Yael Reuveny is an Israeli living in Berlin. Her grandmother, Michla, was a Holocaust survivor from Vilnius who had arranged, after the war, to meet any surviving family members at the train station in Lodz, Poland. Nobody ever turned up, so Michla left for Palestine and made a life in the Jewish state that grew up around her.
Reuveny’s family can’t imagine why she chooses to live in Germany, the country whose cruelties her grandmother fled, while Reuveny is baffled and fascinated by the loss that defines her family’s sense of themselves. The stark, difficult documentary Farewell Herr Schwarz is Reuveny’s gorgeous effort to fill those voids of understanding.
Michla’s brother Feivush, Reuveny learns, also lived through the war. Told t...
Reuveny’s family can’t imagine why she chooses to live in Germany, the country whose cruelties her grandmother fled, while Reuveny is baffled and fascinated by the loss that defines her family’s sense of themselves. The stark, difficult documentary Farewell Herr Schwarz is Reuveny’s gorgeous effort to fill those voids of understanding.
Michla’s brother Feivush, Reuveny learns, also lived through the war. Told t...
- 1/7/2015
- Village Voice
Thanks to Manhattan’s favorite cultural philanthropist, Carole Zabar -- you know her rugelach -- a second year of the Israel Film Center Festival will be unspooling at various venues around the city, but mainly at The Jewish Community Center on the Upper West Side from June 12th through June 19th.
A highlight of the fest is Yael Reuveny’s engrossing three-generation exploration of her family’s post-Holocaust existence, Farewell, Herr Schwarz, a paean to those trying to come to terms with the past.
Michla Schwarz, Yael’s grandmother, was the lone member of her family to survive the Holocaust, or so she thought. Immigrating to Israel, she married, raised a family, and died emotionally scarred with an unyielding hatred for everything German. Her daughter Etty, who remembered her mother screaming at night and being emotionally distant, is also enveloped in this decades-old enmity.
But one day just before Michla’s death,...
A highlight of the fest is Yael Reuveny’s engrossing three-generation exploration of her family’s post-Holocaust existence, Farewell, Herr Schwarz, a paean to those trying to come to terms with the past.
Michla Schwarz, Yael’s grandmother, was the lone member of her family to survive the Holocaust, or so she thought. Immigrating to Israel, she married, raised a family, and died emotionally scarred with an unyielding hatred for everything German. Her daughter Etty, who remembered her mother screaming at night and being emotionally distant, is also enveloped in this decades-old enmity.
But one day just before Michla’s death,...
- 6/11/2014
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
As was covered in our previous article about the event, the First Time Fest gives new filmmakers the opportunity to get their film established and distributed so that their efforts may be recognized for their future works. With the winner receiving full distribution of their film from Cinema Libre Studios as well as support on their future projects. All filmmakers received expert advice from filmmakers who had trouble getting their start and the special winners would also receive a trip to Scandinavia, because why not? The closing night ceremony was held at the 42West Nightclub in New York City and featured the filmmakers in the competition as well as Julie Taymor getting honored for her cinematic contributions.
Taymor received the John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema for her career ever since she started with Titus, a Shakespearean adaptation starring Anthony Hopkins in the lead role. She continued to...
Taymor received the John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema for her career ever since she started with Titus, a Shakespearean adaptation starring Anthony Hopkins in the lead role. She continued to...
- 4/23/2014
- by Catherina Gioino
- Nerdly
The second installment of the First Time Fest, the Second Time Around, took place in New York City from April 3rd to April 7th where ten first time filmmakers were able to showcase their films and possibly be in competition to receive distribution of their films by Cinema Libre Studios. Since its debut in March of last year, the First Time Fest has grown to honor and embrace first time filmmakers for their efforts in trying to make their first work and trying to get recognized in an ever difficult field of art.
Johanna Bennett and Mandy Ward thought up of the idea for this type of film festival seven years ago when they realized that no other event had honored the first time filmmaker. Taking this idea in mind, they agreed to bring these newcomers to the field and give them advice as well as bring them closer to...
Johanna Bennett and Mandy Ward thought up of the idea for this type of film festival seven years ago when they realized that no other event had honored the first time filmmaker. Taking this idea in mind, they agreed to bring these newcomers to the field and give them advice as well as bring them closer to...
- 4/21/2014
- by Catherina Gioino
- Nerdly
Recently, after six days of program, this year’s Dortmund|Cologne International Women's Film Festival came to a close in Cologne’s Odeon Cinema with a presentation ceremony totalling four awards and €16,000 worth of prize money. Spanish director Neus Ballús won the €10,000 debut feature film competition, in which eight debuts were to be seen. In her film La Plaga (The Plague), she portrays five fascinating characters on the outskirts of Barcelona against the backdrop of rural Catalonia. It's a scorching hot summer and a plague of insects has ruined the harvest. Ms Ballús meticulously stages the daily routines of a cast played by non-professional actors, creating in the process an impressive piece of fiction which ultimately tells us a lot about Spain and Europe. Neus Ballús was present in Cologne to receive the prize personally.
Withotu a doubt, La Plaga succeeded in convincing the jury which consisted of Kim Yutani, curator of the Sundance Film Festival, Pelin Esmer, the Turkish director (10 to 11, Watchtover ) and Julia Hummer, the German actress (Ghosts, The State I Am In). The jury said: “ The film takes a profound philosophical approach and explores the cycle of life of five individuals you’ll never forget. Confidently and sensitively, the film-maker (...) directs the team of amateur actors while presenting a screenplay that weaves together the stories of the protagonist with subtle realism.”
Sponsored by Choices magazine, the €1,000 Audience Award Prize 2014 was awarded to Farewell, Herr Schwarz directed by Yael Reuveny. The film portrays two families in Israel and Germany who knew nothing of each other for years. Eligible here were all movies shown at the festival with a length of more than 60 minutes.
The winners of the National Competition for (Next Generation) Women Directors of Photography were announced in the run-up to the festival. The awards of €2,500 each were conferred Sunday evening to DoP Christiane Schmidt for her documentary The Forest Is Like The Mountains and DoP Bine Jankowski for her movie Rebecca. This jury comprised DoPs Sophie Maintigneux, Anne Misselwitz and Julia Daschner.
Festival Director Silke J. Räbiger was more than satisfied with the response to the festival programme. This year, in addition to the unique spectrum of films on offer, it featured a wide range of panel discussions, workshops and workshop discussions – all in high demand by festivalgoers. “The close collaboration with partners such as medica mondiale, Ladoc and Turkish Film Festival Ruhr has again proved a wonderful success. Together, we were able to put on a very impressive programme and reach a broad and highly interested audience."
The Country Focus: Turkey section shed new light on the Turkish film industry in particular and the current political situation in general and thus inspired much discussion among the audiences. The festival also notched up a huge success with its offerings for Cologne and Dortmund schools. Around 1,500 students attended the performances.
The next main festival programme is to be held in Dortmund in April 2015.
Withotu a doubt, La Plaga succeeded in convincing the jury which consisted of Kim Yutani, curator of the Sundance Film Festival, Pelin Esmer, the Turkish director (10 to 11, Watchtover ) and Julia Hummer, the German actress (Ghosts, The State I Am In). The jury said: “ The film takes a profound philosophical approach and explores the cycle of life of five individuals you’ll never forget. Confidently and sensitively, the film-maker (...) directs the team of amateur actors while presenting a screenplay that weaves together the stories of the protagonist with subtle realism.”
Sponsored by Choices magazine, the €1,000 Audience Award Prize 2014 was awarded to Farewell, Herr Schwarz directed by Yael Reuveny. The film portrays two families in Israel and Germany who knew nothing of each other for years. Eligible here were all movies shown at the festival with a length of more than 60 minutes.
The winners of the National Competition for (Next Generation) Women Directors of Photography were announced in the run-up to the festival. The awards of €2,500 each were conferred Sunday evening to DoP Christiane Schmidt for her documentary The Forest Is Like The Mountains and DoP Bine Jankowski for her movie Rebecca. This jury comprised DoPs Sophie Maintigneux, Anne Misselwitz and Julia Daschner.
Festival Director Silke J. Räbiger was more than satisfied with the response to the festival programme. This year, in addition to the unique spectrum of films on offer, it featured a wide range of panel discussions, workshops and workshop discussions – all in high demand by festivalgoers. “The close collaboration with partners such as medica mondiale, Ladoc and Turkish Film Festival Ruhr has again proved a wonderful success. Together, we were able to put on a very impressive programme and reach a broad and highly interested audience."
The Country Focus: Turkey section shed new light on the Turkish film industry in particular and the current political situation in general and thus inspired much discussion among the audiences. The festival also notched up a huge success with its offerings for Cologne and Dortmund schools. Around 1,500 students attended the performances.
The next main festival programme is to be held in Dortmund in April 2015.
- 4/20/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Lana Cooper and Franz Rogowski in Jakob Lass's First Time Fest Grand Prize Winner Love Steaks
Love Steaks, directed by Jakob Lass is the First Time Fest (Second Time Around) Grand Prize Winner and Gesa Jäger, first time editor won Outstanding Achievement in Editing. Marieke Niestadt won Outstanding Achievement in Directing for Bittersweet.
Marieke Niestadt, Outstanding Achievement in Directing for Bittersweet Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Mona Fastvold's The Sleepwalker (Søvngjengeren) received two awards, Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography to Zachery Galler and Outstanding Achievement in Scoring to the composing team of Kato Ådland and Sondre Lerche.
Outstanding Achievement in Writing goes to Yael Reuveny for her film Farewell, Herr Schwarz (Schnee Von Gestern) with Outstanding Achievement in Acting going to Hill Harper in Tommy Oliver's 1982. In addition, Oliver received the inaugural Scandinavian Locations Special Jury Prize at the celebration of first time filmmakers that took place in New York...
Love Steaks, directed by Jakob Lass is the First Time Fest (Second Time Around) Grand Prize Winner and Gesa Jäger, first time editor won Outstanding Achievement in Editing. Marieke Niestadt won Outstanding Achievement in Directing for Bittersweet.
Marieke Niestadt, Outstanding Achievement in Directing for Bittersweet Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Mona Fastvold's The Sleepwalker (Søvngjengeren) received two awards, Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography to Zachery Galler and Outstanding Achievement in Scoring to the composing team of Kato Ådland and Sondre Lerche.
Outstanding Achievement in Writing goes to Yael Reuveny for her film Farewell, Herr Schwarz (Schnee Von Gestern) with Outstanding Achievement in Acting going to Hill Harper in Tommy Oliver's 1982. In addition, Oliver received the inaugural Scandinavian Locations Special Jury Prize at the celebration of first time filmmakers that took place in New York...
- 4/8/2014
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Films from Russia, Kosovo and Serbia were the main winners at this year’s FilmFestival Cottbus and its parallel East-West co-production market Connecting Cottbus.
Russian director Aleksandr Veledinsky’s The Geographer Drank His Globe Away has continued its successful international festival career by picking up the Main Prize at Germany’s Cottbus festival with a cash award of €20,000.
The International Competition Jury praised Veledinsky’s “exquisite mastery of his craft and great playfulness” in its motivation.
Handled internationally by Moscow-based Ant!pode Sales & Distribution, The Geographer Drank His Globe Away was released theatrically on almost 500 screens in Russia last Thursday (Nov 7) as well as in the Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Forthcoming festival invitations include the Black Nights Festival in Tallinn and festivals in Tromsø and Göteborg.
Winning the festival’s Main Prize also gives Veledinsky and his producers the opportunity to return to Cottbus next year as part of Connecting Cottbus’ Special Pitch Award for them to...
Russian director Aleksandr Veledinsky’s The Geographer Drank His Globe Away has continued its successful international festival career by picking up the Main Prize at Germany’s Cottbus festival with a cash award of €20,000.
The International Competition Jury praised Veledinsky’s “exquisite mastery of his craft and great playfulness” in its motivation.
Handled internationally by Moscow-based Ant!pode Sales & Distribution, The Geographer Drank His Globe Away was released theatrically on almost 500 screens in Russia last Thursday (Nov 7) as well as in the Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Forthcoming festival invitations include the Black Nights Festival in Tallinn and festivals in Tromsø and Göteborg.
Winning the festival’s Main Prize also gives Veledinsky and his producers the opportunity to return to Cottbus next year as part of Connecting Cottbus’ Special Pitch Award for them to...
- 11/11/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
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