Skip to main content

Leeds International Film Festival · 2024

Leeds International Film Festival 2024

Constellation

Programme

43 films · 22 reviews

Jump to a film

All Shall Be Well

Angie and Pat have been together for over four decades but after Pat's unexpected death, Angie finds herself at the mercy of Pat's family as she struggles to retain her dignity and the home that both had shared for over 30 years.

(Country: Hong Kong, China; Year: 2024; Director: Ray Yeung; Writer: Ray Yeung; Stars: Patra Au, Lin-Lin Li, Tai-Bo, So-Ying Hui, Chung-Hang Leung, Fish Liew, Rachel Leung, Lai Chai Ming, Li Lai Ha, Luna Shaw, Gia Yu Yuk Wah, Bonde Sham, Hon-Fai Ho, Michael Khan, Miles Sible)

Anora

Review preview for Anora

What isn't untrue is that Anora is brilliant.

Andrew Robertson · 4.5 out of 5
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: Sean Baker; Writer: Sean Baker; Stars: Mikey Madison, Yura Borisov, Ivy Wolk, Lindsey Normington, Karren Karagulian, Ross Brodar, Mark Eydelshteyn, Emily Weider, Alena Gurevich, Paul Weissman, Luna Sofía Miranda, Masha Zhak, Vache Tovmasyan, Charlton Lamar)

Betânia

After losing her husband, 65-year-old midwife Betânia is persuaded by her daughters to leave her remote village in a bid for a fresh start.

(Country: Brazil; Year: 2024; Director: Marcelo Botta; Writer: Marcelo Botta; Stars: Diana Mattos, Ulysses Azevedo, Nádia de Cássia, Caçula Rodrigues, Michelle Cabral, Tião Carvalho, Rosa Ewerton Jara, Vitão Santiago, Anouk Mulard, Tim Vidal, Caiçara Vibration)

Bird

Review preview for Bird

Amid all the deprivation Arnold, as is her style, uncovers elements that lift the action out of the ordinary and into the realms of fantasy and magical realism.

Richard Mowe · 3.5 out of 5
12-year-old Bailey lives with her single dad Bug and brother Hunter in a squat in North Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kids and Bailey who is approaching puberty seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.

(Country: UK, US, France, Germany; Year: 2024; Director: Andrea Arnold; Writer: Andrea Arnold; Stars: Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski, Nykiya Adams, James Nelson-Joyce, Jasmine Jobson, Rhys Yates, Joanne Matthews, Frankie Box, Dave)

Christmas Eve In Miller's Point

Review preview for Christmas Eve In Miller's Point

The camera drifts through it at a leisurely pace, back and forth, up and down, taking in different details one might when wandering around drunk or half asleep. From these, story and meaning gradually coalesce.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
A clan gathers for what could be their last Christmas together at their family home.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: Tyler Taormina; Writer: Eric Berger, Tyler Taormina; Stars: Michael Cera, Elsie Fisher, Maria Dizzia, Sawyer Spielberg, Ben Shenkman, Francesca Scorsese, Gregg Turkington, Lev Cameron, Gregory Falatek, Courtney Warner, Caveh Zahedi, Matilda Fleming, Leo Chan, Laura Wernette, Julianna Wohlrab)

La Cocina

It’s the lunch rush at The Grill in Manhattan, and money has gone missing from the till. All the undocumented cooks are being investigated, and Pedro is the prime suspect...

(Country: Mexico, US; Year: 2024; Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios; Writer: Alonso Ruizpalacios, Arnold Wesker; Stars: Rooney Mara, Oded Fehr, John Pyper-Ferguson, Laura Gómez, James Waterston, Spenser Granese, Finnerty Steeves, Raúl Briones, Kerry Ardra, Leo James Davis, Lee R Sellars, Motell Gyn Foster, Pía Laborde-Noguez, Anna Díaz, Eduardo Olmos)

The Code

Surveillance technologies reveal a singularly alien view of contemporary American life.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: Eugene Kotlyarenko; Stars: Peter Vack, Dasha Nekrasova)

Conclave

Review preview for Conclave

Director Edward Berger and his director of photography Stephane Fontaine have made every frame art.

Andrew Robertson · 4 out of 5
Drama surrounding the election of a new Pope.

(Country: UK, US; Year: 2024; Director: Edward Berger; Writer: Robert Harris, Peter Straughan; Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Brían F. O'Byrne, Merab Ninidze, Sergio Castellitto, Jacek Koman, Carlos Diehz, Joseph Mydell, Rony Kramer, Loris Loddi, Thomas Loibl, Jeremy Withrow)

Don't Cry, Butterfly

Surreal portrait of a middle-aged woman who finds out her husband is cheating on her.

(Country: Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines; Year: 2024; Director: Duong Dieu Linh; Writer: Duong Dieu Linh; Stars: Nguyen Nam Linh, Bui Thac Phong, Le Vu Long, Le Tu Oanh)

East Of Noon (Sharq 12)

Drama about a rebellious musician.

(Country: Egypt, Netherlands, Qatar; Year: 2024; Director: Hala Elkoussy; Writer: Hala Elkoussy; Stars: Ahmed Kamal, Menha Batraoui, Fayza Shama, Omar Rozek)

The Editorial Office (Redaktsiya)

Review preview for The Editorial Office

Even Kafkaesque ideas are subject to chaos.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
Satire sees a biologist mixed up in a web of fake news as he tries to reveal a story.

(Country: Ukraine; Year: 2024; Director: Roman Bondarchuk; Writer: Alla Tyutyunnyk, Dar'ya Averchenko, Roman Bondarchuk; Stars: Dmytro Bahnenko, Zhanna Ozirna, Rymma Ziubina, Andrii Kyrylchuk, Oleksandr Shmal)

The Fable

One day, Dev discovers trees have been burnt down in his orchard in the Indian Himalayas. Despite all his efforts, bigger and bigger fires break out, which ultimately leads to Dev having to face the truth about himself and his family.

(Country: India, US; Year: 2024; Director: Raam Reddy; Writer: Raam Reddy; Stars: Manoj Bajpayee, Priyanka Bose, Tillotama Shome, Deepak Dobriyal, Hiral Sidhu, Awan Pookot)

Familiar Touch

Review preview for Familiar Touch

The writer/director also zeroes in on the importance of physical contact for Ruth - something concrete in a world that is now full of things that she can’t always grasp.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
Follows an octogenarian woman’s transition to life in assisted living as she contends with her conflicting relationship to herself and her caregivers amidst her shifting memory, age identity, and desires.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: Sarah Friedland; Writer: Sarah Friedland; Stars: Kathleen Chalfant, Andy McQueen, Carolyn Michelle, H Jon Benjamin, Katelyn Nacon, Alison Martin, London Garcia, Joahn Webb, Sandy Velasco)

Flow (Straume)

Review preview for Flow

Cat’s viewpoint predominates, and Zilbalodis has an acute understanding of how the world looks from its point of view, of what catches its attention and how its body follows instinctively.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
An animated adventure about a group of animals who must work together to survive a catastrophe in a post-human world.

(Country: Latvia, Belgium, France; Year: 2024; Director: Gints Zilbalodis; Writer: Gints Zilbalodis, Matiss Kaza, Ron Dyens)

The Girl With The Needle (Pigen med nålen)

Review preview for The Girl With The Needle

Illusions are everywhere in this film.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
In Copenhagen in the aftermath of World War one, a young woman in desperate circumstances takes on a job which will lead her to still greater depths of despair.

(Country: Denmark; Year: 2024; Director: Magnus von Horn; Writer: Line Langebek Knudsen, Magnus von Horn; Stars: Vic Carmen Sonne, Trine Dyrholm, Besir Zeciri, Ava Knox Martin, Joachim Fjelstrup, Tessa Hoder, Søren Sætter-Lassen, Thomas Kirk, Dan Jakobsen, Anna Tulestedt, Ari Alexander, Benedikte Hansen, Per Thiim Thim, Peter Secher Schmidt, Agnieszka Przyborowska-Mitrosz)

Gloria!

Set in a girls' boarding school in Venice at the end of the 18th century, the film tells the story of a woman who creates an extraordinary piece of music.

(Country: Italy, Switzerland; Year: 2024; Director: Margherita Vicario; Writer: Anita Rivaroli, Margherita Vicario; Stars: Galatéa Bellugi, Carlotta Gamba, Veronica Lucchesi, Maria Vittoria Dallasta, Sara Mafodda, Paolo Rossi, Elio, Natalino Balasso, Anita Kravos, Vincenzo Crea, Jasmin Mattei, Gioele Pagura)

Good One

On a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam contends with the competing egos of her father and his oldest friend.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: India Donaldson; Writer: India Donaldson; Stars: James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy, Sumaya Bouhbal, Lily Collias)

Grand Tour

The travels of a civil servant after he runs away from his finacee.

(Country: Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, China; Year: 2024; Director: Miguel Gomes; Writer: Telmo Churro, Maureen Fazendeiro, Miguel Gomes, Mariana Ricardo, Babu Targino; Stars: Jani Zhao, Gonçalo Waddington, João Pedro Vaz, Teresa Madruga, Manuela Couto, Crista Alfaiate, Lang Khê Tran, Diogo Dória, Cláudio da Silva, Américo Silva, João Pedro Bénard, Jorge Andrade, Joana Bárcia, André Lourido, Giacomo Leone)

Hard Truths

Review preview for Hard Truths

It’s funny to begin with, watching Pansy rant with no filter, sharing her negative thoughts on everything from baby clothes with pockets to sofa salespeople, but gradually we realise just how close to the edge she is.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Life's a constant struggle for Pansy. Racked with physical and mental pain, her dealings with the world are channeled through anger and confrontation - only her sister understands and is able to help her.

(Country: UK, Spain; Year: 2024; Director: Mike Leigh; Writer: Mike Leigh; Stars: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Bryony Miller, Michele Austin, Llewella Gideon, David Webber, Tuwaine Barrett, Elliot Edusah, Tiwa Lade, Ani Nelson, Felicita Ramundo)

How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Lahn Mah)

Review preview for How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies

This kind of layered story construction is a difficult thing to pull off and it makes the film shine.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
A man quits work to care for his dying grandmother, motivated by her fortune. He schemes to win her favour before she passes.

(Country: Thailand; Year: 2024; Director: Pat Boonnitipat; Writer: Pat Boonnitipat, Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn; Stars: Putthipong Assaratanakul, Usha Seamkhum, Sanya Kunakorn, Sarinrat Thomas, Pongsatorn Jonwilas)

I'm Still Here (Ainda estou aqui)

Review preview for I'm Still Here

This is a tactile retelling, inviting us to imagine the sticky feel of Coca-Cola on hot skin in the sun or the heat of a sheepskin coat and the love that goes with it being passed from mum to daughter ahead of a trip abroad.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
Brazil, 1971: a country in the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family’s life is shattered by an act of arbitrary violence.

(Country: Brazil, France, Spain; Year: 2024; Director: Walter Salles; Writer: Murilo Hauser, Heitor Lorega, Marcelo Rubens Paiva; Stars: Brazil, 1971: a country in the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family's life is shattered by an act of arbitrary violence.)

Ivo

A palliative care nurse is compromised by her relationship.

(Country: Germany; Year: 2024; Director: Eva Trobisch; Writer: Eva Trobisch; Stars: Pia Hierzegger, Minna Wündrich, Lukas Turtur, Lilli Lacher, Johann Campean)

Julie Keeps Quiet (Julie zwijgt)

Review preview for Julie Keeps Quiet

The director shows how it’s not just Julie’s tennis skills that have been groomed by the coach but large aspects of her life.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
As the star player at an elite tennis academy, Julie’s life revolves around the game she loves. When her coach falls under investigation and is suddenly suspended, all of the club's players are encouraged to speak up. But Julie decides to keep quiet…

(Country: Belgium, Sweden; Year: 2024; Director: Leonardo van Dijl; Writer: Ruth Becquart, Leonardo van Dijl; Stars: Tessa Van den Broeck, Grace Biot, Alyssa Lorette, Ruth Becquart, Koen De Bouw, Pierre Gervais, Claire Bodson, Laurent Caron)

Layla

When Layla, a struggling Arab drag queen, falls in love for the first time, they lose and find themself in a transformative relationship that tests who they really are.

(Country: UK; Year: 2024; Director: Amrou Al-Kadhi; Writer: Amrou Al-Kadhi; Stars: Bilal Hasna, Louis Greatorex, Safiyya Ingar, Terique Jarrett, Darkwah, Sarah Agha, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, Emma McDonald, Buket Kömür, Adam Howden, Aetheria Angel, Smilla, Tim Bowie, Ali Barouti, Huw Morgan)

Loveable (Elskling)

Facing divorce, a woman reevaluates her life.

(Country: Norway; Year: 2024; Director: Lilja Ingolfsdottir; Writer: Lilja Ingolfsdottir; Stars: Helga Guren, Oddgeir Thune, Heidi Gjermundsen Broch, Marte Solem)

Matt And Mara

Mara, a young professor, is struggling with marital problems when she suddenly meets Matt, a man from her past, who wanders onto her university campus.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2024; Director: Kazik Radwanski; Writer: Kazik Radwanski; Stars: Matt Johnson, Simon Reynolds, Deragh Campbell, Georgia Tannis, Jim Phu, Alejandra Zapico, Cristina Paoletta, Kinshuk Dhingra, Linda Theresa Young, Jack Nguyen)

Memoir Of A Snail

Review preview for Memoir Of A Snail

Elliot time and again marries darkness and light, sweetness with sour to create a satisfying emotional umami.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
A woman recalls the series of unfortunate events that have made up her life so far.

(Country: Australia; Year: 2024; Director: Adam Elliot; Writer: Adam Eliot; Stars: Voiced by, Sarah Snook, Jacki Weaver, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tony Armstrong, Dominique Pinon, Eric Bana, Nick Cave)

Nickel Boys

Review preview for Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys is a tremendously daring film.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
The tale of two Black teenagers who become wards of a barbaric juvenile reformatory.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: RaMell Ross; Writer: RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes, based on the novel by, Colson Whitehead; Stars: Ethan Cole Sharp, Sam Malone, Najah Bradley, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jase Stidwell, Legacy Jones, Ethan Herisse, Jimmie Fails, Ky'druis Follins, Gabrielle Simone Johnson, Peter Gabb, Bill Martin Williams, Ellison Booker, Taraja Ramsess, Zachary Van Zandt)

Nightbitch

Review preview for Nightbitch

Nightbitch is of an ilk that is off-kilter. It is unreliable and unstable. It is visceral and dark. It is taxidermy and what I think are freezer potato pancakes.

Andrew Robertson · 4 out of 5
A woman pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mother, but soon her domesticity takes a surreal turn.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: Marielle Heller; Writer: Marielle Heller, Rachel Yoder; Stars: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Zoë Chao, Jessica Harper, Mary Holland, Kerry O'Malley, Ella Thomas, Laura Meadows, Roslyn Gentle, Michaela Baham, Stacey Swift, Michael Andrew Baker, Adrienne Rose White, Preston Galli, Garrett C. Phillips)

On Becoming A Guinea Fowl

Review preview for On Becoming A Guinea Fowl

Nyoni expertly controls her narrative so that it glides effortlessly between the reality of the funeral preparations to the more surreal psychological trauma Shula is working through.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Absurdist drama sees family secrets gradually revealed during the preparations for a funeral.

(Country: UK, Zambia, Ireland; Year: 2024; Director: Rungano Nyoni; Writer: Rungano Nyoni; Stars: Susan Chardy, Roy Chisha, Blessings Bhamjee, Chungu Bwalya, Maggie Mulubwa, Benson Mumba, Henry B.J. Phiri, Elizabeth Chisela, Doris Naulapwa, Mary Mulabo, Norah Mwansa, Hildah Mwanza, Febby Lungu, Gillian Sakala, Carol Natasha Mwale)

The Other Way Around (Volveréis)

Relationship comedy sees a couple through a gathering to celebrate their break-up.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2024; Director: Jonás Trueba; Writer: Jonás Trueba; Stars: Itsaso Arana, Vito Sanz)

Paul And Paulette Take A Bath

A young American in Paris meets a girl with a morbid curiosity for the darker sides of the city's history.

(Country: UK; Year: 2024; Director: Jethro Massey; Writer: Jethro Massey; Stars: Marie Benati, Jérémie Galiana, Fanny Cottençon, Gilles Graveleau, Laurence Vassiere)

Pierce (Cì Xīn Qiè Gŭ)

After being released from juvenile detention, where he served seven years for killing an opponent in a fencing match, a young man begins to train his brother for a national competition.

(Country: Singapore, Taiwan, Poland; Year: 2024; Director: Nelicia Low; Writer: Nelicia Low; Stars: Liu Hsiu-Fu, Tsao Yu-Ning, Ding Ning, Lin Tsu-Heng, Rosen)

A Real Pain

Review preview for A Real Pain

Eisenberg takes us through the entire journey in a brisk 90 minutes, but the film never feels rushed.

Jeremy Mathews · 4 out of 5
Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: Jesse Eisenberg; Writer: Jesse Eisenberg; Stars: Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Grey, Jesse Eisenberg, Will Sharpe, Ellora Torchia, Liza Sadovy, Kurt Egyiawan)

Rent Free

This freewheeling comedy follows down-on-their-luck Gen Z best friends Ben and Jordan as they mooch off of their friends’ and acquaintances’ hospitality, all while grappling with love, heartbreak and awkward flings.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: Fernando Andrés; Writer: Fernando Andrés, Tyler Rugh; Stars: Jacob Roberts, David Treviño, Zeke Goodman, Sarah J. Bartholomew, Temple Baker, Annabel O'Hagan, Jeff Kardesch, Frank Mosley, Kristin Slaysman, Bill Wise, Neal Mulani, Carson Barwinkel, Megan Bitchell, Macon Blair, Lorelei Linklater)

Rumours

Review preview for Rumours

The writing is sharp and succinct.

Richard Mowe · 4 out of 5
World leaders become stranded in the woods during a G7 summit.

(Country: Canada, Germany; Year: 2024; Director: Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Guy Maddin; Writer: Evan Johnson; Stars: Alicia Vikander, Cate Blanchett, Charles Dance, Takehiro Hira, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Denis Ménochet, Roy Dupuis, Zlatko Buric, Ralph Berkin, Rolando Ravello, Alexa Kennedy, Tomi Kosynus)

The Seed Of The Sacred Fig

Review preview for The Seed Of The Sacred Fig

Grittily compelling

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.

(Country: France, Germany, Iran; Year: 2024; Director: Mohammad Rasoulof; Writer: Mohammad Rasoulof; Stars: Soheila Golestani, Missagh Zareh, Setareh Maleki, Mahsa Rostami, Niousha Akhshi, Reza Akhlaghirad, Shiva Ordooie, Amineh Mazrouie Arani, Mohammad Kamal Alavi, Parisa Mohyedini, Barat Azimi)

Sex

Two chimney sweeps living in monogamous, heterosexual marriages both end up in situations that challenge their views on sexuality and gender roles.

(Country: Norway; Year: 2024; Director: Dag Johan Haugerud; Stars: Jan Gunnar Røise, Thorbjørn Harr, Siri Forberg, Birgitte Larsen)

Simon Of The Mountain (Simon de la montaña)

Review preview for Simon Of The Mountain

This playfully filmed coming-of-age narrative never loses its empathetic eye.

Sergiu Inizian · 3 out of 5
Simon is 21 years old. He introduces himself as a mover's helper. He claims not to know how to cook or clean the bathroom, but he does know how to make a bed. Recently, he seems to have become a different person…

(Country: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay; Year: 2024; Director: Federico Luis; Writer: Tomas Murphy, Federico Luis, Agustín Toscano; Stars: Lorenzo Ferro, Pehuen Pedre, Kiara Supini)

Stranger Eyes (Mo Shi Lu)

After the mysterious disappearance of their baby daughter, a young couple begins to receive strange videos, realising someone has been filming their daily life.

(Country: Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States; Year: 2024; Director: Siew Hua Yeo; Writer: Siew Hua Yeo)

Toxic

Review preview for Toxic

The imagery is almost dream-like, feverish and intense without straying away from reality.

Andy Stoeva · 4 out of 5
Two teenage girls, eager to escape from the bleakness of their industrial town, form an unexpected bond at a local modelling school that pushes their bodies to the limit.

(Country: Lithuania; Year: 2024; Director: Saulė Bliuvaitė; Writer: Saulė Bliuvaitė; Stars: Vesta Matulytė, Eglė Gabrėnaitė, Ieva Rupeikaitė, Giedrius Savickas)

Universal Language

Multilayered film that interweaves a story about a group of people trying to get frozen money out of the ice, a tale of a tour guide and a man who quits his job to visit his mother.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2024; Director: Matthew Rankin; Writer: Ila Firouzabadi, Pirouz Nemati, Matthew Rankin; Stars: Matthew Rankin, Mani Soleymanlou, Danielle Fichaud, Pirouz Nemati, Sobhan Javadi, Saba Vahedyousefi, Rojina Esmaeili)

When The Light Breaks

Review preview for When The Light Breaks

Beyond the dark loneliness of grief, is the soft light of a shared mourning.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
From one sunset to another, Una, a young art student encounters love, friendship, sorrow and beauty.

(Country: Iceland, Netherlands, Croatia, France; Year: 2024; Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson; Writer: Rúnar Rúnarsson; Stars: Elín Hall, Katla Njálsdóttir, Mikael Kaaber, Ágúst Wigum, Gunnar Hrafn Kristjánsson, Baldur Einarsson)