Conversations are the key to Showcase 3—titled “War and Peace”—serving as a reminder that conflict often comes with a huge side-helping of talk—some of it mundane, some of it loaded. The climax of Patriot stings, and a brief rumination on jihad (in the broadest sense) makes My Aleppo resonate.

It was damp, dark and smelled like woodOdysseus and his men await inside the Trojan Horse for their famous ambush, but their conversations are more Seinfeldian than bellicose. Oh, and the dialogue is in German, which adds to the hushed nuttiness of it all. (Side note: Alec Baldwin should do a comedic reboot of The Hunt For Red October.) —Joe Warminsky

My AleppoAn observational documentary about a Syrian family that has resettled in South Africa. They grapple with their decision to flee, as every Skype conversation with people back home is freighted with worry. The camera doesn’t capture much, but the film becomes an intimate portrait of dread and guilt. —Joe WarminskyMineWhat happens when two people grow old together and then stroll into a restricted wooded area, looking for a long-buried item? Grim and unfunny things—and a ham-handed metaphor or two. —Joe WarminskyPatriotXenophobia and sexism are front and center for an English girl with a politically active father. But what plays out in a wheat field and a Romani trailer park is really a small story about power—and how the young clumsily absorb its lessons. —Joe Warminsky

Reverse Shot (Contre-Champ)A photojournalist covers the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo in honor of her deceased father. —Vance Brinkley

AraanAraan is an animated film that tells a story of war between the perspectives of two opposing soldiers and their daughters. Jorge Dayas’ film uses a unique style of animation to create a short that’s engaging yet unsettling. —Vance Brinkley

Opération CommandoWhen two brothers are divided into two opposing teams at summer camp, their love for each other soon goes out the window. Director Jan Czarlewski puts together a dynamic cast to tell a story about war through a more competitive aspect. —Vance Brinkley

Showcase 3 screens Friday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Landmark’s E Street Cinema.