Archive 2004
THE HEINRICH COMPETITION
For the sixth time now since 1999 the Braunschweig International Film Festival will be awarding the audience prize, the "Heinrich", with a purse of 10,200 € donated by the Feldschlößchen Brewery and the Volkswagen Bank.
Our cinematic journey this year takes us through nine different countries. What consumers dream of in Czechia is shown in the documentary satire "Der tschechische Traum". "Bloom" takes us to Ireland where we see a filming of the novel "Ulysses". Two films come from Spain, "Youth" and "November". The turbulent Swiss comedy "Verflixt Verliebt" tells us where a young director draws his inspiration from. "L´Isola" takes place on a small Italian volcanic island. The Hungarian contribution "Kontroll" is at once a thriller, comedy and love story. A Danish contribution is "Regel Nr. 1". The Belgian fantasy fairy tale "The Praying Mantis" is quite unusual. And finally we return to an unknown Germany in the film "Mondlandung", which is about a Russian family that moves here.
Gala for the Heinrich Prize
Su, November 14 6:30 pm CinemaxX 5
The gala for the Heinrich Prize on Sunday at 6:30 pm will be presented by Catherine Ann Berger.
Catherine Ann Berger studied theatre and film in Vienna. In 1990 she was a guest student at Heiner Müller’s production of the play "Hamlet/Maschine" at the German Theatre in Berlin. Completing her studies, she worked as a documentary editor for Swiss TV. From 1997 till June 2003 she moderated the award-winning programme "Kulturzeit" on 3sat. Today she is a film reporter for Swiss television and works for the production firm "catpics coproductions" in cinematic and stage project development. For five years she has also been working for the documentary film festival "Visions du Réel" in Nyon (Switzerland).
At the 18. Film Festival she presents the Heinrich Prize Gala as well as the Midnight Talks like a talkshow. In three evenings she will chat with directors, actors and producers about current projects, future plans and anecdotes from the set.
Bloom
D: Sean Walsh, IRL 2004, 113 min, 35 mm, colour, GS
Th, November 11 7.45 pm CinemaxX 2 Guest: Director Sean Walsh
Sa, November 13 5.15 pm CinemaxX 1 Guest: Director Sean Walsh
The 16. June 1904 is a day which has become known world wide through James Joyce’s famous novel "Ulysses" and which since then has been celebrated by Joyce fans as "Bloomsday". This book has now been filmed after all – and as a debut film. This fact suggests a director full of enthusiasm, courage and a touch of megalomania. But he did it! And in the original setting with wonderful actors was called to life the story of the three Dubliners Leopold Bloom, his wife Molls and Stephen Dedalus on that 16th June 1904 – an unusual story of love, loss and desire.
Kontroll (Ticket Checking)
D: Nimród Antal, H 2003, 105 min, 35 mm, colour, GS
Th, November 11 5.30 pm CinemaxX 1
Sa, November 13 10.15 pm CinemaxX 2 Guest: Producer Tamas Hutlassa
Bulcsú checks the tickets in the Budapest subway with his wacky team. He doesn’t just work there; he has been living underground for years now. In the course of their daily work the chaotic team not only has to stand their ground against impudent passengers without a ticket, they have to compete against more successful conductors as well. In addition, mysterious suicides are increasing. And then the pretty girl Szofi in a bear costume enters the picture.
Rule No. 1 (Regel Nr. 1)
D: Oliver Ussing, DK 2003, 90 min, 35 mm, colour, GS
We, November 10 8.00 pm CinemaxX 2
Fr, November 12 10.30 pm CinemaxX 1 Guest: Director Oliver Ussing
Caroline and her sister Sarah, both in their mid-twenties, have not seen each other for four years. Sarah walked out on Caroline before a kidney transplant. Circumstances during a birthday party bring them together again. Caroline moves in to Sarah’s and they start going out, mainly to find the perfect guy for Caroline. She is sent on a series of disastrous and hilarious dates including everything from sports freaks up to a karaoke singing stockbroker.
Ceský sen (Czech Dream)
D: Vít Klusák, Filip Remunda, CZ 2004, 95 min, 35 mm, colour, GS
We, November 10 5.30 pm CinemaxX 2 Guest: Producer Filip Cermak
Fr, November 12 8.00 pm CinemaxX 1 Guest: Producer Filip Cermak
We see thousands waiting for the opening of the latest, greatest and best supermarket in Prague – namely, for Cesky Sen. But the supermarket is nothing but a façade; merely part of a film, a documentary reality soap opera. "Der tschechische Traum" is a satirical counterweight in a time when most Czechs prefer to rush in hordes to supermarkets to spending the weekend with their families on the countryside.
The Island (L’isola)
D: Costanza Quatriglio, I 2003, 103 min, 35 mm, colour, GS
Th, November 11 5.15 pm CinemaxX 2
Sa, November 13 10.30 pm CinemaxX 1
Mercurial Teresa and her brother Turi are children in a fisherman’s family and live on a small, remote and rocky Sicilian island. Their daily life consists of normal events, of their parents, their grandmother, friends and fishing. When the summer comes, bringing Margherita with the other tourists, an unsettled time begins for brother and sister. The time between childhood, adolescence and adulthood, between upheaval and change. The background is the stark beauty of the volcanic island and the bewitching music of the famous Sardinian jazz trumpet player, Paolo Fresu.
The Feast of The Praying Mantis (Le Festin de la Mante)
D: Marc Levie, B 2003, 96 min, 35 mm, colour, ES
We, November 10 7.45 pm CinemaxX 1
Fr, November 12 10.15 pm CinemaxX 2 Guest: Director Marc Levie
Sylvia and Julien are a young couple blissfully in love. Though Sylvia keeps a dark secret which threatens to destroy their relationship. Inside her is the spirit of a praying mantis and she will do anything to keep Julien from certain death. As she sets out to find a young man willing to give his life for her and discovers daredevil Patrick, Julien travels back to where he met Sylvia to try and uncover her secret past. A dark fantasy tale of love, passion and death.
Verflixt verliebt (In love, dammit!)
D: Peter Luisi, CH 2004, 90 min, 35 mm, colour, GS
We, November 10 5.15 pm CinemaxX 1 Guest: Director Peter Luisi
Fr, November 12 7,45 pm CinemaxX 2 Guest: Director Peter Luisi
What do you do to win over your dream woman? To this end a misunderstanding comes along quite opportunely for the Argentinian biology student, who pretends to be a famous director and produces with little ado a film for the woman he adores, Mercedes, who is studying acting. However, since he has no idea at all about film making, chaos shortly ensues – especially when two ambitious film students come along and use his film to make a documentary about shooting films. They also ensure more action by starting small intrigues...
Youth (Joves)
D: Ramón Termens, Carles Torras, E 2004, 105 min, 35 mm, colour, GS
Th, November 11 10.15 pm CinemaxX 2 Guests: Directors Ramon Termens, Carles Torras
Sa, November 13 8.00 pm CinemaxX 1 Guests: Directors Ramon Termens, Carles Torras
Youth brings together the stories of three poeple seeking personal happiness. Jordi works on the stock market; He wants success at any price. His boss’s daughter Cristina, celebrates her birthday with abundant amounts of alcohol until she loses control. Jordi’s younger brother Pau just hangs around on the weekends bored until he makes the acquaintance of his former girl-friend’s Moroccan boy-friend and wants revenge.
November (Noviembre)
D: Achero Mañas, E 2004, 104 min, 35 mm, GS
Th, November 11 8.00 pm CinemaxX 1 Guest: Actress Paloma Lorena
Sa, November 13 5.30 pm CinemaxX 2 Guest: Actress Paloma Lorena
Madrid in the 90s: Alfredo wants to be an actor. The gifted, charismatic young man soon leaves acting school, however, in order to pursue his own idea of theatre: a free and independent street theatre, committed and uncompromising. Full of ideas, he founds the Compagnie "Noviembre", which soon causes a great stir because of its wacky provocative plays – unfortunately with the police as well. Prohibited to perform, the actors enter on an ordeal with tragic consequences...
Mondlandung (Moon Landing)
D: Till Endemann, D 2003, 90 min, 35 mm, colour, GS
Th, November 11 10.30 pm CinemaxX 1 Guest: Producer Markus Simon
Sa, November 13 8.00 pm CinemaxX 2 Guest: Producer Markus Simon
To the Russian family Käfer, who left Russia to start a new life in Germany, the change with its uncertain outcome seems like landing on the moon. The younger son Dmitri does not see his new life as a new chance. He’s homesick for Russia, his friends and his father and, in a world of false friends and false promises, he gradually moves on to the criminal world of drugs. The older brother Yuri, wants to start a new life and to forget his past and his time behind bars. The conflict between the two brothers becomes more critical and at some point they all have to decide whose side they’re on.