Cremaster 5 is a five-act opera (sung in Hungarian) set in late-ninteenth century Budapest. The last film in the series, Cremaster 5 represents the moment when the testicles are finally released and sexual differentiation is fully attained. The lamenting tone of the opera suggests that Barney invisions this as a moment of tragedy and loss. The primary character is the Queen of Chain (played by Ursula Andress). Barney, himself, plays three characters who appear in the mind of the Queen: her Diva, Magician, and Giant. The Magician is a stand-in for Harry Houdini, who was born in Budapest in 1874 and appears as a recurring character in the Cremaster cycle.
On the Italian coast, writer Paul Decker has grown unhappy in his marriage and executes what appears to be a perfect murder of his wife. While Paul is believed to be writing a book in France, his stepdaughter, Candy, suspects him of murdering her mother, as well as her father years before. With the police unwilling to investigate any further, Candy sets out to confirm her suspicions and take Paul down herself.
Newspaper men compete against each other to find a serial killer dubbed "The Lipstick Killer".
When a couple fights, their daughter turns to a new toy for comfort
It's no big secret that twelve-year-old Hannes is in love with his classmate Carolin, who he compares to a beautiful white cloud in the sky. But when Carolin spends most of her time exploring the village's history with Benno, Hannes becomes increasingly jealous of his rival. The only person who is happy about this situation is Kerstin, who is in fact interested in Hannes. In order to impress Carolin, Hannes takes her and several others out for a boat ride in the nearby Bay of Greifswald, but his plan takes a deadly turn as a storm approaches.
On the evening of her 14th birthday, Beatrice tumbles in her older sister's world. For the first time, she is confronted with Fanny's reality. Having often been excluded, Beatrice's social life is non-existent. Therefor, she follows her older sister's way of life, which is to use her body as a way of being in control in this harsh world. Having grew up in a hyper-sexualities world with no good role models, the girls try the best they can to carry on from childhood to adulthood. Together, on this one night, they will understand that they can only rely on themselves and hope for a better tomorrow.
2:43 a.m. An empty room. An unexpected calling.
Tour Eiffel
Su-yeon has been harassed and bullied by the class president, Hyun-ji for a long time. When she consults this matter with the school’s reverend, she is advised to collect evidence of her harassment and bullying. Religion is the only thing Su-yeon can count on, but the school reverend cannot protect her. This film makes us ponder about the bullying problem in schools, the role of religion, and the teacher and reverend’s duplicity.
Penelope is a civil servant who lives with her mother, who has Alzheimer's. One day she meets Ulises, a poor old man who has lost his memory and his identity papers. She convinces him that he is her father and he must come home to take care of his wife.
A Spanish soldier falls under the spell of a fiery gypsy girl named Carmen. His obsession with her leads to his ruin.
The Firemen's Choir
On a summer day in the 1950s, a native girl watches the countryside go by from the backseat of a car. A woman at her kitchen table sings a lullaby in her Cree language. When the girl arrives at her destination, she undergoes a transformation that will turn the woman’s gentle voice into a howl of anger and pain.
11 years old Brian is an imaginative boy who is dealing with the loss of his grandfather by constructing a fantastic series of rituals...
Jean, a young Parisian philosopher, travels to Angoulême to take part in a recruitment competition for the National Education. On the bus, he meets two other candidates, Pauline, an unscrupulous young woman, and Luc Dunoyer, a brilliant specialist of Descartes. The presence of the latter, who has never failed an exam, makes Jean lose all his means. But Dunoyer has fallen asleep on the bus.
Henry, Fish and Cat run the most successful lemon business in Syracuse. The Vulture, a jealous mafiaboss, is after their recipe for success: the Superlemon. To blackmail Henry he kidnaps Cat. Henry and Fish rush to the Vultures villa to trade the Superlemon for Cat. When Henry hesitates to hand it over, the Vulture loses his patience and cuts off Henry's hand. This leads to an escalation.
Aria, a young woman struggling with her identity, seeks out the help of a hypnotist to regain control of her life.
Three generations of Youngseok’s family live together in a house. Even though his mentally ill grandmother’s time on this Earth is gradually running out, Youngseok is embarrassed by the way she behaves like a child in front of his friends despite her efforts to take care of him. The film displays the challenges of a family who live with a dementia patient, told from young Youngseok’s perspective. Dreamlike summer nights in the film evoke the innocence of childhood, and the gathering of dear friends and family.
Paper House is a short film set against the backdrop of a traditional Chinese funeral and its customs. The film follows the story of a family as they descend into disharmony after the death of their patriarch. The title of the film refers to the old Chinese tradition of burning paper offerings for their deceased loved ones. This short film is a eulogy for this colourful art form that is fast disappearing in Singapore’s modern society.
A cynical ex-priest runs a mobile confessional out of a trailer park when an unlikely sinner forces him to confront his faith.