Audi Festival of German Films Weblog - Film festival 2011

Why Bruno Ganz remains an icon of German cinema

nospam@example.com (Lynden Barber) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 09:42:03 +0200

Interesting to see the always impressive Bruno Ganz starring in two films in this year’s festival. The first, Sophie Heldman’s Colours in the Dark, is a soberly intense Bergman-esque drama about a grandfather struggling to come to terms with retirement, prostate cancer and his wife's (Senta Berger) discovery of a personal secret. The film was a surprise box office success with art house audiences in Germany – surprising because the story goes into the kind of dark places not often associated with commercial successes.

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GERMAN FILM ACADEMY AWARDS: THE LOLAS

nospam@example.com (Peter Krausz) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:35:06 +0200

This year's German Film Academy Awards highlighted an interesting mixture of awards to popular releases as well as the more art-house releases.

VINCENT WILL MEER/VINCENT WANTS TO SEA was awarded the Gold Prize for best film, as well as the best actor award to Florian David Fitz in his bravura performance as a young man with Tourette's.

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Pina - a new masterpiece of cinema

nospam@example.com (Lynden Barber) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:05:15 +0200

The word “masterpiece” is best used with caution with regard to new artistic works. That said, Wim Wenders’ dance film Pina may be the first genuine masterpiece of digital 3D cinema.

In this new film devoted to the innovative and highly influential “dance theatre” of the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, the director has mapped out exciting new expressive possibilities for the medium of cinema.

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Let the 10th Anniversary festivities begin....

nospam@example.com (Lynden Barber) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:05:25 +0200

In the frantic lead-up to tonight's opening in Sydney (followed by other capital cities on successive nights), I asked festival director Klaus Krischok to cast a quick eye over what looks like an especially stimulating program for the festival in its 10th year..

Among the more obvious highlights is PINA, Wim Wenders' 3D documentary about Pina Bausch. Wenders will be a festival guest, arriving in Sydney with only 90 minutes to spare before its Sydney Opera House screening commences (let's hope the road authorities have fixed the traffic lights to green, as they did for IOC members pre-Sydney Olympics decision!)

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CELEBRATING 10 YEARS of THE FESTIVAL OF GERMAN FILMS

nospam@example.com (Peter Krausz) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:45:00 +0200

It is quite amazing to realize that the Festival of German Films, which began as a small festival in 2002, has spiralled into such a major event, this year featuring 37 films plus short films and documentaries. This reflects the way the German film industry has expanded so rapidly with a renewed vigour, producing well over 100 feature films per year, and highlighting a wealth of genres, styles and themes. As usual we have an excellent array of films from a variety of writers and directors, as well as a cavalcade of actors recognizable to most audiences. There will be more blogs featuring interviews, reviews and comments during the festival, but I wanted to mention here the tenth anniversary screenings of German films at this festival; some have been screened before and some others were films that passed us by that can now be shown. A quick run-down follows:
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