German Film Festival hits Sydney
April 8th 2008 18:48
So Where is Fred? That seems to be the question on everyones lips in the lead up to the Annual German Film Festival running from April 16-27 at Sydney’s Chauvel Cinema in Paddington and Pakace Cinema Norton Street Leichardt.Under the guise of a new name, but still holding on to its status as one of the must attend festivals on the local Arts scene, this years festival looks set to captivate the hearts and minds of festival goers once again.
Following the incredible success throughout the globe of some of the finest examples of German cinema over the last 12 months including the likes of THE COUNTERFEITERS which took home this years Oscar® for Best Foreign Film interest in German made films seems to be at an all time high. And why shouldn’t it be?
The 2008 festival, now in it’s 7th year looks forward to presenting 20 new features including the award winning THE COUNTERFEITERS , the astonishing THE LIVES OF OTHERS ,the hit comedy WHERE IS FRED?, and the critically acclaimed drama THE EDGE OF HEAVEN starring screen legend and muse of the late Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Hanna Schygulla.
In addition to the compelling 2008 line-up, German superstar, Jürgen Vogel (ROSENSTRASSE, LIFE IS ALL YOU GET, A FRIEND OF MINE, EMMA’S BLISS) will be a guest of the Festival, and on hand to introduce his latest movies, including RABBIT WITHOUT EARS, a sparkling comedy which took USD $27 million plus at the German box office, along with WHERE IS FRED? and DUEL IN THE NIGHT.
This years festival will also launch the inaugural ‘Golden Gnome’ Award for which audiences will be able to vote on-line for their favourite Festival film.
Here is just a short list of what is coming up over the next couple of weeks of outstanding German Cinema.
THE COUNTERFEITERS (The Counterfeints /Die Fälscher) Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky)
In 1936 Berlin, Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch is the ‘king of counterfeiters,’ living a life of cards, booze, and women. But his luck runs dry when he finds himself in Mauthausen concentration camp, where he’s forced to produce counterfeit foreign currency in an effort to weaken the economy of Germany’s allied opponents.
BORDER OF DESPAIR (Die Frau from Checkpoint Charlie) Director: Miguel Alexandre
A gripping companion piece to the Oscar winning LIVES OF OTHERS. Commencing in 1982, BORDER OF DESPAIR tells the true story of an East German resident who is forbidden to visit her dying father in West Germany. This incident sparks her determination to flee East Germany, with her children, in search of a better life, no matter the consequences.
RABBIT WITHOUT EARS (Keinohrhasen) Director: Til Schweiger
When Ludo, a muck-raking Berlin reporter is sentenced to 300 hours of community service after a particularly scandalous escapade, he finds himself stuck in a crèche for eight-year olds. To make matters worse, the crèche is run by Anna, a one-time geek who hasn’t forgotten her humiliation at his hands when both were students at the same school many years earlier…!
WHERE IS FRED? (Wo ist Fred?) Director: Anno Saul
Fred wants to marry Mara, but her spoilt son hates him! The only way to win the lad’s favor is to get him a basketball signed by ALBA-Berlin superstar Mercurio Mueller. And the only place to get this is the disabled patrons’ area where Müller tosses the ball after each winning throw. But when Fred, posing as a wheelchair bound fan actually catches the ball, the ensuing media hype forces him to lead an exhausting and comical double life.
DUEL IN THE NIGHT (Duell in der Nacht) Director: Matti Geschonnek
When a policeman is found dead, the detectives investigating the case are drawn into a complex world of politics, corruption, power and manipulation.
THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (Auf der anderen Seite) Director: Fatih Akin
A young German man of Turkish descent travels to Istanbul to find Ayten, the daughter of his father’s late girlfriend, unaware that she is a political activist who has fled to Germany in search of her mother. When a well-meaning mother and daughter befriend Ayten, events lead them all to Istanbul where their lives are irrevocably changed.
THE CALLING GAME (Die Anruferin) Director: Felix Randau
Trapped in a dead-end job with a bed-ridden mother to care for, a young woman resorts to ringing people at random, pretending to be an ailing young girl, in search of love and support. When she decides to ‘kill’ her fictional alter ego, she sets in motion a chain of events with unforseen consequences.
HEAD UNDER WATER (Der Freischwimmer) Director: Andreas Kleinert
In a small town, something terrible is about to happen. Nobody knows why, except for 15-year-old outsider, Rico Bartsch, who is hopelessly in love with Regine, the most beautiful girl at his school. But before circumstances change in Rico’s favour, several inhabitants of the town will die an unnatural death...
The Sydney Festival opens on April 16 and runs until the 27th. The full list of festival dates in all capital cities are as follows:
Sydney: 16-27 April
Chauvel Cinema & Palace Norton Street
Melbourne: 17-27 April
Place Cinema Como & Palace Brighton Bay
Perth: 18-20 April
Cinema Paradiso
Brisbane: 23-27 April
Palace Centro
Make sure you don’t miss out on what is certain to be one of the best festival experiences of 2008. For more information head over to the festival website or contact the Theatres directly to book your seats.
SJC
070408
Following the incredible success throughout the globe of some of the finest examples of German cinema over the last 12 months including the likes of THE COUNTERFEITERS which took home this years Oscar® for Best Foreign Film interest in German made films seems to be at an all time high. And why shouldn’t it be?
The 2008 festival, now in it’s 7th year looks forward to presenting 20 new features including the award winning THE COUNTERFEITERS , the astonishing THE LIVES OF OTHERS ,the hit comedy WHERE IS FRED?, and the critically acclaimed drama THE EDGE OF HEAVEN starring screen legend and muse of the late Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Hanna Schygulla.
In addition to the compelling 2008 line-up, German superstar, Jürgen Vogel (ROSENSTRASSE, LIFE IS ALL YOU GET, A FRIEND OF MINE, EMMA’S BLISS) will be a guest of the Festival, and on hand to introduce his latest movies, including RABBIT WITHOUT EARS, a sparkling comedy which took USD $27 million plus at the German box office, along with WHERE IS FRED? and DUEL IN THE NIGHT.
This years festival will also launch the inaugural ‘Golden Gnome’ Award for which audiences will be able to vote on-line for their favourite Festival film.
Here is just a short list of what is coming up over the next couple of weeks of outstanding German Cinema.
THE COUNTERFEITERS (The Counterfeints /Die Fälscher) Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky)
In 1936 Berlin, Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch is the ‘king of counterfeiters,’ living a life of cards, booze, and women. But his luck runs dry when he finds himself in Mauthausen concentration camp, where he’s forced to produce counterfeit foreign currency in an effort to weaken the economy of Germany’s allied opponents.
BORDER OF DESPAIR (Die Frau from Checkpoint Charlie) Director: Miguel Alexandre
A gripping companion piece to the Oscar winning LIVES OF OTHERS. Commencing in 1982, BORDER OF DESPAIR tells the true story of an East German resident who is forbidden to visit her dying father in West Germany. This incident sparks her determination to flee East Germany, with her children, in search of a better life, no matter the consequences.
RABBIT WITHOUT EARS (Keinohrhasen) Director: Til Schweiger
When Ludo, a muck-raking Berlin reporter is sentenced to 300 hours of community service after a particularly scandalous escapade, he finds himself stuck in a crèche for eight-year olds. To make matters worse, the crèche is run by Anna, a one-time geek who hasn’t forgotten her humiliation at his hands when both were students at the same school many years earlier…!
WHERE IS FRED? (Wo ist Fred?) Director: Anno Saul
Fred wants to marry Mara, but her spoilt son hates him! The only way to win the lad’s favor is to get him a basketball signed by ALBA-Berlin superstar Mercurio Mueller. And the only place to get this is the disabled patrons’ area where Müller tosses the ball after each winning throw. But when Fred, posing as a wheelchair bound fan actually catches the ball, the ensuing media hype forces him to lead an exhausting and comical double life.
DUEL IN THE NIGHT (Duell in der Nacht) Director: Matti Geschonnek
When a policeman is found dead, the detectives investigating the case are drawn into a complex world of politics, corruption, power and manipulation.
THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (Auf der anderen Seite) Director: Fatih Akin
A young German man of Turkish descent travels to Istanbul to find Ayten, the daughter of his father’s late girlfriend, unaware that she is a political activist who has fled to Germany in search of her mother. When a well-meaning mother and daughter befriend Ayten, events lead them all to Istanbul where their lives are irrevocably changed.
THE CALLING GAME (Die Anruferin) Director: Felix Randau
Trapped in a dead-end job with a bed-ridden mother to care for, a young woman resorts to ringing people at random, pretending to be an ailing young girl, in search of love and support. When she decides to ‘kill’ her fictional alter ego, she sets in motion a chain of events with unforseen consequences.
HEAD UNDER WATER (Der Freischwimmer) Director: Andreas Kleinert
In a small town, something terrible is about to happen. Nobody knows why, except for 15-year-old outsider, Rico Bartsch, who is hopelessly in love with Regine, the most beautiful girl at his school. But before circumstances change in Rico’s favour, several inhabitants of the town will die an unnatural death...
The Sydney Festival opens on April 16 and runs until the 27th. The full list of festival dates in all capital cities are as follows:
Sydney: 16-27 April
Chauvel Cinema & Palace Norton Street
Melbourne: 17-27 April
Place Cinema Como & Palace Brighton Bay
Perth: 18-20 April
Cinema Paradiso
Brisbane: 23-27 April
Palace Centro
Make sure you don’t miss out on what is certain to be one of the best festival experiences of 2008. For more information head over to the festival website or contact the Theatres directly to book your seats.
SJC
070408
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