CZ / subtitles: EN – The feature documentary film Advent consists of a series of loosely connected scenes from the lives of several outsiders. Poetic observations of colourful characters in a Prague housing estate are accompanied by a distinctive pop soundtrack. Both harsh and subtle images and stories of everyday life on the margins of society emerge.

Trigger warning: Explicit / sexual content, substance abuse.

Buďmo / Yevgeniya Soldatova / 10 min / original language: CZ / subtitles: EN – Anička is having the time of her life with her friends at a Prague rave party. There are no relationships, work or any other responsibilities to bind them down. So they experiment with drugs, in order to run away from reality. The evening should go just like all the ones before, full of alcohol haze. Suddenly, a girl dancing in the crowd catches Anička’s eye. Her movements are strange and she overall seems as if she got here by accident. Anička is fascinated by her innocence and fragility. She wants to meet her at any cost. Only the moments they share get interrupted by the girl’s strange behavior. Annička finally understands her secret only once they find themselves outside, on a morning street.

Trigger warning: This film can cause epileptic seizures in more sensitive individuals.

The Sea in Between / Lun Sevnik / 15 min / original language: Croatian / subtitles: CZ, EN –While helping his father with the family business, a disgruntled teenage boy is stuck on a small boat with an older tourist. As the boy anxiously waits for his father to return with the daily catch, the tourist starts making lewd suggestions.

Trigger warning: sexual abuse

Total screening time: 95 min.