Silent Sun of Russia 2023

Alyona, Alika and Katya dream of love and friendship, but most of all of leaving Putin’s Russia. When the war against Ukraine breaks out, it becomes harder for the three young women to leave the vast country in the East, but also even more unbearable to stay. So one has left for Georgia, another for Spain, while the third stays behind in Russia. Their generation does not believe that political engagement changes anything. Instead, they show their resistance by living a modern and more Western life, where gender, sexuality, pop music and identity issues are vital. Set at night in cars, apartments and backyards, Sybilla Tuxen’s dark and artistically uncompromising debut film tells the story of a rebellious yet resigned section of Russian youth on the fringes of established society.

Thanks for Your Service 2023

When director Carina Randlov’s father retired, it happened without trumpet fanfare. In fact, he was financially screwed and got no goodbyes or thank yous on the way out. Retirement is a huge change in one’s life, identity and self-perception – and these are exactly the three things Randløv sets out to explore. From a warm, anthropological angle, she talks to a large cast of ordinary people about their experience of the transition to a retired life. And if there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s that recognition outweighs cold hard cash. And when recognition costs no one anything, why should it really be so hard to pass on?

En Dans For Livet 2021