Filmekimi will be held in Istanbul between 5 and 14 October
Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), this year’s Filmekimi will be held in collaboration with Birlikte Güzel. Filmekimi will take place between 5 and 14 October. The festival will travel through to Ankara and İzmir during October.
Filmekimi will be the leading cinema event of October, as it is each year, with a programme consisting of films that were shown and awarded in leading world festivals as well as highly anticipated new productions. Filmekimi, in collaboration with Birlikte Güzel and with the support of Hopi, will be held for 10 days between 5-14 October in Istanbul. Filmekimi will continue to present the best and most recent films of the year to film lovers in Ankara and İzmir as well.
Opening Film: A Star is Born starring Lady Gaga
One of the most recounted love stories in cinema returns in a dazzling remake directed by Bradley Cooper, one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, and starring Lady Gaga in her first major Hollywood production. Jackson Maine is an aging rock legend weary of fame who seeks comfort in a bottle. He meets Ally, an amateur singer, at a bar. Being knocked off his feet by her talent, Jackson helps Ally achieve superstardom. After warming up her acting chops in American Horror Story: Hotel Lady Gaga gives a star making turn reprising the character played by Barbara Streisand in the 1976 retelling of the story in this directorial debut by Bradley Cooper (Hangover, Silver Linings Book). A Star is Born will be screened once only as the opening film of Filmekimi.
Oscar Nominees at Filmekimi
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palm D’or winning new film and Japan’s Oscar entry Shoplifters, Belgium’s submission for the Oscars, Lukas Dhont’s Girl, which receieved 3 awards from Cannes this year, including the Golden Camera, and South Korea’s Oscar entry Burning, an adaptation of a Haruki Murakami story which received the FIPRESCI at Cannes are included in the Filmekimi line-up.
Award-winning films at Filmekimi
As usual, Filmekimi roster features award-winning films from prestigious festivals. Legendary director Jean-Luc Godard’s The Image Book, which had its world premiere at Cannes and received the first-ever Special Palm D’or; Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film The Favourite, which received the Grand Jury Prize and Volpi Cup for Best Actress (O. Colman) at Venice; Nadine Labaki’s Cannes Jury Prize winning film Capharnaüm; Pawel Palikowski’s music filled film Cold War, which brought him the Best Director trophy at Cannes; Italian cinema’s rising star Alice Rohrwacher’s latest film Lazzaro Felice, which received the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes; Gaspar Noe’s Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight winner Climax; Alonso Ruizpalacios’ Best Screenplay winner at Berlin Museo and more will be at Filmekimi.
The stars of Filmekimi
Of the films announced so far for this year’s Filmekimi, films that had their world premieres in prestigious festivals, particularly Cannes, shine out.
Anchored by a terrific performance from Vanessa Paradis, Knife + Heart, Yann Gozalez’ Palm D’or contender, brings the music and visual style of the ‘80s to the screen. Inter-generational love is examined in Christophe Honoré’s (Love Songs, The Beautiful Person) new film Sorry Angel. From the Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, a two-time Oscar recipient for A Seperation and Salesman, comes Everbody Knows, his Cannes-opening latest film.
The sensational Paolo Sorrentino once again focuses on his country’s political machinations and turns his camera on the former PM Silvio Berlusconi in his latest film Loro. Ash is Purest White from unconventiıonal director Jia Zhang-ke tells China’s transformation story through a romantic tradegy. Leave No Trace, Debra Granik’s meditation on nature, city, family, and modern life; Ethan Hawkes’ directorial debut Blaze about the country blues singer Blaze Foley, and Jeremiah Zagar’s We the Animals about three young brothers trapped in domestic violence are some of the other films in this year’s selection.
The other highlights of the festival include Mandy, an horror-fantasy-action hybrid headlined by an instant classic performance from Nicholas Cage and directed by Panos Cosmatos, which had its international premiere at Cannes after first premiering in Sundance; David Robert Mitchell’s Hollywood neo-noir Under the Silver Lake; and The House That Jack Built, the latest challenging work from Lars von Trier notable for its star studded cast and bursts of violence.
Additionally, Kings, the Hollywood directorial debut of the noted director of Oscar nominated Mustang Deniz Gamze Ergüven, starring Halle Berry and Daniel Craig will also be featured at the festival.
Tickets to go on sale on Saturday, 29 September
Tickets for the 17th edition of Filmekimi will be on sale in Istanbul on Saturday, 29 September at 10.30 at Beyoğlu Atlas, Kadıköy Rexx cinemas as well as Biletix sales channels (Biletix.com, Biletix Call Center, sales points). Ticket sales in Ankara and İzmir will be made through the Biletix sales channels (Biletix.com, Biletix Call Center, points of sale) starting from 29 September and from the box offices at the relevant cinemas one day before the screenings begin. Filmekimi tickets will be available for purchase through all sales channels with no added service fees.
Ticket Prices
Weekday daytime screenings (11.00, 13.30, 16.00) are only 10 TL.
Weekday daytime screenings (19.00) are 25 TL.
Weekend screenings (11.00, 13.30, 16.00, 19.00) are 25 TL; for students and seniors (over 65) 15 TL.
All 21.30 screenings are 25 TL.
Filmekimi Ankara all screenings are 18 TL; for students 15 TL,
Filmekimi İzmir all screenings are 18 TL; for students 15 TL.
The 17th edition of Filmekimi films will be screened at four movie theatres in İstanbul: Atlas and Beyoğlu movie theatres in Beyoğlu district, Cinemaximum City’s in Nişantaşı, and Rexx movie theatre in Kadıköy.
Cinephiles will have a chance to watch Filmekimi films in Ankara at Cinemaximum Cepa and in İzmir at Cinemaximum Konak Pier.
The detailed information about the films, the entire programme, the schedule and all other details are announced on the official Filmekimi website.
Tulip Card members will be able to purchase their tickets in advance at up to 25% discounted rates. These discounted early bird tickets can be purchased by Black and White Tulip members on Tuesday, 25 September, and by Red and Yellow Tulip members on Wednesday, 26 September, Thursday, 27 September and Friday, 28 September.
For detailed information: http://filmekimi.iksv.org/en
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#filmekimi
FILMS FROM FILMEKIMI’S PROGRAMME
- Shoplifters / Manbiki Kazoku / Hirokazu Kore-eda
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palm d’Or-winning latest film is a touching family drama akin to the director’s trademark style. The heroes of the film are a family whose members get by through stealing from supermarkets, living in a tiny cramped house. When they find an abandoned young girl on the street, they don’t think twice to take her in. With this addition, the family is enlarged, but of course, no good deed stays unpunished. Jury president Cate Blanchett praised Shoplifters saying “It was one of the quietest, loveliest and most emotionally enduring films in the competition.” Reminiscent of legendary director Ozu in technique and subject, Shoplifters became the first Japanese film winning the Palm d’Or since 1997 and the country’s Oscar nominee.
- The Image Book / Le Livre D’Image / Jean-Luc Godard
A true legend, a most unique, innovative, iconoclastic filmmaker, Godard once again stormed Cannes and the film world with his latest work—a provocative, challenging film that is utmost political and mind-opening. Opening with Godard’s own voice declaring “War is Here,” and telling about the current state the world is in, The Image Book is “an audio-visual poem,” to some and “an essay-film with the body-language of a horror movie,” to others. Utilising various formats, image sources, sound collages, The Image Book is a masterpiece that asserts that nothing on film can be deemed original anymore, a visual bombardment that tackles an array of issues from orientalism to film ethics.
- Capharnaum / Capharnaüm / Nadine Labaki
“–Why are you suing your own parents? –For giving me life.”
Lebanese director Nadine Labaki’s award-winning film at Cannes begins with this dialogue. Moving and sentimental, Capernaum tells the brief life of 12-year-old Zain, who claims that he has received nothing but love from his parents, that he was ignored, abused, not even registered at his birth. Zain runs away from home, roams through the most deprived neighbourhoods of Beirut, struggles for survival in the arms of a refugee woman, and finally sues his parents. Tackling issues such as childhood, family, migration, and love, the film’s young lead actor Zain Al Rafeea actually went through similar hardships as the child of a Syrian refugee family in Beirut. Nadine Labaki was a guest of the Istanbul Film Festival in 2008 with her film Caramel. Capharnaum was announced as Lebanon’s Oscar nominee.
- Cold War / Zimna Wojna / Pawel Pawlikowski
Winning numerous awards including the Oscar with Ida, Pawel Pawlikowski returns to the ashes of World War II once again. Bringing him the Best Director award at Cannes, Cold War recounts a passionate love story between two people of different backgrounds and temperaments, who are fatally mismatched and yet fatefully condemned to each other. Set against the background of the Cold War in the 1950s in Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris; this melancholic black and white film depicts an impossible love story in impossible times. Songs and arrangements in the film including jazz and chansons are by Mazowse and avant-garde pianist Marcin Masecki.
- Happy as Lazzaro / Lazzaro Felice / Alice Rohrwacher
Alice Rohrwacher’s Cannes award-winner tells a tale of friendship that takes place in present day and is adorned with mystical elements. Following a non-linear timeline and shot on 16mm film, Happy As Lazzaro follows the titular young farmer Lazzaro—a monument of goodness who lives in an idyllic village, and sets on a voyage through both time and space to find his best friend, the noble Tancredi. Much discussed for the Best Actor Award at Cannes, Adriano Tardiolo is astonishing as the saint without miracles. Alice Rohrwacher, whose The Wonders was internationally acclaimed, evokes Pasolini’s works in style and content in her latest film which also features her sister Alba.
- Burning / Beoning / Lee Chang-dong
Masterfully adapted to cinema from cult writer Haruki Murakami’s story, Burning was the unanimous favourite of critics at Cannes, where it premiered. Faithful to its original source and Murakami’s style, Burning tells a story of rage and obsession through a love triangle between an ordinary young man, a beautiful woman he falls in love with, and a rich and arrogant man. This is Lee Chang-dong’s first feature film after an eight-year hiatus that follows the critically acclaimed Oasis, Secret Sunshine, and Poetry. Tackling issues such as love, obsession, class tension, and memory, the film’s lead roles are performed by Korean actor, fashion icon and art historian Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun (from Walking Dead and Okja), and Jeon Jong-seo. Burning was anounced as South Korea’s Oscar nominee.
- Girl / Lukas Dhont
Girl premiered within the A Certain Look section of Cannes Film Festival, where it was selected best debut film, and later became Belgium’s Oscar nominee. The film tells the story of 15-year-old trans person Lara, who is struggling to become a ballerina. Lara tries to deal with the hardship brought on by adolescence, all the while trying to overcome the challenges of ballet training. Dhont was inspired by a 2009 news article he had read in Belgium, and asserting “such a story of courage must be my first film’s subject,” he decided to make it into a film. Dhont is also known for the video he made for Oscar and the Wolf’s song “Entity”. Girl was announced as the Oscar nominee of Belgium.
- The House That Jack Built / Lars Von Trier
Provocative as ever, Lars Von Trier once again challenges his audience in his latest film which premiered at Cannes. The follow-up to his 2013’s Nymphomaniac, Von Trier had devised The House That Jack Built first as a TV series. With its brilliant cast, grim plot, and imagery, the film divided audiences as well as critics. Set in the 1970s, The House That Jack Built narrates the making of a serial killer for 12 years through his own point of view. The killer is played by Matt Dillon, in a brilliant performance, and the film plays with the conventions of the genre as sharply as possible.
- Climax / Gaspar Noé
Irreversible, Love, Enter the Void and I Stand Alone are Gaspar Noé’s films that have broken conventions and provoked audiences, and his latest one that premiered at Cannes is yet another controversial work that reflects his “dreams and nightmares” onto the screen. Described as “a cinematic dance party that descends into hell,” Climax focuses on dancers practicing for their upcoming show; after a late-hour rehearsal, things go awry with an unexpected incident. Dancers selected by dancer-musician Kiddy Smile from Paris dance battles are cast in Climax, and the choreographies carry the signature of Nina McNeely who has worked with Diplo, Sia, Björk, Rihanna and 30 Seconds to Mars.
- The Favourite / Yorgos Lanthimos
Yorgos Lanthimos’s follow-up to The Lobster, Dogtooth and The Killing of A Sacred Deer veers away from his earlier film because it is a period film set in the British Court during the reign of Queen Anne. As the war against France is still continuing, two noble women, Sarah, the Duchess of Marlborough and her distant cousin Abigail struggle to be the favourite of the ailing Queen. Bringing three of the most revered actresses of our day, and lauded for its modern approach to period films, The Favourite is “a perfectly cut diamond of a movie,” according to Variety magazine, compared to The Crown, All About Eve and even Jackie Brown.
- Ash Is The Purest White / Jiang Hu Er Nv / Jia Zhang-ke
Defying convention in all his films to surprise his audience, Jia Zhang-ke’s latest Cannes contender portrays China’s capitalist transformation through a romantic tragedy set within the gangster world. Inspired from jianghu, the Chinese mafia films of John Woo and Johnnie To, Ash Is Purest White follows Qiao, who is in love with the gangster Bin. Following a shootout, Qiao is apprehended and imprisoned. When she is released five years later, she begins looking for Bin in a country that has changed beyond belief. Director Zhang-ke describes his films as the story of “a couple who live on the margins of society—my lost youth and my fantasy about the future. To live, to love and to be free...”
- Museo / Alonso Ruizpalacios
When burglars broke into Mexico's Museum of Anthropology on Christmas Day, 1985, they made off with some of the country's most valuable national treasures. The National Anthropology Museum still is considered one of Mexico’s most treasured, iconic almost sacred sites. This was one of the biggest museum heists in history, and shocked and puzzled authorities for a long time until it was discovered that the perpetrators were a duo of bored veterinary school students in their 30s. Museo chronicles the most infamous loot of Mexico from a personal view. Museo is Alonso Ruizpalacios's second feature after the award-winning festival hit Güeros. Some real characters involved in the heist were interviewed during the writing process. Gael Garcia Bernal came on board to star as well as to executive produce Museo. Shot over 3 months in locations in Mexico City, Acapulco and Palenque, this was the first time a team was allowed to film inside of the iconic Anthropology Museum.
- Knife + Heart / Un Couteau Dans Le Coeur / Yann Gonzalez
The aesthetics of 1970s, passionate love affairs, obsessed murderers, and a classy eroticism surrounding serial murders akin to slasher films... If Brian de Palma had filmed Cruising, or Bruce LaBruce had shot Profondo Rosso, it would have probably felt and seemed like Knife+Heart which premiered at Cannes where it vied for the Palm d’Or. In Knife+Heart, Vanessa Paradis presents one of her most memorable performances as erotic film director Anne, who tracks down the serial killer who has been murdering her actors, while trying to fix the ruins of her detrimental romance with her editor. With a blatant humour that parodies clichés of the genre, stylistic art direction, fast pace, and a wonderful soundtrack, Knife+Heart might become the next queer classic.
- Sorry Angel / Plaire, Aimer Et Courir Vite / Christophe Honoré
Exploring young romance in Love Songs, passion in Man at Bath, and sorrow in The Beautiful Person, Christophe Honoré focuses on intergenerational love in his latest film which feels like a sad dream. Described by Honoré as “a film about first love and last love—not the film of an impossible love but of an impossible life,” Sorry Angel is set in 1990s Paris and follows the romance between Jacques, a writer pushing 40, and Arthur, a student aspiring to become a filmmaker. Sorry Angel emotionally reflects the contrast between love and loss, youth and aging, flirting and sexuality, past pains and the hope for the future. The film stars Pierre Deladonchamps, who had starred in Stranger by the Lake.
- Mandy / Panos Cosmatos
A vicious cult, hell-bound monsters, and a man pursuing vengeance... Premiering at Sundance and internationally at Cannes, Mandy pushes the boundaries of both 80s’ aesthetics and the action-fantasy genre. In the film, Red, played by Nicolas Cage, seeks to avenge his lover Mandy, who has been brutally murdered by a religious sect called Children of the New Dawn. Switching between reality and fantasy, visually adapting to the mindset of its lead character Red, Mandy borders on the extremes. Co-produced by Elijah Wood, and scored by Jóhan Jóhansson, Mandy is the latest feature from Panos Cosmatos, whose experimental dystopia Beyond the Black Rainbow was quite popular.
- Under The Silver Lake / David Robert Mitchell
Gaining a swarm of followers with It Follows, David Robert Mitchell diverts audiences from thrills to suspense with a psychedelic neo-noir appropriate for the 21st century youth. With countless references to Hitchcock and popular culture, Under the Silver Lake according to Mitchell is “an exploration of this dark and warped fantasy version” of LA. The film follows deadbeat Sam whose greatest achievement is his voyeurism. When his beautiful and mysterious neighbour Sarah suddenly disappears, Sam decides to find her in every fancy party in town, meeting models and a variety of oddballs. Andrew Garfield is present in almost all the shots of this entertaining and upbeat crime-mystery that features murder, graphic novels, serial dog killers, global conspiracies, and a striking soundtrack which includes tracks from Violent Femmes and REM.
- Leave No Trace / Debra Granik
Eight years after directing Winter’s Bone which introduced Jennifer Lawrence, Debra Granik employs a similar neo-realist approach in her latest feature. Leave No Trace is adapted to screen from Peter Rock’s Northwest novel My Abandonment, which tells the story of an army veteran father suffering from PTSD, and his daughter and their survivalist existence in the rural outskirts of Portland, Oregon. Living apart from society and noise by finding solace in nature, the duo will need to adapt to or confront the modern urban mechanisms when they are forcefully brought to the city. Affectionate and impressive as it tackles issues such as nature, city, family, and modern life, Leave No Trace was written after conducting interviews with traumatised war veterans and inspires from the writings of naturist-philosopher Henry David Thereau and Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
- Blaze / Ethan Hawke
The latest film directed by the wonderful actor Ethan Hawke has an unusual man for a protagonist: Blaze is a country-blues singer, but a hurly-burly man, limping, drinking excessively, and talking mostly incomprehensively, though he can write songs of solitude and longing like no other. However, as his fame rises, his self-destructive rage brings his star down. Making its premiere at Sundance, Blaze tells the life story of Blaze Foley, the unsung, hard-living songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, who wrote hit tunes that included “If I Could Only Fly” and “Election Day”.
- We the Animals / Jeremiah Zagar
Displaying a familial love never before seen on screen–brutal, intimate, messy, and joyous at the same time– We the Animals follows three young brothers caught in the midst of their parents’ volatile love. While two older brothers grow into versions of their unpredictable father, the youngest, Jonah increasingly embraces an imagined world all his own. Premiering at Sundance, We the Animals is the debut narrative feature of Jeremiah Zagar, whose first documentary In a Dream, was shortlisted for an Academy Award. Drawing from his documentary background, director Jeremiah Zagar creates an immersive portrait of working class family life and brotherhood – including three talented, young first-time actors – and stunning animated sequences. The film is adapted from Justin Torres’ poetic novel based on his own childhood in upstate New York.
- Everybody Knows / Todos Lo Saben / Asghar Farhadi
Two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi’s latest film was screened as the Opening Film of the Cannes Film Festival. Filmed in Madrid and with dialogues entirely in Spanish, Everybody Knows is Farhadi’s eighth feature film. Alongside his forte, family drama and moral choices, Farhadi adds psychological suspense and mystery to his film, and follows a woman as she returns with her children from Buenos Aires to Spain to be overwhelmed with matters involving her earlier acquaintances. The film’s soundtrack was composed by Javier Limón.
- The World Is Yours / Le Monde Est À Toi / Romain Gavras
Having had its premiere at Cannes within the Directors’ Fortnight section, this action-clad gangster comedy follows the unfortunate Farés—a small-time drug dealer who wants to call it quites and settle down. Much to his dismay, Farés’s vamp and domineering mother has already spent all his savings. Eyeing a final heist to settle his accounts, Farés will need to deal with Scottish gangsters, conspiracy-addicted henchmen, and even sea pirates. With Isabelle Adjani in her magnificent return as part of its dazzling cast, unflinching oace and action scenes, The World Is Yours owes its soundtrack music to Jamie xx and Sebastian. Writer-director Romain Gavras actually is quite familiar to music and film audiences alike: Costa-Gavras’ son, he is responsible for the music videos of Kanye West & Jay-Z, DJ Mehdi, Justice, Last Shadow Puppets, M.I.A, and Simian Mobile Disco.
- Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot / Gus Van Sant
The latest film by Gus Van Sant, a pioneer of American independent film, tells an extraordinary story of success, determination, and joy of life. Praised for Joaquin Phoenix’s leading performance which is already in talks for the 2019 Oscars, the film is inspired from the life story of cartoonist John Callahan, a friend of Van Sant. Quadriplegic after a car crash when he was 21, Callahan discovers his talent for drawing during his tough rehabilitation process, and afterwards has to deal with his drinking problem along with his increasing worldwide fame. Premiering at Sundance, the film also features musicians Carrie Brownstein, Beth Ditto, and Kim Gordon. Gus Van Sant had received the Istanbul Film Festival’s Cinema Honorary Award in 2007.
- Dogman / Matteo Garrone
Tackling the mafia and violence in his acclaimed Gomorrah, Matteo Garrone’s latest Cannes contender centres on an ordinary man, searching for the origins of evil in a small coastal town. Puny and sympathetic “Dogman” Marcello is much loved in his town as both the dog carer and the local drug dealer. His life takes a turn for the worse because of his proximity to vicious coke-head, ex-boxer Simone. Winning Silver Ribbons in eight categories in Italy, Dogman is led by Marcello Fonte, an untrained actor, who recalls Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, the silent era legends. The film also won the Palm Dog award.
- The Kindergarten Teacher / Sara Colangelo
Described by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is the lead actress and co-producer of the film, as being “about a female artist who is driven crazy by the culture that she lives in,” The Kindergarten Teacher follows Lisa, a kindergarten teacher of 20 years, unhappy and fed up. When the words of a 5-year-old in her class strike her, she deems the boy a poet genius, and grows obsessed with him. In the US-adaptation of Nadav Lapid’s 2015 film of the same title, Gyllenhaal expertly conveys the emotional and psychological impasses of her character.
- The Man Who Killed Don Quixote / Terry Gilliam
Legendary itself, the latest film of legendary filmmaker Terry Gilliam is a passion project, a Terry Gilliam masterpiece with its unwavering pace, ingenious plot, striking art direction, and quirky humour. Inspired from Cervantes’ classic novel, the film stars Adam Driver as a high-headed director of commercials, and Jonathan Pryce as a man who believes he is Don Quixote. When the two men encounter again years later, they get involved in a contemporary Don Quixote story that includes a relentless Russian oligarkh, a racist producer, and ex-lovers. The production tale of the film which begins in the 1990s was hindered many times with illness, lawsuits, financial burdens, and even a flood, and its non-making-of story was the subject of a documentary called Lost in La Mancha dated 2002. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote premiered as the closing film of the Cannes Film Festival.
- 3 Faces / Se Rokh / Jafar Panahi
As one of the most revered names in Iranian cinema, Jafar Panahi’s latest film, which premiered at Cannes, finds its core conflict in the prevalence of social media in Iran. Panahi observes the unrest within the Iranian society and the art world by placing himself and his family right in the centre of a social media incident. 3 Faces is set in villages where Azeri is spoken, by the Iranian-Turkish border, where Panahi’s family is from, and he plays himself as a famous director who receives a message on Instagram from a young woman who commits suicide because she was banned from making films. The poems in the film are written by Shahrzad, who was one of the greatest movie stars in Iran before the revolution and was later banned from acting.
- Pity / Oiktos / Babis Makridis
Premiering at Sundance, Pity follows a man who is happy only when he is unhappy, craving for sorrow, ready to do anything to get the pity he needs from others. Pity is the story of a man who thinks he lives in a world not sufficiently cruel. Co-written by Efthimis Filippou, who also co-wrote The Lobster, Chevalier, Dogtooth, and The Death of A Sacred Deer, the film is directed by Babis Makridis, whose debut feature L was screened at the Istanbul Film Festival. Recalling Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton among his inspirations, Yannis Drakopoulos gives a fabulous performance as the lead, emphasising the film’s disturbing and oddly humorous tone. Although the parallel universe Pity is set in is quite realistic, it is darker, weirder, and funnier than real life.
- The Trouble With You / En Liberté / Pierre Salvadori
Inspired by 1980s action comedies like Something Wild and Married to the Mob, director Pierre Salvadori’s award-winner at Cannes is a hilarious romantic comedy set in the south of France with Adèle Haenel in the lead (Love at First Fight, Unknown Girl). Widow of a model detective, Yvonne finds out that her late husband is the opposite of being the hero everyone looks up to, but instead a dirty cop who has unjustly caused a man to serve 8 years in prison. When Antoine, this innocent man, is released from prison, Yvonne introduces herself as an escort to approach him, and tries somehow to help this broken man find the balance he has been deprived of in life.
- At War / En Guerre / Stéphane Brizé
Known for his explorations of the human condition in Mademoiselle Chambon, A Woman’s Life and The Measure of A Man, Stéphane Brizé once more comes up with a political film with the astonishing Vincent Lindon in the lead as the outspoken and fierce union spokesperson. At War tells the struggle of 1,100 workers as they decide to save their jobs at all costs after their factory is called to be shut. Filmed in just 23 days, At War presents the opposition between two points of view–the human and the economic dimension. Stéphane Brizé, who met with workers, HR managers, CEOs, and legal representatives of both the workers and employers before shooting the film to gain a balanced point of view, attempts to reassess this contrast by examining social and political dysfunctions in the 21st century.
- The Summer / Leto / Kiril Serebrennikov
Leningrad, 1980s... Rock’n’roll and blues herald the approaching Perestroika—bootleg Lou Reed, Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie records are everywhere. When Mike and his wife Natasha meet the young musician Viktor, a love and music triangle is formed in a deeply hopeless era marked with suspicion. Premiering at Cannes, The Summer chronicles the birth of rock in the Soviet Union in the 1980s while telling a romance. Of the three heroes of the film, Mike Naumenko is known as one of the best lyricists of Russian rock world, while Viktor Tsoi, the later founder of the band Kino, is considered as the pioneer of Russian rock. The songs in the film are performed by the actors themselves. Kiril Serebrennikov’s Student was screened at Filmekimi last year.
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night / Di Qiu Zui Hou De Ye Wan / Bi Gan
“A poetry of verbs. Not of adjectives, of detail—a fiery poetry.” Inspired by the emotions in Chagall’s paintings and Modiano’s novels, director Bi Gan traces lost love in his latest film which premiered at Cannes. The film’s main character Luo returns to Kaili, the town he has left years ago, and starts to search for his then lover Wan. With the emotions it evokes and its dreamy mood, and standing somewhere between a romance, a film noir and sci-fi, Long Day’s Journey Into Night employs a 55-minute-long 3D and single take section emphasising that the past might be just an emotion that originates from memories. Elegantly tackling notions of memory, past, and remembrance, Bi Gan’s latest film will stay in your mind especially with its extraordinary images.
- Arctic / Joe Penna
Brazilian Youtube sensation, music video and commercials director Joe Penna’s debut feature film had its world premiere at Cannes at a special Midnight Screening. Arctic is almost completely dialogue-free and is led entirely by Mads Mikkelsen, who confessed: “it was the most difficult shoot I had ever done.” Arctic follows a plane crash survivor who struggles to stay alive in the face of fierce natural obstacles. Mikkelsen almost never used doubles in the film which was praised for its restrained directorial mastery and minimal approach. At its inception Arctic was to be set in Mars, but later, the film’s conditions were switched to winter, to be filmed in Iceland.
- Kings / Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Deniz Gamze Ergüven whose Mustang was nominated for the Oscars, casts Hollywood stars Daniel Craig and Halle Berry in her latest film. She focuses on the 1992 Los Angeles incidents while following two characters from quite different social communities. Referring in its title to both Martin Luther King and Rodney King, who was at the centre of the incidents, Kings takes a hopeful and optimistic look at a scar within the conscience of the US public. Scored by Warren Ellis and Nick Cave, Kings’ director of photography is David Chizallet, who was also acclaimed for his work in Mustang.
- Ray & Liz / Richard Billingham
In his directorial debut, celebrated photographer Richard Billingham examines his own family who he had captured on photographs this time for the movie camera. In Ray & Liz, living on the outskirts of Birmingham and the margins of society, the Billingham family perform extreme rituals and break social taboos as they muddle through a life decided by factors beyond their control. At times shocking and laced with an unsettling humour, three episodes unfold as a powerful evocation of the experience of growing up in a Black Country council flat during the greyest of Thatcher years. Having had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in August, Ray & Liz portrays life so well that it stays somewhere between reconstruction and art work.
- Diamantino / Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt
Football fields follow stages when it comes to cult of celebrity. Diamantino tackles just that, and in ways gloriously colourful, and hilarious. Portuguese Diamantino, the world’s premiere football star loses his special touch and ends his career in disgrace. Searching for a new purpose, the international icon sets on a delirious odyssey where he confronts neo-fascism, the refugee crisis, genetic modification, international conspiracies, Brexit, and “Diamantino” brand duvet cover sets. With its flashy art direction, boundless creativity, intricate plot, and the wonderful performance of Carloto Cotta (of Tabú fame) Diamantino is an odd and entertaining film that approaches the world’s problems with love and compassion.
- Asako 1 & 2 / Netemo Sametemo / Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Following a five-year hiatus after the much acclaimed Happy Hour, director Hamaguchi returns with the story of a woman who falls in love with two extremely similar-looking men in Asako 1 & 2. Adapted from Tomoka Shibasaki’s novel, and premiering at Cannes, the film is named after its protagonist, Asako, who first gets together with the young and charismatic Baku, and years later after breaking up with him, with another man who looks much like Baku. When Baku tries to reattach, Asako is left conflicted both emotionally and mentally. Focusing on the mysteries of the heart and the mind, while recounting a romantic coming-of-age story reminiscent of the French new wave, Asako 1 & 2 emphasises Hamaguchi’s place within contemporary Asian cinema as an innovative director.
- Whitney / Kevin Macdonald
Whitney Houston broke more music industry records than any other female singer in history. With over 200 million album sales worldwide, she was the only artist to chart seven consecutive U.S. number one singles. She also starred in several blockbuster movies before her brilliant career gave way to erratic behaviour, scandals and death at age 48. The documentary feature Whitney is an intimate, unflinching portrait of Houston and her family that probes beyond familiar tabloid headlines and sheds new light on the spellbinding trajectory of Houston’s life. Using never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives and original interviews with the people who knew her best, Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald unravels the mystery behind “The Voice,” who thrilled millions even as she struggled to make peace with her own troubled past. Kevin Macdonald’s earlier work include the 2012 biopic Marley, the fiction feature The Last King of Scotland, and the Youtube documentary Life In A Day.
- Coincoin And The Extra Humans / Coincoin Et Les Z’Inhumains / Bruno Dumont
We watched Dumont’s musical Joan of Arc last year at Filmekimi, and met Quinquin in 2015 with L’il Quinquin. Broken nosed Quinquin has grown up calling himself CoinCoin now, and attends the conventions of the National Front. His former love interest Eve is dating a girl named Corinne. Fatso is still overweight. The blinking Superintendent Van der Weyden is still a goofhead. But this time around, the windy northern coast of France is not producing murdered people, instead, an alien invasion is in process, though the aliens in question are not your standard little green men—instead they are like tar blobs falling from the sky.
Empowered by quirky humour and physical comedy and farce, drawing from Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Peter Sellers, CoinCoin makes fun of both the state of affairs in France and in the world. “Life is a tragicomedy,” quips Dumont, “Coincoin talks about how people view the ‘other’.”
- La Quietud / Pablo Trapero
Following the multi-award winning El Clan, director Pablo Trapero continues his exploration of family and the legacy of Argentina’s troubled past through three female members of a family. Premiering at Venice Film Festival, La Quietud opens with Eugenia returning to La Quietud, the family estate near Buenos Aires, after long years of absence, and following her father’s stroke, where she is reunited with her mother and sister. The three women are forced to confront the emotional traumas and dark secrets of their shared past, which played out against the backdrop of the military dictatorship. Long-buried grievances resurface and jealousies are revealed, all amplified by the unsettling physical resemblance between the two sisters… Featuring Trapero regular (and spouse) Martina Gusman, Oscar nominee Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) as two sisters, La Quietud is “an intimate movie about the female universe and sisterhood,” according to Trapero. “La Quietud invites the viewer to share the unique depths of our characters, their story and their surroundings, and suggests the audience submerge into the emotional labyrinths in which these desperate and beautiful characters will play out their story.”
- Vision / Naomi Kawase
Nature, traditions, myths, the secret of existence and maybe even life form the delicate nucleus of Naomi Kawase’s latest film which premiered at San Sebastian. Juliette Binoche, who also stars in Non-fiction in the Filmekimi programme, is a French essayist who has come to Japan in search of "vision," an herb that appears but once every 997 years and is said to vanquish weakness and agony in those who consume it. She meets here the 1000-year-old wise Aki who claims that “The One” is about to arrive,” suddenly disappears after which the forest seems to change. The film is set and shot in the Nara region of Japan, the hometown of Kawase, whose films Still the Water, Radiance and An we have seen earlier. Vision is an almost mythological experience that will imprint especially its sound design and imagery on our minds, glorifying the fragile bonds between nature and humans, emphasising that differences in culture or language do not stand in the way of building bonds between humans.
- Woman At War / Kona Fer I Strid / Benedikt Erlingsson
Benedikt Erlingsson's second feature which premiered at Cannes within the Critics Week section is an impressive follow-up to his striking debut, Of Horses and Men, and is a skilfully crafted “intelligent feel-good film that knows how to tackle urgent global issues with humour as well as a satisfying sense of justice,” according to Variety magazine. Woman at War is set in the Icelandic highlands, and follows Halla, a committed undercover eco-activist trying to save Iceland’s natural landscapes from industrialist destruction, but when a long-desired child becomes available for adoption, she must choose between the greater good and her own dreams. Mingling Nordic humour with global issues and a sense of justice on a backdrop of breathtaking nature landscapes, Woman at War is “a heroic tale set in our world of imminent threat. A heroic tale told as an adventure. A serious fairy tale told with a smile,” in the words of director Erlingsson.
- Suspiria / Luca Guadagnino
Creating a storm of attention and awards last year with Call Me By Your Name, director Luca Guadagnino this time takes on a giallo cult classic, Dario Argento’s 1976 Suspiria. Premiering at Venice Film Festival, the premise is more or less the same with the original: A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up. With its brilliant cast, its source material, indomitable sense of unease and unparalleled visual setup, Guadagnino’s take on Suspiria features music by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Damien Jalet’s choreographies.
- Non-Fiction / Doubles Vies / Olivier Assayas
Vying for the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival, Non-fiction humorously and ironically tackles the effect of digital economy and the ever-changing world on our lives through literature. Starring two of France’s most brilliant actors, Juliette Binoche and Guillaume Canet, Non-fiction follows Alain, a successful Parisian publisher struggling to adapt to the digital revolution, and Léonard, who has just submitted a new manuscript. In Personal Shopper Assayas had taken digital phones and hyperconnectivity as subjects, and in his latest, Assayas questions our addiction to technology emotionally, and sometimes humorously.
- Close Enemies / Fréres Ennemis / David Oelhoffen
In his follow up to Loin des hommes, and Wall, David Oelhoffen’s latest film was in the main competition at Venice Film Festival. Close Enemies is a Paris-set contemporary crime thriller starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Reda Kateb as two close friends in a suburb riddled by drug trafficking who end up taking opposite paths. Oelhoffen describes his film as “a breathtaking thriller that will see treason, revenge and survival lead two fierce characters to question their loyalty, and their faith to each of their territory.”
- The Field Guide To Evil / Ashim Ahluwalia, Can Evrenol, Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz, Katrin Gebbe, Calvin Reeder, Agnieszka Smoczynska, Peter Strickland, Yannis Veslemes
From the producers of The ABCs of Death comes a new horror anthology based on dark folk tales from around the world and featuring eight nightmarish new stories from the directors of Goodnight Mommy, The Duke of Burgundy, and Can Evrenol, the director of Baskın and Housewife. Each was tasked with unearthing a little known folk tale from their homeland and using it to scare the audience. These eight creepy tales of possession, curses, love, lust and envy first visited SXSW, Neuchatel, Seattle, Yeni Zelanda, Sydney, Canada Fantasia, and now they’ve found their way into Filmekimi.
- Loro / Paolo Sorrentino
Always surprising and mesmerising audiences, Paolo Sorrentino’s latest work return him to the complexities of his home country’s conspiracies and this time centres around Silvio Berlusconi, the former PM of Italy. Sorrentino on the one hand parodies his scandalous affairs and on the other paints a hilarious portrait of Italian politics. Sorrentino frequent Toni Servillo plays the politician in Loro, which is one of the most masterful examples of contemporary political satire.
