26-08-2008

Two Slovenian Films in Venice

By Nerina Kocjancic

    Slovenia will be represented at the Venice film festival by Landscape No. 2 in Venice Days and competition short Every Breath You Take.

    Landscape No. 2 by director/writer Vinko Moederndorfer, a world premiere, is the story of two burglars who accidentally steal a mysterious World War II document along with a painting. "The script builds on the realisation that any unresolved past, personal or national, leaves its mark and keeps coming back. Its return is still a burden for generations which had nothing to do with it," Moederndorfer said of his film. Slovenia's 2007 Berlinale Shooting Star Marko Mandic stars.

    Landscape No. 2 was produced by Forum Ljubljana and co produced by the Serbian Delirium Films, RTV Slovenia and VPK. The 1.2 million Euro film was co-financed by the Slovenian Film Fund (705,000 Euros) and Film Centre Serbia (50,000 Euros)

    The sales company is Wide Management of Paris.

    Moederndorfer's debut, Suburbs, also premiered in the Venice Days in 2004, screening the following day in the Montreal Film Festival competition, and was a Variety's Critics Choice in Karlovy Vary .

    Landscape No 2 has its press screening in the GIornate Autori today, August 27, at 20:15 at Pala Lido. The World Premiere is on 28 August at 17:45 at PalaLike, with repeat screenings on September 4 at 11:30 am at Sala Perla and September 6 at 14:00 at Sala Pasinetti.

    Igor Sterk's Every Breath You Take is one of 18 short competition films in Venice's Corto Cortissimo, out of 1400 applicants.

    Vertigo / Emotionfilm produced, along with and co-producers RTV Slovenia and A.A.C. Productions from Ljubljana. The 150,000 Euro film was financially supported by the Slovenian Film Fund. Every Breath You Take is the first collaboration between Sterk and producer Danijel Hocevar (Bread and Milk, Spare Parts, Estrellita)

    The film focuses on a family tragedy after a traffic accident, in which the mother is killed while the son remains in a coma. The father and daughter individually try to get on with their lives. The whole narration of the film is presented from a unique perspective: human breathing.

    Igor Sterk's credits include three feature films: Express Express (1998), Ljubljana (2002, screened in competition at Rotterdam), and Tuning (2005, winner of the Mannheim-Heidelberg festival). He is currently in production with his fourth feature film.