So interesting films
Ulrich Seidl’s exhibit “Paradise: Love. Faith. Hope” opens on the eve of the 43rd Film Festival “Molodist,” the program includes the first complete retrospective of the director
Although this film might not be the best in the oeuvre of the Polish patriarch, it is still interesting in terms of the plot: history of the after-war resistance of Poles to Communist tyranny is captivating in any presentation.
The visit of the leading European film director, winner of most prestigious world film prizes Ulrich Seidl to Kyiv can be called with full confidence the most significant event (The Day published an exclusive interview with him on August 14). Molodist will show the world’s first retrospective of the director “Ulrich Seidl. Total Retrospective,” as well as a photo exhibit, which consists of 42 original photos “Love. Faith. Hope” (in Mystetsky Arsenal). Seidl has already presented his so far most famous film Paradise: Faith and held a master class, which was extremely rich in content.
Speaking of outstanding names, it is worth mentioning Lordan Zafranovic. He is a real legend in Yugoslavia filmmaking. At the festival Zafranovic is presenting the full version of Occupation in 26 Pictures, a film that caused in 1978 a scandal in the Cannes Festival, when at its premiere over 100 respectable guests left the hall during the scenes of war-time atrocities. Later the author was booed near the Palace of Festivals. Zafranovic asserts that the events he depicted were not only factual, but also have been documented. Occupation in 26 Pictures was so far the last Croatian film which took part in the Cannes competition program.
On the whole, the Seidl visit and full-fledged competition are the greatest successes of this year’s festival.
Twelve feature films from four continents will compete for the Golden Deer. So, Spanish director Diego Quemada-Diez debuts in the competition program with his road movie The Golden Cage (Mexico), in which teenagers from the remote areas of Guatemala try to get to the US illegally. The film won the Un Certain Talent award in the program “Special View” of the International Film Festival in Cannes.
The film The Weight of Elephants (New Zealand-Denmark-Sweden) by Daniel Joseph Borgman tells about a vulnerable 11-year-old Adrian who meets an unpredictable and mysterious girl; the Danish director will personally present the film, which has already participated in Berlinale 2013.
Nothing bad can happen (in German: Tore tanzt), the debut of German film director Katrin Gebbe, which tells about the test of faith and ability to love of young Tore, a participant of Christian punk movement “Jesus Freaks,” took part in the program of the Cannes Film Festival “Special View.”
Anthony Chen, director of the first Singapore film which was awarded in Cannes, is going to Kyiv in order to personally present his Ilo Ilo, a film about a Philippine maid under unexpected economic circumstances. The film was awarded with Golden Camera at the Directors’ Fortnight at recent Cannes Festival.
Talea by Austrian film director Katharina Mueckstein, former student of Michael Haneke’s studio, tells about complicated relations of 14-year-old Jasmin and her mother, who has recently been released from prison.
Before Snowfall (Norway, Germany, and Kurdistan) is a drama about a dangerous travel from East to West, collision of traditional restrictions and modern Western lifestyle. Director Hisham Zaman, winner of many awards for short films, will personally present the film to the audience.
American-Swedish Bluebird (director Lance Edmands), a saga about ruined calmness of a small logging town, already has the prize of Ecumenical Jury and Best Actress Award at Karlovy Vary Festival.
Slovak Matyas Prikler will personally present his debut in fiction filmmaking Fine, Thanks, composed of three family stories that unfolded during the current financial crisis. The film was selected to the Cinefondation Film Festival competition in Cannes.
Actor and director Guillaume Gallienne debuts with the film Me, Myself and Mum (France, Belgium), in which a young man named Guillaume follows the manners of his mother: this work won the awards Art Cinema Award and Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers’ Prize at Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.
Sarah Prefers to Run by Canadian filmmaker Chloe Robichaud is a film about a student of Montreal Track and Field Department, who gets married, but “above all loves to run.”
The Owners is a debut of Agustin Toscano and Ezequiel Radusky, actors, directors, producers, and screenplay writers from Argentina. According to the plot, workers move into an estate in north Argentina and pretend to be its owners, but the daughter of real owners comes back before long.
It is gratifying that this year’s program features a competitor from Ukraine: So Beautiful People by Dmytro Moiseiev, a story of five people who escaped from civilization and live by the sea. Director, whose short films have many times taken part in the Molodist International Film Festival, will present the film.
During the closing ceremony of the festival on October 27 we will have an opportunity to find out which of the films will win a festival award. Besides, many interesting films of the festival will be screened in the cinema Kyiv, which is the main venue of Molodist, as well as in the movie theaters Zhovten, Kinopanorama and culture-educational center Master-Class.
The Day will continue to follow up the events.
