SÈT LAM

Vincent Fontano, France
23′

The two fishermen find a dolphin accidentally caught in their nets. The dolphin in its turn finds a fisherman drowning in the water. In this small Mediterranean village, an ancient myth unexpectedly comes to life.

Director Biography – Vincent Fontano

As a student of the Réunion conservatory in 2009 he holds an atypical course through the literary creation scene on the island. An avid reader of James Baldwin, Dany Laferrière and Tony Morrison, and writer and stage director for the Ker Béton company, he invites the audience to reflect on Reunion island society and the world in general.

In 2013 he changes medium and pivots to cinema with his short film « Blaké » which he writes, directs and stars in. The film gets noticed and earns the France Télévision prize and the SACD prize.
Following this first success he directs his second short film, « Sèt Lam », in 2021. In this modern allegory, deeply anchored in Réunion culture, he touches on spirituality, heritage and the strong link with our ancestors, all narrated by a grandmother, the powerful and matriarcal face of a society built around orality.

KITE ZO A

Kaveh Nabatian, Canada
70′

In 1791, in Haiti, Dutty Boukman presided over a Vodou ritual in Bois-Caïman that led to the creation of the first Black republic. Since then, rituals of transformation and artistic expression have been at the core of a thriving culture as the country faces oppression, poverty, and natural disasters. “Kite Zo A” (Leave the Bones) is a sensorial film about rituals in Haiti, from ancient to modern, made in collaboration with poets, dancers, musicians, fishermen, daredevil rollerbladers, and Vodou priests, set to poetry by Haitian author Wood-Jerry Gabriel.

Director Biography – Kaveh Nabatian