HRFF Zurich goes Riffraff 9th edition: 4 – 10 April 2024

For over 20 years, Amin has been hiding a secret that threatens to ruin the life he has built for himself since arriving in Copenhagen. Haunted by the traumas of his past - that he reveals implicitly - he decides to share his story for the first time, with the director, a close friend, who encourages him to come clean. The story then reveals Amin’s harrowing voyage, from his childhood in post-communist Afghanistan to his present as a respected academician in Denmark, about to marry his partner. Created mainly with remarkable images of animation so as to maintain the anonymity of its protagonists, the film takes us on the trying journey of a refugee to find asylum abroad, and invites us into his relationship with homosexuality. Told in the first person, Flee conveys a feeling of closeness and the sensation of genuinely accessing the captivating memories of the main character. It succeeds in subtly interweaving genres, while retaining a healthy touch of humour. A poignant intimate tale, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. (Astrid Silva, Visions du Réel)

Au milieu de l’Océan Atlantique, sur l’île de São Miguel, Ana se confronte au poids de la tradition et de la religion. Grâce à la communauté queer locale et portée par le désir et la force de la jeunesse, elle découvre une nouvelle liberté. Cláudia Varejaõ parvient à dessiner avec finesse un monde en devenir, qui est souvent le reflet de ses propres questionnements. Le regard de la cinéaste, dont on sent la justesse acquise par sa pratique documentaire, se pose toujours à la hauteur de ses personnages. La fiction devient un espace de liberté et de lumière au milieu de la fragilité de l’existence. (FIFDH)

“What has become of you? You’re a monster. We all don't recognise you anymore. We haven't recognised you since you were in jail.” - “I’m telling you that you don't have to recognise me. You have to try to understand me.”
The Allee der Kosmonauten does not lead to the stars. If you grow up in the prefabricated high-rises here in north-eastern Berlin, your path is more likely to be mapped out in other directions. Even if you’re as smart as Pascal, also known as Kalle, who is ten-years-old at the beginning of the film. Tine Kugler and Günther Kurth have accompanied him for over a decade. Sometimes full of hope and ambition, sometimes burdened by fears and problems, tormenting thoughts and experiences, he looks for his place in life. A documentary observation in which animated sequences complement what is transpiring beyond the camera. Empathetic, poetic and humorous, the directing duo not only draws a precise portrait of the charismatic protagonist, but it also creates a kaleidoscopic picture of the unglamorous side of Berlin, far from the landmarks and trendy neighbourhoods. (Berlinale 2022)

Simone is a young lawyer who just started a preparatory course for being a public defender of women’s rights. Her daily life consists of law studies and kung fu classes. One day while watching a BDSM film online, she is taken by the expression she sees on the girl’s face – a mixture of fear and ecstasy – which profoundly fascinates her. This video seems to entice both her impulse for sexual gratification and her most internal fears, amalgamating in a single urgent desire.
Gradually an insatiable hunger for losing control takes over, leading her to expose herself to the BDSM world in a journey with her friend, Lucia. But Lucia isn’t able to follow the same path, positioning Simone’s desire as a reflection of a male chauvinist society. For Lucia this is in juxtaposition to their stance on violence against women.
Simone then begins to perform BSDM scenes with Coyote her roommate and fellow prep course student. With him she exposes herself to progressively more dangerous situations. Eventually he becomes afraid of hurting Simone and stops the partnership. Now, on her own, she moves closer to the edge of her own internal precipice. (Visonssudest)

Lens, in Northern France. 23-year-old Chaylla is fighting to free herself from a violent relationship. However, her determination comes up against a part of herself that still hopes to share her life with the father of her children. And if Chaylla, head held high, decides to press charges and reclaim her rights in the face of the society and the patriarchy in which she has no confidence, it is also thanks to the support of a duo of women – her mother-in-law and her best friend – who accompany her on a daily basis. It is with them that she shares her sorrow and passions, that she holds back her tears, smiles softly or sings at the top of her voice. The camera, always as close as possible to her face, enhances its strength, while the expressivity and magnetism of the close-ups are reminiscent of those of Renée Falconetti. Clara Teper and Paul Pirritano have made a magnificent first feature-length film shedding upsetting light on violence against women and the difficulties of finding one’s own way to justice. This social drama is infused with the extreme humanity and sincerity of a woman, Chaylla. (Visions du Réel)

Once accused and imprisoned for aggravated homicide for having a late-term miscarriage, Teodora Vásquez has become the spokesperson for all such victims of El Salvador’s cruel anti-abortion laws, and a symbol of empowerment, resistance and solidarity.

There is nothing more meaningful than observing a child’s point of view while they discover the world. There is nothing more tragic than watching them when this freedom is taken away from them. The military ethos in Israel demands the dismantling of the fine lines of childhood to indoctrinate children into military service. Innocence tells the story of boys and girls who resisted this change. Their voices were never heard because they all died during their military service.
Through narration based on diaries and letters, the film depicts the inner turmoil they felt. It interweaves first-hand military images, key moments from childhood until enlistment, and home-videos of the deceased soldiers whose stories are silenced and seen as a national threat. (Docaviv)

In the summer of 2007, an older man approaches Reyhaneh Jabbari and asks the architecture student who has a side job as an interior decorator for her help in the design of offices. During the site inspection, he tries to rape her. Reyhaneh stabs him in self-defence. She is arrested for murder and sentenced to death. Reyhaneh was to spend the next seven years in prison while her family hired lawyers and made the public aware of the case. However, in spite of the efforts of national and international politicians and human rights organisations, the Iranian judiciary continued to cite the “right of blood-revenge”. This meant that, as long as Reyhaneh did not withdraw her accusations against the man, his family could demand her death. Reyhaneh stuck to her testimony and was hanged at the age of 26. (Berlinale)

In the heat of the summer, two watchmen secure the river that runs through a neighbourhood in Lausanne. Ammar is new to the job, and Daniel shares his experience with him. During their rounds and encounters with the inhabitants, they observe and are observed, while bonds are being formed. And the question arises: what could have happened by the river? (Swissfilms)

When prominent Jamaican sprinter Jeffrey Jacobs is brutally murdered, rumors about the secret life he may have lived create public uproar, causing obstacles to the murder investigation and for Jeffrey’s father, who simply wants justice for his son. “Right Near the Beach” is a case study of a country that continues to face the consequences of its turbulent past while trying to confront the realities of sexuality and equality. (Black Film Festival Zurich)