Revenge and forgiveness belong to three Mexican boys intent on organizing their retaliation in the film A cielo abierto - Upon Open Sky by directors Mariana Arriaga and Santiago Arriaga presented at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.

The popular Japanese writer Murakami Haruki collaborated with the emerging director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi in the film Aku wa sonzai shinai - Evil Does Not Exist, presented at the 80th Venice International Film Festival. Is there a communion between the spiritual genre and magical naturalism in the film?

In a small village in a mountainous area of Japan, life proceeds peacefully, outwardly happy, with strong human relationships, sincere friendship, simple gestures, healthy food, very fresh water. Around there is an intense, vigorous nature, snow, trees, streams. Inhabitants and nature coexist peacefully, without attacking each other.

Surrogacy is therefore a clash between poor and rich, between exploited and exploiters, a ruthless class conflict. These arguments are used metaphorically and realistically by director Karan Tejpal in the film Stolen, presented at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, to narrate the civil division of India: “There are two disparate Indias.”

Flying is a human chimera from epic times starting from the story of Daedalus and Icarus.

Even in Tunisia there is a desire to fly. The country is in full economic and political chaos. To escape, a Tunisian must look at the sea, or look at the sky.

Rafik, the protagonist of the film Oura el jbel - Behind the Mountains by Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia reverses the role of the myth of Daedalus and Icarus. Rafik is his father, and he wants to fly beyond the law of gravity, even involving his son, who would instead like to escape.

The film was presented at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, with the co-production of Jean Pierre and Luc Dardenne.

How many wars has the United States of America fought, provoked and unleashed?

How many coups did he organize? How many enemies are dead, wounded, mutilated, tortured?

The answer of director Ibrahim Nash'at, in his documentary Hollywoodgate, is certain: it was the ruthless Afghans who attacked the United States. Did American soldiers only defend their homeland by building the first defensive line 11,925 kilometers from home?

Hollywoodgate was presented at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.

At the end of the Second World War, the destruction of Japan, after the dropping of the two atomic bombs, had reached its peak. It wasn't just a humanitarian catastrophe. It wasn't just the material devastation of the country.

Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto proposes, with his cruel and exaggerated style, an original vision of the era and above all launches yet another anti-militarist arrow into international cinema.

At the 80th Venice International Film Festival he presented the film Hokage - Shadow of Fire, shocking for the simple representation of a pain that is still present and needs to be processed, even though many years have passed.

The Mongolia of Dschurukuwaa is changing, perhaps slowly but surely. The new Mongolia is narrated with affection and passion by the Mongolian director Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir in the film Ser ser salhi – City of Wind – City of the Wind, presented at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.

In Turkey, in the 1920s, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, an army officer, unleashed the challenge to the decadent Ottoman Empire from Anatolia. His motivation was no longer religious. His principles were secularism, patriotism, and the Westernisation of society. With his victory, Turkey became a Muslim country with a lay leader. The two factions regularly faced in violent confrontations. A dynamic Muslim opposition opposed the Kemalist republic. There were numerous revolts, such as those of the dervishes and other brotherhoods.

In 1996, this competition was won by the secular. They dominated schools. In educational institutions, young religious people were viewed with repulsion. It is the historical period of the film Yurt – Dormitory by director Nehir Tuna presented at the 80th Venice Film Festival.

Reviews, news and analysis from 80 Venice International Film Festival, Venice, 30.08 - 09.09 2023

A selection of the most important films from the popcinema.org editorial team.