Edinburgh DocWeek

It takes place at the same time as the Edinburgh International Film Festival. It is organised by the Scottish Documentary Institute that ”run annual programmes which develop filmmakers and producers such as Bridging the Gap (previously written about on this site) and Interdoc (feature documentary)”. (The many activities of the Institute can be read about on the site below.) And it does indeed have all the elements of a well developed international documentary event: pitching training, pitching to a panel of financiers, rough cut screenings, masterclasses, debates with the filmmakers whose films have been taken for screening at the festival etc.

Among those are films that have been praised on this site, first of all the beautiful personal essay of local Amy Hardie, ”The Edge of Dreaming” (photo). It was already screened at idfa Amsterdam 2009 and at DOCSBarcelona, where also Mika Ronkainen’s ”Freetime Machos” about a rugby team in Oulu, Finland met its audiences. Bravo also for programming Nicolas Philibert film about 40 year old ”Nénette”, the orangutang in the Zoo in Paris. All three have been noticed on this site whereas I hope to get to watch ”Two in the Wave”, a film for film lovers of la Nouvelle Vague, about the difficult love-hate relationship between Truffaut and Godard. And ”Out of the Ashes” about a cricket team from Afghanistan and its making it to a World Cup tournament. Again it is nice to observe documentaries to be part of a bigger film festival although the programme  selection seen as a whole does not communicate a clear artistic profile but more a wish to reach a wide audience. Respect for that, of course.

www.docscene.org

www.edfilmfest.org.uk

Soccer Fever

This photo was sent to me two hours before World Cup in football kick-off in South Africa. By Don Edkins, producer and distributor and promoter of documentary films in Southern Africa, and a dear guest of all important film events.

He was one of the key persons behind the Steps for the Future initiative as well as the pre-world cup soccer cinema. Both have been written about on filmkommentaren.dk

Good luck South Africa, may it all happen in a peaceful, non-violent way and may the best team win!

Don Edkins is not on the photo, he probably was behind the camera catching his smiling, colourful staff.

http://steps.co.za/index.php

http://soccercinema.co.za/

Nils Vest: Et rådhus

Den koncentreret vedholdende og omhyggeligt researchende Niels Vest er klar med en ny arkitekturfilm. 17. juni er der i Grand Teatret, København premiere på hans seneste værk i rækken af bygningshistorier vævet sammen med arkitektbiografier, filmen om tilblivelsen af Københavns Rådhus fra 1905 og om husets arkitekt, Martin Nyrop. Den har fået titlen Et rådhus til alvor og fest. Den handler om intrigerne i byggeudvalget, hvor Nyrops modstandere havde indflydelse, om arkitektkonkurrencerne, om Nyrops vældige forarbejder med studier, især i italiensk renæssancearkitektur, om hans frodige detaljeglæde og især om den snedige stædighed, hvormed han sikrede sig, at hans oprindelige idé og plan ad omveje blev gennemført. Et tema om den suveræne arkitektpersonlighed som er centralt i hele Vests række af skildringer af hovedpersoner og monumenter fra den danske bygningskulturelle arv: Laurits Thura og Vor Frelsers Kirke, Nicolai Eigtved og Frederiksstaden, C.F. Hansen og Vor Frue Kirke, Christian 4. og Rosenborg. 

Niels Vest modtager en af dagene Europa Nostra Prisen 2010 for sit arbejde med at organisere bevarelsen af visse bymiljøer som især Christiania og senest for eksempel modstanden mod en nutidig tilbygning ved Holmens Kirke.

Still: Niels Vests film boltrer sig i detaljer: ”Den store indgang fra Vester Voldgade, hvor der engang løb en å, har både to krabber, en havmand, en havfrue og et søpindsvin placeret rundt om portåbningen foruden kalkmalerier med tang og en søstjerne oppe under loftet inde i porten.” Men filmen fortaber sig ikke et øjeblik, overblikket mærkes som en sikkerhed, ikke som en stramhed.

Nils Vest: Et rådhus til hverdag og fest, Danmark 2010, 52 min. Manuskript: Nils Vest, fotografi: Erik Norsker, Casper Høyberg, Steen Dalin og Nils Vest, klip: Jens Bidstrup, musik: Anders Koppel, lyd: Iben Haahr Andersen, produktion: Nils Vest. Produceret og distribueret af Nils Vest Film www.vestfilm.dk her også direkte dvd-salg.

Piemonte Doc Film Fund

There are many reasons why a documentary tradition grows or is being established. In the posting below you can read about some interesting people and companies. The one that produced the City Veins film is called BabyDoc and that characterises probably the situation in Piemonte – the documentary is still a baby with some grown up fathers like the companies Stefilm and Zenith, and with some good directors at hand. Anyway, the establishing of a doc film fund in 2007 has certainly helped the development as has the Torino Film festival and several training initiatives.

The Doc Film Fund had in 2009 542.000€ that resulted in 47 grants for development (22) and production (25). Not a lot of money but a starting point for trying to get more nationally and in the rest of Europe. The emphasis on development is naturally important. The CinePorto where the fund is situated in what used to be a wool factory is a great place for the fund to be and for training sessions like DocuRegio that was hosted generously by the fund leader Paolo Manera.

Photo: The Pink Gang by Enrico Bisi.

http://www.fctp.it/piemontedocfilmfund

Il futuro del mondo passa da qui

… is the beautiful Italian title of a film that is about to be completed. I saw it in Turin in connection with the first session of the DocuRegio training session and it is as beautiful visually as the title is verbally. The director is Andrea Deaglio, the English – more prosaic – subtitle is “City Veins” and this is a short promotion of a film that will be reviewed on filmkommentaren.dk when it is finished. The film is according to the director under consideration for the Locarno Film Festival, they should take it for sure, as should other festivals for creative documentaries. Short description: A river in the outskirt of an European metropolis (Torino), a no man’s land where a handful of people try to survive facing a strong urban transformation. Here flows the future, bringing the worry of the unknown together with the hope for a better chance… yes it is about people, who have decided to, or have been forced to establish a life outside our so-called urban civilisation. In a very gentle and respectful way, the director, with an original storytelling and unusual image framing, takes us on a poetic journey to everyday life of citizens of the world in the 21. century. (Photo: Reno, an artist in Life)

The DocuRegio session gave the participants an interesting insight to “producing in Piemonte”. Veteran producer Edoardo Fracchia outlined the international career of Stefilm, that is run by him, Elena Filippini and Stefano Tealdi. Based at a new venue, that also houses the office of the July event “Documentary in Europe” in Bardonecchia, the company is right now doing international, informational tv series (for instance on “coffee” and ”tea”) as well as going into edit of a long time developed, fascinating retro-project, “Vinylmania”. It has a website, visit it, great fun!

From the classic production company approach to the new and modern, represented by Alessandro Borrelli and his laSarraz. He talked about his decicison to make films for theatrical release and showed a clip from the succesful documentary of Sergio Basso Giallo a Milano (reviewed on this site). At DocuRegio 2009 Borelli’s company presented “Pink Gang” by Enrico Bisi. The story about Indian Sampat Pal, political activist for women’s rights, is now going to cinemas and a one hour version has also been made that Borrelli will take to the market “Sunny Side of the Doc”.

www.docineurope.org

www.docuregio.com

www.stefilm.it

www.lasarraz.com

www.cityveins.blogspot.com

Museo Nazionale del Cinema Torino

More than a museum. Indeed it is. It can only be described as magnificent the National Film Museum of Torino. I was there for hours and want to go back as soon as possible. To visit the fine collection of Lanterna Magica, take a look at Edison and Lumiere or the light and shadow shows in the ”Archaeology of Cinema” section, or stroll around and look at the posters of all the wonderful films one remembers from a long life in the dark. Or lie down in comfortable fauteuils and watch the Gianni Amelio (”l’America”) compilations of clips from Italian films: Olmi, Fellini, Bertolucci, Visconti, Amelio himself etc. New exhibitions all the time, the cinema theatre Massimo next door. What a feast! Here is a text clip from the website of the museum that was placed at the mole in 2000 and is run by the foundation that carries the name of the woman, who initiated the museum, Maria Adriana Prolo:

”The museum is located inside the Mole Antonelliana, a bizarre and fascinating monument which is the symbol of the City of Torino. And the various areas inside the Mole Antonelliana were the starting point for the Swiss set designer François Confino who, with talent and imagination, multiplied the museum’s itineraries. He created a spectacular presentation that offers visitors continuous and unexpected visual and acoustic stimuli, just like when we watch a film that involves and moves us.” (Poster – an exhibition of photos of the two mega-stars open this month).

http://www.museonazionaledelcinema.org/museo.php

Ole Bendtzen: Football is God

In the name of the Father, the Son and Diego Maradona. Amen… is the subtitle of this new Danish film that for a football addict, who will spend hours watching the coming World Cup, was a gift to watch at the premiere in Copenhagen. On a big screen. The film takes its audience to Buenos Aires,  the hometown of the legendary club Boca Juniors. It conveys – through three characters – what addiction in its most extreme version looks like, and it does it well. Hernan, the sportsjournalist, is a character you will not forget. You see him losing control when Boca wins, on the edge of breaking down, you see him at the shrink, who discusses his addiction and you hear him explain his addiction. Clear and understandable. La Tia (means The aunt) is a wonderful old lady who looks upon the players as her sons, byuing underpants for her favourite no. 9 on the team! And Pablo is the one who looks a bit like Maradona, comes from the bottom of the society and goes to the Maradona church where fan couple can be married.

The three characters are presented in an entertaining (although a bit schematically structured way) one hour documentary perfect for television and probably also fine for some festivals around.

So far the following broadcasters will show the film: DR (at the Dokumania slot tuesday evening June 8 9.25pm), SVT Sweden, YLE Finland, VPRO Holland, SBS Australia, Ceska TV. More will follow for sure….

And cross fingers for Argentina and their coach Diego in the coming weeks. Come on Messi, Milito, Higuain! 

Denmark, 2010, 52 mins.

http://www.final-cut.dk/home

http://www.footballisgod.dk/

Jan Tenhaven: Autumn Gold

Good subject: Old (some of them veeery old) people who are still fit for life and take part in an athletic World Champions competition in Lahti, Finland. But what about the treatment of the subject, can this sustain a feature length format?

That scepticism was taken away very early in the film. The director proved to know his five athletes very well, and was able to get much more out of them than ”just” their preparation for the tournament. We get their lives, their joys and sorrows, how to live alone as the life partner, or the live partners, have passed away – and we see how and where they live and cope with the daily things that one has to take care of. Like you and me.

But what about the narrative structure – how can 5 stories be told so you are not bored or lose concentration. Also that scepticism disappeared leaving nothing but a bravo to the editing. And to  Alfred (100!), Herbert (93) (photo), Ilse (82), Jiri (82), Gabre (93) for being so open to a film team that was able to convey the charm and visdom of being old!

The film will be released in German theatres by July 8. The following television channels are credited to broadcast the film, if it does not reach your festival and the big screen: arte, RTE (Ireland), TSR (Switzerland), ERT (Greece), YLE (Finland) and MAX (India!).

Germany, 94 mins., 2010

http://www.autumngold-movie.com/

http://www.gebrueder-beetz.de/

Docs Online: China, Soccer, Giro d’Italia

For viewers worldwide and for free – IDFA, the biggest documentary film festival in the world, based in Amsterdam, invites you to go online with IDFA TV, where there is an excellent selection of excellent documentaries.

IDFA staff is at the World Expo in China and for that reason you can watch films from and about China. World Cup in South Africa starts this coming friday and for that reason IDFA offers films about football, like Maziar Bahari’s ”Football, Iranian Style” from 2001. Giro d’Italia is over but you can still watch the classic of Jørgen Leth, ”Stars and Water Carriers” abour the bicycling race year 1973, premiered in 1974. As written on the site: ” These were the glory days of Eddie ‘The Cannibal’ Merckx (photo) who showed the entire field a clean pair of heels whether it was on the flats or up in the highest of mountain passes.”

The online service has several other neo-classics available like Florin Iepan’s Romanian masterpiece, ”Children of the Decree”. Starting point for the film: “Procreation is the social duty of all fertile women,” was the political thinking during the 1960s and 1970s in Romania. In 1966, Ceaucescu issued Decree 770, in which he forbade abortion for all women unless they were over forty or were already taking care of four children…”

http://www.idfa.nl/industry/idfa-tv.aspx

MakeDox 1/Words of Documentary Enthusiasm

MakeDox is inspired and financed by people who love documentary film. People with a great desire to make their own festival, the kind of festival that I would like to visit myself. Petra Seliškar, Programme Selector..

I graduated in social work… I work in the film industry… I feel the need to exchange creative energy… I feel inspired to influence my everyday surroundings… I have a goal to share documentary creations with you… films that engage, inspire, enrich… Films that speak through their relevance, idea, message, thought, inner cry… that stratify, but do not insist on change, that dig up the roots and penetrate daringly without worrying about the soil and the dirt… that do not tend to wash it out or sort things through so that they would look better… And they do it in their own, powerful, unique way… they intrigue you, make you think, give you the shudders… they’ll maybe even change you against your will. That’s the kind of documentary films we focus on. Kirijana A. Nikoloska, Festival Director.

http://www.makedox.mk/indexen.html