Ten-year-old Asalif and his mother have been displaced from their farmland on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the construction of a condominium. To fight back against those casting him out, Asalif taps into a fantasy of becoming his hero: the lion (“anbessa” in Amharic). Asalif uses his imagination to battle forces beyond his control. He must find the strength that resides in him in order to deal with the tides of change that are usurping a community, a country, and his own identity.
Anbessa Anbessa
Through an intimate coming-of-age story, Anbessa captures one boy taking on modernization on his own terms, revealing a unique and magical perspective on the myth of “progress”.
What's On
Sentimental Value Affeksjonsverdi
Joachim Trier
Monday, 12. 01. 2026 / 15:45 / Main Hall
After the success of The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Trier returns with an intimate and deeply moving story about family, memory, and the unifying power of art. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize in Cannes and nominated for eight Golden Globes.
Extra Week
Wisdom of Happiness Wisdom of Happiness
Barbara Miller, Philip Delaquis
Monday, 12. 01. 2026 / 17:30 / Small Hall
With disarming wit, the Dalai Lama reflects on balancing millennia-old Tibetan Buddhist traditions with the contemporary values of our globalised society that now struggles to overcome violence and war while standing on the brink of environmental collapse.
Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach
Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub
Monday, 12. 01. 2026 / 18:30 / Main Hall
A singular film about Johann Sebastian Bach, created by the auteur duo Straub and Huillet based on various literary sources, including the fictional diary of his second wife, Anna Magdalena.