HELSINKI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) — The 38th Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy (HIFF) opened Thursday in the Finnish capital with two sold-out screenings of its opening film Sentimental Value, a Norwegian cinema that won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Running from Sept. 18 to 28, the festival will present 131 feature films and 121 short films.
Among the highlights is the Gala Films section, described as the “crowning jewels” of the program, featuring four acclaimed titles from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
This year’s special section, dedicated to Palestine out of humanitarian concern, includes Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, a documentary co-produced by France, Iran and Palestine. The film portrays life in Gaza during the ongoing conflict.
HIFF’s popular Asian Cuts section will feature Chinese film Resurrection (Kuang Ye Shi Dai), directed by Bi Gan and starring Jackson Yee (Yi Yangqianxi) alongside Shu Qi.
Resurrection has attracted global attention for its bold visual style and philosophical depth. The film, which examines the persistence of dreams in a desolate world, also won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes this year.
Established in 1988 and named after Italian director Lina Wertmuller’s film Love and Anarchy, HIFF is a non-competitive festival held every September in Helsinki. Last year’s edition attracted about 55,000 visitors, according to the organizers.
