France, Italy, Jordan, Korea, Canada, Bulgaria, Spain – the Paths of Glory section will present extraordinary films

A great example will be this year’s screening of the current Palme d’Or winner from Cannes, Anatomie d’une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall , 2023). Sandra Hüller plays a woman accused of her husband’s murder in this crime drama by German director Justine Triet. The only witness is their son, who faces a difficult dilemma. Cinematik visitors will see the film in an exclusive Slovak premiere.

Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher’s adventure film La Chimera (2023), which invites the viewer into a black market environment with archaeological artefacts, also had its world premiere in the main competition at Cannes. The main roles were played by Josh O’Connor, Alba Rohrwacher, as well as Isabella Rossellini.

Jordanian director Amjad Al Rasheed’s Inshallah a Boy (2023) scored again at Cannes as part of Critics’ Week. The story of a widow in a country where only women with male offspring have the right of inheritance is full of emotions and unexpected twists. A unique and charismatic viewing experience, it is one of the highlights of the world film season.

South Korean-Canadian filmmaker Celine Song’s romantic drama Past Lives (2023) was a success at Sundance and in the main competition at this year’s Berlinale. In the story, fate reunites childhood friends after all these years so that they can pick up the story of what was – or at least think about what could have been. According to critics around the world, this is one of the best films of the year.

The Canadian-French film Temporaries / Richelieu (dir. Pier-Philippe Chevigny, 2023) takes us back to the exploited seasonal workers and their translator. A drama about human rights, abuse and the immense pressure big companies put on their employees. This urgent and timely film was screened at both Tribeca and Karlovy Vary IFFs.

The gripping Bulgarian-German social drama Urotcite na Blaga (2023) focused on vulnerable and often overlooked seniors. Its protagonist, like many other pensioners, falls victim to con artists. However, this story has many twists and turns for the viewer and a quite unexpected finale. The film boasts a Grand Prix – the Crystal Globe, the Award for Best Actress for Eli Skorcheva in the lead role and the Ecumenical Jury Award from Karlovy Vary. Cinematik will also present this title in its Slovak premiere.

The Paths of Glory section will close with the meticulous Spanish-French drama As Bestas (2022), which has won nine Goya Awards. Director and screenwriter Rodrigo Sorogoyen has told a story with a rich range of emotions about a married couple who leave their comfortable life in France to find a fresh start in a remote rural part of Galicia. However, they are met with xenophobia from the locals and an undercurrent of unabated hostility. A gently paced genre mix of drama and thoughtful thriller, this is one of the highlights of this year’s festival programme.