Ulrich Seidl is a director of curiosities, of shabby characters, pursued with an uncompromising and sometimes unfashionable gaze. Yet Sparta arrives in competition at the San Sebastian film festival at the head of considerable controversy not from its disturbing themes of pedophilia, but from incidents off-screen.
The Spanish event debuts the movie after the Toronto film festival scrapped its world premiere at the last minute in the fallout of allegations made in Germany’s Der Spiegel. The weekly magazine’s lengthy investigation said Seidl didn’t tell the underage cast and their guardians of the story’s themes and that he underprepared his mainly non-professional performers of the film’s nudity, alcoholism, and violence. Seidl denies the accusations, but canceled his appearance and the accompanying press conference in the Basque Country to support the film.
As to the charges against Sparta, on screen there is adult nudity in the space...
The Spanish event debuts the movie after the Toronto film festival scrapped its world premiere at the last minute in the fallout of allegations made in Germany’s Der Spiegel. The weekly magazine’s lengthy investigation said Seidl didn’t tell the underage cast and their guardians of the story’s themes and that he underprepared his mainly non-professional performers of the film’s nudity, alcoholism, and violence. Seidl denies the accusations, but canceled his appearance and the accompanying press conference in the Basque Country to support the film.
As to the charges against Sparta, on screen there is adult nudity in the space...
- 9/20/2022
- by Ed Frankl
- The Film Stage
‘Rimini’ was a critical hit at the Berlinale.
Philippe Bober’s Coproduction Office has confirmed multiple new deals struck during last month’s EFM on Austrian auteur Ulrich Seidl’s Berlin competition title Rimini.
Buyers now aboard include September Films for Benelux, Wanted for Italy, Triart for Sweden, Another World Entertainment for Norway, Ost For Paradis for Denmark, Bio Paradis for Iceland, Nitrate Filmes for Portugal, Auroa for Poland, Film Europe for Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Shani Film for Israel.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from...
Philippe Bober’s Coproduction Office has confirmed multiple new deals struck during last month’s EFM on Austrian auteur Ulrich Seidl’s Berlin competition title Rimini.
Buyers now aboard include September Films for Benelux, Wanted for Italy, Triart for Sweden, Another World Entertainment for Norway, Ost For Paradis for Denmark, Bio Paradis for Iceland, Nitrate Filmes for Portugal, Auroa for Poland, Film Europe for Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Shani Film for Israel.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from...
- 3/7/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Anyone seeking a peek into Ulrich Seidl’s worldview–perhaps his soul–could do worse than Rimini, his first film since Safari in 2016 and first narrative feature in almost a decade. It swells with Seidl ephemera: hunting trophies, Austrian basements, and lovelorn holiday-makers of a certain age. And then there’s the mood. Consider a shot near the end of its first act: a ghostly, out-of-season water park looming over an out-of-season man; mist clouds so dense they hang over the park’s slides; and just to the right, still as statues, a group of hooded refugees.
Rimini, a dense and discomforting character study, stars an astonishing Michael Thomas as Richie Bravo, a once-popular singer of German Schlager music (a derided and sentimental genre that came to fame in the postwar years), now making ends meet as a washed entertainer in holiday resorts where he serenades, occasionally seduces (for a little extra income) aging fans.
Rimini, a dense and discomforting character study, stars an astonishing Michael Thomas as Richie Bravo, a once-popular singer of German Schlager music (a derided and sentimental genre that came to fame in the postwar years), now making ends meet as a washed entertainer in holiday resorts where he serenades, occasionally seduces (for a little extra income) aging fans.
- 2/12/2022
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
‘Rimini’ Review: A Riveting, Upsetting Ulrich Seidl Slow-Burn Electrified by a Stunning Central Turn
Freezing winter in a place designed for frolicsome summer can be a doleful time. A case in point: the empty hotels, shuttered waterparks and endless fog banks of the Italian beach town that gives Ulrich Seidl’s challenging but riveting Berlin competition film its name. Along with the hazy gray shoreline and lonely iced-over thoroughfares, they’re the visual markers of a low season in which the “low” refers as much to mood as occupancy rates, though for the city’s tourist industry, it’s a gloom that will lift with the coming of spring. For Seidl’s film, a shiveringly precise slow burn that continues to burrow new tunnels in the mind long after it ends, no such renewal is in the cards. In “Rimini,” low season can always get lower.
The brilliantly named Richie Bravo (Austrian actor Michael Thomas giving such an astoundingly deep-dive performance it barely feels...
The brilliantly named Richie Bravo (Austrian actor Michael Thomas giving such an astoundingly deep-dive performance it barely feels...
- 2/12/2022
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Deals have been done for the UK, Germany and Spain among other territories.
Early in the EFM, the Coproduction Office has sealed a raft of high-profile deals for Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Golden Bear contender, Rimini.
The film has been bought by Sovereign (UK), Neue Visionen (Germany), Xenix (Switzerland), Filmin (Spain), Vertigo (Hungary), Must Kasi (Baltics), Demiurg (former Yugoslavia), Piano (Mexico) and Falcon (Indonesia). Stadtkino will release the film in Austria.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from his fans in the Italian coastal town. Trapped between...
Early in the EFM, the Coproduction Office has sealed a raft of high-profile deals for Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Golden Bear contender, Rimini.
The film has been bought by Sovereign (UK), Neue Visionen (Germany), Xenix (Switzerland), Filmin (Spain), Vertigo (Hungary), Must Kasi (Baltics), Demiurg (former Yugoslavia), Piano (Mexico) and Falcon (Indonesia). Stadtkino will release the film in Austria.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from his fans in the Italian coastal town. Trapped between...
- 2/11/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Deals have been done for the UK, Germany and Spain among other territories.
Early in the EFM, the Coproduction Office has sealed a raft of high-profile deals for Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Golden Bear contender, Rimini.
The film has been bought by Sovereign (UK), Neue Visionen (Germany), Xenix (Switzerland), Filmin (Spain) Vertigo (Hungary) Must Kasi (Baltics), Demiurg (former Yugoslavia), Piano (Mexico), and Falcon (Indonesia). Stadtkino will release the film in Austria.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from his fans in the Italian coastal town. Trapped between...
Early in the EFM, the Coproduction Office has sealed a raft of high-profile deals for Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Golden Bear contender, Rimini.
The film has been bought by Sovereign (UK), Neue Visionen (Germany), Xenix (Switzerland), Filmin (Spain) Vertigo (Hungary) Must Kasi (Baltics), Demiurg (former Yugoslavia), Piano (Mexico), and Falcon (Indonesia). Stadtkino will release the film in Austria.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from his fans in the Italian coastal town. Trapped between...
- 2/11/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
The complete lineup for the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival, taking place February 10-20, 2022, has been unveiled and it’s a major collection of some of our most-anticipated films of the year. As teased yesterday, Claire Denis’ Fire (which now has the title Avec amour et acharnement (aka Both Sides of the Blade)) will premiere in competition, alongside Hong Sangsoo’s The Novelist’s Film, Carla Simón’s Summer 1993 follow-up Alcarràs, Ulrich Seidl’s Rimini, Rithy Panh’s Everything Will Be Ok, and more.
Elsewhere in the festival is Bertrand Bonello’s Coma, Dario Argento’s Dark Glasses, Andrew Dominik’s Nick Cave & Warren Ellis doc This Much I Know To Be True, Peter Strickland’s Flux Gourmet, Gastón Solnicki’s A Little Love Package, Quentin Dupieux’s Incredible But True, plus new shorts by Lucrecia Martel, Hlynur Pálmason, and more. Also recently announced was the Panorama section, which will open...
Elsewhere in the festival is Bertrand Bonello’s Coma, Dario Argento’s Dark Glasses, Andrew Dominik’s Nick Cave & Warren Ellis doc This Much I Know To Be True, Peter Strickland’s Flux Gourmet, Gastón Solnicki’s A Little Love Package, Quentin Dupieux’s Incredible But True, plus new shorts by Lucrecia Martel, Hlynur Pálmason, and more. Also recently announced was the Panorama section, which will open...
- 1/19/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The 72nd Berlin International Film Festival (February 10-20) revealed its Competition line-up on Wednesday, scroll down for the full list.
As previously announced, the International Competition opens this year with François Ozon’s Peter Von Kant. Joining the Ozon pic today were 17 further features, including new films from Hong Sang-soo, Claire Denis, Ulrich Seidl, and Rithy Panh.
This marks Denis’ first time in Berlin’s Competition, having been a regular at Cannes over the years, while her last film High Life debuted at Toronto. The director’s new movie Both Sides of the Blade (previously known as Fire) stars Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon.
South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo picked up the Silver Bear for Best Director in 2020 for movie The Woman Who Ran. His latest pic is The Novelist’s Film, which Berlin Artistic Director today said celebrates chance encounters.
The Competition program is 17 world premieres plus one international premiere,...
As previously announced, the International Competition opens this year with François Ozon’s Peter Von Kant. Joining the Ozon pic today were 17 further features, including new films from Hong Sang-soo, Claire Denis, Ulrich Seidl, and Rithy Panh.
This marks Denis’ first time in Berlin’s Competition, having been a regular at Cannes over the years, while her last film High Life debuted at Toronto. The director’s new movie Both Sides of the Blade (previously known as Fire) stars Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon.
South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo picked up the Silver Bear for Best Director in 2020 for movie The Woman Who Ran. His latest pic is The Novelist’s Film, which Berlin Artistic Director today said celebrates chance encounters.
The Competition program is 17 world premieres plus one international premiere,...
- 1/19/2022
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Films by auteurs Claire Denis, Hong Sangsoo and Rithy Panh are part of the lineup in competition at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival.
Berlin’s 2022 selection spans 18 movies, seven directed by women, which will compete for the Golden and Silver Bears. The films originate from 15 countries, with 17 serving as world premieres. Two of the films are first features, both from women.
Artistic director Carlo Chatrian discussed the thematic throughline of “human and emotional bonds” across the selection, with the family unit serving as a key focal point in a number of movies. More than half are set in the present time, and two are within the pandemic era.
The festival hosts 12 returning filmmakers, eight of whom are in competition and five of whom already hold a Bear from Berlin.
The festival will go ahead as an in-person event, albeit with seating capacity in movie theaters reduced to 50% and without any parties or receptions.
Berlin’s 2022 selection spans 18 movies, seven directed by women, which will compete for the Golden and Silver Bears. The films originate from 15 countries, with 17 serving as world premieres. Two of the films are first features, both from women.
Artistic director Carlo Chatrian discussed the thematic throughline of “human and emotional bonds” across the selection, with the family unit serving as a key focal point in a number of movies. More than half are set in the present time, and two are within the pandemic era.
The festival hosts 12 returning filmmakers, eight of whom are in competition and five of whom already hold a Bear from Berlin.
The festival will go ahead as an in-person event, albeit with seating capacity in movie theaters reduced to 50% and without any parties or receptions.
- 1/19/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Arriving on DVD without having experienced a Us theatrical release, The Dark Valley toured several smaller film festivals after premiering a year ago at the Berlin International Film Festival. Multiple category winner at both the German Film and Bavarian Film Awards, with a stop at Karlovy Vary and a late 2014 North American stint, which included programming in the mini German Currents events in Los Angeles, it’s unfortunate the title didn’t receive a wider platform considering its rather curious elements.
Selected as Austria’s entry for this year’s Foreign Language Oscar submission, this is perhaps director Andreas Prochaska’s most accomplished narrative effort, as he’s generally steeped in television or pulpy genre. His latest, a by-the-numbers Western, captures a rather poetic ambience, even as it manages to neglect both its protagonist and rather garish details that skews the film into horror film territory. UK star Sam Riley...
Selected as Austria’s entry for this year’s Foreign Language Oscar submission, this is perhaps director Andreas Prochaska’s most accomplished narrative effort, as he’s generally steeped in television or pulpy genre. His latest, a by-the-numbers Western, captures a rather poetic ambience, even as it manages to neglect both its protagonist and rather garish details that skews the film into horror film territory. UK star Sam Riley...
- 1/20/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance: Prochaska’s Grimly Pleasing Revenge Yarn
Selected as Austria’s entry for this year’s Foreign Language Oscar submission, The Dark Valley is perhaps director Andreas Prochaska’s most accomplished narrative effort, as he’s generally steeped in television or pulpy genre. His latest, a by-the-numbers Western, captures a rather poetic ambience, even as it manages to neglect both its protagonist and rather garish details that skews the film into horror film territory. UK star Sam Riley headlines the feature to grant it an even more hybridized feel of this adaptation of Thomas Willmann’s novel.
In the late 19th century, a mysterious stranger, Grieder (Riley) rides into an Austrian mountain village. The people are unaccustomed to strangers, isolated high above everyone in the mountains. A photographer, his reasons for staying seem unclear, but he befriends a young woman, Luzi (Paula Beer) and her widowed...
Selected as Austria’s entry for this year’s Foreign Language Oscar submission, The Dark Valley is perhaps director Andreas Prochaska’s most accomplished narrative effort, as he’s generally steeped in television or pulpy genre. His latest, a by-the-numbers Western, captures a rather poetic ambience, even as it manages to neglect both its protagonist and rather garish details that skews the film into horror film territory. UK star Sam Riley headlines the feature to grant it an even more hybridized feel of this adaptation of Thomas Willmann’s novel.
In the late 19th century, a mysterious stranger, Grieder (Riley) rides into an Austrian mountain village. The people are unaccustomed to strangers, isolated high above everyone in the mountains. A photographer, his reasons for staying seem unclear, but he befriends a young woman, Luzi (Paula Beer) and her widowed...
- 10/22/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Beta sells other territories on the film based on Noah Gordon’s trilogy of books.
The Physician’s producers Wolf Bauer and Nico Hofmann have indicated that they may take on the other two books of Noah Gordon’s trilogy, of which The Physician is the first part: Matters Of Choice and Shaman.
Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily ahead of the world premiere of The Physician in Berlin on Monday evening, Bauer explained: “We have discussed this with Noah Gordon and would have access [to the properties].”
“But we won’t have this discussion before the film has reached 3m admissions in Germany and Spain,” said Bauer, who is currently reading Shaman for the seventh time.
Moreover, the producers would have freedom in casting since Shaman is set in the 19th century some 800 years after the events in The Physician.
Hofmann revealed that, as part of the film’s financing from broadcaster Ard Degeto, a longer...
The Physician’s producers Wolf Bauer and Nico Hofmann have indicated that they may take on the other two books of Noah Gordon’s trilogy, of which The Physician is the first part: Matters Of Choice and Shaman.
Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily ahead of the world premiere of The Physician in Berlin on Monday evening, Bauer explained: “We have discussed this with Noah Gordon and would have access [to the properties].”
“But we won’t have this discussion before the film has reached 3m admissions in Germany and Spain,” said Bauer, who is currently reading Shaman for the seventh time.
Moreover, the producers would have freedom in casting since Shaman is set in the 19th century some 800 years after the events in The Physician.
Hofmann revealed that, as part of the film’s financing from broadcaster Ard Degeto, a longer...
- 12/17/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Never Let Me Go - 7/10
Transfer - 9/10
Two sci-fi films at this year's Fantastic Fest tread extremely similar waters, so much so that I figured it makes sense to do a kind of comparative review: Both Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" and Damir Lukacevic's "Transfer" deal with an aspect of sci-fi we're seeing more and more often in cinema, namely the effect that a brave new world of cloning or body transplantation has on the donors. Both films offer further evidence that the modern sci-fi movie may very well be on the verge of narrowing the gap with its literary forebears in terms of emotional resonance and thematic complexity.
Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley make "Never Let Me Go" something of a higher-profile curiosity than if director Romanek had gone with lesser-known stars or character actors, and to a certain extent the casting choices actually handicap the film's overall effect.
Transfer - 9/10
Two sci-fi films at this year's Fantastic Fest tread extremely similar waters, so much so that I figured it makes sense to do a kind of comparative review: Both Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" and Damir Lukacevic's "Transfer" deal with an aspect of sci-fi we're seeing more and more often in cinema, namely the effect that a brave new world of cloning or body transplantation has on the donors. Both films offer further evidence that the modern sci-fi movie may very well be on the verge of narrowing the gap with its literary forebears in terms of emotional resonance and thematic complexity.
Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley make "Never Let Me Go" something of a higher-profile curiosity than if director Romanek had gone with lesser-known stars or character actors, and to a certain extent the casting choices actually handicap the film's overall effect.
- 10/4/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Rating: 2/5
Writers: Elia Barceló (story), Gabi Blauert (screenplay), Damir Lukacevic (writer)
Director: Damir Lukacevic
Cast: B.J. Britt, Regine Nehy, Ingrid Andree, Hans-Michael Rehberg, Mehmet Kurtulus
Death is inevitable for us all. While some would like to live forever, some prefer to go when it’s their time. Those are the only two philosophies people have when it comes to death, mostly because there are simply no other options. Transfer, however, asks the question, “what if there were a way to prolong life?” It’s an extremely intriguing idea, and one that started out with boatloads of promise, but never executed the story to its merit.
Read more on Fantastic Fest 2010 Review: Transfer…...
Writers: Elia Barceló (story), Gabi Blauert (screenplay), Damir Lukacevic (writer)
Director: Damir Lukacevic
Cast: B.J. Britt, Regine Nehy, Ingrid Andree, Hans-Michael Rehberg, Mehmet Kurtulus
Death is inevitable for us all. While some would like to live forever, some prefer to go when it’s their time. Those are the only two philosophies people have when it comes to death, mostly because there are simply no other options. Transfer, however, asks the question, “what if there were a way to prolong life?” It’s an extremely intriguing idea, and one that started out with boatloads of promise, but never executed the story to its merit.
Read more on Fantastic Fest 2010 Review: Transfer…...
- 9/24/2010
- by J.C. De Leon
- GordonandtheWhale
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