Venecia 2010: Programa de la sección Venice Days

VENICE DAYS 2010
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN

Twelve countries, 12 films (including four feature debuts), a special event and an extraordinary closing night. A journey into cinema and contemporary Italy, through a series of portraits and landscapes of the "real." A tribute to one of the great figures of European cinema. An exciting new initiative in collaboration with the European Parliament, Europa Cinemas and Cineuropa. The continuation of the project "100+1: One hundred films and one country, Italy" with the Province of Rome and Cinecittà Luce.

The programme of the 7th Venice Days (directed by Giorgio Gosetti and promoted with ANAC and 100 AUTORI) contains all the spirit and ambition of the filmmakers who founded the independent section that takes place during the Venice International Film Festival, whose 67th edition will be held from September 1-11, 2010.

Created by the Venice Days Association (presid ed over by Roberto Barzanti) - with a contribution from the Ministry of Culture and BNL-Gruppo BNP PARIBAS (the Festival's main sponsor), and with support from Italian and foreign public and private institutions - the autonomous sidebar that has been called the "Festival's most innovative section," is, like all of Italian culture, in the midst of great crisis and uncertainty that heavily limit its potential. However, the loyalty and partnership of the Venice Biennale Foundation and the Venice Film Festival have made it possible for us to once again offer a programme that truly reflects our desire to support the independence and creativity of filmmakers, be they established maestros or newcomers with surprises in store.

"We are happy to be at Venice thanks to the commitment of the public institutions and private partners that have believed in our work since the very beginning. I must furthermore applaud the efforts made to highlight the importance of audiences at festivals, as we will do with our 'magnificent 27' young Europeans. They are proof that Venice Days' dedication extends beyond simply discovering films, to the entire film universe." (Roberto Barzanti, President of Venice Days).

Also during Venice Days, the three finalists of the European Parliament's 2010 Lux Prize will be presented, along with the Label Europa Cinemas winner of the section's Best European Film, and a special mention for creativity from 27 young viewers from all the countries of the European Union (as part of a project backed by the European Parliament).

"Coherence and diversity are the first words that come to mind in defining this year's selection, which is greatly to the credit of the colleagues who flanked me, the producers and directors who believed in us, and the institutions, privates partners and sales agents who backed us. Whereas in 2009 we wanted to push the conventions and barriers of genr es, choosing above all films that could speak to their audiences, this year we sought out audiences who could take part in our search. To our favorite judges - festival-goers and those who, thanks to the European Parliament and Europa Cinemas, come to Venice specifically for Venice Days - we offer surprising, emotional films that will stir up passions and discussions. On politics and aesthetics, human geography and utopias, style and history (human stories). In other words, films that speak to the mind and heart by using the entire arsenal of the wonderful art of cinema. Our mission is to encourage risk-taking, discovery and originality, and we think we've found just that among this year's filmmakers, in a selection that will entertain and spark debate. Which we invite audiences to consider separately and as a whole, in terms of the invisible bond that unites creativity throughout the entire world, and which can be examined through a prism of intrinsic coherence. A voice cal ls from Burkina Faso and another responds from Naples; a danger is announced in Mostar and explained in Canada; a utopia is born in the Colombian forest and hope grows in the Middle East." (Delegate General Giorgio Gosetti).


OFFICIAL SELECTION

World Premiere

LA VIDA DE LOS PECES/THE LIFE OF FISH by Matias Bize
with Santiago Cabrera, Blanca Lewin
Chile - Production co.: Cenecca Producciones
A young Chilean returns to Santiago after 10 years in Europe and ponders his past and future over a long night of encounters with old friends and his great love. This sentimental, urban comedy depicts a South America far from the stereotypes and folklore.

International Premiere - Opening film
LE BRUIT DES GLACONS/THE CLINK OF ICE by Bertrand Blier
with Jean Dujardin, Albert Dupontel, Anne Alvaro, Myriam Boyer
France, Sales co.: Wild Bunch
An alcoholic writer is confronted by an incarnation of his own cancer in this no-holds-barred, black comedy on illness and death. Nothing is spared politically incorrect derision - except for the desire to live and love. Starring the new stars of French cinema, Jean Dujardin and Albert Dupontel.

World Premiere

ET IN TERRA PAX by Matteo Botrugno and Daniele Coluccini (feature debut)
with Maurizio Tesei, Ughetta D'Onorascenzo, Michele Botrugno, Fabio Gomiero
Italy - Sales co.: Ellipsis
Early Pasolini comes to mind in this powerful tale of stolen adolescence and betrayed hopes, set against a possible future and decrepit landscape of Rome's squalid outskirts.

World Premiere

NOTRE ETRANGERE/THE PLACE IN BETWEEN by Sarah Bouyain (feature debut)
with Dorylia Calmel, Assita Ouedraogo, Nathalie Richard
Burkina Faso/France - Sales co.: Colifilms Diffusion
An African adolescent sent at a young age to live with a white family in Paris, in the hopes of a better life, sets out to find her mother. She journeys into the heart of Burkina Faso, while her mother has in the meantime moved to Paris. The feature debut of Idrissa Ouedraogu's assistant director.

World Premiere

L'AMORE BUIO by Antonio Capuano
with Irene De Angelis, Gabriele Agrio, Luisa Ranieri, Corso Salani, Valeria Golino, Fabrizio Gifuni
Italy - Production cos.: L.G.M. Ellegiemme, RAI Cinema
A moving herd offers pity to no one, neither its victims nor its most fragile members. A dramatic story of violence and tenderness by of one of Napl es' most exceptional directors returns. Starring Valeria Golino and Fabrizio Gifuni. Venice Days uses this occasion to pay its respects to Corso Salani, a sensitive actor and unique filmmaker, who made his last appearance in this film.

World Premiere
PEQUENAS VOCES by Jairo Carrillo and Oscar Andrade (feature debut)
Colombia - Production cos.: Cachupedillo Films, Jaguar Taller Digital
Survivors of the civil war between the Colombian army and paramilitary gangs, a handful of children recount their lives through elementary but beautiful drawings, which the directors used as the storyboard to an absolutely unique animated film, seven years in the making, on a possible utopia.

International premiere

THE HAPPY POET by Paul Gordon
Con Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Chri s Doubek, Liz Fisher
US - Production co.: St. Chris Film
With a style reminiscent of the heights of American independent cinema, such as the early works of Harry Jaglom, this heart-warming story of hope centers on a young entrepreneur who defies the global crisis and starts his own health food stand.

World Premiere
NOIR OCEAN by Marion Hänsel
with Nicolas Robin, Adrien Jolivet, Romain David
Belgium/France/Germany - Sales co.: Doc&Films International
From one of the great filmmakers of the European avant-garde, a story of three young, innocent sailors aboard a French frigate off the Polynesian coast. The year is 1972, the location Mururoa, during France's nuclear testing. Based on two short stories from Hubert Mingarelli's Océan Pacifique

International Premiere
CIRKUS COLUMBIA by Danis Tanovic<>with Miki Manojlović, Mira Furlan, Boris Ler, Jelena Stupljanin
Bosnia Herzegovina/France/GB/Slovenia/Germany/Belgium/Serbia
Sales co.: The Match Factory
The Oscar-winning Bosnian director returns home with a story of loneliness and hope, comedy and drama, on the eve of the Balkan War. To show how, overnight, lifelong friends can become bitter enemies. Starring Miki Manojlovic and based on the eponymous literary debut of Bosnian journalist Ivica Djikic.

World Premiere

INCENDIES by Denis Villeneuve
with Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Rémy Girard
Canada/France - Sales co.: E1 Entertainment International
A mother´s last wish sends twins Jeanne and Simon on a journey to Lebanon in search of their tangled roots. A powerfully stirring tale of two young adults´ voyage to the core of deep-rooted hatred, never-e nding wars and enduring love.

World Premiere

COGUNLUK/MAJORITY by Seren Yüce (feature debut)
with Bartu Küçükçağlayan, Settar Tanrioğren, Nihal Koldaş, Esme Madra
Turkey - Sales co.: The Match Factory
Life is hard for Romeo and Juliet even in Istanbul. Especially when he is a member of the conformist middle-class and she is a Kurdish girl seeking her own normalcy in a world where the majority does not allow for transgressions.

World Premiere

CIELO SENZA TERRA by Giovanni Davide Maderna and Sara Pozzoli
Italy - Production co.: Quarto Film
An experiment on cinéma vérité, with stories based on real life, where the camera and microphone seem to record the minutest details of three interwoven stories. An ensemble piece constantly suspe nded between the private life of a father and the public life of a director.

ITALY: PORTRAITS AND LANDSCAPES

LA VITA AL TEMPO DELLA MORTE/LIFE IN THE TIME OF DEATH by Andrea Caccia
World Premiere - Italy - Production co.: Roadmovie and Andrea Caccia

Three episodes about our society's ultimate taboo - the suffering of the dying - blend experimental cinema, documentary and first-person accounts. With the narrative rhythm and visual language of one of the most innovative talents of Italian cinema.

IL SANGUE VERDE by Andrea Segre
World Premiere - Italy - Production cos.: ZaLab, Jole Film
The Rosarno riots "survivors" speak about themselves in a colorful mix of languages, stories and adventures that are united by an incredible will to live and stay in a land that has tried to depict them as outcasts of Paradise Lost.

LISETTA CARMI. UN'ANIMA IN CAMMINO by Daniele Segre
World Premiere - Italy - Production co.: I Cammelli Sas
The incredible Lisetta Carmi was born in 1924 in Genoa, to a well-off, Jewish family. Today, she is one of the most important photographers of Italian and world history, which Daniele Segre captures as a soul in movement.

SCENA DEL CRIMINE by Walter Stokman
World Premiere - Netherlands - Production co.: Zeppers Film & TV
The Naples Questura, on a day like any other. An observer's camera captures events, stories, fragments of life and death far from the cacophony of daily horrors. An unexpected "voyage to Italy" of a foreigner who does not s eek spin and folklore but the truth beyond the headlines.

CINEMA UNDER THE SKY

HITLER A HOLLYWOOD by Frédéric Sojcher
with Maria De Medeiros, Micheline Presle
Belgium/France - Production co.: Saga Film
A truly unique mockumentary for European cinema, featuring an exceptional interviewer and an unforgettable star, Micheline Presle of Devil in the Flesh.

CAPO DIO MONTE by Pappi Corsicato
Italy, Production co.: Pappi Corsicato in association with Augusto Storero
In the National Museum of Capodimonte, arm-in-arm with Luigi Ontani and his unique creations. A virtual ballet of art.

LA SVOLTA. DONNE CONTRO L'ILVA by Valentina d'Amico
Italy, Production co.: Filmare srl
Losing one's job is not only the stuff of Western h eadlines during a crisis. It can also be yesterday's history that becomes a battle, defeat and victory all in one. Especially if told by a woman.

VOMERO TRAVEL by Guido Lombardi
Italia, Production cos.: Indigo Film, Figli del Bronx
The special day of a young man among the masses. Almost a metropolitan rap, in which prejudice and fear can unfold differently from how we are made to believe every day.

FATE LA STORIA SENZA DI ME by Mirko Capozzoli
Italy, Production co.: FOURLAB S.r.l.
The story of a young man whose life was full of memorable events: from the closure of psychiatric hospitals and the movements in 1968 and 1977 to the years of national terrorism, prison and his death from AIDS. A generation comes to term with itself.

E' STATO MORTO UN RAGAZZO by Filippo Vendemmiati
Italy, Production co.: Promo Music
On the night of September 25, 2005, 18-year-old Federico Aldrovandi was stopped by the police in Ferrara, Italy - and died. The truth behind his death has been the subject of trials, examinations and dubious admissions. Today, his death is a battle for freedom and information.

The programme will include a surprise special event, to be announced at a later date, that will be the symbol of this edition of VENICE DAYS.

Grilla de programación del MALBA en agosto

Grilla de programación

Jueves 5

14:00 Salsa picante, de William Sachs

15:45 Lecciones privadas, de Alan Myerson

17:30 Érase una vez el terror, de Andrew Kueh

19:00 Núcleo: Martes trágico, de Hugo Fregonese **

21:00 From Beyond, de Stuart Gordon

23:00 El ejército de las tinieblas, de Sam Raimi

Viernes 6

14:00 Aullidos, de Joe Dante

16:00 La mosca, de David Cronenberg

18:00 Malba.cortos: Si se pudiera saber, de Cecilia Lagar *

18:30 Otro entre otros, de Maximiliano Pelosi

20:00 Francia, de Adrián Caetano

22:00 La última ola, de Peter Weir

00:00 Filmoteca: El oro, de Robert Mulligan

Sábado 7

14:00 El guerrero rojo, de Richard Fleischer

16:00 Supergirl, de Jeannot Swarc

18:00 Soy Huao, de Juan Baldana - FOTO

20:00 Plan B, de Marco Berger

22:00 Testigo fatal, de Kathryn Bigelow

00:00 Lolita, de Stanley Kubrick

Domingo 8

13:30 Estamos todos locos, de Terry Jones

15:20 La última locura de Mel Brooks, de Mel Brooks

17:00 Soy Huao, de Juan Baldana - FOTO

18:30 Plan B, de Marco Berger

20:15 Francia, de Adrián Caetano

22:00 Carretera perdida, de David Lynch

Jueves 12

14:00 Las minas del Rey Salomón, de J. Lee Thompson

16:00 Invasión USA, de Joseph Zito

Viernes 13

14:00 Vestido de fiesta, de Bertrand Blier

16:00 Storytelling, de Todd Solondz

18:00 Malba.cortos: Si se pudiera saber, de Cecilia Lagar *

18:30 Otro entre otros, de Maximiliano Pelosi

20:00 Francia, de Adrián Caetano

22:00 Adrenalina, la películas, de Anita Assal, Bathelemy Bompard, Philippe Dorison, John Hudson, Jean-Marie Maddeddu, Yann Piquer y Alain Robak

00:00 Filmoteca: Cream's Farewell Concert, de Tony Palmer

Sábado 14

14:00 Sueños eléctricos, de Steve Barron

16:00 El callejón de los sueños, de Alan Udolph

18:00 Soy Huao, de Juan Baldana

20:00 Plan B, de Marco Berger

22:00 Criaturas celestiales, de Peter Jackson

00:00 Garganta profunda, de Gerard Damiano

Domingo 15

13:30 El as, de Franco Castellano y Giuseppe Moccia

15:10 Señas particulares: bellísimo, de Franco Castellano y Giuseppe Moccia

17:00 Soy Huao, de Juan Baldana

18:30 Plan B, de Marco Berger

20.15 Francia, de Adrián Caetano

22:00 Tiempo de gitanos, de Emir Kusturica

Jueves 19

14:00 Dance Academy, de Ted Mather

15:45 Correccional de mujeres, de Emilio Vieyra

17:30 Crazy Mama, de Jonathan Demme

19:00 Núcleo: Muerte en la calle, de Leo Fleider **

21:00 Infierno en el cosmos, de Luigi Cozzi

23:00 Heavy Metal, de Gerald Potterton

Viernes 20

14:00 Sepultada viva, de Aldo Lado

16:00 Los incorregibles, de Claude Zidi

18:00 Malba.cortos: Si se pudiera saber, de Cecilia Lagar *

18:30 Otro entre otros, de Maximiliano Pelosi

20:00 Francia, de Adrián Caetano

22:00 Legado de violencia, de David Gordon Green

00:00 Filmoteca: Outrageous!, de Richard Benner

Sábado 21

14:00 El viaje de Morvern, de Lynne Ramsay

16:00 25 watts, de Juan Pablo Rebella y Pablo Stoll

18:00 Soy Huao, de Juan Baldana

20:00 Plan B, de Marco Berger

22:00 Los amantes del círculo polar, de Julio Medem

00:00 El amante, de Jean-Jacques Annaud

Domingo 22

13:30 La leyenda de Bruce Lee, de Leonard Ho

15:00 El regreso del Dragón, de Bruce Lee

17:00 Soy Huao, de Juan Baldana

18:30 Plan B, de Marco Berger

20.15 Francia, de Adrián Caetano

22:00 Perdita Durango, de Alex de la Iglesia

Jueves 26

14:00 Demonios, de Lamberto Bava

15.45 Rojo profundo, de Dario Argento

17:30 Escape al infierno, de Allan Holzman

19:00 Núcleo: Mis seis presidiarios, de Hugo Fregonese **

21:00 Halloween 2, de John Carpenter

23:00 Pesadilla 5, de Stephens Hopkins

Viernes 27

14:00 Las vírgenes guerreras, de Just Jaeckin

16:00 El gran dragón blanco, de Newt Arnold

18:00 Malba.cortos: Si se pudiera saber, de Cecilia Lagar *

18:30 Otro entre otros, de Maximiliano Pelosi

20:00 Francia, de Adrián Caetano

22:00 Bagdad café, de Percy Adlon

00:00 Filmoteca: El hombre del más allá, de Burton L. King + MV

Sábado 28

14:00 Días de radio, de Woody Allen

16:00 Un golpe genial, de Alexandre Arcady

18:00 Soy Huao, de Juan Baldana

20:00 Plan B, de Marco Berger

22:00 El joven manos de tijera, de Tim Burton

00:00 Porno mudo + MV

Domingo 29

13:00 Los fugitivos, de Jeff Kanew

15:00 Me llaman Trinity, de Enzo Barboni

17:00 Soy Huao, de Juan Baldana

18:30 Plan B, de Marco Berger

20:15 Francia, de Adrián Caetano

22:00 Polyester, de John Waters

Entrada General: $17.-

Estudiantes y jubilados: $8.-

Abono: $74.- Estudiantes y jubilados: $37.-

MV: exhibiciones con música en vivo

* Entrada libre y gratuita hasta completar la capacidad de la sala

** Entrada gratuita para socios del Cine Club Núcleo

Una semana en Córdoba, con críticos

No voy a hacer un racconto día a día, hora a hora, de la Semana de la Crítica. Prefiero, como dije más de una vez en las dos mesas redondas en las que participé, compartir las sensaciones que me provocó la experiencia cordobesa.

Primero, se descuentan todos los agradecimientos: a Roger, principalmente, con el que cada día nos vamos dando cuenta que tenemos más coincidencias de las que imaginamos (lo de "El sacrificio" de Tarkovsky en el cine de la calle Florida me mató...) y a todos los demás que formaron parte del equipo de producción del evento, en cada caso, cada área, cada tema.

Debo decir que, cuando acepté la invitación de Koza, lo hice a partir de las ganas de venir a Córdoba unos días y tomando mi papel como "disertante" y presentador de un filme como algo secundario. Al final, casi no conocí la ciudad --el centro, las peatonales, un videoclub, tres bares, un restaurante y no mucho más--, y la otra parte cobró un peso y un disfrute insospechados. No podría asegurarlo todavía, pero ahora siento que me devolvió un poco cierta fe perdida en mi relación con el cine y con la cinefilia.

He pasado por debates y conferencias y tengo una relativa gimnasia para manejarme en esos terrenos. Hay una suerte de respuestas prefabricadas que uno utiliza para ciertas preguntas que también abordan tópicos que a uno se le hacen algo reiterativos. Pero la "previsibilidad" fue abriendo paso a otro tipo de experiencia. Y, creo ahora, los motivos fueron dos.

Por un lado, los seminarios. La Semana de la Crítica tuvo dos, uno de Quintín y otro de Jonathan Rosenbaum (Gonzalo Maza, que no pudo venir, Koza y yo no teníamos). Q. se centró en Manny Farber, pero con un largo paréntesis que le dedicó a Manuel Puig, ya que era un tema en el que venía trabajando, obsesivamente, durante las últimas semanas preparando la nota que salió en Ñ el sábado pasado. Y lo de Rosenbaum fue más "free form": un poco de autobiografía, muchas preguntas de la gente y varios temas ligados a su carrera, gusto y profesión.

En el seminario de Quintín fui, por momentos, traductor de Rosenbaum, sentado al lado y tratando de transformar en un inglés comprensible el pensamiento siempre lateral de Q. Y, en el de Rosenbaum, fui también por momentos, traductor de Jonathan para los asistentes. No era la idea original, pero de entrada se fueron dando cuenta los organizadores que, por más buenas voluntad que ponían las dos traductoras, les resultaba complicadísima la tarea, en especial por las incontables referencias a películas y directores.

Eso me hizo estar 100% atento a todo lo que se dijo en esas charlas y lo que noté fue que todavía había vías y caminos para desarrollar(me) en términos de mi relación con el pensamiento y la escritura cinematográfica. A Q. lo conozco hace casi 20 años y a JR hace diez --y a ambos los leo hace igual o más cantidad de tiempo--, así que no me sorprendieron todos sus comentarios. Pero sí fui encontrando --gracias a determinadas observaciones y en la muy inteligente participación del público-- algunas callejuelas para recorrer.

La lectura de Farber, de parte de Q. y JR, me hizo salir corriendo a buscar más cosas suyas (leí algunas, me faltan miles) y me volvió a plantear un desafío personal en lo que respecta a la crítica cinematográfica, especialmente cuando uno cae en momentos de "deja vu", de rutina y cansancio. Con las ponencias de Rosenbaum volví a recuperar algo que es parte fundamental de mi idea de la labor del crítico --la importancia de la subjetividad, entre otras cosas--, muchas veces obstruidas por el trabajo en un medio impersonal y en un blog al que no puedo dedicarle el tiempo que quisiera.

Lo que dijo Q. me servirá para conectar los seminarios con las mesas redondas en las que las "cuatro estrellas" (admito que la venta y el poster de la Semana me dio bastante pudor...) participamos. Con Quintín siempre, o casi siempre, tuve una buena relación. Sus ideas sobre el cine son siempre francas, por momentos brutales, van de la provocación al conflicto y muy pocas veces eligen los caminos recorridos, las salidas sencillas, la armonía del consenso. Eso, lo sabemos todos los que lo conocemos, provoca tanta admiración como rechazo, genera fascinación y acusaciones de todo tipo y color.

Suelo estar de acuerdo en muchas cosas con él y en otras, no tanto. Pero lo que es innegable, no sólo es la solidez con la que expone sus ideas, sino su condición de polemista magnífico, un tipo que saca cualquier mesa redonda del facilismo de la respuesta de manual. El tipo se contradice, permanentemente (y justifica sus contradicciones hasta convencerte de que no hay contradicción alguna, o que, si la hay, la única opción en la materia es ser contradictorio), está en desacuerdo con la mayor parte de las cosas que dicen no sólo sus colegas de mesa sino también el público y logra borrar en un segundo el clima de museo que acecha a todos estos eventos.

Magnífico animador de debates culturales, Q. te lleva a estar, en la medida de lo posible, a su altura, te obliga a "sacarte el cassette" y te plantea desafíos inesperados. Sería larguísimo detallar todo lo que se habló y debatió --algo está en La Lectora Provisoria y la gente del Cineclub prometió videos y desgrabaciones de las charlas--, pero en un momento Rosenbaum gritaba, Quintín se sacaba con una participante y yo entraba en una zona de confesiones que suelo guardar para el ámbito de lo privado. Hasta Roger, la más amable y centrada de las personas amables y centradas que conozco en todo el mundo (al menos, en lo público: el surmenage va por dentro, ja!) empezó a levantar la voz y lanzar frases altisonantes. Y este pequeño show no hizo que bajara, al menos en mi opinión, el nivel del debate. Le sacó el polvo, lo desacomodó del lugar común, lo humanizó. Y eso, finalmente, era lo que tenía que pasar.

También presentamos películas, pero casi ni vimos pelis allá. Las mesas y seminarios nos tomaban 6, 7 horas por día (de 11 a 20, con un break entre 16 y 18) y almuerzo, cena y alguna mínima visita a un videoclub maravilloso (regenteado por Alejandro Cozza, coconductor junto a Roger de un programa semanal de cine en la TV cordobesa) y a otro lugar notable (la librería Rubén) nos mantuvieron bastante ocupados.

Yo presenté "Belarmino", película portuguesa de 1964 dirigida por Fernando Lopes, uno de los filmes y cineastas claves del Novo Cinema portugués de los años '60 y '70, un documental sobre un boxeador en decadencia realizado mezclando elementos del cinema-verité y, si se quiere, del primer Casavettes. Y me pareció que la recepción fue buena. JR dio uno de los primeros filmes de Jean Renoir (otro JR), la poco vista "La nuit du carrefour", adaptación de una novela de Georges Simenon; mientras que Q. dio la mucho más conocida "The Big Sleep", de Howard Hawks, más que nada porque es un filme del que habla Farber en su libro, "Negative Space" y que, al verlo, nos sirvió para descubrir (al menos nosotros, tal vez alguien lo había descubierto antes), un error en la apreciación "farberiana" de una escena del filme que él usa para ejemplificar su teoría del "arte termina vs. el arte elefante blanco".

Mientras me pongo a pensar en cómo voy a tratar a una película como "Inception/El origen" (tal vez en La Cumbre tenga otro título, Roger sabrá), en relación a estas ideas que circulan por mi cabeza, voy concluyendo estas líneas cordobesas, cuando ya es muy tarde, faltan pocas horas para subirme al avión y todo esto empieza a tomar la forma de un recuerdo. Ojalá, ese recuerdo, con el tiempo, cobre forma de epifanía.

Desde Córdoba

Gentileza: Google Search

Aquí, desde Córdoba, terminando la Semana de la Crítica junto a Rosenbaum, Quintín y Flavia, una experiencia extraordinaria que comentaré mañana, a mi regreso a Buenos Aires. Ahora, para precisiones sobre las charlas y menudencias varias, vayan a La lectora provisoria. Para observaciones casuales y aforismos de salón, mi cuenta de Twitter.

Nos reencontramos mañana.

Rumores sobre la programación de Venecia (Variety)

By NICK VIVARELLI

ROME -- Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan" is among the latest near certainties in a new clutch of hotly anticipated titles tipped to unspool at the upcoming Venice Film Festival, along with new works by Ben Affleck, Kelly Reichardt, Tom Tykwer, Takashi Miike and Tsui Hark.

With the official lineup set to be announced July 29, artistic director Marco Mueller seems to have assembled a strong and well-assorted selection with robust English-language and European showings, a standout Asian presence, and Spanish-language cinema also slotted.

"Black Swan," a supernatural thriller set in the world of ballet, is likely to be the Venice opener, providing plenty of star power, with Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder and Vincent Cassel potentially in tow.

Fox Searchlight's test screenings for "Swan" have reportedly been generating plenty of buzz.

"The Town" is Affleck's sophomore feature as director, after "Gone Baby Gone." Affleck also stars as a bank robber who becomes smitten with a bank teller whom he intersects with on a heist.

Warner Bros. has slated "The Town" for a Sept. 17 Stateside release.

In a year that will seemingly see lots of high-profile U.S. titles on the Lido, including George Clooney starrer "The American," helmed by Anton Corbijn, and Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere" -- both from Focus Features, and both previously Lido-tipped -- Yank indie darling Reichardt also looks to have joined the Venice roster with her Oregon trail period pic "Meek's Cutoff," likely to unspool in competish.

Cult helmer Paul Morrissey ("Flesh," "Trash," "Heat"), best known for his association with Andy Warhol, is also expected to bow his long-gestating "News From Nowhere" in Venice.

Likely to bow from Blighty, in an out-of-competish berth, is U.K. helmer Tom Hooper's "The King's Speech," toplining Colin Firth as the stammering King George VI, from The Weinstein Company.

U.K. helmer Justin Chadwick's "The First Grader," the true tale of an 84-year-old Kenyan villager who fights for his right to go to school, also looks set for a Venice launch, along with

British visual artist/helmer Isaac Julien's China-set "Ten Thousand Waves," which includes Maggie Cheung in the cast.

Previously tipped for Lido berths are Julian Schnabel's "Miral," Monte Hellman's noir "Road to Nowhere," Dustin Hoffman starrer "Barney's Version," helmed by Richard J. Lewis and based on the eponymous best-seller, and Al Pacino's "Wilde Salome."

Tom Tykwer's Berlin-set love triangle pic "Three," the Teutonic helmer's first German project in a decade, is among the latest additions to the list of European entries believed to be Lido-bound, along with buzzed-about Gallic pic "Happy Few," which is helmer Antony Cordier's erotically charged followup to "Cold Showers," from Wild Bunch.

As already reported, the hot Gallic group is expected to also comprise Abdel Kechiche's "Black Venus" and Francois Ozon's "Potiche," starring Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu.

Spanish-language cinema will likely make its return on the Lido with Spanish actress/helmer Iciar Bollain's third feature "Even the Rain," a drama about Bolivian water wars.

The Italian titles tipped for Venice competish are Saverio Costanzo's "The Solitude of Prime Numbers," featuring Isabella Rossellini and Italo thesp Alba Rohrwacher, Mario Martone's costumer "Noi Credevamo" and Carlo Mazzacurati's comedy "La Passione," produced by Domenico Procacci's Fandango.

Alessandro Piva's noir "Henry," about a drug war in contempo Rome, Giada Colagrande's "A Woman," starring Willem Dafoe and Stefania Rocca, and Gianfranco Rosi's docu "El Sicario," in which a Mexican hitman recounts his jobs both for drug traffickers and governments, are likely to unspool in Lido sidebars.

Fox International Italo gangster epic "Vallanzasca," helmed by Michele Placido and starring Kim Rossi Stewart as real-life Renato Vallanzasca, a handsome lady's man from a middle-class background who became a top Milan mobster in the 1970s, is tipped for out-of-competish.

Likely additions to the Lido's previously reported copious Asian contingent this year are cult Japanese auteur Takashi Miike's hotly anticipated samurai swashbuckler "Thirteen Assassins," a remake of Eiichi Kudo's 1963 hit; Hong Kong helmer Tsui Hark's period mystery thriller "Detective Dee"; and Andrew Lau's martial arts actioner "Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zen," a sequel of sorts to 1972 Bruce Lee starrer "Fist of Fury."

The Lido also looks set to host the bow of what is being touted as the first Hong Kong 3D horror pic, "The Child's Eye," from directorial duo the Pang brothers.

As previously announced John Woo's martial arts actioner "Reign of Assassins" and Johnny To's thriller "Shares" are also believed to be among pics with booked Lido berths.

Fest runs Sept. 1-11.

Mix de opiniones sobre "Inception/El origen", de Christopher Nolan

A falta de tiempo de escribir una crítica sobre INCEPTION/EL ORIGEN, hago un mix de frases de otras críticas (en inglés: es lo que hay) que bien podrían representar lo que me pasó a mí viéndola. Ya escribiré sobre el filme, acá en el blog. Dejaré la crítica del diario a algún otro que le haya gustado más...

"Too literal-minded, too caught up in ticktock logistics, to make a great, untethered dream movie."

"Like Nolan, the dreamweavers work from their movie memories (the center of Fischer Jr.'s labyrinth is the intersection of Citizen Kane and 2001) and narrative formula. Planning how to get through to Fisher Jr., one conspirator, who's obviously attended a few screenwriting seminars, offers: "The stronger the issues, the more powerful the catharsis."

"This may be a movie about dreams, but there’s nothing dreamlike or evocative about it: Nolan doesn’t build or sustain a mood; all he does is twist the plot, under, over, and back upon itself, relying on Hans Zimmer’s sonic boom of a score to remind us when we should be excited or anxious or moved. It’s less directing than directing traffic."

"Managing all these nested levels of narrative is a marvelously nerdy accomplishment, no doubt -- but this is the most tight-assed vision of the innermost human psyche I've ever seen. While Nolan's images are visually impressive and powered by state-of-the-art digital effects and accomplished stunt work, they're always ordered and organized with anal precision. They don't look or feel anything like dreams. (Or, at least, not like my dreams.)"

"It's a cool-looking action movie, carefully constructed and edited, that uses all kinds of nifty locations and a lot of portentous-sounding expositional yammering. It inhabits a Philip K. Dick-style universe of psychological warfare that suggests "The Matrix," "Total Recall" and "Minority Report" -- all of them, by the way, better movies -- but it's fairer to call "Inception" a maze movie or a labyrinth movie than a puzzle movie. Because, as the wisecracking fellow critic sitting next to me observed, every time the story gets puzzling the characters call a timeout and explain it."

"For all the complexity, craftsmanship and color of "Inception," it's yet another of his ultra-serious schematic constructions with no soul, no sex and almost no joy, all about some tormented dude struggling with his ill-managed Freudian demons. That same guy sitting next to me cracked that Nolan needs to stop seeing a therapist; there's not nearly enough sublimation in his movies."

Semana de la Crítica en Córdoba

Mañana miércoles, si las condiciones climáticas y otros factores aleatorios así lo permiten (leer aquí la crónica del viaje de Quintin y Flavia en La Lectora Provisoria), estaré en Córdoba, invitado a participar de la Semana de la Crítica, ciclo de preestrenos, clásicos, seminarios, charlas y mesas redondas, organizadas por el amigo Roger Alan Koza y la gente del Cineclub Hugo del Carril en Córdoba.

Aquí, la información del ciclo.

Aquí, la cuenta de Twitter donde podré postear más seguido sobre lo que allí suceda.

"Mad Men" - Temporada 4, Episodio 1 (Variety review)

Mad Men (Series -- AMC, Sun. July 25, 10 p.m.)

By BRIAN LOWRY

Filmed in Los Angeles by Weiner Bros. in association with Lionsgate. Executive producer, Matthew Weiner; co-executive producers, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Scott Hornbacher; producers, Dahvi Waller, Dwayne Shattuck; director, Phil Abraham; writer, Weiner;

Don - Jon Hamm
Betty - January Jones
Pete - Vincent Kartheiser
Peggy - Elisabeth Moss
Joan - Christina Hendricks
Roger - John Slattery
Lane - Jared Harris
Ken - Aaron Staton
Harry - Rich Sommer
Cooper - Robert Morse
Sally - Kiernan Shipka

There will be no spoilers in analyzing the fourth-season kickoff of "Mad Men," other than to say the Emmy winner again begins slowly but hasn't lost its stride. AMC has shrewdly scheduled the program not just to help introduce "Rubicon" -- another new drama -- but seemingly to maximize its exposure while the latest round of Emmy ballots are in circulation. Although the series will likely never be a major ratings success, its campaign to earn basic-cable buzz and prestige has been Clio Award-worthy.

As in past seasons, "Men" has made another time jump when the season opens, forcing the audience to catch up with what's transpired in that time. Perhaps for that reason, creator-writer Matthew Weiner eases into the story, deftly weaving ample humor into the premiere.

The main focus, happily, is on ad man/ladies man/man of mystery Don Draper (the as usual terrific Jon Hamm), who (and this is a spoiler if you're not caught up on season three) saw his marriage collapse when we saw him last. Based on this sampling, one suspects the issue of those Draper kids also will be a thread throughout the season, reflecting the generation birthed in the 1950s and '60s who, more than any preceding them, were the product of divorce and broken homes.

Yet things are equally challenging for Don at work, where he and his partners are trying to make the best of the boutique agency they launched after considerable scheming.

This hour finds the cast in fine form, but the most interesting crumb to emerge might be Weiner's apparent rumination on the program's success and -- speaking through his protagonist -- his own heightened profile since the series took off.

"Who gives a crap what I say anyway?" Don asks at one point. "My work speaks for me."

The real genius of "Mad Men" has been its ability to draw in a discerning audience with such a low-octane vehicle -- one that, like "The Sopranos," disgorges plot advancements on a timetable of its choosing. Story arcs are developed and then set aside, with Weiner and company returning to them as they see fit.

By that measure, the show's accomplishments include not only re-examining the cultural revolution of the 1960s through a decidedly un-nostalgic lens, but unfolding its serialized narrative with a clear resistance to compromise.

From that perspective, the work does, indeed, speak for itself.

Production designer, Dan Bishop; editor, Leo Trombetta; music supervisor, Alex Patsavas; casting, Carrie Audino. RUNNING TIME: 60 MIN.

With: Christopher Stanley, Alison Brie, Deborah Lacey, Jared S. Gilmore.

Radio Micropsia: Episodio 34

Por Radio Nacional (FM 93.7), domingos de 20 a 22hs.
O por internet, entrando por aquí.

El día de lluvia en Buenos Aires no generará un programa melancólico. No, claro, porque ya lo teníamos armadísimo y tampoco es cuestión de andar improvisando. Así que tendremos un especial sobre el furor de Twitter con la presencia de @dieguez_ (Diego Papic), toda una estrella de la "twittosfera", y nosotros, los conductores, cada uno con distintas posturas sobre el asunto.

El tema "matrimonio igualitario" (o "gay", si prefieren) será otro de los ejes. Acá también hay distintas posturas sobre el asunto y no me refiero a... bueno, ya saben a que no me refiero.

Además de eso, los estrenos de cine (El origen, Resnais, La pivellina), series de televisión (la exitosa Glee, el regreso de Mad Men), ciclos, agenda y música de The Books, Pernice Brothers, Howe Gelb, Big Boi, entre otros.

Y, para la lluvia, Tom Waits y Neil Young. Melancolía de domingo a la noche, al fin.

Síntomas de que te estás volviendo adicto a Twitter

1.- Cuando abrís el TweetDeck antes que el Explorer o sucedáneos.

2.- Cuando te autojustificás de haberlo hecho porque abre más rápido y así "matás la espera" leyendo.

3.- Cuando pasas dos días sin abrir Twitter y bajás cincuenta páginas hasta encontrar el último tweet que leíste y te pasas tres horas leyendo todos los nuevos, del último al primero.

4.- Cuando pensás en "twitterismos". Ejemplo: tenés calorcito bajo el edredón y empezás "el edredón es como el verano, etc etc"

5.- Si pensás que cada boludez que hacés es tuiteable siempre y cuando le agregues "una gracia" para justificarla...

6.- Cuando te invitan a una salida (cena, show, peli, lo que sea) y decís que no podés porque "ya arreglé algo antes"...

7.- Cuando, en conversaciones normales, te referís a las personas por sus seudónimos. "Ayer lo vi a @juanez y nos fuimos a tomar un café con él y @enanamaldita"

8.- Cuando, con la excusa de fumar, salís de cualquier charla a ver en qué anda @pininomas y @mechiflaeltujes

9.- Cuando ya sabés, más o menos, los horarios laborales y los accesos a internet de @machocabrio y @amigodelalma, y esperás a que aparezcan.

10.- Cuando le decís, en persona, a un amigo que tuitea. "Ayer, en mi TL, apareció @andreadelboka y me dijo..."

11.- Cuando puteas porque no podés usar Twitter desde tu Blackberry si no hay wifi y empezás a buscar el signo wifi en los bares como si fuera el de Visa o Mastercard.

12.- Cuando escuchás el "beeep" del TweetDeck y te emociona.

13.- Cuando estás viendo una película en la PC y tenés el TweetDeck abierto, y no desconectás la notificación ni el beep.

14.- Cuando te empezás a preocupar porque @mepicaelhigo hace dos días no twittea. "Le habrá pasado algo?"

15.- Cuando tus ideas raramente exceden los 140 carácteres y empezás a hablar en one-liners.

16.- Cuando usás en emails cosas como # RT // FF DM y creés que el otro te va a entender.

17.- Cuando suponés que porque pusiste algo en Twitter ya todo el mundo lo sabe. "¿Cómo que te fuiste el fin de semana?", te preguntan. "Si, claro, si te conté..." Y estás hablando con tu abuela, ponele...

18.- Cuando empezás a elucubrar si hay onda entre @animalito y @ameliavence, si @mamertoesquiu conoce de verdad o no a @200decocido o si @haceunofri tiene 20, 30 o 50 años.

19.- Cuando podrías seguir durmiendo, pero preferís leer los 20 o 30 tweets seguramente alcoholizados que recibiste entre las 2 y las 8 de la mañana.

20.- Cuando te preocupa más perder un follower que subir cinco.

21.- Cuando hacés competencias imaginarias de followers con gente que no conocés, como @chingatumadre

22.-Cuando te hacen un RT por algo y seguís escribiendo sobre el mismo tema porque pensás que "funciona".

23.- Cuando te piden algo y decís "estoy ocupado, ya voy".

24.- Cuando te encontrás con un amigo de Twitter, que apenas conocés en la vida real, y se miran con cara de haber tenido sexo anoche.

25.- Cuando tenés un montón de cosas para hacer pero te ponés a escribir un post en tu blog sobre la adicción a Twitter.


PD. Se aceptan sugerencias, agregados, aportes. Yo podría seguir, pero tengo que ir a chequear el TweetDeck.
PD2. Ninguno de los nombres usados aquí son, al menos que yo sepa, reales. Así que no los busquen en Twitter.

La programación de Locarno (Variety)

By NICK VIVARELLI

ROME -- Seeking new lustre, the Locarno Film Festival has unveiled a leaner lineup, packed with 40 world preems, half of which are first-time features, in its first edition under new artistic topper Olivier Pere.

Opening Locarno's 63rd edition will be revered Gallic auteur Benoit Jacquot's period drama "Au Fond des Bois," which will unspool in the 7,000-seat outdoor Piazza Grande at the Swiss lakeside fest dedicated to indie fare.

Pere, a former head of the Cannes Directors' Fortnight, told Variety his goal is to "really make Locarno the place of discovery and the launch of young filmmakers and new directors."

Which is not to say his lineup does not comprise helmers who are already established names on the festival circuit. These include German auteur Pia Marais' highly anticipated "At Ellen's Age," starring Jeanne Balibar as a 43-year-old flight attendant whose life takes an unexpected turn; hot Hungarian helmer Benedek Fliegauf's sci-fier "Womb," starring Eva Green, and Canadian director Denis Cote's relationship drama "Curling."

2010 LOCARNO LINEUP

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
"Bas Fonds," Isild Le Besco, France
"White White World," Oleg Novkovic Serbia, Sweden/Germany
"Beyond the Steppes," Vanja d'Alcantara, Belgium/Poland
"Cold Weather," Aaaron Katz, U.S.
"Curling," Denis Cote, Canada
"Winter Vacation," Li Hongqi, China
"Man at Bath," Christophe Honore, France
"At Ellen's Age," Pia Marais, Germany
"Karamay," Xu Xin, China
"La Petite Chambre," Stephanie Chuat and Veronique Reymond, Switzerland
"L.A. Zombie," Bruce LaBruce, Germany/U.S./France
"Luz Nas Trevas -- A Volta Do Bandido Da Luz Vermelha," Helena Ignez and Icaro C. Martins, Brazil
"Morgen," Marian Crisan, Romania
"Periferic," Bogdan George Apetri, Romania/Austria
"Pietro," Daniele Gaglianone, Italy
"Sac," Tayfun Pirselim, Turkey/Greece
"Songs of Love and Hate," Katalina Godros, Switzerland
"Womb," Benedek Fliegauf, Germany/ Hungary/France

OUT OF COMPETITION
"C'etait Hier," Jacqueline Veuve, Switzerland
"Get Out of the Car," Thom Andersen, U.S.
"Hell Roaring Creek," Lucien Castaing-Taylor, U.S.
"Io Sono Tony Scott. La Storia Del Piu Grande Clarinettista Del Jazz,"
Franco Maresco, Italy
"Les Champs Brulants," Catherine Libert and Stefano Canapa, France
"Medemoiselle Else," Isabelle Prim, France
"The Indian Boundary Line," Thomas Comerford, U.S.


FILMMAKERS OF THE PRESENT COMPETITION
"Aardvark," Kitao Sakurai, U.S.
"The Belly of the Whale," Ana Lungu and Ana Szel, Romania
"Foreign Parts," Verena Paravel and J.P. Sniadecki, U.S./France
"Songs of Tomorrow," Jonas Holmstrom and Jonas Bergergard, Sweden
"Ivory Tower," Adam Traynor, Canada/France
"Jo Pour Jonathan," Maxime Giroux, Canada
"La Lisiere," Geraldine Bajard, France/Germany
"The Life Sublime," Daniel V. Villamediana, Spain
"Mandoo," Ebrahim Saeidi, Iraq
"Memory Lane," Mikhael Hers, France
"Intolerance Now," Takahiro Yamauchi, Japan
"Norberto's Deadline," Daniel Hendler, Uruguay/Argentina (foto)
"Paraboles," Emmanuelle Demoris, France
"Prud'Hommes," Stephane Goel, Switzerland
"Pulsar," Alex Stockman, Belgium
"September 12," Ozlem Sulak, Germany/Turkey
"The Fourth Portrait," Chung Mong-Hong, Taiwan
"Tilva Ros," Nikola Leraic, Serbia
"You Are Here," Daniel Cockburn, Canada


PIAZZA GRANDE
"Au Fond Des Bois," Benoit Jacquot, France/Germany
"Cyrus," Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass, U.S.
"The Silence," Baran bo Odar, Germany
"The Ugly Duckling," Garri Bardine, Russia
"Hugo Koblet -- Pedaleur De Charme," Daniel von Aarburg, Switzerland
"Invisibleboy," Philippe Parreno, France
"King's Road," Valdis Oskarsdottir, Iceland
"The Counsel," Cedric Anger, France
"Monsters," Gareth Edwards, U.K.
"Rammbock," Marvin Kren, Germany
"Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale," Jalmari Helander
"Rubber," Quentin Dupieux, France
"Little Paradise," Paul Riniker, Switzerland
"The Light Thief," Aktan Arym Kubat, Kyrgyzstan/Germany/France/Netherlands
"To Be or Not to Be," Ernst Lubitsch, U.S.
"Uomini Contro," Francesco Rosi, Italy

The Essential 100 (según el Toronto Film Festival)

This list represents the merging of one 100 film list as determined by an expert panel of TIFF curators with one 100 film list as determined by TIFF stakeholders.

1 THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
2 CITIZEN KANE (Orson Welles)
3 L'AVVENTURA (Michaelangelo Antonioni)
4 THE GODFATHER (Francis Ford Coppola)
5 PICKPOCKET (Robert Bresson)
6 SEVEN SAMURAI (Akira Kurosawa)
7 PATHER PANCHALI (Satyajit Ray)
8 CASABLANCA (Michael Curtiz)
9 MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA (Dziga Vertov)
10 BICYCLE THIEVES (Vittorio De Sica)
11 ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
12 8 ½ (Federico Fellini)
13 BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (Sergei Eisenstein)
14 RASHOMON (Akira Kurosawa – 2)
15 TOKYO STORY (Yasujiro Ozu)
16 THE 400 BLOWS (François Truffaut)
17 UGETSU (Kenji Mizoguchi)
18 BREATHLESS (Jean-Luc Godard)
19 L'ATALANTE (Jean Vigo)
20 CINEMA PARADISO (Giuseppe Tornatore)
21 LA GRANDE ILLUSION (Jean Renoir)
22 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (David Lean)
23 PERSONA (Ingmar Bergman)
24 GONE WITH THE WIND (Victor Fleming)
25 SUNRISE (F.W. Murnau)
26 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Stanley Kubrick)
27 VOYAGE IN ITALY (Roberto Rossellini)
28 AMÉLIE (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
29 CITY LIGHTS (Charlie Chaplin)
30 STAR WARS (George Lucas)
31 SHERLOCK JR. (Buster Keaton)
32 RULES OF THE GAME (Jean Renoir – 2)
33 THE LEOPARD (Luchino Visconti)
34 LA DOLCE VITA (Federico Fellini - 2)
35 L’ARRIVÉE D’UN TRAIN À LA CIOTAT (Frères LumiereLouis Lumière and Auguste Lumière)
36 THE WIZARD OF OZ (Victor Fleming – 2)
37 LA JETÉE (Chris Marker)
38 VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock)
39 NIGHT AND FOG (Alain Resnais)
40 PULP FICTION (Quentin Tarantino)
41 THE SEARCHERS (John Ford)
42 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Danny Boyle)
43 THE CONFORMIST (Bernardo Bertolucci)
44 CITY OF GOD (Fernando Meirelles)
45 TAXI DRIVER (Martin Scorsese)
46 APOCALYPSE NOW (Francis Ford Coppola – 2)
47 SALÓ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (Pier Paolo Pasolini)
48 THE SEVENTH SEAL (Ingmar Bergman - 2)
49 LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE (Georges Méliès)
50 METROPOLIS (Fritz Lang)
51 THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (Gillo Pontecorvo)
52 IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (Wong Kar Wai)
53 VIRIDIANA (Luis Buñuel)
54 LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (Roberto Benigni)
55 THE SORROW AND THE PITY (Marcel Ophüls)
56 PAN'S LABYRINTH (Guillermo del Toro)
57 THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE… (Max Ophüls)
58 BLADE RUNNER (Ridley Scott)
59 THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES (Abbas Kiarostami)
60 LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS (Marcel Carné)
61 BRINGING UP BABY (Howard Hawks)
62 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (Stanley Donen)
63 JOHNNY GUITAR (Nicholas Ray)
64 A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (Stanley Kubrick – 2)
65 MEMORIES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea)
66 M (Fritz Lang – 2)
67 SCORPIO RISING (Kenneth Anger)
68 PSYCHO (Alfred Hitchcock – 2)
69 DUST IN THE WIND (Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
70 SCHINDLER’S LIST (Steven Spielberg)
71 NASHVILLE (Robert Altman)
72 CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (Ang Lee)
73 WAVELENGTH (Michael Snow)
74 JULES ET JIM (François Truffaut – 2)
75 CHRONIQUE D’UN ÉTÉ (Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch)
76 THE LIVES OF OTHERS (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
77 GREED (Erich von Stroheim)
78 SOME LIKE IT HOT (Billy Wilder)
79 JAWS (Steven Spielberg - 2)
80 ANNIE HALL (Woody Allen)
81 THE BIRTH OF A NATION (D.W. Griffith)
82 CHUNGKING EXPRESS (Wong Kar Wai - 2)
83 LA NOIRE DE… (Ousmane Sembene)
84 RAGING BULL (Martin Scorsese - 2)
85 THE MALTESE FALCON (John Huston)
86 CHINATOWN (Roman Polanski)
87 ANDREI RUBLEV (Andrei Tarkovsky)
88 WINGS OF DESIRE (Wim Wenders)
89 VIDEODROME (David Cronenberg)
90 WRITTEN ON THE WIND (Douglas Sirk)
91 THE THIRD MAN (Carol Reed)
92 BLUE VELVET (David Lynch)
93 THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (Sergio Leone)
94 BREAKING THE WAVES (Lars von Trier)
95 A NOS AMOURS (Maurice Pialat)
96 CLEO DE 5 A 7 (Agnès Varda)
97 ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER (Pedro Almodóvar)
98 EARTH (Aleksandr Dovzhenko)
99 OLDBOY (Park Chan-wook)
100 PLAYTIME (Jacques Tati)

Predicciones para Toronto y Venecia (Ioncinema)

LINK - VENECIA

BY ERIC LAVALLEE

I don't think the title of head programmer for any festival is an easy job, but I'd argue that Marco Müller has it "easy" this year. With so many of the world's best auteurs having not been ready to deliver at the Cannes deadline, the 67th edition of the Venice Film Festival (which will run 1st to 11th September 2010) is going to be loaded in premium titles. With many items having already been mentioned and speculated on before, here is an updated predictions list with a good helping of new names.

Opening Film Prediction: Anton Corbijn's The American
With Focus Features being a key supplier for the festival over the years, and them having set Corbijn's film for a September 1st release, I would logically conclude that, an European-based thriller with scenes shot in parts of Italy and with an Italian resident in Geroge Clooney might lead the pack.

Predictions: Films from the U.S:
About two dozen titles make up the Main Comp with a good helping of those titles coming from the U.S. Three titles that would be a huge surprise if they didn't show are Julian Schnabel's Miral, Sofia Coppola's Somewhere and Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. With Fox Searchlight having so many items set for this fall, they could also set John Cameron Mitchell's Rabbit Hole to join the Aronofsky pick. From the unsold premium titles, I expect Mike Mills' Beginners and Kelly Reichardt's Meek’s Cutoff to join the pack. The big question remains The Tree of Life. Terrance Malick didn't succumb to Thierry Fremaux's needs to show in Cannes, so will Apparition be ready, willing and wanting to make the double showings this early?

Missing from the list is Danny Boyle's 127 Hours – which I would imagine would be better suited for a Sundance and Berlin preems next year, and the Coen Bros.' who on “off” Cannes years can usually be found at Venice are a possibility – but True Grit is slated only for a Holiday release via Paramount. Then you have Eastwood's latest, but I think that film is bound for TIFF only.

Predictions: Films from France:
There's not a doubt in my mind that Abdellatif Kechiche's Black Venus (see smaller picture at the top of the article), François Ozon's Potiche and Antony Cordier's Happy Few are headed to the Lido and then to downtown Toronto the following week. Also from the French, I'm including La Lisiere. Géraldine Bajard's (whose only credit is on Jessica Hausner's Lourdes) debut film should be included as a sidebar selection.

Predictions: Films from Asia:
I believe all the filmmakers here have already shown in Venice, so I wouldn't be surprised if Death Of A Hostage (Johnnie To), The Ditch (Wang Bing), Zhao’s Orphan (Chen Kaige), Thirteen Assassins (Takashi Miike), Norwegian Wood (Anh Hung Tran), Jiang Wen
's Let the Bullets Fly and Im Kwon-taek's 101st film, Scooping Up the Moonlight are included in the festival, but the big question is will Wong Kar-wai's The Grand Master (which is slated for an end of year release back at home) be a Lido delivered special?

Predictions: Films from the rest of the world:
Guaranteed titles going to Venice include A Sad Trumpet Ballad (Alex de la Iglesia), Flower of Evil (Michele Placido), The Way Back (Peter Weir), Three (Tom Tykwer), and Neds from Peter Mullan. If Bela Tarr isn't holding out for next year's Cannes, then expect The Turin Horse to show as well. Other titles could come from Rowan Joffé (Brighton Rock), Susanne Bier (Civilization), Andrucha Waddington (Lope), Sergio Machado (The Two Deaths of Quincas Wateryell), Saverio Costanzo (The Solitude of Prime Numbers) and Venice head jury member Quentin Taratino could see his pal Ricardo Del Rio come to the fest with Memories of My Melancholy Whores.

Sidebar mentions:
With the 16 or so titles in the Orizzonti (New Horizons), the dozen or so in Venice Days (Giornate Degli Autori) and the plus seven from the Critics Week, I'm expecting these titles potentially added: Alois Nebel from Tomas Lunak, Braden King's Here, Jaffe Zinn's debut Magic Valley, Gustavo Taretto's Medianeras, the interesting looking Meteora from Spiros Stathoulopoulos, the feature debut from Marian Crisan (Morgen) and Pablo Larrain's Post Mortem. Add on docs from vets Frederick Wiseman (Crazy Horse) and Ulrich Seidl's Im Keller.

Status Unknown:
I'm not sure where Aleksandr Sokurov is at with Faust and have no clue if Catherine Breillat even commenced production on La belle endormie (The Sleeping Beauty).

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LINK - TORONTO

You'd think a festival with 300 + film title offerings would pretty much covers all bases, but I think there'll be more broken hearts than usual as a result of the unbalanced production year that was 2009. Like a vintage year for wine, Toronto International Film Festival co-directors Piers Handling and Cameron Bailey should see in 2010, a significantly higher number of World and North American premieres (loads from Cannes and Venice) than previous years for the 35th edition. I'm guessing that fests like Telluride, NYFF and London will manage to grab their share of the spotlight in terms of world preems as well. The first press conference takes place on the 27th of this month, I'll be on hand to report on the first batch of titles and I figure that the predicted films below will be offered come September 9th to the 19th.

Opening Film Prediction: Richard J. Lewis' Barney's Version
Last year they broke with tradition, going instead with a Brit film (Creation), and though they'll once again have many films representing the fish and chips nation, I think they'll go with a Canuck offering this year. Bailey and Handling are probably narrowing down the field as we speak, but my guess is you can't go wrong with a Canadian icon in author Mordecai Richler's classic novel. It would serve as a great launching pad for the film that comes equipped with a colorful ensemble cast with Paul Giamatti in the lead role.

Galas and Special Presentations
In order to run such a huge event – you need bread and butter red carpet screenings. Here are some films that could logically be fitted in either category, and the reason why the producers/distributors would bring the title to TIFF.

All Good Things - Andrew Jarecki: Seeking Domestic Deal + Critical Support
Bagman - George Hickenlooper: Theatrical Release Tie-in
The Beaver – Jodie Foster: Early Word of Mouth + Double down on Mel Gibson Fiasco
The Conspirator - Robert Redford: Seeking Domestic Deal
Conviction - Tony Goldwyn: Awards Season Strategy
The Debt - John Madden: Generating Brand Awareness
The Details - Jacob Aaron Estes: Seeking Domestic Deal + Critical Support
Devil – Dowdle Bros.: Theatrical Release Tie-in
Easy A - Will Gluck: Theatrical Release Tie-in
The Fighter - David O. Russell: Award Season Strategy
Hereafter – Clint Eastwood: Theatrical Release Tie-in
The Hungry Rabbit Jumps - Roger Donaldson: Seeking Domestic Deal
I Saw The Devil - Kim Jee-woon: Seeking Domestic Deal + Seeking Brand Awareness
I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix – Casey Affleck: Critical Support
Incendies - Denis Villeneuve: Critical Support
It's Kind of a Funny Story – Ryan Fleck: Generating Early Buzz
The King's Speech - Tom Hooper: Award Season Strategy
Last Night - Massy Tadjedin: Building Brand Awareness
Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) - Guillaume Canet: Critical Support
London Boulevard - William Monahan: Seeking Domestic Deal
Love and Other Drugs - Edward Zwick: Awards Season Strategy
Main Street - John Doyle: Seeking Domestic Deal
Made in Dagenham – Nigel Cole: Award Season Strategy
Margaret - Kenneth Lonergan: Critical Support
Morning Glory – Roger Michell: Generating Early Buzz
Never Let Me Go – Mark Romanek: Theatrical Release Tie-in
The Next Three Days - Paul Haggis: Theatrical Release Tie-in
Oranges and Sunshine - Jim Loach: Building Brand Awareness
Passion Play - Mitch Glazer: Seeking Domestic Deal
Perfect Sense - David Mackenzie: Seeking Domestic Deal
Red Tails - Anthony Hemingway: Seeking Domestic Deal
Reign of Assassins – Chao-Pin Su: Generating Early Buzz
Rum Diary – Bruce Robinson: Seeking Domestic Deal
Stone – John Curran: Theatrical Release Tie-in
The Tempest - Julie Taymor: Generating Early Buzz
The Town – Ben Affleck: Awards Season Strategy
The Whistleblower - Larysa Kondracki: Building Brand Awareness
What’s Wrong With Virginia? - Dustin Lance Black: Seeking Domestic Deal

The Masters, Midnight Madness, Contemporary World Cinema, Real to Reel, Discovery, Visions and my favorite section Vanguard are a mix of previously premiered titles from other festivals, but I'm expecting these titles to make their world premieres in Toronto.

22nd of May - Koen Mortier
A Cat In Paris - Alain Gagnol
At Ellen’s Age - Pia Marais
Circumstance – Maryam Keshavaraz
Cirkus Columbia - Danis Tanovic
Cold Fish - Shion Sono
Contre toi - Lola Doillon
Even the Rain – Iciar Bollain
The Foxhounds - Jeff Prosserman
Home For Christmas - Bent Hamer
King of Devil's Island - Marius Holst
La Vida Util - Federico Veiroj
Lullaby For Pi - Benoît Philippon
Mother's Day - Darren Lynn Bousman
Poll - Chris Kraus
Prey – Antoine Blossier
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Wayne Wang
Stretch - Charles De Meaux
Svinalangorna - Pernilla August
Trigger - Bruce McDonald
We Are The Night - Dennis Gansel
With Love...From the Age of Reason - Yann Samuell.
Womb - Benedek Fliegauf

Alain Resnais y los hermanos Dardenne empiezan a rodar (Cineuropa)

Among the six feature film screenplays selected at the start of July by the second advance on receipts committee of the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC) is Alain Resnais’s Vous N’avez Encore Rien Vu (“You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet”).

Co-scripted by the director (in competition at Cannes last year with Wild Grass [trailer]) and Laurent Herbiet, the film is adapted from Jean Anouilh’s stage play Eurydice in which violinist Orphée and touring actress Eurydice leave everything behind to fulfil their love. But jealousy takes hold of Orphée. The film will be produced by Jean-Louis Livi for F Comme Film.

The pledge of an advance on receipts was also made to Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Délivrez-moi (“Set Me Free”, see news), co-produced by Belgium (Les Films du Fleuve, 46%), France (Archipel 35, 44%) and Italy (Lucky Red, 10%).

Starring Cécile De France and Jérémie Renier, the film will start shooting in August. It also has backing on the Belgian side from the Film and Audiovisual Centre, Wallimage, RTBF, the Tax Shelter and Cinéart for distribution. International sales are being managed by Wild Bunch.

The CNC will also support Gaël Morel’s S’enfuir Avec Toi (“Run Away With You”), which is scheduled to shoot in September. The film centres on Vassili, an ageing male prostitute with criminal urges, who finds an unconscious young man in a wood one evening and takes him home.

Unable to remember anything when he wakes up, the young man – renamed Angelo – settles in at Vassili’s home and soon becomes his accomplice. After receiving some worrying signals, the couple run away to Belgium, then Luxembourg. But Angelo’s memories start to resurface…

This new feature by the director of After Him [trailer] (Directors’ Fortnight 2007) will be produced by Paolo Branco for Alfama Films.

The advance on receipts committee also selected A Moi Seule (“For Me Alone”) by Frédéric Videau (Variété Française, unveiled in Critics’ Week at the Venice Film Festival 2003), in which a young girl who has been imprisoned for eight years regains her freedom and has to face up to her new life. Produced by Les Films Hatari, the feature is expected to star Agathe Bonitzer, Hélène Fillières and Xavier Beauvois.

Finally, two advances on receipts were granted to Richard Copans’s Un Amour (“A Love”, Les Films d'Ici) and Lam Mê’s documentary project Immigrés de Force (“Forced Immigrants”, ADR Productions).

Fabien Lemercier

En defensa del plano general: el fútbol en 3D

Algunos apuntes sobre la final del Mundial vista en 3D

-Vi la final España-Holanda en 3D, en el Cinemark Palermo. Lleno total, aunque el clima fue bastante apagado. Agradecí que no vino mi amigo español...

-Empecemos por los problemas. La bajada satelital es de muy buena calidad pero no tanto como la del HD. La definición de la imagen presenta algunos puntos borrosos.

-La emisión llega con sonido ambiente, pero sin relato. Por el momento no se puede coordinar con otras emisiones (la radio no sirve por el delay), por lo cual no hay comentario en vivo. Esto no está nada mal para el habituado a ir a la cancha -de hecho, le agrega un dato más a la sensación de "estar ahí"-, pero para muchos de los que estaban en el cine le dificultaba la concentración: como una película sin diálogos.

-De hecho, la opción que encontraron para resolver el problema no era mala: poner un relator a transmitir en vivo en el cine. Problemas? Aparentemente alguien volcó Coca-Cola sobre la consola (no es broma!) y el sonido se jodió, por lo que se escuchaba mal -y con frituras- al relator en cuestión. El buen hombre, esforzado y todo, tampoco se caracterizaba por tener un entusiasmo desbordante y contagioso, digamos, y su voz se mezclaba con las vuvuzelas. Igual, cualquier cosa es mejor que Niembro.

-Vayamos a la emisión en sí. Da la impresión de que, al estar en sus inicios, la transmisión en 3D cuenta con menos cámaras que la normal. Eso, que podría parecer un defecto, para mí es una ventaja: gran parte del tiempo es la misma cámara la que transmite el partido, como desde una platea media. Al ver a la noche la repetición del partido por TV común, noté que estaba, por lo general, tomada de más lejos y que cambiaba constantemente a otras cámaras.

-Se sabe que el fútbol tiene una dificultad básica para una transmisión completa: la relación entre el tamaño del campo y la distancia de la cámara impide una visión completa del juego. Más se aleja la cámara, más campo se ve, pero apenas se adivinan las figuras. Más cerca, más detalle, menos visión del juego general. El 3D tenía, en esa cámara principal, un balance excelente en la relación cercanía con la experiencia y visión general del campo.

-La falta de muchas cámaras, además, impide el abuso y exceso del plano detalle, la cámara exclusiva, el estilo "Michael Bay" de transmisión futbolística, como vimos en los ya famosos planos de la familia de Palermo en las tribunas, en las idas y venidas de Maradona en el banco, en incontables inserts y repeticiones en los momentos menos indicados de los partidos. La cámara lentísima es excelente, pero habría que usarla en otro momento, por cuestiones obvias. Hay repeticiones en la emisión 3D, claro, pero son menos intrusivas. Y no hay 50 cámaras compitiendo por ver cuál tiene el moco de Joachim Low.

-Hay otras dos cámaras muy usadas que son un poco más conflictivas. Una, "muy Playstation", como la definieron por ahí, en una posición cercana al juez de línea a la altura del área. Esa genera gran profundidad para apreciar el 3D pero confunde las distancias. Lo mismo pasa en la que hay detrás del arco: la perspectiva se achata y si viene alguien con la pelota y lo vemos tomado de ahí, no sabemos si está en el medio campo o en el borde del área.

-La combinación de estar relatada con una cámara la mayor parte del tiempo, el sonido ambiente sin relato y el 3D con los obvios beneficios que eso tiene dan definitivamente a la transmisión una "sensación de cancha". El problema es el ámbito: todo eso se borronea al estar metido dentro de las cuatro paredes, la oscuridad y el clima de un cine. Al menos, por ahora, ese ambiente realista del campo no se traslada a la platea.

-Otro buen aspecto del 3D es que no se trata de la tridimensionalidad invasiva, de truquito lanzado al espectador, de efecto especial. La profundidad de campo está dada, como en "Avatar", otorgando profundidad a la imagen "para atrás". Apenas los carteles con el resultado, con los cambios y alineaciones se adelantan evidentemente en el campo visual. Eso, y los papelitos lanzados en la entrega de la Copa (ver foto), que pareció pensado para ser llevado al 3D y que hizo que varios niños en la sala levantaran los brazos tratando de agarrarlos...

-Hay algo del hábito de estar en el cine que hace que, como espectador, te cueste pensar que lo que estás viendo está sucediendo en ese preciso momento. Al no tener el estilo de la televisión (2D, relatores, el brillo típico de la imagen televisiva), cuesta no pensar que uno está viendo algo que se grabó anteriormente. Supongo que esto irá desapareciendo con la costumbre...

-A mí, que llevo vistas muchas pelis 3D, no me marea el sistema ni los anteojos. Algunas personas sí dijeron sentir mareos e incomodidades. Aviso.

-Por momentos, sentía que estaba viendo una película de arte de planos largos, sin narración y con mucho sonido ambiente. Admito: para mí es una experiencia ideal. Los acostumbrados a la transmisión televisiva -o a las formas cada vez más videocliperas y/o televisivas del cine- notaban algo de distancia (emocional, no física) con lo proyectado. El relator entusiasmado (o no, en el caso de Fabbri y Nelson, por ejemplo), el constante cambio de planos, y la idea de "narración cinematográfica del partido" (combinar los planos para dar cuenta del partido de una manera específica sin dejar al espectador decidir por sí mismo) son elementos de enganche usuales para el espectador. Sin ellos --insisto, como en cierto cine arte--, muchos se sentían perdidos.

-Volviendo a la "narración" del partido. El plano general del partido permite una democracia de la visión que no ofrecen los abusadores de las cámaras exclusivas o del plano detalle. Ejemplo: si yo quiero demostrar que Messi no se pone las pilas, solo me basta insertar un par de planos con él cabizbajo y lo logro. Así, el director de cámaras arma el relato en lugar de uno. Varios jugadores tienen momentos de cabeza gacha: el dueño de la cámara exclusiva es el que sentencia a cual castigar.

-Creo que las cámaras exclusivas o los planos detalles deberían usarse lo mínimo indispensable durante los partidos (hay momentos emocionales y futbolísticos que fueron valiosos de ser captados) y que es mejor guardarlos para los programas posteriores. Es interesante ver todo lo que hace Maradona durante el partido... pero después.

-El sonido de cada toque de pelota en la emisión en 3D es impecable y le agrega otro elemento de realidad. Un disparo, una atajada, una pelota que pega en un poste, hasta una caída. Suman muchísimo.

-Con todo, y aún con las mejoras técnicas que podrán llegar (yo no lo siento necesario, pero sin dudas una voz en el estadio relatando agregaría clima en el cine), y con el acostumbramiento que requiere de parte del espectador, no me parece imposible que, para el próximo Mundial, sino en la tele (algo bastante probable también), al menos en el cine, ver partidos en 3D sea una experiencia extraordinaria. Mi único temor: que aparezcan 20 cámaras exclusivas y se pierda ese "momento" del plano secuencia. Y que los partidos los transmitan Fabbri y Nelson, claro, reiterando esa cantinela de "qué hicimos para merecer esto" una y otra vez, hasta la eternidad.