Noordelijk exploring borders
The 31st edition of the Noordelijk Film Festival in the Dutch city of Leeuwarden showcases nine European films in its “Interregio” competition this year. The festival kicked off yesterday evening with an out-of-competition screening of Haneke’s The White Ribbon [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Haneke
film profile].
A total of nine features will be shown in competition. All competitors vie for the top prize, the Matad’Or, as well as €10,000. The main theme of the films is borders in the larger sense of the word: “political, psychological, historical, economic, linguistic, physical or moral” according to the catalogue.
Two films with a Dutch component will be screened. Golden Calf and Locarno winner Nothing Personal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Urszula Antoniak
interview: Urszula Antoniak
film profile] from Polish-Dutch director Urszula Antoniak, which is a Dutch/Irish co-production, and First of All, Felicia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Melissa de Raaf and Razvan …
film profile], by directors Melissa de Raaf and Razvan Radulescu, who are from Romania and the Netherlands, respectively (the film is a Romania/France/Croatia/Belgium co-production). Both films deal with Dutch women, loneliness and incomprehension.
Also from Eastern Europe: the errant gypsy tale Good Luck! by Hungarian director Robert Lakatos; the fraternal drama Eastern Plays [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kamen Kalev
film profile] from Bulgarian filmmaker Kamen Kaley; and George Ovashvili’s The Other Bank a coming-of-age tale co-produced by Georgia and Kazakhstan.
Autumn [+see also:
trailer
film profile] from Turkish director Özcan Alper is also in competition, as is Austrian director Händl Klaus’ March. Both are heavy dramas that show a present trying to let go of the past.
Lighter genre fare comes from the North: Rune Denstad Langlo’s festival darling North [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rune Denstad Langlo
film profile], an acerbic Nordic dramedy, will provide a few laughs, while Finnish horror epic Sauna [+see also:
trailer
film profile] will try to scare audiences witless.
The festival ends on Sunday with an out-of-competition slot for crowd pleaser The Concert [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Mihaileanu
film profile] from Radu Mihaileanu.
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