Four tips for Leiden International Film Festival
Eleven days, 100 films, various unique locations transformed into temporary cinemas. From 26 October until 5 November it’s once again time for the Leiden International Film Festival (LIFF). So which of these films are an absolute must for students and staff of Leiden Law School? An overview of our four tips for this year’s LIFF (tickets on sale from 12 October):
1. Property
When a wealthy family fires the workers on their estate en masse, years of pent-up anger are unleashed. Landowner Teresa narrowly manages to lock herself inside her armored car. The car shields her from the raging crowd, but also keeps her trapped. As the clock is ticking, tension rises, leading to a thunderous climax. Dark music, sound design, special effects, thrilling visuals, and brilliant acting come together seamlessly in this film. In this impressive Brazilian production, director Daniel Bandeira warns about the risks that arise when the gap between the poor and the rich becomes insurmountable.
2. Starring Jerry As Himself
Is it real? Is it fiction? It’s simply the story of Jerry and his family. Jerry (played by Jerry) is a Taiwanese immigrant, now retired and living in Florida, who one day receives a secret mission from the Chinese police. The further Jerry gets entangled in his mission, the clearer it becomes that there is something else at play here. In addition to Jerry's experiences, director Law Chen manages to highlight themes like immigration and parent-child relationships beautifully.
3. Scrapper
After her mother passes, 12-year-old Georgie continues to live alone in their London flat. Her days are filled with magic, keeping social workers off her back and making money off stolen bikes. She is doing perfectly fine until her father, from whom she is completely estranged, suddenly shows up. Why is this unknown and, according to Georgie, unsuitable man suddenly taking an interest in her when she is doing just fine on her own?
4. The Old Oak
The owner of ‘The Old Oak’ – the last pub in a small mining community in the North of England – is trying to run and maintain his pub while tensions rise in the community after the arrival of Syrian refugees. The master of social criticism, Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake), once again presents an utterly sincere film that plays on contemporary socio-economic issues and the unexpected connections that can develop when we join hands and face those issues together.
More information and tickets
Would you like more information about these, and the huge range of other films that together make up this year’s LIFF? Check out their website and get your tickets!
This article was written in collaboration with LIFF.