Synopses taken from the catalogue of the 65th Venice International Film Festival

published by Electa

Semih Kaplanoglu

Süt (Milk)

A high school graduate, Yusuf could not pass the university entrance exam. Writing poetry is his greatest passion and some of his poems are being printed in various obscure literary journals. But neither these poems, nor the rapidly falling price of the milk they sell, are being of any benefit to Yusuf and Zehra’s lives. When Yusuf finds out about Zehra’s secret affair with the town’s stationmaster he gets disconcerted. Will he find the way to cope with his anxiety for the unknown future, the rapid change that he is going through and the pain of taking a step into adulthood and leaving his youth behind?

Takeshi Kitano

Akires to kame (Achilles and the Tortoise)

Machisu, the only son of a rich collector, has a child’s love for painting. Praise from a famous artist friend of his father inspires the young boy to dream of becoming a painter himself. Precocious Machisu begins to paint everyday and everywhere, even during class, to the dismay of his teacher. When tragedy strikes, little Machisu’s privileged life comes to an end, leaving him orphaned, but with an incomparable passion for art... As a young man, poor loner Machisu manages to attend art school with money he has earned by working. He is introduced to an unconventional world of bold creativity but he also gets his first bitter taste of harsh criticism from a dealer. Encouragement comes in the form of attractive clerk Sachiko who is convinced that she alone understands him. Marriage is soon followed by a daughter, as love and hope drive Machisu to commit even more deeply to his art... Upon reaching middle age, Machisu has yet to sell a painting. But he remains dedicated, supported by his devoted wife Sachiko, who has become his indispensable creative partner. With each new work, Machisu tries to push himself to greater limits of inspiration. Hungry for recognition, their creative attempts escalate beyond what neighbors and even their own teenaged daughter Mari can tolerate. Will Achilles ever overtake the Tortoise?

Hayao Miyazaki

Gake no Ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea)

A small town by the sea. Five year-old Sosuke lives high on a cliff overlooking the Inland Sea. One morning, while playing on the rocky beach below his house, he discovers a goldfish named Ponyo with her head stuck fast in a jam jar. Sosuke rescues her and keeps her in a green plastic pail. Ponyo is fascinated by Sosuke and Sosuke feels the same about Ponyo. He tells her: «Don’t worry, I’ll protect you and take care of you». But Ponyo’s father Fujimoto – once human, now a sorcerer who lives deep under the sea – forces her to return with him into the ocean depths. «I want to be human!», Ponyo declares. Determined to become a little girl and make her way back to Sosuke, Ponyo escapes. But before she does it, she empties the Water of Life, Fujimoto’s precious store of magical elixir, into the ocean. The sea waters rise. Ponyo’s sisters are transformed into enormous fish-shaped tidal waves that climb as high as Sosuke’s house on the cliff. The chaos of the ocean world envelops Sosuke’s little town making it sink beneath the waves.

Amir Naderi

Vegas: Based on a True Story

Eddie Parker and his wife Tracy lead blue-collar lives together with their 12- year-old son Mitch on the outskirts of America’s pleasure capital: Las Vegas. A compulsive gambler, Eddie has never won big. Tending her small garden, Tracy tries to keep the fragile family life together. Then a stranger shows up claiming there’s something special about their home and his offer quickly turns into the family’s obsession. The only question is: how deep are they willing to go?