GFF26: GAVAGAI

Australian premiere

From acclaimed director Ulrich Köhler (In My Room, Sleeping Sickness), this metacinematic drama stars Maren Eggert (I’m Your Man, Not a Word) and Jean-Christophe Folly (Triangle of Sadness) in a fascinating exploration of moral crises and social prejudices.

On the set of a modern movie adaptation of Medea in Senegal, Maja (Eggert) seeks solace in a love affair with her co-star Nourou (Folly). Embodying Jason and Medea on-screen, off-screen they tussle with the film’s anxious director (Nathalie Richard) on a shoot that is marked by conflicts and cultural misunderstandings.

Months later, Maja and Nourou meet again at the film’s premiere in Berlin. Old feelings resurface, but an incident unsettles their reunion and tensions begin to rise. While the ancient tragedy plays out on screen, a contemporary drama unfolds.

Referring to a philosophical thought experiment about translation and cultural context, Gavagai is a politically relevant and thought-provoking study of identity, privilege, racial tensions, filmmaking and power dynamics.

German, French, English, and Wolof with English subtitles

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