Cork International Film Festival will screen Wake Up on Mars, the debut feature-length documentary by director Dea Gjinovci, on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7pm as part of CIFF Film Club’s new season of films, presented in partnership with The Gate Cinemas.
The film will be followed by an online Q&A with Dea Gjinovci.
Following its World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, this touching documentary follows Furkan, a Roma boy living in Sweden who dreams of building a spaceship to escape the reality of his family’s pending asylum request, and the mysterious coma-like illness that has befallen his siblings.
Building on the tremendous success of CIFF2020 last November and pilot Film Club last year, Cork International Film Festival presents a new season of films for audiences to enjoy this spring on its Digital Festival platform. CIFF Film Club, in partnership with The Gate Cinemas, presents the latest and best Irish and international fiction and documentaries, with exclusive introductions and Q&As with filmmakers, on the third Tuesday of each month. Tickets are available at corkfilmfest.org.
“We are delighted to continue our CIFF Film Club season of thought-provoking, unmissable films such as ‘Wake Up on Mars’ and we are hugely grateful to filmmakers such as Dea Gjinovci for joining us to discuss their work in our post-screening Q&As, sharing their experiences and creative processes with our Film Club audiences,” said CIFF Director and CEO Fiona Clark. “With our partners, The Gate Cinemas, we’re offering the Festival experience from the safety of your home, keeping the seat warm until we can return to our beloved cinemas.”
Furkan’s sisters Ibadeta and Djeneta, have been in a coma-like state for several years, victims of what has been named the ‘resignation syndrome’. Traumatised by the thought of being sent back to Kosovo, their homeland, their minds and bodies have suddenly gone to sleep. In central Sweden, his family attempts to rebuild a normal life, but so far, their asylum applications have been refused one after the other. Furkan tries to escape his reality by building his own spaceship to fulfil his dream: to go live on Mars and save his two sisters. At the core of this film lies this one question: “What happens to human beings, and in particular children, when all hope is gone?”
Film lovers can purchase a Season Ticket of three screenings for €24 or €8.50 for one screening. Festival Friends, who supported the Festival in 2020, can avail of a special discount of 20% on individual tickets (€6.80) or €20 for a three-film pass.
For bookings and a full schedule of CIFF Film Club screenings, visit corkfilmfest.org.
