Somewhere in France during the Middle Ages. Béatrice is impatient to see her father return from English captivity. She doesn't expect however that the father whom she loves from distance will be the most hateful person who will submit her and her family to abuse and humiliation.
Alfredo is a crude Roman motorcycle repairman who is a friend of Count Max, a gentleman and ex-pleasure lover. The latter invites Alfredo to his residence in Campo dei Fiori and teaches him etiquette, French and how to play poker. The laughter will begin when Alfredo meets and chases the beautiful model Isabell Bellissima in Paris.
In the not-too-distant future Berlin is shocked by a series of spectacular suicides; a policeman's investigations lead him to a beautiful, enigmatic woman and the revelation of a sinister plot to manipulate the population through mass hypnosis.
A half English, half French screenwriter visits her parents on the Riviera after her father's heart surgery. Once there, she begins to connect with him in a way she never did before, as each member of the family tries to cope with his imminent death.
The comedy in this lively film barely conceals its darker, more serious undertones as it chronicles a young Algerian's eye-opening introduction to the joys and travails of being an immigrant in Paris. Alilo has left his home to pick up an important suitcase for his employer. Unfortunately, he has lost the Parisian address. Fortunately, his cousin Mok, emigrated there several years before with his middle-class family before and is able to act as a guide. Mok, an aspiring rap singer, comes from a middle-class family, but chooses to live on his own in the dilapidated deteriorating 18th district, known as 'Moskova.' Mok characterizes the place as a haven for artists and intellectuals, but it is plainly just a Third World slum filled with tightly knit and colorful neighbors. Mok and Alilo have many interesting, some tragedy-tinged adventures over the five days it takes them to find the suitcase.
Venice. March 1735. The carnival is in full swing Everybody's happy mood and the lively streets are filled with musicians, mimes, clowns and acrobats of pickpockets who practice their craft each, displaying a colorful rainbow and sounds. At every corner, there is something going on that should not be missed - especially if it's something forbidden. However, some people are concerned about something else. One is Carlo Goldoni young lawyer of 27 years, he dreams only theater and he thinks only the part that wants to ride. Alas, the money was also hard to find at that time than now. His two friends, Antonio Vivaldi and Gian Battista Tiepolo are better known than him but they are also looking for this rare bird: a patron, who was not on ONLY the desire but also the means to sponsor a work of art.
Nightclub musician Sebastian, discovers one evening with surprise that he is supposedly the grandfather of a boy with the same name as him.
A Mediterranean scrubland. The relentless noise of crickets. In the distance a highway and the procession of lorries travelling through the countryside at top speed. Among the green oaks and thorn bushes the construction of a leisure Centre is nearing completion. On the other side, from the building workers' prefabs can be heard the happy chaos of children shouting, families getting together and Ramadan celebrations. Moving incessantly between the two, are Fabienne, daughter of the manageress of the Centre, and Latifa, daughter of one of the workers. Fabienne and Latifa are friends, they tell each other everything, or almost... When you are 16 there are secrets that you don't share, even with your best friend. Then, there are questions which one would love to be able to answer and mysteries one would love to understand... The Centre's opening day approaches. It is the day of Fabienne's 16th birthday. But why do her mother Anne and her uncle Tom seem to be so fearful of that day?
Presented in 2 parts, this 83 minute piece documents Wieder-Atherton's idea to do a set of pieces from across central and eastern Europe, including Russia. Some weren't originally written for cello, but she had them transcribed. Some were songs for voices, which goes with Wieder-Atherton saying in an earlier film she made with Chantal Akerman that she aspires to play the cello in a way that it carries the specificity of emotion of the human voice. She explains at the beginning of both parts how she feels each country in the region has it's own personality expressed in its music, coming from its individual history and culture, but that each land in the area is also 'impregnated' as she puts it, by the others, so there are certain elements that run throughout.
