Nisimazine Cannes 2013 #3

#3

Nisimazine Cannes 15th - 26th MAY 2013

‘The Opportunist’ by David Lassiter

A Magazine by NISI MASA, European Network Of Young Cinema

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints The Magnificent Lion Boy Nick Clifford

picture of the day

Editorial

Fernando Vasquez (Portugal)

For many people the Cannes Film Festival is all about glamour and stars spotting, to such an extent that sometimes the more distracted ones may run the risk of forgetting there is a film festival going on. Here in the French Riviera films are actually the real stars and the festival is above all a celebration of cinema like no other.

From all the works on display, both in the official and parallel sections, there is a unique variety of styles and structures. One of its purest is the Short Film format.

In an event so focus on established filmmakers and vital feature sales and distribution deals, the short film format can easily get eclipsed, yet, to be fair, the festival has been working hard in maintaining and developing the short film´s traditional sacred place in the industry as a showcase of young promising talent.

The official competition and cinefondation sections are bringing a much needed spotlight on new filmmakers ready

to take over the world, and both the Directors Fortnight and Critic´s Week sections are not falling behind, with an impressive selection of shorts from around the world.

Equally important is the existence of the Short Film Corner at the Palais du Festival, which is perhaps the most vibrant of all areas of Le Marché du Film. It is here that young filmmakers and wannabees gather to share projects, ideas and look for the support that will allow them to breakthrough.

Nisimazine has always had a passion for shorts. For a decade now we´ve managed to resist the temptation of just looking at feature productions and multiplied our efforts in special short film editions, such as our annual ebook during the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

This Cannes edition will be no different and our coming Ebook will have extensive coverage of the shorts. For now have a little taste of what is coming.

NISIMAZINE CANNES

15th - 26th May 2013 /# 1 A magazine published by NISI MASA in the framework of a film journalism workshop for young Europeans with the support of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme of the EU

EDITORIAL STAFF

Director & Editor Fernando Vasquez Layout Lucia Ros Tutor Lee Marshall Photography Elisabeth Renault- Geslin

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

Fernando Vasquez, Robyn Davies, Tom Cottey,

NISI MASA

99, rue du Faubourg Saint-Dénis 75010, Paris, France Phone: +33 (0)9 60 39 63 38 in Cannes: +33 (0) 6 32 61 70 26 europe@nisimasa.com www.nisimasa.com

reviews Ain’t them bodies saints David Lowery (USA) – Critic’s Week

One of this year´s Sundance favourite, alongside Ryan Coogler´s Fruitvale Station (screened earlier in Un Certain Regard), David Lowery´s second feature, Ain´t Them body Saints, stands out from the pack at this year´s Cannes Film Festival for its scent of nostalgia for earlier American counterculture romantic crime dramas.

Set in the scenic Texan countryside, the film tells the story of a young couple of outlaws, Bob and Ruth, whose life´s are separated once caught by the authorities. While Bob is sent to jail, Ruth is left alone to raise their daughter. A third party, a policeman shot during the cross fire that eventually put the great love affair on hold, is thrown into the mix, forming a not all too convincing love triangle.

You would think that the occasional plot failures and some of its predicable outcomes, would make Ain´t Them Body Saints an avoidable experience, but you would be wrong in this case.

The film will undeniably charm many with its melancholic dreamlike pace.

Some films are capable of standing on their own solemnly on atmosphere and Lowery´s latest venture is unquestionably one of those rare occasions. This is achieved partly thanks to great photography work and an equally moody soundtrack. Together with the film´s long and quiet dialogues the audience is left

to share the bitter taste of longing and quiet desperation the characters are immersed in due to their forced separation.

Equally important is the nature of the performances by Cassey Afflect, Rooney Mara and, perhaps most impressive of all, Ben Foster, who all fill the screen with discretion, never overdoing, turning otherwise tiresome characters into engaging and fascinating sights.

Yes, it is true, Lowery builds up a lot throughout the film but fails to deliver the goods at the end, with a timid climax, but this is a film that thrives as an exercise of mood setting and tribute to southern American outlaw culture. Once you accept that limitation you will struggle to resist its magnetism.

by Fernando Vasquez (Portugal) London to integrate into British life. But despite his efforts, the child is shunned by the general public, his unfamiliar and unreserved behaviour deemed more suited to a freak show exhibit than a functioning member of society. Bringing this boy into his world proves to be life changing for the gentleman, and a dramatic conclusion causes him to rethink his entire belief system.

The Magnificent Lion Boy Ana Caro (UK) - Cinéfondation

Ana Caro’s student film provides us with a heartwarming and slightly different look at the expectations of society, addressing the potentially damaging effects that could occur from passing judgment and fearing the unknown.

When a gentleman stumbles upon a feral child during a trip to Africa, he is determined to return the boy to Victorian

With such elegance rooted in its animation style, The Magnificent Lion Boy could only have come from the National Film and Television School. The viewer is smoothly guided through a living and breathing sketchbook, constructed entirely from charcoal drawings but with almost photographic detail at times.The use of colour is also well thought out, and the palette transitions coincide with shifts in the film’s emotional stance to make it atmospheric throughout.

The voice acting is of a high standard – as you’d expect from the likes of Hugh Bonneville and Andy Serkis. But the film’s strength lies in its plot. It’s a beautifully told story that succeeds in asking important questions about the obsession with conforming to the expectations of others, and the sad yet peaceful note on which it ends is hauntingly memorable.

by Robyn Davies (UK)

interview It was the first day of shooting nights so you’re always exhausted cause you essentially haven’t slept in 24 hours.

I remember walking around going ‘wow, I’m facing a decision, I can either completely zone out and just be really tired and complain or I can just decide that tired is not an option and just dive straight into this weird mania that sleep deprivation puts you in.’

I was like ‘this character is exactly who I want to be playing’.

This is the kind of roles that I dream about having, this is the opportunity that I can have to go as deep as possible’ and honestly the next few takes that we shot were some of the weirdest experiences of my life. I felt completely out of body and totally engulfed by the character.

What kind of reactions have you had from members of the public who’ve watched the film at Cannes?

Nick Clifford

Actor of The Opportunist (USA) - Critic’s Week

Nick Clifford stars in Critics Week´s short film The Opportunist, in which he plays a sly young man who thrives off of the thrill of invading the lives of others. The film begins with an act of audacious party crashing, before gradually descending into a sensationally sinister territory.

Your character feels strangely familiar. Have you had experience with this kind of character in real life?

I definitely have. I grew up in New York City and everything is so easy to walk into; you notice a party’s happening and just wander up into the house. I have a very distinct memory of walking into a back room at a party

once and coming across these two guys that are stuffing DVDs into a duffel bag. I walked in and looked at them and they looked right back at me and they had this dead stare. And this is a feeling that we played with in the film…

Your portrayal of this character is very intense, how was your experience shooting the film?

The reaction that we honestly had is that people walk up to me and are really afraid of me. I think that for someone who likes to play characters who are far away from themselves that is the greatest compliment that I can get.

If I show a film to someone and they don’t want to spend time with me for the next twenty minutes I’m like good! I did my job!

Interview by Tom Cottey (UK)