Locarno Festival: Romanian Film Leads Subjective Awards

The international competition at the 79th Locarno Film Festival wrapped up Friday, with 17 feature films now eligible for the Golden Leopard award. While the festival's main competition offered a mix of auteur films, some of which were described as "inconsistent" and "hollow," several standout works have garnered attention. Romanian filmmaker Florin Șerban's "You Don't Belong Here" is singled out for its striking form, characteristic of the "new Romanian cinema" with its fixed shots and lengthy discussions, and its compelling subject matter, the story of a doctor's son who killed an old Roma man in a nighttime raid. The film is lauded for being both visually dazzling and intellectually engaging. Also receiving high praise are Sarah Leonor's "D’ici là," which deeply moved audiences with its three stories filmed in the Vosges forest, and Lê Bảo's "Hearing," captivating viewers with its hypnotic images of the Vietnamese countryside. These three films lead "Le Temps'" subjective awards, reflecting a strong showing of artistic merit amidst a varied competition.