IS SU E
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5 2014
AT ZURICH FILM FESTIVAL www.ScreenDaily.com
John Malkovich
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Experts herald ‘golden age’ of film finance BY ANDREAS WISEMAN
Malkovich spies his Golden Eye John Malkovich will head to Zurich later this week to present his latest film and receive the festival’s Golden Eye award. The star of Dangerous Liaisons, Red and Being John Malkovich will be in town on Saturday to introduce thriller Cut Bank — which receives a gala premiere screening at ZFF — alongside director Matt Shakman. The honorary Golden Eye prize will be presented later that evening on the festival’s award night at Zurich’s Opera House. Malkovich will accept the honour from Veronica Ferres, his co-star in The Casanova Variations. Cut Bank, which played at Toronto and receives its European premiere here, centres on a young man (Liam Hemsworth) who dreams of escaping his small town. But his efforts to do so set a deadly series of events in motion. The film also stars Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Dern. Producer Laura Rister will also be in attendance for the Zurich screening. Sales on Cut Bank are handled by eOne Entertainment. Koch Media has distribution rights for German-speaking Europe. Malkovich has spent three decades in film from early roles in The Killing Fields and Empire Of The Sun to more recent performances in Cesar Chavez and The Casanova Variations. He recently wrapped work on NBC TV series Crossbones, a fictionalised take on notorious 18th century pirate Blackbeard. Michael Rosser
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More funds are becoming available for film-making but are leading to inflated budgets, according to finance experts. “It’s a golden age for film finance,” film lawyer Lindsay Conner told delegates at Zurich Summit. “This is partly because we came out of the trough of 200810, when we went from 45 banks lending to only nine. We’re seeing capital available from a wide variety of places. Banks are more willing to lend and there’s no shortage of high-net-worth individuals willing to back films.”
“There are more and more funds out there,” added Conner, partner and co-chair of the entertainment and media practice at law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. “With interest rates so low, more funds want to expose some portion of their capital to the alternative investment risk.” However, the amount of capital is leading to inflated budgets and does not guarantee good product, warned Claudia Blümhuber, CEO of financier Silver Reel Partners. “There’s so much capital available that there are a lot of people entering the business without the
requisite experience,” she said. “They will completely overpay and burn like hell. I think a lot of people will move out of this space again in two years’ time.” Later in the day, Ubisoft Motion Pictures CEO Jean-Julien Baronnet discussed the dangers that can arise from studios adapting video games. “Hollywood studios are looking for big IP and the core age of the gaming audience is exactly the one studios want,” he said. “But you have to understand gamers’ fanaticism for the brand. You have to retain the DNA of the brand.”
ZFF
Del Toro shows two faces of Escobar Benicio Del Toro has said he tried to capture the two faces of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in his latest film. At a ZFF press conference for Escobar: Paradise Lost, Del Toro said: “Escobar had two faces. He was a family man. He seduced a whole country but at the same time he brings it down. That was Pablo. He became a Robin Hood who also bled the country out.”
Guneet Monga, page 3
NEWS Budget watch Dallas Buyers Club exec on making award winners on a budget » Page 2
India’s new wave Producer Guneet Monga boosts Indian cinema’s fresh talent » Page 3
REVIEWS Gone Girl A mordant satire on domestic violence as mass entertainment » Page 6
St. Vincent Bill Murray achieves curmudgeon canonisation » Page 8
SCREENINGS
» Page 9
Northmen conquer Zurich BY ANDREAS WISEMAN
Benicio Del Toro meets the Zurich public
BY ANDREAS WISEMAN
TODAY
The Che star also revealed he had mixed feelings about the infamous Escobar. “I have pity for him. I don’t like what he did. He was a talented man who wasted his talent. But he brought a lot of suffering to a lot of people. He isn’t someone to emulate.” Del Toro stars alongside Josh Hutcherson and Claudia Traisac in the thriller directed by Andrea Di Stefano, which centres on a young surfer who meets the
woman of his dreams who also happens to be the niece of the Colombian drug lord. The Hunger Games star Hutcherson joked he was “seduced’ by Del Toro during the shoot. “I met Benicio a few years ago when he directed me in a short film. I’ve seen his movies and I know what he does on set. He’s pretty intense so I was a little nervous. But knowing him personally from before helped”.
The cast and director of Northmen: A Viking Saga sailed into Zurich at the weekend to launch their ambitious epic. Director Claudio Fäh described the opportunity to direct the $10.5m Swiss action film as a “dream come true”. “When Ascot Elite asked me whether I wanted to make this film, it was always a pretty simple answer. Who wouldn’t want to?” he said at a press conference ahead of Northmen’s world premiere. The film has sold to a number of mainstream distributors including eOne in a multi-territory deal. “It is quite unique to make a film out of Switzerland that has broad international appeal,” said Fäh. The actors added that the shoot was a physical and mental challenge. Ed Skrein, a former Screen Star of Tomorrow recently cast in the upcoming Transporter reboot, said of the process: “It was a very immersive project, emotionally as well as conceptually. It means a lot to us. We have a lot of emotional investment in the project, more than we might do usually.” “The toughest thing about the movie was the scope and our ambition,” added Fäh. “There were many moving parts.”
NEWS
Braff ‘shocked’ by backlash
Chartier: ‘Go with guts’
By Andreas Wiseman
By Andreas Wiseman
Zach Braff has said he will not return to crowdfunding platforms to finance future films. Speaking at a press conference in Zurich, the actor-director said he was “shocked” by the criticism he received for making use of Kickstarter to fund comedy drama Wish I Was Here. “I was completely taken aback by the criticism,” he said. “I was expecting a conversation because it’s a fascinating and new model. But I felt that a lot of the criticism was unfair and uninformed.” Braff ’s Kickstarter campaign aimed to raise $2m in a month, but surpassed that in 48 hours. “I wouldn’t do it again because my intention was never to make a number of films through crowdfunding,” he added. “This was always meant to be a really fun art experiment.”
Voltage Pictures president Nicolas Chartier has urged film-makers to “go against the current” and place imagination over money. The producer of The Hurt Locker and executive producer of Dallas Buyers Club used his keynote speech at the Zurich Summit to offer tips for ‘Producing awardwinning films at the right budget’. He told delegates at The
Dolder Grand Hotel: “You want an award? Go with your guts… You don’t win by doing the same movie everyone is trying to do, you win when you go against the current. Nowadays marketing departments are telling filmmakers what to make but films are pieces of art and culture.” Chartier, producer of dronepilot drama Good Kill, playing here in Zurich, also used Oscar
winner Dallas Buyers Club to describe how creativity can be more important than cash. “Money doesn’t matter, imagination and ideas do. The makeup budget on Dallas Buyers Club [which won the Oscar for best make-up] was $250… Very often a lack of money, a lack of a bigger budget, can feed creativity.” » See ScreenDaily.com for Chartier’s top 10 tips
Banderas to shoot Altamira By Andreas Wiseman
Antonio Banderas is to star in period drama Altamira, he revealed at a press conference for Automata here in Zurich. The film, in which Banderas plays an amateur archaeologist in the 19th century, will be directed by Hugh Hudson (Chariots Of Fire) and begins shooting this week.
Bier prepares masterclass By Michael Rosser
Danish director Susanne Bier will lead a ZFF Masters talk on Wednesday at 6pm at the Filmpodium. The Oscar-winning film-maker, who presides over the International Feature Film jury, will discuss the hurdles she has faced during her career. These include finding a foothold in the male-dominated movie industry and the challenges facing European filmmakers in Hollywood. Bier won the Academy Award for best foreign-language film in 2011 for In A Better World. Her latest features include A Second Chance, starring Nikolaj CosterWaldau (Game Of Thrones), and Serena, starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Other Masters talks here at the festival will be from film-makers Fatih Akin and Ulrich Seidl, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and composer Hans Zimmer.
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Indian new wave picks up speed By Michael Rosser
Guneet Monga, producer of Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox, has championed the fast-growing new wave of Indian cinema. Speaking to Screen on stage at the Zurich Summit, Monga said: “Since 2008, there has been a major shift in the number of Indian films outside of Bollywood that are generating strong box office. This new wave cannot
be ignored.” Monga, the cofounder of Sikhya Entertainment and CEO of Anurag Kashyap Films, added that the international opportunities for Indian cinema were considerable. “In Germany, major Bollywood film My Name Is Khan made $500,000 at the box office, while The Lunchbox made $1.6m,” Monga told delegates at The Dolder Grand Hotel.
“The difference is huge and the opportunities are huge. We just need to establish an international distribution pipeline.” India is the guest country of Zurich Film Festival’s New World View strand and includes titles such as Monsoon Shootout, produced by Monga, Titli and Ship Of Theseus. The summit also focused on the opportunities in China, pre-
sented by Michael C Ellis, president and MD of the Motion Picture Association for AsiaPacific. He discussed how 2,900 screens had been installed in China since the start of the year — 16 per day — and that box office had grown nearly 300% from 2009-13 with admissions up 131.3% during the same period. “China is going to be too big to ignore,” he said.
Director turns Holmes to find Cain’s Children By Michael Rosser
Hungarian director Marcell Gero has revealed the hurdles behind his documentary about murderers trying to reintegrate into society. Cain’s Children is playing in the International Documentary Film competition here, and explores the fate of middle-aged men released from
prison after being jailed for murder as teenagers. It marks the feature debut of Gero, who is here in Zurich. The film-maker told Screen: “The biggest challenge was to find these people. They’re living on the edge of society in very difficult conditions. They’re not on Facebook, you can’t Google them.
“It was a miracle we found one. He helped us to find the second, who helped us to find the third. It was like playing Sherlock Holmes.” Producer Sara Laszlo said the film, which debuted at San Sebastian, will be broadcast on ARTE France at the end of October and on HBO Europe at the
end of November. Gero added: “We have eight invitations to festivals over the next two months and we expect a lot more.” Gero is keen to return to directing, but his second feature may not be a documentary. “I always thought of myself as a fiction director so the plan is to take that path,” he adds.
Blanchett in for Jasmine Cate Blanchett made a flying visit to Zurich on Saturday to attend a screening of Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, which won her the best actress award at the Oscars earlier this year. The Lord Of The Rings star also helped to open the IWC exhibition Timeless Portofino at the Festival Centre, alongside the renowned German photographer, Peter Lindbergh.
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September 30-October 5, 2014 Screen International at Zurich 3
Profiles
Screenings, page 9
Michael R Roskam The Drop very nicely if I could direct this film and they said, ‘Go ahead.’
By Michael Rosser
The Belgian director of Bullhead, the 2012 Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film, has been in Zurich with his new crime drama The Drop. Written by Dennis Lehane, the film stars Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and the late James Gandolfini in a crime saga about a botched robbery that opens a can of worms in a working-class community. It marks the first Englishlanguage feature for Roskam. How did you come to direct the film? After Bullhead played at Berlin, I was approached by UTA agents telling me they were very confident they could find a movie for me to direct in Hollywood. I had one condition: I would not be a gun for hire. If they ask me, they get a Roskam movie. In the beginning, I was given a lot of really bad scripts so they stepped up and gave me Animal Rescue [Dennis Lehane’s short story that would become The Drop]. I loved it but they told me David Cronen-
How was working in the US system? The teamwork concept is bigger in America, which is something you have to get used to, but it was my second film so I hadn’t had a lot to get used to. I feel like I have two first films: a European debut and an American debut.
Michael R Roskam (left) with Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini
berg was attached to it. After he dropped out, Neil Berger was set to direct. In the meantime, I sold my project for a TV series [Buda Bridge] to HBO with Michael Mann and Mark Johnson as executive producers. After Burger dropped out, I asked HBO and Michael
‘I feel like I have two first films: a European debut and an American debut’ Michael R Roskam, film-maker
How did you find working with major stars? I loved it. You’re forced into a great intimacy with people in 24 hours. Luckily, Jim [Gandolfini] was a very generous, humble professional. Tom [Hardy] was the lead, which comes with responsibility. But I told him, “Listen, man. You’re going to dance on a wobbly table. But I’ll hold it and catch you.” He’s tough on himself and tough with everybody. But that guy is an energy bomb. He walks in and things start shaking. Something comes with him.
Frederick Wiseman National Gallery By Geoffrey macnab
Veteran US documentary maker Frederick Wiseman has been in Zurich with his latest film, National Gallery, which goes behind the scenes of the London art museum. He also presented a ZFF Masters talk here on Sunday. Whether he is tackling films about boxing gyms, ballet companies, strip clubs, universities or hospitals for the criminally insane, Wiseman has the knack of squirrelling his way into the heart of institutions. How do you persuade big and secretive public organisations to open up to you? The real answer to your question is that I don’t know. Part of it has to do with the way I present myself, whether they trust me or not. I try to be extremely straightforward, no bullshit. I respond directly to any questions asked. I don’t make up any phoney baloney stories. I make my other films available if anyone wants to see them… the general assumption is that other people’s bullshit
National Gallery; (right) Frederick Wiseman
meter is just as good as mine. If they sense they’re being conned, they will either say ‘no’ or be always on the alert.
want our picture taken, we say no and walk away. But if we agree, we go about our business.
How do you capture such relaxed footage of your subjects? None of us are good enough actors to suddenly change our behaviour. If we don’t
How important are festivals to your films? Film festivals are extremely important, particularly for independent films… as an
4 Screen International at Zurich September 30-October 5, 2014
independent, I don’t have the means that a big production company would have to launch a film. It is a terrific way to launch a film. What is next for you? In Jackson Heights, about life in a multiracial suburb of Queens, New York.
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The promotion agency for Swiss filmmaking
proudly presents Swiss productions and coproductions screening at the Zurich Film Festival International Feature Film Competition
International Feature Film Competition
BOuBOule [ChuBBy]
ChrIeg
Thu, Oct 2, 19:15, Corso 4
Tue, Sept 30, 20:30, Arena 4 Fr, Oct 3, 19:45, Arena 8
by Bruno Deville Fiction Switzerland/Belgium2014 83 min
by Simon Jaquemet Fiction Switzerland 2014 108 min
Focus Switzerland, germany, Austria
Focus Switzerland, germany, Austria
ChIlDren OF The ArCTIC
DArk STAr hr gIger’S WOrlD
by nick Brandestini Documentary Switzerland/Belgium 2014 94 min
by Belinda Sallin Documentary Switzerland 2014 96 min
Tue, Sept 30, 13:00, Arena 4 Sat, Oct 4, 13:00, Corso 2
Wed, Oct 1, 12:45, Filmpodium
Focus Switzerland, germany, Austria
Focus Switzerland, germany, Austria
DIe DemOkrATIe IST lOS!
Zu enDe leBen by rebecca Panian Documentary Switzerland 2014 87 min
by Thomas Isler Documentary Switzerland 2014 87 min
Thu, Oct 2, 16:30, Arena 8
Wed, Oct 1, 21:00, Arena 8 Thu, Oct 2, 14:15, Arena 8 Sun, Oct 5, 13:15, Arena 8 Special Screenings
Special Screenings
11:23 - 09: 59
Der VAmPIr AuF Der COuCh
[PrOJekT AngST]
by Stefan Jäger Documentary Switzerland/Germany 2014 91 min
by David ruehm Fiction Austria/Switzerland 2014 96 min
Fr, Oct 3, 23:00, Arena 4
Sat, Oct 4, 21:30, Corso 3
Special Screenings
Special Screenings
FreeFAllIng – A lOVe STOry
PADrOne e SOTTO
[mASTer AnD VASSAl]
by mirjam Von Arx Documentary Switzerland/Germany 2014 83 min
by michele Cirigliano Documentary Switzerland 2014 72 min
Wed, Oct 1, 16:30, Corso 2
Fr, Oct 3, 18:00, Corso 4 Sun, Oct 5, 15:30, le Paris
Special Screenings
gala Premieres
le merAVIglIe
nOrThmen: A VIkIng SAgA
[The WOnDerS]
by Alice rohrwacher Fiction Italy/Switzerland/Germany 2014 111 min
by Claudio Fäh Fiction Switzerland/Germany/ South Africa 2014 97 min
Sun, Oct 5, 18:00, le Paris
Wed, Oct 1, 20:30, Arena 5
www.swissfilms.ch
REVIEWS
Reviews edited by Mark Adams mark.adams@screendaily.com
Gone Girl Reviewed by Graham Fuller Ostensibly a serpentine cat-and-mouse thriller that will leave many viewers looking askance at their spouses, David Fincher’s guileful Gone Girl should transcend its aura of adult sophistication to become a major hit in all territories. Awards prospects are less certain for the longanticipated adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s bestseller. Ben Affleck will grab some voters’ attention as the ambiguously glib Nick Dunne, however, and Rosamund Pike’s dynamic turn as his fierce wife Amy — the missing woman of the title — should belatedly make a star of the gifted English actress. Flynn herself wrote the screenplay, boldly condensing the narrative, though rumours she supplied a new ending were exaggerated. The initial focus is on Nick, who runs a bar in North Carnage, Missouri, that was bought with money from Amy’s trust fund. After he has calmly surveyed the damage and disarray at their McMansion on the morning of the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary, Nick calls the cops to report his wife missing. Detective Rhonda Boney (Dickens), as dry as her name, and her taciturn partner Jim Gilpin (Fugit) search for the missing piece they need to
Gala Premieres US. 2014. 145mins Director David Fincher Production companies New Regency Pictures, Pacific Standard, Regency Enterprises, TGA Entertainment International distribution 20th Century Fox Producers Arnon Milchan, Reese Witherspoon, Cean Chaffin, Joshua Donen Screenplay Gillian Flynn, based on her novel Cinematography Jeff Cronenweth Editor Kirk Baxter Music Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross Main cast Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit
6 Screen International at Zurich September 30-October 5, 2014
charge Nick for homicide — Amy’s corpse. This sets up a standard police procedural that promptly loses momentum. Flashbacks introduced by Amy’s sardonic diary entries, perhaps narrated posthumously by her, reveal her parents (Lisa Banes, David Clennon) had ransacked her childhood and adolescence for their successful series of books about an idealised girl, explaining her subsequent pathological need for control and the wrath she unleashed on men who threatened it. Neil Patrick Harris has a key part as the creepiest of the ex-boyfriends she burned. Amy and Nick’s perfect-seeming marriage was a charade, despite their enduring sexual chemistry. Writers who lost their jobs in the recession — Amy’s Ivy League degrees availing her nothing — they had left Manhattan to tend to Nick’s dying mother in his home town. The couple had attempted to sustain the unrealistic personas each had originally projected onto the other, but Nick was far from a confident dreamboat and Amy, latterly, feigned her dutiful helpmate-cum-wild-mistress image. The film thus emerges as a damning metaphorical analysis of marital role-playing. Less visceral in the main than most Fincher films, save The Social Network, Gone Girl is stylistically restrained but for a few poetic touches
(such as a cloud of sugar that dusts Amy with mystery). Jeff Cronenweth’s camera prowls when it needs to, while Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score is muted. Psycho is a touchstone, as is Body Heat, though Fincher utilises suspense as a smokescreen for social critiquing. As it traces what went wrong in the marriage, Gone Girl simultaneously evolves as a mordant satire of the mediating of domestic violence as mass entertainment. The accusations that author/screenwriter Flynn is a misogynist must be balanced with the consistent empowering of women of variable moral hues. Excepting Tyler Perry as the hotshot lawyer hired by Nick, Gone Girl’s men scarcely rule the roost. Missi Pyle (channelling US primetime legal eagle Nancy Grace) and Sela Ward clearly relish playing the self-righteous Glinda and Wicked Witch of network TV who pillory Nick on the air. Joining Pike, the excellent Carrie Coon (Nick’s bartender twin sister, his secret sharer who gives voice to his conscience) and Pyle and Ward’s viragos, Lola Kirke steals several scenes as a cunning white-trash floozy while controversial British-American model Emily Ratajkowski (from Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines music video) passes muster as the lone submissive female.
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» Gone Girl p6 » The Look Of Silence p7 » My Old Lady p7
My Old Lady Reviewed by Allan Hunter
The Look Of Silence Reviewed by Lee Marshall Joshua Oppenheimer’s astonishing documentary The Act Of Killing made several critics’ best-film lists in 2012 and 2013, and justifiably so: edgy, inventive, sly and angry, it staged a sort of surreal national drama of buried truths and lack of reconciliation by persuading some of the perpetrators of a wave of government and army-supported massacres of ‘Communists’ in 1965 Indonesia to re-enact their atrocities. The Look Of Silence returns to the same subject matter, but this time presents the point of view of one victim’s family. It is a less flashy exercise, and far more intimate, finding its human and dramatic core in a soft-spoken country optometrist, Adi, and his need to ask tough questions about the murder of a brother he never even met. He does this by confronting killers — sometimes with the excuse of giving them eye tests — who still live in the neighbourhood, and who continue to wield the power and influence that come from being on the right side of the goodies-and-baddies narrative Indonesia has constructed to deal with the trauma of 1965. There is no more assassins’ remorse on display here than in the previous outing, but a kind of closure, or at the very least a kind of comeback, still emerges from a film that deserves to be seen back-to-back with The Act Of Killing. Detractors may argue it is something of a DVD-extras appendage to the other film, but in fact it stands apart. If Act sometimes entered into uneasy complicity with its former machete-wielding subjects in order to lull them into a false sense of security, The Look Of Silence takes the quiet dignity, anger and courage of Adi and his elderly mother as its tonal measure. It is a gripping but also tense and uncomfortable viewing experience as Adi confronts men who were all in varying degrees responsible for his brother’s death and that of thousands of others — and is variously stonewalled, told not to rake up the past, given the “I was only following orders” line, and challenged with not-so-veiled threats (also couched in the end credits, where several crew members, including a co-director, appear as ‘Anonymous’ — for fear of reprisals, we presume).
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International Documentary Film / Competition Den-Indo-Nor-Fin-UK. 2014. 100mins Director Joshua Oppenheimer Production company Final Cut For Real International sales Cinephil, philippa@ cinephil.co.il Producer Signe Byrge Sorensen Executive producers Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, André Singer Cinematography Lars Skree Editor Niels Pagh Andersen
When your cast is led by Kevin Kline, Maggie Smith and Kristin Scott Thomas, you are already half way towards home as an irresistible attraction for the older, Exotic Marigold demographic. My Old Lady easily makes the full distance thanks to a witty script and some smooth storytelling from veteran playwright turned film-maker Israel Horovitz, who has adapted his 2002 play for the screen and also makes his directorial debut at the age of 75. An enjoyably tangled tale of guilty secrets and family ghosts, My Old Lady is notable for the way Horovitz encourages his starry cast to act the humanity of their roles rather than merely expecting them to play to the crowd with yet another variation on fully established screen personas. The target audience should welcome this as a civilised and satisfying drama. Mathias Gold (Kline) arrives in Paris believing he has found a solution to the many problems in his life. An alcoholic, three-time divorcee with neither a dollar nor a friend he can call his own, Mathias has inherited a vast apartment from his late father. His plan is to sell the property and make the most of his newfound solvency. The hitch is the current tenants of the apartment, Mathilde (Smith) and her daughter Chloe (Scott Thomas). A French viager means Mathias is unable to sell the property until Mathilde dies. The fact she is 92 gives him some encouragement. Kline brings out all the defensive wit and pain of Mathias, relishing the eloquent precision of Horovitz’s dialogue. Smith is equally invigorated by a role that offers more than another imperious, acid-tongued grande dame. Scott Thomas is given a less showy role that comes into its own as we realise how much Chloe is burdened by a guilt no child should have to carry. My Old Lady probably carries no great surprises and may be a little too tidy in the way it ties up a collection of loose threads and so easily achieves reconciliation from much pain and suffering. The dramatic heft may feel a little light but it is still hugely engaging and perceptive about the way one person can have a very different identity and presence in the lives of everyone close to them.
» St. Vincent p8 » Nightcrawler p8
Gala Premieres US. 2014. 107mins Director/screenplay Israel Horovitz Production company Deux Chevaux International sales Protagonist Pictures, www. protagonistpictures.com Producers Rachael Horovitz, Gary Foster, Nitsa Benchetrit, David C Barrot Executive producers Christine Langan, Joe Oppenheimer, Charles S Cohen, Daniel Battsek, Mike Goodridge, Israel Horovitz, Raphael Benoliel, Russ Krasnoff Cinematography Michel Amathieu Editors Jacob Craycroft, Stephanie Ahn Production designer Pierre-Francois Limbosch Music Mark Orton Main cast Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Dominique Pinon
September 30-October 5, 2014 Screen International at Zurich 7
reviewS
St. Vincent Reviewed by David D’Arcy With St. Vincent, Bill Murray has achieved curmudgeon canonisation with this hymn to coarse geriatric idiosyncrasy set in deep Brooklyn. The dream team cast seems calculated to attract the whole family, yet St. Vincent’s script never gets past the level of tired television laughs. Murray fans, however — and there are many — are likely to give the film a try, as is the audience for Melissa McCarthy who tones down the bombast in the role of a single mom who moves in next door with her young son. The film’s story comes right off the retread shelf, echoing Bad Santa and Gran Torino in its depiction of a neighbourhood grouch who, if you haven’t guessed, turns out to have a heart of gold. Vincent is a Vietnam vet living and drinking in a working class neighbourhood with his cat and car, when Maggie (McCarthy) and son Oliver (Lieberher) rent the house one door away. Slaving in a medical lab to put food on the table, boilerplate struggling mom Maggie needs a babysitter, a job that grumpy Vincent performs for a stiff fee. He teaches young Oliver lots of lessons in rudeness and self-assertion, and the timid boy, bullied at his Catholic school, learns how to use his fists and face the world. It is Parenting 101 from an improbable source
Gala Premieres
US. 2014. 102mins Director/screenplay Theodore Melfi Production company Chernin Entertainment International sales The Weinstein Company, michael.rothstein@ weinsteinco.com Producers Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Theodore Melfi, Fred Roos Co-producer Ivana Lombardi Executive producers Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Don Cheadle, G Mac Brown Cinematography John Lindley Production designer Inbal Weinberg Main cast Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, Terrence Howard, Jaeden Lieberher
in an earnest comedy that tries too hard to tweak the heartstrings. Theodore Melfi’s warmed-over script has another noble character who is a walking taboo in heels — Vincent’s Russian girlfriend, Daka (Watts). The actress finds her inner funny lady as a pregnant prostitute who also dances in a strip club. Her improbable accent, which can turn weak lines into punchlines, makes it worth waiting for the too-few scenes in which she appears. Inside the spandex, of course, is
another heart of gold. Watts’ performance, in larger doses, would have been the divine miracle needed to make St. Vincent work, and it is sure to fuel the VoD market. Production values are typical for a commercial comedy — the production design looks like a few extra ashtrays and a longhaired white cat were added to the pro forma old-guy’s den. A favourite gag is to cut away, after a laugh line, to the scowling cat. The feline deserves a sainthood for its honesty.
who swoops in to record the incident. Joe explains he is a “nightcrawler”, a freelance videographer who films car crashes and bloody murder scenes, selling the footage to local news stations that cannot get enough grisly material. Intrigued, Lou decides to become a nightcrawler, hiring a well-meaning, oblivious young man named Rick (Ahmed) to be his assistant as they drive around Los Angeles with their police scanner, looking for potentially horrifying footage. Decked out with big bushy eyebrows, Gyllen-
haal speaks in an unsettlingly low tone, trying to sell himself as a confident, put-together man who nonetheless lets his facade drop occasionally so we see the true unease within him. Gyllenhaal digs deep into Lou’s misanthropy and need to belong — qualities that, ironically, make him an ace nightcrawler because he is willing to get shots that no-one else will, even if it pushes up against the boundaries of taste or ethics. The problem with Nightcrawler is that Gilroy has created a vivid world of lowlifes and losers without always making that world convincing. Most notable is his depiction of the local news station that soon becomes Lou’s bread and butter. Rene Russo plays an unscrupulous news editor who embraces the “if it bleeds, it leads” ethos of bottom-feeding sensationalist journalism. The film works best in its exchanges between Lou and Rick, when we see the depths of selfdelusion eating into Lou’s personality. The two actors have a chilly rapport that is apt for their relationship, as the audience — along with Rick — begins slowly to understand the depths of Lou’s depravity. About two-thirds of the way through Nightcrawler, Gilroy throws in a major plot shift, moving the film away from character study into the realm of thriller. The film-maker does a fine job increasing the tension, but it does not fit smoothly with what comes before — and it segues awkwardly into a finale that proves too predictable.
Nightcrawler Reviewed by Tim Grierson In Nightcrawler, Jake Gyllenhaal gives a fully invested, gutsy performance as a morally slippery Angeleno who stumbles into the shadowy world of night-time freelance news videographers. Unfortunately, film-maker Dan Gilroy’s tonally bold directorial debut cannot quite pull together its differing ambitions, resulting in a story that is not entirely satisfying as a dark character study, amoral thriller or curt commentary on the sensationalism of local TV news. Because the likeable star plays a quietly sinister, mentally unstable man, Nightcrawler may suffer some in terms of word of mouth. Still, praise for Gyllenhaal’s controlled turn may make this movie an attractive counter-programming option for those who want to ditch the late-October glut of horror movies. Set in Los Angeles, Nightcrawler stars Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom, who is stealing materials from a construction site and overwhelming a security guard when the movie begins, an ominous warning about the sort of individual we are dealing with. A drifter without direction but armed with a fierce determination to make something of himself, Lou is looking for a job when he happens upon a fiery car accident on the freeway. While the cops try to rescue the driver, Lou notices Joe (Paxton), a man with a video camera
Gala Premieres US. 2014. 117mins Director/screenplay Dan Gilroy Production company Bold Films International sales Sierra/Affinity, www. sierra-affinity.com Producers Michel Litvak, Jake Gyllenhaal, David Lancaster, Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy Executive producers Gary Michael Walters, Betsy Danbury Cinematography Robert Elswit Production designer Kevin Kavanaugh Editor John Gilroy Music James Newton Howard Main cast Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton
8 Screen International at Zurich September 30-October 5, 2014
www.screendaily.com
Screenings Edited by Paul Lindsell paul.lindsell@gmail.com
Tuesday Sept 30 12:00 The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin
US, 2014, 120mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Nicholas Mross. Cast: Daniel Mross, Charlie Shrem, Jered Kenna, Erik Voorhees. A computer programmer becomes fascinated with the digital currency Bitcoin. International Documentary Film/Competition Filmpodium
12:15 Southcliffe 1 x 02 — Light Falls
UK, 2013, 51mins. English. Dir: Sean Durkin. Cast: Rory Kinnear, Sean Harris, Shirley Henderson, Anatol Yusef, Eddie Marsan. A series of gunshots break the dawn silence in a town. A massacre has claimed 15 lives. In a bid to examine the murderer’s motives, journalist David Whitehead turns to the town’s inhabitants. TVision Arena 8
13:00 Cain’s Children
DOC: Social and human interest, Hungary, France, 2014, 128mins. Hungarian with German and English subtitles. Dir: Marcell Gero. Cast: Pasztor Pal, Nagy Jozsef Gabor, Barcsai Zsolt. The story of three men with a dark past. International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 4
Children of the Arctic
DOC: Social and human interest, Switzerland, 2014, 128mins. English and Inupiaq with German subtitles. Dir: Nick Brandestini. Portrays five Inupiat teenagers aged 14 to 18 as they move into adulthood. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 4
www.screendaily.com
Cast: Thilo Prothmann, Jan H Stahlberg, Joost Siedhoff, Marie Schoneburg, Gertie Honeck. Leads us through the overwhelmingly large maze that is German television, in which some talented — or even just obsessed — filmmakers perish.
13:15 A Moonless Night
Drama, Uruguay, Argentina, 2014, 105mins. Spanish with German and English subtitles. Dir: German Tejeira. Cast: Marcel Keoroglian, Roberto Suarez, Daniel Melingo, Elisa Gagliano, Julieta Franco. New Year’s Eve and three lonely people make their way to a small town.
Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 4
International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
Self Made
13:45 Powerless
India, 2013, 89mins. Language: English, Hindi and Urdu with English subtitles. Dir: Deepti Kakkar, Fahad Mustafa. The lines are drawn for a battle over electricity. New World View Arena 8
14:30 Gulabi Gang
Norway, India, Denmark, 2012, 100mins. Hindi with English subtitles. Dir: Nishtha Jain. Cast: Sampat Pal Devi. In Bundelkhand, India, the fiery women of the Gulabi Gang empower themselves. New World View Corso 3
We Come As Friends
DOC: Social and human interest, France, Austria, 2014, 114mins. Arabic, English, Chinese, Ma’di and Toposa with English subtitles. Dir: Hubert Sauper. As war-ravaged South Sudan claims independence from North Sudan and its brutal president, a tiny homemade prop plane flies in from France. It is piloted by eagle-eyed documentarian Hubert Sauper, who is mining for stories in a land trapped in the past but careening toward an apocalyptic future. Border Lines Filmpodium
FESTIVAL Tuesday, 15:30 Life in a Fishbowl
Drama, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, 2014, 135mins. Icelandic with German and English subtitles. Dir: Baldvin Zophoniasson. Cast: Thorsteinn Bachmann, Hera Hilmarsdottir, Thor Kristjansson, Valur Freyr Gunnarsson, Kristin Lea Sigridardottir.
15:30 Ballet 422
DOC: Arts & culture, US, 2014, 100mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Jody Lee Lipes. Cast: Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Amar Ramasar, Sterling Hyltin, Albert Evans. Backstage at New York City Ballet, as emerging choreographer Justin Peck creates a new work. International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 2
Fandry
India, 2013, 127mins. Marathi with English subtitles. Dir: Nagraj Manjule. Cast: Kishor Kadam, Chaya Kadam, Somnath Avghade, Suraj Pawar Payeshari. Jabya comes into conflict with the caste system and his own
Follows three people whose lives are intertwined. A writer drinks himself into oblivion. A single mother moonlights as a prostitute to make ends meet. A former soccer star is recruited into the snake pit of banking and loses touch with his family. International Feature Film/Competition Arthouse Le Paris
family when he falls in love with Shalu. New World View Arena 4
English subtitles. Dir: Talal Derki. A soccer star and an activist pursue peace in Syria. Border Lines Corso 4
16:45 The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh
US, 2014, 124mins. Dir: Marilyn Ann Moss, Joel Bender. Tells the extraordinary story of Raoul Walsh, one of the most influential directors of classic Hollywood cinema. Special Screenings Filmpodium
17:45
Life in a Fishbowl
Capital C
See box, above
DOC: Technology & economics, Germany, US, 2014, 111mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Jorg M Kundinger, Timon Birkhofer. Cast: Brian Fargo, Zach Crain, Jackson Robinson. How does crowdfunding work? And what is behind this latest phenomenon of the internet age?
15:45 Parcours D’Amour
DOC: Social and human interest, Germany, 2014, 113mins. French with German subtitles. Dir: Bettina Blumner. Growing old alone is a distressing thought for many individuals. How do people actually deal with it when they have nobody by their side? Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 8
Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 8
18:00
Return to Homs
The Cuckoo and the Donkey
DOC: Social and human interest, Syria, Germany, 2013, 140mins. Arabic with German and
Germany, 2014, 120mins. German with English subtitles. Dir: Andreas Arnstedt.
Israel, 2014, 113mins. Arabic and Hebrew with German and English subtitles. Dir: Shira Geffen. Cast: Sarah Adler, Samira Saraya, Doraid Liddawi, Na’ama Shoham, Ziad Bakri. The story of two women — one Israeli, the other Palestinian — who are trapped within their respective worlds. After a mix-up at a checkpoint, they find themselves living the life of the other on the opposite side of the border. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
18:15 Pump
US, 2014, 112mins. Dir: Joshua Tickell, Rebecca Harrell Tickell. Cast: Elon Musk, John Hofmeister, Peter Goldmark. The story of America’s addiction to oil. Special Screenings Corso 4
18:30 A Most Wanted Man
UK, US, Germany, 2014, 126mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Anton Corbijn. Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Grigoriy Dobrydin, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, Nina Hoss, Daniel Bruhl, Homayoun Ershadi. A Chechen illegal migrant in Hamburg is caught up in the »
September 30-October 5, 2014 Screen International at Zurich 9
SCREENINGS
international war on terror. Gala Premieres Corso 1
Life Itself
US, 2014, 142mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Steve James. Cast: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Raven Ebert, Ava DuVernay, Ramin Bahrani, Richard Corliss. Pays homage to a profound film connoisseur — Roger Ebert — while also being a meditation on the love of life. Gala Premieres Arthouse Le Paris
18:45 BAstards (Les salauds)
France, Germany, 2013, 100mins. French with English subtitles. Dir: Claire Denis. Cast: Vincent Lindon, Chiara Mastroianni, Michel Subor. Marco returns to Paris after his brother-inlaw’s suicide, where he targets the man his sister believes has caused the tragedy. Retro: Claire Denis Corso 3
19:00 Monsoon Shootout
India, UK, 2013, 93mins. Hindi with English subtitles. Dir: Amit Kumar. Cast: Vijay Varma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Neeraj Kabi, Geetanjali Thapa. An elegant film noir thriller pits cops against gangsters in Mumbai. New World View Arena 5
19:15 Liar’s Dice
India, 2014, 108mins. Hindi with English subtitles. Dir: Geethu Mohandas. Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa, Manya Gupta. Kamala sets out with her young daughter on an adventurous journey to find her husband, who has disappeared without trace. New World View Filmpodium
20:15 Macondo
Austria, 2014, 122mins. Language: German and Chechen with German and English subtitles. Dir: Sudabeh Mortezai. Cast: Ramasan Minkailov, Aslan Elbiev, Kheda Gazieva. The life of an 11-year-old Chechnyan refugee in Vienna is thrown into disarray when a friend of his deceased father turns up. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 8
20:30 Chrieg
Switzerland, 2014, 133mins. Swiss German with English subtitles. Dir: Simon Jaquemet. Cast: Benjamin Lutzke, Ella Rumpf-Capron, Ste, Sascha Gisler. Takes us into the world of an aggressive gang. International Feature Film/ Competition Arena 4
The Skeleton Twins
Tragi-comedy, US, 2014, 97mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Craig Johnson. Cast: Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Joanna Gleason, Boyd Holbrook. Having cheated death on the same day, estranged twins reunite with the possibility of mending their relationship. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
20:45 The Green Prince
Germany, Israel, UK, 2014, 120mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Nadav Schirman. Cast: Mosab Hassan Yousef, Gonen Ben Yitzhak. The son of a leader in the Palestinian organisation Hamas becomes a spy for the Israelis. International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 4
21:00 Nightcrawler
US, 2014, 136mins.
English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Dan Gilroy. Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed. A young man stumbles upon the underground world of LA freelance crime journalism. Gala Premieres Corso 1
21:15 Underdog
Sweden, Norway, 2014, 124mins. Norwegian and Swedish with German and English subtitles. Dir: Ronnie Sandahl. Cast: Bianca Kronlof, Henrik Rafaelsen, Mona Kristiansen. A coming-of-age drama about love, vulnerability and finding a place in the world. International Feature Film/ Competition Arthouse Le Paris
FESTIVAL Wednesday, 12:00 Walking Under Water
Poland, Germany, UK, 2014, 102mins. Indonesian with German and English subtitles. Dir: Eliza Kubarska.
Documents the extraordinary and endangered way of life led by the natives of Borneo. International Documentary Film/ Competition Arena 4
Out of Sight
Retro: Michael Shamberg Corso 3
Writers
India, 2014, 113mins. Hindi with English subtitles. Dir: Amit Masurkar. Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tewari, Aditi Vasudev, Karan Mirchandani. Dulal and Mainak dream of rubbing shoulders with the screenwriters of Bollywood. Unfortunately, these two oddballs have a huge deficit when it comes to manners and seriousness. While running from one producer to another they stumble upon Gonzo, the son of a famous cinema tycoon, who commissions them to write a screenplay. New World View Filmpodium
10 Screen International at Zurich September 30-October 5, 2014
International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 4
16:00 Nenette and Boni
21:30
US, 1998. 122mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Steven Soderbergh. Cast: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez. A career bank robber breaks out of jail and shares a moment of mutual attraction with the US Marshall he has kidnapped.
On April 20, 2010, the oilrig Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico with devastating consequences.
Wednesday Oct 1 12:00 Walking Under Water See box, above
12:15 Southcliffe 1 x 03 — Sorrow’s Child
UK, 2013, 61mins. TVision Arena 8
12:45 Dark Star — HR Giger’s World
DOC: Portrait, Switzerland, 2014, 121mins. English, Swiss and German with German and English subtitles. Dir: Belinda Sallin. Cast: Hansruedi Giger, Carmen-Maria Giger, Stanislav Grof, Hans H Kunz. The artist HR Giger produced frightening yet curiously aesthetic creatures. But Giger did not relish creating this world of horror. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Filmpodium
13:00 Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Denmark, 2013, 91mins. English and Chinese
with English subtitles. Dir: Andreas Johnsen. The artists takes on the Chinese government. Border Lines Corso 4
13:30 The Fat & the Angry 1 x 01
Crime thriller, Sweden, 2014, 105mins. Swedish. English subtitles. Dir: Johan Renck. Cast: Jonathan Andersson, Liv Mjones, Gustaf Skarsgard, Aliette Opheim, Mans Herngren, Kjell Wilhelmsson, Matias Varela. An explosion in a remote car park leaves behind the remains of five people. TVision Arena 8
Underdog
Sweden, Norway, 2014, 125mins. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
13:45
Drama, France, 1996, 102mins. French with German subtitles. Dir: Claire Denis. Cast: Gregoire Colin, Alice Houri. Siblings Nenette and Boni grow up separated. When 19-year-old factory worker Boni meets his now 15-year-old sister, he is surprised. International Documentary Film/Competition Arena 4
15:00 Magical Girl
Mystery, Spain, 2014, 132mins. Spanish with English subtitles. Dir: Carlos Vermut. Cast: Luis Bermejo, Barbara Lennie, Jose Sacristan. Luis will do anything to grant his terminally ill daughter’s last wish. Special Screenings Corso 4
15:15 Liar’s Dice
India, 2014, 108mins. New World View Filmpodium
The Great Invisible
OC: Environment and nature, US, 2014, 97mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Margaret Brown.
The Fat & the Angry 1 x 02
Crime thriller. Sweden, 2014, 90mins. Swedish with English
www.screendaily.com
subtitles. Dir: Johan Renck. Cast: Jonathan Andersson, Liv Mjones, Gustaf Skarsgard, Aliette Opheim, Mans Herngren. TVision Arena 8
16:00 Manos Sucias
Columbia, US, 2014, 109mins. Spanish with German and English subtitles. Dir: Josef Wladyka. Cast: Cristian Advincula, Jarlin Martinez, Manuel David Riascos, Hadder Blandon. A desperate fisherman and a naive young man embark on a dangerous journey trafficking drugs up the Pacific coast of Colombia. International Feature Film/ Competition Arthouse Le Paris
16:15 Macondo
works as thoroughly as Lynn Zapatek. Everything in her world resolves almost obsessively around cleaning. When she’s not cleaning, Lynn likes to spend her time in the rooms with the hotel’s guests — only they have no idea she’s there. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Corso 4
Who Am I — No system is safe
Germany, 2014, 129mins. Language: German. Subtitles: English. Dir: Baran bo Odar. Cast: Tom Schilling, Elyas M’Barek, Wotan Wilke Mohring, Hannah Herzsprung, Antoine Monot Jr. A young computer whiz is invited to join a subversive hacker group. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 5
See box, below right
16:30 Freefalling: A Love Story
DOC: Love & relationships, Switzerland, Germany, 2014, 108mins. German, English and Swiss German with German and English subtitles. Dir: Mirjam von Arx. Cast: Mirjam von Arx, Herbert Weissmann, Andreas Dachtler. Special Screenings Corso 2
17:30 Manhattan
Comedy, US, 1979, 96mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Woody Allen. Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Michael Murphy. Retro: Diane Keaton Corso 3
18:00 The Chambermaid Lynn
Germany, 2014, 122mins. German with English subtitles. Dir: Ingo Haeb. Cast: Vicky Krieps, Lena Lauzemis, Steffen Munster, Christian Aumer, Christine Schorn. No other chambermaid
www.screendaily.com
ZFF Masters: Susanne Bier
60mins. Susanne Bier offers insight into her work as a film-maker.
subtitles. Dir: Danis Tanovic. Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Geetanjali, Danny Huston, Khalid Abdalla. A pharmaceutical salesman in Pakistan, takes on the multinational healthcare corporation he works for after he realises it knowingly marketed a baby formula that is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of children every day.
baby, she has no idea how significant it will be.
18:45 Chef
US, 2014, 113mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Jon Favreau. Cast: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr, John Leguizamo. A chef starts up a food truck in an effort to reignite his creative promise.
International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
19:30 Evil engulfs
Gala Premieres Arena 4
India, 2013, 130mins. Tamil with English subtitles. Dir: Nalan Kumarasamy. Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Sanchita Shetty, Karunakaran, Bobby Simha. A botched kidnapping attempt leads to much confusion.
Road
Melbourne
New World View Corso 3
UK, Ireland, 2014, 127mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Michael Hewitt, Diarmuid Lavery. Cast: William Joseph Dunlop, Robert Dunlop, William Dunlop, Michael Dunlop. Recounts the extraordinary story of Northern Ireland’s Dunlop family, who have dominated the crazy sport of motorcycling for more than 30 years.
Drama, Iran, 2014, 97mins. Farsi with German and English subtitles. Dir: Nima Javidi. Cast: Payman Maadi, Negar Javaherian, Mani Haghighi, Shirin Yazdanbakhsh. A new life awaits Iranians Amir and Sara in Melbourne. They have been preparing for months, but there is still a huge list of things to get done before catching their flight. When Sara agrees at short notice to take care of their neighbour’s
Special Screenings Arthouse Le Paris
18:30
Special Screenings Arena 8
ZFF Masters Filmpodium
20:30 El Cinco
Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, France, Netherlands, 2014, 124mins. Spanish and German with English subtitles. Dir: Adrian Biniez. Cast: Esteban Lamothe, Julieta Zylberberg, Nestor Guzzini, Matias Castelli. When footballer Paton is banned from playing for eight matches, he realises his career is coming to an end. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 4
18:15 The Equalizer
Lucia
US, 2014, 136mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Antoine Fuqua. Cast: Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloe Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo. Robert McCall has left his old career behind him. He now lives an unassuming life working in a local hardware store. When he witnesses how young prostitute Teri’s life is threatened by an ultra-violent Russian gangster, his devout Christian ethos forces him to return to his former profession.
India, 2013, 160mins. Kannada with English subtitles. Dir: Pawan Kumar. Cast: Sathish Ninasam, Shruthi Hariharan, Hardhika Shetty, Achyuth Kumar. A man suffering from insomnia is tricked into buying a drug that makes his desires come true in his dreams.
Gala Premieres Corso 1
Tigers
India, France, UK, 2014, 94mins. English and Urdu with English
New World View Filmpodium
Northmen: A Viking Saga
FESTIVAL Wednesday, 16:15 Macondo
Austria, 2014, 122mins. Language: German and Chechen with German and English subtitles. Dir: Sudabeh Mortezai. Cast: Ramasan Minkailov, Aslan Elbiev, Kheda Gazieva.
A drama centred on an 11-year-old Chechnyan refugee living in Vienna, whose life is thrown into disarray when a friend of his deceased father materialises. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 4
Adventure, Switzerland, Germany, South Africa, 2014, 117mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Claudio Fah. Cast: Tom Hopper, Ryan Kwanten, Ken Duken, Charlie Murphy, James Norton, Ed Skrein, Anatole Taubman. A gang of Viking marauders set sail for Britain. But their
longboat is smashed to pieces on the rocks off the coast of Scotland. The shipwrecked men’s only chance of survival is to reach the far-off Viking stronghold Danelagh. Gala Premieres Arena 5
20:45 Black & White
Russia, 2014, 117mins. Russian with English ubtitles. Dir: Yevgeny Shelyakin. Cast: Aleksey Chadov, Merab Ninidze, Sergey Makovetsky, Guram Bablishvili. Yaroslav regains consciousness to find himself tied up on a boat. The last thing he can remember is killing a man called Nurik, who appears to be still on board. Nurik has returned to the world as Yaroslov’s guardian angel. Special Screenings Corso 2
Whiplash
US, 2014, 111mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Damien Chazelle. Cast: Miles Teller, JK Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser, Austin Stowell, Nate Lang. A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realise a student’s potential. Gala Premieres Arthouse Le Paris
21:00 Die Demokratie ist los!
Switzerland, 2014, 112mins. German, French and Swiss German with German and English subtitles. Dir: Thomas Isler. Cast: Helen Keller, Andreas Noll, Reinhold Nussmuller, Oliver Diggelmann. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 8
21:15 And So It Goes
US, 2014, 127mins. English with German
September 30-October 5, 2014 Screen International at Zurich 11
»
SCREENINGS
and French subtitles. Dir: Rob Reiner. Cast: Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton, Sterling Jerins, Frances Sternhagen. A self-absorbed real-estate agent enlists the help of his neighbour when he is suddenly left in charge of the granddaughter he never knew existed. Gala Premieres Corso 1
Virunga
UK, 2014, 121mins. English, French, Lingala and Swahili with German and English subtitles. Dir: Orlando von Einsiedel. Cast: Melanie Gouby. Brave individuals risk their lives to save the last of the world’s mountain gorillas. International Documentary Film/Competition Arena 4
22:15 Annie Hall
Comedy, US, 1977. 93mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Woody Allen. Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane. Retro: Diane Keaton Corso 3
Thursday Oct 2 12:15 Capital C
DOC: Technology & economics. Germany, US, 2014, 111mins. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Filmpodium
Southcliffe 1 x 04 — All Souls
UK, 2013, 51mins. Dir: Sean Durkin. Cast: Rory Kinnear, Sean Harris, Shirley Henderson, Anatol Yusef, Eddie Marsan. TVision Arena 8
13:00 Labyrinthus
Belgium, Netherlands, 2014, 121mins. Dutch. Dir: Douglas Boswell. Cast: Spencer Bogaert, Emma Verlinden, Felix Maesschalck, Pepijn Caudron. A 14-year-old boy discovers a sinister
computer game that uses real children from his neighbourhood as players.
Geffen. Cast: Sarah Adler, Samira Saraya, Doraid Liddawi, Na’ama Shoham, Ziad Bakri.
ZFF For Kids Arena 4
International Feature Film/ Competition Arthouse Le Paris
13:45 Titli
Drama, India, 2014, 149mins. Hindi with German and English subtitles. Dir: Kanu Behl. Cast: Shashank Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Ranvir Shorey, Amit Sial, Lalit Behl. In the badlands of Delhi’s dystopic underbelly, Titli, the youngest member of a violent car-jacking brotherhood, plots a desperate bid to escape the family business. New World View Corso 4
14:15 Die Demokratie ist los!
Switzerland, 2014, 112mins. Language: German, French and Swiss German with German and English subtitles. Dir: Thomas Isler. Cast: Helen Keller, Andreas Noll, Reinhold Nussmuller, Oliver Diggelmann. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 8
15:00 We Come As Friends
DOC: Social and human interest, France, Austria, 2014, 114mins. Arabic, English, Chinese, Ma’di and Toposa with English subtitles. Dir: Hubert Sauper. Border Lines Filmpodium
15:15 ZFF Masters: Fatih Akin
16:30 Song From the Forest
Germany, US, 2013, 121mins. English and Yaka with German and English subtitles. Dir: Michael Obert. Cast: Louis Sarno, Samedi Mathurin Bokumbe. As a young man, musician Louis Sarno heard a song on the radio that gripped his imagination. He followed the mysterious sound all the way to the Central African rainforest and found its source with the Bayaka Pygmies — and he stayed there. International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 4
Zu Ende Leben
Switzerland, 2014, 115mins. Swiss German with German and English subtitles. Dir: Rebecca Panian. Cast: Thomas Niessl, Franz Hohler, Nik Hartmann, Gottfried Honegger, Pedro Lenz, Kurt Aeschbacher. A film dealing with death but bursting with life. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 8
17:00 Monsoon Shootout
India, UK, 2013, 93mins. New World View Corso 2
17:30
60mins. German.
Good Kill
ZFF Masters Corso 2
Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 4
Thriller, US, 2014, 109mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Andrew Niccol. Cast: Ethan Hawke, January Jones, Zoe Kravitz, Bruce Greenwood. A family man begins to question the ethics of his job as a drone pilot.
Self Made
Gala Premieres Corso 1
15:45 The Chambermaid Lynn
Germany, 2014, 122mins.
Israel, 2014, 114mins. Arabic and Hebrew with German and English subtitles. Dir: Shira
ZFF Masters: Hans Zimmer
60mins. German.
12 Screen International at Zurich September 30-October 5, 2014
Zimmer will speak about his life and career as a film composer. ZFF Masters Filmpodium
18:00 Court
India, 2014, 120mins. English, Gujarati, Hindi and Marathi with English subtitles. Dir: Chaitanya Tamhane. Cast: Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Pradeep Joshi, Usha Bane, Shirish Pawar. The hopes and fears of ordinary people are played out while judges and lawyers go about their work. But how do these lawyers act outside the courtroom? New World View Corso 3
loner pursues the men who stole his only possession, his car. Along the way, he captures the brother of one of the thieves, and the duo form an uneasy bond. Gala Premieres Arena 5
19:00 Palace Hotel
Switzerland, 1952, 124mins. German, French and Italian with French subtitles. Dir: Emil Berna, Leonard Steckel. Cast: Paul Hubschmid, Kathe Gold, Anne-Marie Blanc, Claude Farell. ZFF presents for the first time the restored version of a Swiss cinema classic. Special Screenings Arena 8
France, 2014, 156mins. Language: English, French. German with English subtitles. Dir: Mia HansenLove. Cast: Felix De Givry, Pauline Etienne, Vincent Macaigne, Greta Gerwig, Vincent Lacoste, Golshifteh Farahani. The life of a French DJ who is credited with inventing “French house”. Gala Premieres Arthouse Le Paris
18:15 Ohne Dich
Germany, 2014, 117mins. German with English subtitles. Dir: Alexandre Powelz. Cast: Katja Riemann, Charly Hubner, Helen Woigk, Arne Gottschling, Meral Perin. Three loosely connected stories. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 4
18:30 The Rover
US, Australia, 2014, 106mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: David Michod. Cast: Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, David Field, Anthony Hayes, Gillian Jones, Susan Prior. Australia’s outback in the near future: a hardened
The Cut
Germany, France, Poland, Turkey, Canada, Russia, Italy, 2014, 163mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Fatih Akin. Cast: Tahar Rahim, Akin Gazi, George Georgiou, Numan Acar. In 1915 a man survives the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire, but loses his family, speech and faith. One night he learns that his twin daughters may be alive, and goes on a quest to find them. Gala Premieres Corso 1
20:30 Ship of Theseus
The Skeleton Twins Eden
20:00
Tragi-comedy, US, 2014, 112mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Craig Johnson. Cast: Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Joanna Gleason, Boyd Holbrook. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
19:15 Chubby
Coming of age, Switzerland, Belgium, 2014, 108mins. French with German and English subtitles. Dir: Bruno Deville. Cast: David Thielemans, Swann Arlaud, Julie Ferrier, Francois HadjiLazaro, Lisa Harder. Weighing 100kg, 12-yearold Kevin Bouboule’s life is far from easy. The other kids bully him at every opportunity. Kevin finds comfort in food and drifts along in a dream world. His outlook is bleak until he comes across Rocco, a German shepherd. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 4
19:45 The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin
US, 2014, 100mins. International Documentary Film/Competition Filmpodium
India, 2012. 154mins. Arabic, English, Hindi and Swedish with English subtitles. Dir: Anand Gandhi. Cast: Aida El Kashef, Neeraj Kabi, Sohum Shah. Explores questions of identity, justice, beauty, meaning and death through an experimental photographer, an ailing monk and a young stockbroker. New World View Corso 3
20:45 Macondo
Austria, 2014, 123mins. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 4
21:00 Ruth & Alex
US, 2014, 97mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Richard Loncraine. Cast: Morgan Freeman, Diane Keaton, Cynthia Nixon, Michael Christofer. A long-time married couple who’ve spent their lives together in the same New York apartment become overwhelmed by personal and real-estate issues when they plan to move out. Special Screenings Arena 5
The New Girlfriend
France, 2014, 112mins.
www.screendaily.com
French with German and English subtitles. Dir: Francois Ozon. Cast: Anaïs Demoustier, Romain Duris, Raphael Personnaz. A young woman makes a surprising discovery about the husband of her late best friend.
During the summer holidays, the naughty twin boys Zip and Zap are sent to an educational institution where all forms of fun and games are strictly prohibited. Together with their allies, Micro, Filo and Piojo, they found the Marble Gang and play only at night. With the help of the director’s granddaughter, Matilde, they sniff out an old secret that is hidden deep within the institution.
Gala Premieres Arthouse Le Paris
21:15 The Drop
Drama, US, 2014, 112mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Michael R Roskam. Cast: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, Matthias Schoenaerts. Bob Saginowski finds himself at the centre of a robbery that has gone awry. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
21:30
ZFF For Kids Arena 4
17:15 FESTIVAL Friday, 15:45 Labyrinth of Lies
Drama, Germany, 2014, 127mins. German with English subtitles. Dir: Giulio Ricciarelli. Cast: Alexander Fehling, Gert Voss, Friederike Becht,
Andrew Szymanski. Exposes the conspiracy of prominent Germans to cover up the crimes of the Nazis. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arthouse Le Paris
Insecure
France, 2014, 108mins. French with German and English subtitles. Dir: Marianne Tardieu. Cast: Reda Kateb, Adele Exarchopoulos, Moussa Mansaly, Rashid Debbouze. Cherif has not yet found his place in the world. Two events could signal a turning point. International Feature Film/ Competition Arena 8
Stations of the Cross
Germany, 2014, 112mins. German with English subtitles. Dir: Dietrich Bruggemann. Cast: Lea van Acken, Franziska Weisz, Florian Stetter, Lucie Aron, Klaus Michael Kamp. Fourteen-year-old Maria has to decide between a worldly existence or complete dedication to Jesus. Special Screenings Corso 4
21:45 Indian Shorts
Shorts, India, 87mins, English and Hindi with English subtitles. Dir: Anurag Goswami, Hossein Mozdgir
www.screendaily.com
Roozane, Rodd Rathjen, Payal Kapadia, Gitanjali Rao, Varun Chawla. New World View Filmpodium
Friday Oct 3 12:00 Evil engulfs
India, 2013, 130mins. New World View Arena 8
12:15 Showrunners
Ireland, US, 2014, 111mins. Dir: Des Doyle. Cast: JJ Abrams, Joss Whedon, Kurt Sutter, Jason O’Mara. Explores the fascinating world of US television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them. TVision Filmpodium
12:45 Virunga
UK, 2014, 102mins. International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 4
14:00 Fiddlesticks
Children, Germany, 2014, 112mins. German. Dir: Veit Helmer. Cast: Fritzi Haberlandt, Benno
The Cuckoo and the Donkey
14:45
Furmann, Nadeshda Brennicke, Samuel Finzi, Wolfram Koch, Jule Bowe. The small town of Bollersdorf is turned on its head: market researchers think the town’s inhabitants make the perfect product testers, and the adults comply enthusiastically. The consequence of this is that old people are put in nursing homes in order to keep down the average age of the inhabitants. But the children don’t want to be used as guinea pigs and decide to take action. ZFF For Kids Arena 4
14:15 The Look of Silence
Denmark, Finland, UK, Norway, Indonesia, 2014, 124mins. Indonesian, with German and English subtitles. Dir: Joshua Oppenheimer. A family that survived the genocide in Indonesia confront the men who killed one of their brothers. International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 2
India, 2013, 160mins.
Germany, 2014, 120mins.
New World View Filmpodium
Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria
Lucia
Arena 8
15:00
18:00
The Green Prince
Germany, Israel, UK, 2014, 100mins. International Documentary Film/Competition Arena 8
15:15 Life Itself
US, 2014, 142mins. Gala Premieres Corso 4
15:45 Labyrinth of Lies See box, above
16:30 ’71
Thriller, UK, 2014, 124mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Yann Demange. Cast: Jack O’Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dorman, Sean Harris, Martin McCann. A young and disoriented British soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
Padrone e Sotto
Switzerland, 2014, 97mins. Italian with German subtitles. Dir: Michele Cirigliano. Tricarico in the deep south of Italy. Those who are allowed to drink are winners. And those who remain sober are losers. That’s what film-maker Michele Cirigliano understood as a child about the drinking game Padrone e Sotto, when he sat in a shabby bar watching the older men drink. As the beer flows and emotions flare up 30 years later, he attempts to understand what has confused him about this game since his childhood. Special Screenings Corso 4
18:30 Eden Gala Premieres Arena 5
Melbourne
Drama, Iran, 2014, 117mins. International Feature Film/ Competition Arthouse Le Paris
Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang
Spain. 2013, 120mins. Spanish. Dir: Oskar Santos. Cast: Dani Paramo, Juan Gonzalez, Claudia Vega, Marcos Ruiz, Alvaro Bravo, Miquel Iglesias.
Whiplash
US, 2014, 111mins. English with German and French subtitles. Gala Premieres Corso 1
19:00 A Moonless Night
Drama, Uruguay, Argentina, 2014, 85mins. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
Klondike — Part 1
US, 2014, 94mins. Dir: Simon Cellan Jones. Cast: Abbie Cornish, Martin Csokas, Tim Roth, Sam Shepard. America, 1897. With the gold rush over, Bill Haskell and his best friend Byron Epstein set out on an adventurous trek into the barely explored wilderness of Alaska. But the rough, mountainous terrain turns out to be just one of many unforeseen hurdles. TVision Arena 4
19:45 A Fish Called Wanda
US, 1988. 108mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Charles Crichton. Cast: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline. Following a jewel theft, four crooks become involved in a series of outrageous entanglements, where each one attempts to take the biggest stake — and even a few aquarium fish serve as leverage. Retro: Michael Shamberg Corso 3
Chrieg
Switzerland, 2014, 133mins. Swiss German with English subtitles. Dir: Simon Jaquemet. Cast: Benjamin Lutzke, Ella Rumpf-Capron, Ste, Sascha Gisler. Takes us into the world of an aggressive gang. International Feature Film/ Competition Arena 8
20:00 El Cinco
Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, France, Netherlands, 2014, 124mins. Spanish and German with English subtitles. Dir: Adrian Biniez. Cast: Esteban Lamothe, Julieta
September 30-October 5, 2014 Screen International at Zurich 13
»
SCREENINGS
Zylberberg, Nestor Guzzini, Matias Castelli. When Paton is banned from playing football for eight matches he realises his career is coming to an end. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 4
20:30 Ship of Theseus
India, 2012. 174mins. New World View Filmpodium
21:00 A Walk Among The Tombstones
US, 2014, 132mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Scott Frank. Cast: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, Boyd Holbrook. Private investigator Matt Scudder is hired by a drug kingpin to find out who kidnapped and murdered his wife. Gala Premieres Corso 1
Get on Up
US, 2014, 144mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Tate Taylor. Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Craig Robinson, Octavia Spencer. Chronicles James Brown’s rise from poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history. Gala Premieres Arena 5
The Salt of the Earth
France, Brazil, Italy, 2014, 133mins. French and Portuguese with German and French subtitles. Dir: Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. Cast: Sebastiao Salgado. Sebastiao Salgado has been witness to the worst suffering and most breathtaking beauty of man and earth. The Brazilian photographer has exposed himself to human catastrophes for more than 40 years, capturing them with his camera and making them public. Together with
the photographer’s son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wenders has made a film that not only pays homage to Salgado’s work but also reminds us of what it means to be a human being.
hysterical, argumentative and unproductively rebellious. Now the mother of a toddler, she continues to come to terms with the two cultures; the outcome is unforeseeable, as is the outcome of this cinematic long-term observation.
Gala Premieres Arthouse Le Paris
Special Screenings Arthouse Le Paris
21:15 A Walk Among The Tombstones
The Great Invisible
US, 2014, 133mins. Gala Premieres Corso 2
Manos Sucias
Columbia, US, 2014, 88mins. International Feature Film/ Competition Arena 4
22:15 Garden State
US, 2004. 102mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Zach Braff. Cast: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman. Andrew, an emotionally stunted actor, returns to New Jersey for his mother’s funeral. He avoids his father and meets old friends. One day, he gets to know the beautiful and strange Sam, who will change his life forever. Retro: Michael Shamberg Corso 3
22:30 Home
US, 2014, 96mins. Dir: Nicholas McCarthy. Cast: Naya Rivera, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ashley Rickards, Wyatt Russell. When ambitious young real-estate agent Leigh is asked to sell a house with a checkered past, she crosses paths with a disturbed girl whom she learns is the runaway daughter of the couple who own the property. When Leigh tries to help her, she becomes entangled with a supernatural force that soon pulls Leigh’s sister Vera into its web — and has sinister plans for both of them. Special Screenings Corso 4
Monsoon Shootout
India, UK, 2013,
FESTIVAL Saturday, 11:00 Labyrinthus
Belgium, Netherlands, 2014, 121mins. Dutch. Dir: Douglas Boswell. Cast: Spencer Bogaert, Emma Verlinden, Felix Maesschalck, Pepijn Caudron. A 14-year-old boy
discovers a sinister computer game that uses real children from the neighbourhood as players. In a race against time, he must find the evil inventor of the game. ZFF For Kids Arena 4
autobiography, which was released in spring 2014. ZFF Masters Filmpodium
Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang
Spain. 2013, 120mins. ZFF For Kids Arena 4
14:45
93mins. Hindi with English subtitles. Dir: Amit Kumar. New World View Arena 8
23:00
Saturday Oct 4
Stray Dog
11:00
DOC: Portrait, US, 2014, 130mins. English and Spanish with German and English subtitles. Dir: Debra Granik. Cast: Ronnie Hall, Alicia Soriano Hall, Felipe Angel Padilla Soriano, Felipe de Jesus Padilla Soriano. At first glance, Ron “Stray Dog” Hall appears to be a bit of a tough guy, but behind the rugged biker exterior is a sensitive Vietnam veteran still suffering the traumatic experiences of war.
Labyrinthus See box, above
12:30
Therapy for a Vampire
Walking Under Water
Comedy, Austria, Switzerland, 2014, 93mins. German with English subtitles. Dir: David Ruehm. Cast: Tobias Moretti, Jeanette Hain, Cornelia Ivancan, Dominic Oley, Karl Fischer. Vienna, 1930. Count Geza von Kozsnom has come to the city with his wife Elsa to be treated by Sigmund Freud. He is tired of life, but most of all he has had enough of his wife and her constant whining over her missing reflection. Not knowing the Count and his wife are vampires, Freud presents his patients to the young painter Viktor, who is to paint a portrait of Elsa. When the Count meets Lucy, Viktor’s headstrong girlfriend, he realises the young woman is the love of his life.
Poland, Germany, UK, 2014, 102mins.
Special Screenings Arena 4
14 Screen International at Zurich September 30-October 5, 2014
International Documentary Film/Competition Arena 8
13:00 Children of the Arctic
DOC: Social and human interest, Switzerland, 2014, 128mins. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Corso 2
13:15 Song From the Forest
International Documentary Film/Competition Arena 8
15:30
Germany, US, 2013, 102mins.
Death of the Serpent God
International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 4
France, 2014, 115mins. French and Soninke with English subtitles. Dir: Damien Froidevaux. Following a scuffle, 20-year-old Koumba from France is sent back to the place where she was raised, Senegal. She returns to the lost village of her ancestors
14:00 ZFF Masters: Michael Ballhaus
75mins. German. Michael Ballhaus talks about his experiences in the film business and presents his
DOC: Environment and nature, US, 2014, 97mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Margaret Brown. On April 20, 2010, the oilrig Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico with devastating consequences. International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 2
15:45 The Look of Silence
Denmark, Finland, UK, Norway, Indonesia, 2014, 104mins. International Documentary Film/Competition Corso 4
16:00 My Old Lady
US, France, 2014, 126mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Israel Horovitz. Cast: Kevin Kline, Dame Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas, Dominique Pinon, Noemi Lvovsky, Stephanie Freiss. An American inherits an apartment in Paris with an unexpected resident. Gala Premieres Arena 5
Ruth & Alex
US, 2014, 97mins. Special Screenings Corso 1
16:30 The Cuckoo and the Donkey
Germany, 2014, 120mins. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 4
17:00 Liar’s Dice
India, 2014, 108mins. New World View Arena 8
www.screendaily.com
18:00 Ship of Theseus
India, 2012. 163mins. New World View Filmpodium
Tales of the Grim Sleeper
US, UK, 2014, 124mins. Dir: Nick Broomfield. A serial killer carried out his dreadful deeds in South Central LA — undiscovered — for 25 years. Lonnie Franklin was arrested by pure chance in July 2010. How could the police have been so sloppy? And why exactly here, in a neighbourhood with a predominantly AfricanAmerican population? Special Screenings Corso 4
18:15 Escobar: Paradise Lost
France, Spain, Belgium, 2014, 133mins. English and Spanish with German subtitles. Dir: Andrea Di Stefano. Cast: Benicio del Toro, Josh Hutcherson, Claudia Traisac, Brady Corbet, Carlos Bardem, Ana Girardot. A young surfer meets the woman of his dreams — and then he meets her uncle, Pablo Escobar. Gala Premieres Corso 1
18:30 Cut Bank
US, 2014, 117mins. Dir: Matt Shakman. Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Billy Bob Thornton. Cut Bank, Montana. Dwayne McLaren wants out of this tiny town. As soon as he has enough money, the car mechanic plans to move with his girlfriend, Cassandra, to the big city. When Dwayne inadvertently captures the murder of postman Georgie on his video camera, he grabs his chance to claim a $100,000 reward. Special Screenings Arena 5
In The Basement
Austria, 2014, 109mins.
www.screendaily.com
German with English subtitles. Dir: Ulrich Seidl. Reveals what Austrians get up to in their basements. Gala Premieres Arthouse Le Paris
Posthumous
Germany, US, 2014, 118mins. German and English with German and English subtitles. Dir: Lulu Wang. Cast: Jack Huston, Brit Marling, Lambert Wilson, Tom Schilling, Alexander Fehling. After false reports of his demise put him and his work on the map, an artist continues the charade by posing as his own brother. Special Screenings Corso 2
19:00 Labyrinth of Lies
Drama, Germany, 2014, 127mins. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 4
BAstards (Les salauds)
France, Germany, 2013, 100mins. Retro: Claire Denis Corso 3
19:15 Toto and his sisters
DOC: Social and human interest, Romania, 2014, 117mins. Romanian with German and English subtitles. Dir: Alexander Nanau. Toto and his sisters survive on their own as they wait for their mother to return from prison. International Documentary Film/Competition Arena 8
20:30
Cast: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden, Hamish Linklater. A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue.
Tretiak, Scotty Bowman, Vladimir Pozner. Follows the most successful dynasty in sport: the Red Army hockey team.
Gala Premieres Corso 1
11:23 — 09: 59 (Projekt Angst)
21:00 A Most Wanted Man
UK, US, Germany, 2014, 126mins. Gala Premieres Arthouse Le Paris
AutOmata
Sci-fi, US, Spain, 2014, 115mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Gabe Ibanez. Cast: Antonio Banderas, Dylan McDermott, Melanie Griffith, Birgitte Hjort Sorensen. Jacq Vaucan, an insurance agent of ROC robotics corporation, routinely investigates the case of manipulating a robot. What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity. Gala Premieres Arena 5
By the Gun
US, 2014, 125mins. English. Dir: James Mottern. Cast: Ben Barnes, Leighton Meester, Harvey Keitel, Toby Jones, Kenny Wormald, Richie Coster. Nick is a young Boston Italian trying to find purpose in the ideology of the Mafia but finds his world turned upside down. Special Screenings Filmpodium
21:15
Insecure
’71
France, 2014, 87mins. French with German and English subtitles.
Thriller. UK, 2014, 104mins.
International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 4
20:45 Magic in the Moonlight
US, 2014, 102mins. English with German and French subtitles. Dir: Woody Allen.
International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
Red Army
DOC: Social and human interest, US, Russia, 2014, 100mins. English, Russian. German with English subtitles. Dir: Gabe Polsky. Cast: Slava Fetisov, Vladislav
International Documentary Film/Competition Arena 8
21:30
Horror, Switzerland, Germany, 2014, 85mins. German and Swiss German. Dir: Stefan Jager, Luca Ribler. Cast: Lene Dax, Sheila Eckhardt, Yasin El Harrouk, Andreas Ricci, Frederic Soltow, Carmen Witt, Manfred Liechti. Shortly before graduating, six drama students set off into the Swiss Alps. The aim of their excursion is to test the extent of their fears and overcome them through a series of dares. They plan to stay overnight in an underground alpine bunker. As the group initially jokes about the similarity of their situation with “The Blair Witch Project”, the game soon turns into an unpredictable test of courage for them all. Special Screenings Corso 3
What we do in the Shadows
Comedy, New Zealand, 2014, 91mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement. Cast: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez Macuer, Stuart Rutherford. Viago, Vladislav, Deacon and Petyr share a villa in Wellington. When 8,000-year-old Petyr accidently turns the cool twenty-something Nick into a vampire, the others must take responsibility for the impulsive rookie and teach him the principles of eternal life. Special Screenings Arena 8
Sunday Oct 5 11:00 Ulrich Seidl — A Director at Work
Switzerland, Austria, Germany, 2014, 76mins. German with English subtitles. Dir: Constantin Wulff. Cast: Ulrich Seidl. This cinematic portrait shows the Austrian filmmaker Ulrich Seidl at work. Special Screenings Filmpodium
Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang
21:45
Spain. 2013, 109mins.
Stations of the Cross
Germany, 2014, 112mins.
ZFF For Kids Arena 4
11:15
Special Screenings Arena 4
Virunga
UK, 2014, 121mins.
22:30 Life in a Fishbowl
Drama, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, 2014, 135mins. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 4
International Documentary Film/Competition Arena 8
12:45 ZFF Masters: Ulrich Seidl
Shorts, India, 93mins. English and Hindi with English subtitles. Dir: Anurag Goswami, Hossein Mozdgir Roozane, Rodd Rathjen, Payal Kapadia, Gitanjali Rao, Varun Chawla.
60mins. German. Werner Herzog considers him one of his favourites, Michael Haneke values his radicalism, countless young film-makers are influenced by his visual language. We are talking about Ulrich Seidl, one of Austria’s most important film-makers. Here he offers us insight into his work.
New World View Corso 1
ZFF Masters Filmpodium
23:00 Indian Shorts
13:00 Pump
US, 2014, 112mins. Special Screenings Corso 4
13:15 Die Demokratie ist los!
Switzerland, 2014, 112mins. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 8
Powerless
India, 2013, 89mins. New World View Corso 2
14:00 Labyrinthus
Belgium, Netherlands, 2014, 121mins. ZFF For Kids Arena 4
14:45 35 Shots of Rum
France, Germany, 2008, 100mins. French with English subtitles. Dir: Claire Denis. Cast: Gregoire Colin, Julieth Mars Toussaint, Alex Descas. The train driver Lionel and his adult daughter, Jo, lead a harmonious life in a workingclass suburb of Paris. Both nurture a close relationship with their neighbour, Gabrielle, who is Lionel’s former lover. A touching film about the pain of parting and new beginnings. Retro: Claire Denis Filmpodium
15:00 And So It Goes
US, 2014, 99mins. Gala Premieres Corso 1
15:15 Flowers
Spain, 2014, 124mins. Basque with German and English subtitles. Dir: Jon Garano, Jose Mari Goenaga. Cast: Nagore Aranburu, Itziar Ituno, Itziar Aizpuru, Josean Bengoetxea, Egoitz Lasa. Pays homage to three headstrong women and the power of flowers. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 4 »
September 30-October 5, 2014 Screen International at Zurich 15
SCREENINGS
The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin
15:30 The Chambermaid Lynn
US, 2014, 100mins.
Germany, 2014, 122mins.
International Documentary Film/Competition Arena 8
Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 8
White Material
Padrone e Sotto
Switzerland, 2014, 97mins. Special Screenings Arthouse Le Paris
15:45 The Green Prince See box, right
16:00 Tigers
India, France, UK, 2014, 115mins. Special Screenings Arena 5
16:30 Gulabi Gang
Norway, India, Denmark. 2012. 100mins. New World View Arena 4
17:00
FESTIVAL Sunday, 15:45 The Green Prince
Germany, Israel, UK, 2014, 120mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: Nadav Schirman. Cast: Mosab Hassan Yousef, Gonen Ben Yitzhak.
Special Screenings Corso 3
Dir: Daniel von Aarburg. Cast: Agnes Hirschi. Tells the story of the “Swiss Schindler” Carl Lutz. As a Swiss diplomat in Budapest, Lutz was responsible for rescuing tens of thousands of persecuted Jews from certain death by issuing them passports. Lutz fell in love with one of those saved, left his wife at the end of the war and moved to Bern with his new lover and stepdaughter.
Capital C
Border Lines Filmpodium
The son of a founding leader in the Palestinian organisation Hamas becomes a spy for the Israelis. International Documentary Film/ Competition Corso 2
Beau Travail
France, 1999. 91mins. French with German subtitles. Dir: Claire Denis. Cast: Denis Lavant, Michel Subor, Gregoire Colin. A forgotten Foreign Legion troop in the Gulf of Djibouti passes the time playing war games and repairing roads. For Sergeant Galoup, this community of men is his life and his home. But order is disrupted when young soldier Sentain arrives. Retro: Claire Denis Filmpodium
17:45 Underdog
Sweden, Norway, 2014, 105mins. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
18:00 The Search
France, 2014, 139mins. English, French and Russian with German and French subtitles. Dir: Michel Hazanavicius. Cast: Berenice Bejo, Annette Bening, Maxim Emelianov.
A woman who works for a non-governmental organisation (NGO) forms a special relationship with a young boy in war-torn Chechnya.
Pelczynska, Anna Wojnarowska, Romuald Krezel, Grzegorz Sowa.
Gala Premieres Corso 1
DOC: Technology & economics. Germany, US, 2014, 111mins.
The Wonders
Italy, Switzerland, Germany, 2014, 136mins. German, French and Italian with German and French subtitles. Dir: Alice Rohrwacher. Cast: Maria Alexandra Lungu, Sam Louwyck, Alba Rohrwacher, Sabine Timoteo, Monica Bellucci. Nothing will be the same at the end of this summer for Gelsomina and her three younger sisters. Gala Premieres Arthouse Le Paris
18:15
Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 8
18:30 United Passions
France, 2014, 129mins. English with French subtitles. Dir: Frederic Auburtin. Cast: Gerard Depardieu, Sam Neill, Tim Roth, Thomas Kretschmann. The saga of football’s World Cup and the three determined men who created it. Special Screenings Arena 5
19:00
15 Corners of the World
Carl Lutz — The Forgotten Hero
Poland, Germany, 2014, 103mins. Polish with English subtitles. Dir: Zuzanna Solakiewicz. Cast: Eugeniusz Rudnik, Weronika
Switzerland, 2014, 125mins. German, English, Hebrew, Hungarian and Swiss German with German and English subtitles.
16 Screen International at Zurich September 30-October 5, 2014
19:15 Who Am I — No system is safe
Germany, 2014, 129mins. Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria Arena 4
20:30 Melbourne
Drama, Iran, 2014, 117mins. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 2
20:45 Manglehorn
Drama, US, 2014, 117mins. English with German subtitles. Dir: David Gordon Green. Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, Chris Messina. Bank-robber-in-hiding AJ Manglehorn is tormented by the memories of the woman of his dreams. Gala Premieres Arthouse Le Paris
France, Cameroon. 2009. 105mins. French with English subtitles. Dir: Claire Denis. Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Christopher Lambert, Nicolas Duvauchelle. West Africa. Despite civil war-like conditions, Maria wants to remain on her coffee plantation, no matter what the cost. Her ex-husband, Andre, cannot understand her obstinacy. He plans to return the family to France without Maria’s knowledge. Retro: Claire Denis Corso 3
21:00 The Equalizer
US, 2014, 136mins. Gala Premieres Arena 5
The Rover
US, Australia, 2014, 106mins. Gala Premieres Corso 1
21:15 Self Made
Israel, 2014, 94mins. International Feature Film/ Competition Corso 4
21:30 Hope
Drama, France, 2014, 141mins. Arabic, English and French with German and English subtitles. Dir: Boris Lojkine. Cast: Justin Wang, Endurance Newton, Dieudonne Bertrand Balo’o. During a journey organised by smugglers through the Sahara, Hope meets refugee Leonard. Although snubbed by him, she knows he is her only chance of survival. Border Lines Filmpodium
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India, 2014, 94mins. New World View Arena 4
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