01-06-2010

New titles in the main competition at the 45th KVIFF

    As we have already mentioned, two Czech films (3 Seasons in Hell and Kooky) will vie with Poland's Mother Teresa of Cats and France's Sweet Evil for the Crystal Globe and other statutory prizes in the competition at the 45th Karlovy Vary IFF.

    Now several other movies have been added to the list: The Mosquito Net (La Mosquitera), a Spanish film whose Catalan director Agustí Vila is decidedly not one of those filmmakers who jumps from film to film. He insists too strongly on an original story and a specific style, traits unmistakable in his latest picture: a middle-class tragicomedy bearing touches of absurdity. Geraldine Chaplin's role in the movie returns her to the ambience of her work with Carlos Saura.

    The characters in Daniel Burman's film Brother & Sister (Dos Hermanos) speak Spanish with an Argentine accent; the film enjoyed exceptional success in Argentina and will have its international premiere at Karlovy Vary. In this competition entry, the creator, who has a number of festival prizes to his credit (2004 Silver Bear from the Berlinale for Lost Embrace / El abrazo partido), explores the lifestyle and thought processes of the oldest generation. A brother and sister clash in their approaches to life, but the comic sides of their personalities rise to the surface and mingle with their awareness that life's final reckoning is approaching.

    Viewers will be able to witness the world premiere of Mourning for Anna (Trois temps après la mort d'Anna), a drama hailing from the Francophone portion of Canada. The excellent Guylaine Tremblay takes on the character of a mother who must come to terms with her daughter's violent, unexpected death while trying to rediscover meaning in her own life. Writer-director Catherine Martin has made a number of esteemed dramas and documentaries (e.g. Marriages - Best Screenplay at the 2001 Montréal IFF).

    Rajko Grlić, a graduate of Prague's Film Academy (FAMU), is among the more experienced filmmakers in the competition. His satirical comedy Bravo, Maestro (1978) took ten festival awards. The film was also nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, where his 1981 release The Melody Haunts My Reverie also enjoyed success. In the 1980s Grlić lived and directed in the United States, lecturing at universities in Ohio, Los Angeles, and New York before returning to his native Zagreb to continue his career as a director and producer. He recently recorded further festival success with Karaula (2006), which competed at San Sebastian and was awarded at the Tróia and Trieste festivals. Rajko Grlić will present Just Between Us (Neka Ostane Medju Nama) at Karlovy Vary as an international premiere. His new film features a satirical look at contemporary morals, and stars the charismatic Miki Manojlović (Underground, Black Cat, White Cat, Cabaret Balkan, Irina Palm).