The Parallel State

People on Saturday

August 2020 •German

A sunny Saturday afternoon in Zurich. In the middle of a crowded square a businessman is lying on a bench, seemingly asleep. Someplace else, a teenager is longing for appreciation. A commuter is fighting the ticket machine. The film shows ten tableaux of everyday situations in the city. The people in them are confronted with small or big problems. Each one of them is a Sisyphos, endlessly rolling the little stones of daily life up the mountain.

1978

August 2020 •Urdu

Pakistan, 1978. Lenny, a rockstar from the Christian community, is offered the chance to reinvent himself as a state-sanctioned singer. With Islamic fervor gripping the nation, he must decide if he can change along with the times.

Void

September 2018 •Burmese

A lonely and failed musician gets to know a young woman who lives in a next-door apartment, a victim of sexual and domestic abuse by her husband. On the anniversary of her mother's death, the woman shares a dish of fish soup with him and they spend some time together. The man knows about her victimhood and he feels sorry for her. One day when her husband is not at home, he comes and comforts her. But their relationships takes a different turn when her husband unexpectedly comes back.

Mishimasaiko

March 2016 •French

Mishima lives in the shadows surrounded by worms in his underground lair. Early one morning, he discovers a rose in the sun in which the beautiful Saiko awakens. Mishima will do everything he can to satisfy her needs. But worms are not supposed to live in the sun...

Yawth

September 2018 •Greek

Yawth is a story about the social media generation. On a typical Friday night Vicky wants to reach the party her crush is going to, but the night does not go as planned.

Shiba San and Meow Chan

September 2018 •Chinese

Shiba San and Meow Chan, a hit children's show in which the two brothers act a dog and a cat respectively, has been sweeping through kids and thus bringing fame to the two. Though radiant on stage, they both have something on their minds. Shiba san has been secretly in love with a married man, while Meow chan miss his remarried mother and it confused him when she abandoned him. An journey later on will lead the two strays to confront their emptiness inside.

The Blanket

August 2020 •English

Shot and crewed by Riley Stearns while in quarantine, and described as "an exercise in trusting instincts and embracing limitations."

Restart

September 2019 •Polish

Janek is a young medical intern who struggles with financial problems and doubts about his future. Although he has been working so hard, the day before his promotion he makes a risky decision that may change his life forever.

Vétérane

September 2017 •French

Camelia, an escort with a troubled past, is newly employed at an erotic massage parlour in eastern Montreal. Met coldly by her competitive new colleagues, she struggles to establish a clientele while maintaining her dignity.

HomeBound

July 2021 •English

​HomeBound is the story of Jamie Rockwell (Katie Vincent), a woman burdened by severe agoraphobia. After losing her therapy dog, she must muster the courage within, not only to find her dog, but ultimately, to find herself.

Get Closer

June 2020 •English

A boy finds a way to connect with his Father, who passed away when he was born, through a pair of headphones and a recorded tape.

Pistenzauber

July 2016 •German

Black comedy set in a ski resort. When a few rules are bent during a late night run with a snow groomer, things start to go terribly awry...

Women

September 2009 •

The bodies of women lying on the ground weave relationships around them, they breastfeed, they connect with the ground ... Carla Simón's first short, shot on 16 mm in the Californian forests. An experimental exercise that connects with the cinematographic avant-gardes of the early twentieth century.

The Ravens

January 1967 •German

The Ravens was the couple's first sand animation film and the prelude to a unique work.

The Slave's Sacrifice

March 1910 •Italian

Madly in love with her master Marcellus -- a love that is unrequited -- ancient Roman slave Syrra scorns the genuine affection of Affrus, a fellow slave.

I Have No Hold on You

March 2012 •English

A young couple's love is tested when Alex suddenly finds God and Sara discovers she might be pregnant.

The Boyfriend Game

September 2015 •English

In the privacy of the Australian bush, two best friends play “The Boyfriend Game” where they each invent their ideal imaginary males. Unfortunately, one of the girls seems to want the other girl’s fantasy more than her own.

Breath

October 2014 •English

A man is trying to right the wrongs of his past, and to be there for his child, when his father was never there for him.

Super

November 2012 •English

The main character, Albert, gets lost in the seductive world of pretty packages. When his frivolous fantasy turns into a nightmare he discovers a different world behind the facade of the supermarket.

Do Útero Ao Túmulo

December 2022 •Portuguese