International Film Festival Rotterdam 2025 Unveils Cinema Regained Programme Featuring 43 Works
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has unveiled the Cinema Regained programme for its 2025 edition. Featuring 43 works, the strand celebrates cinema’s rich history, presenting restored classics, thought-provoking documentaries, and explorations of cinematic heritage. This year’s programme traverses recent and historical works, with a particular focus on pre-1970 restorations.
Programmer Olaf Möller emphasized the significance of this section: “Cinema Regained this year serves as a vital bridge between past and present, reconnecting audiences with forgotten cinematic histories while continuing a story that has long been told in Rotterdam. It’s an opportunity to reflect on cinema’s cultural and political legacies across time and marvel at some of the greatest filmmakers that history has produced.”
Highlights of the Programme:
Among this year’s standout titles is "Mousso Fariman", a world premiere by Burkinabé director Drissa Touré and Stéphane Mbanga, which delves into the resilience of women in Burkina Faso. Another notable world premiere is "The Lilac Wind of Paradjanov", an homage to Sergei Parajanov, directed by Ali Khamraev with cinematographer Yuri Klimenko.
Portuguese cinema is celebrated with José Álvaro Morais’ "The Jester", returning in a restored version. Thai cinema also features prominently, with "I Am with a Monk" by Khom Akadet, starring icons Sombat Methanee and Sorapong Chatree.
IFFR regular Khavn brings "Bomba Bernal", an AI-driven homage to the Filipino bomba genre. Meanwhile, Saeed Nouri’s "Tehran, An Unfinished History" uncovers pre-1979 Iranian cinema, and Sami van Ingen presents "Cast of Shadows", an archival essay on the women behind Robert Flaherty’s legacy.
Women’s Contributions Highlighted:
The programme continues its focus on women’s contributions to cinema. Indian filmmaker Sai Paranjpye’s "Katha" offers a witty take on the hare-and-tortoise fable. Vani Subramanian’s "Cinema Pe Cinema: The Theatres. The Movies. And Us" explores India’s single-screen cinemas and their cultural significance.
Gujarati filmmaker Chetna Vora is honored with screenings of "Oyoyo" and "Frauen in Berlin", while Christiane Büchner’s "Erzählungen eines Kinogehers" portrays cinephilia through the lens of German film pioneer Werner Dütsch.
Historical Narratives:
Hafiz Rancajale’s "Bachtiar" revisits the legacy of Indonesian filmmaker Bachtiar Siagian, silenced during the 1965 anti-Communist purge. Other pre-1970 works include Ukrainian exile film "Cossacks in Exile" (1939), Gustaf Molander’s "There’s a Fire Burning" (1943), and Vatroslav Mimica’s "Kaja, I’ll Kill You!" (1967).
Puerto Rican cinema is celebrated in Ramón Rivera Moret’s "Todo parecía posible", accompanied by a short programme featuring early Puerto Rican filmmaking.