Fraulein - Ein Detusches Melodram

The last made for TV movie by Michael Haneke before doing his first big screen film (later he did two more made for TV movies) is a film that honestly really confused me. My first spontaneous reaction was that this movie does not fit what I have in my head regarding Haneke as to me film looks and feels quite normal. Yes found film to be similar to several European movies from those years (the eighties) and before, as film is set in the near past, post-WWII and there was nothing I could find that told me this was a Haneke film. Sigh. But that doesn't mean at all that I didn't enjoy watching this unusual melodrama, a film that to enjoy it you have to really recall many movies, some cinema history and some WWII history, I'll explain later.

Then I started to read about this movie and what follows is a mix of what I read and what I saw in film. Let's start by sharing that this film is considered by some cinema academics as the "response" to Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Die Ehe der Maria Braun (The Marriage of Maria Braun) and perhaps it is as definitively this film looks like what Haneke said: "a deliberate attempt to create a counter-film against the heroizing of German postwar mentalities". In this film the lead role Anna, played by Angelica Domröse, is more concerned with her life and the inconveniences that came when his husband, believed to be dead, suddenly returns to the small German village; which is very different than the patriotic view that predominated in post-war set German cinema. I don't really remember Fassbinder's film as saw it a very long time ago, but maybe will see it again to see with my own eyes the two films relationship.

Nevertheless from what I read, what got my attention is that cinema academics claim that with this film Haneke "overcame" his Fassbinder "obsession". If factual, then we have to thank this film that helped Haneke to develop his own particular master style.

As mentioned film tells the story of Anna, who has a good life 10 years after her husband, Hans, became a POW in Russia. Film starts with Hans family discussing that is time to declare Hans dead, Anna's refusal and showing us how happy life was for this family in this sleepy German village. Anna has two teenage children, works/owns a movie theater and has a companion, Andre, who is accepted by all her family, including her in-laws. Everything changes when she gets a letter from the association of war returnees, telling her that Hans is returning home. Not a bad story, even when only seen in the surface, without analyzing the movie clips, the historic events and news seen in the movie theater and other screens.

If something I discovered after reading about film is that film is complex, very complex. To me contemporary Haneke's films have been quite easy to decode, but this one was not, even when I'm familiar with many -not all- the movie clips and other elements shown in film. Maybe now that I learned so much about this movie I could watch it again to decode all elements; so, I do recommend you read as much as possible about this movie before watching as surely will help to enjoy more film. Unlike previous Haneke's TV movie I posted, this film has many references and analysis that you can easily find in the net.

Spontaneously film as a film bothered me a lot because editing which I found intrusive instead of explanatory, which is not at all how contemporary Haneke's films are. But film has many absolutely beautiful compositions that are truly visually stunning and yes, is a black and white film that only at the end, for a few minutes, becomes full color.

Would I be talking like the above if film was not a Haneke film? No, probably not; but it is a Haneke film and had to learn more about film before writing and yes, surely will watch film again but have to wait a while as watching two Haneke's films in one day was too much, I knew it but couldn't resist watching. Sigh.

If you enjoy Haneke's contemporary work then this film is must be seen for you but as mentioned, suggest you read about film before watching; if you enjoy classic European melodramas then I know you could also enjoy this film.

I'm still amazed that this is a made for TV movie (German TV) as definitively does not look or feel like that; film looks and feels like big screen movies from the seventies and eighties, like many films from great French, Italian, and German directors. Truly surprising as before watching these two Haneke's films perhaps the best TV related film was 1989 Dekalog miniseries; but have to admit that I haven't seen Fassbinder's made for TV movies. If you wish to see film, use the link provided in previous Haneke's made for TV movie post.

Enjoy!!!

Tbilisi 8th International Film Festival

This festival held in Georgia started last Monday and will end on December 9th. This are the films they will screen.

Opening Film
FLANDERS - Bruno Dumont, France, 2006
Closing Film
THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY - Ken Loach, Ireland / UK / Germany / Italy / Spain / France, 2006

International Competition
A MAN'S JOB - Aleksi Salmenperä, Finland, 2007
ALL I KNOW ABOUT LOLA - Javier Rebollo, France / Spain, 2006
FATA MORGANA - Simon Gross, Germany, 2006
MAGNUS - Kadri Kousaar , Estonia / UK, 2007
MY FATHER MY LORD - David Volach, Israel , 2007 - Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize
PINGPONG - Matthias Luthardt, Germany, 2006
SIMPLE THINGS - Aleksei Popogrebsky, Russia , 2006 - Winner of the Silver Prometheus
SONHOS DE PEIXE - Kirill Mikhanovsky, Brazil / Russia / USA, 2006
THE RUSSIAN TRIANGLE - Aleko Tsabadze, Georgia, 2007
THE TRAP - Srdan Golubovic, Serbia / Germany / Hungary , 2007
TRICKS - Andrzej Jakimowski, Poland, 2007- Winner of the Golden Prometheus and the Parajanov Award

Forum of European Cinema
CZECH DREAM - Vít Klusák, Filip Remunda, Czech Republic, 2004
EGG - Semih Kaplanoglu, Turkey / Greece, 2007
GALLE ROAD: THE VOLUNTEER DIARIES - Alexander Kamionsky, Sam Klebanov, Vasily Maslennikov, Sweden / Russia , 2006
HEADING SOUTH - Laurent Cantet, France / Canada, 2005
I’M NOT HERE TO BE LOVED - Stéphane Brizé , France, 2005
JUST ABOUT LOVE? - Lola Doillon , France , 2007
KOROLYOV - Yuri V. Kara, Russia, 2007
LIGHTS IN THE DUSK - Aki Kaurismäki, Finland / Germany / France, 2006
MONOTONY - Juris Poskus, Latvia , 2007
NOTES ON A SCANDAL - Richard Eyre, UK, 2006
ONE OF ME - Salome Jashi, UK, 2006
PEDRA.A REPORTER WITHOUT BORDERS - Villi Hermann, Switzerland, 2006
READY AND DONE - Inese Klava, Latvia , 2006
ROMANCE OF ASTREA AND CELADON - Eric Rohmer, France / Italy / Spain, 2007
TEODORS - Laila Pakalnina, Latvia , 2006
THE EMPIRE OF EVIL - Mohammad Farokhmanesh, Germany, 2007
THE LOST MAINLAND - Nana Ekvtimishvili, Germany, 2007
VICTORY - Renger van den Heuvel, The Netherlands, 2007
WAITER - Alex van Warmerdam, Netherlands , 2006

Horizons
BRANDO - Mimi Freedman, Leslie Greif , USA, 2007
I DON’T WANT TO SLEEP ALONE - Ming-liang Tsai, Taiwan / France / Austria, 2006
SEX AND PHILOSOPHY - Mohsen Makhmalbaf, France / Iran / Tajikistan , 2005
STILL LIFE - Zhang Ke Jia, China / Hong Kong, 2006
TAKESHIS’ - Takeshi Kitano, Japan, 2005
TIME - Ki-duk Kim, South Korea, 2006
TUYA'S MARRIAGE - Wang Quanan, China , 2006

Made in Germany
A FRIEND OF MINE - Sebastian Schipper, Germany, 2006
FOUR MINUTES - Chris Kraus, Germany, 2006
LONGING - Valeska Grisebach, Germany, 2006
ONE WHO SET FORTH: WIN WENDERS' EARLY YEARS - Marcel Wehn, Germany, 2007
WILD CHICKS IN LOVE - Vivian Naefe, Germany, 2007
YELLA - Christian Petzold, Germany, 2007

Unifrance: Masters’ Collection
A STORY OF WATER - Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, France , 1958
ALL THE BOYS ARE CALLED PATRICK - Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1959
LOVE EXISTS - Maurice Pialat, France , 1961
OVERTIRED - Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, France, 1957
THE BAKER OF MONCEAU - Eric Rohmer, France , 1963
VERONIQUE AND HER DUNCE - Eric Rohmer, France, 1958

Unifrance: New Collection
ANGEL! DREAM! - Eric Vanz de Godoy, France , 2006
CUT! - Alain Riou, France, 2006
EVEN IN DREAMS - Alice Taylor , France , 2006
HONEY MOON - François Breniaux, France, 2006
IT’S IN THE AIR - Yohann Gloaguen, France, 2005
PEN-PUSHER - Guillaume Martinez, France , 2006
QUIET! - Fanny Franssen, France , 2005
SHADOW OF VEIL - Arnaud Demuynck, France / Belgique, 2006
THE DINNER - Cécile Vernant, France , 2006
THE RED JACKET - Anne Flandrin, France , 2003
THE WHITE WOLF - Pierre-Luc Granjon, France , 2006
TIME OF CHERRY - Jean-Julien Chervier, France , 2005

Transcaucasian Documents
0,047% OF LAND - Gela Kandelaki, Georgia, 2007
AKHMETELI 4 - Archil Khetaguri, Georgia / Romania, 2006
All-IMPORTANT - Liana Jaqeli, Georgia , 2007
AMERICA IN A SINGLE ROOM - Davit Kandelaki, Georgia, 2007
BASIS - Mirsadyg Agazadeh, Azerbaijan, 2007
BLOSSOMING OF ROSE AND POMEGRANATE - Irakli Kochlamazashvili, Georgia / Russia, 2007
ELDAR SHENGELAIA’S EXTRAORDINARY EXHIBITION - Nino Axvlediani, Georgia, 2006
EXODUS - Nika Shek, Karine Verdyan , Armenia, 2007
FORGOTTEN PORTRAIT IN INTERIOR - Vakhtang Kuntsev-Gabashvili, Georgia, 2006
FRAGMENTS FROM TAO-KLARJETI HISTORY - Karlo Ghlonti, Levan Ghlonti , georgia, 2006
GEORGIAN MAMELUKES IN EGYPT - Merab Kokochashvili, Georgia, 2007
HOME AND BACK - Levan Ghlonti, Georgia, 2006
ISLAM IN GEORGIA - Buba (Ramaz) Khotivari, Georgia, 2007
PERI GALA - Ilgar Safat, Mikail Mikailov, Azebaijan, 2007
RETURN OF THE POET - Harutyun Khachatryan, Armenia, 2006
RETURNING TO GOBUSTAN - Ilgar Safat, Azerbaijan, 2007
ROBIKO STURUA - Manana Anasashvili, Mikheil Basinov, Georgia, 2007
SHORT MONOLOGUES - Shamil Najafzada, Azerbaijan, 2003
SILENSE - Shorena Tevzadze, georgia, 2007
SUNNY NIGHT COLOURS - Niko Tsuladze, georgia, 2007
WESTERN ARMENIA – LOST MOTHERLAND - Hayk Harutyunyan, Armenia, 2007

Georgian Panorama
16+ - Mariam Katsarava, Georgia, 2006
6 PICTURE OF A UNIVERSE - Bidzina Kanchaveli, Germany / Georgia, 2007
A LEGEND ABOUT WINE - Vladimer Sulakvelidze , Georgia / Germany, 2006
ANGALO - Vladimer Sulakvelidze, Georgia / Russia, 2006
C'EST LA VIE - Rusudan Chkonia, Georgia, 2007
GOLDFINCH - Vladimer Sulakvelidze , Georgia / Russia, 2007
GRANDPA FROM KUTAISI - Zaza Kolelishvili , Georgia, 2007
HOW THE MOON APPEARED - Vladimer Sulakvelidze , Georgia / Russia, 2006
POPPY SEASON - Sandro Jandieri, Georgia, 2006
REVOLUTION - Vano Tvauri, Georgia, 2007
SMALL CITY - Davit Iashvili, Georgia, 2006
SUBORDINATION - Archil Kavtaradze, Georgia, 2007
THAT'S HIM - David Apkhaidze, Georgia, 2006
TRIGGER TIGER - Salome Machaidze, Georgia / Germany, 2006
TWO MUSICIANS - Nikoloz Bezhanishvili, Georgia, 2006
WORDLESS LOVE - Maia Burduli, Georgia, 2007

Special Screening
PIROSMANI - Giorgi Shengelaya, Georgia, 1969
PRATER - Ulrike Ottinger, Austria / Germany , 2007

Rainer Werner Fassbinder
CHINESE ROULETTE - Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany / France , 1976
LILI MARLEEN - Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany, 1980
THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN - Rainer Werner Fassbinder , West Germany, 1979

Bob Rafelson’ Masterclass
FIVE EASY PIECES - Bob Rafelson, USA, 1970
THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS - Bob Rafelson, USA , 1972
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE - Bob Rafelson, USA / West Germany , 1981

These are the awards that will be given in the closing ceremony.

Golden Prometheus for the best film
Silver Prometheus for the best direction
FIPRESCI prize
Parajanov prize for the outstanding poetic vision

To check all the movies and fest info go here.

Sangre

The first feature film by Amat Escalante is good but according to me is very far away from Carlos Reygadas excellent films. What I just said means nothing more than an effort to separate both filmmakers from each other, even when they had worked together in movies like Batalla en el Cielo and Carlos Reygadas is the producer of Escalante’s films. So, with this said lets talk about Sangre.

Seems there is a trend in world cinema to do more films in which apparently “nothing happens” until something does. I’m particularly thinking about some Romanian movies as well as from other European countries. Sangre is a film that seems to follow this trend.

For non-regular art cinema lovers this film will seem like there is nothing happening in most of the picture and almost in the end “something” happens that if you’re not alert you could miss it, until the main character Diego does something that clearly explains what happened.

But while you may feel that “nothing is happening” as you’re watching the life of an absolutely ordinary working class couple that leads a mundane existence there is actually a lot happening. The thing is that everything is happening not with words but with facial expressions and with what they do in their ordinary lives. So, I could say that is not an easy to watch movie as you really have to pay attention to things that you usually take for granted in most movies.

The movie tells about Blanca that works in a Japanese fast food joint and Diego that works in an unmentioned government office counting the people that enter the office. Both are married and submerged in a banal existence that does not leave their everyday routine of sleeping, eating, working, watching TV and having emotionless sex. If they speak it will be monosyllables or because they argue. Nothing is exciting in their lives anymore and no one is doing something to change it. Both are stuck in a senseless relationship and life, and both are not aware of the senselessness or care for that matter. Does this seem familiar to some of you? I believe it does, either you have someone you know living like this or you have seen it from afar. There most be many couples in the world living like Diego and Blanca.

Such senseless existence can only be shown in one way; slowly showing the very senseless details of an ordinary –and very common- existence and that’s exactly what this movie does. In a way I do relate the storytelling technique that Escalante used to that Rainer Werner Fassbinder movie Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? a movie that bores you as much as Mr. R. life is and you not only get the main simple message but you also live and feel it while watching. If you open your mind you will get the straightforward simple message in Sangre and you will also be able to live and feel the tediousness of a senseless and ordinary existence.

As in the Fassbinder movie where almost at the end something terrible happens, Sangre also has something bad happening at the very end. But unlike Fassbinder movie, here the something bad unfolds like their own existence: in a senseless way.

Everything that I have mentioned about the story could no be well told if actors performances were not outstanding as well as directing, editing, framing, cinematography, etc. What’s really remarkable is that all actors are non-actors (for example, Diego was Escalante’s real life neighbor) and that Escalante was able to extract from them such good performances. I also find outstanding the “dry” humor sparkled allover the screenplay written also by Escalante.

Cinematography was very good but not breathtaking (that’s one thing that separates Reygadas from Escalante according to me) with the exception of one or two scenes that where truly spectacular, the film looks and feels like ordinary urban settings, which highly contribute to the ordinary and senseless story, but not to viewer’s pleasure.

The movie has multiple honors in fests and awards allover the world that includes the FIPRESCI Award and being in competition at the Un Certain Regard section at 2005 Cannes.

I enjoyed the movie very much but I recognize that could be a very exhausting experience –against an entertaining experience- so, the film absolutely is not for all audiences but only for those that enjoy extremely slow paced (some scenes are real time), not easy to sustain and get behind the obvious and “new” cinema style in totally art house movies.

Enjoy!!!

P.S. Sangre means blood in Spanish, but there is no red blood in this movie. The main relation I find is to blood relatives, as Diego gets into something bad with one blood relative and there is a crucial and symbolic scene where what it looks like a father and a son were physically fighting. Yes, this movie is full of symbols too, like the cows in the garbage dump or the rotten fruits that fall from the tree.

Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?)

Fassbinder himself described this movie as “the most disgusting film I ever made” and well he is the co-director and he knows very well why he’s saying this.

Never seen a movie that so cleverly shows mediocrity in the everyday life of an average middle class man that has an average job with average colleagues, average boss and an average family. Let me tell you more. See Herr R. (Kurt Raab) has a wife and a child, a medium-size rental apartment, he owns a TV set, and comfortable furniture completes his middle class existence. His work at home and in the office fulfills him, hobbies offer him a change; and then Herr R. loves peace and quiet. The machinery of everyday routine functions. At work – Herr R. is an engineering draftsman – the colleagues are nice, his boss (Franz Maron) is content, his wife (Lilith Ungerer) picks him up every day after work in their car. He corrects his son’s homework, invites the in-laws and an old school friend on Sunday afternoons, a promotion is in sight. Everyone is happy. It appears that without too much mental or physical complaint, Herr R.’s self-realization will be possible. Then one evening – a neighbor (Irm Hermann) has just stopped by – Herr R., like a machine, attacks his wife, child, and neighbor. Okay I gave spoilers, but with a title like that you surely guessed what the movie is about before I told you.

That’s exactly what you will see and it will be absolutely boring. While you watch scene after scene and hear dialogue after dialogue, you will be bored to death and sometimes, only sometimes you will laugh at the jokes and feel excited about the good possibilities Herr R has for the future. You almost want to kill the DVD and the TV. But then, that’s exactly what Herr R lives and does in this film with mainly improvised dialogues, so when the movie is over you realize that you end up being him. Extraordinary! After all, is you the viewer who will be able to answer the question that the movie title asks, with all your reactions to Herr R tedious, bland and insipid life.

I don’t know about you readers but I always disliked mediocrity, average, the middle, the median, and so many other words used to describe that someone or something belongs to what predominates. I always found it boring and disgusting. So is no surprise if I absolutely agree with co-director and script draft co-writer Rainer Werner Fassbinder that this film is very disgusting.

But is such an extraordinary film that if you sustain its totality and reach the end you will be able to feel how average or conventionalism can be deadly fatal. Okay I’ll say it; the film is a very caustic critique to middle class.

This film absolutely is not for all audiences and those that enjoy serious cinema perhaps half will love it and half will hate it. Me, I love it even if it was quite hard to reach the end… perhaps as hard as it was for Herr R.

Enjoy!

29th Teddy Award Winners

Tonight they had the awards ceremony and party with no real surprises as all winners have gay interest.  No surprise because almost all films in selection had that interest so was obvious that there was no chance to lesbian interest films. (LOL)

Winners are in *Blue. To check winners and jury statements at official site go here.

Continue reading »

Day 10 at Cannes 2014

This morning the last movie of the festival was screened to the press, so by now film critics that still are in Cannes will have seen all the movies in the competition as major film critics tend to see all the in competition films and a few of the other films in the sidebars. Consequently the first thing I did today was to check the tallies to see which/who were their favorites to win awards. Seems that the critics "fight" is between Winter Sleep and Adieu Au Langage. But the last time I checked the jury composition, there is NO film critic as a member, so the filmmakers and actors jury members probably will have some differences with the critics.

Today is the last day of the festival and of the daily coverage here as tomorrow we will be talking about the award ceremony; then is adieu Cannes, until next year. As you will see today there are not many movies as yesterday La Semaine de la Critique closed and today we have the award ceremonies of Un Certain Regard and la Quinzaine des Réalisateurs.

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2014 Cannes Predictions

For entertainment purposes lets review what predictions say, but have to remind you that winners will come from an eclectic filmmakers/actors jury and not from film critics. Nevertheless I gather that the consensus is that this year the Palme d'Or winner is NOT clear, unlike -for example- what happened in 2012 with Amour and in 2013 with La Vie d'Adèle.

According to those that play the guessing game, in 2014 there are five films running towards a "photo finish": a Canadian prodigy, a Russian corruption critic, Belgian brothers, a Turkish husband-and-wife team and a British veteran tipped for glory. If the Palme d'Or goes to any of these films, then most bet the other films will get the other top awards.

Continue reading »

37th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

A few hours ago the perhaps most powerful group of critics voted and here are some of the winners.

Best Picture: The Descendants
Runner-Up: The Tree of Life

Best Director: Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life
Runner-Up: Martin Scorsese for Hugo

Best Actress: Yun Jung-hee in Poetry
Runner-Up: Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia

Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain in Coriolanus, The Debt, The Help, Take Shelter, Texas Killing Fields, and The Tree of Life
Runner-Up: Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs

Best Actor: Michael Fassbender in A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, and X-Men: First Class
Runner-Up: Michael Shannon in Take Shelter


Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Runner-Up: Patto Oswalt in Young Adult

Best Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi for A Separation
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for The Tree of Life
Best Production Design: Dante Farretti for Hugo

Best Foreign-Language Film: Nanjin! Nanjin! (City of Life and Death), Chuan Lu
Best Documentary/Non –Fiction Film: Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Werner Herzog
Best Animation: Rango

To check winners and runner-ups in all categories go here.  Some selection really puzzle me as find them rather odd, for example last year Best Actress went to a Korean actress and this year again; Best foreign-language film to magnificent –yet very hard-to-watch- Najing! Nanjing! a 2009 production and not to A Separation; but seems that with the few announcements up-to-date one category seems will have a lock: Best Supporting Actress. Most glad that Fassbinder is collecting honors and hope he will get an Oscar nod.

Seems this year critics will not agree as they did last year when The Social Network became the predictable Oscar nominee; this year could be a little bit more interesting. Let’s hope.

64th Festival de Cannes – Cannes Classics Lineup

A few days ago the fest unveiled the films in the Cannes Classics section that showcases heritage cinema, allows re-discovering films and screens restored prints. This year the section has fourteen (14) films, five documentaries, a Masterclass by Malcom McDowell, and some other surprises.

These are the films.

Feature Films
Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick, USA, 1971
La Macchina Ammazzacattivi (The Machine to Kill Bad People), Roberto Rossellini, Italy, 1952
A Bronx Tale, Robert De Niro, USA, 1993
Il Conformista (The Conformist), Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy, 1970
Rue Cases-Négres (Sugar Cane Alley), Euzhan Palcy, France, 1983
Puzzle of a Downfall Child, Jerry Schatzberg, USA, 1970
Hudutlarin Kanunu (The Law of the Border), Lufti O. Akad, Turkey, 1966
Niemandsland (No Man’s Land), Victor Trivas, Germany, 1931
Les Enfants du Paradis (The Children of Paradise), Marcel Carné, France, 1945
Despair, Rainier Werner Fassbinder, Germany, 1978
Le Sauvage (The Savage), Jean-Paul Rappeneau, France, 1975
Chronique d’un été (Chronicle of a Summer), Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin, France, 1960
L’Assassino (The Assassin), Elio Petri, Italy, 1961

Short Films
Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon), Georges Méliès, France, 1902, 16’

Documentaries
The Look, Angelica Maccarone, Germany and France, 2011
(*) Corman’s World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel, Alex Stapleton, USA, 2011
Belmondo … Itineraire, Vincent Perrot and Jeff Domenech, France, 2011
Kurosawa, la Voie (Kurosawa’s Way), Catherine Cadou, France, 2011
Il était une fois… Orange mécanique (Once Upon a Time … A Clockwork Orange), Antoine de Gaudemar and Michel Ciment, France, 2011

(*) First Film, competes for Camera d’Or

Have to admit that this year there are quite a few films in this selection that I haven’t seen with some that call my attention. Of course have seen Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange that fascinated and yes, scared me when I saw it a very long time ago, which reminds me to share that this year there are some Stanley Kubrick activities in France and if you haven’t check the amazing exposition and retrospective at la Cinémathèque Française, I strongly suggest you do at their official site that has many opportunities to explore the exhibitions and different activities; the only thing I’m missing is actually go to Paris and visit la Cinémathèque! Sigh. By the way, Cannes Classics will screen a restored print that celebrates the 40th anniversary of the film.

As find very interesting the info about Georges Méliès’ most famous film I reproduce what the press release says:
Found: A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune)
The color version of Georges Méliès’ most famous film, A Trip to the Moon (1902) is visible again 109 years after its release: having been long considered lost, this version was found in 1993 in Barcelona. In 2010, a full restoration is initiated by Lobster Films, Gan Foundation for Cinema and Technicolor Foundation for Heritage Cinema. The digital tools of today allows them to re-assemble the fragments of 13 375 images from the film and restore them one by one. The premiere of the film will take place in May 2011 with an original soundtrack by AIR.

The 2011 documentaries are all about films and as the press release says: “Films about movies are also films. Like a novelist writing a literary essay on the work of another writer, a filmmaker can tell in pictures the history of cinema. Each year, Cannes Classics focuses on these documentary films, which are also films.” So these documentaries trace Kurosawa’s life and work, Charlotte Rampling career, Roger Corman bio, Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange film, and Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Also there is an addition to the Cannes Classics selection that was announced minutes ago and will be screened as part of the event Egypt, guest country.

Al Bostagui (Facteur), Hussein Kamal, Egypt, 1968

To check the official press release go here and here for today's announcement.

Maybe is because haven’t seen many films or maybe because organizers changed the section structure, but I find that this year the section is more interesting than in previous years. Nevertheless now comes the hard task of waiting until I’m able to watch some of the selection films.

Cheers!

First Your Film Festival Award Winner

Today the winner was announced and is the entry from Spain. Michael Fassbinder gave the award.

La Culpa (The Guilt), David Victori Blaya, Spain

We know that eventually his new film will be at the festival YouTube channel for us to enjoy.

Congratulations to organizers for a great initiative.

Cheers!

The award winner short.



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8/7
A few days ago (August 1st) YouTube and Emirates in partnership with Scott Free Productions and the Venice Film Festival announced the ten (10) finalists that will attend the Biennale to compete for a US$500,000 prize towards producing more content with the help from Riddley Scott, Michael Fassbender and a world class crew.

Ridley Scott and Michael Fassbender are part of the jury that will select the grand prizewinner after the films are screened at the fest on September 2.

The ten finalists are market in *BLUE. To watch the finalists go here.

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6/12
If you like to watch short films this is your opportunity to see 50 semi-finalists in this festival where you can vote for your favorite. I just started watching and because the quality of the films decided to invite you all to this festival.

This is a copy of today's press release.

On June 11, YouTube and Emirates, in partnership with La Biennale di Venezia (the Venice Film Festival) and Scott Free, announced the 50 semi-finalists in the Your Film Festival competition - a global search to find the world's best storytellers. Scott Free had the difficult task of narrowing down more than 15,000 submissions from more than 160 countries across the globe. It is now up to the YouTube community to view and vote on the semi-finalists at youtube.com/yourfilmfestival thus helping decide which 10 filmmakers will attend the Venice Film Festival and compete for the $500,000 grand-prize.

These are the 50 semi-finalist short films.

*88:88, Joey Ciccoline, USA
Aisha's Song, Orlando von Einsiedel, UK
*Bat Eyes, Damien Power, Australia
Befetach Beity (On My Doorstep), Anat Costi, Israel
Bench Seat, Anna Mastro, USA
Biondina, Laura Bispuri, Italy
Boot, Damien Power, Australia
Café Turco (Turkish Coffee), Thiago Luciano, Brazil
Camino Al Cementerio, Mijael Milies and Carla Pastén, Chile
La Carta, Angel Manuel Soto Vazquez, Puerto Rico
*Cine Rincao, Fernando Grostein Andrade& Fernanda Fernandes, Brazil
Cortometraje Teta y Sopa, Alberto Gómez, Spain
*La Culpa (The Guilt), David Victori Blaya, Spain
Das Tub, James Cunningham, New Zealand
The Debt Collector, Alan David Morgan, USA
Dr Grordbort presents: the Deadliest Game, James Cunningham, New Zealand
*The Drought, Kevin Slack, USA
Ebony Society, Tammy Davis, New Zealand
La Guagua (The Child), Sebastian Mantilla, Spain
*El General, Diego Pino Zamora, Bolivia
Fish, Shaun Escayg, USA
Good Pretender, Maziar Lahooti, Australia
I'll Keep an Eye on You, Torben Bech, Denmark
Kiss, Alex Murawski, USA
Learning Spanish the Hard Way, Eric Stolze, USA
Letting Go, Daniel McCauley, South Africa
No Exit, Jesper Isaksen, Denmark
*North Atlantic, Bernardo Nascimento, UK
Перешкода (The Obstacle), Maxim Neafit Bujnicki, Ukraine
Photo For Baba, Harel Yana and Moti Malka, Israel
Picnic, Gerardo Herrero, Spain
El Porvenir- Episodio 1 Hermanos, Manuel Alejandro Anell, Mexico
Reflexiones de un Picaporte (Doorhandle Thoughts), Carlos Crespo Arnold, Spain
The Return Address, Abi Varghese, USA
*Scruples, Adrian Powers, Australia
Secular Quater #3, David Gidali, USA
Skatesistan: To live and skate in Kabul, Orlando von Einsiedel, UK
Skin of Glass, Lukas Dhont, Belgium
Sold, John Irwin, USA
Включи мотор и сдай назад (Start the Engine and reverse), Andrey Zagidullin, Russia
Stop. Watch. Love, Brad Herbert, USA
*Super.Full., Niam Itani, Lebanon
The Telegram Man, James Francis Khehtie, Australia
Tempestade (Storm), Cesar Cabral, Brazil
Ter Ter, David Lucchini & Fabien Carrabin, France
Then and Now, Paul Johannessen, Japan
هذا الزمان *(This Time), Ramy EL-Gabry, Egypt
Vi Ska Plocka Pascal I Natt (Our Mission: Pascal), Johanna Pyykkö, Sweden
Wickate, Niralji Ravishanker, Malaysia
Wylacznosc (An Exclusive), Krzysztof Szot, Poland

There are some directors that have excellent credentials like for example, short being at Cannes 2012 or being Bigas Luna assistant, which I share just to confirm the quality of the shorts. Among the jurors that helped to select the semi-finalist we have Ridley Scott and none other than Michael Fassbender.

To watch shorts please go here and VOTE - you have until July 13th- after all is OUR festival. According to rules, you can vote for 1 short each day, so if you have several favorites, you can vote for them but remember that is only one vote per voting day. Cheers!

Enjoy!!!

69th Bodil Award Winners

Last Saturday night Denmark's National Association of Film Critics had their award ceremony and no doubt that the big winner in this edition is Under sandet (Land of Mine) honored with the top award and more awards.

Have to comment that it's remarkable that film critics top honors go to a movie that is not Denmark's submission to Oscars, a film that made it to the short list of 9 and more important, a film that got an Oscar nomination!   Perhaps the reason why lays behind 2015 being a year with too many Danish films about war and Land of Mine, according to Scandinavian press, has a topic that hasn't been explored in cinema before.  Now I'm curious and yes, has become must-be-seen for me.

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53rd London Film Festival Lineup

The fest will run from October 14 to 29 and today they announced the complete program that will screen 191 features and 113 shorts. There are many changes in the fest this year and all are for the better. For the first time they will have an Awards ceremony on the night of October 28 and they will present an enhanced range of awards.

Here are some of the awards they will be presenting.

Best Film
This new Award will celebrate creative, original, imaginative, intelligent and distinctive filmmaking in the Festival.
An initial shortlist will be drawn up by the Artistic Director and the programming team, and will then be judged by an international jury of high profile directors, writers, producers and actors.

BFI Fellowship
The British Film Institute Fellowship is awarded to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contribution to film or television culture.
Initiated in 1983, the BFI Fellowships have been given to a host of outstanding actors and film & programme-makers from around the world, including Robert Altman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Sir Michael Caine, Bernardo Bertolucci, Bette Davis, Gérard Depardieu, Graham Greene, Sir Alec Guinness, Deborah Kerr CBE, Akira Kurosawa, Sir David Lean, Jeanne Moreau, Martin Scorsese, Dame Maggie Smith.
This year's recipients will be recognised for their significant achievements in the field of acting and directing.

Best British Newcomer Award
The Best British Newcomer Award will celebrate new and emerging British film talent and recognise the achievements of a new writer, producer or director who has demonstrated real creative flair and imagination with their first feature.
This year's judges include Lenny Crooks, who heads the UK Film Council's New Cinema Fund which encourages new, distinctive voices in British Cinema, Michael Hayden, Festival programmer, Sandra Hebron, Artistic Director of the Festival, Christine Langan, Creative Director of BBC Films whose producer credits include In The Loop, The Queen, The Deal, Cold Feet, and Dirty Filthy Love, Tanya Seghatchian, Head of the UK Film Council's Development Fund & Executive Producer of the hugely successful Harry Potter franchise and Tessa Ross, Controller of Film4 and Drama,
Channel 4.

The Sutherland Trophy
For the most original and imaginative first feature at this year's festival.
This award, presented for the first time by the BFI in 1958, has a long and distinguished history and has been awarded to a remarkable spread of filmmakers including Yasujiro Ozu, Souleymane Cissé, Bernardo Bertolucci and Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Some of the films recognised in recent years include Asif Kapadia's The Warrior, Kenneth Lonergan's You Can Count On Me, Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher, Andrea Arnold's Red Road. Last year, Sergey Dvortsevoy's Tulpan, the disarmingly sweet comedy about a desperate Khasak sheep-herder and his attempt to find a wife, was chosen as the worthy recipient. This year's Sutherland Trophy winner will again be selected by an invited jury of filmmakers, actors, writers, critics, producers and artists.

Shortlist 2009
Ajami, Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, Israel and Germany
Bunny And The Bull, Paul King, UK
Cold Souls, Sophie Barthes, USA
Eyes Wide Open, Haim Tabakman, Israel
Lebanon, Samuel Maoz, Israel
Metropia, Tarik Saleh, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway (animation but looks fantastic!)
Samson & Delilah, Warick Thornton, Australia
Shirley Adams, Oliver Hermanus, South Africa, USA, and UK
Wah Do Dem, Sam Fleischner and Ben Chace, USA and Jamaica
Wolfy, Vassily Sigarev, Russia

The Times BFI London Film Festival Grierson Award
For the best feature-length documentary at this year's Festival.
This award is given by the Grierson Trust, which commemorates the pioneering Scottish documentary-maker John Grierson (1898-1972), famous for Drifters and Night Mail and the man widely regarded as the grandfather of British documentary. The Grierson Trust, through its own annual awards - The British Documentary Awards - has a long-standing tradition of recognising outstanding films that demonstrate integrity, originality and technical excellence and social or cultural significance. Last year's Festival winner was Victoire Terminus, the powerful and gripping documentary about contemporary life in a Congo ghetto as seen through the eyes of four female boxers.

These are the first and last films in the fest.

Opening Film: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson, UK (Another animated film opening a festival… hmm! With the voices of Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Bill Murray and more)
Closing Film: Nowhere Boy, Sam Taylor-Wood, UK (with Kristin Scott Thomas! And yes, is about John Lennon.)

To read the announcement with many movies and direct links to read about each movie go here.

As always the fest has the following Film Strands. Each strand name is a direct link to check the films in the strand and read info, see photos, synopsis, etc.

Galas and Special Screenings . Here they will screen Chloe, the Cannes winner and many other films.

Films on the Square. Here they will screen one of my most awaited films, Cracks by Jordan Scott (yes is Ridley Scott daughter). Finally! Many more excellent fims.

New British Cinema

French Revolutions. The best movies in the fest are in this section (lol!). In particular: Leaving, Catherine Corsini, France with Kristin Scott Thomas; and the great French films from Venice fest.

Cinema Europa . The second best place to find excellent movies.

World Cinema . Many must be seen films.

Experimenta. Old and new films that go from Hitchcock to Portugal’s The Portuguese Nun and Argentina’s They All Lie.

Treasures from the Archives will screen Venezuelan Margot Benacerraf’s visually stunning Araya (wow!)and many more.

Short Cuts & Animation

Unlike Toronto’s fest official site this year, the BFI site is a true pleasure to browse all the strands and read about the movies. I’ll be checking the news to find the films competing for the Best Film award. Also seems that the site will be more open to include videos from the fest, so I’ll be checking to find what they upload. Today they have trailers up for Fantastic Mr. Fox, Bright Star, and The Informant.

59 Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival Award Winners

A while back the festival closed its doors for this year when announced the winners and here they are.

Best Film: 10 ½, Daniel Grou, Canada
"This dilemma of a child in modern society is profoundly convincing on every level"

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Prize: Xun Huan Zuo Le (The High Life), Zhao Dayong, China
"From the very first shot the director demonstrates his ability of telling stories in a visually innovative way"


Special Award of the International Jury: Siyah Beyaz (Black and White), Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, Turkey
"To the director who masterfully combines warmth, lightness and humour in this story of friendship"

Special Mention of the International Jury
Act of Dishonour, Nelofer Pazira, Canada
“To a director who depicts the complex realities of war and the difficult interaction between film making and people's lives” and…

Alicia Vikander in Till det som ar vackert (Pure), Lisa Langseth, Sweden
"For the extraordinary performance of an actress in a very strong film"

FIPRESCI Prize: Xun Huan Zuo Le (The High Life), Zhao Dayong, China
Ecumenical Prize: Hold Om Mig (Hold Me Tight), Kaspar Munk, Denmark

Audience Awards
Eva y Lola (Eva and Lola), Sabrina Farji, Argentina
Hold Om Mig (Hold Me Tight), Kaspar Munk, Denmark

To read the announcement plus the recommendations of Cinema Owners go here.

30th Teddy Award Anniversary

TEDDY becomes 30…..and looks back to a past full of funny, tragic, embarrassing, happy and moving moments. Short facts: the first TEDDY got awarded in 1987 by Wieland Speck, director of Panorama nowadays. Back then, he sent a plush-teddy from the department store to the first award winners Gus van Sant and Pedro Almodóvar, who received the prize by post and with great pleasure.

Attention for queer movies and visibility of queer life was lacking and founding an award seemed a good way to get some.

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Brune/Blonde

Was going to leave information only in facebook but this exposition is one that strongly suggests you watch live in Paris –the lucky ones- and/or via the virtual exposition that for the pleasure of many is available in French and English.

Just to tease you all into exploring the amazing virtual exposition here is the first paragraph of the expo foreword.

The cinema is a medium that made women's hair a privileged motif for its aesthetics and its mythology. Heir to painting and literature, it protracted this fascination for women's hair and its associated gestures. From the very beginning, film-makers and their directors of photography realised the full potential of the form and matter of hair which could be exploited in the luminous construction of their shots. They appropriated the pictorial and mythological richness of hair and bestowed it, for the very first time, with the excitement of motion. The great immortalisers of women's hair (Hitchcock, Mizoguchi, Buñuel, Antonioni, Bergman, Godard, Lynch, Fassbinder and others) are intersected by the singular emotion aroused in them by women's hair, which holds a part of the mystery that makes their creativity so remarkable and intimate.

The virtual exposition is for you to discover, but I suggest you don’t miss the following clips: Veronica Lake, Safety Styles (hilarious), Buñuel in Mexico, Chantal Akerman plus Hitchcok; well, ALL are so good and more will be available soon.

Hope you enjoy the online exhibition that is an extension to the temporary exhibition Brune/Blonde, an Arts and Cinema exhibition at the Cinémathèque française from 6 October 2010 to 16 January 2011.

To visit the online exhibition go here.  To check the fifty films that will be presented during the three months go here and to read all about this amazing exposition go here and check the catalogue, the gigantic sculpture and more.

This is the video that promotes the exposition.



Enjoy!!!

Photos from Le Vernissage

Yaşamın Kıyısında (aka Auf der anderen Seite or The Edge of Heaven)

Utterly serene, contemplative and yet very complex film by great director Fatih Akin –he has been called a poet of sadness- who also wrote this outstanding screenplay about death, incomprehension of many types, and in my opinion also about lack of communication.

The literal translation of the German title is “On The Other Side” which once again totally fits the story and so many scenes that move or suggest the movement from one side to the other, as this movie moves between Turkey and Germany almost like if there were no barriers. But of course there are huge barriers and this film tells us about many of them. By the way after seeing the movie I spend many minutes thinking about the movie title and the relation to the story… where is the edge of heaven I was thinking… if only I knew better German, he he.

The film has three acts, the first one called Yeter’s Death, the Second Lotte’s Death and the last has the film name. Basically is the crisscross slice of life tale about four Turkish and two German nationals. We have a retired Turkish immigrant living in Germany Ali Aksu (Tuncel Kurtiz) that asks Turkish prostitute Yeter (Nursel Köse) to come to live with him. Ali’s son Netaj (Baki Davrak) is a German Literature professor that bonds with Yeter as soon as he finds that she’s sending money home for her daughter college education. One-day drunk Ali accidentally kills Yeter, which makes Netaj to go back to Istambul searching for her daughter and sets the motion to get into act two.

Yeter’s daughter Ayten (played by beautiful Nurgul Yesilcay) is a Turkish militant who thinks that her mother works in a German shoe store and when things get complicated in Istambul with a fake identity flies to Germany with help of the militant group she belongs, but the group in Germany try to take advantage of her. She starts to look for her mother, but penniless and hungry runs into university study Lotte (Patrycia Ziolkowska) who helps her and eventually the two become lovers. But Lotte’s mother Susanne (played by Fassbinder’s legend Hanna Schygulla) is not very pleased with having an illegal alien living in her house.

Think that I told too many things about the story when actually I just wanted to introduce the amazing characters, but still there are many things that I left out that you just have to see when you watch this fantastic movie and you really have to pay attention to all details as this is the kind of movie where almost everything that is shown has relation with other things that will be shown later.

The story is told in a non-correlative sequence and moves back and forward in time, with some repeated scenes from a different pov according to what character story conducts the act. This was just an amazing and fascinating way to tell a story that perhaps sounds more complex when is described, but in the screen soon enough you’ll realize the style and highly enjoy the narrative with all the crisscrossing.

Great performances by all leads plus outstanding cinematography with some incredibly amazing framed scenes make this movie perhaps Akin’s best to date and suggests the ample style range that this amazing director can handle and could handle in the future that as one critic says “he’s not on the same level as the legendary Polish director of the Decalogue and the Three Colours Trilogy at least, not yet.” and definitively I agree, as even if Akin is not there, he is getting very close. Chapeau.

Just browse this blog to find the many honors, nominations and awards that this movie has got in almost one year after being premiered at the 2007 Cannes were won the Best Screenplay award. The movie was Germany official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2008 Academy Awards.

It also took me almost a year to be able to see this movie and I had huge expectations that were absolutely surpassed. This is a movie that I highly recommend to all that love serious cinema.

This is one of those movies that have lesbian characters but the character’s sexual preference is not what makes the characters crucial to the story and film. Nevertheless because the film is excellent and the two women relation is persuasive I will give the movie the label and a must be seen for those that enjoy the genre.

It’s hard to say that a movie with a story like the one that tells could be loved, but I just loved this movie for the great story, the great director and as a fantastic serene and complex movie.

Big Enjoy!!!

Somewhere

The Golden Lion winner at 2010 Venice fest has everything I really like: slow pace, long still camera takes, great cinematography, story telling a slice of character life, many silences, little dialogue, and great tech specs. So why didn’t I enjoy it at all? This is one of the most boring films I have forced (is the Biennale winner) myself to watch lately! Very boring, so boring that had to find unthinkable ways to keep my eyes open and to not fall asleep.

No doubt that story essence helped to be so boring as is all about boredom; a bored actor with a boring luxurious life, a young daughter to look after when ex-wife decides to go with no return date and a boring process to get rid of his boredom. Very boring story that I imagine many successful actors and/or filmmakers will identify with – Sofia Coppola had some inspiration in her own childhood with her father- but general audiences will have a very hard time to relate to life in an hotel apartment at infamous Chateau Marmont, driving a Ferrari, flying helicopters to go to children camp and/or flying to Italy for a couple of days to get an award.

Yes story is hard to watch because is not easy to relate to anything that happens, but I have seen many films with stories I can’t relate and still I have been captivated. Think that main problem with this film is that writer/director Sofia Coppola wasn’t able to manage visuals and narrative to make film interesting. But then I also think that everything was done on purpose to bore audiences to death and if this was the purpose of such a boring film, then she also did wrong as was not as interesting as other very boring films I have seen that are simply fantastic, remember Fassbinder magnificently boring Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?

Who knows what director intentions were but one thing is clear for me, this film is not worthy of any festival top award much less from the Biennale.

I cannot recommend the film as is too tedious but know that many that read the blog have to watch the top winner at 2010 Biennale and just hope that your voyage into this film is not as boring as was mine.

Sigh.

Watch trailer @MOC (be aware that trailer is less boring than film)

67th Berlinale Complete Lineup

Today I start the VERY LONG annual post with (almost) ALL movies in the current edition of the Berlin International Film Festival, better-known as Berlinale. Since late last year, festival organizers have been releasing information in drop by drop basis but recently the press releases started to pour with selections in the multiple fest sections.

As every year, post will be in progress until fest uploads films to their official site; until then post will have constant updates with whatever new info becomes available.

On Friday, January 20th fest organizers released the last press release with all films in competition and in Berlinale Special section, so we can assume that the final count is twenty-four (24) films in the festival main selection with eighteen (18) in competition and six (6) out of competition.

The selection has quite a few well-know directors like Hong Sangsoo, Calin Peter Netzer, Alex de la Iglesia, Agnieszka Holland, Danny Boyle, Sally Potter, Sebastian Lelio and more; but, none excites me as much as one of my most-favorite director.  Yes, Aki Kaurismäki has a new movie that's in competition at Berlinale 2017 and I'm already dying to watch it!

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30th Teddy Awards News

The Teddy Award is being presented for the 30th time on February 19th, 2016 at the Berlin International Film Festival. Over the past 29 years of its existence it has become an important and respected emancipation award.  There are many news so post it's long, enjoy!

As some of my friends had doubts about why is the 30th time believe that the following will clear the doubts and if not, please dear friends be so kind as to count with your fingers (lol!) to realized that 2016 will be the 30th time.

A Brief History

When the first TEDDY was awarded in 1987, there was not even a ceremony.

Mini-sized teddy bears from a department store were placed in envelopes and sent to the then unknown directors Pedro Almodóvar in Spain and Gus Van Sant in the USA.

Neither of them has forgotten this and they both remain loyal friends of the TEDDY. And this was the beginning of the success story of a film prize that, despite all initial homophobic accusations, has developed into one of the Berlinale’s largest events over the years.

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Day 3 at Cannes 2011

As many of us know since yesterday Blogger has been not working right until they went into “read-only” mode meaning that we can see the blog but I can’t write in it. This morning post of Day 2 disappeared as well as all the clips I posted yesterday at the trailer site. So sorry but well if you’re reading this is because Blogger went back to normal.

Main Competition

The day started with an early morning screening of Habemus Papam by Nanni Moretti. This is a movie that I’m looking forward to watch as since his movie Il Caimano about Berlusconi, he has been sort of “lying low”; now he’s going after another institution and his portrait no matter if is bland/direct/whatever is one I can’t skip. Photocall, interview and press conference are somehow less entertaining; watch only if you would like to see Michel Piccoli, Nanni Moretti and/or Margherita Buy. Ditto for the red carpet but you will see how the French people love Piccoli and is well-deserved as he has had such a long/good career with so many outstanding films. Surely I’m biased, but somehow enjoy more to hear French and Italian than English (lol!). Come on, this is Cannes, not Hollywood! Only two women among many men in dark suits, yep they look like pinguins.

Most awaited by French press Polisse by Maïwenn, also would like to see this film as based on her previous films is hard to imagine why her film is nominated for a Palm d’Or. Still from headlines that started to appear yesterday, seems that film is totally different to what she used to do and that she did a “giant leap ahead” with this film. Film is competing for the Camera d’Or. As I also got the same impression from trailers/clips I’m sharing what some are saying after watching: “seems like a TV pilot”.

Polisse photocall has many members of the large movie cast, many known to me, but surprisingly there are not many photographers, I imagine that most –if not all- are photographers from French press. Finally for a second Maïwenn is alone but now is with only the men… yes, all are screaming: ici, Maïwenn! lol! In the interview there are 13 people, the same as in the photocall, that’s huge. The interview is perfect, no translator that interrupts flow if you watch it in French (lol!). The best is that only the women are interviewed, he, he.

Polisse press conference also has many people, more as the producers are there. Should comment that all of them are dressed in black except Maïwenn that’s wearing a nice blue dress, surely was done on purpose. I know this film has a not-easy-to-talk story, but I believe she handled herself well. Unfortunately press members have seen the movie and are doing specific questions so I’m going to stop watching. Ah! just in case you haven’t figure it out, the movie name is how a child may write police and yes is misspelled in French. Can’t wait for the red carpet but will be late tonight.

There is a photo that I have to find from the red carpet that I’m sure will be lovely. Not surprising but French media went crazy today with lots of Cannes coverage and calling Maïwenn, Queen Maïwenn. Tonight she’s wearing blue again and the mood is very informal before they start to walk the red carpet. Marina Fois looks great, elegant. Maïwenn moved to tears, that’s emotional and yes, unexpected but charming. Nice, very nice, so different to the other red carpets that have happened until now, very French. Voilà c’est tout pour aujoud’hui.

Out of Competition/Special Screenings

Late afternoon will be the screening of Labrador (Out of Bounds) by Frederikke Aspöck a drama that probably will eventually end-up watching as yes in general I like Danish cinema. First film so competes for the Camera d’Or.

Midnight Screenings

The first of the two films is screened today Wu Xia by Peter Ho-Sun Chan that finally yesterday was able to watch scenes and seems interesting; but after my not-so-positive experience with 13 Assassins I’m back to not watching martial arts movies until I find a reliable source that gives me an idea if I should watch or not a specific movie.

Un Certain Regard

Three movies today. The first is Toomelah by Ivan Sen that I’m sure will skip as is not my kind of movie unless I’m totally wrong; but after trying without success to watch the famous similar themed movie I’m staying away from similar movies.

The second is by Gerardo Naranjo, a director that mesmerizes me but his style scares me; still I have watched all his previous movies and Miss Bala won’t be an exception. This is a movie that you have to find the right time and mind set to watch, if you find it then the ride is exceptional for sure.

Third a movie that absolutely is Must Be Seen for me as I watch everything by Kim Ki-Duk and this crazy movie, Arirang, seems that’s going to be a special ride into the life of the director. The wait will be hard to endure.

Cannes Classics

Two movies that are worth watching. First a documentary by Catherine Cadou about none other than Akira Kurosawa, Kurosawa, la voie (Kurosawa’s Way) a tribute to the most famous Japanese master filmmaker with 11 interviews to filmmakers around the world, including Julie Taymor, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, John Woo and more.

The second I have seen it as film is by none other than Rainer Werner Fassbinder  1978 film Despair and if you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for? Outstanding Dick Borgarde is here.

Cinéma de la Plage

Today another must be seen movie for those that haven’t seen it yet, 1981 Das Boot: Director’s Cut by Wolfgang Petersen. A veritable saga with 3 hours 36 minutes, most spent inside the claustrophobic space of a German submarine.

Quinzaine

Today three movies. In the morning The Other Side of Sleep (competing for the Camera d’Or) by Rebecca Daly with an interesting story and the indispensable slow-pace to tell it; definitively will watch.

Late morning Jeanne Captive by Philippe Ramos that I’m not sure can take another look at Jeanne d’Arc; still because the cast probably will watch. Then check this from twitter: “Commence comme un film historique pour se terminer en errance panthéiste” … ok, I’m interested. (got very long applause from the audience).

Early afternoon the movie I’m very curious about Eldfjall (Volcano) by Rúnar Rúnarsson which also competes for the Camera d’Or.

At the Quinzaine official site you can watch some new videos with the opening ceremony and the presentation of the Carrosse d’Or to Jafar Panahi with words by Agnes Varda. It’s not a glamorous ceremony but what is said should be listening by everyone in the world. Also there an inconsequential video of the party.

Semaine

Las Acacias by Pablo Giorgelli a film that not I’m not sure will like to watch is screened today.

Other Activities

Today was the Heroine photocall and Aish looks very good, let's see if I can find a good photo without her colleagues in it.

Today was announced that a movie that is absolutely must be seen for me has been purchased, ie has a distributor for USA market and film is none other than The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep. If you don’t know, film is the biopic of Margaret Thatcher and yes Meryl plays her.

Remember that I told you about the pinup exhibition? There is a virtual exhibition on line that if you wish can watch here.

News

As a headline says: “women grab Cannes spotlight with disturbing tales” hmm, what do they mean? Only men can do disturbing stories? Women invaded men territory? What? Okay if you read further: “Female directors, famously shut out of the Cannes film festival's main competition in 2010, dominated the opening of this year's event with dark tales of murder, prostitution, rape and suicide.” Ah! and if you read more, a female film professor from Columbia University says that “the increased number of female directors in Cannes reflects a growing trend” that started with “Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar win and Lisa Cholodenko’s critical and commercial success" with the unnamable movie. Ugh! The worst, article is a Reuters dispatch so these terrible comments will be all over the world very soon.

The Not-So-Serious News

Last night was the Calvin Klein party and if you browse the net you will find many Hollywood actors that attended the party and that you wonder why are they in Cannes. One of them is Vanessa Hudgens. Also there Diane Kruger with her partner Joshua Jackson who “stole the limelight” (lol! – oh gosh what gossipy reporters write, so funny); the couple was also at the L’Oreal Live party and there is a very good photo of the two, indeed, is an excellent photo. Finally I learned what Diane is doing at Cannes, she's promoting her film "Forces Spéciales" with none other than Benoit Magimel.

Besides cinema related news, do you have an idea of what other news generate high amount of reports? If you said fashion you’re right. Yes my friends Cannes is also a fashion event like no other in the world; that’s why Chanel, Calvin Klein, Dior, etc. have parties and some, fashion shows! Not only is a fashion showcase but women attending the events are haute couture buyers and I’m not referring to actresses, but the other women that you probably don’t even know their names unless you read fashion or gossipy magazines dedicated to royalty and the rich. Business, business, Cannes is fun but everything is business oriented.

Extremely scandalous, read with caution… he, he, just kidding but this is a copy and paste from the UK Guardian: “If you think about it, it had to happen. Sex and 3D, I mean. The unambiguously titled 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme 3D Ecstasy, is touting for trade (if you'll excuse the expression) at Cannes, with all and sundry invited to a party promising "Actresses' Appearance!!!" [sic]”.

Gossip says that Carla Bruni didn’t do the red carpet because she’s pregnant, Marion Cotillard didn’t go because she’s pregnant; today I learn that Charlotte Gainsbourg is also pregnant, but she will walk Melancholia red carpet. Hmm there must be something in the water, so many pregnant actresses.

Photos of the Day

Still looking for photos but here are some.  The first is Cheryl Cole that I have NO idea who she is, but photo is spectacular, very similar to many taken years ago at Cannes.

 

Next is Maïwenn this morning at the photocall.

Aish at Heroine photocall