15/07/2015 - The Locarno International Film Festival promises a rich, hot-off-the-press programme guided by a strong sense of sharing

In the words of Carlo Chatrian, the artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival: “Overcome by the orgy of images we’re surrounded by constantly, cinema is perhaps no longer the home of the world; yet the world still desperately needs a home”.

This 68th edition of the Festival emphasises the important of cinema as a way of taking on and analysing a world which often gets dangerously out of hand. From this point of view cinema becomes a sort of welcoming place imbued with strong emotions and collective memories (small and big stories) to share together. Every year the Locarno Film Festival boosts its programme with awards, tributes and cycles that demonstrate its desire to reinterpret the history of cinema.

Marco Bellocchio (Swisscom Leopard of Honour), Michael Cimino (Swisscom Leopard of Honour), Marlen Khutsiev (Career Leopard), Bulle Ogier (Career Leopard), Edward Norton (Excellence Award Moët & Chandon), Andy Garcia (Leopard Club Award), Walter Murch (Vision Award Nescens) and Georges Schwizgebel (Swiss cinema rediscovered tribute), are just some of the guests of honour and spokespersons for this year’s edition, which sees cinema as a mirror of the world.

The evocative Piazza Grande competition will feature a host of American, Indian and Brazilian productions, along with a large number of European films, including The Secret Ways, and Floride [+see also:
trailer
film profile], both French films, by Pascal Magontier and Philippe Le Guay respectively, Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer [+see also:
trailer
interview: Lars Kraume
film profile] by German director Lars Kraume, Austrian film Jack [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Elisabeth Scharang, and Pastorale Cilientana by Mario Martone.

The International Competition will also feature a number of European productions: Bella e Perduta [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pietro Marcello ­
film profile] by Italian director Pietro Marcello, the Spanish O Futebol [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sergio Oksman
film profile] by Sergio Oksman, Suite Armoricaine [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by French-born director Pascale Breton, British feature film The Sky Trembles And The Earth is Afraid And The Two Eyes Are Not Brothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile] by Ben Rivers, Greek film Chevalier [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Athina Rachel Tsangari, and six co-productions: Brat Dejan [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Bukar Bakuradze (Russia/Serbia), Cosmos [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Victória Guerra
film profile] by Andrzej Zulawsk (France/Portugal), Ma Dar Behesht (Paradise) [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Stina Ataeian Dena (Iran/Germany), No Home Movie [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Chantal Akerman (Belgium/France), Schneider Vs. Bax [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alex van Warmerdam
film profile] by Alex van Warmerdam (the Netherlands/Belgium), Sulanga Gini Aran [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Dark in the White Light) by Vimukthi Jayasundara (Sri Lanka/France) and Te prometo anarquìa [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Julio Hernàndez Cordòn (Mexico/Germany).

There is also a strong presence of European productions and co-productions in the Cineasts of the present competition: there’s the German Der Nachtmahr [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by AKIZ, French films Dom Juan [+see also:
trailer
interview: Vincent Macaigne ­
film profile] by Vincent Macaigne and Le grand jeu [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Nicolas Pariser, Dead Slow Ahead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mauro Herce
film profile] by Mauro Herce (Spain/France), Moj Brate – Mio Fratello [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Nazareno Manuel Nicoletti (Italy/Canada/Bosnia-Herzegovina), Olmo & The Seagull [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Petra Costa and Lea Glob (Denmark/Brazil/Portugal/France), and Siembra [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Angela Osorio Rojas and Santiago Lozano Alvarez (Colombia/Germany).

A number of Swiss films will also be screened in Piazza Grande and the dark theatres of Locarno. Heimatland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carmen Jaquier and Lionel R…
film profile], a collective feature film made by ten young directors and producers from Contrast Film (Lisa Blatter, Gregor Frei, Jan Gassmann, Benny Jaberg, Carmen Jaquier, Michael Krummenacher, Jonas Meier, Tobias Nölle, Lionel Rupp and Mike Scheiwiller) is the only Swiss film competing in the International Competition, but other films of undoubted merit will be screened in the various parallel (competitive) sections. These include Belgian-Swiss-French co-production Keeper [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Guillaume Senez ­
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile] by Belgian director Guillaume Senez (competing in the Cineasts of the present section), and the highly anticipated Amnesia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Barbet Schroeder and Vanity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lionel Baier
film profile] by Lionel Baier (competing in the Piazza Grande, in its Swiss premiere), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Also competing in the Piazza Grande competition will be animated short film Erlkönig by Georges Schwizgebel.

The three Swiss documentaries About Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Stéphane Goël, French-Swiss co-production The Woods Dreams are Made of [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Claire Simon, and Yes No Maybe [+see also:
trailer
film profile] di Kaspar Kasics will instead be shown out of competition. The Swiss Panorama section will showcase 12 very recent Swiss productions that were selected at the Solothurn Film Festival by the Swiss Film Academy and SWISS FILMS. Critics’ Week will include two Swiss (documentary) productions: The Day The Sun Fell [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aya Domenig
film profile] by Aya Domenig and Lampedusa in Winter [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Jakob Brossmann.

International Competition
Lost and Beautiful [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pietro Marcello ­
film profile] - Pietro Marcello (Italy)
Brother Dejan [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Bakur Bakuradze (Russia/Serbia)
Chevalier [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greece)
Cosmos [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Victória Guerra
film profile] - Andrzej Zulawski (France/Portugal)
Entertainment - Rick Alverson (USA)
Happy Hour - Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan)
Wonderland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carmen Jaquier and Lionel R…
film profile] - Lisa Blatter, Gregor Frei, Jan Gassmann, Benny Jaberg, Carmen Jaquier, Michael Krummenacher, Jonas Meier, Tobias Nölle, Lionel Rupp, Mike Scheiwiller (Switzerland/Germany)
James White - Josh Mond (USA)
Right Now, Wrong Then - Sangsoo Hong (South Korea)
Ma Dar Behesht (Paradise) [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Sina Ataeian Dena (Iran/Germany)
No Home Movie [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Chantal Akerman (Belgium/France)
On Footbol [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sergio Oksman
film profile] - Sergio Oksman (Spain)
Schneider Vs. Bax [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alex van Warmerdam
film profile] - Alex van Warmerdam (Netherlands/Belgium)
Suite Armoricaine [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Pascale Breton (France)
Sulanga Gini Aran [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Dark in the White Light) - Vimukthi Jayasundara (Sri Lanka/France)
Te Prometo Anarquia [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Julio Hernández Cordón (Mexico/Germany)
The Sky Trembles And The Earth Is Afraid And The Two Eyes Are Not Brothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile] - Ben Rivers (UK)
Tikkun - Avishai Sivan (Israel)

Piazza Grande
Amnesia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Barbet Schroeder (Switzerland/France)
Bombay Velvet - Anurag Kashyap (India)
Der Staat Gegen Fritz Bauer [+see also:
trailer
interview: Lars Kraume
film profile] - Lars Kraume (Germany)
Floride [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Philippe Le Guay (France)
Guibord s’en va-t-en-guerre - Philippe Falardeau (Canada)
Heliopolis, dir Sérgio Machado (Brazil)
Pugni In Tasca - Marco Bellocchio (Italy)
Jack [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Elisabeth Scharang (Austria)
La Belle Saison [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Catherine Corsini (France)
Vanity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lionel Baier
film profile] - Lionel Baier (Switzerland/France)
Me And Earl And The Dying Girl, dir Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (USA)
The Laundryman, dir Lee Chung (Taiwan)
Ricki and the Flash - Jonathan Demme (USA)
Southpaw - Antoine Fuqua (USA)
The Deer Hunter - Michael Cimino (UK/USA)
Trainwreck - Judd Apatow (USA)

Cineasts Of the Present Competition
Dead Slow Ahead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mauro Herce
film profile] - Mauro Herce (Spain/France)
Der Nachtmahr [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Akiz (Germany)
Dom Juan [+see also:
trailer
interview: Vincent Macaigne ­
film profile] - Vincent Macaigne (France)
Dream Land - Steve Chen (Cambodia/US)
El Movimiento - Benjamín Naishtat (Argentina/South Korea)
Keeper [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Guillaume Senez ­
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile] - Guillaume Senez (Belgium/Switzerland/France)
Le Grand Jeu [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Nicolas Pariser (France)
Les Etres Chers -  Anne Émond (Canada)
Lu Bian Ye Can (Kaili Blues) -  Bi Gan (China)
Moj Brate – Mio Fratello [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Nazareno Manuel Nicoletti (Italy/Canada/Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Olmo & The Seagull [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Petra Costa, Lea Glob (Denmark/Brazil/Portugal/France)
Siembra [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Ángela Osorio Rojas, Santiago Lozano Álvarez (Colombia/Germany)
The Waiting Room [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Igor Drljaca (Canada)
Thithi - Raam Reddy (India)

Signs of Life
88:88 - Isiah Medina (Canada)
Chi (Mr. Zhang Believes) - Qiu Jiongjiong (China)
Deux Remi, Deux [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Pierre Léon (France/Switzerland)
L’Accademia Delle Muse [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: José Luis Guerín ­
film profile] - José Luis Guerin (Spain)
L’Infinita Fabbrica Del Duomo [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Martina Parenti, Massimo D’anolfi (Italy)
Machine Gun Or Typewriter - Travis Wilkerson (USA)
Recollection [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Kamal Aljafari (Germany)
Slackjaw - Zach Weintraub (USA)

Out of Competition
Contre-pouvoirs [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Malek Bensmaïl (Algeria/France)
About Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Stéphane Goël (Switzerland)
Parents [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Alberto Fasulo (Italy)
Dreams of the Salt Lake [+see also:
trailer
interview: Andrea Segre
film profile] - Andrea Segre (Italy)
Kaki Kouba - Kazuhiro Soda (Japan/USA) 
Kiev/Moscow. Part 1 - Elena Khoreva (Russia/Estonia/Ukraine)
The Woods Dreams are Made of [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Claire Simon (France/Switzerland)
Romeo e Giulietta [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Massimo Coppola (Italy)
Topophilia - Peter Bo Rappmund (USA)
Living the High Life [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Fabio Leli (Italy)
Yes No Maybe [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Kaspar Kasics (Switzerland)

(Translated from Italian)