FRANCE
BULGARIA
POLISSE
THE FOREIGNER
“A powerhouse of emotional jolts, freewheeling comedy, and sociallyminded storytelling” (Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter), Polisse, the third feature written and directed by single-named French actress Maïwenn, won the Jury Prize (the third-highest honour) at Cannes last year. “This extensive portrayal of officers working in a Parisian Child Protection Unit is packed with raw energy and visceral performances from an accomplished cast ... Like a whole season of The Wire packed into a single two-hour-plus film, Polisse covers much ground, and even with its loose threads and frenzied structure, it convincingly jumps from laughter to tears and back again, never losing sight of the brutal realities at its core ... From its opening scene, the film presents the difficulties in distinguishing truth from speculation in child sex abuse cases, especially when kids and parents offer conflicting testimonies or take issue with police workers poking into their private lives. Maïwenn herself plays Melissa, the timid photographer who’s been commissioned by the Interior Ministry to document the unit’s activities” (Mintzer). “Honest, unruly, gripping ... Illuminates French society with a toughness and fidelity that few other recent movies have dared” (A. O. Scott, New York Times). Colour, 35mm, in French, Italian, Romanian, and Arabic with English subtitles. 127 mins.
The directorial debut of popular Bulgarian actor and (male) model Niki Iliev is a boy-meets-girl romantic comedy of clashing European Union cultures. Frenchman Gerard (Lubomir Kovatchev), travelling in Bulgaria, meets country girl Magdalena (Sanya Borisova), a hot-tempered beauty with unrefined manners. Smitten, Gerard seeks to acquaint himself with Magdalena’s family, friends, and home village. His cluelessness about local customs, character, and language leads to comic misunderstandings and mishaps — and maybe one serious international incident. Director Iliev, who also wrote the script, co-stars as Kalin, Gerard’s best friend. The well-known French actor Christopher Lambert (Highlander) has a role. Female lead Borisova was recently seen in the Bulgarian-shot Expendables 2 — as “Village Woman 6”! “A romantic comedy in the spirit of the French films from the ’60s and ’70s but with a modern pace, adventurous spirit, and hilarious twists” (Sofia I.F.F.). Colour, Blu-ray Disc, in Bulgarian with English subtitles. 100 mins.
France 2011. Director: Maïwenn Cast: Karin Viard, Joeystarr, Marina Foïs, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Maïwenn
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24 – 6:30 PM
Bulgaria 2012. Director: Niki Iliev Cast: Lubomir Kovatchev, Sanya Borisova, Niki Iliev, Valentin Goshev, Elen Koleva
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 – 7:00 PM
AUSTRIA
THE FATHERLESS GREECE
NISOS 2: THE HUNT FOR THE LOST TREASURE (Nisos 2: To kynigi tou hamenou thisavrou)
Greece 2011. Director: Antonis Aggelpoulos Cast: Vladimiros Kiriakidis, Mihalis Marinos, Dimitris Tzoumakis, Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos, Eleni Kastani, Zeta Douka
“The larger-than-life comedy Nisos 2 is a sequel to the 2010 Greek hit Nisos (The Island), and offers plenty of laughs on its own as it continues the fun with some unexpected twists and grotesque situations. Fast forward five years, and the ‘heroes’ from The Island, Babis (Vladimiros Kiriakidis) and Afroditi (Zeta Douka), prepare for release from jail. A long-term inmate starts blabbing about the existence of a treasure trove on the island that dates back to the Ottoman occupation, which, of course, tweaks their interest. Various ‘alliances’ and spurious friendships emerge as they search for the buried treasure and reunite with lovable islanders and an apparent ghost. With a pictureperfect Cycladic backdrop, Nisos 2 propagates what Christos Dimas’s original box-office smash did so well, although with Antonis Aggelopoulos now ably holding the directorial reins” (Greek Film Festival, Australia). Colour, in Greek with English subtitles. 109 mins.
(Die Vaterlosen)
Austria 2011. Director: Marie Kreutzer Cast: Andrea Wenzl, Andreas Kiendl, Emily Cox, Philipp Hochmair, Marion Mitterhammer
“In a large, run-down house in the idyllic Austrian countryside — which, back in the ’80s, was the site of a sexually-liberated commune — Hans, the charismatic former commune leader, dies, attended by his oldest son, who never got the approval he craved. In writer-director Marie Kreutzer’s amazingly assured first film, Hans’s four adult children — one of whom, Kyra, has not seen her siblings in 23 years — reunite for his funeral and thrash out their complicated and conflicting feelings about their childhoods, uncovering buried secrets. With novelistic richness, Kreutzer’s drama examines the fallout from a failed utopian dream and the consequences of unbridled freedom” (Los Angeles F.F.). “Though at first glance chock full of clichés — the pot, wine, vinyl records, unopened childhood letters, family secrets, etc. — Kreutzer enlivens the material by ensuring each of her characters is a recognizable individual ... She wisely broadens her film by investigating in a more general way the concepts of family and freedom, and how the two are, uh, related” (Boyd van Hoeij, Variety). Colour, 35mm, in German with English subtitles. 105 mins. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 – 6:30 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25 – 6:30 PM
IRELAND
SILENCE
Ireland/Germany 2012. Director: Pat Collins Cast: Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde, Hilary O’Shaughnessy, Andrew Bennett, Jens K. Müller, Patrick O’Connor
“Prolific Cork-based documentarian Pat Collins possesses a restless curiosity, coupled with a poetic eye for the small moments — something that informs this feature debut, of sorts. We say ‘of sorts’ because Silence boldly defies categorisation at every turn. The film has been described as both meditation and odyssey, tracing the psycho-geographical journey undertaken by an enigmatic soundman (writer and co-scenarist Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde) from his adopted city of Berlin to his native Donegal. His undertaking is to aurally document landscapes free from man-made noise — a journey that ultimately leads our protagonist inwards, as he finds himself drawn to his childhood home. Navigating a unique path betwixt fiction and documentary, this film is by turns haunting and utterly beguiling; reference points might include Kiarostami, Apichatpong, and Terrence Malick. Ultimately, however, this is unlike anything else you’ll see this year — a deeply immersive experience from a major Irish filmmaker” (Derek O’Connor, Irish Film Institute). “A haunting film ... Hugely enjoyable” (Irish Examiner). Colour. 84 mins.
HUNGARY
CHILDREN OF THE GREEN DRAGON (A zöld sárkány gyermekei)
Hungary 2010. Director: Bence Miklauzic Cast: Zoltán Rátóti, Yu Debin, Eszter Bánfalvy, Ferenc Lengyel, Attila Egyed,
The unlikely friendship between two lonely men from different cultures is imperilled by business and love in director Bence Miklauzic’s charming Children of the Green Dragon. Máté (Zoltán Rátóti), divorced and forlorn, is a struggling Budapest real estate agent. Wu (Yu Debin) is a Chinese immigrant who guards and lives in a warehouse stocked with imported Chinese goods. An odd friendship develops between the two, and Yu helps Máté get back on track. Then Máté is ordered by his boss to sell the warehouse or else; Wu is told by his own boss to prevent the sale or else. Complicating things more is the introduction of Regina (Eszter Bánfalvy), the pizza delivery woman both men fall for. “A touching film, exploring the themes of loneliness and friendship in today’s world ... Green Dragon boasts excellent acting from all involved ... The wonderful cinematography by János Vecsernyés frames a great story in a beautiful way” (Raindance Film Festival, London). Colour, Blu-ray Disc, in Hungarian, Mandarin, and Chinese with English subtitles, 89 mins. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 – 8:30 PM
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26 – 7:00 PM
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