Event description
Sisters Liepa and Rugsėja and their photographer mother, Šyla, live in their own little world of their own making, full of art, strange costumes and aquarium earthworms. Teenagers have their own language, signals and rules about what they can and cannot do. They are never the same: Rugsėja - combative, unstable, always ready to defend the school bully Liepāja - naïve but open to the world and new experiences. When September is suspended from school, Liepa slowly begins to explore the limits of her independence. Tensions mount as the whole family moves to an old holiday home in Ireland, where Liepa will have to answer the question of how far she is willing to go and what she will sacrifice in order to maintain her special bond with her sister.
Directed by Greek-French actress Ariane Labed, the film's career began with memorable roles in uncomfortable, darkly humorous and absurdist films directed by her husband Yorgos Lanthimos and Athina Rachel Tsangari. "September Says is her directorial debut as a feature film director, based on Daisy Johnson's contemporary gothic novel Sisters, where she gently flirts with the tropes of the Greek 'Weird Wave' films, but also offers a unique insight into the complex microcosm of the family, where love is inextricably linked to power games and manipulation, and where independence comes at a very high price. The film premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival under the title "A Special Look".
This film is part of the TYRA FORCE programme
The films in this programme are about people with open and sensitive souls. They may be overlooked, but they are the real heroes of everyday life. They are haunted by the traumatic effects of war, they are called "different", but they are the great humanitarians who are able to see in others, even if only a sliver, of humanity. These sensitive films are made by young directors who are pure souls untainted by the film industry.
Translated by Jurga Vilė.