ALIS

Close your eyes and imagine Alis, a 15-year-old classmate.  Now, tell me her story…

WHY WE LOVE IT

By the directors of Goya and Fenix nominated AMAZONA, comes this unique glimpse to a universe of girls for whom, no matter how tough life has treated them, they will still emerge with a resilience and empowerment as defying as you have ever seen. Mentored by Everardo González (who made the striking DEVIL’S FREEDOM) get ready to feel, laugh, cry, dance with and finally admire this unique family whose bonds are everlasting.

SYNOPSIS

In a Colombian shelter for teenage girls, directors Nicolas van Hemelryck and Clare Weiskopf ask a group of young women to close their eyes and imagine the life story of a fictional classmate named Alis. Like them, Alis‘s story begins on the merciless streets of Bogota, where she struggles to survive. Alis becomes their blank canvas, a projection of their past selves and experiences. With a sensitive and compassionate lens, the directors show how the girls’ initial fiction begins to weave into reality, and how this distance has given them a moment to step outside of themselves and see their own experiences through a different perspective. As they gently open their eyes, we get to know these young women deeply, and see their perseverance to break the cycle of violence and embrace a brighter future.

By Heather Haynes, HotDocs

PRESS

“A delicate, lively and sensitive film” 
Cineuropa

“Spellbinding and edifying” 
Berlinale – Crystal Bear Jury

“Impressive honesty” 
Berlinale – Teddy Award Jury

“A cinematic tour de force” 
IDFA: The ethics of documentary imagination

“The film mines significant cultural and personal revelations” 
Chicago Film Festival Jury

“A generous act” 
Screendaily