After Katherine and I checked out of our apartment in Krakow we spent 10 days visiting serveral different places. We spent a wonderful - however very hot - 3 days in Locarno, Switzerland at the film festival.
We were guests of the BFI - British Film Institute - so we had a lot of priviledges during the festival. We had reserved seats in the large piazza, and watched the premiere of "Ruby Sparks", written by and starring Zoe Kazan. Paul Dano also received an award. It was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The entire team also wrote and directed "Little Miss Sunshine". It was so fun to sit in the Piazza Grande and watch the films on the huge 3 story by 2 story screen.
Also in the Piazza Grande we watched the world premiere of "Nachtlarm" or "Lullaby Ride" director by Christoph Schaub and written by Martin Suter. This was a Swiss film.
After "Ruby Sparks" (USA)we watched "Magic Mike"(USA) directed by Steven Soderbergh who also directed" Erin Brockovich". This is a film about male strippers starring Matthew MConaughey.
Zoe Kazam and Paul Dano from "Ruby Sparks"
The big talk of the festival was "Lore",(German) also shown in the Piazza Grande. It was direted by Cate Shortland. It was an International Premiere about the end of WWII and the effect the Holocaust had on a young group of children while they were attempting to cross the devastated countryside of Germany.
During the festival there was an Otto Preminger retrospective. Preminger was a major film director (1905-1986). He directed 38 films. Described as a "classic" film director, his films transcend time. He directed Gene Tierney in "Laura"; Jimmy Stewart in "Anatomy of a Murder"; and Frank Sinatra "The Man With the Golden Arm", with Sinatra in his best role ever.
We saw the world premiere of three controversial films - "Holy Motors" (French/German) directed by Leo Carax. Kilie Minoque and Dennis Lavant were present for the awards and attended several parties that we were attending.
Kilie Manoque and Leo Carax
"Far From Afghanistan" (USA) directed by John Gianvieto, Jon Jost, Minda Martin. It was a documentary/drama. Interesting retrospective.
One of the most interesting films "Camp 14 - Total Control Zone" (German). Director and screenplay Marc Wiese. Cast Shin Dong-huyk.It was an interview/film about a boy born as a political prisoner in 1983 in a North Korean re-education camp. He was a child of two prisoners who were foreced to marry by order of the wardens. He spent his life until he was 23 in the camp. He was subjected to forced labor,hunger,beatings and torture. At 23 he was able to escape. He travelled through China and then to South Korea where he encountered a completely different world.
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