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The section that helps us experience diverse perspectives of many countries and people through films from beyond Asia
Programmer’s recommendations : Great Freedom, Rosa, Sirley

SIPFF’s World Pride Section selects and screens the films outside of Asia, that are not only popular but have great quality, and hence, have been noticed by diverse international film festivals. This year’s World Pride Section also chose great films presenting diverse life stories of people from distinct historical and cultural backgrounds and social issues these people go through.

Great Freedom, directed by Sebastian Meise, will be premiered in Seoul, beautifully and finely demonstrates the story of gay people who had been confined in a camp even after Nazy Germany was defeated, just because they were gay. If we understand that homosexual people were subject to the full penalty of law and even prisoned in Germany during 1940s to 1960s, we could understand the messages this film conveys more in depth. The diverse feelings characters experience in prison, and how they gain freedom through love, will evoke great emotion from our audiences. Rosa, a short film directed by Ferran Navarro-Beltrán, unfolds the story of a daughter who met her father for the first time after getting sexual transition surgery. The outstanding Mise-en-Scène and sensuous directing skill of Director Navarro-Beltrán, who was once a graphic designer, help the audiences immerse in the film. Director Navarro-Beltrán, who showed the history, currently facing problems, and diverse voices of LGBTI senior citizens living in Barcelona in his previous documentary films, casts varied questions and implications to the contemporary society in Rosa, by presenting a family of sexual minority.

Sirley (directed by Elisa Amoruso) is also one of the recommended films by the  SIPFF programmer. The film displays the story of a warm and cozy Italian family. Director Amoruso created this film based on the novel of the same title, unfolding the story of director’s childhood. The film warmly presents the messy but honest lives of a family, along with how girls grow while feeling friendship and romantic love at the same time. Specifically, the great chemistry between the two main characters and their outstanding acting expresses delicate feelings and the fleeting moments of adolescent girls. This film is highly recommended to those audiences who love Italian family comedy and growth stories. Also, those who love Director François Ozon must be expecting Peter Von Kant, which was invited to the competitive section at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, and was screened as the opening film. While displaying Hommage to Director Fassbinder’s cult movie Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant (1972), Ozon added his own imagination and wit to create an attractive story that lures audiences. It is also worth noticing that great actors such as Hanna Schygulla and Isabelle Adjani act in this film.

Besides these films, audiences can meet diverse genres of films from many countries, including documentary films and animation. The distinctive stories of sexual minorities in the world add rich colors to SIPFF World Pride Section.