De Cinema actively explores and celebrates the global contemporary film landscape. In our CINEMA NOW-series, we collect those titles that challenged or moved us most: new films that dare to defy cinematic boundaries and narrative structures as we know them. CINEMA NOW highlights remarkable debut features as well as the latest films from renowned directors. But most importantly, it highlights those gems that received little to no media attention or were not released in Belgium in the first place.

HIGHLIGHTS

In MARTY SUPREME, headstrong shoe salesman Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) chases an improbable dream: world domination in table tennis. An irresistible yet reckless hustler, Marty gambles everything on his own success. As he navigates a series of bizarre upheavals on his way to the Wembley championships, he is thrust into a manic world of risk and temptation, discovering the true cost of the American Dream.

In DUST, visionary businessmen Luc and Geert watch their imperium crumble when the news about their fraudulent business dealings breaks. Their last day as free men turns into a search for redemption, contacting investors, finding solace with family and their community, where they finally discover what really matters in life. Tuesday 16 June, the film will be screened with (Dutch) audio description.

How do you depict total stagnation? Following her acclaimed portraits of women in crisis like LA CIÉNAGA, Argentine director Lucrecia Martel turns her lens toward a man slowly dissolving into time with ZAMA. In 18th-century Argentina, Spanish magistrate Don Diego de Zama languishes in a remote colonial outpost, waiting for a royal letter that will grant him a transfer to Buenos Aires. But the letter never arrives. What follows is not a linear narrative, but a feverish test of endurance.