Films I saw at MIFF 2023

Three mischievous children embark on a woodland odyssey when their mother sends them on an errand.

A humorous and heart-warming coming of age story unfolds when a cast of neurodiverse teenagers confront their own challenges, dreams and desires as they prepare for their first high school musical.

Hirayama cleans public toilets in Tokyo, lives his life in simplicity and daily tranquility. Some encounters also lead him to reflect on himself.

As her world is shrouded in darkness, a young girl must overcome her fears and travel to a mysterious city of light, save her father from a dangerous scientist and prevent the destruction of her planet.

An intimate coming of age story of a pregnant single mother who embraces her Bay Area community as she determines the fate of her family.

A mother demands answers from her son's teacher when her son begins acting strangely.

The adventures and misfortunes of Dog and Robot in New York City during the 1980s.

Set in China in the 1990s, takes a look at youth featuring a group of art students.

Gary Young, drummer for indie-rock icons Pavement, injected a wild-card unpredictability into the band's breakthrough, lo-fi sound. But those same gonzo impulses derailed his rock star dream.

A crew of environmental activists plot a daring plan to disrupt an oil pipeline.

When Lynn discovers that she is pregnant, finishing her studies as a flight attendant is called into question. Not wanting to have an abortion and hide her pregnancy from her absent boyfriend, Lynn hopes to give the child away at birth.

Described as an experimental and genre-defying drama shot entirely on sound stages in support of a film-within-a-film narrative.

The ethereally beautiful Vicky recalls her romances with Hao Hao and Jack in the neon-lit clubs of Taipei.

Follows a trio of young, Bay Area urbanites - Ben Tanaka, Miko Hayashi and Alice Lee -as they navigate a range of interpersonal relationships while traversing the country in search of the ideal connection.

Georgie, a dreamy 12-year-old girl, lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Suddenly, her estranged father turns up and forces her to confront reality.

Sam, a stand-up comedian struggling with PTSD, weighs whether or not to join the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny.

The heart of a raging forest fire in northeastern Siberia, brought on by climate change. Left to their own fate, the villagers join forces.

Petty crooks Mehdi and Hamid travel through remote areas of Morocco to recover loans for their agency from villagers. Their usual day takes a turn when they meet a highwayman.

A headstrong journalist whose investigative podcast uncovers a strange artifact, an alien conspiracy, and the lies at the heart of her own story.

Rosa, an Indigenous girl on Chiloé Island, seeks justice after her father is attacked by the farm foreman. She turns to a powerful sorcerers' organization, led by their king, for help in the late 19th century.

A young couple living in a barren, post-apocalyptic Budapest in the year 2123, struggle for food and life.

Anselm Kiefer is one of the greatest contemporary artists. His past and present diffuse the line between film and painting, thus giving a unique cinematic experience that dives deep into an artist's work and reveals his life path.

A time-traveling tale of a woman living in the Peninsular Malaysian east coast, who gets entangled with a man in a dangerous dance of duplicity and deception.

Follows Anne, a brilliant lawyer who lives with her husband Pierre and their daughters. Anne gradually engages in a passionate relationship with Theo, Pierre's son from a previous marriage, putting her career and family life in danger.