This intriguing omnibus project from Latvia features contributions from four of the country’s most promising young filmmakers, each of whom depicts a different defining period — childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age — in a single individual’s life. The segments are loosely connected but also play against and reference each other to form a single narrative thread. The film’s subject, played by four different actors, is Teodors. A junior hockey star in his youth, a businessman in his maturity, and given to wandering the forests in both childhood and old age, Teodors struggles his entire life to find his place. The film’s title, Vogelfrei, is not a Latvian word but a German one, and means “free as a bird.” “The simple, unfussy storytelling and breathtaking photography relate universal themes and issues from four distinct voices that cohere nonetheless to tell a singular tale” (Pusan I.F.F.) Colour, 35mm, in Latvian and Russian with English subtitles. 95 mins.

A popular favourite in Italy and a hit with critics on the festival circuit, director Alessandro D’Alatri’s stylish comedy-drama offers a trenchant look at the predicament of many young adults in Italy today. The Fever is set in Cremona, birthplace of Stradivarius, where thirtysomething Mario (Fabio Volo) still lives at home with his mother. Mom would like nothing more than to see her son land a safe and secure job in civil service; Mario, for his part, has aspirations of opening a nightclub. When Mario takes a new job as a city-hall bureaucrat, it’s just the ticket as far as Mom’s concerned — and just the sort of stultifying situation that could crush a person’s spirit and quash his hopes. But a new relationship with beautiful, brainy Linda (Valeria Solarino), a go-go dancer and literature student, could provide the catalyst Mario needs to pursue his dreams. Veteran actor Arnoldo Foà is hilarious in a small role as Italy’s president. “An attractively photographed tale about a young man seeking his place in life and love, The Fever gradually evolves into a passionate social statement about the ills afflicting contemporary Italy. D’Alatri brings convincing anger to bear on the national pettiness and conformity that threaten his hero’s individuality and enthusiasm for life” (Deborah Young, Variety). Colour, 35mm, in Italian with English subtitles. 108 mins.