A competition that highlights experimental cinema — showcasing feature films and short films that push the boundaries of genre and form, in search of a deeper dialogue about the world.
We watched several films, each inviting us to embrace a unique vision and new ways of storytelling. The festival opened with Une Langue Universelle – UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE by Canadian director Matthew Rankin (Canada, 2024, 89’).
One standout was the short film *Light in Darkness*, which surprised us not only for its sensitivity but also because its young filmmaker, **Mariana Santana**, revealed that it took her four years to complete — a work developed during a train journey along the Douro River.
Universal Language explores themes such as communication, identity, and the linguistic and universal barriers to understanding.
The film imagines a version of Canada (excluding Quebec) culturally intertwined with Iran, presented through a series of seemingly unrelated vignettes:
– Two girls trying to pull a banknote frozen to the snowy ground
– A group of tourists on a guided tour
– An unemployed man searching for his mother
A creative fable, the film raises essential questions about communication and connection, proposing the idea of a common language that could dissolve the barriers between people.
Historically, there were many discussions about adopting a universal language — Esperanto — though it was never widely accepted; instead, English became the dominant global tongue.
Visually, the film is set in a bleak, snow-covered landscape. Its pace is slow and contemplative, demanding that viewers adapt — both to the rhythm and to the authenticity of its often shadowy characters.
The festival will conclude with the Chinese film *Caught by the Tides*, closing a program that features over 200 films.
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