The Split Film Festival has reached its halfway point, which is increasingly reflected in the more relaxed atmosphere and the increasing number of people gathering for socializing after the screenings. The third day of the festival also brought a noticeable increase in visitors.
However, a somewhat calmer atmosphere, on the eve of the start of the working week, prevailed at the screening in the Kvart gallery. The film When the Phone Rang by director Iva Radivojević from the accompanying program Forum was shown there — an intimate story told from the perspective of an eleven-year-old girl, through whose eyes the process of erasing land, history and identity is depicted. This concluded the film program in the Kvart gallery, and the audience will have to head back to the city center in search of further film content.
Last night’s screening at the Academia Club Ghetto gathered numerous fellow citizens and tourists. The documentary Al Awda by director Jason Soo was shown, which follows 22 activists on a fishing boat in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. Through a story about ordinary people who, working together, turn solidarity into concrete action, the film strongly calls on the audience to get involved — immediately and without delay. It is also the last film in the Focus program, and Academia Club Ghetto is hosting Dunja’s Nights from today until the end of the festival.
The highlight of the third day of the festival was the extraordinary competition program. At the Karaman cinema, the audience had the opportunity to watch the animated film Memory Hotel by Heinrich Sable, on which he worked for 26 years. The second screening of the evening also brought the world premiere — the film Beautiful and Neat Room by director Maria Petschnig, which depicts her own, often bizarre, experience of living as a roommate in a humorous and distinctive way. The Karaman cinema was full, as it had been at the opening, and the audience rewarded the author, who personally addressed the audience before the screening, with a triple round of applause. The exchange of impressions about the film continued outside the cinema, which testifies to the strong resonance left by this premiere.
The Golden Gate Cinematheque was no less dynamic, where the short film competition program was held. Six exceptional, mostly experimental works were screened. Some of the films were presented by the authors themselves, including Ultravioleta by José Magro and City in Observation by Audrey Whiteford-Woods. Ultravioleta offered an intriguing story about aliens and abandoned football stadiums, and the film Anatomy of a Lost Sound by director Zuka Garagić also stood out, described as “a must-read for understanding the remilitarization of child rearing in the 21st century.”
The well-coordinated organization, positive film atmosphere, and the constant curiosity of the audience that has been following the festival for three days guarantee that new excitement and powerful film experiences await us in the coming days.