European Film Promotion (EFP) is thrilled to welcome the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) as newest global partner for its EUROPE! VOICES OF WOMEN+ IN FILM programme, joining thefestivals of Sydney and Rio. As part of this new collaboration, a curated selection of 14 European films by women directors, officially selected by BIFF, is being highlighted through the EUROPE! VOICES OF WOMEN+ IN FILM label, giving increased visibility to diverse and powerful perspectives.
In a paediatric hospital ward, head nurse Lucie struggles to maintain the fragile bond between four-year-old Adam and his mother, despite court restrictions on her visits. Belgian director Laura Wandel’s Adam’s Sake (Belgium, France) is an intense, intimate drama that blends social realism with the tension of a psychological thriller.
The Currents (Switzerland, Argentina), directed by Milagros Mumenthaler, tells the story of Lina, a 34-year-old Argentine stylist and designer at the height of her career. After impulsively jumping into icy waters following an awards ceremony in Switzerland, she returns to Buenos Aires changed. This quiet, invisible shift slowly unravels a past she believed was behind her.
Don't Let the Sun (Switzerland, Italy), Jacqueline Zünd’s first fiction feature after her acclaimed documentaries, unfolds in a bleak, futuristic city plagued by relentless heat. Jonah, a 28-year-old, offers comfort to strangers but finds his life unraveling when nine-year-old Nika begins to see him as a father figure. The film delicately explores themes of isolation, human connection, and hope against the backdrop of the climate crisis.
Award-winning director Agnieszka Holland’s Franz (Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, Turkey) is a biopic of Czech writer Franz Kafka, tracing his life from 19th-century Prague to post-World War I Vienna. Played by German actor Idan Weiss, Kafka navigates his literary passion and family responsibilities in a conservative society. The film skillfully merges realism and fantasy, revealing Kafka’s complex personality.
God Will Not Help (Croatia, Italy, Romania, Greece, France, Slovenia) by Hana Jušić is set in the early 20th century in an isolated mountain community of Croatian shepherds. Teresa, a Chilean woman claiming to be the widow of a local shepherd who died in a mining accident, arrives and disrupts the rigid social order. Her presence brings unrest but also inspires the women in the community by challenging traditional roles and notions of freedom.
Trapped on her family’s Polish farm, 20-year-old Nawojka dreams of escape while battling trance-like episodes and mysterious powers linked to her late mother. When the free-spirited Sandra arrives, Nawojka’s world begins to unravel, revealing a complex story of women’s bodies, desires, and the struggle for freedom. With Her Will Be Done (France, Poland), director Julia Kowalski blends elements of fantasy, horror, and documentary into a visceral exploration of identity and femininity.
Set in Catalonia in 2004, Romería (Spain, Germany) follows 18-year-old Marina, an orphan who must seek the approval of paternal grandparents she has never met to secure a scholarship. Navigating a large, reserved family with unspoken wounds and silent rules, Marina uncovers buried emotions and pieces together the fragmented memories of her late father. Director Carla Simón captures this intimate journey with a delicate gaze.
During the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Blandine, a 30-year-old woman from Normandy, navigates the city’s vibrant, chaotic atmosphere while reconnecting with family and herself. In her debut feature That Summer in Paris (France), director Valentine Cadic blends humor, fairy-tale touches, and social reflection to create a tender and offbeat urban coming-of-age story.
Across a century, four girls—Alma, Erika, Angelika, and Lenka—live out their youth on the same remote farm in eastern Germany. Though separated by time, their lives mirror one another in uncanny ways. With Sound of Falling (Germany), German director Mascha Schilinski delivers a haunting, visually precise meditation on generational trauma, patriarchal legacy, and the quiet weight of memory.
In Sweetheart (Italy), a rebellious boy from a hyper-connected world is sent to spend the summer with his devout, tech-averse great-aunt in rural Sicily. What begins as a clash of worlds — modernity vs. tradition, reason vs. belief — slowly transforms into an unexpected bond. With warmth and quiet depth, Italian director Margherita Spampinato tells a story shaped by loss, discovery, and the power of unlikely companionship.
Silent Friend (Germany, Hungary, France) directed by acclaimed Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi, is a poetic story spanning nearly a century, centered on a majestic Ginkgo biloba tree in a German university botanical garden. The film weaves together three interconnected stories from 1908, 1972, and 2020, exploring the lives of women and scientists linked through nature and plants.
In Trieste, 2007, the arrival of Fred — an adventurous 17-year-old Swedish gir l— shakes up the balance in an all-boys technical school. Drawn to her boldness, three lifelong friends each navigate desire, jealousy, and loyalty as their tight-knit bond begins to unravel. With A Year of School (Italy, France), director Laura Samani reimagines Giani Stuparich’s classic novel as a modern story about friendship, identity, and the cost of belonging.
Also selected for BIFF are The Little Sister by Hafsia Herzi (France, Belgium) and Alpha by Julia Ducournau (France, Germany), completing the diverse lineup of European films by women directors featured at the festival.
Seo Seunghee, BIFF Programmer in charge of European selections, stated, "We are truly delighted and grateful to collaborate with EFP on the VOICES OF WOMEN+ IN FILM program at the Busan International Film Festival. This year, more European filmmakers, actors, and producers than ever before — including the renowned master Marco Bellocchio — are joining us in Busan. In particular, we are deeply honored to witness the significantly increased participation of European women filmmakers, each bringing their own unique voice and vision."
“We are excited to see our initiative presented in this format for the first time in Busan. We want to spark a conversation between European and Asian filmmakers and Busan audiences on this important topic in close collaboration with the festival team. The selected European films touch on profoundly human experiences — ranging from personal and collective trauma to coming-of-age subjects, concerns about the future, and the burden of memory — while showcasing artistic visions from across Europe,” says EFP’s Managing Director Sonja Heinen.
Six directors — Margherita Spampinato (Sweetheart), Laura Samani (A Year of School), Julia Kowalski (Her Will Be Done), Valentine Cadic (That Summer in Paris), Jacqueline Zünd (Don’t Let the Sun), and Laura Wandel (Adam’s Sake) — are confirmed to attend the Busan International Film Festival in person to present their films and engage with the audience. In addition, BIFF and EFP are co-hosting a networking get-together for the European filmmakers and convening a panel that brings them together with their Asian and Korean counterparts to exchange perspectives on how the unique position of being a woman director can have a positive impact on creative work.
EUROPE! VOICES OF WOMEN+ IN FILM, in collaboration with the Sydney Film Festival, the Busan International Film Festival and the Festival do Rio is made possible thanks to the support of Creative Europe – the MEDIA Programme of the European Union. The national film promotion institutes supporting this year's edition at BIFF are: Cinecittà (Italy), Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Czech Film Center, German Films, Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales/ ICAA (Spain), SWISS FILMS, Unifrance and Wallonie Bruxelles Images. Cineuropa is the programme’s media partner.
