The Contes moraux follow a similar narrative pattern: a man who is already committed to a woman finds himself drawn to a second woman, leading to a moral crisis. The light-hearted, ironic La collectionneuse fits perfectly into this tradition and depicts temptation, jealousy and moral self-control, in which psychological games probe the boundaries between lust and self-deception.

The destructive nature of dementia has been a source of inspiration for many a filmmaker, but perhaps never quite as unvarnished, carnal and discomforting as in Lance Hammer’s Queen At Sea. Eighteen years after his lauded debut Ballast, the independent director returns with a gut-wrenching drama that questions our understanding of intimacy and sexuality, agency and care. In it, a family’s life is upended by the rapidly declining health of Leslie, a dementia-stricken artist. She’s tended to by both her husband and daughter, but the two caregivers butt heads over Leslie’s best interests. This deeply touching drama was awarded with the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the Berlinale.

In a village on the border between Lebanon and Syria, two women are forced to leave their home to help quell a blood feud in their community. They face an uncertain future, shaped by a legacy of revenge. This lyrical debut film, shot without a script and with a cast of untrained actors, incisively explores the role of women in times of tension and unspoken conflict.

In Een familie (A Family), Mees Peijnenburg explores how a painful divorce affects not only parents but also their children, sixteen-year-old Nina and fourteen-year-old Eli. Told from both siblings’ perspectives, the film reveals their struggle between anger, loyalty and the need to be seen. A nuanced family drama built on intimate moments rather than big emotional gestures.

Resisting all types of easy categorisation, Syrian director Rand Abou Fakher’s full length feature debut Why Do I See You In Everything? is a disorienting hybrid documentary that contrasts violence with tenderness, and displacement with belonging. A poetic plaint that proves home truly is where the heart is, by focusing on the shared history of two lifelong friends.

After her brother vanishes into the clutches of mysterious crows, Prue and classmate Curtis venture beyond Portland into Wildwood, a secret realm of magic, talking creatures and lurking threats. Their search collides with a ruler destroyed by grief. A dark fantasy turned into a visually dazzling adventure stop-motion animated film.

After the devastating plague epidemic, an English farmer refuses to accept the taxes he can no longer afford to pay. His resistance grows into a revolt that threatens to throw the entire country into turmoil. With Paul Greengrass, the director of the Jason Bourne trilogy, at the helm, you can expect plenty of hard-hitting action.