Around the World in 14 Films: Globetrotting Kino

EO. *Photo: Aneta Gebska and Filip Gebski*

Mapping the world of contemporary cinema in one clean sweep, Around the World in 14 Films have trotted the globe and put in the hard hours at the Kino. The result is a perfect round-up of the year on-screen, packaged up and presented in a stunningly curated programme. Sprinkled with circuit picks from the likes of Cannes, Venice and Berlinale, the festival cuts the fat and gives you a slender, cultured and fun affair.

This year, perhaps because of the backlog of cinema releases and the post-covid industry catch-up, it’s awash with strong films: kicking things off is French director Mia Hansen-Løve’s critically acclaimed One Fine Morning. A blazing trail of cinema heavyweights follows, with special sections focusing on Iranian cinema, Asian masters and spotlights from the Berlinale.

But how on earth do you choose the highlights among the highlights? Our advice: go and see as many as possible! And if you can’t, catch Martin McDonagh’s existential black tragicom, The Banshees of Inisherin, starring Brendon Gleeson and Colin Farrell. This spiritual follow-up to the director’s last cult outing with the pair, In Bruges, will undoubtedly be one of the films of 2023. Others not to be missed: Park Chan-Woo’s A Decision to Leave; Christina Tynkevych’s How is Katia? and Cristian Mungiu’s R.M.N.