20/05/2010

Silence, the directorial debut of Swiss-born Baran bo Odar, which screened in Cannes at private Market screenings, have received strong interest from British, Italian, French and South Korean buyers according to Thorsten Ritter, managing director of Bavaria Film International.

The thriller focuses on the disappearance of 13-year-old Sinikka on a hot summer day. While police officers start their inquest, an agonizing period of waiting start for Sinikka’s parents. The film stars Danish star Ulrich Thomsen, Sebastian Blomberg and Katrin Sass and will be released in Germany by NFP.

Another feature debut on Bavaria’s line up had its world premiere at Cannes’s Un Certain Regard: Life Above All by South African filmmaker Olivier Schmitz. The film on South African children orphaned by AIDS received a15-minute standing ovation at its world premiere in Cannes on Tuesday. “It’s a very accomplished first feature, with a stunning performance from first-time actress Khomotso Manyaka,” said Ritter. The German/South African film will open in Germany in the fall.

Black Butterflies by Oscar nominee Paula van der Oest is also set in South Africa. It focuses on the life story of South African poet and Afrikaner Ingrid Jonker (Carice van Houten). Her love interest in the film is played by Liam Cunningham and her oppressive father by Rutger Hauer. This high-scale film with high production value is in negotiations for pre-sales in selected territories. The film will be ready in the autumn.

Another film in post-production, Poll by Chris Kraus (Four Minutes [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), is set on the eve of WWI. Ritter compares the German/Austrian/Estonian co-production to The White Ribbon [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Haneke
film profile]. “This market has been more positive than 2009. Buyers are still cautious and meticulous, offering smaller MGs because the market share for arthouse films has shrunk. But they need product and if you have good films, they will eventually sell,” he said.