Alkali, Iowa

Two teenage boys idle away a seemingly ordinary afternoon, but as events stir up hidden feelings, confusion leads to the testing of boundaries.

In this microcosm of the modern world, three couples, each at a different stage of their lives and relationship, face up to the conflicts of their differing cultures, backgrounds and beliefs.

Hubert, a brash 17-year-old, is confused and torn by a love-hate relationship with his mother that consumes him more and more each day. After distressing ordeals and tragic episodes, Hubert will find his mother on the banks of Saint Lawrence river, where he grew up, and where a murder will be committed: the murder of childhood.

In a public mall bathroom, Lilly, François, and their 6-year-old daughter bid farefell to an unborn family member.

Ben and Raz are painstakingly pursuing their desire to have a child, and the migrant neighbourhood where this gay couple has set up their new flat is on the up. But a conflict over a newly planted tree in the city brings deep-seated prejudices to light.

Two young men meet for casual sexual intercourse. The physical connection is undeniable. A moment changes everything and a decision needs to be made for this to become a real encounter and put an end to a history of emotional isolation.

Sonia, the daughter of a prominent publisher, is about to fulfill her lifelong dream of marrying Rosendo, a promising writer with homosexual tendencies, who pines for his fiancee far less than he does for the brand new literary award launched by his future father-in-law. The wedding shindig will bring its share of unexpected surprises. This is a film is part of the DOGME 95 Movement, described as follows: 'the goal of the Dogme collective is to purify film-making by refusing expensive and spectacular special effects, post-production modifications and other gimmicks. The emphasis on purity forces the filmmakers to focus on the actual story and on the actors' performances. Given these restrictions the story and the action of DIAS DE BODA ('WEDDING DAYS') seem much more immediate and the lapses in fluidity of the story can be forgiven - to a point.

In his film 'La tête dans les nuages' ('Head in the Clouds') Jean-Marie Teno criticizes the ills of the modern world and the regression of African societies. This short documentary shows the capital of the Cameroon, Yaondé, but might equally show other African cities: heaps of rubbish lie at the edge of streets, academics are out of work, officials unpaid, corruption is the norm, and misery everywhere. For Jean-Marie Teno 'colonization, civilization, independence, then humanitarian talk are merely excuses and theatrical gestures to ensure that Africa remains the place which foreign powers can exploit with a good conscience.'

Faced with the loss of his friend and the urges of withdrawal, a heroin addict embarks on an unexpected journey with a young boy to find a lost dog.

A deaf boxer must decide whether to give up the sport he loves in favour of an operation that could allow him to hear for the first time.

According to the law of physical elimination of stray dogs in exchange of a small monetary reward, two middle-aged Albanian ex-hunters, Nikolin and Enver, take a nocturnal journey throughout the city, which is soon interrupted by an unexpected turn of events.