BY DIRECTOR: L

'Caramel' (2007) not only announced a striking new talent, it challenged what many might have expected from a female Lebanese director. Undermining stereotypes and hilariously funny at times, it also offered an insight into the roles of women in contemporary Beirut. 'Where Do We Go Now' (2011) employed the same device used in 'Lysistrata' (and more recently Spike Lee's 'Chi-Raq', 2015) – where sex is withheld from men until they can learn to live more peacefully.

Yorgos Lanthimos was born in Athens. He has directed a series of videos for dance-theatre companies, television commercials, music videos, short films and plays. In 2011, he staged Chekhov's 'Platonov' at the Greek National Theatre. His second feature 'Dogtooth' (2009) won the Un Certain Regard prize in Cannes and was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2011 Academy Awards.

Mike Leigh's background in theatre and use of improvisation techiniques have resulted in some of the most distinctive British films of the last 30 years. The comic realism of 'Nuts in May' (1976) and 'Abigail's Party' (1977), both made for the BBC Play for Today Programme marked him out as a great director with actors. His film 'Secrets & Lies' won the Palme d'Or in 1996.

In 2006, Sebastián Lelio completed 'La Sagrada Familia', which premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival, where it received many awards and international recognition. More recently he was distinguished with the Guggenheim Fellowship and received the support of DAAD Berliner Künstlerprogramm for the development of his new projects.