Program Guide 2010
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
UK, 2010 (Backbeat)
"The moral of this story is don't go looking for morals to stories, and if you want a message, fuck off down the post office."
An elder statesman of the punk movement gets a rollicking biopic, miles away from the sentimentality of recent music biographies like Walk the Line or Ray. Ian Dury was a hard-living, hard-hitting punk rocker who made no apologies and was quick to lash out at anyone foolish enough to pity his polio disability.
Delving into his tough childhood, his narcissism, and his rise and inevitable fall, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll gives a definitive account of Dury’s life. Features standout performances from Andy Serkis (Gollum from The Lord of the Rings) as Dury and Ray Winstone as his father.
More information: http://www.sex-drugs-rock-roll-thefilm.com/
Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam
"The moral of this story is don't go looking for morals to stories, and if you want a message, fuck off down the post office."
An elder statesman of the punk movement gets a rollicking biopic, miles away from the sentimentality of recent music biographies like Walk the Line or Ray. Ian Dury was a hard-living, hard-hitting punk rocker who made no apologies and was quick to lash out at anyone foolish enough to pity his polio disability.
Delving into his tough childhood, his narcissism, and his rise and inevitable fall, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll gives a definitive account of Dury’s life. Features standout performances from Andy Serkis (Gollum from The Lord of the Rings) as Dury and Ray Winstone as his father.
Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam
Canada, 2009 (Backbeat)
I am an Islamist! I am the Antichrist!'
It’s not often that a book can start its own musical movement, but Michael Muhammad Knight’s 2003 novel The Taqwacores, about a group of Islamic punk rockers, inspired a new generation of American Muslims frustrated by the constraints of their religion to rebel through punk rock.
Touting the contradictory mix of religion and anarchy in this emerging subculture, Taqwacore follows Knight as he rounds up Taqwacore bands and tours them through the US – where they play to unappreciative rednecks and religious zealots – before staging a concert in the heart of Pakistan, much to the bemusement of the locals.
More information: http://www.taqwacore.com/
Villalobos
Germany, 2009 (Backbeat)
“The goal is to use all frequencies, the whole range… It's the only thing we can do. It's our expression.” – Ricardo Villalobos
A legend on dance floors from Berlin to Tokyo, DJ Ricardo Villalobos has transformed the club scene with his personal brand of minimal techno and house, influenced heavily by his love of early jazz. Building tracks from the quiet solitude of his studio – ported to the public through the bass-heavy thump of the clubs – he has built a reputation as one of the most sought-after DJs in the world.
More information: http://www.romuald-karmakar.de/info.html
Cooking History
It’s not often that a book can start its own musical movement, but Michael Muhammad Knight’s 2003 novel The Taqwacores, about a group of Islamic punk rockers, inspired a new generation of American Muslims frustrated by the constraints of their religion to rebel through punk rock.
Touting the contradictory mix of religion and anarchy in this emerging subculture, Taqwacore follows Knight as he rounds up Taqwacore bands and tours them through the US – where they play to unappreciative rednecks and religious zealots – before staging a concert in the heart of Pakistan, much to the bemusement of the locals.
More information: http://www.taqwacore.com/
Villalobos
Germany, 2009 (Backbeat)
A legend on dance floors from Berlin to Tokyo, DJ Ricardo Villalobos has transformed the club scene with his personal brand of minimal techno and house, influenced heavily by his love of early jazz. Building tracks from the quiet solitude of his studio – ported to the public through the bass-heavy thump of the clubs – he has built a reputation as one of the most sought-after DJs in the world.
More information: http://www.romuald-karmakar.de/info.html
Cooking History
Austria/Slovakia/Czech Republic, 2009 (Documentaries)
6 wars, 10 recipes, 60,361,024 dead.
If the cooks went on strike would there still be war? Pondering this question and looking at six of the greatest, bloodiest wars of Europe’s past, Cooking History is a culinary excursion through the field kitchens of battles fought, lost and won.
With sprinklings of sly humour and a pinch of stylised creativity, filmmaker Peter Kerekes (66 Seasons) interviews head chefs who have cooked in battles ranging from World War II to Chechnya, some of whom fed the enemy with their food and others who poisoned them. Their stories are funny, tragic, dark and invariably entertaining.
More information: http://www.cookinghistory.net
6 wars, 10 recipes, 60,361,024 dead.
If the cooks went on strike would there still be war? Pondering this question and looking at six of the greatest, bloodiest wars of Europe’s past, Cooking History is a culinary excursion through the field kitchens of battles fought, lost and won.
With sprinklings of sly humour and a pinch of stylised creativity, filmmaker Peter Kerekes (66 Seasons) interviews head chefs who have cooked in battles ranging from World War II to Chechnya, some of whom fed the enemy with their food and others who poisoned them. Their stories are funny, tragic, dark and invariably entertaining.
More information: http://www.cookinghistory.net
Singapore, 2009 (Documentaries)
The unassuming film that inflamed an internet controversy and raised the ire of Indonesian authorities.
After meeting a 12-year-old Indonesian boy who announced “When I grow up, I want to sex-service Japanese girls,” filmmaker Amit Virmani saw the makings of a greater story.
In this entertaining documentary he uncovers the phenomenon of Bali’s ‘Kuta Cowboys’ – the bronzed beach ambassadors who’ve made Bali one of the world’s leading destinations for holiday romance. Interviewing the Cowboys and the visiting women taking part in these fleeting dalliances, Virmani presents a myth-shattering perspective on a tropical utopia, showing that paradise always exists elsewhere.
Virmani has weathered a wave of condemnation in the wake of the online release of the film’s trailer, with Bali locals fearful it would tarnish the island’s reputation, as well as those of the interviewees.
More information: http://www.cowboysinparadise.com/index.html
The Mouth of the Wolf
After meeting a 12-year-old Indonesian boy who announced “When I grow up, I want to sex-service Japanese girls,” filmmaker Amit Virmani saw the makings of a greater story.
In this entertaining documentary he uncovers the phenomenon of Bali’s ‘Kuta Cowboys’ – the bronzed beach ambassadors who’ve made Bali one of the world’s leading destinations for holiday romance. Interviewing the Cowboys and the visiting women taking part in these fleeting dalliances, Virmani presents a myth-shattering perspective on a tropical utopia, showing that paradise always exists elsewhere.
Virmani has weathered a wave of condemnation in the wake of the online release of the film’s trailer, with Bali locals fearful it would tarnish the island’s reputation, as well as those of the interviewees.
More information: http://www.cowboysinparadise.com/index.html
The Mouth of the Wolf
Italy, 2009 (Documentaries)
Documentary and fiction is blurred to striking effect in this love story between a macho ex-con and a transsexual, former drug addict.
Mary and Enzo’s unusual union commenced behind prison bars and now plays out against the bruised backdrop of Genoa. The memories of this fading world – beautifully captured through a wealth of vintage footage of the waterfront city – act as a poetic counterpoint to a relationship as fractured as its setting.
Drawing comparisons to Terence Davies' Of Time and the City and Peter Schreiner's Toto, Pietro Marcello’s debut exudes a maturity that belies his young age. Winner of multiple awards, including Best Documentary at this year’s Berlin Film Festival
“I had just come out of a bakery and met this man [Enzo]. We began chatting and he shows me the bullet hole marks in his leg. The film was born from that conversation.” – filmmaker Petro Marcello
Karaoke
Mary and Enzo’s unusual union commenced behind prison bars and now plays out against the bruised backdrop of Genoa. The memories of this fading world – beautifully captured through a wealth of vintage footage of the waterfront city – act as a poetic counterpoint to a relationship as fractured as its setting.
Drawing comparisons to Terence Davies' Of Time and the City and Peter Schreiner's Toto, Pietro Marcello’s debut exudes a maturity that belies his young age. Winner of multiple awards, including Best Documentary at this year’s Berlin Film Festival
“I had just come out of a bakery and met this man [Enzo]. We began chatting and he shows me the bullet hole marks in his leg. The film was born from that conversation.” – filmmaker Petro Marcello
Karaoke
Malaysia, 2009 (First Encounters)
“What is the reality of our environment and why are we unable to see past the illusion of this place we call home?” – filmmaker Chris Chong Chan Fui
Against a backdrop of bright, fast-paced karaoke pop this unhurried coming-of-age tale moves with the leisurely languor of a humid Malaysian afternoon, as a young man returns from Kuala Lumpur after a two-year absence to find that life in his village home has moved on without him.
A reflection on homecoming and the gap between fantasy and reality, filmmaker Chris Chong Chan Fui follows Betik as he helps out at his mother’s karaoke bar, a place where the locals come to sing their troubles away – and where Betik finds that he’s out of tune with the people that surround him.
More information: http://m-appeal.com/M-Appeal.com/our_films/Seiten/KARAOKE.html
BrotherhoodDenmark, 2009 (International Panorama)
More than just a gay neo-Nazi film.
Violent and affectionate, brutal and touching, Nicolo Donato’s feature debut is a tale that delves into the dichotomy of homosexuality within the ranks of skinheads.
The clandestine lovers are Lars, a young man who leaves the army for the fist-happy camaraderie of the ‘brotherhood’, and his mentor Jimmy. For two men accustomed to beating up on homosexuals, the unfolding of a delicate romance challenges their world views.
Brotherhood has won multiple awards, including an award for best film at the Rome Film Festival.
More information: http://www.myspace.com/broderskab
Cell 211
Spain/France, 2009 (International Panorama)
A gritty, edge-of-your-seat thriller filled with powerhouse performances and calculated twists, this multi-award-winning film from filmmaker Daniel Monzón (The Kovak Box) locks you behind its four walls and doesn’t let up.
When a riot breaks out in one of Spain’s most notorious prisons the inmates take over, led by Bad Ass, the toughest prisoner of them all. Juan, a new prison guard getting a grand tour of facilities, soon finds himself on the wrong side of the fence – and to survive he’ll have to convince the jailbirds that he’s one of them.
“A jeopardy-laden buddy thriller as two uneasy allies’ agendas twist around each other like a DNA helix.” – Screen International
Welcome to the Rileys
“What is the reality of our environment and why are we unable to see past the illusion of this place we call home?” – filmmaker Chris Chong Chan Fui
Against a backdrop of bright, fast-paced karaoke pop this unhurried coming-of-age tale moves with the leisurely languor of a humid Malaysian afternoon, as a young man returns from Kuala Lumpur after a two-year absence to find that life in his village home has moved on without him.
A reflection on homecoming and the gap between fantasy and reality, filmmaker Chris Chong Chan Fui follows Betik as he helps out at his mother’s karaoke bar, a place where the locals come to sing their troubles away – and where Betik finds that he’s out of tune with the people that surround him.
More information: http://m-appeal.com/M-Appeal.com/our_films/Seiten/KARAOKE.html
Brotherhood
More than just a gay neo-Nazi film.
Violent and affectionate, brutal and touching, Nicolo Donato’s feature debut is a tale that delves into the dichotomy of homosexuality within the ranks of skinheads.
The clandestine lovers are Lars, a young man who leaves the army for the fist-happy camaraderie of the ‘brotherhood’, and his mentor Jimmy. For two men accustomed to beating up on homosexuals, the unfolding of a delicate romance challenges their world views.
Brotherhood has won multiple awards, including an award for best film at the Rome Film Festival.
More information: http://www.myspace.com/broderskab
Cell 211
Spain/France, 2009 (International Panorama)
“Satisfyingly intense… keeps the viewer tightly handcuffed.” – Variety
A gritty, edge-of-your-seat thriller filled with powerhouse performances and calculated twists, this multi-award-winning film from filmmaker Daniel Monzón (The Kovak Box) locks you behind its four walls and doesn’t let up.
When a riot breaks out in one of Spain’s most notorious prisons the inmates take over, led by Bad Ass, the toughest prisoner of them all. Juan, a new prison guard getting a grand tour of facilities, soon finds himself on the wrong side of the fence – and to survive he’ll have to convince the jailbirds that he’s one of them.
“A jeopardy-laden buddy thriller as two uneasy allies’ agendas twist around each other like a DNA helix.” – Screen International
Welcome to the Rileys
USA, 2010 (International Panorama)
Jake Scott – son of Ridley Scott (Alien), nephew of Tony (True Romance) – propagates the family filmmaking gene with this new take on the chivalry-for-the-destitute theme.
Doug (James Gandolfini) searches outside his marriage for sexual fulfilment following the death of his teenage daughter and the refusal of his wife (Melissa Leo) to leave the house. At a strip club in New Orleans, he finds Mallory (Kristen Stewart, admirably shaking off the constraints of her Twilight role) who looks remarkably like his deceased daughter. Striking up a platonic relationship with Mallory, he attempts to offer her a brighter future.
“It reveals how taking risks and leaving our comfort zone can become a profound path to healing the human heart.” – Sundance Film Festival
City of Life and Death
Doug (James Gandolfini) searches outside his marriage for sexual fulfilment following the death of his teenage daughter and the refusal of his wife (Melissa Leo) to leave the house. At a strip club in New Orleans, he finds Mallory (Kristen Stewart, admirably shaking off the constraints of her Twilight role) who looks remarkably like his deceased daughter. Striking up a platonic relationship with Mallory, he attempts to offer her a brighter future.
“It reveals how taking risks and leaving our comfort zone can become a profound path to healing the human heart.” – Sundance Film Festival
City of Life and Death
China, 2009 (Neighbourhood Watch)
“Gut-wrenchingly up close and personal.” – Variety
Filmmaker Lu Chuan (Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, MIFF 2004) shows the ‘Rape of Nanking’ to be an appropriate and horrific title for the atrocities committed in the then capital of China during the Japanese invasion of 1937. In just six weeks over 300,000 people were killed and many more raped and tortured by Japanese soldiers.
In gritty black and white, City of Life and Death depicts the battle from both sides. At times both violent and harrowing, it gives new perspective on events that still lay heavy in the hearts of the Chinese, and remain a point of contention for the Japanese.
Lu’s visceral feature has garnered multiple awards, including the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Director at the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Lola
Filmmaker Lu Chuan (Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, MIFF 2004) shows the ‘Rape of Nanking’ to be an appropriate and horrific title for the atrocities committed in the then capital of China during the Japanese invasion of 1937. In just six weeks over 300,000 people were killed and many more raped and tortured by Japanese soldiers.
In gritty black and white, City of Life and Death depicts the battle from both sides. At times both violent and harrowing, it gives new perspective on events that still lay heavy in the hearts of the Chinese, and remain a point of contention for the Japanese.
Lu’s visceral feature has garnered multiple awards, including the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Director at the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Lola
France/Philippines, 2009 (Neighbourhood Watch)
“Though arthritic and weary, these two gray panthers offer a sharp, unsentimental portrait of cunning and determination.” –Village Voice
In the permanently flooded district of Malabon in Manilla a grandmother (or lola in Tagalog) grieves for her grandson, murdered by a thief. The thief’s own lola collects money to help her grandson avoid prison. Connected by crime, two resilient women find themselves linked inexorably to each others’ fates.
The Philippines’s most prolific contemporary auteur, award-winning filmmaker Brillante Mendoza (Slingshot, MIFF 2008) offers up a poignant slice of social realism, a neorealist-influenced take on the strength of family, the wisdom of age and the sacrifices made in the name of both.
Mai Mai Miracle
Rendered in the celebrated style of animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle), Mai Mai Miracle is an imaginative adventure story adapted from Nobuko Takagi’s autobiographical novel about growing up in rural post-war Japan.
Splice
Science’s newest miracle is a big, big mistake.
Almost a century after Frankenstein’s monster first lumbered across cinema screens, Splice proves the ‘humans as God’ horror genre never goes out of fashion.
With the support of executive producer Guillermo Del Toro and the influence of Canadian ‘body horror’ compatriot David Cronenberg, filmmaker Vincenzo Natali (Cube) wrangles his biggest budget yet to concoct something totally unpredictable.
Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play superstar genetic engineers who add human DNA to their latest hybrid. The result is a creature with a startling amalgamation of limbs, a growth rate that’s off the chart, and a range of needs of its own.
“Splice explores our relationship to technology and the doors it unlocks. It pushes us to places we’re unable, or afraid, to go.” – filmmaker Vincenzo Natali
More information: http://www.splicethefilm.com
In the permanently flooded district of Malabon in Manilla a grandmother (or lola in Tagalog) grieves for her grandson, murdered by a thief. The thief’s own lola collects money to help her grandson avoid prison. Connected by crime, two resilient women find themselves linked inexorably to each others’ fates.
The Philippines’s most prolific contemporary auteur, award-winning filmmaker Brillante Mendoza (Slingshot, MIFF 2008) offers up a poignant slice of social realism, a neorealist-influenced take on the strength of family, the wisdom of age and the sacrifices made in the name of both.
Mai Mai Miracle
Splice
Canada/France, 2009 (Night Shift)
Almost a century after Frankenstein’s monster first lumbered across cinema screens, Splice proves the ‘humans as God’ horror genre never goes out of fashion.
With the support of executive producer Guillermo Del Toro and the influence of Canadian ‘body horror’ compatriot David Cronenberg, filmmaker Vincenzo Natali (Cube) wrangles his biggest budget yet to concoct something totally unpredictable.
Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play superstar genetic engineers who add human DNA to their latest hybrid. The result is a creature with a startling amalgamation of limbs, a growth rate that’s off the chart, and a range of needs of its own.
“Splice explores our relationship to technology and the doors it unlocks. It pushes us to places we’re unable, or afraid, to go.” – filmmaker Vincenzo Natali
More information: http://www.splicethefilm.com
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