New East Digital Archive

7 days of New East cinema online

From 12-18 October, set on a journey across Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia through the lens of the region's independent filmmakers

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Waiting for the Sea

Set in the backdrop of the dried-up Aral Sea, this thought-provoking documentary addresses the impact of the ecological catastrophe on the fate of the people in that region and sparks hope for a creative renaissance.

Monday 12 October 2020
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HALF-SISTER

When estranged semi-siblings Irena and Neza start sharing an apartment in Ljubljana by force of circumstances, decades of bitter resentment arise.

Tuesday 13 October 2020
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MARIAM

A woman fights for survival in a remote village on the Kazakh Steppe after her husband disappears and is presumed dead.

Wednesday 14 October 2020
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HOTSHOT

After a drug-related accident, a rising pop star in Poland finds herself in a women’s prison where she is assigned the arduous task of running the prison choir.

Thursday 15 October 2020
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YOU HAVE THE NIGHT

After a shipyard in Montenegro is declared bankrupt, a devastating blow lands on the small town and the local community that depend on it.

Friday 16 October 2020
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PARADE

A criminal that just got out of prison, an inept painter, and a failed actor are the unlikely protagonists of Parade, a bittersweet comedy about friendship and past times.

Saturday 17 October 2020
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THE PIT

A beautiful mineral water pool by the Black Sea in Varna, lovingly called “the pit” by local residents, is a microcosmos that stands for an entire society.

Sunday 18 October 2020

ABOUT

The Calvert Journal Film Festival: 7 days of New East cinema online is a journey across Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia through the lens of the region’s independent filmmakers.

The festival will feature 7 films, screened online for free at calvertjournal.com from 12 to 18 October; each day a different film will be available for 24h.

Showcasing fiction and non-fiction features, including online premieres, with subjects ranging from environmental disaster and single motherhood to millennial struggles and generational disconnect, the festival’s programme goes beyond the mainstream billboard, creating a platform celebrating the diversity of cinematic perspectives of the region, from Slovenia to Kazakhstan.

Films

DAY ONE
Set in the backdrop of the dried-up Aral Sea, this thought-provoking documentary addresses the impact of the ecological catastrophe on the fate of the people in that region.

Set in the backdrop of the dried-up Aral Sea, this thought-provoking documentary addresses the impact of the ecological catastrophe on the fate of the people in that region.

Day Two
When estranged semi-siblings Irena and Neza start sharing an apartment in Ljubljana by force of circumstances, decades of bitter resentment arise.

When estranged semi-siblings Irena and Neza start sharing an apartment in Ljubljana by force of circumstances, decades of bitter resentment arise.

Day Three
A woman fights for survival in a remote village on the Kazakh Steppe after her husband disappears and is presumed dead.

A woman fights for survival in a remote village on the Kazakh Steppe after her husband disappears and is presumed dead.

Day Four
After a drug-related accident, a rising pop star in Poland finds herself in a women’s prison where she is assigned the arduous task of running the prison choir.

After a drug-related accident, a rising pop star in Poland finds herself in a women’s prison where she is assigned the arduous task of running the prison choir.

Day Five
After a shipyard in Montenegro is declared bankrupt, a devastating blow lands on the small town and the local community that depend on it.

After a shipyard in Montenegro is declared bankrupt, a devastating blow lands on the small town and the local community that depend on it.

Day Six
A criminal that just got out of prison, an inept painter, and a failed actor are the unlikely protagonists of Parade, a bittersweet comedy about friendship and past times.

A criminal that just got out of prison, an inept painter, and a failed actor are the unlikely protagonists of Parade, a bittersweet comedy about friendship and past times.

Day Seven
A beautiful mineral water pool by the Black Sea in Varna, lovingly called “the pit” by local residents, is a microcosmos that stands for an entire society.

A beautiful mineral water pool by the Black Sea in Varna, lovingly called “the pit” by local residents, is a microcosmos that stands for an entire society.

Supporting Events

WAITING FOR THE SEA
Interview with the Director: George Itzhak
12 October
19:00 GMT