februari 2019

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IFFR 2019: The joy of masterclasses, talks and lectures

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IFFR 2019: Cool masterclasses, talks and lectures

12 februari 2019

Claire Denis, Guillermo Arriaga, Carlos Reygadas, Agnieszka Holland… only a few respected names that gave a masterclass, talk or lecture at this years International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). I managed to catch four of them. And now you can see some of them too, beacuse many are available online on the official IFFR You Tube channel. 

Freedom lecture by Agnieszka Holland

I truly enjoyed this sharp and uncompromising leucture on freedom and the role filmmakers play in shaping the political landscape. I found Agnieszka to be an intelligent and eloquent lady who I enjoyed listening to. Her lecture starts with a historical overview of film in the context of politics, ending with present time, the rise of populism and the questions filmmakers have to ask themselves today. Following the lecture, Dutch filmcritic Dana Linssen discusses it further with Holland.

For those who want to analyse the lecture further on their own, the complete text can be found here.

Masterclass Claire Denis: on the road to High Life

Another cool lady I was fortunate to listen to was the legendary French filmmaker Claire Denis. In a relaxed talk with Simon Field, a good friend of Denis and a former director of IFFR, she revisits her versatile and daring oeuvre. And of course Denis’ latest ‘High Life’ which premiered on IFFR earlier in the day. The talk offers an insight in Denis’s artistic approach. How she carefully constructs her worlds, with a well plotted use of color, sounds & music, and use of the body (both human and architectural), among other notable aspects.

Other masterclasses and talks to watch

Next to the two talks mentioned above I also visited the interview with Mexiacan author/screenwriter/director Guillermo Arriaga. And a talk with French film theorist and curator Nicole Brenez who talked about Jean Luc Godard’s latest film ‘Le Livre d’Image’, which was screend as part of IFFR’s special art programme. 

Arriaga’s interview is not (yet) available online, but Brenez’ master talk can be found on IFFR’s You Tube channel. Together with other talks from IFFR 2019 as well as from previous editions. So visit IFFR on YouTube and make your own playlist. 

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IFFR 2019: my top films ranked (part II)

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IFFR 2019: my top films ranked (part 2)

7 februari 2019

Yesterday I published part I of this article in which I started ranking and reviewing the films I have seen at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2019. In this article I will uncover my top 3. One quick give away: number 1 is a double bill. Read on to discover which two films are at the top.  

3. Take Me Somewhere Nice (Ena Sendijarevic) 

Prior to the festival I was aware that this film was in the making, because as both a filmmaker and a fellow Dutch-Bosnian, I follow the work of the writer/director Ena Sendijarevic. Shortly before IFFR was going to kick off, it was announced that Take Me Somewhere Nice will premiere in Rotterdam. And that it was one of the contenders for the Tiger Award, the most important prize at IFFR. Much was written in the press about the exceptional talent of Ena Sendijarevic, hailed as the next big Dutch director. So the expectations were very high. No surprise that the film sold out at a maddening pace. I was lucky enough to score a ticket on time, though for the very last screening. So I had to wait untill the last regular festival day to see it. And it was certainly worth the wait!

Take Me Somewhere Nice centers on teenage girl Alma, born in Holland, but of Bosnian origin. She lives in the Netherlands with her mother. She barely remembers her father, who chose Bosnia over his family long ago because he was suffering from nostalgia. Upon hearing that her father is lying ill in a hospital in Bosnia, Alma decides to go and visit him. With some reluctant help from her cousin and his friend she embarks on a roadtrip of discovery. A coming-of-age tale evolves, where the rebellious Alma explores her roots, dual identity and her sexuality.

Watching the film it was clear that the form was more important than the story. And a beautiful form it is. The distinctive meticulous style earned the film a Special Jury Award at IFFR. Sendijarevic and her cinematographer Emo Weemhoff construct a dreamlike, lollypop coloured world on a 4:3 canvas. It’s Bosnia through a lens you’ve never seen before. As told in many intervews and during the Q&A, the director drew heavily on the idea of Bertolt Brechts Verfremdungseffekt. The sense of alienation emphasizes the fact that this world is a construct, sending a broader message that we all construct our own worlds and therefore are able to change them.

Back to the story, it is a simple premise, yet it contains multiple layers of meaning. It is full of references to the state of Bosnian society and growing up between two worlds. Though the story is smart enough, it does not reach the same level as the style and form of the film, For me the story somewhat derails in the third act, which makes the story the weakest element in this otherwise magical production. But it’s just a small stain, and easy to overlook. I am very much looking forward to new endeavours  from this directors creative mind. During the Q&A Sendijarevic said that her next film will be a very Dutch one, centering on Holland’s collonial past. Rests to wait and see.

Take Me Somewhere Nice on IFFR

2. Dirty God (Sacha Polak) 

The beautiful opening film of IFFR 2019 made by the Dutch screenwriter/director Sacha Polak. Dirty God takes us into the world of a young London mother who tries to pick up her life after an acid attack by her ex-boyfriend. Learing to live with the physical and mental scars. As I learned from interviews with Polak, UK has one of the highest rates of acid attacks in the world. A schocking practice. In the film Polak does not focus on the attack itself, but on the aftermath. The rebuilding of  life that has forever been altered and learning how to live with scars in a society that is so focused on looks.

The role of the young mother Jade is strongly acted by newcomer Vicky Night, herself a real  life fire victim. This neorealistic casting is probably the reason why the acting is so very natural and honest. Which in big part contributes to the fact that as a viewer you can emotionally relate to Jade to a high extent. I was sad with her to the verge of tears, and happy for her in little victories. For me this relatability was one of the strongest things about this film. Along with beautiful cinematography and great directing. Storywise, I find a few wrong notes are struck, but they are minor and do not diminish the overall impact of the film. I won’t name them to avoid spoilers. I do warmly recommend to go and see this wonderful film when it hits theaters.

Dirty God on IFFR

1. The Load (Ognjen Glavonic) + Queen of Hearts (May el-Toukhy) 

And so at the top of my list we have a double bill. A shared spot for two very different, but in my opinion equally strong films, that have one big thing in common: bravery. As it happens, I saw both movies on the same day. My morning started with the last festival screening of The Load, after which I went off to work, and later that evening I closed the day off with the Rotterdam premiere of Queen of Hearts.

The Load was one of the first titels announced for IFFR 2019. As the film already had a succesfull festival year, premiering in Cannes last year and winning prizes at a.o. Sarajevo Film Festival, I was quite familiar with the story and the history of its production process. But I had not seen it yet, so I was glad it would be showing at IFFR.

The action takes place during the NATO airstrike of Serbia in 1999, during the Kosovo war. The story is based on true facts. We follow the middle aged Vlada, a Serbian truck driver who is transporting a top-secret cargo from Kosovo to Belgrade. Not even he nows what’s in the back of his truck, nor is he allowed to ask. The suspicion of something horrible is present in the atmosphere and imagery. The bleak colour palette, sounds of bombs heard but never seen. The landscape, the people, their worn out clothes, everything breaths despair and sadness. As wars always do.

As the mystery of the cargo slowly unravels, the layered meaning of the films title becomes clear. Its literal and methaphorical sense intertwine as Vlada is left with a moral burden and a big decision to make. Will he stay a knowing participant to a war crime? More importantly, will he carry this burden, this guilt over to his own son? The thematic of The Load is actually much broader than the specific story told, as the question of war-related heritage one generation leaves to another is a very actual one in the post-war ex-Yugoslav region.

The minimalistic approach and the amount of integrity handling such a sensitive subject are some of the things I appreceated about The Load. I also very much love the way this film was shot, with lots of flowy camera movement and smart use of landscape, landmarks and symbolism. Though this last aspect is a potentional point of misunderstanding for viewers who are not so familiar with the ex-Yugoslav history. Symbolism from the WO II era playes a significant part in the story, but is not verbally explained. To un unknowing viewer it might be a confusing or missed layer. But despite this, the central story should resonate to all.

The Load on IFFR

Queen of Hearts, a wonderful and chilly film by Danish director May el-Toukhy, deals with sexual abuse within a family, told from an angle we rarely see in films, that of a female predator. In this case Anna, a wealthy middle aged lawyer, married to a succesful surgeon with whom she has a couple of sweet twin daughters. They live a priviledged life in a big stylish house, located in the vicinity of nature. Very soon we discover that beneath the pretty surface things are not perfect. The marriage lacks intimacy because both partners seem married to their demanding jobs. Anna, who we discover is not a stranger to recklesness, is unhappy and feels unfulfilled. When her 17-year old stepson, estranged and troubled child from the husbands first marriage, moves in with them, Anna takes a reckless  decision. She seduces the boy and sets things in motion that will change the courses of all their lives.

This is a very strong film, very stylish, well directed, cinematographycally beautiful. The entire cast is truly excellent. But the strongest performance is the one that carries the film, that of Trine Dyrholm, in my opinion one of the best actricess working today. Dyrholm is known for taking on and excelling at challenging parts. In Queen of Hearts she gives the performance of a lifetime, playing a very complex and nuanced character.

Director el-Toukhy had freshly flew in from Sundance, where Queen of Hearts premiered just a day before, for the Q&A at this Rotterdam premiere. It was one of the best Q&A’s I’ve attended, for there were many good questions from the public and el-Toukhy gave eloquent and fulfilling answers. She told us the seed of this story was sawn with her wanting to make a film about family secrets. After extensive research she and her co-writer came at the topic of domestic sexual abuse. The choice to have a female perpetrator, is an attempt to raise consciousness about the fact that society tends to preceive the crime differently depending on the gender of the predator. When a man molests a girl, the judgement and need for punshment is clear. But when the roles are reversed, the judgment tends to puddle in a grey area. The line between right and wrong is not always clear. Some boys might not feel assaulted (joy of experience with an older lover) but many do and end up scarred. And they should be taken very seriously.

Queen of Hearts on IFFR

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IFFR 2019: my top films ranked (part I)

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IFFR 2019: my top films ranked (part 1)

5 februari 2019

As I write this, the very last screenings of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2019 are about to start. For me personally, IFFR ended last night with a late screening of Sunset. It was a very busy edition for me, working my normal job, working at the festival, and trying to squeeze in as many films, masterclasses and talks as I could. That is why this years final film count amounts to only seven. So here they are shortly reviewed and ranked from least to most favourite. 

6. Sunset (László Nemes) 

On my last day of the festival I was able to score a last minute ticket for Sunset. László Nemes’ sophomore feature. An almost three-hour long period piece centering on a young woman arriving in pre WO I Budapest and slowly uncovering unknown family secrets. I had high expectations of this film, since Nemes’ Oscar winning debut Son of Saul instantly became one of my all time favourites. I had high expectations, but I was somewhat disappointed. The film is visually beautiful, art design and costume design is breathtaking. The script has some big shortcomings though. As the film progresses, the story becomes increasingly unclear. When the end credits start the viewer is left in some sort of confusion as there remain too many loose ends and unexplained events.

In Son or Saul Nemes used a very distinct directorial style, staying close to its protagonist throughout the film, making the viewer walk where he walks and see what he sees. Enabling the viewer to almost crawl into the main characters skin and thus increasing the emotional impact of the story. In Sunset Nemes’ uses this exact same method, trying to make us identify intimately with its female protagonist. But while this approach perfectly fit the storyline in Son of Saul, it starts getting somewhat exhausting in Sunset. It does not add anything to our experience of an already confusing story.

Though this film turned out a bit dfferently than I hoped, I am glad that I have seen it. There was certainly enough beauty in it to appreciate, despite its narrative loopholes. Nemes remains one to watch, though I sincerely hope his next feature will show us a somewhat different directing approach.

Sunset on IFFR 2019

5. Bangla (Phraim Bhuiyan) 

Based on real life experiences from it’s director and main actor Phraim Bhuiyan, Bangla is a nice romantic comedy with a serious and relevant theme at its core. The main character Phraim, is a second generation Italian of Bangladeshi descent. He lives in Torpignattara, a multicultural neighbourhood in Rome. As many immigrant born children, Phraim is struggling to define his identity, navigating between two cultures. In the film the character describes himself as “something in between, like a cappucino – 50% Bengali, 50% Italian and 100% Torpignattara guy.” The culture clash becomes a problem when Phraim falls for an Italian girl. Scared of his parents reaction, he keeps the relationship a secret. While he personally struggles with the fact that his muslim religion does not permit sex before marriage.

This story evolves in a light, genuinly funny fashion, while there is also social comment on the life and – not always fair – treatment of immigrant descendents. Like for instance, even though they are born in Itay, they can not get Italian citizenship until they turn 18. Most funny moments come during the, often clumsy, encounters between the young lovers. Phraim also occasinaly breaks the fourth wall to deliver some witty observations.

All in all I enjoyed this film very much. It was my comic relief in a pick of mostly complex dramatic endeavoures. Bangla showed me a glimpse of a world I didn’t know existed. I learned that there is a large immigrant population form Bangladesh in Italy, While bringing a new point of view it shines a light on a theme that will resonate with all of us who have roots elsewhere, albeit to different extents and cultural themes. 

Bangla (Foto: IFFR)
Bangla (Foto: IFFR)

4. End of Season (Elmar Imanov) 

I did not know much about this film when I booked the tickets. I had time on monday evening and just chose the one that seemed most interesting out of the films available. And I had a very nice surprise, ending up in the world premiere of End of Season. 

The feature debut of Azerbaijani director/screenwriter Elmar Ivanov is a subtle, yet complex an layered drama. The story centers on a family of three people, who each are trying to escape the disappointing realities of their personal existence. There is the figure of the absent father, an unemployed actor who is numbing the everyday reality with alcohol. Then we have the unappreciated mother, the nourishing caretaker who sacrificed her own wants for her family. And then there is the adolescent son, who is smartly taking the necesseary steps (good job, looking for an appartment) that will enable him to break free from his family. When the mother misteriously dissappears during a day at the beach, things are shaken up and the family members start to wake from their existential inertia.

End of Season is more than a family drama. Its çomplex family dinamics represent the uncertainty of  modern day Azerbaijan. A society in transition from communism to capitalism, stuck in limbo between the tradional society and Western modernity. The analogy is executed well by the filmmakers and was recognized by film critics who awarded it the FIPRESCI Critics Award at IFFR.

End of Season on IFFR

End of Season (Foto: IFFR)
End of Season (Foto: IFFR)

Where’s the top 3?

To avoid the article being too long of a read, Ispread it in two parts. Discover my top 3 films seen at IFFR 2019 in tomorrows blog article.