Member of the programming team Peter Konecny presents his five festival tips

Peter Konecny picking his top five.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire / dir. Céline Sciamma
Brittany in 1760. The talented painter Marianne is assigned to go to a mansion on an isolated island to paint a wedding portrait of Hellois – a young woman from a wealthy family who, at her mother’s wish, just left the monastery to get married in Milan. Héloise defies the arranged marriage by refusing to get portrayed. Marianne therefore plays the role of a hired companion and paints her object in the evenings by memory. The mutual attraction between the two women, amplified by the approaching end of freedom is gradually increasing.

Parasite / dir. Joon-ho Bong

The black comedy follows a poor but cunning four-member family of four who decides to infiltrate into the wealthy household of the business man Park. What can happen if two different worlds meet? This original title masterfully works with elements of thriller, drama, and satire and brings a witty and unpredictable viewer experience. Referred by many as the funniest Cannes festival winner since the days of Pulp Fiction.

The Golden Glove / dir. Fatih Akin

The film is based on the true event and the novel of the same name by Heinz Strunk. It tells the story of Fritz Honk – a man who murdered many women and his favorite bar The golden glove, where sentimental German songs still move drunken barflies to tears and where boozing is a weapon against pain and desires.

Young Ahmed / dir. Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

A Belgian teenager who has adopted an extremist interpretation of the Qur’an is planning a plot to kill his teacher. A film from the masters of social drama, the Belgian director duo of the Dardenne brothers with a highly up to date topic.

The Traitor / dir. Marco Bellocchio

In the early 1980s, a hard-line war rages between Sicilian mafia bosses. Mafioso Tommaso Buscetta runs to Brazil to hide. At home in Italy, dues are being paid, and his allies lose their lives one by one. The Brazilian police arrests Tommaso and extradite him to Italy. Tommaso comes to a decision that changes the whole story of the mafia – he chooses to meet Judge Falcone and betray the holy oath he gave to the Cosa Nostra.