Mexican film industry reaches agreement to promo local films

Variety reports that Mexican film producers, distributors and theaters have reached an agreement to promote and show locally produced films.

The agreements would in part lead exhibitors “to run more trailers, guaranteed minimum two-week runs, as well as an increased percentage of ticket sales for films from first- and second-time directors,” the paper reported

After the past couple years when Mexican cinema felt the boost of such films as Pan’s Labrynth, El Violin and Babel, it will take the agreements from local theaters to carry Mexican films. Without a commitment from venues, the Mexican film industry will continue to languish.

Berlinale to Honor Italian Director Francesco Rosi

The Homage of the 58th Berlin International Film Festival will be dedicated to the renowned Italian director Francesco Rosi. In his work, Rosi has critically reflected on political, economic and intellectual developments in Italy. Within the scope of the Homage, Francesco Rosi will receive the Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement on February 14, 2008.

"With their explosive power, Rosi’s films are still persuasive today. His works are classics of politically engaged cinema," comments Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick on the Homage.

Francesco Rosi, who is now 85, has helped shape 50 years of Italian film history. The Berlinale Homage will present a selection of 13 films documenting Rosi’s oeuvre over the decades. With the film Salvatore Giuliano (1961/62), he first found his own personal style and established himself internationally: the film won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlinale in 1962 and will be screened at the Honorary Golden Bear award ceremony on February 14, 2008.

When Francesco Rosi made his directorial debut with La sfida (The Challenge) in 1958, he had already had years of experience as assistant director and screenwriter for several filmmakers, including Visconti. Neorealism defined his use of original locations and non-professional actors. In I magliari (1959, The Magliari) he drafted a realistic picture of rivalling Italian cloth salesmen in Hamburg, who were trying to make a place for themselves in the affluent West German society. In Salvatore Giuliano, Il caso Mattei (1971/72, The Mattei Affair, which won the Palme d'Or in Cannes) and Lucky Luciano (1972/73), he explored how economic and political power structures were intertwined with the Mafia. Set in his hometown of Naples, he exposed hushed-up building scandals in Le mani sulla città (1963, Hands Over the City), for which he received the Golden Lion in Venice. In the late 1970s, Francesco Rosi broke new ground, both aesthetically and thematically. In Cristo si è fermato a Eboli (1978/79, Christ Stopped at Eboli) and Tre fratelli (1980/81 Three Brothers), Rosi turned his attention to the inner lives of his characters. These films also mirrored the conflicts between Italy’s rich north and its poorer agricultural south - the latter presented in the archaically poetic landscape of Lucania in Cristo si è fermato a Eboli.

Francesco Rosi made his films with both Italian and international stars, including Gian Maria Volonté, Alain Cuny, Philippe Noiret, Rod Steiger and John Turturro. Rosi was also at all times responsible for the screenplays of his films – which he usually co-authored with a team of several writers; in addition, he did the research for his investigative films. On a number of films he collaborated with screenwriter Suso Cecchi d'Amico as well as with Raffaele la Capria and Tonino Guerra.

"Francesco Rosi’s films never fail to display great commitment and passion and still have an enormous impact today - a fact that underscores their greatness as works of art,” remarks Dr. Rainer Rother, Artistic Director of the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen, which is responsible for the Homage.

Many of Rosi’s films on highly topical issues in recent Italian and European history have sparked fierce public debates. In his cinematic (re-) construction of authentic cases, he lays out the evidence and in so doing adds a historical dimension to events.

- Berlinale Press Office

'El Violin' Takes New York Bow

After its regional debut in Fort Worth as part of the Fort Worth Sister Cities Film Series during the Lone Star International Film Festival, El Violin premiered last week in New York City.

The first full-length film by director Francisco Vargas is a Mexican film set during the 1970s during a period of revolutionary uprisings.

The beautifully shot, black-and-white film was popular among Fort Worth filmies during the FWSCI Film Series.

Check out the review from the New York Times.

The film is set for a wider distribution in Texas and the United States after the first of the year.

Let Award Season Begin

Scene from "My Brother is an Only Child".

Golden Globe Nominations Announced
So The Golden Globe nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association came down today and no films from our Sister City countries were nominated. Boo.
So those of us who saw three spectacular and eligible films during the FWSCI Film Series and Lone Star International Film Festival last november have reason to to be annoyed.
Ignored were Vier Minuten (Four Minutes) from Germany, Mio Fratello (My Brother is an Only Child) from Italy and Taxidermia from Hungary.
I was hoping View Minuten would make the cut and am a little surprised that Taxidermia didn't either. Taxidermia is Hungary's nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Vier Minuten received the best picture award at the German Lola Awards this summer.

Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) - Germany

Jenny is young. Her life is over. She killed someone. And she would do it again.
When an 80-year-old piano teacher discovers the girl’s secret, her brutality and her dreams, she decides to transform her pupil into the musical wunderkind she once was.

In feverish images, Director Chris Kraus’s second feature film Four Minutes tells the story of an impossible relationship.

For more than sixty years, aged pianist Traude Krüger has been teaching piano at the women’s prison. But she’s never met someone like Jenny, a killer beating everything around her to a pulp just to amuse herself. But Jenny used to be a great musical talent. And she still is under her impenetrable facade. She could manage to win a prestigious piano contest she is allowed to participate in despite her prison sentence. However, a contest is no challenge to someone who wants life to stand still.

Director Kraus is considered one of the most captivating young filmmakers in Germany. His debut Shattered Glass was the year 2002’s revelation, winning two Bavarian Film Awards, the German Screenplay Award, the German Award for Best Photography, the Golden Camera Award for lead actor Jürgen Vogel and the New Talent Award for best directorial effort.

Chris Kraus also wrote several screenplays for German celebrity directors like Detlev Buck (LiebesLuder – Bundle of Joy) and worked for Academy Award winners Pepe Danquart (C(r)ook) and Volker Schlöndorff (The Tin Drum II). His screenplays have garnered numerous awards.

This Just In: New DVD Releases

Apartment 1303, directed by Ataru Oikawa, 2007, Japan
While celebrating her new apartment with her friends, a young woman suddenly and inexplicably leaps from the balcony, killing herself. Unconvinced that it was a suicide, the victim's sister searches for the sinister truth behind the tragedy. Her investigation into the apartment reveals a dark history and the existence of an unspeakable, powerful evil. What fate awaits the next tenant in this tale of terror?

Autumn Moon (Qiu Yue ), directed by Clara Law, 1992, Japan
When Japanese tourist Tokio travels to Hong Kong, he unexpectedly begins a relationship with 15-year-old Wai, a Chinese girl who cares for her ailing grandmother. Wai invites Tokio for a home-cooked meal, sparking a new friendship. As her family prepares to immigrate to Canada, Wai forms a surprising bond with the young man. This tender coming-of-age story explores the differences in Asian cultures and the joys and sorrows of young love.

Carnival in the Night, directed by Masashi Yamamoto, 1982, Japan
Punk rocker Kumi Ota (Kumiko Ota) leaves her son with her ex-husband and embarks on a long, strange trip through the underbelly of early 1980s Tokyo in this mishmash of narrative and documentary from indie maverick Masashi Yamamota. Featuring a cast of locals from the Japanese punk scene, Yamamota's cult hit is shot in gritty 16 mm black-and-white. The film was an official selection at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The Third Heaven (Los 3 Cielos) directed by Octavio Gasca Holguin, 2007, Japan
The ghost of a young man observes and protects a living woman named Doris in this delightful Mexican drama. Though Doris can't see him, the ghost has fallen in love and spends his time keeping an eye on her as she goes about her daily life. Originally enchanted by her beauty, he grows to love her spirit as well, and as he waits for the eventual day when she'll join him in the afterlife, he considers the meaning of life and love.

Scrap Heaven, directed by Sang-il Lee, 2007, Japan
Humiliated and dejected by his failure to handle a bloody bus hijacking, desk cop Shingo (Ryo Kase) is easily coaxed by one of the victims, Tetsu (Jô Odagiri), into taking part in an underground revenge-for-hire operation. Scribbling on bathroom walls to advertise their business, Shingo and Tetsu journey down a dangerous path and discover who they truly are. Director Sang-il Lee's stylish thriller also stars Chiaki Kuriyama of Kill Bill fame.

Tequila 5, directed by Luis Monterrubio, 2005, Mexico
Love is like a shot of tequila -- strong, hot and intoxicating. For four lonely singles living in Monterrey, Mexico, love will not only make them drunk with passion, it will give them courage to do the impossible and experience something beautiful. That is, until the day love makes them desperate, miserable and downright crazy! Luis Felipe Ibarra stars in this modern-day romance where love tastes great, even when it's hard to swallow.

The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio, directed by Agostino Ferrente, 2006, Italy
After rounding up musicians from a thriving immigrant neighborhood in Rome to create the eclectic Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio, filmmaker Agostino Ferrente captured their heartwarming individual stories in this captivating documentary. The film reveals that, for many members of the group -- which is made up of Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus and atheists from 11 countries -- making music is as second nature as breathing.

Traces of Stones (Spur der Steine), directed by Frank Beyer,1966, Germany
A married East German Communist Party secretary finds himself disgraced, his morals scrutinized and his career in shambles after his affair with a young woman is exposed. Meanwhile, a construction foreman -- who happens to be an outspoken critic of the government -- professes his love for the woman, sparking a complicated love triangle. Banned for 25 years, this 1966 drama released after Germany's reunification met with critical acclaim.

Mio Fratello e Figlio Unico

I'm anxiously awaiting info on "My Brother is an Only Child," our Italian film. The U.S. distributors are as well.

It's a couple weeks out and we need to get clips, images and text the media. We'll make it. It always comes together.

I'm really excited about this film. I have been since I first heard of it last spring. It, along with 'Vier Minuten', was one of the films I never figured we could land.

It's a little unnerving waiting to see what the public reaction will be to all of our films.

You know how tough it is to pick out the perfect film from the local video store? All the selections. Imagine going to Blockbuster to pick out some movies you'd like to show to all of North Texas.

So welcome to my world for the last couple months.

In the meantime, here's something I found in the 'Hollywood Reporter'.

http://fwsci-filmies.blogspot.com

My Brother Is an Only Child
Bottom Line: A fine and engaging study of two personalities, seemingly in sharp contrast, that prove awfully alike in the end.
By Kirk Honeycutt

May 23, 2007

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/awards_festivals/fest_reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=9257


Daniele Luchetti keeps the story focused on people's inner lives.

CANNES -- Italian filmmakers have a unique facility for tracking the lives, loves and coming-of-age of a group of characters, usually families, through the social and political changes within Italy over a number of years.

Daniele Luchetti's "My Brother Is an Only Child" (Mio Fratello e Figlio Unico) is one of the better examples of the genre, focusing on a pair of brothers who struggle to make sense of the social turbulence of the 1960s and '70s.

For all the concentration on politics, the film isn't really political at all, but rather a fine and engaging study of two personalities, seemingly in sharp contrast, that prove awfully alike in the end. All the characters are immensely charismatic, and Luchetti shows a firm hand though a light touch in keeping the story focused on people's inner lives rather than the eye-catching turmoil that surrounds them. Theatrical prospects look promising throughout the world in specialty adult venues.

The two brothers, first seen at an early age in the small town of Latina in 1962, are enough to drive a mother crazy as they grow older. Manrico (Riccardo Scamarcio) is handsome and intelligent, a smart catch for any of the young women who eye him. But his younger brother, Accio (Elio Germano), is a born rebel, causing trouble at the seminary to which his parents have so misguidedly sent him. He questions everything with vigor as a self-righteous anger smolders within him.
Naturally, Accio is our protagonist in this script by Luchetti, Sandro Petraglia and Stefano Rulli, based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Antonio Pennacchi. Accio veers from the family when he senses his elder brother and sister, Violetta (Alba Rohrwacher), are the more favored.

He is thus susceptible to the poisonous blandishments of an unrepentant Fascist. He soon joins the party to the horror of his left-leaning, working-class family. While his elder brother gets involved in agitation for better working conditions and housing with communist organizations, Accio learns how to disrupt leftist protests and to smash things including, sometimes, people.

Manrico never accepts his brother's rightist politics, thinking -- correctly, as it turns out -- that this stems more from issues of personal insecurity and identity than conviction. What really unites but also divides the brothers is Manrico's new girlfriend, Francesca (Diane Fleri), with whom Accio has fallen madly in love.

Accio eventually loses his innocence with the wife (Anna Bonaiuto) of his Fascist mentor, but he still longs for Francesca. She is the one that, in a sense, draws him back to Manrico and his family, if only to argue politics with Francesca.

Meanwhile, as Accio grows repulsed at the Fascists' increasingly violent tactics -- especially when his brother and, later, sister get caught up in melees -- Manrico drifts into the dangerous fanaticism that Accio himself gave up, that of crime and terrorism.

Things play out in unexpected and dramatic ways in a terrific third act. For all the intriguing plot twists though, Luchetti remains firmly committed to all the action springing from characters.

In this regard, he is blessed with a terrific leading performance by Germano. The young actor convincingly conveys the shifting personal and political perspective as his character matures. You enjoy watching Accio grow and learn from life, in contrast to his brother who seems to regress as ideology engulfs him.

All tech credits gleam with professionalism, especially the camerawork by Claudio Collepiccolo, who often favors close shots of actors even when they are embroiled in hot and heavy action.


MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD
Warner Bros. and Cattleya in association with Babe Films and StudioCanal
Credits:
Director: Daniele Luchetti
Screenwriters: Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli, Daniele Luchetti
Based on a novel by: Antonio Pennacchi
Producers: Bruno Ridolfi, Matteo De Laurentiis
Director of photography: Claudio Collepiccolo
Production designer: Francesco Frigeri
Music: Franco Piersanti
Costume designer: Maria Rita Barbera
Editor: Mirco Garrone
Cast: Accio: Elio Germano
Manrico: Riccardo Scamarcio
Francesca: Diane Fleri
Violetta: Alba Rhorwacher
Mother: Angela Finocchiaro
Father: Massimo Popolizio
Bella: Anna Bonaiuto
Running time -- 104 minutes
No MPAA rating