Florian Gallenberger's thriller COLONIA (DE/LU/FR) will celebrate its world premiere as a Special Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, North America's most important film festival. Another film from Germany - the Berlinale hit VICTORIA by Sebastian Schipper - will be shown in this prestigious section which is reserved for outstanding films by prominent directors. This was announced by the festival at a press conference yesterday.
In addition,
the German co-production REMEMBER by Atom Egoyan (CA/DE) has been programmed as one of the Galas. German director Roland Emmerich will have the world premiere of his US production STONEWALL in this section.
German Oscar® winner Florian Gallenberger's third feature film COLONIA, which is based on real events, has assembled a top-notch cast. Daniel Brühl and Emma Watson play Lena and Daniel, a young couple who get arrested by the secret police during the protests against General Pinochet in Chile in 1973. Daniel finds himself trapped in a secret interrogation camp located underground, beneath the infamous Colonia Dignidad, a German sect following the leadership of notorious Paul Schäfer (Mykael Nyquist). The Colonia presents itself as a charitable mission but, in fact, is a place nobody ever got away from. Desperate to rescue her boyfriend, Lena joins the mysterious cult, hoping to find Daniel there and to make their way out.
VICTORIA by Sebastian Schipper caused quite a furore on its world premiere at the 2015 Berlinale. The trip through nighttime Berlin in just one shot was one of the festival's talking points, feted by the audience and critics alike and awarded a Silver Bear for its camera work. Other successful festival screenings followed in Hong Kong, Istanbul, Sydney, Jerusalem and Los Angeles as well as six Lolas at the German Film Awards, including Best Film.
The Toronto International Film Festival will announce the titles for the other sections during August.
by German Films
promo photo: Colonia © Majestic Filmverleih
