2010
STEPHEN LAN AT BERLINALE 2010:
For interview requests, email
Or visit office at Hotel Bel Ahr, Streesemann Strasse 97 (across from the Martin Gropius Bau),
Wed. Feb. 10 - Thurs. Feb. 18, 10am-6pm
For emergencies: +49-172-200-6686
German and International Press
BESOURO
Directed by Joao Daniel Tikhomiroff
(Brazil, 95 min., International Premiere, Panorama)
Afro-Brazilian slaves created Capoeira in Brazil as a means to defend themselves from constant physical aggressions. The fight, which is based on Afro rhythms and dance movements, has today worldwide presence and is often referred as Brazil’s martial arts.
As an orphan, Besouro was introduced to Capoeira by Mestre Alípio. More than Capoeira moves, Mestre Alípio taught to the over-confident boy the importance of concentration and justice and what should be the real purpose of his extraordinary gift: the defense of his Afro Brazilian brothers, who then lived under the intense racial discrimination that marked the post slavery abolition period in Brazil. Besouro embraced his mission, following the assassination of Mestre Alípio, masterminded by Colonel Venâncio, thelocal feudal plantation owner. Filled with guilt and sorrow, he retrieves to the woods. During this isolation period, he recalls his master’s teachings and learns about the secrets of nature. Blessed by the Orixás, the holy deities in the Afro Brazilian religions, and protected by his sacred necklace, he heads to fight mighty Colonel Venâncio.
Screening Info:
- Press screening: Mon. Feb. 15, 9:25, CineStar 3
- Mon. Feb. 15, 19:00, ZooPalast
- Tues. Feb. 16, 13:00, CinemaxX 7
- Wed. Feb. 17, 14:00, International
- Thurs. Feb. 18, 14:30, Cubix 9
Talent Attending:
- Director Joao Daniel Tikhomiroff
- Lead actor Ailton Carmo
- Lead actress Jessica Barbosa
- Interview days: Feb. 15-17
German and International Press
HOW I ENDED THIS SUMMER
Directed by Alexei Popogrebsky
(Russia, 124 min., World Premiere, In Competition)
On a deserted Russian Arctic island, two men work diligently at a small meteorological station. Their task is to take regular readings from their partly radioactive surroundings and relay this crucial data on to headquarters via radio - their only bridge to the outside world. For a seasoned pro like Sergei, a gruff man in his fifties, this job has become routine. During the years he has spent in extreme isolation, he has learned to take this task very seriously.
His new work partner is the fresh-faced Pavel, a bright-eyed college grad assigned to spend the summer at the station. The two men have little in common, with Pavel sticking to the company of his MP3 and video games to avoid the bullish, vaguely threatening presence of Sergei. The balance tips one day when Sergei leaves his post to go fishing for trout in a nearby lagoon. He has entrusted Pavel to do the readings and radio them to the headquarters as required. Inexperienced Pavel misses the appointed reading time and falsifies the logs to cover it up. Worse yet, there is terrible news for Sergei from HQ. Intimidated and uneasy, Pavel keeps quiet, unable to bring himself to share the distressing news to Sergei. When the terrifying truth finally emerges, its inevitable consequences play out against a desolate backdrop of thick fog, sharp rocks, crashing waves, and the merciless Arctic Sea…
HOW I ENDED THIS SUMMER stars well-known director and actor (SIMPLE THINGS) Sergei Puskepalis and young breakout star Grigory Dobrygin as two men forced to carve out a relationship of trust and, ultimately, forgiveness in the desolate Russian Arctic. Following his award-winning features KOKTEBEL and SIMPLE THINGS, young Russian director Alexei Popogrebsky now delivers a visually stunning existentialist drama of survival, filmed entirely on location, at the easternmost tip of Russia.
Screening Info:
- Press screening: Tue, Feb 16, 21:30, CinemaxX 9 (daily press only)
- Press screening: Wed, Feb 17, 15:30, CinemaxX 7, CinemaxX 9
- Press conference: Wed, Feb 17, 18:00, Grand Hyatt
- Premiere: Wed, Feb 17, 22:30, Berlinale Palast
Talent Attending:
- Director Alexei Popogrebsky
- Lead actors Sergei Puskepalis and Grigory Dobrygin
- Interview days: Feb.17-19
German and International Press
IN EMBRYO
Directed by Ulrich Thomsen
(Germany)
Screening Info:
- No screening
Talent Attending:
- Director/actor Ulrich Thomsen
- Interview days: Feb. 16
German and International Press
POR TU CULPA
Directed by Anahí Berneri
(Argentina/France, 87 min., World Premiere, Panorama Special)
From the outset, the tender and quaint family home scene looks like any other: short squeals of delight from two small boys and their mother, as they frolic together playfully in a tender yet short-lived moment. Boys being boys, the gentle tussle and scuffle soon escalates to rough-housing and screaming crescendos. Naturally, Julieta does what any other mother would: try to stand firmly on her parental ground in an attempt to send the boys to bed without causing further upset. But the little ones have a mind of their own and stubbornly block out their poor mother’s pleas for peace and quiet. Julieta, under intense pressure to finish a report for work, is already beyond the point of exhaustion.
Suddenly, everything comes to an absolute standstill when screams from Julieta’s younger son Teo pierce through the house. Something is clearly wrong: the boy needs medical attention and needs to be whisked to the closest hospital. What exactly happened is unclear. But as Julieta and her boys listlessly shuffle from one room to another at the hospital, an unnerving sense of quiet foreboding begins to emerge within the frames of a seemingly picture perfect family ...
Buenos Aires filmmaker Anahí Berneri delivers a searing, emotionally wired study of a young mother on the verge of losing her grip on herself and her life – a challenging role, impressively performed by newcoming actress Erica Riva. POR TU CULPA is both directed and written by Berneri, who made her international breakthrough with her successful first feature film A YEAR WITHOUT LOVE (Teddy Award at 2005 Berlinale). Her second film ENCARNACION earned awards at both the Toronto International Film Festival and the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Screening Info:
- Press Screening: Sun, Feb 14, 15:00, Cinestar 3
- Premiere: Sun. Feb. 14, 19:00, Zoo Palast 1
- Mon, Feb 15, 10:30, CinemaxX 7
- Tue, Feb 16 14:00, International
- Thu, Feb 18, 17:00, Cubix 9
Talent Attending:
- Director Anahí Berneri
- Lead actress Erica Rivas
- Interview days: Feb. 14-15
German and International Press
RED HILL
Directed by Patrick Hughes
(Australia, 94 min., World Premiere, Panorama)
Young police officer Shane Cooper relocates to the small country town of Red Hill with his pregnant wife Alice to start a family. But when news of a prison break sends the local law enforcement officers – led by the town’s ruling presence, Old Bill - into a panic, Shane’s first day on duty rapidly turns into a nightmare.
Enter Jimmy Conway, a convicted murderer serving life behind bars, who returns to the isolated outpost seeking revenge. Now caught in the middle of what will become a terrifying and bloody confrontation, Shane will be forced to take the law into his own hands if he is to survive.
A taut thriller that unfolds over the course of a single day and night, and told with explosive action and chilling violence, RED HILL is a modern-day western played out against the amazing landscapes of high-country Australia.
Related Links:
Screening Info:
- Press screening: Sun. Feb. 14, 13:15, CineStar 3
- Press conference: Sun. Feb. 14, 15:00, Grand Hyatt
- Sun. Feb. 14, 21:30, Zoo Palast 1
- Mon. Feb. 15, 13:00, CinemaxX 7
- Tues. Feb. 16, 14:30, Cubix 9
- Sat. Feb. 20, 21:30, Zoo Palast 1
Talent Attending:
- Director Patrick Hughes
- Lead actor Ryan Kwanten ("True Blood")
- Interview days: Feb. 14-17
