Sikiitu

A young man looks back at his past as he gets ready to leave his childhood apartment.

Returning to her coastal hometown for the 1997 general election, a young girl reunites with her school friends and is forced to come to terms with the loss of her mother. On the cusp of adulthood, she faces a new millennium, and with it the promise of a new age

As young adult Quinn cleans out their childhood closet, they reflect on the keepsakes they associate with their gender identity struggle, and ultimately come to a decision that could change their life for the better.

When adulthood looms, naivety fades, and a whole new, strange world opens up. These four beguiling European stories, from acclaimed film festivals the world over, explore these years of youthful wonder with a deftness and artistry that lingers. The short films are: Ruins [Ruines] (2019); Aline (2019); Snake [Змија] (2020); The Touching [Dotýkání] (2020).

The film follows different stages in the life of Sofía, a young girl born in Argentina of Chinese descent. From her childhood to her adulthood, she's conflicted by the clash and fusion of both her cultures, all while facing a strenuous relationship with her mother Jia, who places concerns and demands on her.

After years of traveling, Anyas parents have decided to return from Australia to their native France, and she has to attend a public school for the first time in her life. But normal everyday school life quickly causes problems for the girl. On the first day, she gets a shot with a soccer ball on the head. When no one wants to apologize for this, a violent argument immediately ensues. So she messed it up with the locals right from the start. Anya becomes an outsider, which doesn't even really bother her. But Zoé, Nils and Jade, who are also a bit different, take care of her. A new clique is formed. But the pretty outsider would prefer to be friends with Nathan, the school director's son. But he gives her the cold shoulder because it wouldn't be cool to be interested in girls in front of his buddies. Meanwhile, the girls hatch a plan to win their place in the schoolyard. A real fight ensues between the students. Now it's girls against boys. But how far can a dispute between children go?

Puberty is an ordeal and a joy. Children become adolescents: how do they react to this development? With the help of four different short films, the Brit Roger Lambert succeeds in wonderfully fathoming this important time. In "Split" (1974), a boy with behavioral difficulties tries to make life bearable with imaginary aliens. In "I Want To Be Famous" (1976), it's Steve, the youngest and smallest in his class, who creates a fantasy world for himself until his best friend Stuart, down-to-earth and clever, forces him to face reality. "Follow You Follow Me" (1979) observes the vulnerable friendship between two boys: shy Joseph and confident Peter. But Joseph's father is Peter's father's employer. With "A Seaside Story" (1986) we meet again two friends, this time they are seventeen, who are vacationing together at the sea: the self-confident Martin and Sam, the dreamer. At a beachfront guesthouse run by an eccentric lady, the two have an unforgettable time.

When Layla, a struggling Arab drag queen, falls in love for the first time, they lose and find themself in a transformative relationship that tests who they really are.

On her last night in town, a shy teenager sneaks out with her best friends to throw caution to the wind and confess her feelings to her longtime crush.

Santiago, a 20 year-old twink shaped by the anonymity of the virtual world, becomes frustrated with gay dating apps and starts obsessively looking for a real experience in the Buenos Aires nightlife.

When fourteen-year-old Naomi reunites with her estranged cousin, innocent curiosities lead to a night of drinking, debauchery, and betrayal in the shadows of a small Ohio factory town.