An unassertive seventeen year old turns his high school on its head when he asks out his crush, a transgender classmate.

An unassertive seventeen year old turns his high school on its head when he asks out his crush, a transgender classmate.

Caetano Gotardo, whose contribution to the omnibus film Neverquiet (Film of Wonders) was screened in 2011 at IFFR, stays close to home in his second feature. He writes, directs, edits and also plays the leading role. The story is set in the Brazilian artists’ milieu. 　　Joao has extensive conversations with friends, strangers and himself. For instance with his best friend Irene, who cannot let go of memories of her ex; and the boy he meets in the metro, with whom he wants to have sex. Beside life and love, the creative process is a recurring theme in the conversations, in the best traditions of filmmakers like Éric Rohmer or Hong Sang-soo. Piece by piece, the encounters, conversations and monologues have a great influence on Joao, who literally wrestles with his attitude to life. A puzzle unfolds within which time, narrative, character and perspective are all jumbled up in an intriguing way.

Caetano Gotardo, whose contribution to the omnibus film Neverquiet (Film of Wonders) was screened in 2011 at IFFR, stays close to home in his second feature. He writes, directs, edits and also plays the leading role. The story is set in the Brazilian artists’ milieu. 　　Joao has extensive conversations with friends, strangers and himself. For instance with his best friend Irene, who cannot let go of memories of her ex; and the boy he meets in the metro, with whom he wants to have sex. Beside life and love, the creative process is a recurring theme in the conversations, in the best traditions of filmmakers like Éric Rohmer or Hong Sang-soo. Piece by piece, the encounters, conversations and monologues have a great influence on Joao, who literally wrestles with his attitude to life. A puzzle unfolds within which time, narrative, character and perspective are all jumbled up in an intriguing way.

春节前的这一天，北方复兴煤矿锣鼓喧天。副市长张弓子的到来，引来了矿山不小的动静。张弓子没有按照事先安排好的路线视察，在途中突然提出改道去下井口看看。意想不到的滑罐事故发生了。

春节前的这一天，北方复兴煤矿锣鼓喧天。副市长张弓子的到来，引来了矿山不小的动静。张弓子没有按照事先安排好的路线视察，在途中突然提出改道去下井口看看。意想不到的滑罐事故发生了。

Awakenings is a story about the magical (and not so magical) moments when we wake up. But at the same time the film is about the mental awakening of our protagonists. The story revolves around three couples, who have just began their relationship, are about to end it, or never really neither began nor finished it. Robert (40) has just divorced and moved to his own place. Soon his student and lover Jana (23) moves in with him, although not entirely by his will. Jana quickly establishes her own way at home and Robert finds himself in a situation he doesn't know how to control. An established photographer Marcel (39) finds out that his wife Ula (39) got her pictures screened at a very important festival. As usual, he performs one of his typical cynical/sarcastic tantrums - but Ula doesn't respond to his methods anymore. Slowly (and painfully) the power shift in this relationship is tearing them apart. Jonas (39) and Karmen (39) meet at Marcelo's exhibition after 20 years. Their high-school flames burn once again, so they find themselves in a hotel room. They spend the night talking and sharing their old feelings and resentments. Nevertheless, with the morning comes the moment of sobriety - Karmen returns to her family. In the last couple of scenes, our characters experience a whirlwind of emotions and situations that finally brings them all at the same place. But what is real and what is just a performance?