A whirlwind day at the Berlinale with so many interviews but a film has emerged, The Party from director Sally Potter. Stay Tuned for more.
Shooting Stars is now 20 years old. The Pan European program has been celebrated for spotting emerging talent, helping talented performers to the next levels of their careers. This year there the 14 picks are:
Esben Smed* from Denmark, Louis Hofman* from Germany, Alessandro Borghi from Italy, Elina Vaska from Latvia, Hannah Hoekstra* from The Netherlands, Zofia Wichlacz from Poland, Victoria Guerra from Portugal, Tudor Aaron Istodor* from Romania, Marusa Majer* from Slovenia, and Karin Franz Korlof from Sweden.
*Stay tuned for the Black and Paper feature on these actors.
The press room opinions are in and it looks like The Dinner is a winner. Judging by the level of applause at the press conference I would say the film was well received. With an accomplished ensemble cast of veterans, director Sally Potter made a black and white film that was light and lovely but what can go wrong when people lose touch their principals. Commenting, “my favorite films are in Black and White and this is a part of the lineage. Working with Russian cinematography Aleksei Rodionov, the film is a performance character based project. Shot over two weeks the actors had to get it right the first time. Co-star Kristin Scott Thomas admitted it was like doing a play with little rehearsal time, there was no time for many takes. German Actor Bruno Ganz, an actor not known for comedic roles, made an impression going against type.
The Party stars Cillian Murphy, Kristin Scott Thomas, Timothy Spall, Patricia Clarkson, and Bruno Ganz. The film screens in Competition at the Berlinale.
My first impression of the new mega Arri Stedicam Trinity was exoskeleton. Weighting in between 20 to 30 kilos the new camera mount is the latest innovation in the firm’s 100 years. Granted it is a James Cameron dream come true, an achievement in technical advancement for film production. Currently there are only 10 in available. Stay tuned for the upcoming Black and Paper video.
I had a one on one interview with filmmaker Yance Ford. His documentary feature Strong Island was well received at the Sundance Film Festival. A story of a senseless murder, except the victim was the helmer’s brother, shot because of an altercation concerning repairs over a car. This documentary resonated with me given the present climate in the USA and the continue killings of African American men.
Stay tuned for the Q&A with Mr. Ford