22/10/2013 - Over 120 films are on the programme of this 47th edition of the Hof International Film Days, which begins tonight and continues to put young German talents on centre stage

For the 47^th time, the Bavarian town of Hof, near the Czech border, declares itself the "Home Of Film". The 2013 edition of the Hof International Film Days (October 22-27) begin tonight with the screening of Die Frau die sich traut [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (photo), the second feature by Marc Rensing after Parkour [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2009), which already tied strong human stories and the capacity to overcome difficulties presented by life to sports training. In Die Frau, the heroine is a former swimming champion who is now old and has breast cancer but who decides to take up training again to swim across the Channel.

Amongst the 126 films in the programme this year, over 30 titles reflect the trends in young German cinema. It is worth mentioning Westen [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by the young and now well-known director in world festivals Christian Schwochow, Hanna’s Journey [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the third feature by the director from Berlin Julia von Heinz, Millionen by Fabian Möhrke, in which a lottery winner doesn’t know what to do with his millions, the financial thriller Der zweite MannbyChristopher Lenke and Philip Nauck, with Max Riemelt, Houston [+see also:
trailer
film profile] byBastian Günther, with Ulrich Tukur (The Life of Others [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Florian Henckel von Donners…
interview: Ulrich Muehe
film profile], The White Ribbon [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Haneke
film profile]), the science-fiction romantic comedy Art Girls byRobert Bramkamp, and Antons Fest byJohn Kolya Reichart, in which guests get together for the birthday of a friend who is late to arrive.

Hof also sheds the spotlight on international talents, old and new, who dare and explore, such as Austrian directors Stefan Ruzowitzky (who won an Oscar for The Counterfeiters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and Götz Spielmann (whose film Revanche [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Götz Spielmann
film profile] was nominated for the Oscars), Italian director living in the UK Uberto Pasolini (who will present his acclaimed selection from Venice Still Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Uberto Pasolini
film profile]) and French directors Catherine Breillat (whose new film, Abuse of Weakness [+see also:
trailer
interview: Catherine Breillat
film profile], is a cathartic semi-autobiography) Solveig Anspach (who in Lulu femme nue tells the story of a mother rediscovering herself) and Justine Malle (whose first feature, Jeunesse [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], is inspired by her relationship with her father Louis Malle).