52nd THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
November 4 - 13, 2011
OPEN HORIZONS
TIFF Director Dimitri Eipides revamped the celebrated New Horizons section, which he programmed from 1992 to 2005, and currently programs the new Open Horizons section. It focuses on works that represent the most contemporary trends in worldwide independent production, as well as thematically original, aesthetically challenging and socially minded films.
In addition, a tribute to Ulrich Seidl will present the idiosyncratic Austrian auteur’s work.
Among the 45 films that comprise this year’s core program, are:
Tyrannosaur by Paddy Considine, UK, 2010. Actor Considine’s directorial debut, which won Jury Prizes at Sundance for himself and his two extraordinary protagonists, stars Peter Mullan as a self-hating, violent misanthrope with profound emotional wounds. When he finds solace in a charity shop owned by a woman with a cruel husband, their paths become inexorably intertwined; and this harsh film about anger and its destructiveness shines with unexpected humanity.
She-Monkeys by Lisa Aschan, Sweden, 2011. The discovery of sexuality, power and control in relationships and the treacherous waters of womanhood are explored in this stunning debut. Using the world of equestrian acrobatics as canvas, Aschan observes the competing girls, deftly avoiding cliches and building a tense atmosphere out of evocative looks and gestures (Jury Special Mention 2011 Berlin IFF).
Goodbye First Love by Mia Hansen-Love, France, 2011. The overwhelming force of first love and teenage romance is the subject of Hansen-Love’s tender and delicate film. Camille is 15 years old and when her older boyfriend, Sullivan, leaves her to travel in Latin America, she crumbles under the pain of the separation (Special Mention in the 2011 Locarno IFF).
Weekend by Andrew Haigh, UK, 2011. Weekend is the rare film about relationships and romance that succeeds in being genuine and effortless, with the right dose of sentiment, humor and unadulterated truth. Two thirty-something gay men meet in a London bar and what started as a one-night stand develops into an intimate relationship, with all the exuberance and difficulties that this entails (Audience Award in SXSW 2011).
Black Blood by Miaoyan Zhang, China/France, 2010. Filmed –mostly- in dramatic, stunning black and white, Black Blood is the story of an impoverished Chinese couple who illegally sell their blood to make ends meet, until tragedy strikes in the form of an AIDS diagnosis. Their story, small and poignant, paints a picture of a shocking and much larger ecological, social and financial devastation (NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film).
Michael by Markus Schleinzer, Austria, 2011. The story of a pedophile who keeps a 10-year-old boy locked in his basement, Michael is a painfully fascinating film, but surprisingly devoid of heavy moral declarations or sensationalist details. Built like a subtle psychological thriller, it offers a look into a world that few artists dare to delve in.
Play by Ruben Ostlund, Sweden/France/Denmark, 2011. Ostlund’s third film, based on real events that occurred in Sweden a few years back, focuses on the racially-incited quarrel between a group of African immigrant boys and some local ones. The way race affects relationship is explored in depth and the drama builds towards a powerful climax.
Somewhere Tonight by Michael Di Jiacomo, Netherlands/USA, 2010. Two socially awkward people meet through an adult chat phone line and find comfort in each other, alleviating their anxieties and finding companionship. Inspired by Theo van Gogh’s 1994 film 06 (1-900), and starring John Torturro and his wife Katharine Borowitz, Somewhere Tonight treats its characters with tenderness and succeeds in creating a fascinating relationship and character study.
Romeo Eleven by Ivan Grbovic, Canada, 2011. A mature and insightful debut set in Montreal’s Lebanese community, the film tells the story of shy Rami, who suffers from a disability and has created a confident online persona, Romeo 11, in order to meet girls. When his two personalities collide, Rami needs to decide who he is and what he wants.
Snowtown by Justin Kurzel, Australia, 2011. Taking its starting point from the real-life “bodies in the barrels” murders in Adelaide, the controversial (in its country) film focuses on the lives of the killers before they committed the heinous acts. No moral resolution is offered; the film works as a chilling exploration of the origins of violence and hate.
Terraferma by Emanuele Crialese, Italy/France, 2011. Terraferma refers to Linosa, a small island on the south of Sicily; when a boat of African immigrants arrives there, captain Ernesto offers refuge to a pregnant mother and her son. Divided by their different opinions on the matter, the island’s residents get tangled in a struggle between the old and the new, which Crialese handles delicately, succeeding in creating an affecting drama. (Special Jury Prize in the 2011 Venice IFF).
Finisterrae by Sergio Caballero, Spain, 2010. The winner of a 2011 Rotterdam IFF Tiger Award, Finisterrae is a wonderfully humorous oddity, combining surrealism with slapstick; in essence, it’s the story of two ghosts who no longer wish to be dead. Even the film’s production process was unique, as it was conceived as a soundtrack for the Sonar Festival, the images were then shot and the (surprisingly) Russian narration came last.
Innocent Saturday by Alexander Mindadze, Russia/Ukraine/Germany, 2011. A young Communist party administrator, whose perspective informs the story, arrives at the Chernobyl nuclear plant just after the reactor has blown. He flees the area and, with his girlfriend, tries to leave the city, but some kind of “cosmic conspiracy” and several small events keep them there. Oleg Mutu’s cinematography (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Day) wonderfully conveys the tension of this irrational confinement inside the danger.
Dirty Diaries by Ester Martin Bergsman, Mia Engberg, Sara Kaaman, Pella Kagerman, Wolfe Madam, Elin Magnusson, Tora Martens, Jennifer Rainsford, Nelli Roselli, Ingrid Ryberg, Joanna Rytel, Asa Sandzen, Marit Ostberg, Sweden, 2009. 12 short films made by 12 directors under the label “Swedish feminist porn”: gay, straight, poetic, provocative, funny, strange. All those epithets apply to this original collection of films, which explore the genre by truly challenging mainstream notions of female sexuality.
THE FILMS:
She Monkeys (Apflickorna), Lisa Aschan, 2011, Sweden
Gromozeka, Vladimir Kott, 2011, Russia,
Innocent Saturday (V Subbotu), Alexander Mindadze, 2011, Russia/Ukraine/Germany
Finisterrae, Sergio Caballero, 2010, Spain
If Not Us, Who? (Wer wenn nicht wir), Andres Veiel, 2011, Germany
A Little Closer, Matthew Petock, 2011, USA
Black Blood, Miaoyan Zhang, 2010, China/France
Drama, Matias Lira, 2010, Chile
Weekend, Andrew Haigh, 2011, United Kingdom
Buddha Mountain (Guan yin shan), Li Yu, 2010, China
Las Acacias, Pablo Giorgelli ,2010, Argentina/Spain
The Student (El estudiante), Santiago Mitre, 2011, Argentina
Ok, Enough, Goodbye (Tayeb, khalas, yalla), Daniel Garcia, Rania Attieh, 2011, United Arab Emirates/Lebanon
Invisible (Lo roim alaich), Michal Aviad, 2011 , Israel
The Piano In A Factory (Gang de qin), Meng Zhang, 2010, China
Daughter...Father...Daughter... Panahbarkhoda Rezaee, 2011, Iran
Beast, Christoffer Boe, 2011, Denmark
Michael, Markus Schleinzer, 2011, Austria
Play, Ruben Ostlund, 2011, Sweden/France/Denmark
Corpo Celeste, Alice Rohrwacher, 2011, Italy/France/Switzerland
On the Plank (Ala al hafa), Leila Kilani, 2010, Morocco/France/Germany
Flying Fish (Igillena maluwo), Pushpakumara Sanjeewa, 2010, Sri Lanka
Gypsy (Cigan), Martin Sulik, 2011, Slovak Republic/Czech Republic
Babycall, Pal Sletaune, 2010, Norway/Sweden/Germany
Romeo Eleven (Romeo onze), Ivan Grbovic, 2011, Canada
The Sky Above (O ceu sobre os ombros ), Sergio Borges, 2010, Brazil
La Nostra Vita, Daniele Luchetti, 2010, Italy/France
Somewhere Tonight, Michael Di Jiacomo, 2010, Netherlands, USA
The Pier, Gerard Hurley, 2011 Ireland/USA
Tyrannosaur, Paddy Considine, 2010, United Kingdom
Snowtown, Justin Kurzel, 2011, Australia
Flowers of Evil (Fleurs du mal), David Dusa, 2009, France
Bonsai, Cristian Jimenez, 2011, Chile/France/Argentina/Portugal
Last Winter (L'hiver dernier), John Shank, 2011, France/Belgium/Switzerland
Happy End, Bjorn Runge, 2011, Sweden
Goodbye First Love (Un amour de jeunesse), Mia Hansen-Love, 2011, France
Summer Games (Giochi d’estate), Rolando Colla, 2011, Switzerland/Italy
Back to Stay (Abrir puertas y ventanas), Milagros Mumenthaler, 2011, Argentina/Switzerland/Netherlands
Dirty Diaries, Various directors, 2009, Sweden
Guilty (Presume coupable), Vincent Garenq, 2011, France
Martha Marcy May Marlene, Sean Durkin, 2011, USA
Tales of the Night (Les contes de la nuit), Michel Ocelot, 2011, France
Terraferma, Emanuele Crialese, 2011, Italy/France
Either Way (A annan veg), Hafstein Gunnar Sigurdsson, 2011, Iceland
ULRICH SEIDL
One of the most distinguished contemporary European filmmakers, Austrian auteur Ulrich Seidl began his career making documentaries, with which he immediately introduced his thematic concerns, as well as his precise and unique aesthetics. All of Seidl’s films, documentary and fiction, exhibit a deep curiosity about the human psyche and its countless -often bizarre and disquieting- facets. They benefit from an unflinching gaze that reveals a forceful desire for capturing the ever-elusive “reality”: Seidl has stated that, “all my films have documentary and fictional elements”.
In Dog Days, his first foray into fiction, a mix cast of professional and amateur actors recreates a suburban inferno; the film upset many of the director’s compatriots as an unfair and grotesque depiction of Austrian life. In both Jesus, You Know and Animal Love, extremes of human behavior –strikingly shot in ominous, geometric tableaux- are presented and examined through the subjects’ relationship with religion and with their pets. Perhaps the most significant aspect of Seidl’s work, however, is that his films, although almost always viewed as overly provocative and cynical, express a deep humanity, compassion and restrained optimism about human nature.
Ulrich Seidl will be in Thessaloniki from the 10th to the 12th of November; the press conference and press interviews will take place on the 11th.
THE FILMS:
Import Export, Austria, 2007, 135’
Jesus, You Know (Jesus, Du Weisst), Austria, 2003, 87’, documentary
Dog Days (Hundstage), Austria, 2001, 121’
Models, Austria, 1998, 118’, documentary
The Bosom Friend (Der Busenfreund), Austria, 1997, 60’, documentary
Animal Love (Tierische Liebe), Austria, 1995, 114’, documentary
Last Real Men (Die Letzten Maenner), Austria, 1994, 60’, documentary
Losses To Be Expected (Mit Verlust Ist Zu Rechnen), Austria, 1992, 118’, documentary
Good News, Austria, 1990, 130’, documentary
