Sábado 13 | 20:30 | FILMOTECA
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Sección Oficial 2026

CAT ON MY MIND

LAILA PAKALNINA | 2025 | 85′

SYNOPSIS

We literally had found our film next to garbage bin. It was bag with 36 rolls of photo negatives exposed from 60ies till 80ies by unknown photographer. We have named him as Anton, the son of Aunt Emma. Looking through his blueprints (with many imprecisions: indistinct sharpness, random elements in the shot, wipes, accidental and double exposures, etc), we try to imagine – what our lives would be if these were our photos.

Program Information

Día: Sábado 13
Hora: 20:30
Sede: Filmoteca
Spanish Premiere

Mirror:  HOMES

Stills

Critical text

“Go ye afar, go teach all nations” is a missionary hymn that urges one to travel to distant lands and liberate peoples through the Gospel. Christian iconography surrounds and pervades the taxi of the protagonist in Go Ye Afar, highlighting the connection between Ireland and Nigeria as former British colonies, both shaped by a political history of colonialism and religion. As in his previous work, Few Can See (winner of a Special Mention by the Official Jury at FILMADRID X), Frank Sweeney constructs a screenplay—this time co-written with Beulah Ezeugo—based on oral history, drawing from conversations and interviews he has held with Nigerian-Irish taxi drivers throughout his life. Between Dublin and Calabar lies a shared history that is seldom discussed; here, their streets are connected via a transatlantic journey which, though anchored in fantasy, speaks of a very real past and present. Archival footage thus engages in a dialogue with this seemingly supernatural environment, which in turn references classic Hollywood techniques (such as rear projection), reflecting on how certain historical-political dynamics have been reproduced in and through the filmic image. Sweeney offers another potent exercise in historical revisionism and, simultaneously, the appropriation of cinematic forms. Life and cinema in perpetual motion. Daniela Urzola

BIOGRAPHY

LAILA PAKALNINA
LAILA PAKALNINA

Laila Pakalnina graduated from the Moscow Film Institute (VGIK), Department of Film Direction, in 1991. A director and scriptwriter of 34 documentaries, 5 shorts, and 6 fiction features, altogether she has 45 films, 2 children, 1 husband, 1 dog and 2 bicycles. And many ideas for new films. Her films have screened in official programmes at Cannes, Venice, Berlinale, Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Rome, Tallinn and other international festivals, where they have won numerous awards.

Cat on my mind poster
FICHA TÉCNICA

Director – Laila Pakalniņa
Scriptwriter – Laila Pakalniņa
Cinematographer – Gints Bērziņš
Production Designer – Juris Pakalniņš Costume
Designer – Juris Pakalniņš Makeup
Artist – Ilze Trumpe
Music – Kolektīvs Draudzība
Sound – Anrijs Krenbergs
Editor – Ieva Veiveryte
Production – Hargla Company (Latvia)
Cast: Antons – Andrejs Strokins Raitis – Ralfs Neifalts Mikass Bučmis Emma – Laila Gintere

with the assistance of:

Europa Creativa media

XII Edición

5 – 14 JUNIO 2026

Viernes 5 de Junio

Sábado 6 de Junio

Domingo 7 de Junio

Miércoles 10 de Junio

Jueves 11 de Junio

Viernes 12 de Junio

Sábado 13 de Junio

Domingo 14 de Junio

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XII Edición / Junio

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