Oppenheimer continued its dominant awards season form on Sunday night at the American Society of Cinematographers’ ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards, with Hoyte van Hoytema taking the prize for theatrical feature film.
The win was Van Hoytema’s first ASC award, after previously being nominated for Dunkirk (2018) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2012).
On the TV side, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s M. David Mullen won the ASC prize for an episode of one hour of television, Barry‘s Carl Herse won for an episode of a half-hour series and Boston Strangler‘s Ben Kutchins won for limited or anthology series or motion picture made for TV.
Also on the night, Spike Lee was awarded the ASC Board of Governors Award and Don Burgess, whose work includes Academy Award-winning best picture Forrest Gump, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Steven Fierberg accepted the ASC Career Achievement in Television Award, and Amy Vincent...
The win was Van Hoytema’s first ASC award, after previously being nominated for Dunkirk (2018) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2012).
On the TV side, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s M. David Mullen won the ASC prize for an episode of one hour of television, Barry‘s Carl Herse won for an episode of a half-hour series and Boston Strangler‘s Ben Kutchins won for limited or anthology series or motion picture made for TV.
Also on the night, Spike Lee was awarded the ASC Board of Governors Award and Don Burgess, whose work includes Academy Award-winning best picture Forrest Gump, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Steven Fierberg accepted the ASC Career Achievement in Television Award, and Amy Vincent...
- 3/4/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Oppenheimer” cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema won Feature Film at the 38th ASC Awards, March 3 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The Oscar favorite beat the other four Oscar nominees: “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” Poor Things,” and “El Conde”.
This marked van Hoytema’s first ASC win after three nominations (including “Dunkirk” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”) and positions the Dutch-Swedish cinematographer for his first Oscar win. Significantly, “Oppenheimer” represents the culmination of his experimental IMAX collaboration with director Christopher Nolan. The duo achieved a new kind of intimate spectacle with this psychological thriller about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Best Actor nominee Cillian Murphy), the “father of the atomic bomb.” Van Hoytema used the large-format IMAX camera to explore the landscape of faces; namely, Oppenheimer’s in color from his perspective and Salieri-like adversary Admiral Lewis Strauss’ (Best Supporting Actor nominee Robert Downey Jr.) in black-and-white from his.
What a...
This marked van Hoytema’s first ASC win after three nominations (including “Dunkirk” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”) and positions the Dutch-Swedish cinematographer for his first Oscar win. Significantly, “Oppenheimer” represents the culmination of his experimental IMAX collaboration with director Christopher Nolan. The duo achieved a new kind of intimate spectacle with this psychological thriller about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Best Actor nominee Cillian Murphy), the “father of the atomic bomb.” Van Hoytema used the large-format IMAX camera to explore the landscape of faces; namely, Oppenheimer’s in color from his perspective and Salieri-like adversary Admiral Lewis Strauss’ (Best Supporting Actor nominee Robert Downey Jr.) in black-and-white from his.
What a...
- 3/4/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Hoyte Van Hoytema has taken top honors at the 38th annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards for his work on “Oppenheimer.”
Van Hoytema topped a field that included Edward Lachman for “El Conde, Matthew Libatique for “Maestro,” Rodrigo Prieto for “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Robbie Ryan for “Poor Things.”
The awards were handed out Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with Ed Helms hosting the festivities.
All five theatrical feature film nominees are also nominated for best cinematography at the Oscars.
In its 38-year history, only 17 have gone on to win the Oscar. Last year, Mandy Walker made history when she became the first woman to win an ASC award for her work on “Elvis.” The Academy Award ultimately went to James Friend for “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
On the TV side, winners included Carl Herse for “Barry” and Ben Kutchins for “Boston Strangler.”
Van...
Van Hoytema topped a field that included Edward Lachman for “El Conde, Matthew Libatique for “Maestro,” Rodrigo Prieto for “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Robbie Ryan for “Poor Things.”
The awards were handed out Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with Ed Helms hosting the festivities.
All five theatrical feature film nominees are also nominated for best cinematography at the Oscars.
In its 38-year history, only 17 have gone on to win the Oscar. Last year, Mandy Walker made history when she became the first woman to win an ASC award for her work on “Elvis.” The Academy Award ultimately went to James Friend for “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
On the TV side, winners included Carl Herse for “Barry” and Ben Kutchins for “Boston Strangler.”
Van...
- 3/4/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The American Society of Cinematographers has unveiled the nominations for its 38th annual ASC Awards, honoring the year’s best in feature film, documentary and television cinematography.
The society’s marquee Theatrical Feature Film nominees are chock-full of awards-season favorite pics, with one surprise. Edward Lachman is up for the Netflix pic El Conde, joining the likes of Matthew Libatique for Maestro, Rodrigo Prieto for Killers of the Flower Moon, Robbie Ryan for Poor Things, Hoyte van Hoytema for Oppenheimer.
Prieto also lensed the year’s No. 1 movie, Barbie, but missed the ASC cut today.
The group’s film winner has gone on to claim the Academy Award nearly half of the time — 17 times in its 37 years — but not last year. Mandy Walker won the ASC’s top film prize in 2023, but the Academy Award went to James Friend for All Quiet on the Western Front.
On the small-screen front,...
The society’s marquee Theatrical Feature Film nominees are chock-full of awards-season favorite pics, with one surprise. Edward Lachman is up for the Netflix pic El Conde, joining the likes of Matthew Libatique for Maestro, Rodrigo Prieto for Killers of the Flower Moon, Robbie Ryan for Poor Things, Hoyte van Hoytema for Oppenheimer.
Prieto also lensed the year’s No. 1 movie, Barbie, but missed the ASC cut today.
The group’s film winner has gone on to claim the Academy Award nearly half of the time — 17 times in its 37 years — but not last year. Mandy Walker won the ASC’s top film prize in 2023, but the Academy Award went to James Friend for All Quiet on the Western Front.
On the small-screen front,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
“El Conde,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” “Poor Things,” and “Oppenheimer” were nominated by the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) for outstanding achievement in theatrical film cinematography. Winners will be announced during the 38th Annual ASC Awards ceremony on March 3 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California; the event will also be live-streamed worldwide on theasc.com.
On the television side, the ASC singled out episodes of “Barry,” “The Bear,” and the “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” alongside sci-fi stalwarts “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and “Foundation,” among others. The nominees for best anthology or limited series included episodes of “George and Tammy” and “Lessons in Chemistry” as well as made-for-tv movie “Boston Strangler.”
The ASC also singled out three documentaries: the first episode of the docu-series “Murder in Big Horn,” as well as the films “King Coal” and “Kokomo City.”
Below is the full list of nominations for the...
On the television side, the ASC singled out episodes of “Barry,” “The Bear,” and the “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” alongside sci-fi stalwarts “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and “Foundation,” among others. The nominees for best anthology or limited series included episodes of “George and Tammy” and “Lessons in Chemistry” as well as made-for-tv movie “Boston Strangler.”
The ASC also singled out three documentaries: the first episode of the docu-series “Murder in Big Horn,” as well as the films “King Coal” and “Kokomo City.”
Below is the full list of nominations for the...
- 1/11/2024
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto’s lensing of Martin Scorsese’s drama Killers of the Flower Moon and Robbie Ryan’s photography of Yorgos Lanthimos’ fantasy Poor Things are among the nominees in the feature competition of the 2024 American Society of Cinematographers Awards, which will be held March 3 at the Beverly Hilton.
They are nominated alongside Edward Lachman, for Pablo Larraín’s El Conde; Matthew Libatique for Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Berstein drama Maestro; and Hoyte van Hoytema for Christopher Nolan’s biopic Oppenheimer. All five Oscar-nominated DPs have been previously nominated in this ASC category and each are seeking their first win. Lachman, whose previous credits include Carol and Far from Heaven, was the ASC’s 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award winner. This year, Prieto’s work also includes Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
A year ago, Elvis cinematographer Mandy Walker became the first woman to win the ASC feature competition. All Quiet on...
They are nominated alongside Edward Lachman, for Pablo Larraín’s El Conde; Matthew Libatique for Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Berstein drama Maestro; and Hoyte van Hoytema for Christopher Nolan’s biopic Oppenheimer. All five Oscar-nominated DPs have been previously nominated in this ASC category and each are seeking their first win. Lachman, whose previous credits include Carol and Far from Heaven, was the ASC’s 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award winner. This year, Prieto’s work also includes Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
A year ago, Elvis cinematographer Mandy Walker became the first woman to win the ASC feature competition. All Quiet on...
- 1/11/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Oppenheimer,” “Maestro” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” are among the films that received nominations for the American Society of Cinematographers Awards.
The ASC Award nominees for feature film, documentary and television cinematography represent the organization’s picks for the most compelling visual filmmaking.
Rounding out the feature film nominations are “El Conde” (Edward Lachman) and “Poor Things” (Robbie Ryan).
In television, “The Bear,” “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” were among the nominated series.
Last year’s feature film winner Mandy Walker made history when she became the first woman to win the ASC Award for her work on Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis.” However, she did not go on to win the cinematography Oscar, which went to “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Still, seven of the past 11 ASC winners went on to win the Oscar for best cinematography.
The ASC Award...
The ASC Award nominees for feature film, documentary and television cinematography represent the organization’s picks for the most compelling visual filmmaking.
Rounding out the feature film nominations are “El Conde” (Edward Lachman) and “Poor Things” (Robbie Ryan).
In television, “The Bear,” “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” were among the nominated series.
Last year’s feature film winner Mandy Walker made history when she became the first woman to win the ASC Award for her work on Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis.” However, she did not go on to win the cinematography Oscar, which went to “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Still, seven of the past 11 ASC winners went on to win the Oscar for best cinematography.
The ASC Award...
- 1/11/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Two Japanese films take top honours, while Korean films ’Past Lives’ and ’Riceboy Sleeps’ are also awarded.
Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days took the best film prize at the 16th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) today (November 3), while Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist won the jury grand prize.
The two Japanese films were honoured in a ceremony held for 250 people from 20 countries at the Home of the Arts on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Perfect Days, which debuted in competition at Cannes this year, is Japan’s submission to the 2024 Academy Awards. The film, about finding beauty in the everyday world around us,...
Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days took the best film prize at the 16th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) today (November 3), while Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist won the jury grand prize.
The two Japanese films were honoured in a ceremony held for 250 people from 20 countries at the Home of the Arts on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Perfect Days, which debuted in competition at Cannes this year, is Japan’s submission to the 2024 Academy Awards. The film, about finding beauty in the everyday world around us,...
- 11/3/2023
- by Sandy George
- ScreenDaily
Japan has dominated this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa), with German filmmaker Wim Wenders’ latest Tokyo-set pic and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car follow-up taking the top prizes.
Wenders’ Cannes competition title Perfect Days won Apsa’s Best Film award, while Hamaguchi’s enigmatic Venice title Evil Does Not Exist nabbed the Jury Grand Prize this evening at the Australian ceremony.
“It is with great pleasure and pride that my Japanese producers Takuma Takasaki and Koji Yanai and myself received the news that our film Perfect Days was awarded Best Picture at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards,” Wenders said, accepting the award via video message.
He added: “Wow, what an honor. Especially for a German director. The film was, in many ways, a dream come true for all of us, especially the fact that nobody less than the great Koji Yakusho played the leading role, the humble public servant,...
Wenders’ Cannes competition title Perfect Days won Apsa’s Best Film award, while Hamaguchi’s enigmatic Venice title Evil Does Not Exist nabbed the Jury Grand Prize this evening at the Australian ceremony.
“It is with great pleasure and pride that my Japanese producers Takuma Takasaki and Koji Yanai and myself received the news that our film Perfect Days was awarded Best Picture at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards,” Wenders said, accepting the award via video message.
He added: “Wow, what an honor. Especially for a German director. The film was, in many ways, a dream come true for all of us, especially the fact that nobody less than the great Koji Yakusho played the leading role, the humble public servant,...
- 11/3/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Japan heads the nominations, followed by China.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist heads the nominations for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with nods in four categories including best film, best director, best screenplay and best cinematography.
The Japanese feature premiered at Venice where it picked up both the jury and Fipresci prize, and centres on a father and daughter in a rural village, whose peaceful lives are disrupted by proposals to build a camping site in their area.
Hamaguchi’s latest film, following Oscar-winner Drive My Car, was just ahead of China’s Snow Leopard by the late Tibetan director Pema Tseden,...
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist heads the nominations for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with nods in four categories including best film, best director, best screenplay and best cinematography.
The Japanese feature premiered at Venice where it picked up both the jury and Fipresci prize, and centres on a father and daughter in a rural village, whose peaceful lives are disrupted by proposals to build a camping site in their area.
Hamaguchi’s latest film, following Oscar-winner Drive My Car, was just ahead of China’s Snow Leopard by the late Tibetan director Pema Tseden,...
- 10/3/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
There is an old joke about a pious man stranded on a desert island. As he prays for divine deliverance, a ship arrives, but he sends it away, saying, “God will save me.” Ditto a helicopter and eventually a seaplane. The man dies, to his surprise, and when he gets to heaven, asks God why he did not save him. God replies, “Look, man, I sent a ship, a helicopter and a seaplane…” If the moral of this old chestnut were hewn from the craggy quarries of a benighted Georgian mining village, and carved in strikingly gorgeous black-and-white cinematography, it might look a little like “Citizen Saint,” Tinatin Kajrishvili’s somber, scabrous third film, in which a rural community refuses to accept a God who moves in anything but the most mysterious ways.
Departing from the low-key naturalism of her two prior features “Brides” and “Horizon,” here Kajrishvili moves into an overtly allegorical register,...
Departing from the low-key naturalism of her two prior features “Brides” and “Horizon,” here Kajrishvili moves into an overtly allegorical register,...
- 7/8/2023
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s main competition section is about to witness a miracle thanks to Tinatin Kajrishvili’s third feature “Citizen Saint,” about small-town miners suddenly discovering that their protector has literally come down from the cross and into their lives.
Kajrishvili, already known to festival audiences thanks to Berlinale titles “Brides” and “Horizon,” wasn’t trying to make a religious film, she states. She was more interested in the power of hope and the lengths most people will go in order to preserve it.
“Georgians are very religious and one day, a guy appeared in my neighborhood, calling himself ‘Saint Nicolas.’ His followers found him an apartment, and they would just stand in front of his house, praying. Whenever he would open a window, or throw a tomato at them, they would just pick it up and consider it as a blessing,” recounts the director, who co-wrote the script with Basa Janikashvili.
Kajrishvili, already known to festival audiences thanks to Berlinale titles “Brides” and “Horizon,” wasn’t trying to make a religious film, she states. She was more interested in the power of hope and the lengths most people will go in order to preserve it.
“Georgians are very religious and one day, a guy appeared in my neighborhood, calling himself ‘Saint Nicolas.’ His followers found him an apartment, and they would just stand in front of his house, praying. Whenever he would open a window, or throw a tomato at them, they would just pick it up and consider it as a blessing,” recounts the director, who co-wrote the script with Basa Janikashvili.
- 7/5/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, the sunny proverb goes. But what if life gives you inedibly sour quinces instead? The father-son odd-couple road trip comedy gets an appealingly deadpan, Bulgarian makeover in Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s third feature, a film that takes the bittersweet fruits of its funny, sad, silly situations, and eventually, after many a comical false start, makes jam.
Not all filmmakers can say they’ve carved out a distinctive niche for themselves after just three features, but the Bulgarian writing-producing-directing duo are among the few who can. So while “The Father” occupies a lighter, gentler register than jet-black fables “The Lesson” and “Glory,” it shows the same affinity for screw-tightening stories of fundamentally decent people caught in an escalating series of thankless dilemmas, through no malicious intent of their own. In the Grozeva/Valchanov Cinematic Universe, no good deed goes unpunished, but this...
Not all filmmakers can say they’ve carved out a distinctive niche for themselves after just three features, but the Bulgarian writing-producing-directing duo are among the few who can. So while “The Father” occupies a lighter, gentler register than jet-black fables “The Lesson” and “Glory,” it shows the same affinity for screw-tightening stories of fundamentally decent people caught in an escalating series of thankless dilemmas, through no malicious intent of their own. In the Grozeva/Valchanov Cinematic Universe, no good deed goes unpunished, but this...
- 7/5/2019
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Turkish film festival celebrated 25th edition this year.
Directorial duo Cagla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti’s drama Sibel and Tolga Karacelik’s quirky road movie Butterflies were among the top winners at the Adana International Film Festival (Sept 22-30) over the weekend.
Sibel – revolving around an ostracised, mute young woman living in a mountain village whose life is transformed when she helps an injured fugitive in hiding - won the festival’s Golden Boll for best film in the national competition focused on Turkish cinema.
Damla Sönmez won best actress for her performance as the titular Sibel, while Emin Gürsoy...
Directorial duo Cagla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti’s drama Sibel and Tolga Karacelik’s quirky road movie Butterflies were among the top winners at the Adana International Film Festival (Sept 22-30) over the weekend.
Sibel – revolving around an ostracised, mute young woman living in a mountain village whose life is transformed when she helps an injured fugitive in hiding - won the festival’s Golden Boll for best film in the national competition focused on Turkish cinema.
Damla Sönmez won best actress for her performance as the titular Sibel, while Emin Gürsoy...
- 10/1/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The incongruously intimate story of a 1963 Turkish army coup attempt allows Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun the scope to take his mordant wit to new heights in his deadly serious yet deeply sardonic third feature, “The Announcement.” Rigidly composed fixed camera shots designed to heighten the atmosphere of entrapment do double duty as a self-reflexive commentary on the nature of characters who follow orders with no thought, while the stationary lens amusingly parallels the deadpan humor. Unquestionably a commentary on the Turkish present as much as the past, yet aiming for an enigmatic quality likely to confound the country’s censorship-happy authorities, “The Announcement” may struggle to find an audience aware of the political situation as well as open to the film’s funny side, but it deserves considerable festival play.
Nighttime in a taxi somewhere in Istanbul: Two stone-faced men are tense passengers as the driver nervously takes them through a...
Nighttime in a taxi somewhere in Istanbul: Two stone-faced men are tense passengers as the driver nervously takes them through a...
- 9/1/2018
- by Jay Weissberg
- Variety Film + TV
The “social realism” sub-genre of drama has been awards bait in the European festival circuit lately and this year’s Locarno International Film Festival jury, led by Arturo Ripstein, bit at Ralitza Petrova’s debut film Godless. The vision of post-Communism Bulgaria is uncompromising and relentless, pessimistic and depressive, which means it fits right in with the “important” films that it shares its genre with. The overexposure of a genre that relies on the shock and brutality of everyday life detracts from the stuffy misery of Godless, which blends in with a number of Eastern European films canonized in the past decade.
Gana (Irena Ivanova) takes care of the suffering elderly and fuels her morphine addiction by stealing and selling her patient’s identification cards. Her desire to leave the poor town is heightened as her drug-fueled paranoia develops and she catches her boyfriend with other women. After meeting Yoan,...
Gana (Irena Ivanova) takes care of the suffering elderly and fuels her morphine addiction by stealing and selling her patient’s identification cards. Her desire to leave the poor town is heightened as her drug-fueled paranoia develops and she catches her boyfriend with other women. After meeting Yoan,...
- 9/13/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
"Co-directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s Glory confirms the advanced promise shown in their award-winning narrative debut, The Lesson," begins Jay Weissberg in Variety. "Largely working with the same exceptionally talented cast and crew, the duo paints a damning portrait of contemporary Bulgarian society fragmented by class and the rural-urban divide, where corruption is a given and even muckrakers ignore the human quotient in their politicized race to bring down their targets. Shot with flexible naturalism by Krum Rodriguez (Dp on Viktoria as well as The Lesson), the film quietly builds to a feeling of inexorable disaster, guided by terrific performances as well as spot-on editing." We've got the trailer and we're collecting more reviews. » - David Hudson...
- 8/9/2016
- Keyframe
"Co-directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s Glory confirms the advanced promise shown in their award-winning narrative debut, The Lesson," begins Jay Weissberg in Variety. "Largely working with the same exceptionally talented cast and crew, the duo paints a damning portrait of contemporary Bulgarian society fragmented by class and the rural-urban divide, where corruption is a given and even muckrakers ignore the human quotient in their politicized race to bring down their targets. Shot with flexible naturalism by Krum Rodriguez (Dp on Viktoria as well as The Lesson), the film quietly builds to a feeling of inexorable disaster, guided by terrific performances as well as spot-on editing." We've got the trailer and we're collecting more reviews. » - David Hudson...
- 8/9/2016
- Fandor: Keyframe
Clocking in at 155 minutes, Viktoria is as narratively ambitious as debut feature films come. The first picture from director Maya Vitkova, Viktoria is a lengthy and admittedly dense drama, but one that is both audacious in its length, and also decidedly boundary pushing in its subject matter.
Set in Bulgaria during the fall of the communist regime and birth of its democratic system, Viktova’s film at first introduces us to a woman named Boryana (played by the brazenly magnetic Irmena Chichikova) who, through sparse dialogue and even more sparse direction, reveals that she is at once both politically antagonistic towards her ruling government and also pregnant with a child she doesn’t want to have. With dreams of leaving her sterile life in the arms of a country she despises and a husband who is nothing but a crony for that very government, she tries everything in her power to end the pregnancy, only to birth a child of absolute wonder. Born without a belly button, her daughter Viktoria becomes the “Child of the Century,” and ultimately a piece of propaganda for the government, receiving gift after gift from the country.
Throughout this portion of the narrative, and ultimately the film as a whole, Vitkova intersperses both archival footage timestamping the narrative as well as bursts of stark surrealism into what is an almost Dardenne-esque bit of neo-realism. Very much rooted in the type of cinema coming out of Bulgaria’s neighbor to the north, Romania, Vitkova’s direction is dry and static, making these brief punches of surrealism create a world that is at once naturalistic and lived in at yet oozing satirical otherworldliness. A nightmarish segment like the moment in which Viktoria is named Child of the Century, set in a blindingly white hospital room with groups of doctors and government stooges splitting the frame, make the film seem almost Lynchian when paired up against the quiet realism of the previous segments.
When Boryana’s mother arrives on the scene, played wonderfully by Mariana Krumova, the film evolves from strict political satire into something much more ambitious. This picture is as much about a nation on the brink as it is the place of women in Bulgarian society and ultimately the film becomes a familial drama about deep-seeded pains. The lengthy runtime here ultimately hints the viewer into what is a scatterbrained meditation on life in Bulgaria, but with Vitkova’s eyes squarely on the feminine experience this is a singular piece of work. And thankfully, the performances help elevate the material as well.
Chichikova holds much of the film’s weight upon her shoulders, and is more than capable. As the film evolves we begin to unravel layer after layer of Boryana, and discover that she’s more than just a political dissident. Deeply troubled by a less than stellar upbringing as the film goes into length about, Boryana is a character full of nuance and Chichikova’s performance feels completely lived in and coming out of a place of truth and emotional texture. Daria Vitkova is great as Viktoria, and Krumova is a real revelation as Dima, with her moments with Chichikova’s Boryana being really stand out sequences. Vitkova’s turn as Viktoria is a powerfully nuanced turn for such a young actress, and there’s something to her characterization of Viktoria that feels entirely real and raw.
While the film’s run time will absolutely leave some viewers at a pause, this is just the type of quiet, emotionally resonant bit of world cinema counter programming that people will be craving as we head into the summer film season. Marking the debut of a new and singular voice on the world cinema stage (aided by Krum Rodriguez’s brilliant, award-worthy cinematography), Viktoria is an audacious, admittedly scattershot, drama about everything from Bulgaria politics to the female body. While it might not all work, the world would be a far better place if more young directors were this ambitious.
Set in Bulgaria during the fall of the communist regime and birth of its democratic system, Viktova’s film at first introduces us to a woman named Boryana (played by the brazenly magnetic Irmena Chichikova) who, through sparse dialogue and even more sparse direction, reveals that she is at once both politically antagonistic towards her ruling government and also pregnant with a child she doesn’t want to have. With dreams of leaving her sterile life in the arms of a country she despises and a husband who is nothing but a crony for that very government, she tries everything in her power to end the pregnancy, only to birth a child of absolute wonder. Born without a belly button, her daughter Viktoria becomes the “Child of the Century,” and ultimately a piece of propaganda for the government, receiving gift after gift from the country.
Throughout this portion of the narrative, and ultimately the film as a whole, Vitkova intersperses both archival footage timestamping the narrative as well as bursts of stark surrealism into what is an almost Dardenne-esque bit of neo-realism. Very much rooted in the type of cinema coming out of Bulgaria’s neighbor to the north, Romania, Vitkova’s direction is dry and static, making these brief punches of surrealism create a world that is at once naturalistic and lived in at yet oozing satirical otherworldliness. A nightmarish segment like the moment in which Viktoria is named Child of the Century, set in a blindingly white hospital room with groups of doctors and government stooges splitting the frame, make the film seem almost Lynchian when paired up against the quiet realism of the previous segments.
When Boryana’s mother arrives on the scene, played wonderfully by Mariana Krumova, the film evolves from strict political satire into something much more ambitious. This picture is as much about a nation on the brink as it is the place of women in Bulgarian society and ultimately the film becomes a familial drama about deep-seeded pains. The lengthy runtime here ultimately hints the viewer into what is a scatterbrained meditation on life in Bulgaria, but with Vitkova’s eyes squarely on the feminine experience this is a singular piece of work. And thankfully, the performances help elevate the material as well.
Chichikova holds much of the film’s weight upon her shoulders, and is more than capable. As the film evolves we begin to unravel layer after layer of Boryana, and discover that she’s more than just a political dissident. Deeply troubled by a less than stellar upbringing as the film goes into length about, Boryana is a character full of nuance and Chichikova’s performance feels completely lived in and coming out of a place of truth and emotional texture. Daria Vitkova is great as Viktoria, and Krumova is a real revelation as Dima, with her moments with Chichikova’s Boryana being really stand out sequences. Vitkova’s turn as Viktoria is a powerfully nuanced turn for such a young actress, and there’s something to her characterization of Viktoria that feels entirely real and raw.
While the film’s run time will absolutely leave some viewers at a pause, this is just the type of quiet, emotionally resonant bit of world cinema counter programming that people will be craving as we head into the summer film season. Marking the debut of a new and singular voice on the world cinema stage (aided by Krum Rodriguez’s brilliant, award-worthy cinematography), Viktoria is an audacious, admittedly scattershot, drama about everything from Bulgaria politics to the female body. While it might not all work, the world would be a far better place if more young directors were this ambitious.
- 4/29/2016
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Loosely based on a stranger than fiction story of a Bulgarian baby born without a belly button and umbilical cord, the expansive Viktoria is part-political allegory, part-coming of age psychodrama, and part-graphically sensual ode to the experiences of women. Set in the decade before the impending collapse of the socialist regime and the ensuing decade after, Maya Vitkova’s debut looks at the internal effects of an oppressive environment on the lives of three generations of women.
In one of many enigmatic storytelling touches, Viktoria painstakingly marks the time periods, opening with a long sequence establishing the political status quo through archival footage, but it belies the true intentions of the movie, which are less engaged with the intimate details of these periods of government and more interested in probing how these fluid governments influence individuals on a psychological level.
For nearly the first forty five minutes, Viktoria centers only...
In one of many enigmatic storytelling touches, Viktoria painstakingly marks the time periods, opening with a long sequence establishing the political status quo through archival footage, but it belies the true intentions of the movie, which are less engaged with the intimate details of these periods of government and more interested in probing how these fluid governments influence individuals on a psychological level.
For nearly the first forty five minutes, Viktoria centers only...
- 4/27/2016
- by Michael Snydel
- The Film Stage
Debut competition titles at cinematography festival unveiled.
Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 15-22), has revealed the line-up of films screening in three of the festival’s competition sections including Cinematographers’ Debut, Directors’ Debut and Student Etudes.
The entries are:
Cinematographers’ Debut Competition
Duane Hopkins’ Bypass;
UK, 2014; Cinematographer: David Procter
Sidney Lexy Plaut’s Dark Samurai;
Denmark, 2014; Cinematographer: Sidney Lexy Plaut
Zeresenay Berhane Mehari’s Difret;
Ethiopia, USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Monika Lenczewska
Krzysztof Skonieczny’s Hardkor Disko;
Poland, 2014; Cinematographer: Kacper Fertacz
Arild Østin Ommundsen’s It’s Only Make Believe;
Norway, 2013; Cinematographer: Arild Østin Ommundsen
Michael Cody and Amiel Courtin-Wilson’s Ruin;
Australia, 2013; Cinematographer: Ari Wegner
Ester Martin Bergsmark’s Something Must Break;
Sweden, 2014; Cinematographers: Lisabi Fridell and Minka Jakerson
David Pablos’ The Life After;
Mexico, 2013; Cinematographer: José De- La-Torre
Saar Klein’s Things People Do;
USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Matthias Koenigswieser
Jonas Alexander Arnby’s When Animals Dream;
Denmark, 2013; Cinematographer: [link=nm...
Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 15-22), has revealed the line-up of films screening in three of the festival’s competition sections including Cinematographers’ Debut, Directors’ Debut and Student Etudes.
The entries are:
Cinematographers’ Debut Competition
Duane Hopkins’ Bypass;
UK, 2014; Cinematographer: David Procter
Sidney Lexy Plaut’s Dark Samurai;
Denmark, 2014; Cinematographer: Sidney Lexy Plaut
Zeresenay Berhane Mehari’s Difret;
Ethiopia, USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Monika Lenczewska
Krzysztof Skonieczny’s Hardkor Disko;
Poland, 2014; Cinematographer: Kacper Fertacz
Arild Østin Ommundsen’s It’s Only Make Believe;
Norway, 2013; Cinematographer: Arild Østin Ommundsen
Michael Cody and Amiel Courtin-Wilson’s Ruin;
Australia, 2013; Cinematographer: Ari Wegner
Ester Martin Bergsmark’s Something Must Break;
Sweden, 2014; Cinematographers: Lisabi Fridell and Minka Jakerson
David Pablos’ The Life After;
Mexico, 2013; Cinematographer: José De- La-Torre
Saar Klein’s Things People Do;
USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Matthias Koenigswieser
Jonas Alexander Arnby’s When Animals Dream;
Denmark, 2013; Cinematographer: [link=nm...
- 10/16/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.