Ten-year-old Asalif and his mother have been displaced from their farmland on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the construction of a condominium. To fight back against those casting him out, Asalif taps into a fantasy of becoming his hero: the lion (“anbessa” in Amharic). Asalif uses his imagination to battle forces beyond his control. He must find the strength that resides in him in order to deal with the tides of change that are usurping a community, a country, and his own identity.
Anbessa Anbessa
Through an intimate coming-of-age story, Anbessa captures one boy taking on modernization on his own terms, revealing a unique and magical perspective on the myth of “progress”.
What's On
Sandbag Dam Zečji nasip
Čejen Černić
Sunday, 21. 06. 2026 / 17:00 / Main Hall
A story of forbidden love in the Croatian countryside, Sandbag Dam won the Kinotrip Youth Jury Award at Ljubljana International Film Festival (Liffe), as well as four awards at the Pula Film Festival.
The Wizard of the Kremlin Le mage du Kremlin
Olivier Assayas
Sunday, 21. 06. 2026 / 19:00 / Main Hall
Amid the chaos following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the young Vadim Baranov carves out his own path. He started out as an avant-garde artist, then became a reality TV producer, and ultimately ended up as a personal advisor to the up-and-coming KGB agent Vladimir Putin.
Nouvelle Vague Nouvelle Vague
Richard Linklater
Monday, 22. 06. 2026 / 17:45 / Main Hall
Shot in the style of its subject, i.e. in black and white and with little-known actors, Nouvelle Vague looks at the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s iconic debut film, Breathless.