“What’s in a name,” asked William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet. It is everything, nothing, but above all, deeply personal. The films here are named after their main character, inviting us to know them in complex, multi-faceted portrayals. 

Family ties are explored in Richard (what’s behind the memories of our parents?) and Eva (what are the roots of motherhood?). Pubert Jimbob may be the quirkiest name ever for a character, but it’s nothing compared to a world where lumps have a mouth and people have no face. 

The name Leela is the stuff dreams of freedom are made of when your world oppresses you. Claudia (Working Title) interrogates the ethics of filmmaking when it reifies an actress in the process. And Suleyman can be hailed as a modern anti-hero in the underbelly of Paris. Expect films filled with secrets and dilemmas. Say their names!  

Foreword by the programme curator: Deeply personal stories that will make you wonder what secrets and dilemmas lie behind those names.