In Green Sea by Greek director Angeliki Antoniou, a woman who has lost her memory struggles to recall her past and starts a new life while cooking simple yet delicious food for workers in a run-down seaside tavern.

The debut feature by Kosovo-born Blerta Basholli won three awards at Sundance 2021. Its inspiration is real-life beekeeper Fahrije Hoti. Seven years after Fahrije's husband went missing in the Kosovo war, she is struggling to provide for her children. Her plan to establish a women's co-op and sell ajvar (pepper relish) is met with scorn by men in her village. A woman's morals can be questioned for even the slightest show of independence. But Fahrije is no ordinary woman. Basholli's lean, punchy script and Yllka Gashi's superbly controlled central performance bring the legacy of war and the strength of women into sharp and rewarding focus.

The slalom - a winding, downhill ski race - is where 15-year-old Lyz feels most at home. Her talent at skiing is matched by a hunger to win, a quality quickly noticed by her infamously severe ski coach. As Lyz settles into an elite team of athletes, Slalom shifts from a sports drama to an urgent depiction of the ways in which powerful people can exploit their impressionable and ambitious charges. Reminiscent of Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank, Charlène Favier handles the themes of this #MeToo drama with a searing frankness, reflecting Lyz's emotional tumult in the lonely vistas of the French Alps.

Nico is breezing through an idyllic Berlin summer, spending her days bantering with her geriatric patients and partying with best friend Rosa. But her easy-going attitude is shattered when she experiences a violent hate crime. Director Eline Gehring's sensitive debut delicately navigates the intricacies of trauma as Nico's former relationships decline. Nico begins seeking comfort in a rigorous karate class, and a budding romance with a pretty carnival worker. Sara Fazilat, who also co-writes, gives a dynamic performance in the titular role, fully embodying a woman fighting for strength in a hostile society.

Hannele Korhonen, a brilliant Finnish scientist, takes on a multimillion-dollar three-year project funded by the United Arab Emirates, to make rain in the desert. Korhonen sees it as an opportunity to further her research into clouds and their behaviour, and to bring about the seemingly impossible. But creating artificial rain may have unforeseen and unwelcome impacts. It soon becomes clear that her sponsors have their own agenda. Caught in a fiendish dilemma between research, finance, politics and ecosystems, Korhonen's integrity is at risk. A fascinating and highly topical documentary.

Isabel Lamberti's acclaimed short film Volando voy (2015) followed the life of David Gabarre Jiménez, a resident of Madrid's Cañada Real shantytown. In Lamberti's first feature film Gabarre Jiménez returns with members of his extended family to recreate the ordeal of being evicted from their homes. This incredibly well acted and sharply edited exercise in docu-fiction captures the painful transition of a loving family and the fracturing of a tight-knit community. Last Days of Spring offers a memorable glimpse into a way of life rarely seen on screen.

Across Europe's seas marine life is under pressure from pollution and violent weather fuelled by climate change. Winter is approaching and severe storms are forecast. Volunteers work around the clock to rescue exhausted and injured seals, dolphins and other coastal wildlife. The animals gaze at their rescuers with fear and trepidation, inching away from helping hands, as they undergo rehabilitation. In poetic images, From the Wild Sea captures this troubling scenario, a collision between society and the environment. Robin Petré's debut documentary premiered in the 2021 Berlinale.

The sensitive story of Mario (Thomas Prenn, Biohackers), a restless young dancer from a conservative village whose best friend Lenz (Noah Saavedra, And Tomorrow the Entire World) is killed in an attack on a gay bar in Rome. When tragedy strikes, Mario is forced to return to his narrow-minded South Tyrolean community. Romen's screenplay casts an eye on survivor guilt, homophobia and intolerance as Mario's search for answers leads to a chance reunion with Muslim friend Nadim (Josef Mohamed). Winner of the Golden Eye Award (Focus Competition) at Zurich 2020, Why Not You tackles timely issues and packs plenty of punch.

Nineteen-year-old Bella Cherry arrives in LA with one goal - to be the next big name in adult film. What she finds is a world of simmering rivalry and loose regulations. Ninja Thyberg demythologises porn through an honest, scrupulous gaze - moments of abuse and exploitation sit alongside gems of genuine friendship and professionalism. This sense of authenticity is heightened by a cast featuring real-life adult film stars and agents. Confident, explicit and propulsive, Pleasure gives voice to an ambitious and unapologetic heroine, and reveals the realities of a cutthroat, male-dominated industry.

An 18-year-old woman is killed by a bullet intended for her father. It is the tragic outcome of a bitter family feud. Her father's cousin is found guilty by Albania's judicial system and is serving a jail term for her murder. However, under the country's ancient code of law (the Kanun), her father is entitled to take blood revenge. Religious and legal authorities, each with their own agenda, try to sway his decision. Marija Zidar's epic documentary was filmed over five years in Albania's mountainous north - a place stuck obstinately in a patriarchal past.