OUR LADY OF THE CHINESE SHOP
Other movies
TO KILL A MONGOLIAN HORSE
Director: Xiaoxuan Jiang
Saina’s father never taught him to ride: he simply put him on the back of a horse, a Mongolian herdsman’s natural habitat. Saina now earns his living performing spectacular tricks in equestrian shows for tourists, trying to make enough money to cover his father’s gambling debts as well as support his little son. His true vocation, however, is caring for his sheep and horses on the grasslands that stretch as far as the eye can see - a way of life under threat from climate change, encroaching poverty and profiteering mining companies. A moving, superbly shot portrait of a man clinging to the things that make that life worthwhile: the endless sky, the silence, his herdsman’s heritage and his beloved horses.
THE INEVITABLE JOURNEY TO FIND A WEDDING DRESS
Director: Jaylan Auf
On the eve of her wedding, Warda has a disastrous accident with her bridal gown, ruining it completely. The show is going to go on, however, so she and her best friend set out to find another white dress in a hurry. Their search takes them from one shop to the next across Cairo, giving these two working-class girls a new vision and experience of the city where they have grown up and which becomes a major character in the film. For Warda, it is also a journey of self-discovery, challenging her relationship with herself. The wedding dress becomes the central motif in a social drama about life in modern, rapidly changing city.
HANAMI
Director: Denise Fernandes
The remote volcanic island of Fogo, off the coast of Cape Verde, is a difficult place to make a living. Like many other young people, Nia chooses to go, leaving her new baby Nana to be raised by her grandmother. Nana is observant and sensitive; when she develops a high fever and is sent to recover with a healer under the volcano, she immediately responds to the magical atmosphere of the island’s interior. It is as if the island itself, along with the network of women who give the film a strong feminine energy, is caring for her. A moving story about longing and belonging, culminating in the older Nana’s quandary: should she stay here forever, or follow her mother into the wider world?