The 39th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFRR) was primarily a director's festival. You rarely find the Hollywood glitz at any IFFR but you will find highly accomplished international directors and producers descending on Rotterdam in January of each year. This year some 400 filmmakers attended, including Francois Ozon (Le refuge), Andrei Nekrasov (Russian Lessons), and Samiuel Maoz (Lebanon). Well known actors were here also, including Noah Taylor (Tomb Raider, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland), Eva Gabor (Europa, East) and Ugandan actor and activist Okello Kelo Sam (The Last King of Scotland, The Silent Army).
Rotterdam is highly respected for connecting films and distributors. I asked director Vladamir Paskaljevic (Devil's Town) why it was important for him to bring his film. He replied, "Well, for the film I think that it is prestigious to be in 'Bright Future' (Rotterdam's section for up and coming directors) and being here might encourage some world sales. (And we indeed got some offers after the Rotterdam festival.) Another thing, for me personally, it is important to be there to meet people from industy that worked on first films, because you never know who could be your partner in the future." That sentiment of possible sales and connecting with like minded filmmakers is the reason most are here.
Cinema has been called an art of the 20th Century that imposes itself as the privileged art and technique for writing history. Cinema is the motor and incentive of a profound revival of historiography. More people form their image of historical events from film than any other source. The 39th International Film Festival Rotterdam has culled some crucial films that will form our understanding of today's headlines. Shown this year were films on the Israeli 1982 invasion of Lebanon (Lebanon, Samuel Maoz, 2009), Russia's invasion of the Republic of Georgia (Russian Lessons, Andrei Nekrasov & Olga Konskaya, Russia/Norway, 2010), civil war in Sierra Leone (God No Say So, Brigitte Uttar Kornetzky, Switzerland/Sierra Leone, 2010), Japanese conquest of Nanjing (Nanjing! Nanjing! City of Life and Death, Lu Chuan, China, 2009) and America's early 20th Century attack on the Phillippines (Independencia, Raya Martin, Philippines/France/Germany/Netherlands, 2009) and the list goes on.
If you think that conflicts between nations run deep, just wait till you see Les deux de la Vague (Two in the Waves, Emmanuel Laurent, France, 2009). that documents the strong friendship between Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard that soured and turned very nasty. In 1959 Truffaut's Les quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows) was the talk of Cannes. They worked together on Godard's debut film, Breathless. Come the Paris riots in 1968 their relationship turned bitter as Godard's films moved toward radical politics and Truffaut stayed on pretty much the same path. Caught in the middle of this was the young star of The 400 Blows, Jean-Pierre Leaud, who later worked with both directors. 2010 is certainly Godard's year with a new film (Socialisme) and it finally looks like Antoine de Baecque will finish the biography. This is a Must See film for film fanatics.
IFFR is a multi-platform festival, with three major sections: Highly respected Tiger Awards competitors have their own section here. It is in this section that first or second feature films are highlighted and compete for three prestigious awards. Bright Futures is for filmmakers of tomorrow. It is in this section that the most important, idiosyncratic and adventurous new work by novice film makers from all over the world show off their first or second films. In the Spectrum section you find the works by experienced film makers and artists who provide an essential contribution to the international film culture. Films in this section set a high quality standard in substance and style.
This year films and filmmakers from Africa were given prominence with four special sections including an installation by Cameroon born artist Pascale Marthine Tayou. Africa, with its wide diversity of peoples, cultures, histories, and languages, is difficult to generalize but today we realize that something is brewing in African film making. Digital cinema is having a positive impact as it does not depend on large production companies and is available to many. Local demand for films that focus on local issues helps to drive the film making.
This year I saw more outstanding films than at any festival in recent memory making it difficult to sift through the films and come up with my recommendations.
MUST SEE FILMS
EXCELLENT FILMS
VERY GOOD
And the Winners Are
The Audience Award went to the Spanish film Yo, Tambien. The Dioraphte Award for the Hubert Bals Fund film held in highest regard went to Soul Boy by the Kenyan filmmaker Hawa Essuman, produced by Tom Tykwer. At the last minute Yo, tambien beat Swiss documentary The Woman with the 5 Elephants and the Venice Golden Lion-winner Lebanon. Yo, tambien, in which a graduate with Down's syndrome falls in love with a colleague, is one of the most surprising films of the last year with two spectacularly good protagonists. Other festival favorites were topical documentary Russian Lessons by Olga Konskaya & Andrei Nekrasov, Canadian talent Jacob Tierney’s The Trotsky, Francis Ford Coppola’s Tetro and Tiger Award winner Alamar.
Soul Boy follows Abila (age 14) who lives in one of the most miserable slums in Africa. His girlfriend Shiku belongs to a different tribe, and as a result he is not really allowed to fraternize with her. And then one drunken night his father gambled away his own soul. With support from Tom Tykwer, the Kenyan filmmaker Hawa Essuman turned it into a sparkling film.
The three Tiger Awards went to Hubert Bals Fund supported films Agua fría de mar (Cold Water of the Sea) by Paz Fábrega (Costa Rica, France, Spain, Netherlands, Mexico) and Mundane History by Anocha Suwichakornpong (Thailand), and to Alamar by Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio (Mexico). In all, 15 directors and their first or second films competed for this award.
The jury had this to say about the winning films: Agua fría de mar (Cold Water of the Sea): 'We are impressed by the film that presents in a convincing and poetic way the mysterious relationship between a woman and a young girl. The film takes the audience on an unusual trip into Nature that interacts in a magical way with humans. The superb editing builds organic flow of images while the strong directing creates an unnerving atmosphere and tension.' Mundane History: 'Constantly surprising, this film offers philosophical and political dimension of Thai society, while presenting a seemingly mundane story. To us, this film appeals to both intellect and spirituality. We are impressed by the film's accomplished way to interplay abstract ideas and harrowing reality.' Alamar (To the Sea): 'This naturalistic film stays true and honest to its subject and shows both the happiness of being a child and tragedy of growing up in separate upbringing. To us the simplicity applied by the maker is at the same time the greatest strength of the film that cuts straight to the heart while avoiding sentimentality. The bondage between humans and Nature is beautifully rendered and ultimately transforms the films’ documentary approach into a poetic image of childhood. Each Tiger Award comes with a prize of Euro 15,000.
FIPRESCI Award (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique), went to Let Each One Go Where He May by Ben Russell (USA, Suriname, 2009). In making the award the jury said: "Let Each One Go Where He May creates, by pure cinematic tools, a vision about human nature in circumstances where past and present walk together, and makes us part of its characters lives."
Movie Squad Award. The Rotterdam young people’s jury consisting of five teenagers chose I Killed My Mother (J’ai tué Ma Mère, Xavier Dolan, Canada, 2009) as the winner out of twenty competing films.
Earlier in the festival, Anocha Suwichakornpong’s CineMart 2010 Project By The Time It Gets Dark (Thailand). was awarded the Prince Claus Fund Film Grant of 15,000.00 euros.
We Need to Hear From YOU
We are always looking for film-related material for the Storyboard. Our enthusiastic and well-traveled members have written about their trips to the Cannes Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Reykjavik Film Festival, the Munich Film Festival, and the Locarno Film Festival. We also heard about what it's like being an extra in the movies. Have you gone to an interesting film festival? Have a favorite place to see movies that we aren't covering in the Calendar of Events? Seen a movie that blew you away? Read a film-related book? Gone to a film seminar? Interviewed a director? Taken notes at a Q&A? Read an article about something that didn't make our local news media? Send your contributions to Storyboard and share your stories with the membership. And we sincerely thank all our contributors for this issue of Storyboard.
Calendar of Events
FILMS
American Film Institute Silver Theater
The Sixth Annual New African Films Festival runs from March 11-15. Nine films will be shown including No Time to Die from Ghana, Nothing But the Truth from South Africa, Sex, Okra and Salted Butter from Chad, Glorious Exit from Nigeria, Black to Our Roots a documentary by a local filmmaker, Adera from Ethiopia/South Africa, Football Fables, a UK documentary about African football players immigrating to Europe, In My Genes, a Kenyan documentary about an albino African, and From a Whisper, a commemoration of the 1998 terrorist bombing of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi.
For those who didn't get enough sports during the Olympics, here is a three-part sports film series with films from the 1960s, 70s and 80s. See North Dallas Forty (football) starring Nick Nolte, Downhill Racer (skiing) starring Robert Redford, and The Natural (baseball) also starring Robert Redford.
The retrospective of films starring Jean Arthur ends in March with Shane, A Foreign Affair and The Devil and Miss Jones. The series of films directed by Clint Eastwood also ends in March but you can still see A Perfect World, Changeling, Unforgiven, The Outlaw Josey Wales and Bird. You can still see the remaining two films in the "Screen Valentines" series High Fidelity and Sense and Sensibility.
"Archival Gotham: NYC on Film" is a short series of films set in New York City. Titles include East Side, West Side (Allan Dwan, 1927) with location shooting all over New York in the 1920s, Little Fugitive with location shooting on Coney Island in the 1950s, The Projectionist, Taxi Driver and a program of short films including animation, documentary and live action with The Hearts of Age, Orson Welles' first directorial effort at age 19.
"British Noir" is a series of British noir films including Brighton Rock, It Always Rains on Sundays, The Fallen Idol, Peeping Tom and The Third Man.
The AFI takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with the DC Premiere of Colony (beekeeping), Sweetgrass (Western sheepherders), Turtle: The Incredible Journey with underwater photographer Nick Caloyianis in person, Garbage Dreams with director Mai Iskander in person, and the DC Premiere of Garapa (hunger in Brazil). Also part of the EFF is a small series of Jacques Tati films: My Uncle, Holiday, Playtime in 70mm, Traffic and a program of short Tati films.
"Larger Than Life: Orson Welles" is a near-complete retrospective of the films of Orson Welles, beginning in late March and continuing into May. During March you can see Me and Orson Welles with Christian McKay as Welles, Orson Welles: The One Man Band, a documentary by Welles' long time companion Oja Kodar, Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Lady from Shanghai, Journey Into Fear, and The Stranger.
Other films at the AFI in March are Black Dynamite, an homage to blaxploitation films, The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights, a "roc-doc" about the White Stripes and No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson with director Steven James in person. These last two films are presented by Silverdocs.
Freer Gallery of Art
During March, the Freer shows films about Tibetan Buddhism. Titles include Buddha (David Gurbin, 2009) on March 12 at 7:00pm with the filmmaker in person. On March 14 at 3:00pm is a program of three short documentaries "The Karma Kagyu" with the producer present. On March 19 at 7:00pm is Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint (Neten Chokling, 2006); on March 21 at 1:00pm is The Silent Holy Stones (Wanma-caiden, 2005), shown as part of the Environmental Film Festival; on March 21 at 3:30pm is The Saltmen of Tibet (Ulrike Koch, 1997), also part of the Environmental Film Festival. On March 26 at 7:00pm is Wheel of Time (Werner Herzog, 2003); on March 28 at 1:00pm is the documentary Words of My Perfect Teacher (Lesley Ann Patten, 2003) and on March 28 at 3:30pm is Roots of Infinity (Ken'ichi Oguri, 1991), a documentary about a village in Nepal.
National Gallery of Art
"Salute to the Film Foundation at Twenty" celebrates the Foundation which has identified and funded the preservation and restoration of over 525 motion pictures. On March 13 at 3:00pm is Drums Along the Mohawk (John Ford, 1939); on March 14 at 4:30pm is The Red Shoes (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1948) and on March 28 at 4:30pm is Senso (Luchino Visconti, 1954).
The Gallery takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with three films: on March 20 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm is Araya (Margot Benacerraf, 1959) about salt harvesters and fishermen on Venezuela's coast. On March 21 at 4:30pm is Home (Ursula Meier, 2008) and on March 27 at 3:00pm is Nomad's Land (2008) with filmmaker Gael Metroz following in the footsteps of 1950s travel writer Nicolas Bouvier.
On March 7 at 4:30pm is director Jan Troell in person with Everlasting Moments (2008) shown with Troell's short film Pause in the Marshland (1965).
On March 6 at 3:00pm is "The Black Maria: Selections from the Festival," documentaries and experimental short films with founding director John Columbus in person.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
On March 4 at 8:00pm is A Girl and a Gun (Gustav Deutsch and Hanna Schimek, 2009), an assemblage of archival footage from the 1890s to the 1940s. On March 25 at 8:00pm is Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (Jessica Oreck, 2008), an exploration of a centuries-old Japanese subculture--people who collect insects. The director will be present to discuss this film which is part of the Environmental Film Festival.
National Museum of African Art
On March 20 at 2:00pm is The Vision of Sangari Maathai (Lisa Merton and Alan Dater, 2007), a documentary about the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the grassroots Green Belt Movement of Kenya. The director will be present for discussion; this film is part of the Environmental Film Festival.
National Museum of the American Indian
The museum takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with The Gift of Pachamama (Toshifumi Matsushita, 2008) on March 19 at 7:00pm. Filmmaker Toshifumi Matsushita will be present for discussion. A short film Indigenous Plant Diva (Kamala Todd, 2008) precedes the feature. Reservations are required.
Museum of American History
As part of the Environmental Film Festival on March 20 at 2:00pm is A Road Not Taken, a film about Jimmy Carter's solar panels. The filmmakers will answer questions. On March 21 at 2:00pm is Forever Wild: Celebrating America's Wilderness (Chelsea Congdon, 2009) and at 3:15 on March 21 is the world premiere of Butterflies and Bulldozers: David Schooley, Fred Smith and the Fight for San Bruno Mountain (Ann and Steve Dunsky, 2010), about San Bruno Mountain in the San Francisco area. The filmmakers will discuss their film.
National Portrait Gallery
For the Environmental Film Festival and as part of "Reel Portraits" is Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries (Jeff Sewald, 2009) on March 20 at 2:00pm, a documentary about the environmental activist and author.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
To accompany the exhibit "Framing the West: The Survey Photographs of Timothy H. O'Sullivan" is the film The Misfits (1961) starring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe on March 4 at 6:30pm. On March 11 at 6:30pm is Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922) with the Thad Wilson Group performing an original live score.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
As part of the Environmental Film Festival on March 22 at 7:00pm is Split Estate (Debra Anderson, 2004), about landowners with mineral rights under their land who find energy companies in their back yard. The filmmaker will be present for discussion. Reservations are required.
Washington Jewish Community Center
On March 23 at 3:00pm is Dirt! The Movie presented by ITVS Community Cinema Cafe. On March 23 at 7:30pm is the DC Premiere of Leap of Faith (Antony Benjamin and Stephen Friedman, 2009) about four subjects who convert to Judaism. The directors will be present for discussion.
Goethe Institute
"A Deeper Look," the film series exploring the earlier work of directors seen in the January festival of German film ends in March with First Kiss (Kai Wessel, 2003) on March 1 at 6:30pm and One Day in Europe (Hannes Stohr, 2004) on March 8 at 6:30pm.
The Goethe Institute takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with the US Premiere of Exotic Homeland about foreign plants and animals invading and affecting the environment on March 17 at 6:00pm and The Last Giants--Oceans in Danger (whales) on March 17 at 7:15pm.
On March 15 at 6:30pm is For Tomorrow (Eve Rennebarth, Gail Rosen and William Gilcher, 2009) is about Hilda Stern Cohen, holocaust survivor and poet. The filmmakers will discuss the film after the screening.
"The Best of Okofilmtour" is a selection of films from the German festival. On March 22 at 6:30pm is Neuland (Daniel Kunle, 2007) about the transformation in East Germany. On March 29 at 6:30pm is Leroy (Armin Volckers, 2007) about a Afro-German boy and Neo-Nazi skinheads. Two more films in April.
National Geographic Society
The All Roads Film Projects presents "Women Hold Up Half the Sky," a three-part film series. On March 4 at 7:00pm is Niloofar (Sabine El Gemayel, 2008) from Iran. The director and co-producer will be present for discussion. On March 10 at 7:00pm is Shadows (Mary Ayubi and Polly Hyman, 2005), a documentary about women in rural Afghanistan. Filmmaker Mary Ayubi will discuss the film after the screening. The third film in the series is in April.
Two films are presented as part of the Environmental Film Festival. On March 18 at 7:00pm is The Two Horses of Genghis Khan (Byambasuren Davaa, 2009), a documentary from Mongolia. On March 17 at 7:30pm is Fresh (Ana Sofia Joanes) about agriculture and food distribution. The filmmaker and others will be present for discussion.
French Embassy
On March 22 at 7:00pm is VHS Kahloucha (Néjib Belkadhi, 2007), a documentary about a Tunisian house painter who makes amateur films with his VHS Panasonic 3500.
The Japan Information and Culture Center
On March 3 at 6:30pm is Children of the Woods (Masaki Haramura, 2008), a documentary about Eijyu Miyazaki, director of a preschool who believes that children should play rough games, eat wild nuts and interact with animals. On March 10 at 6:30pm is Miyori in the Sacred Forest (Nizo Yamamoto, 2007), an anime film about environmental preservation. Reservations are required. See website for details.
National Archives
For Women's History Month, the film Amelia (2009), starring Hilary Swank, will be shown on March 27 at noon.
The 82nd Academy Award Nominees program will screen all the documentary and short films nominated for Academy Awards. Documentary Feature Nominees: On March 3 at 7:00pm is Food, Inc. (Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein); on March 4 at 7:00pm is The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith); on March 5 at 7:00pm is The Cove; on March 6 at 7:00pm is Burma VJ (Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller); and on March 7 at 4:30pm is Which Way Home (Rebecca Cammisa). Live Action Short Film Nominees: On March 6 at noon. Animated Short Film Nominees: On March 6 at 3:30pm. Documentary Short Subject Nominees: On March 7 at noon.
On March 24 at 7:00pm, as part of the Environmental Film Festival is Harvest of Shame, a television documentary from 1960 about the plight of migrant farm workers in the U.S.
National Museum of Natural History
As part of the Environmental Film Festival the museum will show a series of short films March 20 from 12:30pm to 4:00pm including Dirt! The Movie, Ladies of the Land, Soil in Good Heart and Seed Hunter On March 21 from 12:30 to 5:00pm is another series of short films including Homegrown, Ingredients, Honey for the Maya and Behold the Earth A number of the films have directors present for discussion. On March 27 from noon to 5:15pm are winning films from the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival including The Legend of Pale Male, Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, The Forest: Realm of Shadows, Small Talk Diaries: Changelings and Green. On March 28 from 11:00am to 3:00pm are more winners from the Jackson Hole festival including Yellowstone: Winter; Swamp Troop; Frog, Chemical, Water, You and Gorilla King. At 3:30pm filmmaker Hedrik Smith will be present for discussion after Poisoned Waters: Puget Sound and Poisoned Waters: Chesapeake Bay.
The Avalon
On March 10 at 8:00pm is the award-winning film Normal, The Dusseldorf Ripper (Julius Sevcik, 2009) part of the "Czech Lions" series of films. As part of the 2010 Francophonie Cultural Festival is a film from Switzerland Petites vacances à Knokke-le-Zoute (Yves Matthey, 2009) on March 17 at 8:00pm.
The Avalon takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with Mystery of the Wolf (Raimo O. Niemi, 2006) a film set in the wilderness of Finnish Lapland.
The Corcoran
On March 23 at 7:00pm is Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer (Thom Andersen, 1975), a documentary about Muybridge (1830-1904) who used primitive photography to study human and animal movement. Thom Andersen will introduce the film and answer questions.
Embassy of Austria
On March 9 at 7:30pm is Café Elektric (Gustav Ucicky, 1927) with Marlene Dietrich in her first leading role. This silent film will be accompanied by the music of Austrian composer and silent-film pianist Gerhard Gruber. Reservations are required, see the website.
Smithsonian Associates
On March 6 at 7:00pm is a "sleepover" for kids with a film showing of Wild Ocean in 3D. See the website for details.
On March 16 at 7:00pm is Arabia in IMAX 3D (Greg MacGillivray, 2009) as part of the Environmental Film Festival.
On March 18 at 7:00pm is a film and discussion, Waking Sleeping Beauty (Don Hahn, 2009). This documentary covers the power struggles at Disney and how the studio regained its animation magic. The director and producer, both of whom worked at Disney, will share their insider knowledge.
Solas Nua
On March 22 at 7:00pm is The Tiger's Tail (John Boorman, 2006) starring Brendan Gleeson. Films are shown at Flashpoint, 916 G Street, NW.
The Phillips Collection
For the Environmental Film Festival is Georgia O'Keefe (Perry Miller Adato, 1977), a documentary about the painter. Perry Miller Adato will answer questions.
FILM FESTIVALS
The Annual VCU French Film Festival
Now in its 18th year, the VCU Film Festival takes place March 25-28 in Richmond. See the website for the film titles, many directors will be present.
The Environmental Film Festival
See the story above. Films take place all around town and include archival and premieres, documentaries, shorts, animation, and features.
The 12th Annual DC Independent Film Festival
The festival takes place March 4-14 and includes more than 100 films from more than 25 countries. Seminars and workshops are also part of the festival. Films are shown at the Navy Memorial Museum, 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. See the website for titles and schedule.
The Williamsburg Film Festival
The 14th Annual Williamsburg Film Festival takes place March 10-13.
Francophonie Cultural Festival
The Francophonie Cultural Festival includes films, concerts and seminars about topics in French-speaking countries. Films are held at various locations and include Normal, The Düsseldorf Ripper (Julius Ševcík, 2009, Czech) on March 10 at 8:00pm at the Avalon; Daratt (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, 2006, Chad) on March 11 at 7:00pm at the Letelier Theater; Petites Vacances à Knokke-le-Zoute (Yves Matthey, 2008, Switzerland) on March 17 at 8:00pm at the Avalon; VHS Kahloucha (Néjib Belkadhi, 2006, Tunisia) on March 22 at 7:00pm at the Embassy of France; Mon Cher Camarade (Pat Mire, 2009, Louisiana) on March 31 at 7:00pm at the Smithsonian Institution's S. Dillon Ripley Center Lecture Hall; and Under the Bombs (Philipe Aractingi, 2008, Lebanon) on April 7 at 7:00pm at the Smithsonian Institution's S. Dillon Ripley Center Lecture Hall.
The Soul 4 Reel Film Festival
The Soul Factory Theater (7702 Marlboro Pike, Forestville, Maryland) presents the first annual Soul 4 Reel Film Festival March 12-14, featuring 30 independent short films. See the website for details.
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February 2010
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