9-21 November 2010, Luxembourg
www.filmfestival.lu
FILMS DETAILS
RO
California Dreamin’ (Nesfârșit) / California Dreamin’ (Endless) (Romania 2007)
directed by Cristian Nemescu
black comedy, 155 min, fr subtitles
with Armand Assante, Răzvan Vasilescu, Jamie Elman
web http://www.californiadreaminnesfarsit.ro
trailer http://www.californiadreaminnesfarsit.ro/video.html
director http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristian_Nemescu
US Marine Capt. Jones is assigned to escort a train carrying NATO equipment heading for Yugoslavia during the war in Kosovo. His
mission is held back by Doiaru, apparently a very thorough station master in a God forsaken village, who halts the train over a
paperwork technicality. The community makes ridiculous efforts to welcome the Americans, intending to profit from their unexpected
presence. The troops join the game - and Doiaru's own daughter has a brief affair with Sgt. McLaren. Tired of waiting to get help
from higher up, Capt. Jones decides to take matters into his own hands. As he gets more and more involved with the locals, he stirs
old arguments and reveals that the real reason Doiaru stopped his train is a very personal one. At the end of five intense days, the
train resumes its journey, leaving behind broken hearts, broken dreams and a civil war.
Cristian Nemescu was killed in a car crash in Bucharest that also killed Romanian-born sound engineer Andrei Toncu. Nemescu and
Toncu were travelling in a taxi that was struck by a car that ran a red light. His last movie California Dreamin' (Nesfârșit) (2007) was
in post-production, when the accident happened. It was later awarded the Un Certain Regard Awards at the 2007 Cannes Film
Festival.
En 1999, dans un petit village roumain, le chef de gare, qui est en même temps la fripouille locale, arrête un train de l’OTAN
transportant des équipements militaires. La cargaison, gardée par des soldats Américains, traverse la Roumanie sans avoir
d’autorisation officielle, mais seulement l'accord verbal du gouvernement roumain. L'arrivée des Américains transforme le village en
la terre de toutes les possibilités...
Awards:
Festival de Cannes 2007 (Un Certain Regard)
Molodist International Film Festival, Ukraine 2007 (Special Prize of the International Jury, Special Prize of the FIPIRESCI Jury)
Brussels European Film Festival 2007 (Iris award for Best Film, Public prize, Canvas special prize)
Morgen (Romania/France/Hungary 2010)
directed by Marian Crișan
drama, 100 min, eng subtitles
with András Hatházi, Yilmaz Yalcin, Elvira Rîmbu
web http://www.morgen.ro/
trailer http://www.morgen.ro/morgen_trailer.html
director (interview) http://www.morgen.ro/morgen_interview.html
Nelu, a man in his forties, works as a security guard in the local supermarket in Salonta, a small town on the Romanian-Hungarian
border. This is the place where many illegal emigrants try to cross, by any means possible, to Hungary and then further to Western
Europe.
For Nelu, days go by the same. Fishing at dawn, then work, and finally home with his wife-Florica. They live alone at an isolated
farmhouse on the fields outside Salonta. Their problem these days is repairing the old roof of the farmhouse. One morning, Nelu will
“fish” something different out of the river: a Turkish man trying to cross the border. Not able to communicate verballly, the two men
will somehow understand each other. Nelu takes the stranger to the farmhouse, gives him some dry clothes, food and shelter. He
doesn’t really know how to help this stranger. The Turkish man gives Nelu all the money he has on him so he will help him cross the
border. Eventually, Nelu takes the money and promises he will help him cross the border tomorrow, MORGEN…
Morgen met en scène l’émigration en racontant l’histoire d’une amitié entre un Kurde et un Roumain résident à Salonta, près de la
frontière hongroise. Ce dernier sauve le premier d’une noyade certaine dans une rivière. Le Kurde n’a qu’une seule idée en tête: se
rendre en Allemagne pour rejoindre son fils. Alors que celui qui le sauve l’accueille chez lui et l’assure qu’il pourra partir "morgen" –
"demain" en allemand.
Le film a reçu le Prix spécial du jury et trois autres récompenses au Festival de Locarno cette année.
« Morgen, un titre évocateur pour une fresque sombre, partagée entre humanisme et pessimisme. Ici, la promesse de meilleurs
lendemains apparaît comme une vague chimère. Les hommes sont seuls face à un appareil exécutif écrasant – la menace
incessante de la fourgonnette de police qui sillonne les landes, la mort absurde d’un poisson à cause de réglementations douanières.
Des images simples, puissantes marquées par l’ombre totalitaire. » (Antoine Gallay, Cinema.ch)
Suivi d’un débat avec le réalisateur
Awards :
Locarno Film Festival 2010 (Special Jury prize, Ecumenical prize, Junior Jury award, International Federation of Film Societies prize)
Pescuit sportiv / Picnic (Romania, France 2009)
directed by Adrian Sitaru
drama, 84 min, fr subtitles
with Adrian Titieni, Ioana Flora, Maria Dinulescu, Alexandru Georgescu, Sorin Vasilescu, Nicodim Ungureanu
web http://www.rezofilms.com/distribution/picnic
trailer http://www.rezofilms.com/distribution/picnic
director http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Sitaru
"Don't panic, it's just a picnic," runs the film's tagline. It's precisely a Sunday picnic that seems like the best way for Mihai and
Sweetie to spend some quality time together and take their relationship to a new level. But a series of odd and unexpected events—
namely running over prostitute, Ana, lying in the road—quickly turn this idyllic weekend getaway into the strangest day of their lives.
“I think I have always been interested in human behaviour and relationships. Unlike other species we have an absurd and selfdestructive kind of behaviour. It seems to me that we are the only species that can destroy itself with pleasure.” (Adrian Sitaru)
Dans l'esprit de Mihai et Lubi, ce pique-nique dominical en pleine campagne était le moyen idéal de passer un bon moment, mais
aussi de discuter de l'avenir de leur couple et peut-être enfin trouver une certaine complicité. C'était sans compter sur une série
d'événements inattendus qui vont entraîner cette balade, a priori idyllique, dans une très étrange dimension...
« C'est bien par le regard de l'autre que chacun va se retrouver précisément décrit. Mensonge, dépression, lassitude, baisse de
l'attirance sexuelle, l'ordinaire d'un couple en somme, sont ici dévoilés par un jeu faussement anodin de la vérité. Picnic est aussi
une comédie particulièrement drôle. La cruauté ici n'exclut pas le rire, mais en découlerait plutôt. » (Jean-François Rauger - Le
Monde )
Awards:
Palm Springs International Film Festival 2009 (New Voices/New Visions Grand Jury Prize)
Ourense Independent Film Festival 2009 (Grand Prize)
Mons International Festival of Love Films 2009 (Best Screenplay)
Thessaloniki Film Festival 2008 (Best Actress Maria Dinulescu, Silver Alexander Special Jury Award)
Periferic / Outbound (Romania 2010)
directed by Bogdan George Apetri
drama, 87 min, eng subtitles
with Ana Ularu, Ioana Flora, Andi Vasluianu, Mimi Brănescu, Timotei Duma
web http://www.mk2catalogue.mk2.com/fiche_film.php?currentRub=7&film_id=1265
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqEcy2FAcQk
director http://www.tiburonfilmfestival.com/contactInfo.php?contact_id=12198
Taking to the streets, Matilda has twenty-four hours to make everything right – or wrong, depending on how you look at it.
Trapped in a five-year prison sentence for a crime she didn’t commit, Matilda has already spent two years behind bars and has no
intention of serving any more. Given a day pass for her mother’s funeral, she’s got a lot to make up for and very little time to do it in.
Outbound, she hits her targets one by one; she visits her brother, buries her mother and collects on a debt from a casual lover. Final
destination: a cargo ship and the open sea. But first she must contend with the responsibility closest to her heart.
Parenthood appears to be an afterthought in Matilda’s frantic dash for freedom, but first-time feature director Bogdan George Apetri
has set this up intentionally. A mother never turns her back on her offspring and it turns out that Matilda had a plan all along.
Working with an all-star writing team – Tudor Voican (California Dreamin'), Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) and
Ioana Uricaru (Tales from the Golden Age) – Apetri orchestrates a cataclysmic road race led by an inscrutable heroine, all the more
compelling for keeping her thoughts hermetically sealed. Her child-like demeanour is a direct contrast to her criminal record, but
there’s still beauty in this fiery gamine.
À la moitié de sa peine de prison, Matilda se voit accorder 24 heures de permission. Ne voulant pas retourner en prison, elle
envisage de s'échapper et de fuir le pays. Mais avant que la journée s'achève, Matilda doit faire face à son passé trouble.
« Le film traite avec simplicité et justesse d'un sujet délicat qui aurait pu laisser présager de nombreuses lourdeurs. Par chance, il
n'en est rien. La scène de fin est particulièrement poignante et nous laisse avec une boule au ventre. On est touché par cette femme
pleine de ressentiment qui se bat pour sa survie et cette dure journée que nous passons avec elle nous laisse un souvenir plus
profond que plusieurs autres films en compétition. » (Marie Glichitch, Cinema.ch)
Awards:
Locarno IFF 2010 (Ana Ularu - Prix Boccalino de la Presse – the Swiss press award for Best Actress)
Trafic (Romania 2004)
directed by Cătălin Mitulescu
short drama, 15 min, eng subtitles
with Bogdan Dumitrache, Maria Dinulescu, Andi Vasluianu, Simina Siminie, Ana Bart, Smaranda Ciceu, Eva Dan
web http://www.stradafilm.ro/films/view/?lang=1&id=14
trailer http://www.stradafilm.ro/trailerview/?lang=1&id=5
director http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C4%83t%C4%83lin_Mitulescu
An unexpected delay leads to a brief encounter between two people in this short drama from filmmaker Cătălin Mitulescu. A
businessman is trying to make his way across town for a meeting when he gets caught in a traffic jam. The man already has plenty
on his mind after learning his young daughter has fallen ill, and his mood is growing sour when he spies an attractive woman in her
early twenties selling soft drinks to the drivers waiting for traffic to clear. The businessman impulsively asks the soda girl out for
coffee, and they briefly get to know each other while he waits for his day to start up again. Trafic won the Palm d'Or for Best Short
Film at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
Awards:
Cannes Film Festival 2004 (Palme d’Or)
O zi buna de plaja / A good day for a swim (Romania 2007)
directed by Bogdan Mustață
short drama, 10 min, eng subtitles
with Florin Sinescu, Okan Kaya, George Hoffman, Cerasela Iosifescu, Marian Ghenea
web http://www.stradafilm.ro/films/view/?id=3&lang=1
director http://www.gulffilmfest.com/filmsexplorer.php?casting=yes&contact_id=3977&film_id=3466&contact_name=Bogdan%20Mustata
It's early in the morning and a 36 years old prostitute is waiting at a crossroad for the next client. A van stops and she's pulled inside.
The vehicle descends on a deserted beach and three wild boys start playing adult power games.
Three young delinquents escape the prison… A fascinating history, impossible to tell in words.
“The film asks questions with no solution”. (Berlin the International Shorts Jury). The teenagers
playing are representatives for the miners of the real life.
Awards:
Berlin IFF 2008 (Golden Bear)
Palm Springs IFF 2008 (Panavision Grand Jury Award and Best Live Action Short Under 15 Minutes)
UCIN (The Romanian Filmmakers Union) 2007 (Best Short Film and UCIN Trophy For The Best Film Of The Year)
Marilena de la P7 / Marilena from P7 (Romania 2006)
directed by Cristian Nemescu
short drama, 45 min, eng subtitles
with Aura Călărașu, Mădălina Ghițescu, Gabriel Huian, Cristi Olesher, Gabriel Spahiu, Andi Vasluianu
web http://www.hifilm.ro/view_movie_details.php?id=30
trailer http://www.hifilm.ro/view_movie_details.php?id=30
director http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristian_Nemescu
http://www.californiadreaminnesfarsit.ro/filmmakers.html
Andrei, a 13 year old teenager, living in the outskirts of Bucharest, one day decides to steal a trolleybus in order to impress Marilena,
a prostitute he fell in love with. Things you do for love…
“Besides telling the story, the film also makes a cross-section of the life in the suburbs of Bucharest at the beginning of the 21st
century, with no intervention whatsoever on most of the locations and extras. The handheld camera shooting style offers the
opportunity to capture details and genuine background elements that enforce the “documentary” atmosphere of the movie.
It’s a film about feelings and not about the Romanian reality. What was important and innovative for me was to concentrate on the
feelings of a teenager, his problems and his understanding of the world around him.”
Cristian Nemescu
Awards:
Milan FF 2006 (Best Feature Film)
Transylvania IFF 2006 (Best Romanian Film)
Megatron (Romania 2008)
directed by Marian Crișan
short drama, 14 min, eng subtiles
with Maxim Adrian Strinu, Gabriela Crișu, Damian Oancea, Erwin Simsensohn
web http://megatronshortfilm.blogspot.com/2009/09/marian-crisan-will-get-ready-in-morgen.html
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=333HYU6T1Q0
Megatron tells the story of Maxim, an 8 year old boy living with his mother in a village near Bucharest. For his birthday, Maxim’s
mother will take him to the capital city, to McDonalds. But what the boy wants most is to meet his father who lives in Bucharest.
Awards:
Cannes FF 2008 (Golden Palm for Best Short Film)
Stockholm FF 2008 (Best Short Film)
CZ
Lea (Czech Republic/Germany 1996)
directed by Ivan Fíla
poetic drama, 100 min, eng subtitles
with Lenka Vlasáková, Christian Redl, Hanna Schygulla, Udo Kier, Miroslav Donutil
director http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_F%C3%ADla
A 51-year-old Herbert, a German furniture restorer, travelling to Slovakia to deal with his restitution claims, falls in love with 21-yearold Lea, who has not spoken a word since childhood when her father brutally killed her mother. She bears a striking resemblance to
Herbert's dead wife. Herbert forces Lea´s foster-father to “sell” Lea to him. They get married and only very slowly each one starts to
penetrate the mysterious world of the other. A new start or another disaster in Lea´s life?
Featuring impassioned performances by Vlasáková and Redl, Ivan Fíla's film is a touching and powerful drama that will haunt you for
days… One of virtually unknown gems of the Czech cinema.
Un film poétique, à la fois émouvant et inquiétant.
La fragile Lea n'a pas parlé depuis que son père a brutalement tué sa mère. Cachée dans son monde de poésie, elle se trouve
soudainement épouse d’un Allemand vieillissant. Graduellement chacun arrive à pénétrer le monde secret de l'autre et commence à
réaliser qu'ils sont reliés par une sorte de relation spirituelle.
Ce film a été nominé pour le Golden Globe du meilleur film.
"...the film has the awful radiance of a bittersweet fable, the timeless kind that rings psychologically true and feels emotionally
uplifting without once striking a false or sentimental note." (Rick Groen, Globe and Mail)
« Lea" wirkt in der Kinolandschaft wie ein roher Diamant inmitten von synthetischem Zirkonia. Nicht nur ein "Kunstfilm" für Cineasten,
sondern eine Offenbarung für diejenigen, die sich nach all den digitalisierten Dinos, Tornados und Volcanos nach echten Menschen
und Gefühle sehnen.” (mk, Kino.de)
Awards:
Czech Lion 1997 (Best Cinematography, Best Actress in a Leading Role)
Venice IFF 1996 (OCIC Award)
Napoli IFF 1997 (Best Film)
Brussels IFF 1997 (Best Film, Audience Award)
Nomination for Golden Globe 1997
London IFF 1997 (Satyajit Ray Prize)
Montevideo IFF 1997 (Opera Prima Prize)
Spalovač mrtvol / The Cremator / L’incinérateur des cadavres (Czechoslovakia 1969)
directed by Juraj Herz
horror drama, 95 min, eng subtitles
with Rudolf Hrušínský, Vlasta Chramostová, Jiří Menzel, Ilja Prachař
web http://366weirdmovies.com/the-cremator-spalovac-mrtvol-1969
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQeMvEzEpvU&feature=related
teaser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4XgqvjzR8w&feature=related
director http://www.kinoeye.org/02/01/bird01.php
Based on a novel by Ladislav Fuks, the film is set in Prague during the Nazi occupation, and follows Karel Kopfrkingl, a man who
works in a massive, ornate crematorium. Kopfrkingl is obsessed with his work, believing death to be a release from the suffering of
life, and that by incinerating corpses he is in fact liberating souls. The coming of the Nazis pushes his eccentricity into madness,
perverting his already twisted ambitions and offering him the opportunity to live out his fantasies in horrifying fashion. Kopfrkingl
takes to the Nazi ideal with frightening ease, gradually perverting his own beliefs as he comes to view himself as a saviour of
mankind, at great cost to those around him, particularly his family.
“The Cremator” is not a horror film in the traditional sense, but is a darkly ironic and bleakly satirical comedy. Although there is little in
the way of laughs, it is grotesquely humorous throughout, mainly through the lead character’s unfailing preoccupation with death.
Particularly funny are his visions of the Dalai Lama, and his self-serving justifications for his own moral degeneration. “The Cremator”
is a unique example of modern gothic cinema, being both fantastic and grimly realistic. Finding comedy in the darkest recesses of
the human spirit, Herz has produced a film which is genuinely chilling and filled with a sense of ominous dread. As such, it is horror
of the purest kind, and is a sinister gem which deserves rediscovery.
M. Kopfrkingl est un employé modèle. Incinérateur de cadavres de son état, il exerce son métier avec amour. Il aime ses morts, il est
heureux de libérer les âmes et souhaite, par amour de son prochain, à tous une mort prochaine. A la veille de la Seconde Guerre
mondiale un ami nazi le persuade qu'il doit avoir du sang allemand dans les veines. Et M. Kopfrkingl se prend a rêver d'une race
pure. Son crématoire va pouvoir tourner à plein régime.
« L’Incinérateur de cadavres est une merveille d’humour noir, qui distille un sentiment de délicieux malaise… Tourné pendant le
Printemps de Prague en 1968, il suggère la violence insidieuse des totalitarismes de toutes les époques. » (Olivier Denhez,
association Un Autre Ecran)
« The Cremator is the type of film you might like if you have an appetite for eccentric villain with art horror sauce and a side of New
Wave experimentation. It comes with a mug of humor served pitch black. » (Film Walrus)
Awards:
Trilobit FITESU 1969 (Best Director, Best Cinematography)
Festival de Cine de Sitges 1972 (Best Film)
Czechoslovak nomination for Oscar
Pravidla lži / Rules of Lies / Les règles du mensonge (Czech Republic 2006)
directed by Robert Sedláček
drama, 115 min, eng subtitles
with Jiří Langmajer, David Švehlík, Klára Issová, Jan Budař
web http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/specialy/pravidlalzi/en/ofilmu.php
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxkRcu5q5hk&feature=related (CZ only)
director http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/specialy/pravidlalzi/en/director.php
33-year-old Roman decides to tackle his drug addiction by undergoing group therapy as part of a community holed up on an isolated
farm in the Šumava mountains. Eleven people, men and women of varying ages and social status, voluntarily subject themselves to
a tough regime under the supervision of three therapists. Many of them have stared death in the face already – overdoses, suicide
attempts, and aggression heightened by the use of hard drugs, outwardly affecting even the strongest of them. Each brings
something of his past into the group, which he has to experience again, both for himself and for those assembled. Past anguish,
wrongs and guilt give rise to new problems: in this thickening atmosphere of suspicion and lies, who can still be trusted?
This intimate psychological drama deliberately sets out to break up the tight narrative form through retrospectives in which we learn
about the past life of each individual. The director studied the environment of a similar group in Němčice in South Bohemia, the
subject of his documentary Long Hangover (2003).
Drame psychologique sur 11 personnes qui passent une année de leur vies dans une communauté thérapeutique isolée avec le but
de vaincre les démons de leur passé sombre. Est-ce que certains d’entre eux réussissent ?
Awards:
Czech Lions 2006 (Best Screenplay)
Movies Critics´ Award Czech Republic 2006
Finale Plzen 2007 (Audience Award for Best Film)
Association of Czech Film Clubs Award 2006 (the most artistically enterprising film)
Febiofest 2007 (Kristian Award – Critics´ Award)
Lubiskie Film Summer 2007 (Film Club Award)
Nevěrné hry / Faithless Games (Czech Republic 2003)
directed by Michaela Pavlátová
drama, 93 min, eng subtitles
with Zuzana Stivínová, Peter Bebjak, Jana Hubinská, Vlado Hajdu
web http://negativ.cz/en/films/faithless-games/
trailer http://filmcenter.cz/en/film/detail/693-faithless-games
http://www.negativ.cz/cz/films/neverne-hry/trailer.php (CZ only)
director http://negativ.cz/en/authors/michaela-pavlatova/
A chamber piece about love, unfaithfulness, human failings and finding one's self. Eva, a pianist, has followed her Slovak husband,
Peter, a composer as well as a musician, to a small village near the Slovak-Hungarian border. Peter finds the environment peaceful
for his composing. Eva, on the other hand, has a difficult time finding work as a performer and feels rootless, far from her family and
friends in Prague. Is the deep love they once felt for each other hardening into resigned acceptance of one another? Solitude,
indecision, inability to adapt in a relationship or, alternatively, too much adaptability: these are the states one goes through on the
way to satisfaction - with life, with partners, with one's self.
L’histoire d'un couple en recherche de l'harmonie conjugale dans un petit village près de la frontière hongro-slovaque. Peter est
attaché au calme et à la tranquillité dont il a besoin pour composer et Eva dérive lentement vers son ancien monde à Prague...
Awards:
San Sebastian IFF 2003 (Honourable Mention)
Cottbus IFF 2003 (FICC Don Quijote Award)
Finále Plzeň 2004 (Best Film)
WorldFest Houston 2004 (Special Prize of the Jury)
Protektor / Protector / Le protecteur (Czech Republic 2009)
directed by Marej Najbrt
drama, 98 min, eng subtitles
with Jana Plodková, Marek Daniel, Klára Melíšková
web http://negativ.cz/en/films/protektor/
web2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protector_%282009_film%29
web3 http://www.kviff.com/en/films/film-detail/3019-protektor/#aboutMovieAnchorAddressJS
web4 http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/specialy/protektor/ (CZ only)
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc6OBV-kDvU&feature=related (CZ only)
director http://negativ.cz/en/authors/marek-najbrt/
A radio reporter Emil Vrbata and an actress Hana are married. It’s the year 1938. Attractive Hana lands her first big success in film,
admirers flocking around her. Emil is jealous. The German occupation and the beginning of the war turn their lives upside down.
Hana is confronted with her Jewish heritage. From the high hopes of a star at the start of their career, she falls to the bottom of
society’s ladder. Emil, on the other hand, is promoted at the radio station and becomes the voice of Reich propaganda, a celebrity.
He seizes on this chance to protect Hana and, at the same time, take control of her life. He refuses a divorce and, in the interest of
Hana’s safety, continues in their ”racially mixed marriage”. Emil’s pact with the devil, however, levies its own tax. Emil’s self-respect
cracks, his love for Hana changes into its own ”Protectorate”. Their marriage twists into a state of indifference. And fate has laid a
trap for Emil. One morning, running late to work from the arms of a lover, he steals an abandoned bicycle on the street. Little does he
know the radio is already buzzing with startling news: ”In Prague an attempt was made to assassinate Reich Deputy Protector
Reinhard Heydrich. One of the suspects escaped on a bicycle...“ Emil‘s unfortunate encounter with the seemingly banal object of the
bicycle propels him on a frantic journey for forgiveness in the eyes of his wife, whom he realizes he has always loved…
Un journaliste tchèque commence à travailler dans une station de radio à Prague qui diffuse la propagande nazie, afin de protéger
sa femme juive. Cependant à mesure que le régime nazi en Tchécoslovaquie exige une plus grande implication des collaborateurs,
la relation avec sa femme se complique grandement...
Prix du meilleur film tchèque de 2009.
Awards:
Czech Lions 2010 (Best Film, Best Director, Best Script, Best Editing, Best Actress, Best Music)
Off Plus Kamera Krakow 2010 (Main Award)
Starz Denver FF 2009 (Krzystof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film)
Febiofest 2010 (Kristian Award – Film Critics´ Award)
Vilnius IFF 2010 (Special mention – filmic qualities)
Czech nomination for Oscar 2010
Kawasakiho růže / Kawasaki´s Rose / La rose de Kawasaki (Czech Republic 2009)
directed by Jan Hřebejk
drama, 100 min, eng subtitles
with Martin Huba, Daniela Kolářová, Lenka Vlasáková, Ladislav Chudík
web http://cineuropa.org/film.aspx?documentID=115980
web2 http://www.febiofest.cz/en/movie/kawasaki-s-rose?id=2009159
web3 http://www.bontonfilm.cz/kawasakiho-ruze.html (CZ only)
trailer http://filmcenter.cz/en/film/detail/1260-kawasaki-s-rose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU6YBRgCUzI&feature=related (CZ only)
director http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_H%C5%99ebejk
A drama about family and politics, the role of memory in relationships, and that of jealousy, arrogance, love, loyalty and betrayal.
Pavel, a distinguished psychiatrist is about to receive an award for his life’s work and his role as a dissident; his handsome wife and
adoring grown daughter are pleased the honour is coming his way. But Ludek, his son-in-law, employed on a documentary crew
filming Pavel, resents that his own family, rooted in Czechoslovakia’s Communist past, ended up on the wrong side of history while
his wife’s is now la crème de la crème. When Ludek discovers that Pavel may have corroborated with the secret police in order to
silence a romantic rival, the plot thickens immeasurably. Kawasaki’s Rose considers the ways in which the past never stops
informing the present, especially in societies where secrets were the way of life, and professional or personal success could depend
upon a single well-placed piece of information, be it true or false. The film recounts events that took place over thirty years earlier
without using a single flashback. The family drama sheds light on the practices employed by the secret police to discredit its
opponents. An emotional story of guilt and atonement, the pitfalls of memory and the need for forgiveness.
Un psychiatre de renom est sur le point de recevoir une médaille de l’État pour sa vaillance. Cependant, il s'avère que ce dissident
réputé moralement irréprochable pourrait ne pas être le meilleur candidat pour un prix d'honneur ...
Awards:
Czech Lions 2010 (Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress)
Berlinale 2010 (Panorama, Ecumenical Jury Prize, C.I.C.A.E. Award)
Finále Plzeň 2010 (Best Film)
Czech nomination for Oscar 2011
Jan Saudek (Czech Republic/USA 2007)
Trapped by His Passions No Hope for Rescue
directed by Adolf Zika
documentary, 93 min, eng subtitles
web http://www.saudekfilm.com/Default2.aspx
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OewcX2UzMqo
director http://www.zika.cz/pages/en/films.aspx
Saudek’s work http://www.saudek.com/
The film provides a personally truthful yet harsh life story of a hero and dropout. The world-renowned photographer, winning
international awards and being exhibited abroad long before he had gained recognition in his native country, appears in many roles
before the camera. Often changing them, he surprises or even shocks. Nevertheless, even the best illusionist is incapable of hiding
from three cameras and the unmerciful eye of the director. War, suffering, losses, blind love, dreams of a family, the intangible glory
of fame, poverty, condemnation, lack of appreciation counterbalanced by wealth and sky-high freedom in the unstoppable aging
process. This and much more is portrayed in this riveting documentary.
“The true spirit of an individual whose talent influences history often remains unexplained. The exceptionality of their legacy goes
hand in hand with the ways they differ from ordinary mortals. Often in direct contact we don’t understand them despite the fact they
have entertained millions of people. This film is my personal view into the spirit of a revolutionary photographer and remarkable
person. Although it’s perhaps only one view out of a thousand, it made sense to try.” (the director’s note)
Awards:
EUROFEST Montreal 2008 (Glass Eye Award for Best Documentary Film)
shown at Seoul IFF, Rhode Island IFF, Krakow FF, Moving Image FF Toronto etc.
New Wave of Czech Animation / Nouvelle vague de l’animation tchèque
„New Wave of Czech Animation" is the most recent project of the International Festival of Animated Films – ANIFEST - operating
under the umbrella of the Institute of Czech Animation.
Since movie theatres had abolished the screening of shorts before a feature-length films (which used to be guarranteed by law in the
Czech Republic before 1989) and in the context of the international tendency towards producing commercial feature-length animated
formats, the original short films have become a sort of „endangered species". Despite the long tradition and famous names,
presently, short animated films can only be seen at festivals. This is why the Czech Animation Institute / AniFest consider it their
priority to continue the long tradition of classice masters of Czech animation, e.g. J.Trnka, K. Zeman, J. Švankmajer, B.Pojar, or J.
Barta, P.Koutský, M. Pavlátová and many others and through its new project „New Wave of Czech Animation" introduce young
Czech animators to the worldwide professional audience as well as to the large public. The dramaturgist of this project and the
Professor of the Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Animated Film Department, Jiří Kubíček, says:
„Without anybody planning or forecasting it, Czech animation saw the birth of something new, congenial, viable and meaningful.
Let's call it the "New Wave" as this technical term has a grounded tradition and a solid foundation in the Czech film industry. It is a
symbol".
Contact (2003)
directed by Martin Duda
Playfulness, harmony and conflict between cartoon and digital animation.
Game (2004)
directed by Galina Miklínová
Rules and accidents between two players - hand painted and colored "total" animation with subsequent
computer processing in Prague's Alkay studio. The work on the film and screenplay took a year.
Geranium (2005)
directed by Lucie Sunková
A male and a female fall in love in a bar called Pygmalion. They decide to lead wonderful suburban life together gardening and
growing geraniums together. However, their destiny prevents them from doing so and both of them make a mistake that proves fatal
to their dreams. There is a geranium at the window to serve as a reminder - nothing else remains.
A Scene from the Life of Antelopes (2004)
directed by Edita Krausová
An interpretation of one of the fables for misbehaved children by Jacques Prévert. Antelopes live in Africa with aboriginals and whites.
Stray bullets accidentally hit an antelope. Her friends wait in vain for her to come back for dinner...
Radio Kebrle (2006)
directed by Zdeněk Durdil
Prior to founding his legendary Monstrkabaret, renowned variety artist and entertainer Fred Brunold, scraped by doing anything and
everything he could. For instance, he worked as an employee at a certain parasitic radio station. Fred's rich experience from his job
as a reporter is illustrated in this enlightening story about little Janik and his dangerous excursion to see his grandfather, Jaroslav
Kebrle.
Awards:
Fresh Film Fest 2007
FILM FUTURA 2009
The Clod (2007)
directed by Jaromír Plachý
One unusual morning for one unusual creature.
Awards:
AniFest 2008 (Best Internet Animation, Viewers´ Award)
Mrs. G (2007)
directed by Michal Žabka
Mrs. G. is a puppet love story full of funny situations that occur during the co-existence between a man
and his unusual female life-partner. You can expect humor, romance and at times even thrills.
Awards:
AniFest 2007 (Viewers Award)
Rio de Janeiro 2008 (Golden Cactus trophy - Best International Animation)
Trieste 2008 (Trudi for the best short animation)
AniFest 2009 (3rd award and special mention by the student jury for best script)
Balchik 2009 (Best Animated Film)
Whoops, Mistake! (2008)
directed by Aneta Kýrová
The storks from the sky delivery service have long, noisily clapping beaks. When they stop to chat, anything can happen. Aneta
Kýrová tells a story about two mismatched children, or it would be better to say a human baby and a bear cub. In the writer's version,
the story has an unusual ending based on the common experiences shared by all parents. In the end, the parents must adapt to their
offspring regardless of what they are.
Torchbearer (2006)
directed by Václav Švankmajer
There is a city with a large labyrinth. Day and Night and the Sun and the Moon keep alternating above the city in a seemingly neverending cycle. Suddenly the gear gets stuck and then stops and the city is covered in endless darkness. The hero enters the labyrinth
and wanders along its dark corridors. He is followed by guards who, at first sight, look like motionless statues of ancient women. But
they come back to life behind the hero's back who is on his way into the heart of the labyrinth to pass three tests.
Awards:
Cracow Student Jury Award
Fresh Film Fest - Best Animation
HU
Delta (Hungary/Germany 2008)
directed by Kornél Mundruczó
drama, 93 min, eng subtitles
with Félix Lajkó, Orsolya Tóth. Lili Monori, Sándor Gáspár
web: http://cineuropa.org/film.aspx?documentID=67838
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUrL5osnFeo
Presskit: http://www.festival-cannes.fr/assets/Image/Direct/025299.pdf
Critics: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/07/delta-film-review
A quiet young man returns to the wild, isolated landscape of the Delta. It is a labyrinth of waterways, small islands and over-grown
vegetation, where the villagers are cut off from the outside world. The young man, who has been away since early childhood, is
introduced to a sister he never knew he had. She is frail and timid, but resolute when she decides to join him in his run-down hut on
the shore. Together they build a house on stilts in the middle of the river, far away from everyone else. One day, they invite the
villagers over to share a meal together, but it becomes apparent that the coarse locals do not accept their "unnatural" relationship.
Un jeune homme taciturne regagne la nature isolée et sauvage du Delta, un labyrinthe de voies navigables, d’îlots et de végétation
luxuriante qui coupe la population locale du reste du monde. Le jeune homme, qui avait quitté le Delta dans son enfance, y
rencontre une sœur dont il ignorait l’existence. Frêle et timide, elle n’hésite pas lorsqu’il s’agit de le rejoindre dans la hutte délabrée
qu’il habite. Eloignés de tous, ils se lancent alors ensemble dans la construction d’une maison sur pilotis au milieu de la rivière. Un
jour, ils invitent les gens du pays à partager un dîner, mais les villageois n’acceptent pas leur relation «contre-nature ».
Awards:
Cannes IFF 2008 (FIPRESCI Prize)
Hungarian Film Week 2008 (Golden Reel Main Prize for Best Film)
Cottbus Film Festival 2008 (Don Quijote Prize)
Porto Fantasporto 2009 (Critics Jury’s Award)
Üvegtigris / Glass Tiger / Tigre de verre (Hungary 2001)
directed by Iván Kapitány and Péter Rudolf
comedy, 100 min, eng subtitles
with Péter Rudolf, Gábor Reviczky, Imre Csuja, Sándor Gáspár, József Szarvas
web: http://www.uvegtigris.hu/flash.html (HU only)
web2: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0257290/
This film tells the story of a few uneventful days in the life of six pals. Lali, a great fan of America, owns a sandwich stand on the side
of the road, called The Glass Tiger. Gaben steals cars; Fox is a petty swindler; Sanyi a half-wit homelessman; Coco can't shut up
about getting some dough and going to America; Slimmy is forever playing the saxophone, despite the others' frayed nerves. Gaben
talks Lali into buying an old Chevrolet Impala, the real American dream.
After the long escapade of getting the car, Lali doesn't even get the chance to try the Chevvy out, because a truck completely
demolishes it. Fox in the meantime is looking excitedly for the "Wreck", which he has been trying to sell for big money. But Lali has
sold what he thought to be scrap, not good for anything. Fox is threatened by some tough guys to bring it back or pay up. He has to
get money at all costs. Coco can think of only one solution. They have to rob the nearby bank. They all get into a car, but the big
heist does not work out perfectly.
The movie built an enormous fan base and attacked the “cult” status in Hungary, with quotes of the characters used as widely known
catch phrases.
Comédie culte. Le restaurant routier « Le tigre de verre » est géré par Lali, un homme aimable, qui y accueille une clientèle pour le
moins étrange.
Koccanás / Pile-up (Hungary 2009)
directed by Ferenc Török
experimental comedy, 70 min, eng subtitles
with Eszter Ónodi, Vilmos Vajdai, János Derzsi, Zoltán Rajkai
web: http://cineuropa.org/film.aspx?lang=fra&documentID=112609
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dWXAAYkyzE
A bleak crossroads somewhere in Hungary, Eastern Europe, or anywhere in the world. Amidst the usual noisy, busy morning traffic
there is a sudden big bang and a clash which brings everything to a halt. At the crossroads typical present-day Hungarian - and nonHungarian - characters band together, ranging from a homeless person to a millionaire, from entrepreneur to manager, from clerk to
police officer, from a retired couple to young lovers.
Based on the work of György Spiró.
Un carrefour sombre quelque part en Hongrie, en Europe de l’Est, ou n’importe où dans le monde. Entre le bruit habituel et le trafic
matinal, un énorme raffut ainsi qu’un affrontement poussent les gens à s’arrêter. Tout le monde se rassemble, du sans abri au
millionnaire, de l’entrepreneur au gérant, de l’employé à l’officier de police, du couple de retraités aux jeunes amants…
« A wonderfully inventive film graced with sly humor about a crash near the border of eastern Hungary. » (extremelyhungary.org)
Awards:
A l’Est Film Festival Rouen 2010 (Grand Prix)
Fehér Tenyér / White Palms / Les paumes blanches (Hungary 2006)
directed by Szabolcs Hajdu
sport drama, 101 min, eng subtitles
with Zoltán Miklós Hajdu, Orion Radies, Silas Radies, Gheorghe Dinica
web: www.whitepalmsmovie.com
web2: http://efareviews.cineuropa.org/2009/07/feher-tenyer-white-palms-2006.html
trailer: http://cineuropa.org/trailer.aspx?lang=fr&documentID=67660
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNZXWh8MkP4
Having suffered as a boy under a brutal Communist-era coach, champion Hungarian gymnast Miklós moves to Canada years later in
search of a new start--only to find himself unwittingly perpetuating the very same cycle of abuse among his own pupils. Redemption
appears in the unlikely form of Kyle, a troubled, young Canadian teen with the potential to become a world champion. The friendship
and rivalry between teacher and student--each played by actual gymnasts--forms the basis of this gripping, resonant sports drama.
This extraordinarily shot film was inspired by the life of the director’s own brother, Zoltán Miklós Hajdu, who also plays the main
character.
L’histoire d’un gymnaste de Debrecen à Las Vegas.
Miklós Dongó, un grand gymnaste, a dû mettre fin à sa carrière à la suite d'une blessure. Il débarque au Canada pour commencer
une nouvelle vie. Devenu entraîneur, il s'occupe de l'un des jeunes gymnastes les plus talentueux du pays, dont il doit faire un
champion. Le jeune homme est vaniteux et colérique, et Miklós a beaucoup de mal à établir un contact avec lui...
« La gymnastique comme principe de mise en scène, encore, puisqu’il s’agit là de tenir en équilibre sur une position précisément
intenable. » (Jean-Philippe Tessé, Les cahiers du cinéma)
Awards:
Cannes IFF 2006 (Directors’ Fortnight selection)
Hungarian Film Week 2006 (Best Director, Audience Award, Best Producers, Best Editing, Gene Moskowitz Award)
EFA 2006 (selection)
Overnight (Hungary/Germany 2007)
directed by Ferenc Török
drama, 92 min, eng subtitles
with Viktor Bodó, Enikö Eszenyi, Vilmos Vajdai
web http://cineuropa.org/film.aspx?documentID=69087&lang=fr
web2 www.overnight.hu (HU only)
trailer http://cineuropa.org/trailer.aspx?lang=fr&documentID=82219
Overnight is the third and final film of Török’s trilogy about the fall of the socialist regime in Hungary. It is the dramatic story of 24
hours in the life of a Hungarian stockbroker, Peter, whose private and professional life undergoes serious questioning. One of Peter’s
big clients suddenly claims a large amount of money that Peter had lost, while he receives a positive pregnancy test anonymously.
These two situations cause upheaval in Peter’s view of the world.
This film isn’t particularly about Hungary; it is more about a globalized world. As the stock exchanges in Budapest, Berlin and
Mumbai open and close at different times, time and money can be won and lost in this speculatory gambling of stocks. Instead of
showing a social drama, Ferenc Török observes the psychological pressure on business people. Overnight is a visually outstanding
portrait of the stock market and the people dependent on it.
Peter est un courtier à succès à Budapest. Un jour, deux événements chamboulent son monde et le confrontent à la ruine de sa vie.
Un client important demande soudain de retirer tout son argent, que Peter a perdu. Pour ne rien arranger, Peter reçoit un test de
grossesse positif anonyme. Tout son mode de vie est remis en cause. La possibilité d'un nouveau départ se présente, mais Peter
aura-t-il le courage de se détourner du passé?
« Dans ce pays, la bourse est une chose nouvelle, de même que la vague de yuppies apparue récemment, vers la fin des années
1990, et qui est devenue un phénomène important. J'ai toujours voulu aborder la question dans un de mes films. » (Note du
réalisateur)
« Une étude fascinante de la Hongrie post-socialiste »(Canadian Film Institute)
« A punishing, beautiful drama about a troubled 30-something Hungarian gymnast who gets a job as a coach training 2001 Calgary
Olympic hopefuls. The film is shot and edited in an austere, quasi-documentary style reminiscent of that of films by the Dardenne
brothers and cast mainly with skilled gymnasts who perform their own routines“ (Matt Zoller Seitz, The New York Times)
Awards:
Hungarian Film Week 2008 (Best Visual Design)
Berdyansk IFF 2009 (Best Supporting Actress)
SK
Osadné (Slovakia / Czech Republic 2009)
directed by Marko Škop
documentary, 65 min, eng subtitles
with Ladislav Mikuláško, Peter Soroka, Fedor Vico
web http://www.osadne.com/
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x33xgjsnme4
director http://www.artileria.sk/en/features/other_worlds/authors/marko_skop/
The document-toury-movie by Marko Škop focuses on a small village that is situated on the Eastern border of Slovakia, and thus of
the EU. Its mayor and orthodox priest “touch” the world of the top European politics.
The mayor of Osadné is a political record-holder. He has held the position of the village boss for thirty-six years. The Orthodox priest
has buried fifty people and christened two children over the past five years. The mayor and the priest have decided to fight for the
survival of the village, together with their wives who are their important shadow advisors…
As both of them know that the village’s future could lie in tourism, they ask the PR manager of the Ruthenian Revival Movement,
Fedor Vico, to help them in promotion of the village. This politician, with a sense of humour worthy of Don Quixote, manages to draw
a visitor from the highest level in Brussels to Osadné. The Slovak Member of the European Parliament is touched by the situation in
the village and he invites the local politicians to Brussels.
During their trip from the “edge of Europe” to the “centre of the European Babel” the heroes from Osadné sightsee and comment on
the huge spaces in the Parliament, they visit the meeting room for 785 Members of Parliament and – especially – they meet elite
European politicians who they make familiar with their new projects...
Un maire (en fonction depuis plus de 36 ans), un prêtre orthodoxe (50 enterrements et 11 baptêmes en 5 ans) et le défenseur de la
minorité ruthène se rendent à Bruxelles au nom du village slovaque proche de la frontière la plus orientale de l'Union européenne
afin de sauver le tourisme du village qui périclite.
Awards:
Karlovy Vary IFF 2009 (Best Documentary Film)
Krakow IFF 2010 (Honourable Mention)
goEast FF Wiesbaden 2010 (Reinhard Kämpf Memorial Prize)
BFI London FF 2009 (Grierson Award Nominee)
One World Film Festival Bratislava 2009 (Audience Award)
Hranica / The Border / La frontière (Slovakia 2009)
with Peter Lizák, Tibor Tóth, Štefan Tóth, Rebeka Kuiková, Alexander Gilányi,
web http://www.hranica.sk/htm/eng/info.html
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v7Tk_gTfz8
director http://www.hranica.sk/htm/eng/filmakers.html
director interview http://www.dokweb.net/en/documentary-network/articles/interview-with-jaro-vojtek-1043/
The documentary takes a look at the absurdity of the situation in a village situated on the Slovak-Ukrainian border. In 1946, following
a political decision, the village found itself divided in two parts, with the border being drawn at random. One part remained in the
former Czechoslovakia, the other one was annexed to the Ukraine (then still part of the Soviet Union). Everything was split apart: the
cemetery, fields, whole families. The political act, materialized later by a 3 meter high barbed wire fence, was a real disaster for the
everyday life of the local people: to pass on the latest news about weddings and funerals, relatives have to call each other over the
fence, to visit the other site, the inhabitants have to get a visa, for which they have to travel 150 km to the city ...
The film crew visited the village several times during seven years to document the absurd events taking place there such as the
Slovak referendum for a mission to the EU, which made the border controls even stricter. They show how meaningless some political
decisions are, such as the building of a new modern border post. All this in times when politicians claim to promote living in a Europe
without borders and walls.
L'histoire d'une frontière absurde qui parcourt, depuis plus de 50 ans, le village Slemence. Le village fut divisé en 1946 par l'armée
rouge en deux parties: l'une est restée dans l'ex-Tchécoslovaquie, l'autre a été annexée à l'Ukraine, c’est à dire à l'Union soviétique.
Cet acte politique, matérialisé plus tard par un barbelé de 3 mètres, fut un désastre pour les habitants du village car ce n’étaient pas
seulement les terrains mais aussi les familles et leurs destins. Plusieurs habitants vivant d'un ou de l'autre côté de la frontière
racontent leurs histoires, à l’exemple de l’homme qui était citoyen de sept États différents bien que n'ayant jamais de sa vie quitté sa
maison et son jardin…
Le candidat slovaque pour Oscar 2011.
« Le message du film est que n'importe quelle frontière construite entre les personnes ne peut générer que des douleurs et des
souffrances » (Note du réalisateur)
Awards:
Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival 2009 (The Best East European Documentary of 2009)
Slovak candidate for Oscar 2011
Nedodržaný sľub / Broken Promise / Promesses non tenues (Slovakia /Czech republic 2009)
directed by Jiří Chlumský
drama, 129 min, eng subtitles
with Samuel Spišák, Ondřej Vetchý, Ivan Romančík, Marián Slovák, Eva Kerekesová,
web http://www.gentafilm.sk/broken-promise
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFiwrEbcUyg&feature=related (SK only)
A reconstruction of an unusual wartime story of Martin Friedmann-Petrasek, a Jew from the small Slovak town of Bánovce. One of a
family of nine and the fifth son of a poultry buyer, Martin was a talented soccer player, scouted by nationally-ranked teams in the
idyllic pre-war era when the town of Bánovce was an ethnic and religious melting pot. For fun, with his soccer teammates he'd run to
ring the bell of the local Catholic church (administered by one Jozef Tiso who was eventually to become the head of the fascist
Slovak State).
The family's life begins to change around the time of Martin's bar mitzvah, which is last occasion the Friedmann family celebrates
together - the newly-formed Slovak state has just become an ally of Hitler's Germany and Mr. Friedmann makes his family promise
that they would all reunite here again in a year's time. Due to the 1939 events and the following years the young hero is forced to
change his young and naïve ideals, to hide his identity, to face the death and, consequently, to survive tough times when even the
best friend can become a traitor. His talent, courage and piece of luck help him to keep the promise he and his family once made.
L’histoire extraordinaire d'un garçon juif qui ne put survivre aux atrocités de la guerre que grâce à une promesse. Martin, le
cinquième enfant d’un marchand de viande est un joueur de football très talentueux qui, pendant les temps idylliques d'avant-guerre,
est très demandé par les sélectionneurs de première ligue et qui grimpe dans le donjon de l'église du village dont le prêtre est un
certain M. Jozef Tiso… Suite aux événements de 1939 et des années suivantes, le jeune héros est forcé d’abandonner les idéaux
naïfs de sa jeunesse, de démentir sa propre identité, de faire face à la mort, et par conséquent, de survivre les temps dans lesquels
même le meilleur ami peut devenir traitre. Son talent, son courage et des coups de chance l'aident à tenir la promesse que sa famille
s'est donné plusieurs années auparavant: se réunir un jour.
« La guerre est un grand sujet, un événement crucial de l'histoire moderne et tout ne se trouve pas dans les livres de l'histoire...
Qu’on le veuille ou non, les destins qu'elle a marqués touchent chacun de nous. » (Note du réalisateur)
Awards:
Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival 2009 (Audience Award for Best Feature Film)
Festroia Setúbal IFF (Silver Dolphin for Best Actor)
Slovak candidate for Oscar 2010
Ružové sny / Rosy Dreams / Rêves en rose (Czechoslovakia 1976)
directed by Dušan Hanák
poetic comedy, 80 min, eng subtitles
with Juraj Nvota, Iva Bittová, Josef Hlinomaz, Marie Motlová, Ľudovít Kroner, Libuše Havelková, Václav Babka, Hana Slivková,
Anton Trón
web http://www.pitt.edu/~votruba/sstopics/movieclips/rosydreamswriteup.html
video http://www.pitt.edu/~votruba/sstopics/movieclips/rosydreamscycle.html
director http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du%C5%A1an_Han%C3%A1k
A poetic comedy about a village postman Jakub and a gipsy girl, Jolana. Jakub, a dreamy chap living in a sleepy village, spends his
days playing pranks on everyone, resenting his father with his mother’s tacit support, and admiring Jolana from the neighbouring
Romani hamlet – until Jolana responds. Faced with mistrust from both Jakub’s and Jolana’s families and venom from segments of
their communities, Jakub pulls one more, grave prank that, he imagines, will help support the two teenagers as they take the train to
the nearby city in order to live together.
The authorities permitted Rosy Dreams to be distributed only in limited release. It received the Czechoslovak Critics' Award for 1976
and the Czech and Slovak Film Festival's Audience Award in Bratislava in 1977. It became the only Slovak film made in the
repressive 1970s that was shown abroad. When it was released on VHS after the collapse of communism in Central Europe, it
became a particular favourite with the Romani community in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
The screenplay was written by the director Hanák and the Slovak writer Dušek during 1974-1975. The authorities delayed the
shooting of Rosy Dreams for a year, because Hanák and Dušek refused to rewrite it with a socially optimistic ending that would have
the two main characters getting married. Both authors did research in Romani settlements and fashioned their script accordingly.
They even hired a Professor of Romani Studies as a consultant, who also helped with the Romani dialogues. This approach, very
close to reality, made the film, despite its whimsical poetic style, realistic and credible.
Une comédie sur l’amour d’un facteur et d'une jolie gitane dans un petit village slovaque.
L’histoire d'un facteur, Jakub, qui tombe amoureux de la jeune et jolie gitane Jolanka, est racontée avec une incroyable légèreté,
créativité, poétique et tristesse – les deux héros entrent dans la vie par les erreurs et culbutes, marqués par l'humour et la poésie de
leur jeunesse. Le facteur Jakub distribue non seulement le courrier, mais aussi de la joie. A l’opposé de son caractère de joueur est
celui de Jolanka qui est plus consciente de son but et qui voudrait changer tant de choses … sa propre vie en premier lieu. Jakub, lui,
est capable de convaincre les autres que tous les désirs et tous les rêves peuvent être réalisés.
« C'est ce qui compte : ne pas faire un seul mètre de film qui n'a pas de sens » dit le réalisateur qui y transforme un film triste dans
une histoire de l'adolescence avec l'humour et l'esprit caractéristiques, avec de la joie et de la douleur qui, quand-même, ne fait
souffrir mais conditionne la maturation. » (Peter Konečný, Kinema.sk)
Awards:
Teheran IFF 1977 (Special Critics Award)
Czechoslovak Film Festival 1977 (Audience Award)
Ales IFF 1980 (Grand Prix, General Audience Award of the Art and Film Association)
Finále Plzeň FF 1990 (Main Award - Ledňáček, to the collection of the normalization films projected)
Bathory (Slovakia / Czech Republic / UK / Hungary 2008)
directed by Juraj Jakubisko
historical drama, 140 min, eng subtitles
with Anna Friel, Vincent Regan, Hans Matheson, Karel Roden, Boleslav Polívka, Deana Jakubisková-Horváthová, Jiří Mádl, Lucie
Vondráčková, Franco Nero
web http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/specialy/bathory/
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAoEBlgRd5I&feature=related
trailer (short) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37o1ZBGPwuA&feature=related
director http://www.fandango.com/jurajjakubisko/filmography/p95792
In his newest film, the famous Slovak director Juraj Jakubisko offers a new perspective of the tale of the cruel Countess Elizabeth
Bathory that has been recounted by many historians and art people in the past. According to the tradition, Bathory was the greatest
murderess in history, as documented by an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. In his film Jakubisko diametrically opposes the
established legend and lets her appear as a renaissance woman destroyed by rumours. After researching historical documents, he
decided to make a story reflecting real dates and facts and where historical evidence was not available, he only engaged his own
imagination. Neither a horror story, nor a boring historiography, it is rather a thriller about district administrator Thurzo, Countess
Bathory and her unfulfilled love for a famous Italian painter. The idea and the intention are simple. It is easy to become a victim of
rumours and scheming. But it may take centuries to set the story straight again.
The legend says that she tortured her victims, exclusively young women, before she killed them. She used to bathe in their blood to
preserve her eternal youth and beauty. She allegedly tore the flesh from their bodies with her teeth while they were still alive. But is it
really true? Can one rely only on legends when in four centuries, no historical document was found to reveal the events as they had
happened.
The most successful Slovak movie of all times.
Ce long métrage historique, la plus chère production de la région de tous les temps, donne une nouvelle vie à la légende de la
Comtesse sanglante. Célèbre pour les orgies sataniques émaillées de sacrifices de jeunes femmes auxquelles elle s'adonnait lors
de terrifiantes bacchanales, Elzsebet Bathory, qui accordait au sang humain des vertus de jouvence, avait l'habitude de prendre de
bains de sang de jeunes vierges pour préserver sa peau diaphane des outrages du temps. Jugée pour actes de sorcellerie et
assassinats, la diabolique fut condamnée à être emmurée vivante. Des années plus tard, le livre Guinness des records l’a qualifiée
de plus grande meurtrière de tous les temps.
« Je me suis décidé de faire ce film car la comtesse Elizabeth Báthory fut la plus célèbre aristocrate austro-hongroise qui vivait sur le
territoire où se trouve actuellement la Slovaquie. D'ailleurs, je ne crois pas à toutes ces légendes sanglantes que l'on raconte à ses
propos. C'est pour cela que j'ai créé ma propre légende laquelle est également sanglante. » (Note du réalisateur)
Awards:
Czech Lion 2008 (Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Most Successful Film)
Monaco Charity Film Festival 2010 (Outstanding Artistic Achievement)
Slovak National Film Awards 2010 (Best Leading Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design)
Mesiac v nás / The Moon Inside You / La lune en moi (Slovakia/Spain/France 2009)
directed by Diana Fabiánová
documentary, 75 min, eng subtitles
web http://www.mooninsideyou.com/
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1aD4u3hUzE
director
Like many other women, the young director has been suffering from problematic periods for years accompanied, with every new
cycle, by the same question: „Why the pain and annoyance if I am healthy?“ Her initial innocent curiosity sparks off an emotional
voyage to the very roots of feminity and life. The film is a fresh look at a taboo that defines the political and social reality of both
women and men in a more profound way than society might be willing to admit. Facing the menstrual etiquette with doses of humour
and self-irony, the documentary approaches the subject through both personal and collective references, thus challenging our
preconceived idea of womanhood.
One line
A personal exploration of how do women and men experience menstruation.
Journal intime explorant les différentes perceptions des femmes et des hommes à l´égard de la menstruation.
Awards
shown at Locarno FF 2009, Mumbai FF 2009, Chicago IFF 2009 etc.
PL
Dom zły / The Dark House / La maison sombre (Poland 2009)
directed by Wojciech Smarzowski
drama, 99 min, eng subtitles
with Arkadiusz Jakubik, Marian Dziędziel, Bartłomiej Topa, Kinga Preis
web http://www.domzly.pl/
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIIfSr-bML8
director http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojciech_Smarzowski
The second film by Wojciech Smarzowski is as brilliant and unforgettable as Wesele (Wedding) we showed at the Festival in 2008.
We meet the same actors in the rural Poland setting again – but this time in the dark times of the beginning of the 80’s. The film tells
two parallel stories. The first, dating back to 1978, is told by the main character, Środoń, and concerns one terrible night in a
strangers’house which changed his life forever. The second story takes us to 1981 when Środoń, accused of a murder, is brought to
the crime scene in order to clear out some details. But Środoń is only a puppet in a complicated game. For some of the investigators,
uncovering the truth is not as important as hiding their own secrets.
The Dark House has been called by some critics “the polish Fargo”. But Smarzowski goes further: in contrary to Coen Brothers’ film,
the Dark House lacks any kind of hope. Incredible story: a tragic coincidence of love, despair, greed and politics – when you enter
into the dark house there is only one thing you can be sure of – there's no such thing as truth.
Le deuxième film de Wojtek Smarzowski est une œuvre aussi brillante et inoubliable que le film Wesele que nous avons montré lors
de l’édition 2008. Une histoire incroyable: une coïncidence tragique de l’amour, le désespoir, la cupidité et de la politique – quand
vous entrez dans la maison sombre, il n’y a qu’une seule chose qui est sûre – la vérité n’existe pas.
Awards:
Gdynia Film Festival 2009 (Best Director, Script and Editing)
Warsaw Film Festival 2009 (Audience Award)
Camerimage Festival 2009 (Silver Frog for Best Cinematography)
'Orzeł' Polish Film Awards 2010 (Best Director, Best Cinematography)
Rewers / Reverse (Poland 2009)
directed by Borys Lankosz
drama, 99 min, eng subtitles
with Agata Buzek, Krystyna Janda, Anna Polony, Marcin Dorociński
web http://www.rewers-film.pl/
trailer1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGGtjec0eC4 (PL only)
trailer2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lt_3Dkwgug (PL only)
director http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borys_Lankosz
The film shows literary in black and white the grey life in the post-war, Stalinist Warsaw. We are in the early ’50. After the 2nd World
War many people’s beliefs, behaviours and lifestyle undergo a quick revolution. Uncertain political situation, fear and mysterious,
almighty people – everything contributes to the atmosphere of suspense. Three delicate women – Sabina, her mother and
grandmother – have to deal with a potentially absurd situation which in the instable reality may reveal to be very dangerous. Whom
can you trust and whom not? Faced with a matter of life and death the ladies have to find in themselves supernatural powers…
Love, betrayal, murder and … the Devil - this brilliant, a bit oldschool debut by Borys Lankosz doesn’t lack anything!
Amour, trahison, meurtre et ... le diable en personne – rien ne manque dans ce premier long métrage irrésistible et attachant de
Borys Lankosz.
Trois femmes - Sabina, sa mère et sa grand-mère - doivent faire face à une situation absurde et qui peut se révéler très dangereuse
dans la situation instable de la Pologne du début des années 50. Amour, trahison, meurtre... et le diable en personne – décidément
ce début de Borys Lankosz drôle et un peu ‘oldschool’ ne manque de rien. Prix du meilleur film polonais 2009.
Awards:
Gdynia Film Festival 2009 (Golden Lion (Best Film), Male & Female Role, Music)
Warsaw Film Festival (FIPRESCI Award)
Camerimage Festival (Bronze Frog for Camera)
Polish candidate for Oscar 2010
Wszystko co kocham / All That I Love / Tout ce que j’aime (Poland 2009)
directed by Jacek Borcuch
drama, 90 min, eng subtitles
with Mateusz Kościukiewicz, Andrzej Chyra, Olga Frycz
web http://www.allthatilove.pl/
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O-rn7rWvs4
director http://www.culture.pl/en/culture/artykuly/os_borcuch_jacek
Poland, 1981. The political situation is difficult, but at the first sight it doesn’t concern a group of young people, among them Janek.
All that he loves is hanging around, playing music and …Basia. The (apparently) peaceful situation in a typical small town changes
abruptly in the winter of 1981: the communist government in Poland declares martial law. All the remains of freedom and joy are
gone, some people have to emigrate, some disappear mysteriously. Families and friends are divided, independent concerts –
forbidden. After that year the life of young people will never be the same.
“All that I love” is the first Polish film shown at the Sundance Film Festival A bit nostalgic, but at the same time funny and moving, the
film doesn’t glorify the communism but shows that not everything was grey and not everyone obedient during the era of communism.
Pologne, 1981. Avec la déclaration de la loi martiale par le gouvernement communiste la vie insouciante de Janek et ses amis
change brusquement, tout comme la situation politique du pays. Musique, amour et amitié - tout semble avoir été emporté par la
tourmente. L’heure est aux choix graves ; parmi tout ce que vous aimez, qu’est ce qui est le plus important ?
Awards:
Gdynia Film Festival 2010 (Golden Clapper)
Shown at the Pusan Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival
Polish candidate for Oscar 2011
Na samym dnie / Deep End (Poland/USA/UK/Germany 1971)
directed by Jerzy Skolimowski
drama, 90 min, eng subtitles
with Jane Asher, John Moulder-Brown / Music: Cat Stevens
excerpt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb4zMypfawg
director http://www.culture.pl/en/culture/artykuly/os_skolimowski_jerzy
Deep End is Jerzy Skolimowski's third movie following his emigration from Poland. The story is set in a public baths in London.
Young and innocent Mike falls in love with Susan, a colleague, who doesn’t take him seriously. She is more interested in flirting with
elderly, experienced men, but amuses herself by playing with Mike’s feelings. Even though other women coming to the baths try to
seduce Mike, he remains obsessed with Susan. The situation becomes more and more unbearable and culminates in tragedy.
Deep End shows a bitter side to Jerzy Skolimowski, who seems have lost all illusions about life in Western Europe. Mike is looking
for true love, but all he encounters is prostitution, superficial feelings and a class-riddled society that is frustrated and built on lies.
London is anything but a paradise.
Deep End est le troisième film de Jerzy Skolimowski réalisé après son émigration de Pologne. L’histoire se déroule dans le milieu
des employés des bains publics à Londres. Le jeune et innocent Mike tombe amoureux de Susan, une collègue qui par contre ne
prend pas son amour au sérieux. De son coté, elle est intéressée par des hommes plus âgés et expérimentés, mais s’amuse au
travail en jouant avec les sentiments de son jeune adorateur. D’autres femmes cherchent à s’approcher de Mike alors que celui-ci ne
pense qu’à son amour obsessionnel pour Susan. La situation devient de plus en plus embrouillée et insupportable, jusqu'à une fin
tragique.
Deep End est le troisième film de Jerzy Skolimowski réalisé après son émigration de Pologne. L’histoire se déroule au milieu des
employés des bains publics à Londres. Le jeune et innocent Mike tombe amoureux de Susan, mais celle-ci ne prend guère son
amour au sérieux. Car elle s’intéresse davantage aux hommes plus âgés et expérimentés, ce qui ne l’empêche pas de se divertir au
travail avec les sentiments de son jeune adorateur. D’autres femmes cherchent de s’approcher vers Mike, qui ne parviennent pas,
toutefois, à le détourner de son amour obsessionnel pour Susan. La situation, de plus en plus complexe et tendue, ne pourra que
déboucher sur une fin tragique.
Deep End est l’oeuvre d’un Jerzy Skolimowski désabusé, sans illusions. La prostitution, les frustrations de la lutte des classes, la
corruption des sentiments – seul l’amour pur auquel aspire Mike semble pouvoir échapper à tout cela. Sans doute le paradis perdu
ne se trouve-t-il pas à Londres.
« This is a profoundly sensuous film, as voluptuous as it is harrowing. The best way to understand it is to be open to the immediacy
of Skolimowski’s cinematic sensations. It’s through the very textures of his images, and the tortuous yet mesmerizing movement they
describe, that we get to see below the surface, where love and death embrace. » (Richard T. Jameson, University of Washington)
Awards:
Shown at Venice IFF 1971
Essential Killing (Poland/Ireland/Norway/Hungary 2010)
directed by Jerzy Skolimowski
political thriller, 83 min, eng subtitles
with Vincent Gallo, Emmanuelle Seigner
web: http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/essentialkilling#filmnote
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0CR2N4xbfQ
director http://www.culture.pl/en/culture/artykuly/os_skolimowski_jerzy
Essential Killing won the Special Jury Prize at this year’s Venice Film Festival. The enfant terrible of American cinema, Vincent Gallo
(who does not say a word throughout the entire film!), won the Best Actor award. The film tells the very topical story of an Afghan
refugee from one of the US camps based in Europe, who, dressed in a fluorescent Guantánamo-style uniform, has to find his way to
freedom through a snow-filled, disorientating landscape in an unknown European country.
In an interview for the Polish movie magazine Przekrój, Jerzy Skolimowski, who, after returning to Poland a few years ago, settled in
the Mazury region in the north of the country (where the secret CIA camps were most probably located), said: 'This seemingly
improbable story served as the basis for my film. The film doesn’t claim to be a political commentary on terrorism. I wanted to explore
the state of the European soul in the 21st century: how does one man feel when up against an army chasing him with dogs and
helicopters? A true outsider, alone against the rest of the world.'
'There is not a moment of respite for viewers in [this] political thrillerhttp://mubi.com/films/32033, full of blood and wild nature. This is
a full-on indictment of imperialism, military violence and religious wars.' (Camillo de Marco, Cineuropa).
Essential Killing vient de recevoir le Prix Spécial du Jury lors de la Mostra de Venise ainsi que le prix pour la meilleure interprétation
masculine (pour le rôle muet(!) de l’enfant terrible du cinéma américain, Vincent Gallo). Le film raconte une histoire tout à fait
actuelle – Gallo y interprète un échappé afghan d’un camp américain qui, habillé en orange fluorescent, doit se débrouiller dans un
environnement inconnu, en plein hiver.
Dans l’interview pour le magazine culturel polonais, Przekrój, Skolimowski, qui depuis son retour de l’émigration vit au nord de la
Pologne dans la région de Mazury (où probablement ont été situés des camps secrets de la CIA) dit: L’histoire semble improbable et
j’en fais une fantaisie. Ce film n’est pas un commentaire politique à propos du terrorisme. Je voulais plutôt examiner l’état d’âme
européene du XXIe siècle: comment est-ce que se sent un homme seul qui fuit l’armée disposant de chiens et d’hélicoptères? Un
vrai outsider – seul contre le reste du monde.
"There is not a moment of respite for viewers in [this] political thrillerhttp://mubi.com/films/32033, full of blood and wild nature. This is
a full-on indictment of imperialism, military violence and religious wars." (Camillo de Marco, Cineuropa)
Awards:
Venice IFF 2010 (Special Jury Prize, Best Actor, CinemAvvenire Award)
Shown at the Toronto IFF 2010
Zew wolności / Beats of Freedom (Poland 2010)
directed by Leszek Gnoiński and Wojciech Słota
music documentary, 75 min, eng subtitles
starring: Polish rock groups from the early 80’s
web http://www.beatsoffreedom.pl/
web2 http://www.kviff.com/en/films/film-detail/3130-beats-of-freedom/
trailer http://www.culture.pl/en/culture/artykuly/vi_beats_of_freedom_zwiastun
trailer2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqj1J36W5ZI&feature=related
Beats of Freedom tells the story of the end of the communism as seen through the eyes of the members of rock groups active in the
early 80’s – and all this in the rhythm of the good old rock tunes.
Today it’s hard to imagine how popular these groups were: in the times of crisis, where all the media were controlled by the
communist party, listening to independent rock music and going to underground concerts was a kind of political manifest and
required a lot of courage. The same for the young musicians: founding a group was seen as anarchy against the system and could
lead to repressions.
The movie shows not only the musicians, who share with the audience their memories, but also “average” young people, filmed at
the rock festival in Jarocin, who speak about their longing for freedom of expression. One girl, about 18 at that time, says: This music
is all we have left.
Today we know that it was not anarchy, it was a way to freedom.
The film features many rock stars, some of which became real dinosaurs, still performing 30 years after...and still enjoying huge
popularity.
Królik po berlińsku / Rabbit à la Berlin (Poland/Germany 2009)
directed by Bartek Konopka
documentary, 38 min, eng subtitles
web http://www.polishdocs.pl/en/films/finished/369/rabbit_a_la_berlin
trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65uV_LnxcL0
The story of the Berlin Wall presented from the perspective of rabbits living in this city. In 1961 the animals were trapped in the green
belt dividing East Berlin from the western part of the city. They had stayed there until the Wall came down in 1989 when the rabbits
could participate in historic events that ensued. Thus, Berlin’s rabbits shared the fate of the citizens of Eastern Germany who,
isolated from the world, led their precarious existence under the scrutiny of communist authorities.
An allegorical documentary intriguingly speaks about the end of ideologies from the animal point of view describing the life of rabbits
on the strip of no man's land dividing one city and two worlds, which has become a unique ecosystem damaged by the fall of the
Berlin wall.
Awards:
Batumi International Art-House Film Festival 2009 (Special Jury Prize)
East Silver Market 2010 (Best Mid-Length Documentary)
nominated for Oscar 2010
Jutro mnie tu nie będzie / Tomorrow I Will Not Be Here (Poland 2010)
directed by Julia Kolberger
short movie, 28 min, eng subtitles
web http://www.rp.pl/artykul/481029,481556.html (PL only)
Marta, 30 years old, has enough of living with her mother. A study of toxic relationships in the modern family.
Danny Boy (Poland 2010)
directed by Marek Skrobecki, 10 min, eng subtitles
web: http://www.se-ma-for.com/pl/filmy/11-dannyboy
trailer: http://www.se-ma-for.com/filmy/11-dannyboy#
A young poet falling in love. A city that awaits a drama to unfold. A time of sadness and conformity, a time of decisions. There is light,
there is hope, there is poetry behind the dark clouds of our world.
Awards:
Solothurn 2010 (Audience Award)
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival 2010 (H.R. Giger Award “Narcisse” for the Best Short)