Review: This Ain’t California

Tags

Film Festival, London, Raindance, trailers, world cinema

Year: 2011
Country: Germany
Language: German
Director: Marten Persiel
Screenplay: Marten Persiel, Ira Wedel
Cinematography: Felix Leiberg
Animation: Sasa Zivkovic
Music: Lars Damm, Troy von Balthasar
Runtime: 90 min
Trailer: Trailer 1 and Trailer 2
Film’s official website: This Ain’t California

This Ain’t California had its UK premiere at the Raindance Film Festival (London) on September 27, 2012. Details here. It also screened in German cinemas this summer and has been shown at a number of international film festivals. It will be the closing film at the annual Berlin & Beyond Festival in San Francisco on October 4, 2012.

A few years back the International Baccalaureate (IB) issued a quote for its students the world round to discuss in their Theory of Knowledge examination essays: “History is part myth, part hope and part reality”. Der Spiegel, a German-language weekly from the popular press, missed the lesson, writing the following in its review of This Ain’t California:

Zu rasant, um wahr zu sein: Der preisgekrönte Film “This Ain’t California” über die Skater-Szene in der DDR kommt als Dokumentation daher. Dabei ist vieles erfunden und nachgestellt. (Translation: “Too daring to be true: The award-winning film ‘This Ain’t California’ about the skateboarding scene in the German Democratic Republic pretends to be a documentary. Much however is invented and reproduced.”) (quote source)

April Screenings for the Calendar

Tags

BFI, Film Festival, ICA, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, PCC, Studio Ghibli, world cinema

Sanshō Dayū at the ICA 

You may have noticed that I added an events calendar to Otherwhere a few days ago. It’s not particularly fancy and doesn’t quite have the sleek look I would like – I’m unfortunately limited to Google calendar by WordPress – but at least it’s something. You will primarily find screenings and special events for Japanese and Korean films plus world cinema film festivals on the calendar, most from London but also from elsewhere in the UK if I happen to come across them. Select screenings in other parts of the world (like the Studio Ghibli film events in North America) will be added too.

Trailer Weekly #23

Tags

Film Festival, trailers, world cinema

I am a day late here because I’m out of town and have been busy attending the East Winds Film Festival and symposium in Coventry for the past few days. All but one film in this week’s Trailer Weekly are in inspired by what I have seen screened at the event (reviews to follow), plus some that were mentioned by speakers in the connected East Winds conference. Not surprisingly that means this week’s selection is all East Asia.

26th BFI Lesbian & Gay Film Festival: Asian Entries

Tags

BFI Film Festival, Film Festival, London, trailers, world cinema

Under the heading of “Explode Your Expectations” the British Film Institute (BFI) is back with its 26th Lesbian & Gay Film Festival from March 23-April 1, 2012.

Before we get to the details, can I just take a moment to complain? Although the BFI screens great films and does laudable work with its archive, their festival calendars – whether for this festival or others – are in dire need of improvement. Only the film title (and only in English) plus a one-sentence synopsis are given. No original title. No country. No director.

World Cinema: London Festivals for Italy, Asia and Palestine, plus Ghibli & Ocelot

Tags

Film Festival, London, Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli, world cinema

Io sono Li

I am contemplating to create a separate calendar page for all the film festivals and special screenings in London, because these announcements-by-blog-post probably end up buried amidst all the other posts after a while. I’m not quite sure how to set up such a calendar (suggestions are welcome), so while I get my head around it, these posts will have to do. But do note that it’s on my list of planned features for Otherwhere.

Anyhow, upcoming film festivals in London:

Review: ぐるりのこと。(Gururi no Koto/All Around Us)

Tags

ICA, London, world cinema

Year: 2008
Director: Hashiguchi Ryosuke (橋口亮輔)
Screenplay: Hashiguchi Ryosuke (橋口亮輔)
Cinematography: Ueno Shogo
Cast: Kimura Tae (木村多江), Franky Lily (リリー・フランキー)
Runtime: 140 min
Trailer: on YouTube (not subtitled)

Seen at the ICA as part of The Japan Foundation’s Touring Film Programme “Whose Film Is It Anyway? Contemporary Japanese Auteurs”.

With a plot centring on a couple that loses their unborn child, I expected Gururi no Koto to be a heart-wrenching film. I went in thinking it would depict the emotional unravelling of its characters to the lowest point, that it would show us their grief, their anger and their sadness over the tragic death, but, alas, there was little of this. Instead, Gururi no Koto surprised me.

K-Directors: Park Kwang-su (박광수) Month at the KCCUK in March

Tags

KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, trailers, world cinema

We are entering the third month of KCCUK’s Year of 12 Directors. March showcases four films of Park Kwang-su (박광수), none of which I am familiar with. Indeed, I have not watched anything by Park, so I am hoping to make it to all the screenings. He certainly sounds like an interesting filmmaker.

Trailer Weekly #22

Tags

Film Festival, London, trailers, world cinema

Almost postponed this Trailer Weekly for tomorrow… simply because I got home from work this afternoon and went straight to sleep. In fact, I could have slept through till the morning, but here I am instead.

Still on the Asia trip for this Trailer Weekly:

Trailer Weekly #21

Tags

BFI Film Festival, Film Festival, London, trailers, world cinema

It’s one of those grey, uninspiring, semi-wintery days in London that make you just want to curl up in bed with hot chocolate and a good movie. I did watch 나무없는 산 (Namooeobsneun San/Treeless Mountain, Korea, 2008) earlier (with a review to follow next week), but had no hot chocolate unfortunately. I can’t quite convince myself to brave the on-and-off rain for a treat at the local café, so I’m moping around the house instead. Lazy Saturday afternoon…

But, moving on, let’s get to our weekly trailers! All Asia today.

Review: L’artiste (The Artist)

Tags

world cinema

Country: France
Year: 2011
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius
Cinematography: Guillaume Schiffman
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, Uggie
Runtime: 100 min
Trailer: on YouTube
Film’s official website: Weinstein Co.

Currently screening in UK cinemas (and elsewhere).

L’artiste is that film: the one that has been winning big at all the award ceremonies this season, scooping Best Film at the Golden Globes in January as well as at the BAFTAs last Sunday (plus multiple other awards at both ceremonies).

Upcoming World Cinema Festivals

Tags

Film Festival, London, world cinema

A number of world cinema film festivals are coming up in London.

Trailer Weekly #20

Tags

London, trailers, world cinema

We go the world round this time.

Oscar Nominations 2012

Tags

documentary, world cinema

They are out. Full list is here.

I haven’t yet read any articles commenting on the nominees or any snubs, but I did note a headline stating that Hugo leads with 11 nominations, followed by 10 for L’artiste (The Artist). Both are nominated in major categories (Best Film, Best Director), but L’artiste also has two acting nominations, while Hugo scores more in the technical/sound/visual categories.

International Film Season at The Tricycle

Tags

Film Festival, London, world cinema

The Tricycle had its first International Film Season in 2011, screening a selection of submissions for the “Best Foreign Language Film Award” of the Academy Awards. This year the festival takes place between February 14 to February 23, 2012 and will showcase 18 films from around the world. (The official Oscar nominations for the category will be announced next Tuesday, January 24, by the way.)

Trailer Weekly #16

Tags

trailers, world cinema

Posting this a little early as I’ll be travelling tomorrow and may end up stuck in snow.

I can’t find the list of films I originally had in mind for this week’s Trailer Weekly (must have accidentally closed the browser window), but here are some fine alternatives (though I’m still hoping to remember that website as there were a few bookmark-worthy films on it):

Trailer Weekly #15

Tags

trailers, world cinema

Still drawing from those “Best of…” lists, there is a little bit of everything this week: upcoming, recent & older, Asian, European & American, dramatic, romantic & animated…

Trailer Weekly #13

Tags

documentary, trailers, world cinema

A little on the gloomy side this time – I will try to ring out the year with some cheerier trailers next week:

Trailer Weekly #11

Tags

documentary, trailers, world cinema

A long list. And, save one (and a half) almost exclusively Korean:

Trailer Weekly #10

Tags

trailers, world cinema

A mix of new and old this week, from the world over:

Review: جدایی نادر از سیمین (Jodái-e Náder az Simin/A Separation)

Tags

Film Festival, London, world cinema

Year: 2011
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi
Cinematography: Mahmoud Kalari
Cast: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moaadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat, Sarina Farhadi, Kimia Hosseini
Runtime: 123 min
Trailer: on YouTube

Seen at a screening as part of the Iranian Film Festival (UKIFF) at Ciné Lumière.

A Separation was the first Iranian film to win the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival (plus Silver Berlin Bears for Best Actor – Peyman Moaadi and Shahab Hosseini – as well as Best Actress – for both Leila Hatami and Sareh Bayat). It also won awards at the Sydney Film Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival, the San Sebastián International Film Festival, the British Independent Film Awards, among others. (For a complete list see here.) It currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Trailer Weekly #8

Tags

trailers, world cinema

French and Turkish Film Festivals & Secret Cinema

Tags

Film Festival, London, world cinema

As I was booking tickets for next week’s A Separation (screening as part of UKIFF) at Cine Lumière (the cinema of London’s Institut Français du Royaume-Uni), I came across a link for the 19th French Film Festival.* Films are showing on screens all across the UK from November 9 to December 6, 2011.

Trailer Weekly #7

Tags

Okada Masaki, trailers, world cinema, world literature

The 2nd Portuguese Film Festival & Portuguese Literature

Tags

Fernando Pessoa, Film Festival, London, trailers, world cinema, world literature

More film festivals in London keep popping up out of nowhere – and I really mean ‘popping up out of nowhere’, as some are still very much in their infancy. The 2nd Portuguese Film Festival runs from November 10-30, with films screening at cinemas across London.

But this is not just any old film festival:

The focus of the festival will be on adaptations of Portuguese literature and will include a special session at the Barbican, with classic silent film Os Lobos (directed by Rino Lupo) being accompanied by Grupo de Música Contemporânea de Lisboa.

Schedule for Iranian Film Festival (UKIFF) Released

Tags

Film Festival, London, trailers, world cinema

The schedule is finally out: plenty of feature films, documentaries and animations screening at the 2011 UKIFF. The most interesting one: Berlin’s Golden Bear Winner A Separation.