Focus: Hold Video in Your Hands
Programme IFFR 2025
From the 1980s until their decline in the 2010s, video shops were crucial arenas for film culture. For the world premieres of Alex Ross Perry's Videoheaven and Rotterdam artist Gyz La Rivière's Videotheek Marco, we invite the IFFR audience to rediscover the various cultures that grew out of video shops – some in the cinema, and some in a special space where locals and festival guests alike will be able to screen their VHS treasures!
Overview of films
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Video Violence
Gary P. Cohen | 98' | USA | None
Husband and wife video store owners come across a snuff film, chaos ensues. -
Videoclub
Pablo Illanes | 80' | Chile | None
Video store clerk Miguel faces off the apocalypse as only a film buff can. -
Videoheaven
Alex Ross Perry | 180' | USA | World premiere
Videoheaven tells the story of the neighbourhood video shops to consider wider, changing social histories. -
Videokaaran
Jagannathan Krishnan | 75' | India | None
Film lover Segai takes us on a journey through illegal film parlours and pirated copies. -
Videotheek Marco
Gyz La Rivière | 96' | Netherlands | World premiere
A monument to the soon forever-lost video rental stores of Rotterdam.