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Twenty-four hours in the lives of three young men in the aftermath of violent riots on the outskirts of Paris. Vinz, a Jew, Hubert, of African descent, and Saïd, an Arab, drift aimlessly through the concrete maze of the banlieue, where frustration, anger, and hopelessness are passed down from one generation to the next. Mathieu Kassovitz’s iconic black-and-white drama has become one of the defining films of the 1990s and remains as urgent and powerful today as it was upon its release. La Haine is a gripping portrait of young people searching for their place in a society that refuses to listen to them, and a chilling reminder of how social inequality, prejudice, and violence are inherited across generations. The film won the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival and three César Awards, including Best Film.

Director Ivan Ramljak tells the story of his former best friend, who died unexpectedly years ago. Together with those who knew him best, he tries to understand what really happened—not only to his friend, but also to themselves and to their entire generation. Composed of photographs and home videos left behind by his friend, the film captures both the hedonistic spirit and the melancholy of young people in Croatia at the turn of the millennium. It evokes the mood of a generation that survived war, longed to move forward, yet carried invisible scars within.

This year's selection of short films from the archives of the Slovak Film Institute offers a rich blend of period authenticity, observational filmmaking with an experimental edge, and educational cinema. We will revisit the anxieties of graduation exams, the care of three young orphans, the long construction of a family home marked by weddings and funerals, the joys and struggles of an amateur band, and the challenges of ageing at a time when concepts such as active ageing or the "silver economy" had yet to exist. These stories are seen through the eyes of several generations of documentary filmmakers – from the oldest, Kazimír Barlík (born 1923), to the younger Dušan Trančík (1946) and Fero Fenič (1951). The programme is curated and presented by film historian Eva Filová.

Graduates

Jaroslav Pogran, 1964, 11 min.

A documentary capturing the preparations for and the excitement surrounding students' graduation exams.

Vlado, Marienka, Jojo, Grandfather

Pavol Sýkora, 1966, 21 min.

A documentary about the lives of three young orphans and their grandfather.

Photographing the Residents of the House

Dušan Trančík, 1968, 16 min.

The happiest and most tragic moments in the life of a rural family.

Diadem

Fero Fenič, 1978, 22 min.

A documentary exploring the challenges faced by young members of an amateur music band.

The Problem of Age

Kazimír Barlík, 1980, 16 min.

An educational documentary about the principles of healthy nutrition for older people.

The director, Marek Kuboš, turns the camera on fellow documentary filmmakers from his own, the previous, and the next generation. Through a series of candid conversations, they reflect on their passion for filmmaking, the technical and economic realities of documentary production, its ethical boundaries, and the future of the genre. The result is a compelling 90-minute insight into the minds of Slovak documentary filmmakers, with a particular focus on the generation that helped shape the country's documentary cinema from the 1990s onwards. Alongside Kuboš, the film features Peter Kerekes, Marek Škop, Jaro Vojtek, Zuzana Piussi, Jaro Lehotský, and Robo Kirchhoff.

On Friday and Saturday afternoon, you can browse and purchase books at Eleuzína Cultural Centre from a diverse selection of publishers, including Marenčin PT, Artforum, Literárna Bašta, Inaque, and Artis Omnis, as well as from the second-hand bookstore Antikvariatik.sk

Have you ever wondered what artistic research is? Join us to find out—and become part of a focus group where we'll explore the challenges and possibilities of intergenerational dialogue together. What do all generations have in common? How do they differ, and why? How do people experience the different stages of life? Together, we'll ask questions, perhaps discover some answers, and, most importantly, help create the foundation for Saturday's Night Forest Walk, which will serve as the workshop's creative outcome and will itself focus on the theme of intergenerational dialogue. Would you like to contribute? We'd love to see you in the attic of Art Cafe!

The workshop is presented in collaboration with the FilmEU Alliance.

Only in Slovak.

Discussion: The History of Parenting and Child-Rearing in Slovakia – From the Middle Ages to Husák's Children

Join us at Joerges House on Holy Trinity Square (home of the Gavalier Café) for a conversation about the history of parenting and child-rearing in Slovakia. Together, we will explore how children were raised in times when infant mortality was a common part of life and children were expected to work from the age of three.

We will look at what parenting was like during the Enlightenment, the values and rules that shaped family life during the Slovak National Revival, and the introduction of compulsory education under Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II. We will also discuss the origins of Slovakia's first nurseries, what childhood looked like during the First Czechoslovak Republic, the Second World War, and the period of Normalisation, as well as who introduced school milk snacks, children's summer camps, and outdoor schools.

Speaker: Radka Semancová, Chairwoman and Chief Archivist of Živena, Bratislava

Moderator: Zuzana Hudáková

The event is organised by Živena, the oldest women's association in Slovakia.

Only in Slovak.

Frustrated by the indifference of adults and Church authorities to social injustice, a group of teenage altar boys decides to take moral renewal into its own hands. Armed with youthful idealism, courage, and their own interpretation of the Bible, they become self-appointed guardians of justice—helping those in need while punishing sinners. But their game of heroes gradually turns into a dangerous test of the boundaries between good and evil. With humour, energy, and irony, director Piotr Domalewski tells a distinctly generational story about coming of age, faith, authority, and young people's desire to change the world on their own terms. The film won the Golden Lions for Best Film at the Gdynia Polish Film Festival, the Audience Award, and the Polish Film Award (Orły) for Best Screenplay.

Award-winning musician Sisa Fehér and virtuoso pianist Vojtěch Procházka present Mammatus, Sisa Fehér's acclaimed album, in a special acoustic performance at Eleuzína.

This evening of deeply emotional songs by one of Slovakia's leading contemporary songwriters brings together Procházka's distinctive avant-garde jazz language with Fehér's unique and expressive vocal style. Expect a beautiful musical exploration of contemporary themes through the power of art.

This event is supported by Antikvariatik.sk and Comex.

Free admission for accredited participants / €8 for all other visitors

On the eve of their high school graduation, Molly and Amy realize that, in their relentless pursuit of academic success, they may have missed out on everything else. Determined to make up for lost time, they set out to cram four years of fun into a single unforgettable night. Olivia Wilde's sharp, witty, and energetic directorial debut captures the spirit of a generation coming of age, balancing the pressure to excel with the search for identity. Booksmart is a celebration of friendship, youth, and the moment when one chapter of life ends and another is just beginning. The film premiered at South by Southwest and earned Beanie Feldstein a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

Following their acclaimed performance at Pohoda Festival, Bratislava's rising musical discovery comes to 4 živly to showcase the sound of a new generation of talent.

Duplex Komplex blends elements of post-punk, indie, trip-hop, shoegaze, and ambient electronics into a distinctive musical style. Their songs balance intensity with fragility, creating a unique sonic identity that makes every live performance an unforgettable experience.

free admission for accredited participants / €8 for all other visitors

Midnight Surprise is back! For the third year in a row, the film's title remains a closely guarded secret known only to a handful of insiders. In fact, even some members of the festival team have no idea what will be screened. We won't reveal anything more. All we can promise is that this year's selection engages with the festival theme, GENERATIONS, in an unexpected way. The rest will remain a mystery until the clock strikes midnight and the lights go down.

The FilmEU Alliance, bringing together eight European higher education institutions specialising in film and media arts, organises an annual festival showcasing films created by students from its partner schools. The award-winning films represent the very best of contemporary European student filmmaking, offering the 4 živly audience a glimpse into the themes, perspectives, and cinematic approaches of the newest generation of filmmakers.

This screening is presented in collaboration with the FilmEU Alliance.

Glitter Kiss

dir. Augustė Gerikaitė, Lithuania, 2025, 19 min.,

After discovering a brutally beaten drag queen, Klaudijus, in his apartment building, homophobe Rolandas reluctantly takes him to the hospital and becomes his first responder. As the police investigate and Klaudijus’ life hangs in the balance, Rolandas is forced to rethink his beliefs.

How to Listen to Fountains

dir. Eva Sajanová, Slovakia, 2025, 10 min.,

This is a film about public space. This is a film about the destruction of culture. This is a film about fountains that have had enough. In this film, fountains come to life, transforming into human beings, each with its own distinct personality. They speak up, asking people to notice them, appreciate them, and care for them. Their rebellion culminates in a protest at Freedom Square. What would happen if fountains could speak?

Prayer

dir. Sofia Geweiler, Portugal, 2025, 14 min.,

In a techno club in Lisbon, immigrant worker Abdul is on a video call with his wife, Aliyah, who is going into labor and begs him to be present, at least over the phone. At the same time, his colleague Maria desperately needs his help. Caught between work’s demands and his son’s birth, Abdul grapples with the fear of losing his job and the challenge of becoming a father from afar. On top of all that, he fights with his strict father-in-law for his right to perform the sacred tradition of reciting the Adhan for his newborn son.

Hot Flush

dir. Hana Hančinová, Slovakia, 2025, 27 min., ES

Elena is a social worker, a married woman entering a new stage of her life: menopause. As if that were not enough, Erik, one of the young men she has been supporting for a long time, misinterprets some of her gestures and initiates an unexpected sexual encounter in the staff restroom. The incident suddenly throws Elena into an existential crisis, forcing her to confront how she wants to live the rest of her life.

Money in the Slovak Family

Join us at Joerges House for a discussion offering a historical and sociological insight into how different generations of Slovak families have viewed and managed money. You will learn how households handled their finances during the Slovak National Revival, the First and Second World Wars, and the socialist era.

The discussion will explore the relationship between Slovak society and money throughout history. We will examine who was considered the family's breadwinner during the First World War, what dowry women were expected to bring into marriage depending on the social class and historical period, who was responsible for managing the household, how people approached money in times of prosperity and economic crisis, and which historical financial habits and mistakes continue to shape the way individuals and families deal with money today.

Speaker: Ivana Mikitová, member of Živena and expert on the history of finance in Slovakia

Moderator: Adriana Bránická

The event is organised by Živena, the oldest women's association in Slovakia.

Only in Slovak.

Discover the magical world of animals with AHA WORLD! This year, we will get to know the toucan – one of the most remarkable inhabitants of the tropical rainforest. We will begin with a short film, followed by a fun quiz, and children will create their own toucan to take home. Along the way, they will learn fascinating facts about the toucan's habitat, lifestyle, and how it cares for its young. Each child will also receive a small surprise. The workshop lasts 45–60 minutes, is designed for children aged 4–8, and is led by two instructors.