Jerrold Tarog’s HENERAL LUNA the Philippines’ submission for 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar category for the 88th Academy Awards, will be released in theaters nationwide in Fall 2015, via Abramorama. Heneral Luna will open in New York on October 30, followed by Los Angeles and other markets on November 6.
Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Filipino general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen.
In 1898, General Antonio Luna ( John Arcilla ), commander of the revolutionary army, is spoiling for a fight. The Philippines, after three hundred years as a Spanish colony, has unwillingly come under American rule. General Luna wants to fight for freedom but members of the elite would rather strike a deal with the United States. The infighting is fierce in the new cabinet but General Luna and his loyal men forge ahead even as his military decisions are met with resistance from soldiers who are loyal only to President Aguinaldo ( Mon Confiado ). Ultimately, it is the general’s legendary temper and pride that bring him to his death when a pack of presidential guards assassinate him in broad daylight. While American newspapers are quick to point the blame to Aguinaldo, the mystery has never been completely solved and the General’s killers were never put to justice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_T1ykhy3FgForeign Language Films
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HENERAL LUNA, Philippines Oscar Entry to Be Released in the US | TRAILER
Jerrold Tarog’s HENERAL LUNA the Philippines’ submission for 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar category for the 88th Academy Awards, will be released in theaters nationwide in Fall 2015, via Abramorama. Heneral Luna will open in New York on October 30, followed by Los Angeles and other markets on November 6.
Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Filipino general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen.
In 1898, General Antonio Luna ( John Arcilla ), commander of the revolutionary army, is spoiling for a fight. The Philippines, after three hundred years as a Spanish colony, has unwillingly come under American rule. General Luna wants to fight for freedom but members of the elite would rather strike a deal with the United States. The infighting is fierce in the new cabinet but General Luna and his loyal men forge ahead even as his military decisions are met with resistance from soldiers who are loyal only to President Aguinaldo ( Mon Confiado ). Ultimately, it is the general’s legendary temper and pride that bring him to his death when a pack of presidential guards assassinate him in broad daylight. While American newspapers are quick to point the blame to Aguinaldo, the mystery has never been completely solved and the General’s killers were never put to justice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_T1ykhy3Fg
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Fia Sandlund’s SHE’S WILD AGAIN TONIGHT to World Premiere at Stockholm International Film Festival
SHE’S WILD AGAIN TONIGHT, Fia Sandlund’s contemporary interpretation of the play, Miss Julie, will world premiere at Stockholm International Film Festival on November 12, 2015
Two young artists meet in New York to work on a radical version of the Swedish classic Miss Julie. Instead of a professional meeting between the politically conscious artists, they become involved in a twisted game of power relations.
Starring the Swedish actor Shima Niavarani as Julie and Mando Diao’s former lead singer Gustaf Norén as Jean, SHE’S WILD AGAIN TONIGHT is, in the director’s words “an operation on Strindberg.” The story blends the borders of reality, acting and fiction in a reflection on the complexity of contemporary society and gender roles.
SHE’S WILD AGAIN TONIGHT is the final part of the director’s trilogy inspired by Strindberg’s play Miss Julie, preceded by She’s Blonde Like Me and She’s Staging It. The script is written by Sandlund in collaboration with Josefine Adolfsson, winner of the Guldbagge Award in 2012, and produced by Tobias Janson.
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Ole Giæver Writes, Directs, and Stars in Norwegian Film OUT OF NATURE | TRAILER
Ole Giæver writes, directs, and stars in OUT OF NATURE, this unique and endearing depiction of middle age and first-world anxieties. Martin (Giæver) is clearly out of place both in his office and at home with his wife and son. As he embarks on a trek, searching for solace in the stunning Norwegian wilderness, he can’t seem to find peace; his incessant stream of thoughts are endlessly commenting and fantasizing about disturbing “what ifs”: what if he got a divorce? What if his wife died? What if he were a cripple? Immersed in the breathtaking beauty of the Norwegian mountains with a stream-of-consciousness narrative that swings toward the witty and likable, OUT OF NATURE is a comically contemplative film about dissatisfaction, the desire for change, and trying to find solace in solitude.
Out of Nature is the second feature film from director Ole Giæver (The Mountain), “I wanted to make a film which alternates between being inside a man, gaining access to his innermost thoughts, daydreams and fantasies; and watching him, without him being aware that he is being watched. The vision of the film is to get closer to the core, the essence of what is recognizable and universal in all people.”
Out of Nature won the Europa Cinemas Label as best European film in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival, and Ole Giaever, was selected by Variety as one of its “10 Europeans to Watch.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgjGCOJpxBM
OUT OF NATURE is being presented as part of the Northwest Film Center’s New Scandinavian Cinema series, running October 23 through November 1 at Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium Portland Art Museum-1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland Oregon.
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FLOWERS, Spain’s Oscar Entry, to Be Released in US | TRAILER
FLOWERS (Loreak), Spain’s submission for 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar category for the 88th Academy Awards, will be released in the US, later this Fall 2015, via Music Box Films. The film opens at New York’s Paris Theater on Oct. 30, followed by Los Angeles on Nov. 27.
Directed by Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga, Flowers is the story of three women, three lives altered by the mere presence of bouquets of flowers. Ane’s life takes a turn when a bouquet of flowers is delivered to her house every week. Always at the same time and always anonymously. Lourdes and Tere’s lives are also affected by some mysterious flowers. A stranger leaves a weekly bouquet in memory of someone important in their lives. This Flowers that will make feelings blossom inside them that had seemed long forgotten… But in the end, they are nothing more than flowers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L33oXnK75w
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Complete List of Films + Trailers for 81 Countries in Competition for 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar
Eighty-one countries have submitted films for consideration in the 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar category for the 88th Academy Awards.
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20 French Films to be Presented at Seattle’s French Cinema Now Showcase
The Seattle International Film Festival in partnership with TV5MONDE will present 20 French films from around the world as part of the 2015 French Cinema Now showcase. The Opening Night film is Dheepan, Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. This powerful drama from director Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, Rust & Bone) follows a former Tamil Tiger soldier as he flees from the aftermath of the Sri Lankan civil war to begin a new life in a Parisian suburb. An after-party will take place at Bastille Café + Bar in Ballard.
Half Sister, Full Love with director Marion Vernoux scheduled to attend and a post-film discussion with Director Lynn Shelton. The French adaptation of Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton’s Your Sister’s Sister (and the second of Shelton’s films adapted à la française) introduces Pierre, a young man still suffering after his brother’s recent death, who accepts his best friend Tessa’s invitation to recuperate at her family home in the French countryside, only to find the house already occupied by her heart-broken sister.
In The Chef’s Wife two of France’s most versatile and accomplished actresses, Karin Viard
(Polisse, Delicatessen) and Emmannuelle Devos (Coco Before Chanel, Read My Lips), come together for this crowd-pleasing romantic comedy. Carole can no longer stand working alongside her talented Michelin-starred chef husband Sam, so she meets with Marithé, who helps people explore new career opportunities. The two become friends, but when Marithé meets Sam, their mutual attraction complicates her motives in helping Carole to start over.
Adama, a stunning animated feature combining traditional painted backgrounds with clay sculpted characters, follows 12 year-old Adama, who leaves his small West African village on a quest to rescue his brother from the frontlines of WWI. Adama travels to “the land of breaths” – the village’s term for war-torn Europe – for a coming-of-age odyssey that is also a tale of outstanding love, courage, and humanity. Appropriate for ages 8+.
French Master Cédric Kahn’s Wild Life is based on a true story, and produced by the Dardenne Brothers. This tale of a father’s reckless but all-consuming love follows married couple Carole and Philippe (Céline Sallette and Mathieu Kassovitz, both giving riveting performances) who renounce civilization and lead a nomadic life in their caravan. But when Carole tires of their itinerant lifestyle and moves back to the city, Philippe refuses to allow his sons to be raised according to the societal codes he abhors.
Carl Spence, SIFF Artistic Director, says “We’re very excited about this year’s lineup, being able to bring such a diverse group of films to the Francophile Seattle audience. Our continued partnership with TV5 Monde has allowed French Cinema Now to reach not only the Seattle viewers, but nationally through the TV5 Monde channel.”
Dheepan
Opening Night Film & Party
France | 2015 | 110 minutes | Jacques Audiard
Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, this powerful drama from director Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, Rust & Bone) follows a former Tamil Tiger soldier as he flees from the aftermath of the Sri Lankan civil war to begin a new life in a Parisian suburb.
The Tournament
France | 2015 | 83 minutes | Elodie Namer
An international chess tournament becomes the setting of a compelling psychological thriller, when a 22-year-old French mastermind finds that his chief adversary is an unknown 11-year-old prodigy, leading to his emotional unraveling.
Anton Chekhov – 1890
France | 2015 | 96 minutes | René Féret
A pivotal period in the life of Russian literary master Anton Chekhov is brought to life in this expressive biographical tale. A humble Russian doctor, Chekhov (Nicolas Giraud) starts writing stories for magazines to earn extra money. As his talent gains notice, an unexpected tragedy sends him on a journey to Siberia, and the trip inspires some of his most brilliant and famous works.
Half Sister, Full Love
France | 2015 | 95 minutes | Marion Vernoux
Director Marion Vernoux scheduled to attend with post-film discussion with Director Lynn Shelton (Your Sister’s Sister). The French adaptation of Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton’s Your Sister’s Sister (and the second of Shelton’s films adapted à la française) introduces Pierre, a young man still suffering after his brother’s recent death, who accepts his best friend Tessa’s invitation to recuperate at her family home in the French countryside, only to find the house already occupied by her heart-broken sister.
You Sleep Nicole
Canada (Québec) | 2014 | 93 minutes | Stéphane Lafleur
Filmed in gorgeous black and white, the latest feature from Québécois director Stéphane Lafleur is a slice of life comedy about summer indolence. 22-year-old Nicole is fresh out of college, and plans to spend the summer hanging out her best friend Véronique. But things take an unexpected turn when a heatwave, Nicole’s growing insomnia, the persistent courtship of a 10-year-old boy, and a visiting rock band put their friendship to the test.
Adama
France | 2015 | 82 minutes | Simon Rouby
This stunning animated feature, combining traditional painted backgrounds with clay sculpted characters, follows 12 year-old Adama, who leaves his small West African village on a quest to rescue his brother from the frontlines of WWI. Adama travels to “the land of breaths” – the village’s term for war-torn Europe – for a coming-of-age odyssey that is also a tale of outstanding love, courage, and humanity. Appropriate for ages 8+.
Number One Fan
France | 2014 | 105 minutes | Jeanne Herry
In this cleverly suspenseful and satirical thriller, Sandrine Kiberlain gives a Cesar nominated performance a beautician who would do literally anything for her idol, the French crooner Vincent Lacroix. Her loyalty is put to the test one night when Vincent shows up on her doorstep and asks for her help in a most nefarious task.
The Chef’s Wife
France | 2014 | 90 minutes | Anne Le Ny
Two of France’s most versatile and accomplished actresses, Karin Viard (Polisse, Delicatessen) and Emmannuelle Devos (Coco Before Chanel, Read My Lips), come together for this crowd-pleasing romantic comedy. Carole can no longer stand working alongside her talented Michelin-starred chef husband, Sam, so she meets with Marithé, who helps people explore new career opportunities. The two become friends, but when Marithé meets Sam, their mutual attraction complicates her motives in helping Carole to start over.
Métamorphoses
France | 2014 | 102 minutes | Christophe Honoré
Visionary director Christophe Honoré’s enchanting, slyly satiric, and erotic updating of the of Ovid’s magnum opus transports mythological tales to present-day France, where the Gods – Jupiter, Orpheus, Bacchus – transform into different forms and fall in love with humans.
The Anarchists
France | 2015 | 101 minutes | Elie Wajeman
Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) and Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is the Warmest Color) star in this sweeping historical crime drama set in turn of the century Paris, where police officer Jean Albertini is tasked with infiltrating a band of anarchists, and unexpectedly falls in love with a passionate, and persuasive, member of the movement. Torn between duty and his heart, Jean will have to choose his allegiance.
The Great Man
France | 2014 | 107 minutes | Sarah Leonor
This stylistic tale of pristine visual sensibility and French Legionnaires (reminiscent of Claire Denis’s Beau Travail) is an intimate metaphysical look at two men trying to piece their life together after war. Told in five chapters, the story follows a soldier (Jérémie Renier) who is reunited with the man who saved his life, and unexpectedly finds himself able to repay his debt.
The Sweet Escape
France | 2015 | 105 minutes | Bruno Podalydés
Packed with visual flair, delightful banter, and a whiff of Wes Anderson, this bittersweet coming-of-middle-age comedy follows 50-something graphic designer Michel (director Bruno Podalydés), who, longing for a sense of freedom and adventure, takes up kayaking. Michel’s virgin voyage is a pastoral adventure, but it doesn’t lead him very far down stream.
The Clearstream Affair
France | 2014 | 110 minutes | Vincent Garenq
This ripped-from-the-headlines political thriller follows journalist Denis Robert (Gilles Lellouche) and Judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke (Charles Berling), who shake up the French governing class by exposing a dark political financial machine called the Clearstream system, which allowed financial institutions and wealthy investors to hold secret accounts for hiding unreported income and money laundering.
High Society
France | 2014 | 95 minutes | Julie Lopes Curval
A delicate exploration of young love, artistic expression, and social class, High Society tells of the relationship between 20-year-old Alice (Ana Girardot, “The Returned”), a working-class artist whose talent leads her to design school in Paris, and privileged aspiring photographer Antoine. While their differences initially prove exciting, they begin to find that the pull of bourgeois society and artistic ambition changes the dynamic of their tender affair.
I’m Dead But I Have Friends
Belgium | 2015 | 96 minutes | Guillaume Malandrin, Stéphane Malandrin
Filled with unexpected twists and delightfully deadpan humor, this comic road movie follows the ageing members of a punkish Belgian rock band who lose their lead singer but decide to maintain their concert dates in Los Angeles with vague plans to place the dead friend’s funeral urn in front of the microphone. Nothing – absolutely nothing – goes according to plan.
Fatima
France | 2015 | 79 minutes | Philippe Faucon
A sweet, insightful, and emotionally complex portrait of immigrants living in France, Fatima dives into the life of a Moroccan-born mother living in Lyon and struggling to raise her two teenage daughters, one rebellious, the other starting medical school. When she is put on leave from her job as a cleaning woman, Fatima starts to write letters to her daughters in Arabic, telling them all the things she can’t express in French.
Cosmodrama
France | 2015 | 105 minutes | Philippe Fernandez
A slyly funny mix of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and 2001: A Space Odyssey, this retro-futuristic sci-fi story begins when seven astronauts – including Sigmund Freud look-alike, an overly communicative chimp, and a friendly dog – wake up on a spaceship, not knowing where they have come from nor where they are heading. As the ship operates by itself, they have ample time to meditate on matter, life and the universe.
Tokyo Fiancée
Belgium | 2014 | 100 minutes | Stefan Liberski
A young Belgian woman who is obsessed with all things Japanese travels to Tokyo and falls into a whirlwind romance with a Japanese student who is obsessed with all things French. This charming comedy about young love and cultural discovery, is filled with complications, misunderstandings, and double meanings in both French and Japanese.
Young Tiger
France | 2015 | 87 minutes | Cyprien Vial
Set in Paris’ suburban Sikh community, this drama features newcomer Harmandeep Palminder in a touching lead performance as a 17-year old boy from Punjab, India, who is trying to lead the life of a typical teenager, yet finds a crushing responsibility to financially support his parents in India pushes him into unprecedented danger.
Wild Life
France | 2014 | 114 minutes | Cédric Kahn
Based on a true story, and produced by the Dardenne Brothers, this tale of a father’s reckless but all-consuming love follows married couple Carole and Philippe (Céline Sallette and Mathieu Kassovitz, both giving riveting performances) who renounce civilization and lead a nomadic life in their caravan. But when Carole tires of their itinerant lifestyle and moves back to the city, Philippe refuses to allow his sons to be raised according to the societal codes he abhors.
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Romania’s Oscar Entry, AFERIM! to open in NYC & LA on January 22, 2016
AFERIM!, Romania’s Official Entry for the 88th Academy Awards (Best Foreign Language Film) will be released in the US in 2016 via Big World Pictures. Directed by an acclaimed Romanian filmmaker, Radu Jude, AFERIM! was the winner of the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival, and was the Official Selection at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. AFERIM! will open at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas in New York, and at the Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles on January 22, 2016. A national release will follow.
The only contemporary Romanian film to address the issue of Gypsy slavery, AFERIM!, with dark humor, touches upon the long history of anti-Roma prejudice in Romania.
Eastern Europe, 1835. Two riders cross a barren landscape in the middle of Wallachia. They are the gendarme Constandin and his son. Together they are searching for a gypsy slave who has run away from his nobleman master and is suspected of having an affair with the noble’s wife. While the unflappable Constadin comments on every situation with a cheery aphorism, his son takes a more contemplative view of the world. On their odyssey they encounter people of different nationalities and beliefs: Turks and Russians, Christians and Jews, Romanians and Hungarians. Each harbors prejudices against the others which have been passed down from generation to generation. And even when the slave Carfin is found, the adventure is far from over…
Radu Jude’s third feature has been aptly compared to films as diverse as THE SEARCHERS, THE LAST DETAIL and PULP FICTION (the latter for its rambling, coarse and endlessly entertaining dialogues), but the film is ultimately a moving parable about late-feudal Europe developed from historical documents and songs: its power structures and hierarchies, people’s ideas of themselves and others, interaction with minorities and the resulting conflicts. A Balkan Western in black-and-white that brings the cacophony of the times strikingly to life and explores the thematic arcs that stretch into the present.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmTYOY_jQWc
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Swedish Horror Film SENSORIA World Premiere at Fantastic Fest |TRAILER
SENSORIA, a “stylish” new psychological thriller/horror film directed by Christian Hallman, World Premiere at Fantastic Fest on Sunday, and will screen again this coming Wednesday.
SENSORIA follows Caroline, a woman in her late thirties, who has lost everything she cares for in the world. In the search for a new beginning, she moves into an old apartment and quickly begins to realize that she is not as alone as she thought she was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieszRmpc-hM
SENSORIA
Sweden, 2015
World Premiere, 82 min
Director – Christian Hallman
Caroline Menard is a woman in her thirties who has lost everything. As she moves into a new apartment searching for a new start, she’s unaware that something ancient is waiting for her.
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TALVAR Starring Irrfan Khan to Open in US on October 2nd | TRAILER
Following its well-received World Premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, the new crime thriller TALVAR starring Irrfan Khan (Jurassic World, The Lunchbox, Life of Pi) will be released in U.S. theaters next week on October 2. Co-starring Konkona Sen Sharma, the film takes a thrilling new look at the real Aarushi Talvar murder investigation which rocked Delhi in 2008.
Talvar is a fictional dramatization of true life events revolving around the Aarushi Talvar murder case investigation. Known as the ‘Noida Double Murder Case’, it happened in the city adjoining India’s capital, Delhi, in 2008. The incident still resonates in the minds of the public, as there is no sense of closure in the case in spite of a guilty verdict – the parents of the murdered girl have been sentenced to life for killing her. Boasting of power packed performances by Irrfan Khan (The Lunchbox, Life of Pi), Konkona Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi, it also has Tabu (The Namesake) in a special appearance. With Gulzar’s lyrics, Vishal Bharwaj’s music and cinematography by Pankaj Kumar (Haider, Ship Of Theseus), the thriller is a work of fiction which is based on one if the most intriguing and talked about murder cases in recent Indian history
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FquLnfzLjs
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San Francisco Film Society to Present 2015 Taiwan Film Days Series with Spotlight on Director Hou Hsiao-hsien | TRAILER
The San Francisco Film Society will present the 2015 Taiwan Film Days, from October 12 to 13, showcasing Taiwanese cinema to Bay Area audiences. This year’s 6th edition of Taiwan Film Days features a very special spotlight on master filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien, who received the Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and is expected to attend the series kickoff event.
Taiwan Film Days kicks off with a special early look at Hou Hsiao-hsien’s latest film The Assassin, then continues with the documentary Flowers of Taipei: Taiwan New Cinema, which delves into the history and legacy of the Taiwanese New Cinema movement, and wraps up with a newly restored version of Hou’s timeless classic The Boys from Fengkuei.
The Assassin
Hou Hsiao-hsien (Nie Yinniang, Taiwan 2015)
To open the sixth installment of Taiwan Film Days, the series presents one of the most heralded films of 2015 — winner of the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival — master filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin. Set in ninth-century China, the film centers on Nie Yinniang (played by a smoldering Shu Qi) a female killer appointed to slay corrupt government officials by her master, Jiaxin, a nun who raised her from the age of ten. When Yinniang displays mercy by failing to kill during her duties, Jiaxing punishes her with a ruthless assignment designed to test Yinniang’s resolve. Written by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Chu Tien-wen, Hsieh Hai-meng, Zhong Acheng. Cinematography by Mark Lee Ping Bing. With Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Zhou Yun. 105 min. In Mandarin with subtitles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bqNyl72eBw
Flowers of Taipei: Taiwan New Cinema
Chinlin Hsieh (Guangyin de gushi: Taiwan xin dianying, Taiwan 2014)
The Taiwanese New Cinema movement of the 1980s and ’90s captured the imaginations of audiences and filmmakers worldwide. This comprehensive documentary features interviews with leading critics, curators and filmmakers mixed with glorious archival clips from some of the most beloved and inspiring films of the era. Pitch perfect, Flowers of Taipei is an ideal introduction to and celebration of one of the most vital film movements of our time. Cinematography by Olivier Marceny. 109 min. In Mandarin and English with subtitles. Print provided by Ablaze Image.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EyPN-L3SCQ
The Boys from Fengkuei
Hou Hsiao-hsien (Fengkuei-lai-te-jen, Taiwan 1983)
Hou Hsiao-hsien’s beautiful fourth feature-length film follows three bored teenagers who move from the small island of Fengkuei to the port of Kaohsiung. Elegantly recalling the excitement, confusion, anxiety and directionless possibilities of youth in transition to adulthood, the film reveals director Hou in a transition of his own to a canny naturalism that will mark his films for a decade. Restored at the Cinémathèque Royal de Belgique in collaboration with Hou Hsiao-Hsien and the Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project.Written by Chu Tien-wen. Cinematography by Ch’en K’un-hou. With Doze Niu, To Tsung-hua, Lin Hsiu-ling. 100 min. Print provided by Cinematek Belgium.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpVRXV36o2s
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Drafthouse Films to Release Danish Comedy MEN & CHICKEN in 2016 | TRAILER
Anders Thomas Jensen’s bizarre familial comedy feature, Men & Chicken set to make its acclaimed North American premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, will be released in the U.S. via Drafthouse Films. Men & Chicken will open in a theatrical release across North America in 2016.
Written and directed by Jensen, described as one of Denmark’s most prolific cinematic voices (whose work includes the 1999 Oscar®-winning short film Election Night, plus scripts for the 2010 Academy-Award® Best Foreign Language Film winner In A Better World and Sony’s upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower), Men & Chicken is the story of two brothers who, through meeting their long-lost family, also discover a horrible truth about themselves. On full, carnivalesque display here are Jensen’s inimitable darkly comedic stylings, as can be seen in his earlier films Flickering Lights and The Green Butchers, both featuring star Mads Mikkelsen. Men & Chicken was recently announced to be on Denmark’s shortlist for the Best Foreign Language category at the 2016 Oscars as well as the Danish entry to the European Film Awards.
In his boldest role to date, Mikkelsen (“Hannibal,” Casino Royale, The Hunt) reunites with Jensen to deliver an unforgettable––and, for North American fans mostly familiar with his dramatic work, wholly unexpected––comic turn as bumbling and harelipped Elias, alongside the equally against-type David Dencik (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, both The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo films) as his loathsome and harelipped brother Gabriel. Together, they venture to a sequestered island where they meet the harelipped Franz (Soren Malling, A Hijacking, Denmark’s “The Killing”), the harelipped Gregor (Nicolaj Lie Kaas, The Idiots, The Absent Ones) and the harelipped Josef (Nicholas Bro,Nymphomaniac, War Horse). What follows is a genre-wrenching spectacle that encapsulates all types of comedy, from grand slapstick to biting wit, coalescing in an astounding exploration of “Denmark’s most twisted family tree since Hamlet” (Variety).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag1miLsTpeQ
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Angelina Jolie’s Controversial Ethiopian Drama DIFRET Finally Gets Release Date | TRAILER
The controversial award-winning film DIFRET, directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari and executive produced by Angelina Jolie Pitt, finally has a release date in time for the awards season. DIFRET which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinematic Dramatic Audience Award, and the Panorama Audience Award for Best Fiction Film at the Berlin Film Festival 2014, will be released on October 23.
Difret is a powerful drama based on a true story. In Addis Ababa, lawyer Meaza Ashenafi has established a network providing poor women and children with free legal representation. She takes on the case of 14-year-old Hirut who is abducted and raped on her way home from school and shoots dead her tormentors as she escapes. Accused of murder, Hirut may face the death penalty even though she was acting in self-defence – for in rural Ethiopia the tradition of ‘Telefa’ or marriage by abduction still exists.
The NY Post’s Page Six reported that the woman who said she inspired the project, Aberash Bekele, had reportedly sought an injunction on the night of its Ethiopian premiere to block its release, saying she didn’t give filmmakers permission to use her story. However, the matter was eventually settled out of court.
Three hours outside of Addis Ababa, a bright 14-year-old girl is on her way home from school when men on horses swoop in and kidnap her. The brave Hirut grabs a rifle and tries to escape, but ends up shooting her would-be husband. In her village, the practice of abduction into marriage is common and one of Ethiopia’s oldest traditions. Meaza Ashenafi, an empowered and tenacious young lawyer, arrives from the city to represent Hirut and argue that she acted in self-defense. Meaza boldly embarks on a collision course between enforcing civil authority and abiding by customary law, risking the ongoing work of her women’s legal-aid practice to save Hirut’s life. Beneath the layer of polite social customs, an aggressively rooted patriarchy perpetuates inhospitable conditions for women in this engrossing and significant film, based on a real-life story. Ethiopian writer/director Zeresenay Berhane Mehari portrays, with panoramic beauty, the complexity of a country’s transformation toward equal rights, featuring the courageous generation that dares to own it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz4NbqGeEZQ