IFFI-2008 - International Film Festival of India

Opening Film

IFFI-2008 

OPENING FILM 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 127 mins, Mandarin Chinese 

Hong Kong 

Warlords 

In the year 1850, the suffering of the 430 million Chinese people under the corrupt rule of 

the Qing dynasty set the stage for the Taiping Rebellion. During the chaos of the decade 

long civil war, 50 million people died from either hunger or battle. In the fall of 1870, 

General Pang stands high atop the city walls fully attired in governor's robes. Peering 

down upon the site of his inauguration, he is filled with dreams and ambition. Pang has 

taken a path of no return; had he chosen differently, he might have been one of the heroes 

to later overthrow the corrupt Qing imperial regime and establish a new China. He could 

have changed the course of history……But two bandits and a woman have changed the 

course of his life - helping him achieve his goal, but ultimately causing his demise. The 

two bandits are his sworn blood brothers: Zhao Er-Hu and Jiang Wu-Yang. The woman 

who comes between them is Zhao's wife Lian. Peter Chan has been quoted as saying that 

the film, mounted on an epic scale and marked by spectacular battle scenes and great 

visuals, was influenced by the late Chang Cheh's 1973 film The Blood Brothers, but also 

that it was not a remake. 

Director 

Peter Ho-Sun Chan 

Screenplay 

Xu Lan, Chun Tin Nam, Aubrey Lam, Huang Jian Xin, Jojo 

Hui, 

He Jiping, Guo Jun Li, James Yuen 

Cinematography 

Arthur Wong 

Editor 

Wenders Li 

Music 

Chan Kwong Wing, Peter Kam, Chatchai Pongprapaphan 

Cast 

Jet Li (Gen Pang), Andy Lau (Zhao Er-Hu), 

Takeshi Kaneshiro (Jiang Wu-Yang), Xu Jinglei (Lian) 

Production Design 

Yee Chung Man 

Art 

Yi Zheng Zhou Pater Wong 

Costumes 

Yee Chung Man, Jessie Dai, Lee Pik Kwan 

Production 

Morgan & Chan Films 

World Sales 

Media Asia Distribution, 

Arm Distribution Ltd 

Festivals & Awards 

London, San Francisco 

Peter Ho-Sun Chan co-founded the United Filmmakers Organization (UFO) in Hong 

Kong in the early 1990s, and produced a solid track record of box office and critical hits. 

Chan has made an indelible mark on both sides of the Pacific with his Hong Kong 

comedy-dramas Alan and Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye; Tom, Dick & Harry and 

He's a Women, She's a Man. His commercially and critically acclaimed Comrades: 

Almost a Love Story was named one of the Ten Best Movies of 1997 by Time Magazine 

and swept a record-breaking nine Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1998, he was voted one of 

the Top Ten Helmers to watch by Variety. Chan also directed the romantic comedy The 

Love Letter for Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks SKG in 1999. Chan furthered his vision 

for international collaborations by establishing his own company, Applause Pictures 

Ltd, in year 2000. The films produced include: Jan Dara (Thailand-Hong Kong), One 

Fine Spring Day (Japan-Korea-Hong Kong), The Eye (Singapore-Thailand-Hong Kong), 

Three (Thailand-Korea-Hong Kong), Golden Chicken and its sequel Golden Chicken 2, The Eye 

2 (Thailand-Singapore-Hong Kong), Three…Extremes (Japan-Korea-Hong Kong), The 

Eye Infinity and McDull, The Alumni (Hong Kong-China). In 2005, Chan widened his 

range by embarking on Hong Kong-China co-productions. Perhaps Love, his first 

collaboration with film professionals on the Mainland, became one of the best-selling 

Chinese films in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan that year, picking up 29 honors at nine 

awards ceremonies. It was also selected as Hong Kong's entry to the 78th Annual 

Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. In 2007, Chan produced 

Derek Yee's Protégé and directed The Warlords. The two films took the top two spots as 

the highest grossing co-productions of the year both in Hong Kong and China. 

3

Competition 

(Asia-Africa-Latin America)

COMPETITION 

JURY 



(Chairman) 

Peter Ho-Sun Chan co-founded the United Filmmakers 

Organization (UFO) in Hong Kong in the early 1990s, 

and produced a solid track record of box office and 

critical hits. Chan has made an indelible mark on both 

sides of the Pacific with his Hong Kong comedy-dramas 

Alan and Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye; Tom, Dick 

& Harry and He's a Women, She's a Man. His 

commercially and critically acclaimed Comrades: 

Almost a Love Story was named one of the Ten Best 

Movies of 1997 by Time Magazine and swept a recordbreaking 

nine Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1998, he was 

voted one of the Top Ten Helmers to watch by Variety. 

Chan also directed the romantic comedy The Love Letter 

for Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks SKG in 1999. Chan 

furthered his vision for international collaborations by 

establishing his own company, Applause Pictures Ltd, in 

year 2000. The films produced include: Jan Dara 

(Thailand-Hong Kong), One Fine Spring Day (Japan- 

Korea-Hong Kong), The Eye (Singapore-Thailand-Hong 

Kong), Three (Thailand-Korea-Hong Kong), Golden 

Chicken and its sequel Golden Chicken 2, The Eye 2 

(Thailand-Singapore-Hong Kong), Three…Extremes 

(Japan-Korea-Hong Kong), The Eye Infinity and McDull, 

The Alumni (Hong Kong-China). In 2005, Chan widened 

his range by embarking on Hong Kong-China coproductions. 

Perhaps Love, his first collaboration with 

film professionals on the Mainland, became one of the 

best-selling Chinese films in China, Hong Kong and 

Taiwan that year, picking up 29 honors at nine awards 

ceremonies. It was also selected as Hong Kong's entry to 

the 78th Annual Academy Awards in the Best Foreign 

Language Film category. In 2007, Chan produced Derek 

Yee's Protégé and directed The Warlords. The two films 

took the top two spots as the highest grossing coproductions 

of the year both in Hong Kong and China. 

Marco Mueller 

(Member) 

Born in Rome in 1953, Marco Mueller is a Sinologist and 

anthropologist turned film critic who contributed to various European 

periodicals and dailies in Italy, France, Switzerland and Netherlands. A 

film-historian, author, editor or contributor of books about Asian cinema 

and theatre, he has served as festival director at Turin "Electric shadows" 

during 1979-82, Pesaro Film Festival/Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo 

Cinema during 982-89, Rotterdam Film Festival during 1989-91; 

Locarno Film Festival during 1991-2000 and consultant for Venice Film 

Festival during 1981-92. He has also curated retrospectives and theme 

programmes for festivals in Italy and other European countries, during 

1982-91. In his various capacities as Head of the Hubert Bals Fund in 

Rotterdam, of the "Fondazione Montecinemaverità" Film Fund in 

Lugano, and of the "Fondazione Officina Cinema Sud Est" in Bologna - 

all of which he initiated - he has co-financed over 200 films from Eastern 

Europe and Asia, Africa, Americas. Head of the Film & Video 

Department of Benetton's Fabrica through 1998-2002, he has also 

produced, co-produced and co-financed films for Fabrica Cinema, the 

production unit he has created in 1997. Among his credits as a producer 

are: Chinese director Zhang Yuan's Seventeen Years -- Guo nian hui jia 

(Best Director Award at the 1999 Venice Film Festival); Iranian director 

Samira Makhmalbaf's second feature Blackboards -- Takhté siah 

(Special Jury Award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, Unesco "Year of 

the Culture Peace Award"); the debut-film of the first Bosnian New 

Wave auteur, Danis Tanovic's No Man's Land (Best Script Award at the 

2001 Cannes Film Festival, Academy Award for Best Foreign Language 

film); Brazilian Laís Bodanzky's Brainstorm" -- Bicho de Sete Cabeças 

(Youth Jury Award at the 2001 Locarno Film Festival, 17 different 

awards at the Brazilian festivals of Brasília, Recife and Gramado); Secret 

Ballot -- Raye makhfi (Best Director Award at the 2001 Venice Film 

Festival); and Iranian director Babak Payami's Angel on the Right -- 

Fararishtay kifti rost (2002 Cannes Film Festival, "Un Certain Régard", 

FIPRESCI Award at the 2002 London Film Festival, Special Jury Prize 

at 2002 Tokyo Filmex). He is currently the CEO of "Downtown 

Pictures" in Bologna (Italy), the independent company he has created 

with several Itallian and Swiss "business angels" to foster production of 

films by new directors. In 2004, he was appointed artistic director of the 

Venice International Film Festival. 

6


COMPETITION 

JURY 

Niki Karimi 

(Member) 

Born on November 10, 1971, Niki Karimi 

is Iran's internationally-hailed actress, 

filmmaker, writer who lives in London and 

Tehran. She participated in theatrical work 

while she was in elementary school and her 

hobby of reading and watching movies 

from an early age inspired her to become an 

actress. Her talent as an actress was noticed 

by the famous Iranian actor Jamshid 

Gorgin, while she was playing a role in a 

school play. She loves translating and in 

1999 she released her first translation work, 

Marlon Brando's biography Songs My 

Mother Taught Me to Persian. Niki has won 

several awards both at home and 

internationally, and recently been in the jury 

for such festivals as the Locarno 

International Film Festival, the 

Thessaloniki International Film Festival, 

Berlin film festival and also the 60th 

Cannes Film Festival. In 2001, with Abbas 

Kiarostami as the producer she directed To 

have or not to have, a documentary about 

infertility. Her efforts won her first award as 

a director in "The Rain" festival in Iran. She 

has starred in over 20 movies in Iran and 

directed two features till now. Niki has won 

the best actress awards at the Fajr film 

Festival for One flew over cuckoo's nest in 

2002, at Cairo film festival for Hidden Half 

in 2001, at Taormina film festival for Two 

women in 1999, at San Sebastian film 

festival and Nantes Film Festival for Sara in 

1995. Her first feature as a director, One 

Night, was part of the Un Certain Regard 

section at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Tabu 

(Member) 

Tabassum Hashmi Khan, better known as 

Tabu, is a leading actor from India who have 

successfully straddled the two worlds of 

mainstream and art house cinema. Her 

international breakthrough came in Mira 

Nair's The Namesake. Born in 1970 in 

Hyderabad, India, she has acted in Tamil, 

Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and American 

films, and has won the National Film Award 

for Best Actress twice. Her work in films 

like Maqbool (2003), Meenaxi: A Tale of 

Three Cities (2004) or The Namesake 

(2007) have been highly appreciated. In 

Maachis, she was critically acclaimed for 

depicting a Punjabi woman caught in the 

rise of Sikh insurgency and she won her first 

National Film Award for Best Actress for 

her performance. Tabu began her career in 

the film Hum Naujawan (1985) at the age of 

15, playing evergreen stat Dev Anand's 

daughter. Her first role as an actress was in 

the Telugu film Coolie No. 1, and her first 

release in Hindi as a leading lady was Pehla 

Pehla Pyar which went un-noticed. She 

came into prominence with her role in 

Vijaypath (1994). Some of the other films in 

Hindi she has acted in are Saajan Chale 

Sasural, Jeet (both 1996), Border (1997), 

Biwi No.1, Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999), 

Hera Pheri, Astitva (2000), Chandni Bar 

(2001). Her Telugu films Coolie No. 1 and 

Ninne Pelladutha were big hits. 

Lav Diaz 

(Member) 

Lav Diaz or Lavrente Indico Diaz is a 

Filipino independent filmmaker, born in 

Datu Paglas, Maguindanao, Mindanao, 

Philippines, on December 30, 1958. A 

leading filmmaker from not only his 

country but also the whole of Asia, his films 

have regularly won international awards. 

Film. Batang West Side won the Best 

Picture award at the Singapore 

International Film Festival, the 

Independent Film Festival of Brussels, 

Gawad Urian in 2002 and Netpac Jury Prize 

and Best Acting Ensemble at the 2001 

Cinemanila International Film Festival. 

Another film, Ebolusyon ng Isang 

Pamilyang Pilipino (Evolution of a Filipino 

Family) won a string of awards including 

the Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best 

Actor awards at Gawad Urian in 2005. In 

2006, he won the Special Jury Prize at the 

Fribourg International Film Festival for 

Heremias, Book One. His films often tackle 

the issues regarding the current social and 

political state of the Philippines. His 

Kagadanan sa banwaan ning mga 

engkanto (Death in the Land of Encantos) 

was the closing film of the orizzonti section 

of the Venice Film Festival 2007, and was 

awarded with a Golden Lion Special 

Mention. The film was also in competition 

at the Artistic Innovation Award (Visions) 

of the Toronto International Film Festival 

2007. He received several awards at the 

Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. 

His film, Melancholia, won the Orizzonti 

Grand Prize of Mostra in Venice Film 

Festival, 2008. 

7

COMPETITION 


Argentina-Germany 

My Mother's Tears 

/ Die Traenen meiner Mutter 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 95 mins, German-Spanish 

Director 

Alejandro Cardenas-Amelio 

Screenplay 

Alejandro Cardenas-Amelio, Cuini Amelio Ortiz 


Florian Schilling 

Editor 

Salazar Ivancan 

Music 

Andres Odone 

Cast 

Roman Russo, Rafael Ferro, Alice Dwyer, Erica Rivas, Fabian 

Busch, Joachim Paul Assboeck, Volkmar Kleinert, Kristian 

Erik Kiehling, Adrian Goessel 


Natascha Tagwerk 

Production 

Nicolas Grupe, Dirk Hamm 

World Sales 

Valuetainment AG 

Division: ValueFilms Licensing 

Konstanzerstrasse 17-19 

8274 Taegerwilen/Switzerland 

T: +41-71-6 77 20 20 

F: +41-71-6 70 16 20 

Email: office@valuetainment.com 

www.valuetainment.com 


Montreal, Shanghai (Jin Jue Award for Best Cinematography), 

Ophuels Festival Saarbruecken (Best Actress to Alice Dwyer) 

Alex has just arrived in Buenos Aires to visit his dying father. There he meets his family 

and old friends of his father, who remind him of his childhood. Alex and his family had to 

flee Argentina in the early 80s. They arrive in Berlin, finding a new home in a factory full 

of weird people. The factory is the only playground for Alex, where his childhood 

memories find their origin. Alex has to find his place in this new country. Over time, Alex 

grows accustomed to this alien world. But he discovers that he has a gift. He can move 

things with the power of his thoughts. In the beginning, his parents, Lizzie and Carlos, 

have problems settling into a foreign country. But soon, Lizzie starts to shoot 

documentaries. In contrast to Carlos, her yearning for Argentina is fading. Carlos is 

completely unable to cope with Berlin. He feels misunderstood and unaccepted by the 

Germans. The yearning for Buenos Aires keeps him sitting for hours in front of his 

paintings, listening to Tango music and losing himself in his memories. Slowly, their 

relationship starts to break down. Alex tries to prevent his parent's relationship from 

falling apart with the full power of his gift. But he too is confronted with problems and 

adventures of his own: a new class in school, Argentina beats Germany in the World 

Football Championship, and - he falls in love for the first time in his life. 

Alejandro Cardenas-Amelio was born in 1977 in Peru and grew up in Argentina, 

Brasil, Italy and Germany. He studied directing at the German Academy of Film & 

Television (dffb) in Berlin. Prior to his studies, he had already made numerous short 

films and completed internships in cinematography, sound, lighting and editing. He 

received the the Adolf-Grimme-Award for his graduation film Alias Alejandro. 

8


COMPETITION 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 86 mins, Bengali 

Bangladesh 

Transformation / Rupantor 

Arif, a young director, has adapted for film one of the popular Mahabharata episode of 

Eklavya's offering of honorarium to his teacher Dronacharya. Eklavya sacrificed his 

right thumb to Drona so that Arjuna's supremacy in archery is upheld. While making the 

film on this mythological incident, Arif comes to know from the Santhals that for archery 

the arrow needs to be held between the right index and middle fingers - the thumb has no 

role to play in it. This revelation makes Arif extremely amazed. He was puzzled with the 

question then why did Eklavya had to sacrifice his right thumb as Gurudakshina if it was 

not essential for archery? There begins Arif's new analysis, and as a result a novel 

episode takes shape mingling the realism of the past with the present. 

Director 

Abu Sayeed 

Screenplay 

Abu Sayeed 


A R Jahangir 

Editor 

Junaid Halim 

Music 

Abu Sayeed 

Cast 

Ferdous, Jayanto Chattopadhaya, Sakiba, Habibur Rahman 

Habib, Shatabdi Wadut, Bikrom, Mithun, Sahdat, Mrinal Datta, 

Nisan, S I Hera, Suvash Datta 


Kamrul Ahsan, Hosne Mobarok Rumi 

Art 

Shaikh Waliul Bayezid, Zahidul Islam Setu 

Sound 

Sujan Mahmud 

Costumes 

Zahidul Islam Setu 

Production & World Sales 

Aangik Communications 

B2/204 Shainpukur Apartment, 1 Boxnagor, 

Mirpur 1, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh 

T: +880 1711 526408, 

Email: aangik_c@yahoo.com, contact@aangik.com.bd 

www.aangik.com.bd 

Abu Sayeed started his career as a filmmaker through direction of short fiction Aborton. 

He has so far made two short films, four full-length movies and a large number of TV 

productions. His previous films include Kittonkhola, Shankhanad, Nirontor and Banshi. 

9

COMPETITION 


China 

The Shaft 

/ Dixia De Tiankong 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 98 mins, Chinese 

Director 

Zhang Chi 

Screenplay 

 


Liu Shumin 

Editor 

Zhang Chi 

Music 

Guo Sida 

Cast 

Luo Deyuan (Ding Baogen), Huang Xuan (Ding Jingsheng), 

Zheng Luoqian (Ding Jingshui), Li Chen (Song Daming) 

Art 

Dai Yingying, Liu Huiming 

Sound 

Xu Chen 

Costumes 

Dai Hua 

Production & Sales 

China Film Association 

 

Beijing, China 100013 

T: (+86)139 0135 8138; (+86)135 816 22129 

Email: zhangchi0912@163.com; 

Guizhou Great Love Cultural Development Co.,Ltd. 

Festivals 

Karlovy Vary, Bangkok, Vladivostok 

Zhang Chi, born in 1977 in Beijing, studied film direction at the Central Academy of 

Drama and then worked as director of the Chinese national television company CCTV 

from 2000 to 2004. He then focused on film direction and screenwriting. In 2007, he 

added to his professional accolades when he won the Chinese annual prize for Best 

Screenplay for the film Tokyo Trial (Dongjing shenpan, 2006). The Shaft is his 

directorial debut. 

10


COMPETITION 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 117 mins, Tamil 

India 

Kanchivaram 

In the thick of Kanchi's silk weaving industry, a common man is caught between the 

society he lives in and his own ideals and individual dreams. Vengadam surprised one 

and all when he promised his newborn daughter to drape her in a fine silk sari on her 

wedding day. According to tradition, a promise made to one's newborn child on the first 

day of feeding is a lifelong one: it must be kept, come what may. The skeptics warned 

Vengadam that he would never be able to fulfill his promise on his weaver's income. And 

breaking the promise would spell dire consequences. With full faith in his abilities, 

Vengadam refused to budge. If youth brings optimism, it brings resourcefulness, courage 

and recklessness in equal measure. Aware that his meagre salary could not buy his 

daughter a silk sari, a determined Vengadam started stealing one solitary thread of silk 

every day. When going home he would be frisked from head to toe, but the guards never 

found the thread he hid in his mouth. Every night he would sneak into his cattle shed to 

weave a strand. As the days and years passed, his diligence paid off and the sari increased 

in length as his daughter grew into a young lady. Vengadam's life changed forever when a 

Communist preacher appeared in his village. The apolitical weaver became a living, 

breathing Communist. His affiliation to the ideology helped him become a leader of the 

community. He instigated a revolt against the mill owners who ruled over the workers 

like feudal lords and the mills were shut down. Neither the owners nor the workers were 

ready for a compromise. As the strike got prolonged, his daughter's wedding approached, 

and Vengadam realised that he could not get any silk from the closed mills. Torn between 

his vow and his ideology, he started questioning the principles of Communism. He 

realised that preaching is easier than practicing a philosophy. 

Director 

S Priyadarshan 

Screenplay 

S Priyadarshan 


Thiru 

Editor 

Arun Kumar 

Music 

M G Sreekumar 

Cast 

Prakash Raj, Shreya Reddy, Shammu 


Percept Picture Company 

11/12, Raghuvanshi Estate 

S B Marg, Lower Parel (W) 

Mumbai 400013 

T: 022 30428833 

F: 022 24923189 

S Priyadarshan hails from Thiruvananthapuram, where his father, Nair, worked as 

librarian at the University of Kerala. It offered him the opportunity to read the literary 

works of every famous writer. His fascination for comics and fairy tales is reflected in his 

movies. His childhood dreams of being a cricketer were cut short when a wayward ball 

flew into his left eye. Priyadarshan entered films around the time when his friends - 

including superstar Mohanlal, singer M G Sreekumar and producer Suresh 

Kumar - were starting out. His very first film Poochakkoru Mookkuthi was a 

blockbuster. His success is attributed to his outlook - the signature slapstick comedy he 

extensively uses in his films. His close friend Mohanlal has featured in the lead of his 

most successful films. Chithram (1987) is considered their best film to date, while 

Kilukkam ranks among the biggest hits in Malayalam cinema. Priyadarshan has also 

directed Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. Muskurahat (1993), a remake of Kilukkam, 

marked his entry into Bollywood. Gardish, his first Hindi hit, was a remake of Kireedam 

(1989). Priyadarshan met his wife, Malayalam actress Lizzy (Lakshmi Priyadarshini), 

on the sets of his second film. They have worked together in 12 movies, and have two 

children, Kalyani and Sidharth. 

11

COMPETITION 



Mahasatta/ Superpower 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 110 mins, Marathi 

Director 

Ramesh Laxman More 

Screenplay 

Ramesh Laxman More 


Anket Khandagale 

Editor 

Vasant Kubal 

Music 

Rajesh Kamal 

Cast 

Arun Malavade, Avinash Narkar, Milind Shinde, Sandesh 

Jadhav, Ashwini Ekbote, Shaila Kanekar, Jyoti Subhash 

Art 

Ambrish, Pradeep, Nishad 

Costume 

Yashashri More 


Plus Entertainment Pvt Ltd 

27/C, 201 Shiv Sadan, Apna Ghar 

Unit No 7 CHS Ltd, Lokhandwala Complex 

Andheri (W), Mumbai 400058 

T: 09322338574 

Globalisation has brought with it methods of strategic manipulation by the top 

management of multinational corporations. Introduction of 'Contract Labour' and 

'Project Workers' has put the poor workers at the receiving end. When a Mumbai-based 

MNC expelled 70 project workers, they and their families fought for their rights tooth 

and nail but lost, for they believed law could give them their jobs back! Arvind and Arun, 

expelled workers of the well-established power company Indo Power, are spearheading 

the fight of their co-workers for the last seven years. They were expelled without any 

intimation or legal notice. In spite of High Court orders in their favour, their 

reinstatement languishes because the company has appealed in the Supreme Court, and 

the case has been wandering in the corridors of law. When their last hope, the new 

company charter, is declared conspicuously excluding them, the lives of the 70 families 

are shattered. Arvind and his co-worker Khan pour petrol over themselves and put 

themselves afire. Two days later they die a tragic death in the hospital, hoping to shake up 

this lazy system. 

Born in February 1973, Ramesh Laxman More mastered in Marathi Literature and 

went on to write and direct 41 one-act plays, four of which were selected for the New 

York Library. He has also written two commercial plays, Aamcha Akashach Wegala 

(2001), and Aapan Yanna Pahilat Ka? (2002).The first play, based on voluntary 

retirement scheme system, won 22 awards including the Maharashtra State Award. 

Filmography; 2004: Akalpit; Salaam / the Salute, 2005: Olakh, 2006: Savitabano, 2007: 

Mazi Shala; Pahile Paul; Ude Ga Ambabai, 

12


COMPETITION 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 96 min, Persian 

Iran 

The Song of Sparrows 

/ Avaze gonjeshk-ha 

Karim works at an ostrich farm outside of Tehran. He leads a simple and contented life 

with his family in his small house, until one day when one of the ostriches runs away. 

Karim is blamed for the loss and is fired from the farm. Soon after, he travels to the city in 

order to repair his elder daughter's hearing aid but finds himself mistaken for a 

motorcycle taxi driver. Thus begins his new profession: ferrying people and goods 

through heavy traffic. But the people and material goods that he deals with daily starts 

changing Karim's generous and honest nature, much to the distress of his wife and 

daughters. It is up to those closest to him to restore the values that he had once cherished. 

Direction 

Majid Majidi 

Screenplay 

Mehran Kashani, Majid Majidi 


Turaj Mansuri 

Editor 

Hassan Hassandoost 

Music 

Hossein Alizadeh 

Cast 

Reza Naji, Maryam Akbari, Kamran Dehghan, Hamed Aghazi 

Art 

Asghar Nezhadimani 

Sound 

Mohammad Reza Delpak, Yadollah Najafi 

Production 

Majid Majidi Film Production 

Suite 6, 2nd Floor, Fourth Alley, Gandi Street 

IR-Tehran, 1434894163, Iran 

T: +98 212 327 6741 

F: +98 218 808 1647 

Email: avinyfilm_admin@dorsanet.com 

World Sales 

Fortissimo Films (NL) 

Van Diemenstraat 100, Amsterdam, 1013 CN, Netherlands 

T; +31 206 273 215 

F: +31 206 261 155 

Email: info@fortissimo.nl 


Berlin (Best Actor Silver Bear to Reza Naji), Sydney, 

Edinburgh, Seattle, Vancouver, Fajr, Canberra, San Sebastian, 

st 

Iran's official entry for the Best Foreign Film Oscar at the 81 

Academy Awards, 2009, 

(Film Courtesy: UTV World Movies) 

Born in 1959 in Tehran, Majid Majidi is an internationally-acclaimed Iranian film 

director. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, his interest in cinema brought him to act in 

various films, most notably Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Boycott in 1985. Majidi was the first 

and the only Iranian director who has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best 

Foreign Language Film with the film Children of Heaven in 1998. His other films are 

Children of Heaven: The Color of Paradise (2000), Baran (2001), and The Willow Tree 

(2005). He directed a documentary, Barefoot to Heart, chronicling the life in refugee 

camps in Herat during and after the anti-Taliban offensive of 2001. He was one of five 

international film directors invited by the Chinese government to create a documentary 

short film to introduce the city of Beijing, in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics. 

13

COMPETITION 


Japan-Germany 

The Red Spot / Der Rote Punkt 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 82 mins, German-Japanese 

Director 

Marie Miyayama 

Screenplay 

Marie Miyayama, Christoph Tomkewitsch 


Oliver Sachs 

Editor 

Marie Miyayama 

Music 

Helmut Sinz 

Cast 

Yuki Inomata (Aki Onodera), Hans Kremer (Johannes Weber), 

Orlando Klaus (Elias Weber), Zora Thiessen (Martina Weber), 

Imke Büchel, Shinya Owada 


Gabriele Mai, Shinjii Shimizu 

Sound 

Sven Mevissen, Kazuo Numata 

Costumes 

Stefanie Ramb, Yoshiaki Takami 


Muenchner Filmwerkstatt e.V. 

P.O. Box 860 525 

Munich 81632, Germany 

T: +49 89 20 333 712 

F: +49 721 151 377 629 

Email: info@muenchner-filmwerkstatt.de 

www.muenchner-filmwerkstatt.de/english.htm 

Co-producers: Chase Film International Co., Ltd, FGV 

Schmidle GmbH, 

University for Television and Film Munich 


World Film Festival Montréal, (First Films World 

Competition), Passau (Opening Film), Asia Filmfest Munich, 

Cairo 

Aki Onodera, a young Japanese student, is haunted by dreams of long-lost memories 

from her early childhood. After her studies she goes to her parents' house and discovers 

an old package from a foreign land. An old camera containing film and a yellowed 

envelope with a letter and a map of a foreign country with a red spot marking a particular 

location… She travels alone to Germany to look for this place. Despite her parents' and 

boyfriend's apprehension, she travels alone to Germany to look for this place. As she 

searches in the idyllic East Allgaeu area, she goes to the local police station looking for 

help, where the 18-year-old Elias Weber is being questioned. Elias' father comes to the 

police station to pick him up, the policeman asks him to take the Japanese girl with them, 

as the place she is looking for is near their house. When Aki finally finds the spot she has 

been looking for, everyone involved must come to terms with the past in order to make 

way for a new beginning… 

Marie Miyayama, who makes her feature debut through this film, is the first 

Japanese student at the University of Television and Film Munich. She began 

shooting Super-8 films during her studies in Japan, and came to Germany in 1995 to 

study film direction. Intercultural themes have always been central to her films. Her 

short and documentary films have been screened at film festivals and various 

intercultural events. 

14


COMPETITION 

Kazakhstan-Germany-Switzerland-Russia-Poland 

Tulpan 

2008, 35 mm Colour, 100 min, Kazakh- Russian 

After completing his naval service, young Asa travels back to the Kazakh steppe where 

his sister and her shepherd husband live a nomadic life. To start his new life, eager Asa 

must get married first before he can become a shepherd himself. Asa's only hope for 

marriage on the deserted steppe is Tulpan, daughter of another shepherd family. Poor 

Asa is disappointed to learn that Tulpan doesn't like him because she thinks that his ears 

are too big. But Asa doesn't give up and he continues to dream of a life that may not be 

possible on the steppe. 

Direction 

Sergei Dvortsevoy 

Screenplay 

Sergei Dvortsevoy and Gennadi Ostrovsky 


Jolanta Dylewska 

Editor 

Petar Markovic and Isabel Meier 

Cast 

Tolepbergen Baisakalov (Boni), Ondasyn Besikbasov (Ondas), 

Zhappas Dzhailaubaev (Brigade leader), Samal Eslyamova 

(Samal), Tazhyban Kalykulova (Mother), Askat 

Kuchinchirekov (Asa ) 

Art 

Roger Martin 

Sound 

Eric Tisserand, Williams Sshmit 

Costume 

Gaziza Korshiyeva 

Production 

Pallas Film and Pandora Films 

World Sales 

The Match Factory 

Balthasarstrasse 79-81 

50670 Cologne, Germany 

T: +49 221 539 709-0 

F: +49 221 539 709-10 

Email: info@matchfactory.de 

www.the-match-factory.com 


Cannes (Un Certain Regard Award), London (Sutherland 

Award for outstanding feature by a debut director), Zurich 

(Golden Eye Award), Karlovy Vary, Toronto, New York, 

Telluride, Tokyo (Sakura Grand Prix), Reykjavik (Golden 

Puffin for Best Film), Kazakhstan's official entry for the Best 

st 

Foreign Film Oscar at the 81 Academy Awards, 2009. 

(Film Courtesy NDTV Lumiere) 

Sergey Dvortsevoy has directed several short and medium-length documentary films 

which have won top prizes at many festivals. Sergey prefers to describe his awardwinning 

films In the Dark, Highway, Bread Day and Paradise as "life cinema." His goal 

has always been to show the simplicity and warmth of the world in a mixture of 

naturalism and poetry. Born in 1962 in Kazakhstan, Sergey graduated from Aviation 

college in the Ukraine and the Radiotechnical-Institut in Novosibirsk. As an Aeroflot 

radio engineer, he travelled all over the country, until he saw an announcement for higher 

education in directing and screenwriting in Moscow. 

15

COMPETITION 


Malaysia 

Pensil 

2007, 35mm, Colour, 110 mins, Malay 

Director 

M.Subash 

Screenplay 

M.Subash 


Indra Che Muda 

Editor 

Surenthar 

Music 

Abzrey 

Cast 

M Subash (Badrul), Rominah Sidek (Mak Nek), Khatijah Tan 

(Zaitun), Maimon Mutalib (Mon), Jalil Hamid (Junid) 


Surenthar, Murgana 

Sound 

Abzrey 

Costumes 

Siti Khabdah Kaharubin 


Genius Parade Sdn Bhd 

4-5-5, Queens Avenue 

Block 4, Jalan Bayam 

55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

T/F: 03-9205-6027 / 6025 

Director-actor-script-writer Subash Manokaran, popularly known as M Subash, has 

been a dancer, singer and director of TV programmes for Indian channels like Vanavil 

and TV 9. He has made several telemovies before making his first feature film, Pensil. 

16


COMPETITION 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 90 mins, English-Punjabi 

New Zealand 

Apron Strings 

Apron Strings is a parallel story of two families and two cultures set in suburban Otahuhu 

in South Auckland, New Zealand. It explores the boundaries of nurture and control, 

mothering and smothering, and how we sometimes have to let go of our individual sense 

of what is 'right', to do what is 'good' for all. As the Pakeha family struggles to move out 

of a co-dependent stalemate that stops them moving forward, an Indian family has to 

confront misunderstandings and secrets from the past that tore their family apart. At the 

heart of the stories are three women whose lives and livelihoods revolve around food. 

Lorna, in her old fashioned cake-shop; Tara, in her no-frills curry-house and Anita on her 

stylish Indian cooking show on TV. Hard working Lorna must not only deal with her 

unemployed stay-at-home son Barry and his chronic gambling addiction, but also 

reckon with a tragic past that haunts them both. For the stylish and beautiful Anita, 

everything comes to a head when her son Michael decides to meet her estranged sister 

Tara, and delve into a past that she cannot bear to face. And for the more traditional Tara, 

Michael's arrival in her life opens up old wounds that challenge her seemingly peaceful 

life as a spinster. Sometimes, in order to grow and forge new connections, old apron 

strings have to be cut loose. Letting go, it seems, is the best embrace. "Apron Strings is 

the first Indian feature film to be funded through official channels in New Zealand," says 

producer Rachel Gardner. The role of Anita is played by Moroccan-Indian actress Laila 

Rouass, and New Zealand based Indian actress Leela Patel plays Tara. Co-producer 

Shuchi Kothari, born and educated in Ahmedabad and based in New Zealand, is also the 

co-scriptwriter of the film. She has also co-scripted Nandita Das's Firaaq. 

Director 

Vaele Sima Urale 

Screenplay 

Shuchi Kothari, Dianne Taylor 


Rewa Harre 

Editor 

Eric De Beus 

Music 

Mark Petrie 

Cast 

Laila Rouass (Anita), Scott Wills (Barry), Jennifer Ludlum 

(Lorna), Nathan Whitaker (Michael), Leela Patel (Tara), Jodie 

Rimmer (Virginia) 


Johnny Hawkins 

Sound 

Chris Burt 

Costumes 

Nina Edwards 

Production 

Great Southern Film Ltd 

World Sales 

NZ Film Commission 

PO Box 11 546 Wellington New Zealand 

T: +64 4 382 7682 

F: +64 4 384 9719 

Email: kathleen@nzfilm.co.nz; marketing@nzfilm.co.nz 

www.nzfilm.co.nz 


Toronto, Auckland, Vladivostok, New Zealand International 

Film Festival, Melbourne 

Born in Savaii, Samoa, Sima Urale and her family immigrated to New Zealand in 1974. 

She is a graduate of Toi Whakaari O Atearoa 1989 (New Zealand Drama School), and 

Victorian College of the Arts Film and Television School 1994 in Australia. Since her 

return to New Zealand in 1995, her short films O Tamaiti (1996), and Still Life (2001), 

together have accumulated several international accolades, including the prestigious 

Silver Lion at Venice International Film Festival. In 1995 she also made a brief return to 

theatre for the award winning play Think of Garden, which won her Best Actor in a 

Supporting Role at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. In 1997, she directed her first 

documentary Velvet Dreams for TVNZ, which went on to win Best Documentary Award 

at the Yorkton International Film Festival in Canada. In the same year, she directed her 

first music video Sub-cranium Feeling and won Best Music Video at the BFM, Mai 

Time, and Flying Fish Awards. In 2007, she directed short film Coffee & Allah, written 

by Shuchi Khotari, and had it's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. This is her 

debut film. 

17

COMPETITION 


The Philippines 

Ploning 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 106 mins, Filipino 

Director 

Dante Nico Garcia 

Screenplay 

Dante Nico Garcia, Benjamin Lingan 


Charlie Peralta 

Music 

Vincent de Jesus 

Cast 

Judy Ann Santos (Ploning), Gina Pareño (Intang), Mylene 

Dizon (Celeste), Meryll Soriano (Alma) 


Raymund George Fernandez 

Sound 

Albert Michael Idioma 


Panoramanila Pictures 

#1B, Gonzales St, Xavierville 

1, Loyolla Heights, QC, Manila, Philippines 1108 

T: +63 2 9299710 

F: +63 2 4260790 


Official entry from the Philippines for the Best Foreign 

Language Oscar (2009), Paris Film Festival 

In the picturesque island of Cuyo, Palawan, an illegal Taiwanese fishing vessel docks 

carrying the fisherman named Muo Sei, a man looking for something or someone with 

the name Ploning. He has from sunrise to sundown to look for this "Ploning". In his 

search, Ploning is revealed to be the island's town belle of the year 1982. She was an 

importrant women for the town with myths and legends around her. She also holds a 

secret that exemplifies the selfless love that withstands blood, pain and even time. Will 

Muo Sei find his Ploning, accept the love revealed to him or continue to walk in hate? 

The movie is based on a popular Cuyunon song of the same title about a girl's hidden 

feelings in a man's point of view. 

Dante Nico Garcia, who has worked as a production designer in a number of movies, 

makes his directorial debut with this film. 

18


COMPETITION 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 105 mins, Russian 

Russia 

The Vanished Empire 

The film's story takes place in Moscow in the 1970s. Its plot unfolds around the love 

triangle between two young men and a girl who study at the same university. They argue, 

make up, and face their first disappointments and victories. While busy with personal 

lives and loves, they miss foreseeing that the country in which they were born and live 

will soon disappear from the map. This film depicts the Soviet State at the peak of its 

power, which marks the starting point of its collapse as well, and presents a delicate study 

of this imminent and irrevocably passing era. 

Director 

Karen Shakhnazarov 

Screenplay 

Sergey Rokotov, Evgeny Nikishov 


Shandor Berkeshi 

Music 

Konstantin Shevelev 

Cast 

Alexander Lyapin, Lidia Milyuzina, Egor Baranovsky, Ivan 

Jupreenko, Olga Tumaikina, Armen Jigarkhanyan, Vladimir 

Ilyin 

Art 

Lyudmila Kusakova 

Costumes 

Ludmila Kusakova 


"Mosfilm" Cinema Concern 

Moscow 119991, Russia 

T: 00749914397000 

F: 0074997830253 

Email: simagin@mosfilm.ru 

The 1952-bron Karen Shakhnazarov is the general director of Mosfilm Cinema 

Concern. Film director, script writer, director and presenter of TV programmes, he is 

also an author. Shakhnazarov was the winner of the Laureate of Boris Polevoy Literary 

Award for the story Courier (1982), of the Lenin Komsomol Prize for development of 

musical comedy genre in the films Jazzmen and A Winter Night in Gagry (1986), laureate 

of Vassiliev Brothers' State Prize of the Russian Federation for feature film Courier 

(1988), Laureate of State Prize of the Russian Federation for the film Zvezda (The Star) 

in 2002. 

19

COMPETITION 


Sri Lanka 

Flowers of the Sky / Akasa Kusum 

2008, 35mm, Colour, 90 mins, Sinhalese 

Director 

Prasanna Vithanage 

Screenplay 

Prasanna Vithanage 


MD Mahindapala 

Editor 

A Sreekar Prasad 

Music 

Lakshman Joseph de Saram 

Cast 

Malini Fonseka (Sandhya Rani), Nimmi Harasgama (Priya), 

Dilhani Ekanayake (Shalika), Kaushalya Fernando (Mallika), 

Samanalee Fonseka (Bunty), Jayani Senanayake (Leela) 


Sujeewa Paranahewa, Shermila Fernando 

Sound 

A Lakshminarayanan 

Production 

Sarasavi Cineru 

No. 9, Second Stage 

Mathtegoda Housing Scheme 

Mathtegoda, Sri Lanka 

T: +94115659549 

F: +94115759796 

M: +94 777 288984 

Email: prasannavith@yahoo.com 

www.vithanage.com; 

Film freaks 

6, Dasarathan Street, Bhasker Colony, 

Virugambakkam, Chennai 600092. India 

Telefax: +91 - 44 - 2376 5980 

Email: sreekarprasad@yahoo.com 


Pusan, New York South Asian Film Festival 

Sandhya Rani is an ageing film star who was once the darling of the silver screen. Having 

lost fame and fortune in a changing world, she now lives quietly in obscurity. She ekes 

out a living by renting out a room in her home to the film and television stars of today to 

satisfy their illicit sexual desires. The popular young film star, Shalika, uses this room to 

carry on an affair with a young actor. When Shalika's infidelity is unmasked by her 

husband, the scandal and its publicity forces Rani into the limelight again. In the 

spotlight once again, Rani is suddenly forced to come to terms with a dark secret of her 

past - a secret she thought she had buried forever. As she confronts the demons of her 

past, she journeys in search of a truth she abandoned long ago… 

Born in 1962, Prasanna Vithanage's opus of five previous films has made him one of 

Sri Lanka 's leading filmmakers with a worldwide critical and popular reputation. He 

began his career in the 1980's as a theatre director. He translated into Sinhala and directed 

Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man" in 1986 and Dario Fo's "Raspberries and Trumpets" 

in 1991, before setting out as a filmmaker in 1992. While also devoting serious time and 

effort to the education and training of young people in the art and business of 

filmmaking, Vithanage returned to his theatrical roots in 2006 when he combined two 

short plays of Dario Fo ('The Virtuous Burglar" and "One Wore a Suit and One Wore 

Tails") into the hugely popular Sinhala play "Horu Samaga Heluwen" which ran to 

nearly 150 performances islandwide. ithanage also produced Uberto Pasolini's 

"Machan", the international co-production, which debuted to great applause at the 2008 

Venice International Film Festival. 

20


COMPETITION 

2008, 35mm, Colour, Thai 

Thailand-Hong Kong-Singapore 

The Coffin / Lhong Tor Tai 

Inspired by a true Thai ritual of lying in coffins to get rid of bad luck and prolong life, it is 

a supernatural thriller about a young man and a young woman who decide to go through 

the ritual in Thailand. Chris, a claustrophobic Thai architect does it in the hope of saving 

his fiancée who's dying of terminal cancer. Sue, a nutritionist visiting Thailand from 

Hong Kong, does it to save her own life after being diagnosed with a lethal brain tumour - 

one week before her wedding. After the ritual, Chris and Sue experience what appear to 

be miracles in their respective lives. But soon, they find themselves confronted by a 

series of bizarre and terrifying incidents. With the help of a professor specialising in 

paranormal cases associated with the ritual, they set out to exorcise the ghosts that haunt 

them, and attempt to reverse the wheel of karma. Thrilling, mysterious and ultimately 

moving, it is a spine-chilling horror movie about the beauty of life and death, and coming 

to face to face with living and dying. The film was shot in six provinces across Thailand 

on actual locations including a 100-year-old temple, real cemeteries, inside active 

crematorium chambers and an ancient meditation cave. 

Director 

Ekachai Uekrongtham 

Screenplay 

Ekachai Uekrongtham 


Choochat Nantituntayada 

Music 

Bruno Brugnano 

Cast 

Karen Mok, Ananda Everingham, Andrew Lin, Napakpapha 

Nakpasitte,Suchao Pongwilai, Tassawan Seneewongse, Aki 

Shibuya 


Ratchata Panpayak 

Sound 

Nakorn Kositpaisal 

Production 

Tifa Co Ltd 

99 Soi Phahonyothin, 33 Phahonyothin Road, Chatujak, 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Postal Code: 10900 

T: +66-1-838-4539 

F: +66-2-665-8147 

Email: pimolthip@gmmgrammy.com 

www.thecoffin-movie.com; www.lhongtortai.com 


Rotterndam (Hubert Bals Fund Award) 

An award-winning film and theatre director, Thai-born Ekachai Uekrongtham is also 

the founding artistic director of ACTION Theatre, one of Singapore's premier 

professional theatre companies, and recipient of the Excellence for Singapore Award. 

His first feature film, Beautiful Boxer, based on the true story of Thailand's famed 

transgendered kickboxer, has garnered 15 international awards to date. Ekachai was 

named Asia's Most Promising Director at the 2004 IFFI and Outstanding Emerging 

Talent at Outfest 2004 in Los Angeles. His second feature, Pleasure Factory, was the first 

film to be shot entirely in Singapore's red-light district, and was selected for the 2007 

Cannes International Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. The film received 

wide critical acclaim in Europe and was invited to major film festivals in Korea, 

Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Italy. TIME Magazine has named him one of the 

film directors who has given Singapore its "cinematic cool". This is Ekachai's third 

feature film. 

21

Cinema of the World


CINEMA OF THE WORLD 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 86 mins, Spanish 

Argentina 

Camera Obscura 

/ La Cámara Oscura 

In a Colony of Jewish immigrants in Entre Rios Province, Argentina, at the end of the 

19th Century, we discover the story of Gertrudis, a woman who in the eyes of her family 

was born an ugly baby. Gertrudis grows up into a not very pretty child and finally 

became, in the eyes of everyone around her, an insignificant, almost invisible woman. 

Ignored by all, Gertrudis does not let the fact interfere with her keen interest for those 

delicate, miniscule signs of beauty that surrounds us, and that we can only perceive if we 

stop to contemplate them. It is a film that reflects on the erratic laws of beauty, 

acceptance and rejection. What we see through our eyes - or perhaps what we miss, when 

we think we see. 

Director 

Maria Victoria Menis 

Screenplay 

Maria Victoria Menis & Alejandro Fernandez Murray 


Marcelo Iaccarino 

Editor 

Alejandro Brodershon 

Music 

Marcelo Moguilevsky 

Cast 

Mirta Bogdasarian (Gertrudis), Patrick Dell´Isola (Jean 

Baptiste), Fernando Armani (León) 

Sound 

Martin Grignaschi 

Costumes 

Marcela Bazzano 


Todo Cine S.A. 

Pacheco de Melo 

2945 2º2 - 1425 - CABA 

Argentina 

T/F: +5411 4806 2905 

Maria Victoria Menis, born in Buenos Aires, is a graduate of the Centro Experimental 

al the National Institute of Cinematography (ENERC) Argentina. Director of several 

short films, she made her first feature film, The Patriotic Spirits, in 1989. It won the 

Cóndor de Plata Award for First Feature in 1989 and the Best First Feature Awards in the 

Santa Fe Festival and the Bariloche Festival in Argentina. The film was invited to the 

American Film Institute Festival and the Chicago Film Festival. In 2001, she directed 

The News of the Day, starring Enrique Pinti and Carmen Maura, which was invited to 

festivals like those in of San Pablo (Brazil), Geneva (Switzerland) and Islantilla (Spain), 

as well as the Latino Film Festival in Chicago, San Diego and Miami in the USA. In 

2004, she wrote and directed El Cielito, which participated in several film festivals and 

won a number of awards. Menis is a teacher at the University of Buenos Aires, ENERC 

(National Institute of Cinematography) and at Escuela de Cine de Avellaneda, Buenos 

Aires. She has also written and directed several TV programmes and theatre plays. 

25

COMPETITION 



Bosnia & Herzegovina 

Snow / Snijeg 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 99 min, Bosnian 

Director 

Aida Begic 

Screenplay 

Aida Begic, Elma Tataragic 


Erol Zubcevic 

Editor 

Miralem Zubcevic 

Music 

Igor Camo 

Cast 

Zana Marjanovic, Jasna Ornela Bery, Sadzida Setic, Vesna 

Masic, Emir Hadzihafizbegovic, Irena Malamuhi 

Art 

Vedran Hrustanovic 

Sound 

Frank Bubenzer, Igor Camo 

Costumes 

Sanja Dzeba 

Production 

Rohfilm GmbH, Les Films de l'Après-midi, Mamafilm (BA) 

World Sales 

Rohfilm GmbH 

Eisenbahnstr. 99 

04315 Leipzig, Germany 

T: +49 341 681 88 -70/-76 

F: +49 341 681 88 -02 

Email: contact@rohfilm.de 


Cannes (International Critics Week Grand Prize), Sarajavo, 

Toronto, Goteborg, Reykjavik (Main Prize), Bosnia & 

Herzegovina's official entry for the Best Foreign Film Oscar at 

st 

the 81 Academy Awards, 2009. 

Six women, a grandfather, four girls and a young boy live in war-ravaged and isolated 

village of Slavno. Their families and friends had been killed and their bodies never been 

found. The first snow brings full isolation and risk for life in the village. It gets closer as 

villagers headed by Alma, a young stubborn woman who believes they can survive, tries 

to find their way out of poverty by selling plum jam and other fruits and vegetables their 

village is famous for on a deserted road. Two businessmen visit Slavno demanding 

residents to leave the village offering money in return. Villagers face a dilemma: should 

they accept the offer that could save their lives, but destroy their souls. A sudden storm 

traps the businessmen in Slavno, forcing them to face a problem bigger than anything 

they expected - the truth! 

Aida Begic was born in Sarajevo in 1976. She graduated from Sarajevo Academy of 

Performing Arts in 2000. Her graduation film First Death Experience was presented 

at 2001 Cannes Film Festival. In 2003 she directed her second short film North Wend 

Mad. Begic is teaching directing at Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts and has 

directed commercials, video spots and promotional films. In 2004, she founded an 

independent production company MAMAFILM together with her colleague Elma 

Tataragi and Snow is their first feature film. 

26



2007, 35 mm, Colour, 86 mins, Portuguese 

Brazil 

Body / Corpo 

Arthur is a coroner obsessed with human bodies, dead or alive. Even while working in a 

public mortuary full of corruption and decadence, he goes beyond the bureaucratic 

diagnoses and makes a thorough reading of the bodies. The routine of his work is broken 

by the arrival of bones found in a common grave. The body of a young woman causes a 

clash in the department: his supervisor, Dr Lara, maintains that the body is new, without 

any relation with the bones, taken as victims of the military regime. Arthur, after 

examining the body, insists that it has been around more than 30 years, and belongs to the 

group of bones and that, for some strange reason, remained preserved. A deadline is 

imposed: if the body is not identified within 24 hours, it will be buried as unclaimed. 

Arthur decides to investigate on his own the identity of that body. In police files, there is 

a case of a guerrilla extremely similar to the situation: Teresa Prado Nothe. Teresa's 

daughter Fernanda is traced, but to the surprise of the coroner, she says her mother is 

alive and proposes that Arthur meet her. Arthur accepts the invitation. And the story 

begins…. 

Director 

Rossana Foglia, Rubens Rewald 

Screenplay 

Rossana Foglia, Rubens Rewald 


Marlio Langeani 

Editor 

Idê Lacreta 

Music 

Eduardo Queiroz 

Cast 

Regiane Alves (Helena), Rejane Arruda (Fernanda Noth / 

Corpo / Teresa Noth), Louise Cardoso (Fernanda's Mother), 

Chris Couto (Dr Lara), Leonardo Medeiros (Dr Arthur) 


Roberto Eiti 

Sound 

Eduardo Santos Mendes 

Costumes 

David Schumaker 

Production 

Confeitaria de Cinema & Glaz Entretenimento Production 

World Sales 

Vagrant 

Daniela Rewald 

T: (11) 9904-2413, 

Email: danirewald@yahoo.com.br; rrewald@uol.com 


2007: Palm Springs, Montreal, Rio, São Paulo, 

2008: Tiradentes, The Method Independent Film Festival, Los 

Angeles (Best Foreign Film) 

Rossana Foglia and Rubens Rewald are well-known directors of their home country. 

27

COMPETITION 



Brazil 

The Grain / O Grao 


Director 

Petrus Cariry 

Screenplay 

Rosemary Cariry, Firmino Holanda, Petrus Cariry 


Ivo Lopes Araujo 

Editor 

Petrus Cariry, Firmino Holanda 

Music 

Liduino Pitombeira 

Cast 

Leuda Bandeira (Perpetua), Veronica Cavalcante (Zefa), 

Nanego Lyra (Damiao), Luis Felipe Ferreira (Zeca), Kelvya 

Maia (Fatima) 

Art 

Lana Patricio 

Sound 

Danilo Carvalho, Erico Paiva 

Costumes 

Lana Patricio 

Production 

Iluminura Filmes 

Rua Costa Barros 1727 - Loja 1 

Aldeota - 60160-281 

Fortaleza CE Brazil 

T/F: 55 (85) 32613590 

World Sales 

Iaia Filmes 

Rua Bulhoes Carvalho 

58/201 - Copacabana 22.081.000 

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

T/F: 55 21 2513.0072 


Los Pueblos Del Sur-Venezuela (Best film) 

The old lady, Perpetua, feeling the presence of death, decides to prepare Zeca, her dear 

grandson, for their impending separation, telling him the story of a king and queen, very 

rich and powerful, who lost their only son and who sought to bring him back to life. 

While Perpetua tells the story, Damiao and Josefa work to keep the family and prepare 

for the wedding of their daughter Fatima. In the end, the story told by Perpetua and the 

destiny of that family are interwined. 

Petrus Cariry, born in Fortaleza, Brazil, is a graduate in computer science from the 

Integrated University of Ceara-FIC. He worked in several films as producer and 

assembler. He has made several documentaries and short films. This is her first featurelength 

film. 

28




Brazil 

What Ever Happened To Dulce Veiga? 

/ Onde Andará Dulce Veiga? 

At the end of the 1980s, a journalist decides to discover the whereabouts of Dulce Veiga, 

a singer/actress who disappeared mysteriously in the 1960s, without realising how much 

he would have to learn about himself in order to find her. In his search throughout Brazil, 

from Rio de Janeiro to the Amazon forest, he becomes obsessed with the personality of 

Dulce's daughter, a lesbian rock star. Based on a bestseller by the same name, by Caio 

Fernando Abreu, that has been published in France, the United States, Italy, Holland, 

Germany and other countries. 

Director 

Guilherme de Almeida Prado 

Screenplay 



Adrian Teijido 

Editor 


Music 

Hermelino Neder, Newton Carneiro 

Cast 

Maitê Proença (Dulce Veiga), Carolina Dieckman (Márcia), 

Eriberto Leão (Caio), Christiane Torloni (Lyla Van) 


Heron Medeiros 

Art 

Luis Rossi 

Sound 

David Miranda 

Costumes 

Fabio Namatame 

Production 

Star Filmes 

Rua Domingos Lopes da Silva 

31 cj. 104. São Paulo - SP. Brazil. CEP: 05641-030 

T: ++55 11 3743-5634 

F: ++55 11 3024-4490 

Email: dealmeidaprado@hotmail.com 

www.hemisferiocultural.com.br/starfilmes; 

Raiz Produções 

Vitor Meloni 

Rua Cerro Corá, 550 sala 7. São Paulo - SP.Brazil. CEP: 

05061-100 

T: +55 11 3024-4499 

F: +55 11 3024-4490 

Email: vitor@raizprod.com.br 

www.raizprod.com.br 


2007: Tremblant (Canada), Rio, Mostra; 2008: San Diego 

Latino Film Festival. Salvador 

Internationally-awarded director Guilherme de Almeida Prado has previously made 

films like All of Our Perversions (As Taras de Todos Nós), Flower of Desire (A Flor do 

Desejo), The Lady From the Shanghai Cinema (A dama do Cine Shangai), Gardenia 

Perfume (Perfume de gardênia) and The Magic Hour (A hora mágica). Born in Ribeirão 

Preto in 1954, Almeida Prado made several short and medium-length Super-8 films 

before working as an assistant director on porn-comedies in the rundown centre of São 

Paulo. He emerged from the experience as a director of real talent. 

29

COMPETITION 



Brazil-Canada-Japan 

Blindness 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 120 mins, English 

Director 

Fernando Meirelles 

Screenplay 

Don McKellar 


César Charlone 

Editor 

Daniel Rezende 

Music 

Uakti (Marco Antônio Guimarães) 

Cast 

Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal, Danny 

Glover, Alice Braga 


Matthew Davies, Tulé Peak 

Art 

Joshu de Cartier 

Sound 

Guiherme Ayrosa 

Costumes 

Renée April 

Production 

Bee Vine Pictures; O2 Films; Pot Boiler Films 


Cannes, Sarajevo, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, 

Atlantic Film Festival-Canada, Helsinki 

An adaptation of the 1995 novel of the same name by Nobel Prize winning Portuguese 

writer José Saramago about a society suffering an epidemic of blindness. The novel's 

author originally refused to sell rights for a film adaptation, not wanting it to fall into the 

wrong hands. Meirelles was able to acquire rights with the condition that the film would 

be set in an unrecognisable city. Premiered as the opening film at the Cannes Film 

Festival this year, it follows a handful of people as they try to survive hunger in a 

government makeshift prison. The book focused on a group of the afflicted who are 

drawn together and, with the government baffled by the problem, sent away to an asylum 

and placed under heavy guard. More and more inmates arrive until it becomes apparent 

that the epidemic has swept the world. The whole planet has gone blind, with one 

exception: a doctor and his wife who has retained her sight, guiding the unnamed 

characters during their confinement and leading their escape into the chaos of the world 

outside, where gangs of sightless children attack sightless old men, and dogs savage the 

bodies of the dead and dying. The film incidentally has been strongly some organisations 

representing the blind community 

Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles was nominated for an Academy Award for Best 

Director in 2004 for his work in City of God, He was also nominated for the Golden 

Globe Best Director award in 2005 for The Constant Gardener. Meirelles studied at the 

School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of São Paulo during the 

1980s. His graduation work was done in the form of a film, instead of the traditional 

designs of the other students: he went to Japan and bought professional video equipment 

to do the job. He presented it and graduated with the minimum acceptable grade. After 

several years in independent television, he became an advertisement film director. He is 

still one of the partners of O2 Filmes, the biggest Brazilian advertisement firm, which 

has also produced City of God, Domésticas (Maids) and Viva Voz. 

30



2008, 35mm, Colour, 97 mins, Bugarian 

Bulgaria 

Forecast / Itpothoza 

Margarita leaves the famous reporter Marco Matanich and joins her brother going for 

windsurfing with his friends from different Balkan countries. Marco arrives on their 

island "only" for the board she stole from him. The wind stops, The men start fighting 

over nationalistic issues. Marco, to prove his skills to Margarita, shoots them in a 

manipulative reportage. Quoted by leading media, it fires a Balkan conflict. The friends 

build national borders between their tents. Margarita disappears in the sea. Will the men 

find her and will everyone find peace? Depends on love one is ready to invest and the 

wind he deserves to get. 

Director 

Zornitsa Sophia 

Screenplay 

Zornitsa Sophia 


Krum Rodriguez 

Editor 

Aleksander Etimov 

Music 

Roumen Toskov 

Cast 

Kresimir Mikic (Marco), Teodora Duhovnikova (Margarita), 

Asen Blatechki (the psycho), Deian Slavchev-Deo (Victor, the 

Cloud) 


Sabina Hristova 

Sound 

Alexander Buchvarov 

Costumes 

Sandra Klincheva 

Production 

Bulgar Beats 

69 Skobelev Bldg 

1606 Sofia, Bulgaria 

T: +350 3 869 64 98 

F: +359 2 851 96 94 

Email: bulgar.beats@gmail.com 

www. Milafrommars.com 

World Sales 

Nu Image / Millennium Films 

6423 Wilshore Blvd 

Los Angeles, California 90048, USA 

T: +1 320.388.6901 

F: +1 310 388-6900 

www.nuimage.net 

Zornitsa Sophia is a Master of Fine Arts with major in painting. She was art director 

with a leading international ad agency and held over 60 art exhibitions across the world 

before switching to filmmaking. Her graduation film from the National Academy of 

Film and Theatre in Sofia, also her first film as a writer, director and producer, Mila From 

Mars (2004) won 16 awards, including three best film awards, and was the Bulgarian 

submission for the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2005. 

31



Czech Republic 

Vaclav 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 97 mins 

Director 

Jirí Vejdelek 

Screenplay 

Marek Epstein 


Jakub Simunek 

Editor 

Jan Danhel 

Music 

Jan P. Muchow 

Cast 

Ivan Trojan (Vaclav), Emilia Vasaryova (Mother), Jiri Labus, 

Jan Budar (Frantisek), Petra Spalkova, Sona Norisova (Lida), 

Martin Pechlat 


Henrich Boraros 

Sound 

Peter Mazá?ek 

Costumes 

Andrea Králová, Zuzana Krejzková 

Production 

Buc Film 

K?íženeckého nám. 322/5 

152 00 Praha 5 - Czech Republic 

T/F: +420 251 819 441 

Email:buc-film@wo.cz 

www.bucfilm.cz 

World Sales 

Simply Cinema 

Barrandov Studios, Krizeneckeho nam 

322, Prague 5, 150 00, Czech Republic 

T: +420 267 073 518, 

F: +420 267 073 516 

Email: office@simplycinema.cz 

www.simplycinema.cz 


Shanhai (Golden Cups for Best Actress, Best Screenplay), 

Niesse FilmFestival-Germany (Audience Award), Karlovy 

Vary, Moscow (Critics Prize for Best Actor) 

Vaclav, the village loser, in his 40s, is still living with his mother on the outskirts of his 

village. People around consider him as the local fool, who is nothing but pain for them. 

His brother Frantisek also sees him as a fool, and the two are competing for mother and 

now even for Frantisek's mistress Lida. The tension between Vaclav, his brother and the 

village is escalating into a criminal act. Vaclav gets busted and his mother's protection is 

gone. Now he is the target of fellow prisoners and traumatic memories about his dad. He 

is dying slowly. The mother decides to ask for presidential pardon from Vaclav Havel but 

the village referendum is a must to submit the request... 

One of the biggest talents among emerging new directors in the Czech Republic, Jiri 

Vejdelek feature length debut Holiday Makers won Best Actress and Special Mention 

awards at Tribeca Film Festival. His second feature Raming has Been screened at 

Toronto Film Festival's Discovery section and has topped the box office in the Czech 

Republic. 

32



2007, 35 mm, Colour, 100 mins, Spanish 

Chile 

Desierto Sur 

Sofia is a top-ranked swimmer who is taking part in a major competition when she gets 

word that her mother has died. Sofia is devastated by the news, and while going through 

her late mother's effects she discovers that for many years her mother was having an 

affair with a man living in the desert community of Desierto Sur. Sofia wants to meet the 

man who meant so much to her mom, and sets out to find him with no idea of his current 

address or even if he's still alive. While making her way to Desierto Sur, Sofia picks up a 

traveling companion, a hitch-hiking punk rocker named Nadia, but when the two catch a 

ride with Gustavo, their luck takes a turn for the worse as they discover he's a drug runner 

wanted by the law. 

Director 

Shawn Garry 

Screenplay 

Trinidad Jiménez 


Pau Monrás 

Editor 

Francesc Sitges 

Music 

Eduardo Caces 

Cast 

Marta Etura (Sofía), Carolina Varleta (Nadia), Alejandro Botto 

(Gustavo) 

Art 

Verónica Astudillo 

Sound 

Andres Carrasco, Alvaro Guinguis 

Production 

Creative Content Producciones 

Av. Vitacura 3568 Of. 911 Vitacura 

Santiago, Chile 

T: 56. 2. 953 5957 

F: 56. 2. 953 5953 

World Sales 

Film Sharks International 

Av. Diaz Velez 4323 

Buenos Aires (1200), Argentina 

Email: alpha@filmsharks.com 


Latino Film Festival-New York, Vancouver, Guadalajara, 

Manheim-Hiedelberg (Audience Award), Shanghai, Vina del 

Mar (Best Director, Audience Award, Young Jury Award for 

Best Film, Special Jury Award for Best Actress) 

Shawn Garry was born in 1978 in Santiago, Chile. He obtained a BA in Moving Image 

Arts from the College of Santa Fe (New Mexico) in 2001. During 2002, in Barcelona, , 

he directed the short film Gatos Placentarios which played in various festivals including 

19th International Film Festival of Mar del Plata (Argentina) and 30th Iberoamerican 

Film Festival of Huelva (Spain). This is his first film. 

33



China 

Life is Easy 


Director 

Wen Wu 

Screenplay 

Wen Wu 


Zhong Yong 

Editor 

Mary Stephen 

Music 

Lei Shao 

Cast 

Xie Zibin (Liu Xuechun), Guo Jiaming (Lu Tianle), Zhang 

Zhijian (Li Zhongcheng), Zhang Ping (Chen Qing) 

Art 

Chen Yaogong 

Sound 

Feng Jun 

Costumes 

Jianping LV 


Legend Film Production 

Jianwai Soho 6-2802 

East Shanhuan Middle Road 

Chaoyang District 100022 ,Beijing, China 

T:86-10 59000746 

F:86-1059000977 

This is Wen Wu's first feature movie. While studying in France in 2005, Wen made a 

documentary called Old Man and Kid, which, however, has not been released so far. 

Before studying in France, he was a journalist, but quit journalism in 1999 and came to 

Paris in 2000, studying first in the Director Department of ESEC and then in Université 

Nouvelle Sorbonne, from where he earned a master's degree in filmology. He is now 

studying for my doctorate in Université Nouvelle Sorbonne. Before arriving in France, 

Wen's college education was partly finished respectively in Chinese Language and 

Literature Department of Xiangtan University and Journalism Department of 

Journalism College of China. My book Old News was published in 1998, and it tried to 

reflect social phenomena of contemporary China through news events. 

34



2007, 35 mm, Colour, 94 mins, Mandarin 

China 

Night Train / Ye che 

In this strikingly composed, minimalist drama set in the western Shaanxi province of 

China, young widow Wu Hongyan, works with women awaiting execution-mostly for 

crimes of passion. On weekends, she takes the train to 'Good Luck Matchmaking' 

dances, but gets no satisfaction from these mostly sexual encounters. Other days are 

spent alone in her apartment, listening enviously to the aggressive sounds of her 

salacious neighbour's lovemaking. When she meets reservoir caretaker Li Jun, he 

intrigues her, but it soon becomes clear that Li Jun has a secret: he is the widower of one 

of Wu's executed prisoners. The two embark on an unstable sexual relationship. Li Jun is 

torn both ways: by his attraction to Wu, and his desire to enact some sort of vengeance. 

Wu, meanwhile, grows concerned about her personal safety in this new volatile 

relationship. 

Director 

Diao Yi'Nan 

Screenplay 

Diao Yi'Nan 


Jingsong Dong 

Editor 

Jing Lei Kong 

Music 

Zi Wen 

Cast 

Dan Liu (Wu Hongyan), Dao Qi (Li Jun) 

Production 

Steve Chow, Luca Matrundola, Vivian Qu 


2007: Cannes (Un Certain Regard), London, Warsaw (Grand 

Prix); 2008: Buenos Aires (Special Award for Diao Yi'Nan, 

ADF Cinematography Award, Best Actress), Lisbon (Special 

Mention), Melbourne, Hong Kong 

(Film Courtesy: NDTV Lumiere) 

Diao Yi'Nan graduated from Beijing's Central Drama Academy in 1992. A prolific 

writer for stage, television and film, he wrote the screenplay of Shi Runjiu's 2001 film All 

The Way (Zou Dao Di) and co-wrote Zhang Yang's award-winning films Spicy Love 

Soup (Aiqing Mala Tang, 1997) and Shower (Xizao, 2000). Diao received praise for his 

first feature, 2003's Uniform, which won the Vancouver's Dragons and Tigers Award, as 

well as the Amnesty Doen Award Special Mention at Rotterdam. Uniform was also the 

only Chinese film selected by New York's Museum of Modern Art for its prestigious 

Premieres programme in 2004. 

35

COMPETITION 



China-Taiwan-USA-Hong Kong 

Lust, Caution / Sè, Jiè 


Director 

Ang Lee 

Screenplay 

Wang Hui Ling, James Schamus 


Rodrigo Prieto 

Editor 

Tim Squyres 

Music 

Alexandre Desplat 

Cast 

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (Mr Yee), Tang Wei (Wong Chia Chi / 

Mak Tai Tai), Joan Chen (Yee Tai Tai), Wang Leehom (Kuang 

Yu Min), Anupam Kher (jewellery shop manager) 


Pan Lai 

Costumes 

Pan Lai 

Production 

Haishang Films 

Sil-Metrolpole Organisation Ltd 

Shanghai Film Group 

1212, Tower Two, Admirality Center 

18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong 

T/F: 852-2529-3898 

World Sales 

Edko Films Ltd 

1212, Tower Two, Admirality Center 


T/F: 852-2529-3898 


Venice (Golden Lion, Golden Oscilla for Best 

Cinematography), Toronto, Golden Horse Awards-Taiwan 

(Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best New Performer, 

Best Screenplay-Adapted, Best Makeup & Costume Design, 

Best Original Score), Asian Film Awards 

(Best Actor - Tony Leung) 

Shanghai, 1942. The World War II Japanese occupation of this Chinese city continues in 

force. Mrs Mak, a woman of sophistication, walks into a café, places a phone call, and 

then sits and waits. She remembers…how her story began several years earlier, in 1938 

China. She is not in fact Mrs Mak, but shy Wong Chia Chi. With WW-II underway, Wong 

has been left behind by her father, who has escaped to England. As a freshman at 

university, she meets fellow student Kuang Yu Min. Kuang has started a drama society to 

shore up patriotism. As the theater troupe's new leading lady, Wong realises that she has 

found her calling, able to move and inspire audiences - and Kuang. He convenes a core 

group of students to carry out a radical and ambitious plan to assassinate a top Japanese 

collaborator, Mr Yee. Each student has a part to play; Wong will be Mrs Mak, who will 

gain Yee's trust by befriending his wife and then draw the man into an affair. Wong 

transforms herself utterly inside and out, and the scenario proceeds as scripted - until an 

unexpectedly fatal twist spurs her to flee. Shanghai, 1941. With no end in sight for the 

occupation, Wong - having emigrated from Hong Kong - goes through the motions of her 

existence. Much to her surprise, Kuang re-enters her life. Now part of the organised 

resistance, he enlists her to again become Mrs Mak in a revival of the plot to kill Yee, who 

as head of the collaborationist secret service has become even more a key part of the 

puppet government. As Wong reprises her earlier role, and is drawn ever closer to her 

dangerous prey, she finds her very identity being pushed to the limit… based on a short 

story by revered Chinese author Eileen Chang. 

Director-producer Ang Lee literally needs no introduction to cineastes. In 2006, he won 

the Best Director Academy Award for Brokeback Mountain, which also won the Oscars 

for the Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score. Lee also won the Directors 

Guild of America, BAFTA, Independent Spirit, and Golden Globe Awards for Best 

Director, among other industry accolades, for this film, which won the Golden Globe 

Awards for Best Picture (Drama) and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature; 

BAFTA Award for Best Film, Golden Lion Award for Best Picture at the 2005 Venice 

International Film Festival. In 2001, Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon received the 

Academy Awards for Best Foreign-Language Fillm, Best Cinematography, Best 

Original Score and Best Art Direction, as well as Directors Guild of America, BAFTA 

and Golden Globe Awards for Best Director. Born and raised in Taiwan, Lee moved to 

the United States in 1978. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from the 

University of Illinois, he went to New York University to complete a Masters of Fine Arts 

in film production. His short film Fine Line won Best Director and Best Film awards at 

the annual NYU Film Festival. His first feature film, Pushing Hands, was screened at the 

1992 Berlin International Film Festival and won Best Film at the Asian-Pacific Film 

Festival. Since then, he has made acclaimed films like The Wedding Banquet, Eat Drink 

Man Woman, Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, Ride with the Devil and The Hulk. 

36




Croatia 

Behind The Glass 

This film speaks of a false life in an apparent order, which barely maintains itself in a 

chaotic disorder. Structured in five days, with the dynamics of numerous characters and 

seemingly connected events, the film pictures a love triangle. Such apparent order of life 

will inevitably break into pieces in the collision with the real life which is - 

unpredictable... Problems which have been brewing for years for successful 35-year-old 

architect Nikola Jeren come to a head in the space of five days. A life of lies and 

emotional turmoil has taken its toll on the man, he has no self-respect and doesn't know 

what he really wants. His long-term mistress Ana, a work colleague, is weary from all the 

years they've had to conceal their relationship; she wants him to get a divorce. His wife 

Maja, the mother of Nikola's 8-year-old daughter, is also pressing him to finally come to 

a decision. Nikola is imprisoned in a situation which cannot be resolved: whatever he 

does, he'll only hurt everyone he ever loved even more. Can something decide for us, 

something we're no longer used to expecting in life - a tragic coincidence? 

Director 

Zrinko Ogresta 

Screenplay 

Zrinko Ogresta , Lada Kastelan 


Davorin Gecl , H.F.S. 

Editor 

Josip Podvorac, Vladimir Gojun 

Music 

Slavica Snur 

Cast 

Leon Lucev (Nikola), Jadranka ?okic (Maja), Daria Lorenci 

(Ana), Anja Sovagovic -Despot (Ljerka) 

Art 

Tanja Lacko 

Sound 

Zbynek Mikulik, Tomo Fogec 

Costumes 

Zeljka Franulovic 


Interfilm Produkcija 

Nova Ves 45/1, 10000 Zagreb 

Croatia 

T: +385 1 466 7290 

F: +385 1 466 7022 

Email: interfilm@interfilm.hr 

www.interfilm.hr 


Karlovy Vary 

Zrinko Ogresta (b. 1958, Virovitica, Croatia) graduated from the film and television 

department of Zagreb's Academy of Dramatic Arts (1982) and began making a name for 

himself with his short films which won a series of awards (Stormy Night / Olujna no?, 

1987; Forbidden Game / Zabranjena igra?ka/, 1989; Leo and Brigita / Leo i Brigita, 

1989; or Red Dust / Crvena prašina, 1999). His feature film debut was Fragment of My 

Childhood (Krhotine, 1991), nominated for the European Film Award. After the film 

Washed Out (Isprani, 1995), which was selected for competition at the Karlovy Vary 

International Film Festival, he was hailed for his reflection of Croatian society Here (Tu, 

2003), which won him the Special Jury Prize at Karlovy Vary in 2004 and the Grand Prix 

for Best European Film at the Denver IFF in 2004. He made a series of documentaries 

during the war. He teaches film direction at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. 

37

COMPETITION 



Finland 

Black Ice / Musta Jaa 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 117 mins, Finnish 

Director 

Petri Kotwica 

Screenplay 

Petri Kotwica 


Harri Räty 

Editor 

Jukka Nykänen 

Music 

Eicca Toppinen 

Cast 

Outi Mäenpää, Martti Suosalo, Ria Kataja 


Sattva-Hanna Toiviainen 

Costumes 

Kristiina Saha 

Production 

Petri Kotwica 

Wallininkatu 8 A 14, 00530 Helsinki 

T: +358 50 4913800 

Email: kotwica@kolumbus.fi 


Berlin, Festival Cinematográfico Internacional del Uruguay, 

Moscow, Brussels, Palic, Motovun (Zagreb), Calgary, 

Warsaw, Canberra, Leeds, Taipei Golden Horse festival, 

Osaka, Tallinn, Bratislava 

It is a suspense drama about an unlikely relationship between two women. The story 

takes place in Helsinki and its surroundings. The main characters, Saara and Tuuli, are 

irresistible and unpredictable women of equal strength. Saara is a gynaecologist on the 

verge of her 40th birthday. She is married to Leo, an architect and a lecturer at the 

University of Technology. They have postponed having a child of their own. Saara 

suspects her husband of having an affair. Tuuli is a 25-year-old architecture student, 

who also instructs a taekwondo class. Her boyfriend is the lecturer, Leo. Everything 

would be fine, if only Leo could be man enough to sort things out with the "almost exwife". 

Saara finds out about Tuuli and starts to follow and investigate her. Saara attends 

Tuuli's taekwondo class under a false identity. Taking advantage of knowing Tuuli's 

interests, Saara gradually wins Tuuli's trust. Saara becomes addicted to find out more 

and more details. Tuuli, unaware of Saara's identity, opens her heart about her 

relationship with Saara's husband. Surprisingly enough, Saara seems to enjoy Tuuli's 

company until Tuuli tells her she might be pregnant with Leo's baby. A journey towards 

an inevitable disclosure of lies begins. Not wanting to watch over her shoulder for the 

rest of her life, it is finally Tuuli who has to choose a false identity in order to get close to 

Saara for one more time… 

Petri Kotwica, who did her studies at Finnish Theatre Academy and Helsinki University 

of Art and Design during 1992 - 1999, has made a number of short films and another 

feature film, Homesick, during his career. 

38



France 

Inju, The Beast in the Shadow / 

Inju, La Bête Dans L'ombre 

Alex Fayard, a young and charismatic French novelist, has garnered fame by 

appropriating the literary style of the great Japanese author Shundei Oe. Riding high 

on the wave of his recent bestselling book, Fayard visits Japan, where strange dreams 

and encounters, plus his intimate knowledge of Oe's violent and disturbing work, 

convince him that he is being stalked by the elusive writer. One evening he 

encounters Tamao, a beautiful geisha. She claims to be an ex-lover of Oe, and is 

convinced he now wants her dead. Falling for the enigmatic Tamao, Fayard finds 

himself drawn deeper and deeper into a chaotic underground world of killings and 

false clues before learning the truth about his inspiration and foe. This film is based 

on a novel by the great Japanese noir writer Edogawa Rampo, best known as the 

author of Black Lizard, which was adapted twice in the 1960s into raucous films by 

Umeji Inoue and Kinji Fukasakut. 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 105 mins, French-Japanese 

Director 

Barbet Schroeder 

Screenplay 

Jean-Armand Bougrelle, Frédérique Henri, Barbet Schroeder 


Luciano Tovoli 

Editor 

Luc Barnier 

Music 

Jorge Arriagada 

Cast 

Benoît Magimel (Alex Fayard), Lika Minamoto (Tamao), Ryo 

Ishibashi, Kazuhiko Nishimura, Gen Shimaoka, Shun Sugata, 

Tomonobu Fukui, Erika Nibo 


Fumio Ogawa 

Sound 

Jean-Paul Mugel, Francis Wargnier, Dominique Hennequin 

Costumes 

Milena Canonero 

Production 

Sbs Films 

24, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle 

92200 Neuilly sur Seine, France 

T: +33 1.46.40.46.42 

F: +33 1.46.37.73.21 

Email: afalampin@ugc.fr; 

La Fabrique De Films 

79, avenue Ledru Rollin 

75012 Paris, France 

T: +33 1.40.13.78.00 

F: +33 1.42.33.78.23 

Email: contact@lafabriquedefilms.fr 

World Sales 

UGC International 

24, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle 

92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France 

T: +33 1.46.40.44.00 

F: +33 1.46.37.73.21 

www.ugc.fr 


Venice, Toronto 

(Film Courtesy UTV World Movies) 

Barbet Schroeder is a French filmmaker and actor born in Tehran, Iran. He is the 

founder of the production company Les Films du Losange, which produced some of the 

best-known films of the French New Wave. His credits as director include Barfly (1987), 

Reversal of Fortune (1990), Kiss of Death (1995), Before and After (1995), Desperate 

Measures(1998), Our Lady of the Assassins(2000), Murder by Numbers (2002), and 

L'Avocat de la terreur(2007). Schroeder has always been drawn to exotically diverse 

material - and his directorial career encompasses the stories of Charles Bukowski, Idi 

Amin, Claus von Bülow, Klaus Barbie and Koko the guerrilla, and that boasts films shot 

in France, the United States, New Guinea, Uganda, Japan and Colombia. 

39

COMPETITION 



France 

Life Artiste / La Vie d'Artiste 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 107 mins, French 

Director 

Marc Fitoussi 

Screenplay 

Marc Fitoussi 


Pénélope Pourriat 

Editor 

Serge Turquier 

Music 

Tim Gane 

Seán O'Hagan 

Cast 

Sandrine Kiberlain (Alice), Émilie Dequenne (Cora), Denis 

Podalydès (Bertrand), Valérie Benguigui (Solange), Grégoire 

Leprince-Ringuet (Frédéric) 


Emmanuel de Chauvigny 

Costumes 

Anne Schotte 

Production 

Haut et Court 


London 

Ostensibly a frothily good-natured French social comedy, this film bristles with 

trenchant observations and sometimes cruel verities about the frustrations of creative 

pursuit. Interlocking narratives see three characters pursue their solitary aspirations to 

artistic excellence. Alice has found considerable success providing voice-overs for 

Japanese anime, but fears that legit recognition in the acting world is slipping out of her 

grasp. Cora is a would-be chanteuse working as a karaoke hostess, who reveres the 

tradition of French chanson, but cannot find her place in the 21st-century pop universe. 

And Bertrand is a teacher obsessed with completing that elusive second novel, and 

prepared to compromise himself horribly in the hope of reviving his flagging muse. 

Disaster, humiliation and bad judgment await all three characters round every corner, but 

Fitoussi guides his trio to eventual self-knowledge with compassion and satisfying 

mischief. 

Marc Fitoussi has directed several movies during his career. Some of them are: 

Éducation anglaise, L' (2006), Bonbon au poivre (2005), Illustre inconnue (2004), 

Sachez chasser (2002) and Ma vie active (1999). 

40



France-UK-Belgium 

Angel 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, English 

François Ozon's first English-language production is set in Edwardian England and is 

based on the novel The Real Life of Angel Deverell by Elizabeth Taylor. In her final year 

of high school, the conceited and domineering teenage Angel is convinced she is writing 

the greatest romance of all time. Against all odds, she produces a series of incredibly 

popular works under the patient administration of her literary agent and the skeptical eye 

of his wife. Despite having no experience of life or love, Angel becomes a successful 

romance novelist and her dreams of fame and fortune come true. Passionate, driven and 

not entirely likeable, Angel inspires devotion in some, like her dutiful secretary Nora, 

and antipathy in others, like Nora's brother Esmé. In Esmé, a talented but unsuccessful 

painter, Angel feels she has found a kindred spirit, and pursues him. They marry, but as 

the First World War breaks out, Angel realises she cannot hold her fortune in her hands 

forever. 

Director 

François Ozon 

Screenplay 

François Ozon, Martin Crimp 


Denis Lenoir 

Editor 

Muriel Breton 

Cast 

Romola Garai (Angel), Sam Neill (Théo), Charlotte Rampling 

(Hermione), Lucy Russell (Esmé) 


2008: Dublin, Glasgow, London Lesbian and Gay Film 

Festival, Belfast; 2008: Berlin, London, Karlovy Vary, 

Cinemanila, Toronto, Tokyo 


Born in 1967, François Ozon is a French film director and screenwriter whose films are 

characterised by sharp satirical wit and a freewheeling view on human sexuality. 

Occasionally referred to as the enfant terrible of French cinema, he has a reputation as an 

original and provocative filmmaker. Having studied direction at the French film school 

La Femis, Ozon made several acclaimed short films including Une Robe D'Été (1996) 

which won the Léopard de Demain Award at the 1996 Locarno Film Festival, and Scènes 

de Lit (1998). His feature film debut Sitcom (1998) was well received by critics and 

audiences, and was in the selected as part of the International Film Critics' Week at the 

1998 Festival de Cannes. 8 Women (8 Femmes, 2002), a murder mystery and quirky 

musical in one, starred icons on French cinema and became a huge commercial success. 

His 2003 film Swimming Pool starred Charlotte Rampling and was released to great 

critical acclaim. Ozon considered it a very personal film that gave insight into the 

difficult process of writing. Ozon's films continuously challenge the rules of 

conventional cinema by tackling taboo issues, including same-sex relationships. Water 

Drops On Burning Rocks (Gouttes D'Eau Sur Pierres Brûlantes, 2000) received the 

Teddy Award, given to the best portrayal of gay and lesbian themes, at the 2000 Berlin 

International Film Festival. Today François Ozon is one of the most important young 

French film directors in the new "New Wave" of French cinema. 

41

COMPETITION 



Germany 

Autistic Disco 

2007, 35mm, Colour, 82 mins, German 

Director 

Hans Steinbichler 

Screenplay 

Melanie Rohde 


Bella Halben 

Editor 

Nick Brinkmann 

Music 

Antoni Lazarkiewicz 

Cast 

Benjamin Bieber, Markus Böker, Samia Muriel Chancrin, 

Anne Grabowski, Andreas Meyer, Nina Mohr 


Doerthe Komnick 

Sound 

Peter Schumacher 

Production 

Tatami Films GmbH 

Goldbekplaza 

22303 Hamburg, Germany 

T: 040-85705870 

F: 040-85705872; 

d.i.e. Film GmbH 

ZentnerstraBe 42 

D-80796 Munich, Germany 

T: 089 27 77 71-0 

F: 089 27 77 71-77 

Email: info@diefilmgmbh.de 

www.diefilmgmbh.de 


Munich, Goteborg 

A local hunter takes seven teenage dropouts to an isolated mountain farm in the German 

alps where they are met by a social worker and her assistant. It is their job to help them fit 

back into society. But the wild environment makes them even more estranged and 

agitated. They take advantage of the weaknesses of the social workers and the 

programme turns into an open fight for recognition, identity and love ... 

Hans Steinbichler was born in 1969 and grew up in the Chiemgau. He studied law 

before attending the HFF München. Hierankl, his first feature film, won the Förderpreis 

Deutscher Film and the Grimmepreis Gold. Winterjourney was nominated in the 

category best movie at the Deutscher Filmpreis 2007. His latest film My Mother, My 

Bride and I (Die zweite Frau, 2008) has been screened in Toronto and Warsaw film 

festivals. 

42



Cherry Blossoms - Hanami 

/ Kirschblüten - Hanami 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 95 mins, English 

Germany 

Trudi is the only one who knows that her husband is terminally ill with cancer. When his 

doctor suggests that the couple undertake one last trip together, Trudi persuades her 

husband to accompany her to visit her children and grandchildren in Berlin. However, 

the members of their family are far too wrapped up in their own lives to be able to take 

care of the couple. After a theatre trip to see a Butoh dance performance, Trudi and Rudi 

decide to go and stay at a hotel on the Baltic coast. And then, out of the blue, Trudi dies. 

Rudi is completely at a loss. He has no idea what to do with his life, until he decides to go 

to Japan to visit their youngest son, Karl. 

Director 

Doris Dörrie 

Screenplay 

Doris Dörrie 


Hanno Lentz 

Editor 

Inez Regnier, Frank Müller 

Music 

Claus Bantzer 

Cast 

Elmar Wepper, Hannelore Elsner, Nadja Uhl, Maximilian 

Brückner, Birgit Minichmayr, Aya Irizuki 

Art 

Bele Schneider 

Costumes 

Sabine Greuning 

Production 

Olga Film, BR, ARD, Arte 

World Sales 

Bavaria Film International 

Bavariafilmplatz, 8 

Geiselgasteig 

82031 Munich 

T: +49 89 64 99 26 86 

F: +49 89 64 99 37 20 

Email: cannes05@bfint.de 


Berlin, Hawaii 

Doris Dörrie, best known in Germany for her 1985 hit comedy Men, is herself a 

practicing Zen Buddhist. She turned to the Japanese philosophy 16 years ago when her 

husband Helge Weindler, who was the cameraman on Men, was diagnosed with terminal 

cancer. The multi-talented Dörrie has also published several novels, short story 

collections and children's books, and has even staged and directed a number of operas. 

Her 2000 comedy Enlightenment Guaranteed tells the story of two brothers who go to 

stay in a Japanese Zen monastery, while last year's How to Cook Your Life is a 

documentary about a Californian Zen priest and cook. 

43

COMPETITION 



Germany 

Family Rules / Wir Sagen Du! Schatz 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 99 mins, German 

Director 

Marc Meyer 

Screenplay 

Marc Meyer 


Peter Polsak-Lohmann 

Editor 

Diana Karsten 

Music 

Christian Biegai 

Cast 

Samuel Fintzi Vater (Oliver Eckstein), Nina Kronjäger Mutter 

(Sofia Eckstein), Anna Maria Mühe Tochter (Maya Eckstein), 

Harald Warmbrunn (Opa Horst), Margot Nagel (Oma Edna), 

Ennio Incannova Sohn (Ennio Eckstein) 


Agi Dawaachu 

Art 

Frank Noack 

Sound 

Moritz Hoffmeister, Mark Wegner 

Costumes 

Kathrin Hauer 

Production 

Miko Film, Berlin 

World Sales 

Media luna entertainment Gmbh & Co. KG 

Aachener Str. 26 


T: +49 221/ 801498-0 

F: 49 221 / 801498-21 

EMail: info@medialuna-entertainment.de 


2007: Cottbus (Promotion Prize of the DEFA Foundation), 

Braunschweig, Luenen; 2008: Sofia,Viareggio (Audience 

Award), Shanghai 

A tragicomedy about a man called Oliver who desperately wants to have a family of his 

own. Thus, one day, he decides to "steal" one. He abducts a woman, three children, a 

grandmother, and a grandfather and locks them up on the 17th floor of an unoccupied 

high-rise. By all means, Oliver, a man in his mid-thirties, wants to turn this group into 

"his family". But soon, the different characters, anxieties and neuroses of the "forced 

family" clash. Although the whole situation is more and more escalating, Oliver still 

pursues his dream - until the situation actually improves. 

Marc Meyer, born in 1968 in Helmstedt, studied political science and is working as a 

freelance author since 1995. He made his film debut in 2002 with the screenplay to 

Christoph Gampl's weird pulp art experimental film Planet B: The Antman. Meyer also 

wrote the novel of the same name to the film. He then made his debut as director with the 

compilation film Freedom2Speak v2.0, that premiered at the 2005 Berlinale film 

festival. Meyer's short film Sonntag, im August (Sunday in August) won a renowned 

newcomer award at the 2005 Dresden film festival. This is his first feature film. 

44



Germany 

Long Shadows / Schattenwelt 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 92 mins, German 

After two decades in prison, Widmer, a former German RAF-terrorist, is released. He 

meets Valerie, his next door neighbour. The young woman tries to get her life back on 

track after she lost custody of her little son. She shows some interest in Widmer, the two 

of them seem to have something in common. They discreetly enter into the secrets of 

their lives. Until the truth comes between them. 

Director 

Connie Walther 

Screenplay 

Uli Herrmann 


Birgit Gudjonsdottir 

Editor 

Karen Loenneker 

Music 

Rainer Oleak 

Cast 

Ulrich Noethen, Franziska Petri, Uwe Kockisch, Tatja Seibt, 

Christoph Bach, Mehdi Nebbou, Eva Mattes 


Agi Dawaachu 

Production 

Next Film/Berlin, Gambit Film/Ludwigsburg, BR/Munich, 

ARTE/Strasbourg 

World Sales 

Sola Media GmbH 

Solveig Langeland 

Osumstrasse 17 

70599 Stuttgart/Germany 

T: +49-7 11-4 79 36 66 

F: +49-7 11-4 79 26 58 

Email: post@sola-media.net 

www.sola-media.net 


Rome 

Connie Walther studied Sociology and Spanish before switching over to Photography. 

After gathering experience as a lighting gaffer and production and directing assistant, 

she studied at the German Film & Television Academy (dffb) in Berlin and landed her 

first success with her graduation film Das erste Mal (1996), which was named Best 

Graduation Film from a German film academy that year. Since then, she has 

demonstrated her talents with various genres and formats with films such as: Boersday 

Blues (short, 1992), Der Clown II (TV, 1997), Tic Tac Toe (TV documentary, 1998), 

Hauptsache Leben (1998), Offene Rechnung (TV, 1999), Never Mind the Wall (Wie 

Feuer und Flamme, 2001), Im falschen Leben (TV, 2001), Und Tschuess, ihr lieben (TV, 

2002), Ei in Japan (documentary, 2005), Mord in aller Unschuld (TV, 2006), 12 Means: 

I Love You (TV, 2007). 

45

COMPETITION 



Germany 

My Dream or Loneliness Never Walks Alone 

/ Mein Traum oder die einsamkeit ist nie allein 


Director 

Roland Reber 

Screenplay 

Roland Reber 


Jürgen Kendzior, Bene Zirnbauer, Mira Gittner 

Editor 

Mira Gittner 

Music 

Wolfram Kunkel 

Cast 

Wolfgang Seidenberg (Man), Mira Gittner (Godot), Marina 

Anna Eich (Wife), Antonio Exacoustos (Talkmaster), Wolfram 

Kunkel (Grandfather), Barbara Schmidt (Mother) 

Sound 

Simon Maischberger 


wtp international GmbH. Sales. Distribution. Filmproduction 

Marina Anna Eich 

Bayerisches Filmzentrum, Bavariafilmplatz 7, 82031 

Geiselgasteig, Germany 

T: +49-(0) 89 / 64981-112 

M: +49-(0)160 8981335 

F: +49 -(0) 89 / 64981-312 

Email: wtpfilm@wtpfilm.de 


Fantasporto International Filmfestival (Porto/Portugal), 

SITGES Festival Internacional de Cine, Spain, Ourense 

International Filmfestival, Spain, Festival Nouveau Cinema 

Montreal, Canada 

The MAN flees from the perpetual repetitions of his life, from the expectations set on 

him, from the involvement in constraints set by him and others. On an abandoned factory 

site he meets GODOT, who is looking for signs in the waste of the city, in the things 

thrown away from life. Together with GODOT, the MAN goes on a journey through the 

night, the waste of his life and the garbage in his head. Escaped from his monotonous 

daily routine, the MAN abandons himself to his thoughts; he turns his inside out, passes 

in review his life in this night and zaps through his life like through the programmes of 

our media landscape - the Show of Life. From silent film to talk show, from computer 

game to educational television - with a critical wink, director Roland Reber not only 

leads the MAN through his thoughts but also the audience through the mass media 

entertainment culture. This film is a phantasmagorical excursion into the depth of the 

soul, a revue-like dealing with the forces of the conscious and subconscious, and the 

loneliness of its Protagonists lost in life, produced as a colorful potpourri of our media 

landscape. 

After finishing his acting school in Bochum/Germany in the 1970s, Roland Reber 

worked as actor, writer and director at theatres such as Bochum, Essen, Düsseldorf, 

Zürich, Kingston/Jamaica, New Delhi, etc. He has written more than 20 theatre plays 

and scripts as well as texts and poems. In 1981, he founded the Theatre Institute and 

worked as a director, author and actor. He was Head of the World Theatre Project (in the 

framework of the Decade for Cultural Development of the UNESCO and UN) which he 

founded in 1989 and worked as director and writer in Cairo, Mexico and the Caribbean. 

He was teacher for acting and directing among others in Moscow and the Caribbean. For 

wtp international filmproduction, he works as director and writer. In 2003 his feature 

films The Room, Pentamagica and The Dark Side of our Inner Space were shown at the 

Calcutta International Film Festival in a Roland Reber Section. For his theatre work he 

received the Schweizer Kulturpreis (1976) and received as first European the cultural 

prize of the Caribbean Season of Excellence (1991 and 1993). For his direction of The 

Room (2000/2001) he received the Emerging Filmmaker Award 2001 in Hollywood, the 

Jury Choice for Foreign Film 2001 in Chicago and the President's Award 2000 in 

Ajijic/Mexico. 

46




Germany-Azerbaijan 

Absurdistan 

Somewhere between Asia and Europe lies the god-forsaken desert village of 

Absurdistan, which a grand total of 14 families somehow manage to call home. For the 

village, the biggest problem is water…but for the village women, the biggest problem is 

their lazy men, who won't lift a finger to remedy the situation. Here, the young Aya and 

Temelko, friends since birth, have reached the age where their friendship has turned to 

love. Unfortunately, the date that Aya's grandmother has determined to be ideal for their 

"first time" lies four years in the future, and to make matters worse, they must first bathe 

together…When Aya stubbornly tells Temelko that he must solve the water problem 

before he can come anywhere near her, the village women also take up the cry "No water, 

no sex", leaving the good-for-nothing men scratching their empty heads. Soon a crazy 

war of the sexes breaks out and they divide the town in half with barbed wire… 

Director 

Veit Helmer 

Screenplay 

Gordan Mihic Zaza Buadze Ahmet Golbol Veit Helmer 


Georgi Beridze 

Editor 

Vincent Assmann 

Music 

Shigeru Umebayashi 

Cast 

Maximilian Mauff Kristýna Malé?ová And Actors From 18 

Countries 


Erwin Prib Vaja Djalaghania 

Sound 

Martin Frühmorgen Immo Trümpelmann 

Costumes 

Mehriban Efendiyeva Serap Bahadir 

Production 

Veit Helmer-Filmproduktion 

Wormser Str. 4, 10789 Berlin, Germany 

T: +49 30 217 7777 

F: +49 30 217 7777 

Email: veit.helmer@arcor.de 

www.veithelmer.com 

World Sales 

Beta Cinema 

Grünwalder Weg 28d, D-82041 Oberhaching, Germany 

T: +49 89 673 469 829 

F: +49 89 673 469 888 

Email: beta@betacinema.com 

www.betacinema.com 


Sundance, Moscow, Karlovy Vary, Bogota, Chicago 

Born in 1968, the multi-talented Veit Helmer is as well a writer and producer with his 

own production company, which co-produced Absurdistan with SWR, BR and ARTE. 

At the age of 14, Helmer shot his first film, and later he had formal studies at the Munich 

Film School, where he became known for his offbeat short films. In 1995 he co-wrote the 

feature-film A Trick of Light and acted as assistant director to Wim Wenders. The film 

went on to premiere in Venice in 1997. His own very first feature-film Tuvalu became a 

runaway success, being invited to 62 different film festivals including San Sebastian, 

London, Berlin and Karlovy Vary, and was honored with an impressive array of 32 

awards. His second feature-film, Gate to Heaven (2003) also had a substantial 

international impact and was sold to a large number of different countries. A member of 

the European Film Academy, Helmer gives lectures on filmmaking throughout the 

world, including film schools in Beirut, Tbilisi, Djakarta, Tashkent and Bogota. 

47

COMPETITION 



Germany-Israel 

Love Life / Liebes Leben 


Director 

Maria Schrader 

Screenplay 

Maria Schrader, Laila Stieler 


Benedict Neuenfels 

Editor 

Antje Zynga 

Music 

Niki Reiser 

Cast 

Netta Garti (Jara), Rade Sherbedgia (Arie), Tovah Feldshuh 

(Hannah), Stephen Singer (Leon) 


Christian M. Goldbeck 

Sound 

Yochay Moshe 

Costumes 

Lucie Bates 

Production 

X Filme Creative Pool, Transfax Film Production / Tel Aviv, 

Bayerischer Rundfunk, Arte 


2007: Rome, Lodz; 2008: Berlin, Pula-Croatia, Mostra-Sao 

Paulo 

Actually, Jara has everything: She is happily married, has excellent prospects for a 

university career, lives in a nice apartment and can rely on her family which, despite 

some difficulties, sticks together. Yet when she meets the much older Arie, a friend of her 

father, her perfect world falls apart: She succumbs to his fascinating, erotic and 

contradictory powers of attraction. Curious and hungry for life, she throws herself into 

the whirlpool of an amour fou which tears down all the structures of her former 

existence. In the process, she not only realises that her parents have been guarding a 

secret to which Arie is the key but also that no love and no man alone may determine her 

life. Based on Israeli author Zeruya Shalev's eponymous novel, which spent 16 weeks as 

Israel's number-one best-seller. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the novel has been 

sold over 900,000 times. Germany's famous political magazine Der Spiegel included it 

in its prestigious list of "20 Best Novels in World Literature" over the last 40 years, and it 

has been translated into 22 languages. 

This is the directorial debut of actress Maria Schrader, who made her acting debut in 

1983 as a school girl at the Hanover Staatstheater. The same year she started her actor 

training at Max Reinhardt Seminary Drama School in Vienna and moved to Berlin three 

years later. With director Dani Levy, she co-wrote the screen-play for his comedy 

Robbykallepaul and took on her first film role in this film. In 1992, she received the Max 

Ophüls Award for her second co-operation with Dani Levy, I Was On Mars. Among the 

films that followed were Einer Meiner Ältesten Freunde (One Of My Oldest Friends; 

1993), Burning Life (1993), Flirt (1994), Keiner Liebt Mich (Nobody Loves Me; 1994), 

Stille Nacht (Silent Night; 1996), Der Unfisch (1996), Bin Ich Schön? (Am I Beautiful?; 

1997), Meschugge (The Giraffe; 1998), Aimée And Jaguar (1998), Emil Und Die 

Detektive (Emil And The Detectives, 2000), Josephine (2001), Väter (I'm The Father; 

2002), The Tulse Luper Suitcases (2003), Rosenstrasse (The Women Of Rosenstrasse, 

2003) and Schneeland (Snowland; 2005). Schrader has been awarded several prizes for 

her achievements as an actress. Having received the Bavarian Film Award (1995/1999) 

and the German Federal Film Award (1995/1999), she was awarded the Silver Bear as 

Best actress (together with Juliane Köhler) in Max Färberböcks drama Aimée And 

Jaguar at the 1999 Berlinale. 

48



Germany-Switzerland 

Where The Grass Is Greener 

/ Nur Ein Sommer 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 90mins, German/Swiss-German 

Eva's bags are packed, she's ready to go. The 35-year-old mother of a grown-up son, has 

little choice in the matter - the good jobs are practically all gone in the East German town 

of Eberswalde. Her boyfriend Marco, however, cannot stand to see her leave. Eva's been 

offered a summer job in Switzerland; three months of milking cows on a mountain. 

Without hesitating, and at very short notice, she heads for the Alps to help farmer Daniel 

take care of 40 lively and lovely dairy cows. The crusty cheese-maker is very skeptical of 

his new assistant - on the other hand he has his own agenda since his wife ran away and he 

cannot run the farm by himself. Eva is not so keen on a new husband but proves that she is 

a good worker and shows a great interest in the art of making cheese. Eva and Daniel 

work well together. Slowly, they get to know each other, and become more intimate. So 

intimate that when her boyfriend Marco shows up unexpectedly to check what's going 

on, he senses a change in his girlfriend. As summer wanes, and the season begins to turn, 

Eva re-determines the course of her life, and finally makes a surprising choice. 

Director 

Tamara Staudt 

Screenplay 

Tamara Staudt 


Michael Hammon 

Editor 

Joerg Hauschild 

Music 

Peter von Siebenthal 

Cast 

Anna Loos, Stefan Gubser, Steve Wrzesniowski, Oliver 

Zgorelec, Stephanie Glaser, Peter Wyssbrod, Dieter Stoll, 

Robert Hoeller, Ursula Karusseit 


Design Andreas Piontkowitz, Irmhild Gumm 

Production 

Razor Film Produktion; 

Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion, Zurich 

World Sales 

Razor Film Produktion GmbH 

Wassergasse 4 

10179 Berlin/Germany 

T: +49-30-84 71 22 80 

F: +49-30-8 47 12 28 77 

Email: info@razor-film.de 

www.razor-film.de 


Mannheim, Ophuels Festival Saarbruecken (DEFA Foundation 

Promotion Award) 

Tamara Staudt was born in 1966 in Darmstadt. After initially training and working as a 

carpenter, she then turned to film and studied at the German Academy of Film & 

Television (dffb) in Berlin, while also working as a camera assistant. Her films include: 

Beim Dienst (short, 1989), Wenn d'Maschin lauft (documentary, 1990), ...bis 

Montagmorgen (1991), Saturdays (short, 1994), and Swetlana (1999). 

49

COMPETITION 



Hungary 

Eszter"s Inheritance 

/ Eszter hagyatéka 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 90 mins, Hungarian 

Director 

József Sipos 

Screenplay 

József Sipos 


Francisco Gózon 

Editor 

Beáta Eszlári 

Music 

Gábor Berkes 

Cast 

Eszter Nagy-Kálózy (Eszter), György Cserhalmi (Lajos), Mari 

Tör?csik (Nunn), Károly Eperjes (Tibor), Dorottya Udvaros 

(Olga), Tibor Szilágyi (Endre) 

Art 

István Szlávik 

Costumes 

Györgyi Szakács 


PCN Film Production 

Becsi Ut 163, Budapest 1034, Hungary 

T: +36.1.454.1541 

F: +36.1.387.8368 

Email: detar@mail.tvnet.hu 


Montreal 

Based on Sándor Márai's novel of the same title, this film happens in the years before 

World War II, telling us a story that is shockingly up-to-date even today. The movie 

analyses human relations and tries to find out how people's actions are controlled by fate. 

Eszter, our hero, a calm lady in her 50s who lives alone on her own accord and does not 

expect much from life, can count on a safe and calm old age. She gets a telegram from her 

only love (because you can love someone all your life and be loyal to him even if he was 

disloyal to you). Lajos returns for one day with his children and two strangers. The visit 

evokes old memories in Eszter as well as sentiments she herself cannot define 

exactly…This is the last meeting that totally changes Eszter's life, and adresses the fears 

that surface at a certain age in everyone's life. 

József Sipos, born in 1953 in Budapest, worked for the Hungarian Television from 1973 

till 1989. He established his own company PCN Ltd dealing with film production and 

distribution in 1990. As a producer, he has made many television programmes, 

documentaries and films between 1990 and 2007. This is first feature film as a director. 

50



Hungary 

Milky Way / Tejút 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 82 min, Hungarian 

This avant-garde psychedelia, poetic minimalism, meditative, almost cartoon type 

sketch is a distinctively original look at the modern world. The viewer is taken along to 

an orchestrated reality from swimming pool choreography to a mountain bike ballet. 

Fliegauf's goal was to make a psychedelic film that, similarly to the ambient musical 

style, allows the viewer to receive the film on various levels of attention and does not 

force any concrete interpretation. 

Director 

Benedek Fliegauf 

Screenplay 



Gergely Pohárnok, Ádám Fillenz 

Editor 

Katalin Mészáros 

Music 

Benedek Fliegauf, Raptors' Kollektíva 



Sound 

Tamás Beke 

Costumes 


Production 

Inforg Stúdió , M&M Film, Intuit Pictures, Duna Workshop 

World Sales 

Magyar Filmunio 

1068 Budapest, Varosligeti fasor 38, Hungary 

T: +36 (1)351-7760, 351-7761 

F: +36(1)35 

Email: filmunio@filmunio.hu 


Mexico City (Special Mention), Locarno (Golden Leopard), 

Barcelona l'Alternativa, Bradford, Budapest Hungarian Film 

Week , Buenos Aires BAFICI, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Jerusalem, 

Marseille, Mexico City, Paris, Rotterdam, Seattle, Split, 

Athens, Barcelona, Moscow Tomorrow 

Born on August 15, 1974 Benedek Fliegauf lives in Budapest's downtown and hates 

traffic jams. Although he is one of the most generously supported filmmaker of Hungary, 

he still uses public transport. In 2002, despite his score at the entrance examinations, he 

was not accepted at the University of Theatre and Film in Hungary. By that time, he had 

already won 15 international awards. He is crazy about snails, mushrooms, and whales. 

His filmography includes Dealer (2004) and Forest (2003). 

51

COMPETITION 



Hungary 

Tranquillity / Nyugalom 

2008, 35mm, Colour, 115 min, Hungarian 

Director 

Róbert Alföldi 

Screenplay 

László Garaczi, Róbert Alföldi 


Tamás Babos 

Editor 

Péter Politzer 

Music 

Niccolo Paganini 

Cast 

Dorottya Udvaros, Zalán Makranczi, Dorka Gryllus, Judit 

Hernádi, Annamária Láng, Ákos K?szegi, Ági Margitai, 

László Gálffi 

Art 

Gábor Vallcz 

Sound 

Ferenc Császár 

Costumes 

János Breckl 

Production 

Unio Film 


Cannes 

This is the story of an author struggling desperately to live his own life and to fall in love 

in the shadow of his manic-depressive, ex-actress mother. The period is an era of slowly 

declining communism. In their helpless interdependence, love and hate chains them to 

each other. They are locked within the cages of their own madness, pacing within and 

hoping for liberation assisted by someone else. The question is whether they are going to 

be able to act sensibly and find a resolution. Based on Attila Bartis' Tranquility. 

. 

Director-actor Róbert Alföldi, born in 1967 at Kalocsa in Hungary, took a BFA in acting 

from Hungarian Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest in 1991. Alfoldi has worked 

on television, winning a string of awards for both acting and directing. This is feature 

film direction debut for Alfoldi, who has earlier acted in 56 Drops of Blood (2007), 

Piroutte (1993) and Erozio (1992). 

52



Israel-Germany-France 

Waltz With Bashir 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 87 mins, Hebrew, Animation 

One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he 

is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men 

conclude that there's a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War 

of the early 1980s. Ari is surprised that he cannot remember a thing anymore about that 

period of his life. Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends 

and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about 

himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up 

in surreal images … Based on a true story, the film is a quest into the director's memory 

for the missing pieces from the days of the Lebanon War in the mid 80s. As far as Ari was 

concerned, it was only natural to transform the quest into animation, full of imagination 

and fantasy. 

In the mid 1980s, after completing his military service, Ari Folman ventured out on his 

dream trip to circle the world with a backpack. Just two weeks and two countries into the 

trip, Ari realised traveling was not for him, so he settled into small guesthouses in 

Southeast Asia and wrote letters to his friends at home, letters in which he totally 

fabricated the perfect trip. One whole year of being in one place and writing down the 

fruits of his fantastical imagination convinced him to return home and study cinema. His 

graduate film, Comfortably Numb (1991) documented Ari's close friends taking cover on 

the verge of anxiety attacks during the first Gulf war while Iraqi missiles landed all over 

Tel Aviv. The result was comical and absurd and the film won the Israeli Academy award 

for Best Documentary. During 1991-1996, Ari directed documentary specials for TV, 

mainly in the occupied territories. In 1996 he wrote and directed Saint Clara, a feature 

film based on a novel by Czech author Pavel Kohout. The film won seven Israeli 

Academy awards, including Best Director and Best Film. It opened the Berlin Film 

Festival's Panorama and won the People's Choice Award. The film was screened 

throughout America and Europe to critical acclaim. Ari continued directing successful 

documentary series and took time off for his second feature in 2001. Made in Israel is a 

futuristic fantasy that centers upon the pursuit of the world's only remaining Nazi. Ari 

has written for several successful Israeli TV series, including the award-winning In 

Therapy (Be Tipul), which was the basis for the new HBO series In Treatment. Ari made 

his initial attempt at animation in his series The Material that Love is Made Of. 

Director 

Ari Folman 

Screenplay 

Ari Folman 


Ari Folman, Yoni Goodman 

Editor 

Nili Feller 

Music 

Max Richter 

Art 

David Polonsky 

Sound 

Aviv Aldema 

Production 

Bridgit Folman Film Gang 

37 Yehuda Hayamit st. (Apt. #14) 

68134 Jaffa, Israel 

T: +972-54-565-5549 

F: +972-3-5181805 

Email: bridgitfolman@gmail.com; 

Les Films d'Ici 

62 bld Davout. 

75020 Paris, France 

T: 01 44 52 23 23 

F: 01 44 52 23 24 

Email: courrier@lesfilmsdici.fr; 

Razor Film Produktion 

Wassergasse 4 

10179 Berlin, Germany 

T: +49 (30) 847 12 28 0 

F; +49 (30) 847 12 28 77 

Email: info@razorfilm.de 

World Sales 

The Match Factory 

Balthasarstrasse 79-81 

D-50670 Cologne, Germany 

T: + 49 (0)221 539 709 0 

F: +49 (0)221 539 709 10 



Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Open Eyes, European Film Festival- 

Palic (Best Film) 


53

COMPETITION 



Japan 

Memories of Tomorrow 

/ Ashita no kioku 

2006, 35 mm, Colour, 122 mins, Japanese 

Director 

Tsutsumi Yukihiko 

Screenplay 

Sunamoto Hakaru, Miura Uiko 


Karasawa Satoru 

Editor 

Ito Nobuyuki 

Music 

Oshima Michiru 

Cast 

Ken Watababe (Saeki Masayuki), Higuchi Kanako (Saeki 

Emiko), Kagawa Teruyuki (Kawamura Atsushi) 


Oikawa Hajime 

Production 

Memories of Tomorrow Production Committee 

World Sales 

Toei Company Ltd 

International Sales & Purchasing 

3-2-17 Ginza, Chuo-ku 

Tokyo 104-8108, Japan 

T: +81-3-3535-7621 

F: +81-3-3535-7622 

Email: international@toei.co.jp 

www.toei.co.jp 


London 

Saeki Masayuki is a 50-year-old ad executive whose life is practically perfect: he 

commands the respect of his employees, he loves his wife Emiko and his daughter will 

marry soon. But one day, Saeki has trouble remembering names and confusion sets in. 

His wife convinces him to visit a doctor, who delivers a devastating diagnosis: earlyonset 

Alzheimers. This is a story that follows Saeki and Emiko as the couple embarks on 

a journey where every day marks a step closer to losing everything. In this very personal 

and emotionally-gripping film, Watanabe delivers one of the most remarkable 

performances of his career. 

The 1955-born Yukihiko Tsutsumi is a Japanese television and film director. He began 

directing commercials and music promotion videos as an employee of Nihon Television. 

After spending time abroad, he returned and started his own production company, 

Crescendo, from which he works independently. His first television drama on Nihon 

Television, called Kora! Tonnezuru, ran from 1985 to 1989. His filmography includes 

Kindaichi Case Files (1997), Shinsei Toilet no Hanako-san (1998), Pikanchi (2002), 

2LDK (2002), Jam Films - HIJIKI segment (2002), Forbidden Siren (2006), Ashita no 

Kioku (2006), Taitei no Ken (2007), Jigyaku no Uta (2007), H?tai Club (2007) and 20th 

Century Boys (2008). 

54



Kazakhstan/Russia/France/ Germany 

Native Dancer / Baksy 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 87 mins, Russian-Kazakh 

Aidai is an elderly spiritual healer, a "Kazakh Baksy" who has the power to find a 

person's lost soul, heal the crippled and locate stolen cattle. For years, Aidai has been 

serving her local Kazakh community and living off the land of a rich businessman, Batyr, 

who feels indebted to her because she helped his wife to conceive. When local gangsters 

decide that Batyr's land would be a prime location for a petrol station and a motel, Aidai 

puts up a fight, as the land is what connects her to her spiritual powers. Ignoring threats 

from the gangsters, Batyr goes away on vacation, but when he returns Aidai has 

disappeared and his land has been excavated. He is furious, so when the petrol station 

burns down in a freak accident, it seems like just revenge - until his son is kidnapped. 

Devastated and at a loss, Batyr goes looking for Aidai's help. 

Director 

Guka Omarova 

Screenplay 

Guka Omarova, Sergei Bodrov 


Rafeek Galev 

Editor 

Darya Danilova 

Music 

Sig 

Cast 

Nesipkul Omarbekova (Aidai), Farkhat Amankulov (Batyr), 

Tolepbergen Baisakalov, Almat Ayanov, Asel Abutova 

Art 

Menlibaeva Almagul 

Sound 

Olivier Dandré, Vladimir Golounin 

Costumes 

Almagul Menlibaeva 

Production 

Les Petites Lumières (France) 

petiteslumieres@free.fr; 

Kinofabrika GmbH,Hamburg (Germany); 

Studio Kazakhfilm (Kazakhstan); 

CTB Film Company (Russia) 

World Sales 

Fortissimo Film Sales 

Veemarkt 77-79 

1019 DA Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

T: +31 20 627 3215 

F: +31 20 626 1155 

Email:info@fortissimo.nl 


Rome, Toronto, Chicago, Pusan 

Guka Omarova was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and studied journalism at the 

University of the Republic of Kazakhstan and documentary production at the Institute of 

Cinema and Theatre, Almaty. She has made the short film That Heart of Mine (1998) and 

the short documentary Captain Kat (1998). Her first feature film was Schizo (2004), and 

this is her second feature. 

55

COMPETITION 



Mexico 

Cumbia Connection 

/ Cumbia Callera 


Director 

René U. Villarreal 

Screenplay 

Ana Rebuelta y 



Antonio Beltrán 

Editor 


Music 

Luis Manuel López Carrera, José Manuel Mendoza Álvarez, 

Javier de Lira 

Cast 

Fernanda Garcia Castaneda, Oliver Cantu, Andul Zambrano, 

Celso Pena 

Art 

Leticia Villarreal 

Sound 

Juan Carlos Prieto 

Production 

Cumbia Regia Films, SA de CV; 

Producción Cinematográfica de Calidad (Foprocine - Mexico), 

Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE) 

World Sales 

Cumbia Regia Films, S.A. de C.V. 

Sta. Martha#117, Col. Hda. del Rosario, 

San Pedro Garza García, N.L. 66247, Mexico 

Tel. +52 55 55531184 · Fax. +52 81 83382346 

www.cumbiacallera.com · cumbiacallera@gmail.com; 

Imcine 

Insurgentes Sur 674, Col Del Valle 

CPO3100, Benito Juarez, Distrio Federal, Mexico 

T/F: (5255) 54485339 


Los Angeles Latino Film Festival 

Downtown high rises hem in a pedestrian zone, where La Cori, 17, window shops with a 

concentration bordering on obsession. Her tempestuous dark beauty draws stares of 

passers-by, their interest heightened by her two-toned hair, tattoos, body piercing and 

broad swaths of makeup. Sharing her taut sensual sexuality is her lover, El Guiripi, 

slightly older. For it is the young slum dwellers of Monterrey -- Mexico's industrial 

capital and third largest metropolitan area with four million people - that have 

developed a distinctive "Colombiano" style that all is their own. Their eccentric 

colorcoded outfits, insider slang and frenetic dances challenge the city's conservative 

tone long set by the corporate barons of the realm. The film narrates the love story 

pivoting on La Cori, pitting El Neto and El Guiripi fiercely at odds over a woman whose 

unshakable link to the two is "Colombiano" music. The three characters are driven 

together by the magnetic pull of "Colombiano", which has magically transformed their 

lives 

René U. Villarreal is a leading filmmaker from Mexico. 

56



How Could I not love you? 

/ Comono te voy a querer 


Mexico 

Hugo and Julia are two high school students that have different dreams and goals, but 

they share the same passion for the Unam Pumas team. Both of them have the typical 

teenager's interest. They go to the soccer games in company of the 'barra', a group of 

teenagers that in order to arrive at the stadium assault public buses in unusual ways. 

Hugo feels remorse by this since his father and his father's friends are bus drivers. Time 

after time, this affair is the cause of confrontations between Hugo and his father. Beyond 

that, Hugo's father's true worry is to see his son succeed as a professional man so he will 

not end up just like him. However, Hugo doesn't think that way and he let's himself get 

dragged by his dream of becoming a professional soccer player in his beloved team. 

Driven by his dream, Hugo doesn't worry about his relationship with Julia, his education, 

but worse of all, the family values that he has been brought up with. Julia on the other 

hand is completely opposite to Hugo. She is a very attractive and intelligent girl, and she 

knows very well what her goals are in life which she will reach. Although there are 

mistakes that she makes, they are the ones she'll learn from. Always having the 

unconditional love from her family and the moral support, they will watch every step she 

takes. In the end, their lives take different paths learning that: 'In this life, everything has 

a price', and everyone has to pay his own. 

Director 

Victor Jesús Avelar Martinez 

Screenplay 

Victor Jesús Avelar Martinez 


Hector Maeshiro 

Editor 

Lurdes Rebora/Victor Avelar 

Cast 

Alejandro Belmonte, Siouzana Melikian, Daniel Martinez 

Art 

Laura Barroetaveña 

Sound 

Mario Martinez 


Imcine 



T/F: (5255) 54485339; 

Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica / Centro Nacional de 

las Artes 

Calzada de Tlalpan 1670 Col. Country Club, C.P. 04220 Del. 

Coyoacán, México, D.F. 

T: (52 55) 1253 94 90 Ext. 1813-1809 

F: (52 55) 1253 94 92 

Email: divulgacion@ccc.cnart.mx / adriana@ccc.cnart.mx 

http://ccc.cnart.mx 


Guadalajara 

Victor Jesús Avelar Martinez has been working as director of photography for 

commercials and music videos in Tijuana City. In 2005, he made the short film Rosa, for 

the National Contest of Shortfilm 2005, where the main subject was Feminicidios 

(murders of women), and ended up getting among the top ten films to get an Honorific 

Mention. This is his first feature film. 

57

COMPETITION 



Mexico 

Purgatory / Purgatorio 


Director 

Roberto Rochin Naya 

Screenplay 

Roberto Rochin, Tomás Perez Turrent, Elias Nahmias 


Aturo De La Rosa, Alfonso Aguilar 

Editor 

Oscar Figuera, Carlos Puente 

Music 

Gerardo Taméz, Dmitri Dudin 

Cast 

Pedro Armendariz jr, Ana Claudia Talancón, Miguel Rodarte, 

Alex Hank, Eduardo Von, Dolores Heredia, Justo Martínez, 

Fidel Zerda 


Enrique Echeverría, Mario Alfaro, Ariel Chávez 

Sound 

Eduardo Vaisman, Miguel Hernández 

Production 

Roca Motion Control S. A. De C. V. 

World Sales 

Imcine 



T/F: (5255) 54485339 


Latino Film Festival-Los Angeles, Sao Paulo 

In the 50s, as Mexico undergoes modernisation, Bonfilio asks his father to care for his 

family and heads north to make his fortune. Their conflicts are resolved when Bonfilio 

returns to say his last goodbye. Lucía, a prostitute, and Demetrio, a gravedigger, meet 

one night and their love will only be complete when Demetrio buries her. Don Julio, the 

old hacienda owner, is delirious with remorse when Cleotilde, whom he married for 

convenience, leaves him. 

Roberto Rochin Naya, born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1954, is a director and producer. 

He studied film at Loyola University in Southern California. His debut film, Ulama, el 

juego de la vida y la muerte (1986), received five Ariels and international recognition. 

He filmed the docudrama El misterio de los mayas (1994) in IMAX, introduced the 

Motion Control visual effects system in Mexico, and has supported and coproduced 

outstanding animated shorts. He made screenplay adaptations of the novels Asesino 

solitario and El amante de Janis Joplin by writer Elmer Mendoza. He is developing two 

video games based on pre-Hispanic legends. 

58



Teo's Voyage / El Viaje de Teo 


Mexico 

This is the story of friendship between two boys who, trapped on the border of the United 

States and México, have to search for their missing father on their own, although this 

means crossing the desert that has taken the lives of so many undocumented travelers. 

Director 

Walter Doehner 

Screenplay 

Walter Doehner, Leo Mendoza Pérez, Silvana Zuanetti 


Guillermo Granillo 

Editor 

Walter Dohener, Fernando Fernández y Mario Sandoval 

Music 

Ricardo Martín 

Cast 

Damián Alcazar (Wenseslao), Joaquín Cosío (Manlio), Arcelia 

Ramírez (Maria), Dolores Heredia (Josefina), Raúl Méndez 

(Alejandro), Silverio Palacios (Oaxacas) 

Art 

Carlos Herrera 

Sound 

Antonio Diego 

Production 

Astillero Producciones, S.A. de C.V. Foprocine, Instituto 

Mexicano de Cinematografía 

World Sales 

Imcine 



T/F: (5255) 54485339 


Montreal, Rome 

Walter Doehner Pecanins has written and directed Íntimo terror (1989) and La 

habitación azul (2001), winner of the Círculo de Plata of the Bogota Film Festival and 

the Diosa de Plata for the Opera Prima in México, for staying 14 weeks in theatres, 

59

COMPETITION 



Mexico-France-USA 

Los Bastardos 


Director 

Amat Escalante 

Screenplay 

Amat Escalante 


Matt Uhry 

Editor 

Ayhan Ergursel, Amat Escalante 

Music 

Ciril, Jazkamer, Kid606 

Cast 

Kenny Johnston (Anglo Man), Jesus Moises Rodriguez 

(Jesus), Ruben SOSA (Fausto), Nina Zavarin (Karen) 

Art 

Daniela Schneider, Zümrüt Çavusoglu 

Sound 

Raul Locatelli 

Production 

Mantarraya Producciones 

Sultepec # 47 Hipodromo Condesa C.P. - 06170 Mexico 

T : +52 55 52 11 11 65 

Email: jaime@mantarraya.com 

www.mantarraya.com; 

Tres Tunas; Nodream Cinema; Le Pacte (France); 

Imcine/Foprocine; Ticoman 

World Sales 

Le Pacte 

Elisabeth Perlie 

5 Rue Darcet 75017 Paris, France 

T : 01 44 69 59 59 

F : 01 44 69 59 42 

Email: contact@le-pacte.com 


Cannes, Catalunya, Morelia-Mexico (Best Film-Mexican 

Competition), Bergen, Lima (International Critics Award), 

Sitges (Best Film - New Visions section) 

A 24-hour period in the lives of Fausto and Jesus, two undocumented Mexican daylabourers 

in Los Angeles. Each day another task, each day the same pressure to find 

money. They go about their daily routine, standing on the corner at the Home 

Improvement Store waiting for work to come. Today, the job they are given is well paid 

compared to their poor usual wages. Today, Jesus carries a shotgun inside his backpack. 

Amat Escalente directed his first feature film with Sangre in 2005. Before that, he had 

worked as director and cinematographer on the short film Amarrados (2002), and as a 

cinematographer on the short The Legend Of Pete Jones in 2005. This second feature of 

his has got him an international breakthrough. 

60



Mexico-Netherlands-France-Germany 

Silent Light / Stellet Licht 


Award-winning director Carlos Reygadas's third feature film Silent Night revolves 

around a Mennonite family, whose stability is at stake when the head of the family Johan 

falls into an adulterous relationship with Marianne. Supported by his friend Zacarias, 

Johan believes Marianne to be his soul-mate. Will the pious family-man be able to ignore 

this belief and remain with his loved ones, or will his passion for Marianne overpower 

his desire to abide by the laws of God? 

Director 

Carlos Reygadas 

Screenplay 

Carlos Reygadas 


Alexis Zabe 

Editor 

Natalia López 

Music 

Raul Locatelli 

Cast 

Cornelio Wall Fehr (Johan), Maria Pankratz (Marianne), 

Miriam Toews (Esther) 

Production 

Carlos Reygadas, Jaime Romandia 


2008 Ariel Awards, Winner of Golden Ariel Best Direction, 

Best Supporting Actress; 2007 Bergen, Cannes (Jury Prize, 

nominated for the Palme d'Or), Chicago, National Cinema 

Festival, Havana, Huelva Latin American Film Festival 

(Golden Colon, Silver Colon for Best), Lima Latin American 

Film Festival, Winner of Best Cinematography, Critics Award, 

Best Film, Elcine First Prize for Best Film; 2007: Rio de 

Janeiro (FIPRESCI Prize) 


Carlos Reygadas was born in Mexico City in 1971. A student of law, Carlos specialized 

in 'Armed Conflict and Use of Force'. He worked for the European Commission and 

Mexican Foreign Service. He began making films in 1998. In 2002, his debut film Japon 

premiered in Rotterdam and the Director's Fortnight at the Festival de Cannes. His 

second film, Battle In Heaven, was selected for competition at the Festival de Cannes in 

2005. Silent Night is his third film. It won the Jury Prize award and was nominated for 

the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Festival de Cannes. 

61

COMPETITION 



Malaysia 

Shadows / Wayang 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 110 mins, Malay 

Director 

Hatta Azad Khan 

Screenplay 

Hatta Azad Khan 


Mazli Abdul Rahman 

Editor 

Hafiz Kamaruzaman 

Cast 

Eman Manan (Awang Lah), Zul Huzaimy Marzuki (Awi), 

Mas Muharni 

(Melor), Ida Nerina (Mak Esah), Wan Kenari (Jusoh) 

Art 

Hafshizan Hashim 

Sound 

Faizal Ghazali 


Universiti Teknologi Mara 

Fact / Kampus Puncak Perdana 

40150 Shah Alam 

Selangor, Malaysia 

T: 603 7962 2401 

F: 603 7962 2405 

Email: hattazad@yahoo.com 

Master puppeteer, Awang Lah, becomes a uneasy teacher to Awi, a blind, orphaned boy, 

and Melor, a girl with a nasal problem. Though blind, Awi is adept at memorising 

wayang kulit stories. Melor, too, shows great skill in creating the puppets and 

manipulating them on the screen as Awi recites the stories. Now adult, Awi's innovative 

ways of telling the time-worn tales of the Ramayana is well-received by his audience but 

Awang Lah is not pleased. To him, the traditional wayang kulit performance are 

sacrosanct and must not be tampered with. Awang Lah's problems are further 

compounded by the antics of his cousin, Jusoh, who considers Awang Lah and his 

wayang kulit as heretical. Loves begins to bloom between the blind Awi and Melor. 

Jusoh, who has an eye for Melor, begins to throw all manner of obstacles in their path, 

resulting in Awi being blamed for burning down Awang Lah's wayang kulit theatre. 

Awang Lah confronts Jusoh when he discovers that Jusoh was the real culprit. Now 

strongly protective of Awi and Melor, Awang Lah warns Jusoh to keep away from them. 

Circumstances become too much for Awang Lah and he collapses during a wayang kulit 

performance. 

Prof Hatta Azad Khan was born in 1952. He studied theatre directing and scenography 

in the US and film studies in Australia. He is a professor of theatre and film studies, and 

the dean of the Faculty of Artistic and Creative Technology of Universiti Teknologi 

Mara, Malaysia. He writes and directs stage plays and musicals, and also writes scripts 

for feature films, documentaries and sitcoms. He wrote and directed the most popular 

and the longest-running sitcom Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu, which ran for 18 years on 

Malaysia's TV3 channel. His first feature film, Mat Som (based on Lat's comic book), 

won the best screenplay award at the 1992 Malaysian Film Festival and represented 

Malaysia in international film festivals in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Hawaii, Bangalore, Taipei 

and Jakarta. Wayang is his second feature film based on his own screenplay. 

62



The Man Who Loved Yngve 

/ Mannen som elsket Yngve 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 98 mins, Nordic 

Norway 

November 1989. The Berlin wall collapses. In Stavanger town, Jarle Klepp (17) has no 

idea that everything is about to change. So far he has got everything; the best girlfriend in 

the world, and the world's coolest buddy. Together they will soon launch Stavanger's 

toughest punk band, Mattias Rust Band. But then the new boy in class, Yngve, appears. 

He is not like anyone else, and Jarle is confused. He does not know what to do. All he 

knows is that he cannot stop meeting Yngve, even if it involves doing things he really 

hates, like listening to Duran Duran and playing tennis. Slowly but steadily Jarle lets 

everyone around him down, and finds out what it means to stand alone. 

Director 

Stian Kristiansen 

Screenplay 

Tore Renberg 


Trond Høines 

Editor 

Vidar Flataukan 

Music 

John Erik Kaada 

Cast 

Rolf Kristian Larsen (Jarle Klepp), Arthur Berning (Helge), 

Ole Christoffer Ertvåg (Yngve), Ida Elise Broch (Cathrine) 

Art 

Tuva Hølmebakk 

Production 

Motlys AS 

Sagveien 18, N-0459 Oslo, Norway 

T: +4722808370 

F: +4722808371 

Email: motlys@motlys.com 

World Sales 

Nonstop Sales 

Döbelnsgatan 24, SE-113 52 Stockholm, Sweden 

Tel: +46 8 673 9980 | Fax: +46 8 673 9988 

Email: info@nonstopsales.net 

www.nonstopsales.net 


Nordic Film Festival-Rouen, Kristiansand International 

Children's Film Festival, Karlovy Vary, European Film 

Festival-Palic, Jecheon International Music & Film Festival- 

South-Korea, Skolbio Filmfestival-Umea, Helsinki, Zurich, 

Flanders, Norwegian International Film Festival-Haugesund- 

Amanda (Best Children and Youth Film, Best Director, Best 

Film, Best Editing) 

Stian Kristiansen, born 1972, has studied directing in Stavanger, and graduated as a 

director from The Norwegian Film School in 2006. He has worked for several years as an 

actor at Rogaland Teater, and acted in films such as Benny and Mongoland. He has 

previously directed the short films Adam and Eve, Blindsight, Kiss me, god ¨damn it!, 

Bad Investment and Hidden. This is his feature film debut as director. 

63

COMPETITION 




Caregiver 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, Filipino-English 

Director 

Chito S. Roño 

Screenplay 

Chris Martinez 


Eli Balce 

Editor 

Manet A. Dayrit 

Music 

Carmina Cuya 

Cast 

Sharon Cuneta (Sarah Gonzales), John Estrada (Teddy 

Gonzales), Rica Peralejo (Karen), Makisig Morales (Sean), 

John Manalo (Paulo Gonzales) 


Raymond Bajarias 

Sound 

Albert Michael Idioma 


ABS-CBN Global 

150 Shoreline Drive 

Redwood City, CA 94065, USA 

T: 1-800-227-9676 

Email: starrystarrystore@abs-cbni.com, 

customerservice@abs-cbni.com 

Sarah, a grade school English teacher, joins the 150,000 Pinoy overseas female workers 

working in the United Kingdom to support her husband, Teddy, and to improve the living 

conditions of their family. More than just a chronicle of the Filipinos' experience 

working as nurses and caregivers in the UK, this story also charts Sarah's journey to selfdiscovery 

- from a submissive wife who makes sacrifices to make way for her Teddy's 

aspirations to an empowered woman who finds dignity and pride in a humbling job as a 

caregiver in London. The story begins as Sarah says goodbye to her familiar world. The 

film is based on real-life story of Filipino caregivers abroad. Eighty per cent of the film 

was shot in Littlehampton, West Sussex in three straight weeks. 

A veteran filmmaker, Chito S. Roño has made a large number of films and TV serials. 

Currently, he is filming Dagaw and is in pre-production of Hula. 

64




Drumbeats / Tambolista 

2007, 35 mm, B&W/ Colour, 90 mins, Filipino 

Jason, 14, lives in a slum district of Manila. Jason can drum better than anyone, but he 

doesn't have a drum kit. He probably won't get one either, because his brother makes his 

girlfriend pregnant and his friend Pablo tends to wave his knife around too much. But 

Jason carries on drumming in his dreams. The slums of Manila function as a lively and 

intense location for a series of successful Filipino feature films. This latest film by the 

young and very productive director Adolfo Alix Jr. fits in that list, but distinguishes itself 

through its idiosyncratic approach. For instance, it is nearly all shot in black & white, 

apart from a few bloody colourings. In addition, he allowed his film to be carried by three 

fairly young actors. The story is told in restless fragments with the rhythm of a drum solo. 

The film has a subtle soundtrack inspired by drums that was made by filmmaker Khavn 

De La Cruz 

Director 

Adolf Alix Jr 

Screenplay 

Ave Regina S. Tayag 


Albert Banzon 

Editor 

Aleks Castañeda 

Music 

Khavn (as Khavn Dela Cruz) 

Cast 

Jiro Manio (Jason), Sid Lucero (Pablo), Coco Martin (Billy), 

Anita Linda 


Jhek Cogama 

Sound 

Ditoy Aguila, Junel Valencia 

Production 

Bicycle Pictures, Creative Programs Inc 


Rotterdam (Hubert Bals Fund), Bangkok, Munich, Barcelona 

Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr was born in Makati in the Philippines. He graduated from the 

University of the City of Manila with a degree in mass communications before becoming 

a screenwriter for various television programmes and feature films. Since his debut as a 

director in 2006, he has become one of the most prolific young Filipino filmmakers. His 

debut film, Donsol, was selected to represent the Philippines in the Best Foreign 

Language film category of the 2007 Academy Awards. His other films include Kadin 

(2007), Batanes (2007), Daybreak (2008) and Adela (2008). 

65

COMPETITION 



Poland 

Scratch / Rysa 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 89 mins, Polish 

Director 

Michal Rosa 

Screenplay 

Michal Rosa 


Marcin Koszalka 

Editor 

Krzysztof Szpetmanski 

Music 

Stanislaw Radwan 

Cast 

Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieslak (Joanna), Krzysztof Stroinski 

(Jan) 


Anna Jagna Janicka 

Sound 

Piotr Domaradzki 

Costumes 

Anna Jagna Janicka 

Production 

Filmcontract Ltd 

Chelmska 21, 00-724 Warsaw (Poland) 

T: +48 22 840 22 78 

F: +48 22 841 65 91 

Email: biuro@filmcontract.pl 

World Sales 

m-appeal 

Prinzessinnenstr. 16 - 10969 Berlin (Germany) 

T: +49 30 61 50 75 05 

F: +49 30 27 58 28 72 

Email: mk@m-appeal.com 


Venice, Polish Film Fest-USA, Gdynia 

This is a very simple story. And it is traditional. A couple, he and she, have been living 

together happily for many years. That life has had its ups and downs, but they have 

survived supporting and respecting each other, as well as having won the respect of 

others. Suddenly something casts a shadow over their relationship, something going 

back many years, to the times before they had met - a scratch on the shiny surface. Like a 

returning wave that original sin hits their marriage. 

Michal Rosa, born in 1963 in Zabrze, is a Polish movie director. He is a graduate from 

the University of Silesia Radio and Television school. He has made films like Co slonko 

widzialo (2006), Cisza (2001), Farba (1998), Gorlcy czwartek (1994) 

66



The Golden Helmet 

/ O Capacete Dourado 


Portugal 

The darkness of night, a barely lit place, motorbikes flirting with danger: a group of 

teenagers at a crossroads playing chicken with unaware passing cars. Jota stands out 

from this group, unclassifiable; his destiny has no straight lines save those on the asphalt. 

Jota lives in permanent conflict with everything and everybody in his small town. No 

room for stillness. And then comes Margarida. Jota has no inside, Margarida has no 

outside. In spite of, or because of, that, they meet. What can they do? They can just ride, 

they can get away with it even if it's all messed up. Love is to be lived. 

Director 

Jorge Cramez 

Screenplay 

Carlos Mota, Rui Catalao 


Inês Carvalho 

Editor 

Jaime Freitas 

Cast 

Eduardo Frazão (Jota), Ana Moreira (Margarida), Rogério 

Samora (Trindade), Alexandre Pinto (Rato) 

Art 

Stephen Malho 

Sound 

Ricardo Leal, Carlos Mota, Miguel Martins 

Costumes 

Yara Jerónimo 

Production 

Clap Filmes 


Locarno, Festoria 

Born in Angola in 1963, Jorge Cramez graduated in Media Studies in 1988. Between 

1991 and 1994, he took a course in cinema editing at the Drama and Film Higher 

Education School. He has worked as script supervisor and assistant director for directors 

like Teresa Villaverde, João César Monteiro, João Botelho, Jorge Silva Melo, José 

Álvaro Morais, Joaquim Leitão, João Mário Grilo, Fernando Lopes, Werner Schroeter, 

Catarina Ruivo, Miguel Gomes and others. He has made five short films that have been 

presented at film festivals and have won prizes. This is his first feature film. 

67

COMPETITION 



Portugal 

Misbegotten / Mal nascida 


Director 

João Canijo 

Screenplay 

João Canijo 


Mário Castanheira 

Editor 

João Braz 

Music 

Gabriel Gomes 

Cast 

Márcia Breia, Gonçalo Waddington, Anabela Moreira, 

Fernando Luís, Tiago Rodrigues 

Production 


Rua Vitor Cordon 

1200-482 Lisboa, Portugal 

T: +351 21 325 5800 

F: +351 21 325 8730 

Email:geral.clap@clapfilmes.pt 


Venice, Orizzonti 

Lúcia is misbegotten, unloved and the eternal widow of her own father. A cry of rage in 

bodily form, she is mad, maltreated and humbled. She wears mourning in remembrance 

of her mother's crime and betrayal, and gives vent to her inconsolable pain to make sure 

there's no rest or respite for the killers of her father. She lives in hope of her brother's 

return so she can fulfil her promise of avenging her father's blood. 

João Canijo has earlier directed films like In The Darkness Of The Night (2003) and 

Ganhar A Vida (2001). 

68



Portugal 

Summer of 1870. Two writers, Eça de Queiroz and Ramalho Ortigão decide to write a 

four-handed whodunit for the daily Diário de Notícias. Could it be that the story they 

wrote as fiction is based on a real case? This question fuels the conflict between the two 

writers and drives them to a nearly fatal duel played out between Sintra and Malta. 

Lisbon is in commotion. One crime follows another in a story in which love is stronger 

than tradition, intrigue eludes evidence and everything happens at frenzied pace, as in a 

game. This film defies conventions - it is a bitter comedy of manners and a biting 

th 

critique of the romantic Portuguese society of the 19 century - and why, also of today's 

society. 

The Mystery of Sintra 

/ O Misterio da Estrada de Sintra 


Director 

Jorge Manuel Paixão da Costa 

Screenplay 

Newton Cannito, Tiago Borralho, Jorge Manuel Paixão da 

Costa, Luisa Costa 


Luis Branquinho 

Editor 

Joao Braz 

Music 

Guga Bernardo 

Cast 

Ivo Canelas (Eca Queiros), Antonio Pedro Cerdeira (Ramalho 

Ortigao) 

Sound 

Francisco Veloso, Luis Adelmo, Branco Neskov 

Costumes 

Silvia Grabowski 

Production 

Pandora da Cunha Telles e Antonio da Cunha Telles 

Praca do principe Real No. 23 1 1250-184, Lisbon, Portugal; 

Filmes Fundo 

T/F: 0351 21324 32 00 


Chicago Latino film festival, Gramado (Brazil), Eurocine- 

Belgium (Best Actor to Ivo Canelas) 

Jorge Paixao da Costa 

Jorge Manuel Paixão da Costa, born in 1954 in Lisbon, has a degree in Histroy, Theory 

and Sociology of Cinema from University of Estocolm. After making a number of short 

films and documentaries, he made his first film Adeus Princesa in 1991, which was 

followed by films like Ladrão Que Rouba A Anão Tem Cem Anos De Prisão (1992). He 

has been a prolific maker of documentaries, video films and TV programmes. 

69



Portugal 

The Other Side 

/ A Outra Margem 


Director 

Luís Filipe Rocha 

Screenplay 

Luís Filipe Rocha 


Edgar Moura 

Editor 

Antonio Reina 

Music 

Pedro Teixeira Silva 

Cast 

Filipe Duarte (Ricardo), Maria D'Aires (Maria), Tomás 

Almeida (Vasco), Horácio Manuel (Jose), Sara Graça (Luisa), 

Eduardo Silva (Luis) 

Art 

Isabel Branco 

Sound 

Carlos Alberto Lopes 

Costumes 

Isabel Branco 

Production 


Rua Vitor Cordon 

1200-482 Lisboa 

T: +351 21 325 5800 

F: +351 21 325 8730 

Email: geral.clap@clapfilmes.pt 

http://www.clapfilmes.pt/ 

World Sales 

Mad Filmes 

Rua Vitor Cordon, No. 37 

1200-482 Lisbon, Portugal 

T: +351 21 3255800/60 

F: +351 21 3428730 


Montreal (Best Actor), Sevilla, Huelva, Guadalajara (Best 

Actress, Special Jury Award), Torino 

A transvestite who has lost his appetite for life is confronted with the joy of living of an 

adolescent with Down's syndrome. 

Born in Lisbon in 1947, Luis Filipe Rocha graduated in law in 1971. Between 1967 and 

1971, he was an active member of the Theatre Group of Lisbon Law School, as an actor, 

assistant stage director, author, playwright, translator and producer. In 1973, he fled into 

exile in Brazil, where he works in the theatre with Izaias Almada. In 1974, he started his 

cinematographic career as an assistant director and documentary filmmaker, and in 

1976, directed his first film, Barronhos - Who was Afraid of the People's Power? From 

then onwards, he has made several acclaimed films. 

70

COMPETITION 



2008, 35 mm, Colour, 100 mins, Romanian 

Romania 

Crossing Dates 

/ Întâlniri încruciate 

Each day of our lives brings us new encounters with our fellow-men: our paths cross, we 

see each other, and speak or don't speak to each other. Then we walk away to the next 

encounter. Both chance and intention play a part in these encounters, and the 

consequences can remain like footmarks on the paths of our lives. The movie mingles 

three separate stories which take place over two days. The characters' paths intersect, and 

they affect each other unintentionally. The three stories are united not only by the 

characters but also by re-readings of the same theme at different registers. This is a way 

of saying that every meeting happens in this way, despite outward appearances. Of 

course, the first story provides the key in the most obvious terms: a radio-star meets a 

convict serving a life sentence; they both have the same name and everybody sees the 

resemblance between them. The characters in the second story, a Norwegian man and a 

Romanian woman are very different, but here the differences work in a complementary 

way, because love is involved. In the third story, the differences are no longer social or 

geographical. Only the actions of the characters make them different. This story also 

concludes in very final terms for the protagonists: the journey is one from life to death. 

Director 

Anca Damian 

Screenplay 

Anca Damian in collaboration with Razvan Radulescu 


Liviu Marghidan 

Editor 

Dana Bunescu 

Music 

Pessi Levanto 

Cast 

Mimi Br?nescu, Andi Vasluianu, Oxana Moravec, Doru 

Bogu?? 

Art 

Ana Ioneci 

Costumes 

Sucran Popescu 

Production 

Making Movies 

Linnankatu 7 

00160 Helsinki, Romania 

T: +358-9-68 29 540 

F: +358-9-6842 7870 

Email:mamo@mamo.fi; 

Yle RadioTv 

PL 68 

FI-00024 Yleisradio, Romania 

T: +358 9 1480 4033 

Email:katsojapalvelu.tv1@yle.fi 


Pusan, Chicago, Transilvania, Cottbus Film Festival of East 

European Cinema 

The 1962-born Anca Damian studied at the Academy of Theatre and Film Arts where 

she obtained a diploma in cinematography. She has worked as a director and a 

screenwriter and producer for several documentaries on art, most of them selected at 

important festivals in Paris, Montreal, Montecatini and Szolnok. Some of these films got 

national and international prizes and were broadcasted on RAI SAT (Italy) and Kunst 

Kanaal (The Netherlands). She also worked as director of photography of two long 

feature films and as professor at the National University of Cinematographic and 

Theatrical Art. This is her first feature film. 

71



Russia 

A Few Simple Wishes 


Director 

Din Makhamatdinov 

Screenplay 

Din Makhamatdinov, Aleksei Timm 


Aleksandr Grebenkin 

Editor 

Tatiana Ballyuzek 

Music 


Cast 

Maksim Averin (Pavel), Vitali Emashov (Moff Maxim), 

Aleksei Zharkov, Yelena Podkaminskaya (Eva) 


Aleksandr Rybkin 

Costume 

Elena Lisovskay 

Sound 

Igor Zamotayev 

Production 

Yuri Ginzburg Producing Company 

Mosfilmovskaya Str 1 

Office No. 304 

119991 Moscow, Russia 

T/F: +7 (985)923-20-58, +7(499)143-95-34 

Email: u.ginzburg@mail.ru 


Moscow, Shanghai 

A young woman Eva marries for love a businessman of her liking. However, her married 

life turns to be full of disappointments. Eva's striving for a change brings into being an 

unearthly force - a spectral creature, an express image of her husband. Neglected by her 

actual husband, Eva rushes slap-bang into an affair with his image, who, what is more, 

fulfills all her disappointed wishes of the past... Beware of your wishes! 

Din Makhamatdinov was born in 1961 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He works as an 

advertiser on TV and directs music videos. 

72

COMPETITION 



Serbia-Bosnia & Herzegovina 

The Tour / Turneja 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 107 mins, Serbian-Bosnian-Croatian 

Year 1993. The bleakest time of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A group of actors from 

Belgrade, utterly unaware of what they're setting themselves up for, embark on a search 

for quick earnings - on a "tour" around the Serbian Krajina. Thrust into the heart of war, 

wandering from warfront to warfront, meeting with Serbian, Muslim and Croatian 

fighters, they manage to save themselves from all perilous situations thanks to the 

quality that every actor must have - a childish passion for play. A few days later, after 

having experienced all the horrors of war and having even been on the brink of death on a 

few occasions, they return to their theatre as different people. The war had changed 

them: they are no longer the innocent, child-like creatures who look forward to play but 

people with a dark shadow cast over their souls. 

Director 

Goran Markovic 

Screenplay 

Goran Markovic 


Radoslav Vladic 

Editor 

Snazana Ivanovic 

Music 

Zoran Simjanovic 

Cast 

Tihomir Stanic, Jelena Djokic, Dragan Nikolic, Mira Furlan, 

Gordan Kicic, Josif Tatic, Slavko Stimac 

Art 

Veljko Despotovic 

Production 

Testament Films 

Nebojšina 30/2 

11000 Belgrade, Serbia 

T: +381 11 30 87 87 3 

F: +381 11 3236 215 

Email: svetozarc@atelje212.co.yu 

www.testament-films.co.yu; 

Balkan Films 

Milana Kranovica 4, Banja Luka, 

Republika Srpska, Bosnia & Herzegovina 

T: +381 63 801 30 84 

F: +387 65 208 085 

Email: tihost@eunet.yu 


st 

Serbia's entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 81 

Academy Awards (2009), 

Montreal (Best Director, FIPRESCI award), Pusan 

Son of Rade and Olivera Markovic, two highly-reputed Yugoslav actors, Goran 

Markovic studied film directing (1965-1970) in Prague, Czechoslovakia at the Film 

Academy (FAMU). He belongs to the so-called "Czech School" group of Yugoslav 

directors, which include Goran Paskaljevic, Srdjan Karanovic, Lordan Zafranovic, 

Rajko Grlic, Emir Kusturica. At the Academy he was taught literature by Milan Kundera 

and film directing by Elmar Kloss. After graduating, Markovic started working for 

television, directing documentaries and about 50 TV movies. The TV series Neobavezno 

(Casual) is considered a hallmark from that period. His first feature film was the highlyacclaimed 

Specijalno vaspitanje (Special education, 1976). Since then, he has made 

acclaimed movies like Nacionalna Klasa (National Class, 1978), Majstori, majstori 

(Jack's of All Trades, 1980), Variola Vera (1982), Tajvanska kanasta (Taiwan Canasta, 

1985), Déjà vu (The Reflections, 1987), Sabirni centar (Meeting Point, 1989), Tito i ja 

(Tito and Me, 1992), Urnebesna tragedija (Tragedy Burlesque, 1995), Poludeli ljudi 

(Belgrade follies, 1997) and Srbija nulte godine (Serbie, Annee Zero, 2001). He has been 

an active theatre artiste too. 

73

COMPETITION 



Singapore 

Salawati 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 82 mins, Malay-Tamil-Chinese-English 

Director 

Marc X Grigoroff 

Screenplay 

Marc X Grigoroff 


Roszali Samad 

Editor 

Sean Ashley, Joyce Tok 

Music 

Pindar Plifner, Belinda Foo 

Cast 

Siti Aisyah Masgot (Salawati), Mastura Ahmad (Fatimah), 

Zaidi Ibrahim (Ishak), Zarina Safuan (Siti), Ravi Kumar (Raj) 

Art 

Dinie 

Sound 

Chia Jenn Hui 

Production 

Freddy Kee, Farhana Mustapha 

Contact 

marcx@singnet.com.sg 


Seattle 

It is the story of Wati, a 12-year-old Singaporean-Malay girl who has just witnessed the 

death of her older brother, Shahim, in a swimming tragedy. Wati's parents are devastated. 

Her mother tries to hold the family together, while her father struggles to control his 

misdirected anger. The role of Islam in the lives of Wati and her family is revealed, for it 

is impossible to separate their beliefs from their lifestyle and the manner in which they 

deal with Shahim's death. Wati's story is intertwined with two others: an Indian courier 

with a penchant for drinking and fighting; and a Chinese man who is consumed by career 

goals. It becomes increasingly apparent that each of these men played some role in the 

death of her brother, and as Wati begins to follow them, the mystery deepens. Finally, a 

haunting sequence illuminates the events surrounding her brother's death, and Wati is 

left with a choice that will change the lives of everyone. Salawati explores the fragile 

nature of human relationships, particularly in the face of tragedy. It calls into question 

our notions of morality, mercy, revenge and ultimately, forgiveness. 

Marc X Grigoroff left the United States in 1993 to take a position at Dentsu Inc. in 

Tokyo, where he was responsible for English-language advertising for Japanese clients. 

His efforts earned him numerous international awards. In 1997, he moved to Singapore, 

where he wrote the inaugural 2002 MTV Asia Awards, winning the Best Entertainment 

Special at the Asian Advertising Awards. Additionally, he wrote three seasons of 

Nickelodeon's Gruff's Groovebox, a popular animated series for children. Marc has 

directed a number of television commercials for top regional and international 

companies,. In 2001, he wrote and directed the musical, A Quiet Moment. In 2005, he 

directed and performed in a short film entitled, A Day in the Life of My Death, which was 

based on a theatrical monologue he had written. This is his first feature-length film. 

74




Spain 

An Invisible Man 

/ Una mujer invisible 

Mobile phone company executive, Luisa, feels invisible at her 44 years of age: she lives 

alone, has been left by her husband and her daughter studies away from home. At the 

works party, she's ignored by Jorge, a colleague the same age as herself whose partner for 

the evening is the young company phone salesgirl, Marina. Indignant, Luisa turns to an 

actress and to her table tennis coach to make herself noticed and seduce Jorge. 

Director 

Gerardo Herrero 

Screenplay 

Belén Gopegui 


Alfredo Mayo 

Editor 

Berta Frías 

Music 

Lucio Godoy 

Cast 

María Bouzas (Luisa), Adolfo Fernández (Jorge), Nuria Gago 

(Marina), Tamar Novas (Javier), María Salgueiro (Teresa) 

Art 

Sandra Frantz 

Sound 

Eduardo Esquide 

Production 

Tornasol Films; Milú Films; Continental Producciones 

World Sales 

Latido Films 

Calle Veneras 9, 6 

28013 Madrid, Spain 

T: +34 915 488 877 

F: +34 915 488 878 

Email:latido@latidofilms.com 

www.latidofilms.com 


San Sebastian 

Gerardo Herraro is among Spain's top film producers; he also occasionally directs and 

writes screenplays for feature films. His first production credit was Guantanamera 

(1995), a bouncy, Cuba-set comedy about a family who must journey across the island to 

bury their recently-deceased aunt in her home town. He made his directorial debut with 

the post-Franco-set melodrama Malena Es un Nombre de Tango/Malena Is a Name 

From a Tango (1996). His film Territorio Comanche/Comanche Territory (1997) is a 

gripping story of three war correspondents who come together in Sarajevo and risk their 

lives to report upon the horrors of the Bosnian conflict. 

75

COMPETITION 



Spain 

Under the Snow 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, Spanish 

Director 

Candela Figueira, Maitena Muruzabal 

Screenplay 

Candela Figueira, Maitena Muruzabal 


Rob Christopher Webb 

Editor 

Eduardo Chibás Fernández 

Music 

Gonzalo Díaz Yerro 

Cast 

Laura De Pedro (Angela), Gabriel Latorre (Javier), Asun 

Aguinaco (Karmentxu), 

Xabi Yárnoz (Jairo) 

Sound 

Fernando Urrutia, Oliver Barriga & Victor Moreno 


Cronopia Films 

Travesia Monasterio Cilveti 2, 9A 

31011 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain 

T: (+34) 948.174.855 Spain 

(+1) 310.405.4251 USA 

Email: cronopia@cronopia.com; candela@cronopia.com; 

maitena@cronopia.com 

www.cronopia.com 


Valladolid (Audience Award), Miami Underground (Best 

Feature), Moscow, Cuenca, Santiago, New Jersey 

Following the unusual connection made between four workers at different stages of their 

lives, this film captures factory life in a way rarely seen: personal, flirtatious, 

introspective. With the winter season fast approaching and orders piling up in the snow 

chain division, supervisor Javier and shy assistant Jairo are joined by temporary 

workers, motherly Karmentxu and feisty Angela. For long, frigid days they each pack 

chains in silence until Angela starts breaking the rules - then work becomes a game and 

their cold, gray building a playground. This newfound camaraderie challenges them to 

look at what they demand of their lives and of each other, but this world only survives 

thanks to the continuous snow. What is going to happen when the snow ceases to fall? 

Candela Figueira was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1978 and Maitena 

Muruzabal in Pamplona, Spain in 1979. The two met in Los Angeles in 2001, when 

both decided to extend their filming studies at the University of California, Los Angeles 

(UCLA). Candela has a bachelor degree in Directing and Producing (Belgrano 

University, Argentina) and Maitena a bachelor degree in Audiovisual Communication 

(Navarra University, Spain). It was during their studies at UCLA that a group of friends 

banded together, making a great deal of short films. With their schooling behind them, 

they went their separate ways in pursuit of their careers. Their professional paths 

collided again in 2003 during the filming of Americano, a US production, filmed in 

Pamplona, Spain. During that time, the idea of working together again and creating a 

production company that would allow them to carry out their own projects began to 

grow. Thus, by the end of 2004, Cronopia, the production company was created in 

Pamplona. Candela permanently resides in Los Angeles, while Maitena lives full time in 

Pamplona. The physical distance does not impede their work together; they continue to 

turn into reality these stories that keep appearing in their imagination 

76



Who's Next 

/ Todos Estamos Invitados 


Spain 

Xabier is a university professor who has spoken out against the violent tactics of Basque 

separatists. Josu Jon carried out some of those acts, but after a car crash he doesn't 

remember what he did or why he did it, but inside he feels that it was wrong. His old 

cronies are trying to drag him back into the fold, though. When Xabier's life is threatened 

he feels like everyone on the street is watching him and that many are following him. 

This paranoid reaction does seem more real and likely than the macho fearlessness we 

usually see in movies. A realistic portrayal of life in Spain's politically-delicate Basque 

region. 

Director 

Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón 

Screenplay 

Ángeles González-Sinde , Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón 


Gonzalo Berridi 

Editor 

Jose Salcedo 

Music 

Angel Illarramendi 

Cast 

Óscar Jaenada (Josu Jon), José Coronado (Xabier Legazpi), 

Vanessa Incontrada (Francesca), Iñaki Miramón (Imanol 

Iribar), Adolfo Fernández (Orkatz González) 

Art 

Felix Murcia 

Sound 

Jose Salcedo, Pablo Gil 

Production 

Enrique Cerezo 

World Sales 


Veneras 9, 6°, 28013 

Madrid, Spain 

T: +34 91 548 8877 

F: +34 91 548 8878 

Email: latido@latidofilms.com 



Montreal, Málaga (Jury Prize, Best Supporting Actor), 

Toulouse Cinespaña (Best Film, best Actor), Seminci, 

Valladolid 


Spanish filmmaker Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón learned his craft at the Escuela Oficial 

de Cinematografía. After graduating in 1970, he made Habla, Mudita/Speak, Little Mute 

(1973), which won awards at the Berlin Film Festival as did his sophomore film Camada 

Negra/Black Litter (1977). In addition to his work in feature films, Gutiérrez Aragón has 

dabbled in theater and television direction. In the latter, he is best known for his elaborate 

adaptation of the first half of Cervantes' Don Quixote. 

77

COMPETITION 



Spain-Argentina 

Wrap Up / Abrigate 

2007, Colour, 35 mm, 90 mins, Spanish-Galician 

Director 

Ramón Costafreda 

Screenplay 

Fernando Castets, Ramón Costafreda 


Jesús Escosa 

Editor 

Guillermo Represa 

Music 

Xavier Font, Arturo Vaquero 

Cast 

Manuela Pal, Félix Gómez, María Bouzas, Javier Lombardo, 

Celso Bugallo, Pablo Tamayo, Cristina Ramallal, María 

Salgueiro 

Art 

CURRU GARABAL 

Sound 

VICENTE D´ELIA 

Production 

Continental 

Ercilla 46, bajo 

28005 Madrid, Spain 

T: +34 914 745 415 

F: +34 915 175 705 

Email: Madrid@continental-producciones.es 

World Sales 


Veneras 9, 6°, 28013 

Madrid, Spain 

T: +34 91 548 8877 

F: +34 91 548 8878 

Email: latido@latidofilms.com 



Lleida Latin-American Film Festival (Audience Award, Best 

Actress Award, TVE Award), Medfilm Rome, Alexandria 

Valeria has changed her native Buenos Aires for Betanzos, a town in Galicia where her 

family comes from. Eccentric, dreamer and funny, in her 25 she finds herself in the most 

surreal love crossroads of her life: after the sudden death of her mature and attractive 

lover, she falls in love with Marcelo, the son of the deceased. Her friend Adela, the owner 

of the hairdresser's where both of them work at, will help her to clear up her mind. 

Meanwhile they enjoy with their friends the little joys of life, laugh the sorrows and 

daydream about having a different life, maybe inspired by the posters from Paris that 

decorate the hairdresser's…A story about the universal desire of finding the own 

identity, decode the collective one and live through love in a land that is every bit as good 

as Paris boulevards. 


Ramón Costafreda, born in 1955 at Mos, Pontevedra, Spain, has been shooting 

commercials for international companies all over the world since 1989. He has a number 

of awards to his credit, including 14 Pavos Reales (the Goya of the Spanish advertising 

industry) and a Grand Prix for Advertising from the international festival in San 

Sebastian. His first feature work, the made-for-television film Más que hermanos 

(2005), was highly acclaimed among viewers in Spain. His film debut, which he also 

wrote, again won not only the Audience Award but also the TVE Award and the award for 

Best Actress at the Lleida Latin-American Film Festival. His next film, Dead Hand 

Knocking (Mà morta truca a la porta, 2007), is based on a work by the prominent 

Catalan writer Sergi Pàmies and uses distinctive experimental methods. Costafreda has 

been teaching at Madrid's ECAM film school since 2003. 

78



Taiwan 

Cape No. 7 


Aga left Hengchun for Taipei in the hope of becoming the singer in a band. After ten 

years of hard work, he returns home, his dream unfulfilled, and soon gets a job at the 

local post office. Tomoko is a Japanese model going down in popularity who is asked to 

put together a local warm-up band for an upcoming Japanese super star beach concert to 

be held in Hengchun. However, recruiting the band members proves to be as difficult a 

task as the search for the famous seven samurai. Still, seven ordinary Hengchun 

residents end up forming the band. One day, Aga receives a parcel from Japan not meant 

for him - in fact, it was to have been delivered at Cape No.7., an address that doesn't exist 

anymore … But even though he cannot find the address, Aga doesn't return the parcel to 

Japan. Rather, he opens it to find love letters written some 60 years ago by a Japanese 

teacher and addressed to a Taiwanese girl he was deeply in love with, but had to leave 

behind in Taiwan. During the process of putting the band together, Aga and Tomoko are 

constantly at odds with each another, but thanks to the love letters, their conflict-ridden 

relationship slowly turns into love. And even though they eventually find the lady the 

parcel was meant for, it seems that Aga and Tomoko are destined to follow the same 

footsteps as the girl and the teacher in their own love story … Tomoko must now decide 

whether she will stay together with Aga or go back to Japan alone. 

Director 

Wei Te-Sheng 

Screenplay 

Wei Te-Sheng 


Chin Ting-Chang 

Editor 

Lai Hui-Chuan, Su Pei-I 

Music 

Fred Lu, Lo Chi-Yi 

Cast 

Van Tanaka Chie, Min-Hsiung, Ma Nien-Hsien, Ying Wei- 

Min, Joanne, Johnny C.J. Lin, Shino Lin, Bjanav Zenror 

Sound 

Tu Duu-Chi 

Production 

ARS Film Production 

2F, No. 82, Fuxing S. Rd., Section 2, Da-an District 

Taipei City 106, Taiwan 

T : 886-958-483-258 

Email: christa@url.com.tw 

World Sales 

Good Films Workshop 

11F, No. 294-1, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Da-an District 

Taipei City 106, Taiwan 

T: 886-936-968-411 

F: 886-2-2709-8521 

Email: ritachuang@hotmail.com 


Taiwan Official Entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at 

st 

the 81 Academy Awards, 2009; Taipei (Audience Choice 

Award, New Talent Competition), Pusan, Hawaii 

Wei Te-Sheng's film career began when he found a job in a small production company. 

In 1993, he became grip assistant in Edward Yang's film studio, and at the time when 

Yang was filming Mahjong (1996), Wei was promoted from grip assistant to assistant 

director. Then, from 1995 to 1998, he himself shot a number of shorts including Face in 

the Evening (1995), Three Dialogues (1996) and Before Dawn (1997), all three of which 

won Golden Harvest Award for Film and Digital Video. Following these, his first feature 

film, About July (1999), was well received by film critics in Taiwan and was honored 

with a Special Mention from the Alcan Dragons And Tigers Award For Young Cinema at 

the Vancouver International Film Festival. Wei was also the associate producer of 

Double Vision (2002), a film of the Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia.In 2004, he 

raised 2.5 million dollars to shoot the trailer of Seediq Bale, the first step towards raising 

200 million dollars to finance the shooting of the complete film. Wei always endeavours 

to use the talent and ability of Taiwanese film artisans to their fullest. 

79

COMPETITION 



Taiwan 

The Most Distant Course 

/ Zui Yao Yuan De Ju Li 


Director 

Lin Jing-Jie 

Screenplay 

Lin Jing-Jie 


Yang Wei-Han, Song Wen-Zhong 

Editor 

Chen Xiao-Dong 

Music 

Zheng Jie-Ren 

Cast 

Kwai Lun-Mei (Ruoyun), Mo Zi-Yi (Xiao Tang), Jiz Xiao- 

Guo (Ah Tsai) 

Art 

Wu Ruo-Yun 

Sound 

Tang Xiang-Zhu 

Production 

Qixia Films 

World Sales 

Joint Entertainment International Inc. 

421-6f, Guang Fu South Road 

Taipei, Taiwan 11074 

T: 886 2 2720 6007X19 

F: 886 2 2758 8516 


Reykjavik, Durban, Asian Film Festival-Rome (Best Director), 

Karlovy Vary, Kosmorama, Venice (Critics Week Award) 

A heartbroken sound technician can't get over the girl who leaves him without a word. 

He collects sounds on tape and sends them to her. A girl named Ryo-yun who is involved 

with a married man keeps receiving the tapes by accident. Temptation leads her to track 

down to the sender as well as the sound that's echoing in her head. A recently divorced 

psychiatrist embarks on a soul searching journey and meets the sound technician. Will 

these three lonely souls eventually find the place that is the closest to their hearts? 

Lin Jing-Jie, born in 1967 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, has been exploring different art media 

in writing, filmmaking and theatrical directing. All of his narrative films and 

documentaries show a very unique and powerful visual style. Street Survivor received 

the Best Taiwanese Film Award at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. Furthermore, 

The Most Distant Course was selected as the opening Film at the 2007 Taipei 

International Film Festival and earned the Jury's Mention in the International 

th 

Competition. At the 64 Venice International Film Festival, The Most Distant Course 

won the International Critics' Week Award. 

80



Taiwan 

What On Earth Have I Done Wrong 

/ Qinig Fei De Yi Zhi Sheng Cuu Zhi Dao 

2007, 35 Mm, Colour, 96 Mins, Mandarin Chinese 

Taipei, 2007. Doze, a famous actor and tv director, decides to make his first film to 

satirise politicans and media that people detest. Nevertheless, before the production 

begins, the leading actor is gone and the company is running out of money. In order to 

raise money, doze leads the life into drinking, drug-taking and having erotic activities 

with every potential investor when the night falls, or even hustles the actress due to 

investors' request. At last, his beloved girlfriend leaves him because of this plan failing, 

he is completely lost in this absurdity without knowing what to do next. How is he able to 

make his first film? through the eyes of doze we see, in the chaotic absurdity of being, 

his ludicrousness, his nervous breakdown, as well as his self-reflection. Is this what a 

true "human being" is supposed to be? can we learn from him how to face our own lives 

and how to be so-called "happy"? 

Director 

Doze Niu Chen-Zer 

Screenplay 

Tseng Li-Ting, Doze Niu Chen-Zer, Tsai Tsung-Han 


Chou Yi-Wen 

Editor 

Su Pei-Yi, Tseng Li-Ting 

Music 

Mavis Fan 

Cast 

Doze Niu Chen-Zer, Chang Jun Ning 

Art 

Megan Lin 

Sound 

Tu Duu-Chi, Kuo Li-Chi 

Costumes 

Liu Chuan-Hui 

Production 

 

7F, No. 2, Alley 32, Lane 216, Sec 4, Zhongxiao E Road 

Taipei 106, Taiwan 

T: +886-2-27781229 

F: +886-2-87719487 

World Sales 

Fame Universal Entertaintment 

Unit 901, Block A, Proficient Industrial Centre 

6 Wang Kwun Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong 

T: (852) 9257 3619 

F: (852) 2793 1258 

Email: Ramychoi@Gmail.Com 


2007: Taipei Golden Horse (FIPRESCI Award), Rotterdam 

(NETPAC Award), Taipei (Best Actor, Best Actress); 2008: 

Moscow, Rome Asian Film Festival, Durban, Warsaw, Asian 

Film Festival (Hong Kong), Mill Valley (USA) 

Doze Chen-Zer Niu Was Born In 1966 In Taipei, Where His Father Settled Down After 

Migrating From Beijing. Niu Made His Debut On Stage When He Was Nine And 

Starred In Hou Hsiao-Hsien's Growing Up When He Was 16. Niu Has Performed As An 

Actor In More Than 30 Movies, And Acted In Many TV Dramas. In 2000, Niu Turned 

Director, Making A TV Series Called Kiss Of The Toast. He Then Set Up His Own 

Company, Honto Production, In 2002 And Produced And Directed His Own TV Drama 

Called Say Yes Enterprise. With The Help Of Subsidy From The Government 

Information Office, Niu Has Succeeded In Finishing This Debut Film Of His, Which Got 

th 

Four Nominations At The 44 Taipei Golden Horse Film Award In 2007 Including The 

Best Feature Film. Niu Is Now Directing His Second Movie Monga. 

81

COMPETITION 



Taiwan-Hong Kong 

Secret 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 90 mins, Mandarin Chinese 

Director 

Jay Chou 

Screenplay 

To Chi-Long, Christine 


Lee Ping-Bing, Mark 

Editor 

Cheung Ka-Fei 

Music 

Terdsak Janpan, Jay Chou 

Cast 

Jay Chou (Zhou Jielun), Kwai Lun-Mei (Rain), Anthony Wong 

(Chiu), Alice Tzeng (Zeng Kaixuan), Devon Song (Song 

Jianzhang), Huang Junlang (Alang Lance), Zhan Yuhao (Yu The first day Jay gets admitted to Tamkang Secondary School, he walks through the 

Hao Howe) campus and meets Rain in the music room who is playing a mysterious piano solo. The 

Production Design two become intimate friends and spend a lot of time together. "What's the melody you 

Kuoda played the first day we met?" asked Jay one day. "That's my secret." Rain whispered to 

Sound his ear. One day, Jay asks Rain to meet him at the music room. But accidentally, they did 

Tu Duu-Chih not meet and Rain never show up again. It seems that Rain has disappeared from this 

Production world…Later, Jay gets a photo of Rain, but what surprises him is that Rain is standing 

next to his father, Chiu (Anthony Wong) on the photo! The secrets behind Rain and the 

 

mysterious melody are going to be unlashed… 

1212 Tower Two, Admiralty Centre 


T/F: 852-2529-3898 

World Sales 

Edko Films Ltd 

1212 Tower Two, Admiralty Centre 


T/F: 852-2529-3898 


Taiwan, San Francisco, San Diego Asian film fest, Shaghai, 

Udine Far East Film Festival, Asian Film Festival-Rome 

Jay Chou, a pop star phenomenon, was born in Taiwan in 1979. He began playing the 

piano at age of four. With his unique musical style and soulful voice, he has been the 

best-selling Mandarin artiste in the world for the past five years and won numerous 

music industry awards. Jay began film acting in a starring role in Initial D (2005), which 

brought him The Best New Performer Award in The 25th Hong Kong Film Awards. His 

second film was Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), directed by China's pre-eminent 

filmmaker Zhang Yimou. Apart from many music videos, Secret is the first film that Jay 

directs and acts. He even shot the film in a quiet seaside town located near Taipei City, 

where he spent his secondary school life. 

82



Thailand 

Chocolate 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, Thai 

The consciousness of each "special child" has a unique ability or skill inside since birth. 

It is called a "gift". A special child like Zen, whose mother Sin is in the final stages of 

leukemia, could never have known that trying to exercise the rights of her mother will 

lead her mother and herself into an unknown world. Her mother used to be an important 

woman of Number-8, the leader of the most powerful and terrifying Mafia gang in 

Thailand. Consequently, her journey is a key factor leading to the confrontation between 

Number-8, of the Thai Mafia gang, and Masashi, a key member of Japanese Yakuza, who 

tries to protect Zen and her mother. It seems that the only way Zen has is to use her 

fighting gift to protect her mother. 

Director 

Prachya Pinkaew 

Screenplay 

Nepali, Chookiat Sakveerakun 


Deecha Srimanta 

Editor 

Rachan Limtrakul, Pop Surasakulwat 

Music 

Giant ape 

Cast 

Jija Yanin Vismistananda, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat 

Wachirabanjong, Amara Siripong,Tapol Pobwandee, Lim Su 

Jeong, Soumia Abalhaja, "Oh" Sirimongkol, Day Freeman 


Rachata Panpayak 

Art 

Noppon Kerdsilp 

Sound 

Ramindra 

Costumes 

Ekkasit Meeprasertkul 


Sahamongkolfilm International Co.,Ltd. 

388, 9th B Floor, S.P. Building, 

Phaholyothin Rd., Samsen-Nai, Phayathai 

Bangkok 10400 Thailand 

Email: intl_info@sahamongkolfilm.com 

gillim@gmail.com 

Prachya Pinkaew is a leading director-producer from Thailand, known particularly for 

making Thai action movies famous and successful in the world movie industry. His Ong 

Bak and Tom Yum Goong became the most successful movies in the history of Thailand. 

He stunned action lovers by choosing the unique traditional Thai boxing to show its 

power, reality and beauty. In this latest film of his, he has introduced Jija Yanin, a 23- 

year-old girl action star. 

83

COMPETITION 



Thailand 

First Flight / Raak Bin 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 98 mins, Thai 

Director 

Thanit Jitkunul 

Screenplay 

Kongkait Komesiri 


Terawat Rujinatam 

Editor 

Seree Phongniti, Surasak Panklin 

Music 

Giant Wave 

Cast 

Sornram Theappitak, Khajohnsak Rattanisai, Tom Claytor, 

Songporn Thongmark, Chompoonut Sawaetwong, Chirakit 

Suwannapath, Kritsada Patcharapipat, Wuttichai Maikan 


Saner Lohvitee 

Sound 

Wirom Jaroensuk, Preethep Boondech 

Costumes 

Naphon Sarimand 


RS FILM 

International Business Department 

419/1 Chetchotisak Building 

Ladphrao 15, Jatujark 

Bangkok 10900 Thailand 

T: 662-511-0555 ext: 3601 

F: 662-511-5325 

It is the story of the early history of aviation in the Kingdom of Siam. In the year 1912, 

Lieutenant Colonel Luang Kaj Yuthakarn was one of three Thais sent to learn flying at 

the Flying Training School in France. Upon his return, the Flying Division was 

established in Siam making it the first country in Asia to have a aviation programme. 

Luang Kaj encountered many obstacles in this effort, not the least of which was the 

resistance from members of the Royal family who thought it was nonsense. Luang Kaj 

persevered. First, he had to train his own pilots with the help of Pierre Pupong, his friend 

and former flight instructor from France. His students were five commissioned officers 

and one non-commissioned officer. The non-commissioned officer is a farm boy. 

Someone from such humble origins would normally never have a chance to be a pilot, 

but this film is about the "Power of a Dream". It is about Luang Kaj's dream to have an 

aviation programme in Siam. It is about Duong's dream to fly, and it is about a meeting of 

two cultures. The aircraft and Pierre come from the West, and Siam is in the East. 

Through the four months of hard training and the interaction of these flying cadets, we 

learn about Thai culture and the challenges of early aviators. These are the days when 

airplanes were made of wood, and the pilots were made of iron. This is a film that should 

make Thai and French people proud of their aviation history and should inspire young 

people to believe in the power of their dreams. First Flight is the first Thai movie to use 

real aerials in its production, and it is a living tribute the dreams and courage of the 

aviation pioneers in the Kingdom of Siam. 

Thanit Jitkunul is a prominent director from Thailand who won Thailand's best 

director award in 2001 for his film Bang Rajan. He decided to make this film because he 

is scared of flying. 

84



2007, 35 mm, Colour, 115 mins, Thai 

Thailand 

Muay Thai Chaiya 

In mid-1970s, three boys from a southern village become friends while spending time in 

a boxing camp. Piak is a boxer whose young soul bubbles with fighting spirit. Pao is a 

son of a Chaiya boxing legend. They both hang out with another local boy called Samor. 

Amid the backdrop of the peaceful South, the three boys spend time training with the 

hope of fulfilling their dream of becoming professional boxers. Pao has an old 

manuscript of Muay-Thai Chaiya left by his father, and the three friends are hugely 

inspired by the elegant moves and forceful blows depicted in it. But their paths are 

strewn with obstacles, and their friendship faces an ultimately test when Piak and Pao 

fall in love with the same woman, a pretty nurse called Sriprai. One day, Pao's father 

returns. His name is Tew Chaiya, and he had disappeared after a match-fixing scandal 

that involved a boxing champion Krangsuk. Upon his return, Tew Chaiya begins to pass 

on the venerated principle of Muay-Thai Chaiya to his son, as well as to Piak and Samor, 

making them the last practitioners of this ancient and mysterious art. Soon the three boys 

are ready to conquer the boxing rings in Bangkok, where the debuting prizefighters are 

forced to learn the hard lessons in the dog-eat-dog world of professional boxing. The 

battle of the three friends are as brutal and breathtaking in as it is out of the ring. 

Director 

Kongkiat Komesiri 

Screenplay 

Kongkiat Komesiri, Yossapong Pholsup 


Sayhompoo Mokdeeprom 

Editor 

Sunit Asavinikul 

Music 

Giant Wave 

Cast 

Akara Amarttayakul (Piak), Thawatchai Penpakdee (Pao), 

Sonthaya Chitmanee (Samor), Sangthong Ket-U-Thong 

(Warn), Parita Kongpech (Sriprai) 


Thana Maykaumput 

Art 

Nutnithi Settakarnvijit 

Sound 

Vanilla Sky 

Costumes 

Chatchay Chaiyon 


Five Star Production Co Ltd 

61/1 Soi Thaweemitr 2, Rama 9 Road 

Huaykwang Bangkok, 10320 Thailand 

T: (+662) 246-9029 

F: (+662) 246-2105 

Email: info@fivestarent.com 

www.fivestarent.com 


Bangkok 

Kongkiat Komesiri, born in 1975 and a graduate from Faculty of Mass 

Communications, Bangkok University, became a well-known writer with the highlysuccessful 

movie Bang Rajan in 2000. He has written several films apart from codirecting 

Kun Suk and directing Art of the Devil 2. 

85

COMPETITION 



USA 

Changeling 


Director 

Clint Eastwood 

Screenplay 

J. Michael Straczynski 


Tom Stern 

Editor 

Joel Cox, Gary D. Roach 

Music 

Clint Eastwood 

Cast 

Angelina Jolie (Christine Collins), John Malkovich (Reverend 

Gustav Briegleb), Gattlin Griffith (Walter Collins), Michelle 

Martin (Sandy), Michael Kelly (Detective Lester Ybarra) 


James J. Murakami 

Art 

Patrick M. Sullivan Jr. 

Costumes 

Deborah Hopper 

Production 

Clint Eastwood, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard 


Cannes, New York, Deauville 

The film is set in late 1920s Los Angeles and is based on the true story of a woman who 

recognises that the boy returned to her after a kidnapping is not her son. After 

confronting the city authorities, she is vilified as an unfit mother and branded delusional. 

In 1928 Los Angeles, single mother Christine Collins returns home one day to discover 

her nine-year-old son, Walter is missing. Reverend Gustav Briegleb publicises 

Christine's plight and rails against the Los Angeles Police Department for its 

incompetence, corruption and the extrajudicial punishment meted by its "Gun Squad", 

led by Police Chief James E. Davis. Several months later, Christine is told that her son 

has been found alive. A reunion is organised at Union Station by police, who believe that 

the positive publicity will negate recent criticism of the department. When Christine sees 

"Walter" she doesn't recognise him. Captain Jones pressures a confused Christine into 

taking the boy home "on a trial basis". After Christine confronts Jones with physical 

discrepancies between "Walter" and her son, Jones has a doctor visit her. He tells 

Christine that "Walter" is shorter because trauma has shrunk his spine, and pressures 

neighbourhood children and an adult neighbour with poor eyesight into identifying the 

boy as Walter. A newspaper story appears that implies Christine is an unfit mother. 

Walter's teacher and dentist give Christine signed letters confirming that "Walter" is an 

impostor…At Jones' order, Christine is taken to Los Angeles County Hospital's 

psychopathic ward…Detective Ybarra is called to a ranch to arrange a boy's deportation 

to Canada…. 

Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. needs no introduction to film lovers worldwide. A 

dashing star best known in earlier years for his tough guy, anti-hero acting roles in action 

and western films, particularly in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, his performances as the 

laconic Man with No Name in Sergio Leone's "Dollars trilogy" of A Fistful of Dollars 

(1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), and 

as Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry films have seen him become an 

enduring icon of masculinity.Eastwood has won five Academy Awards-twice each as 

Best Director and as producer of the Best Picture and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial 

Award in 1995. He has also been nominated twice for Best Actor, for his performances in 

Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby. His recent films in particular, like Million Dollar 

Baby (2004) and Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), and also earlier Revisionist Western 

films such as High Plains Drifter (1973), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and 

Unforgiven (1992) have all received a significant degree of critical acclaim. Eastwood 

also has an interest in politics and was elected Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California 

in which he served from 1986 to 1988. 

86




USA 

Honeydripper 

Acclaimed writer/director John Sayles brings the birth of rock 'n' roll to life with an 

electrifying effect in Honeydripper. Tyrone Purvis is a bar owner down on his luck. To 

drum-up business, he enlists the services of the legendary Guitar Sam. What he gets, 

instead, will forever change his Saturday nights, but threatens to raise demons from the 

past that could destroy his future. 

Director 

John Sayles 

Screenplay 

John Sayles 


Dick Pope 

Editor 

John Sayles 

Music 

Mason Daring 

Cast 

Danny Glover (Tyrone Purvis), Lisa Gay Hamilton (Delilah), 

Yaya DaCosta (China Doll), 

Charles S. Dutton (Maceo), Vondie Curtis Hall (Slick) 

Production 

Maggie Renzi 


2008: San Sebastian (Best Screenplay); 2007: Toronto, 

International Film Festival, London, St Louis, San Joaquin 

Film Festival 


John Sayles is an American writer and director. His career began as a novelist and short 

story writer. His early screenwriting credits include Piranha (1978), Battle Beyond The 

Stars (1980), Alligator (1980) and The Howling (1981). With the money he earned 

writing 'creature features', he financed his first feature as writer/director/editor, The 

Return Of The Secaucus Seven (1980), a bittersweet look at a reunion of 1960s political 

activists. His first studio movie, Baby It's You, a mid -1960's coming of age drama, was 

released in 1983. Next was the very low-budget The Brother From Another Planet 

(1984), an African-American sci-fi allegory starring Joe Morton as a black extraterrestrial 

who crashes to earth in Harlem. 

87

COMPETITION 



USA 

Women Behind the Camera 


Director 

Alexis Krasilovsky 

Screenplay 



Denise Bailie, Michelle Crenshaw, Kristin Glover, Mary 

Gonzales, Mairi Gunn, Jendra Jarnagin, Stephanie Martin, 

Hilda Mercado, Jakobine Motz, Yoshiko Osawa, LeRoy 

Patton, Karin Pelloni, El H. Sambi Sarr, Eva Testor (AAC) and 

others 

Editor 

Katey Bright 

Music 

Elizabeth Sellers 

Sound 

Steve Wohler 

Production 


Rafael Film 

1607 Landa St, Los Angeles, CA 

90026-2065 USA 

T: 323.662-5746 

Email: alexiskras@aol.com 

www.alexiskrasilovsky.com 


San Francisco Women's Film Festival (Best Women in Cinema 

Award, Tribute Award), Female Eye film festival (best 

documentary), Spirit of Moondance - Los Angeles (best 

documentary feature), Tiburon, Baltimore, Portland Women's 

Film Festival, Flying Broom International Film Festival 

(Ankara), San Francisco Women's Film Festival, Women's 

International Film Festival (Florida), Dhaka 

Who knew that only two per cent of cinematographers on the largest budget American 

films were women? And what will the world of film be like when the vision of women 

informs it in a fuller way? This made-by-women-for-women global documentary, 

based upon Krasilovsky's book of the same name, connects globally, exploring the lives 

of camerawomen in Canada, China, France, Germany, India, India, Iran, Mexico, 

Russia, Senegal, and other countries in a way never seen before. For six years, the film's 

makers followed the lives of over 50 camerawomen, from video journalists risking their 

lives in war zones, to feature directors of photography, shooting buddies-with-guns 

escaping in slow motion from total destruction on commercial sets… from secret films 

by camerawomen of the Taliban beating Afghani women, to historic footage by China's 

first camerawomen of Mao's travels through the Chinese countryside… from the 

narrative of a Russian filmmaker who filmed the fall of the Soviet Union, whose choice 

of career is told as a love story… to rural India, where subsistence-level women are 

taught camerawork as a means of empowerment…to the glowing young Senegalese 

camerawoman willing to climb onto a man's shoulders - literally - to get her subject, 

Krasilovsky shows us a world of beauty, courage and technical skill. Indian 

camerapersons featured in the film include Sabeena Gadihoke, Ashok Mehta, Leelaben 

Paben, Priya Seth Rao, M Shanti and Vijayalakshmi. 

After studying film history at Yale University, Alexis Krasilovsky embarked on a career 

as an independent filmmaker and holographer. Krasilovsky was the first to include the 

film techniques of zooming and dissolving in a motion picture hologram, Created and 

Consumed by Light (1975). Her pro-choice hologram, Childbirth Dream, was exhibited 

at the Georges Pompidou Center, Paris and other museums and festivals. She did an 

MFA in Film/Video Graphics from California Institute of the Arts. As head of her own 

production company, Krasilovsky has written, directed, produced and shot numerous 

documentaries, video-poems and art films, including Beale Street, Exile, What Memphis 

Needs, Blood, and End of the Art World. Krasilovsky is currently a professor in the 

Department of Cinema and Television Arts at California State University, Northridge, 

teaching film production, screenwriting and film studies and continuing to make her 

own movies. She and her son live in Los Angeles. 

88



A Thousand Years of Good Prayers 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 83 mins, 

English-Mandarin Chinese-Farsi 

USA-Japan 

Mr Shi is a widower and a retired man from Beijing. When Yilan, his only daughter who 

lives in the US, has a divorce, he decides to visit her in the small town where she works as 

a librarian. His intention is to stay with her until he helps her recover from the trauma. He 

is a "rocket scientist", Mr. Shi likes to tell people he meets in America, and enjoys their 

attention. But Yilan acts less enthusiastic in his show-off, nor is she interested in his plan 

to rescue her marriage and reconstruct her life. When Mr Shi persists in finding out the 

reason for the divorce, Yilan starts to avoid him. Disappointed but not discouraged, Mr 

Shi explores the small town and meets an old woman, Madam, who fled the Iranian 

Revolution to the US. Neither Mr Shi nor Madam speak English well, but by gesturing 

and talking in their own tongues, Mr Shi and Madam start a rare friendship, in which they 

find momentary haven from the world of lies they have to weave to keep themselves 

hopeful. But the friendship is soon disrupted when Madam's son sends her away to a 

retirement home. Facing revelations both from Madam and Yilan's confrontation that Mr 

Shi has never been prepared to face, he finally accepts things as they are, and reaches a 

small understanding with Yilan and her life. This film was made as a companion piece to 

The Princess of Nebraska, a 2007 film also directed by Wayne Wang. 

Director 

Wayne Wang 

Screenplay 

Yiyun Li 


Patrick Lindenmaier 

Editor 

Deirdre Slevin 

Music 

Lesley Barber 

Cast 

Faye Yu (Yilan), Henry O (Mr Shi), Vida Ghahremani 

(Madam), Pasha Lychnikoff (Boris) 


Vincent De Felice 

Sound 

Lewis Goldstein 

Production 

North by Northwest 

903 West Broadway, Spokane WA 99201 USA. 

T: (509) 324-2949 

F: (509) 324-2959 

World Sales 

The Match Factory GmbH 

Balthasarstr. 79-81 

50670 Cologne / Germany 

T: +49 221 539 709-0 

F: +49 221 539 709-10 



San Sebastian (Golden Shell Award for Best Film, Best Actor 

Award), Toronto, Edinburgh 


Wayne Wang is a key figure in the development of independent filmmaking, alternating 

major Hollywood studio films such as The Joy Luck Club with smaller, independent 

work like Smoke. Continuing to work in the two different worlds, Wang directed an 

independent digital film, The Center Of The World (2001), with Molly Parker and Peter 

Sarsgaard, followed by Sony/Revolution's hit comedy Maid In Manhattan (2002) with 

Jennifer Lopez. He has also made Because Of Winn-Dixie, based on the children's novel 

by Kate DiCamilo. His film Last Holiday, with Queen Latifah and Gerard Depardieu, 

was loosely based on a 1950 J B Priestly film of the same name. Born in Hong Kong, 

Wang studied film and television at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. 

His films include A Man, a Woman and a Killer (co-director, 1975), Chan Is Missing 

(1982), Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart (1985), Slam Dance (1987), Eat a Bowl of Tea 

(1989), Life is Cheap… but Toilet Paper Is Expensive (1989), Blue in the Face (1995), 

Chinese Box (1997), Anywhere but Here (1999), Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), and Last 

Holiday (2006). 

89

COMPETITION 



USA-Japan 

Princess of Nebraska 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 77 mins, English-Mandarin Chinese 

Director 

Wayne Wang 

Screenplay 

Michael Ray 


Richard Wong 

Editor 

Deirdre Slevin 

Music 

Kent Sparling 

Cast 

Ling Li (Sasha), Brian Danforth (Bosen), Pamelyn Chee (X), 

Patrice Binaisa (James) 

Art 

Amy Y. Chan 

Sound 

Jim Choire 

Production 

Center Of Asian American Media 

World Sales 

The Match Factory GmbH 

Balthasarstr. 79-81 

50670 Cologne / Germany 

T: +49 221 539 709-0 

F: +49 221 539 709-10 



Toronto, Edinburgh, Telluride, San Sebastian, Singapore 


This film follows 24 hours in the life of Sasha, a young Chinese woman who is four 

months pregnant through a fling back in Beijing. Interrupting her first year of college in 

Omaha, Nebraska, she travels to San Francisco to abort the child and confront her lover's 

male friend. Sasha is pregnant as the result of a one-night stand with Yang, a male actor 

who plays female roles in the Beijing Opera. Yang also had a liaison in Beijing with 

Boshen, a white American who was deported back to the United States by the Chinese 

government for aiding a Western journalist on a story about AIDS. As a result of this 

scandal, Yang is thrown out of the opera troupe and onto the streets of Beijing, where he 

now makes a living by hustling. Sasha first arrives at the Oakland International Airport, 

where her friend doesn't come to pick her up as promised. She takes the local railway to 

downtown San Francisco, and there meets Boshen, who is concerned about the fate of 

the child. She has come to San Francisco ostensibly to get an abortion, but starts to 

consider the myriad of options available to her in America. Boshen has motives of his 

own, and wants to convince Sasha to keep the baby and start a three-member family in 

hopes of baiting Yang to America. Sasha befriends X, a karaoke bar-hostess who 

reminds her of Yang. As a romantic tryst progresses, Sasha proposes to X that they travel 

the world together, but like so many of Sasha's relationships, this one too crumbles in 

disappointment and despair. Struggling to comprehend the growing life inside her, 

Sasha's conviction starts to deteriorate, and she embraces an American concept she has 

just picked up, "moving on." Sasha's unborn baby has taken her on a daring journey from 

Beijing to the backstreets of America, and the untold sequel to this umbilical film is an 

American tale of a stranger in a strange land, all promise and potential. 

Wayne Wang is a key figure in the development of independent filmmaking, alternating 

major Hollywood studio films such as The Joy Luck Club with smaller, independent 

work like Smoke. Continuing to work in the two different worlds, Wang directed an 

independent digital film, The Center Of The World (2001), with Molly Parker and Peter 

Sarsgaard, followed by Sony/Revolution's hit comedy Maid In Manhattan (2002) with 

Jennifer Lopez. He has also made Because Of Winn-Dixie, based on the children's novel 

by Kate DiCamilo. His film Last Holiday, with Queen Latifah and Gerard Depardieu, 

was loosely based on a 1950 J B Priestly film of the same name. Born in Hong Kong, 

Wang studied film and television at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. 

His films include A Man, a Woman and a Killer (co-director, 1975), Chan Is Missing 

(1982), Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart (1985), Slam Dance (1987), Eat a Bowl of Tea 

(1989), Life is Cheap… but Toilet Paper Is Expensive (1989), Blue in the Face (1995), 

Chinese Box (1997), Anywhere but Here (1999), Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), and 

Last Holiday (2006). 

90



Vicky Cristina Barcelona 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 96 mins, English-Spanish 

USA-Spain 

Woody Allen's latest comedy drama marks his return to the themes of impulsive romance 

at which he excels, this time transposed to an appropriately seductive Barcelona. The 

heroines of Allen's Americans abroad story are Vicky, an earnest graduate student who 

specialises in Catalan culture, and Cristina, her dilettantish friend. Whilst spending the 

summer in Barcelona with Vicky's cousin, they encounter a laid back Latin seducer, Juan 

Antonio, a free-spirited artist who invites them to spend a weekend away with him. He 

and Cristina seem made for each other, but events take a surprising turn, causing 

complications for all concerned. These grow even more involved when Juan Antonio's 

tempestuous ex-wife Maria enters the picture. The intricacies of romance and passion 

are played out against a backdrop of sun-drenched Barcelona landmarks. 

Director 

Woody Allen 

Screenplay 

Woody Allen 


Javier Aguirresarobe 

Editor 

Alisa Lepselter 

Cast 

Scarlett Johansson (Cristina), Rebecca Hall (Vicky), Javier 

Bardem (Juan Antonio), Penélope Cruz (María Elena), Chris 

Messina (Doug), Patricia Clarkson (Judy Nash), Kevin Dunn 

(Mark Nash) 


Alain Bainée 

Art 

Iñigo Navarro 

Sound 

Peter Glossop 

Costumes 

Sonia Grande 

Production 

Dumaine Productions S.L. 

c/o Perdido Productions, Inc. 

36 W. 26 St. #11C - 10001 New York, USA 

T : +1 212 582 9061 

Email: helen_robin@mac.com 

World Sales 

Wild Bunch 

T : +33 (0)1 53 01 50 26 

Email: avicente@wildbunch.eu 

www.wildbunch.biz 


Cannes, London, Denver, San Sebastian 

One of the greatest living filmmakers, Allan Stewart Konigsberg, a.k.a. Woody Allen, 

was born in the Bronx on December 1, 1935. At the age of three he got hooked on movies 

when his mother took him to see Snow White. In 1953, he enrolled in motion picture 

production at the New York University. He didn´t have the enthusiasm to attend classes 

frequently enough and got a D at the end of his first semester. "The humourless teachers 

didn´t appreciate his funny papers," as his biography on his official website says. After 

the semester he was thrown out of NYU as a failed student. In 1955, he became one of the 

half a dozen hired by NBC as part of their writer´s development programme. Woody was 

a stand-up comedian from 1960 to 1968, becoming more popular as such with every year 

that passed. In 1960 he only made $75 per week, but in 1964 he was an establihed comic 

in demand across the country, making $5000 a week. Woody released three albums in the 

period; Woody Allen, Woody Allen Volume 2 and The Third Woody Allen Album. In 1964, 

Woody entered the film industry when he was hired to do the screenplay What´s New 

Pussycat. And the rest is history, as they say. 

91

Film India Worldwide

FILM COMPETITION INDIA WORLDWIDE 


Film India Worldwide (FIW) is an initiative dedicated to the many links that Indian cinema has forged and is forming with 

international filmmaking. 

At IFFI-Goa 2008, FIW presents five films, each with intimations of a wider, more cosmopolitan world beyond. Oliver 

Paulus' Tandoori Love features a Bollywood touch in life and love in Switzerland . Sima Urale's Apron Strings addresses the 

Indian Diaspora in New Zealand . In the US, Vera Chawla with her feature film Death Without Consent ventures into 

American mainstream cinema. Within India, Raja Menon's Barah Aana looks at globalised urban life and its turbulence. 

Finally, Anjan Dutt's film in English, Chaurasta - Crossroads of Love, uses English songs of a time gone by to take a nostalgic 

look at Darjeeling . 

India as a location and theme is attracting filmmakers of other nationalities. Filmmakers of Indian origin living elsewhere are 

making films that connect with their homeland. 

Indians in India are drawn to urban themes that depict how cultures from abroad are affecting Indian life. Indian actors and 

technicians feature increasingly in international films. This initiative is not just limited to arranging this package - it also 

includes bringing out an eponymous magazine that highlights all these growing linkages. 

Enjoy the FIW package, showing an India that reaches out to other places, other worlds. 

94


FILM INDIA WORLDWIDE 

INDIA PREMIERE 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 90 mins, English-Punjabi 

New Zealand 

Apron Strings 

Apron Strings is a parallel story of two families and two cultures set in suburban Otahuhu 

in South Auckland, New Zealand. It explores the boundaries of nurture and control, 

mothering and smothering, and how we sometimes have to let go of our individual sense 

of what is 'right', to do what is 'good' for all. As the Pakeha family struggles to move out 

of a co-dependent stalemate that stops them moving forward, an Indian family has to 

confront misunderstandings and secrets from the past that tore their family apart. At the 

heart of the stories are three women whose lives and livelihoods revolve around food. 

Lorna, in her old fashioned cake-shop; Tara, in her no-frills curry-house and Anita on her 

stylish Indian cooking show on TV. Hard working Lorna must not only deal with her 

unemployed stay-at-home son Barry and his chronic gambling addiction, but also 

reckon with a tragic past that haunts them both. For the stylish and beautiful Anita, 

everything comes to a head when her son Michael decides to meet her estranged sister 

Tara, and delve into a past that she cannot bear to face. And for the more traditional Tara, 

Michael's arrival in her life opens up old wounds that challenge her seemingly peaceful 

life as a spinster. Sometimes, in order to grow and forge new connections, old apron 

strings have to be cut loose. Letting go, it seems, is the best embrace. "Apron Strings is 

the first Indian feature film to be funded through official channels in New Zealand," says 

producer Rachel Gardner. The role of Anita is played by Moroccan-Indian actress Laila 

Rouass, and New Zealand based Indian actress Leela Patel plays Tara. Co-producer 

Shuchi Kothari, born and educated in Ahmedabad and based in New Zealand, is also the 

co-scriptwriter of the film. She has also co-scripted Nandita Das's Firaaq. 

Director 

Vaele Sima Urale 

Screenplay 

Shuchi Kothari, Dianne Taylor 


Rewa Harre 

Editor 

Eric De Beus 

Music 

Mark Petrie 

Cast 

Laila Rouass (Anita), Scott Wills (Barry), Jennifer Ludlum 

(Lorna), Nathan Whitaker (Michael), Leela Patel (Tara), Jodie 

Rimmer (Virginia) 


Johnny Hawkins 

Sound 

Chris Burt 

Costumes 

Nina Edwards 

Production 

Great Southern Film Ltd 

World Sales 

NZ Film Commission 

PO Box 11 546 Wellington New Zealand 

T: +64 4 382 7682 

F: +64 4 384 9719 

Email: kathleen@nzfilm.co.nz; marketing@nzfilm.co.nz 

www.nzfilm.co.nz 


Toronto, Auckland, Vladivostok, New Zealand International 

Film Festival, Melbourne 

Born in Savaii, Samoa, Sima Urale and her family immigrated to New Zealand in 1974. 

She is a graduate of Toi Whakaari O Atearoa 1989 (New Zealand Drama School), and 

Victorian College of the Arts Film and Television School 1994 in Australia. Since her 

return to New Zealand in 1995, her short films O Tamaiti (1996), and Still Life (2001), 

together have accumulated several international accolades, including the prestigious 

Silver Lion at Venice International Film Festival. In 1995 she also made a brief return to 

theatre for the award winning play Think of Garden, which won her Best Actor in a 

Supporting Role at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. In 1997, she directed her first 

documentary Velvet Dreams for TVNZ, which went on to win Best Documentary Award 

at the Yorkton International Film Festival in Canada. In the same year, she directed her 

first music video Sub-cranium Feeling and won Best Music Video at the BFM, Mai 

Time, and Flying Fish Awards. In 2007, she directed short film Coffee & Allah, written 

by Shuchi Khotari, and had it's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. This is her 

debut film. 

95


WORLD PREMIERE 



Barah Aana 

2008, Super 16, Colour, 97 mins, Hindi, some English 

Director 

Raja Menon 

Screenplay 

Raj Kumar Gupta 


Priya Seth 

Editor 

Hemanti Sarkar 

Music 

Shri 

Sound 

Debasish Mishra 

Cast 

Naseeruddin Shah (Driver), Vijay Raaz (Watchman), Arjun 

Mathur (Waiter), Violante Placido, Tannishtha Chatterjee, 

Jayati Bhatia, Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, Benjamin Gilani 

Production 

Bandra West Pictures 

Inquiries 

Raj Yerasi 

Email: ryerasi@post.harvard.edu 

The Indian Diaspora film has developed beyond observing Indians adapting to another 

homeland. Today, young directors also see the Diaspora as a phenomenon within India. 

Due to globalisation, modern middle-class luxuries have arrived and foreigners are 

coming to India in search of opportunity, even while the shantytowns look on. This film 

investigates how people from these different worlds relate to each other. Featuring a 

talented ensemble cast, Barah Aana is a crime drama set in modern-day Mumbai. Its 

action thread revolves around three friends: a driver, a watchman and a waiter. 

Misfortune befalls the watchman and chance events push him into a kidnapping that 

provides him with the funds he needs. Discovering a new sense of confidence, and 

having found a seemingly low-risk way to make good money, he entices the others to 

join him in a series of such kidnappings. Making the leap into committing such brazen, 

formerly unthinkable crimes breaks their acceptance of the status quo. Italian actress 

Violante Placido plays the part of a young woman who becomes the waiter's love interest 

and inadvertently changes the course of the three friends' lives. 

Kerala-born Raja Menon graduated with a BSc degree in Chemistry from Bangalore 

University before he entered film production. From 1993 to 1995, he collaborated with 

director Sanjiv Khamgaonkar at his Mumbai-based advertising production company, 

Looking Glass, as first assistant director, and from 1995 as the company's editor. From 

1995 to 1997, Menon directed TV commercials while assisting and editing the late 

director Mukul Anand. Since 1997, Raja has directed and produced over 175 TV 

commercials for some of India's top consumer brands. He was awarded "Best Direction" 

at the Indian Advertising National Awards in 2000 for a national public service campaign 

on cancer awareness. In 2002-2003, Menon co-wrote, directed, and co-produced the 

independent Hindi-language feature film Bas Yun Hi (Just Like That). This is his second 

feature film. 

96




Chaurasta-Crossroads of Love 



Maverick director Anjan Dutt continues his pursuit of blending India's eclectic cultures 

with songs from the Western world that are familiar to many in the country. His latest 

film has a four-cornered story. Fiercely independent Nandana, a fading Bollywood star, 

discovers that she is living on borrowed time, which makes her search for someone who 

will look after her 12-year-old son. The young couple Rita and Sunny realise 

immediately after their elopement, that marriage is no bed of roses, with Rita realising 

that Sunny falls short of her expectations. Elderly tea planter from Darjeeling, Jimmy, 

finds it difficult to face the loneliness that engulfs him after the death of his wife, 

contemplating even suicide. Kenny, a terrorist on the run, realises that what he had given 

to his cause is not worth the sacrifice as no-one cared if he lived or died. You never lose 

anything in the hills. You find something there, all of them caught and expressed in the 

lyrics of old favourite English songs, sung in the mellifluous voice of Victor Banerjee. 

Director 

Anjan Dutt 

Screenplay 

Anjan Dutt 


Indranil Mukherjee 

Editor 

Mainak Bhaumik 

Music 

Neel Dutt 

Sound 

Anirban 

Cast 

Victor Banerjee, Atul Kulkarni, Rupa Ganguly 


Unilux Films Pvt. Ltd., 

53 Syed Amir Ali Avenue , 

Kolkata 700019 

T : 91 33 22814782 

Kolkata-based Anjan Dutt's career started as a theatre director in the 1970s. He has 

directed, translated and acted in numerous plays by known European playwrights such 

as Brecht, Sartre, Buchner, Peter Weiss. He went to Berlin to work with the German 

threatre company, Theatremanufactur. His career as an actor started with Mrinal Sen's 

Chaalchitra, which won him the Best Debut award at the 1980 Venice Film Festival. 

Since then he has acted in films by Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Goutam Ghose, Aparna Sen, 

Nicolas Klotz (France) and Roland Joffee (USA). His first feature film as director was 

Bada Din (1997), starring Shabana Azmi and Marc Robinson. His second feature Bow 

Barracks Forever, starring Lillette Dubey and Victor Banerjee traveled widely. His 

third feature The Bong Connection in English-Bengali (2007) did well at the box office. 

After his recently-released fourth feature , Chalo Let's Go!, in Bengali, his second Hindi 

feature BBD featuring Nasseruddin Shah, Kay Kay Menon and Jimmy Shergil is now 

ready for release. 

97




USA 

Death Without Consent 


Director 

Vera Chawla 

Screenplay 

Vera Chawla 


William Nusbaum 

Editor 

Kris Cole 

Music 

Harry Manfredini 

Cast 

Chad Doreck, Nina Merchant, Sonya Vaswani and Pawel 

Szajda. 

Sound 

Sound One 

Production 

Robyn Bennett & Jon Blumberg 

World Sales 

Scene It Entertainment, LLC, PO Box 59236, Potomac 

Maryland 20859, USA 

Email: info@SceneItEntertainment.com 

www.SceneItEntertainment.com 

Chawla demonstrates the fast emerging trend, with Manoj Night Shyamalan in the lead, 

of film professionals of Indian origin living in the US who are directing films that 

concern not their homeland but mainstream American life. Her debut feature is based on 

bio-terrorism, now beginning to affect people globally. It is based on her original 

screenplay which comes from her inside knowledge of government-sponsored 

biological tests on humans to assess viral mutations in germs for biological warfare. The 

film is about brilliant senior collegiate Chris Carrington, who lost his father and brother 

to a hereditary kidney disease, knowing that he will die from it also. Having lost faith in 

God and his desire to live, Chris is unexpectedly contacted by a retired KGB officer, who 

tells him that his family's disease was not hereditary, nor ordinary. He was a victim of a 

human experiment. Reluctantly, Chris begins an investigation into the tangled political 

web of corruption, bio-terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. His one source to get 

close to Dr Gurevich, the scientist who created these viruses, is through Gurevich's only 

child, Anna. However, Anna's innocence, beauty and intelligence become his greatest 

obstacle. Chris encounters roadblocks from vested political interests. The film addresses 

the potential impact of current terrorist threats. 

US-based Vera Chawla was born in Mumbai and educated in Roorkee, Mussoorie and 

Dehradun. In 1964 she was admitted at age 14 to the University of Virginia, where she 

performed regularly in college plays. By age 19 she had completed her MS in Computer 

Science and Electrical Engineering. For the next 20 years she was employed by NASA, 

Boeing, General Electric and ISN, working mostly on classified defence contracts inside 

the Pentagon. As an executive in the high-tech world of telecommunications, Chawla 

maintained her passion for the performing arts. She started studying film in the late 

1990s getting involved in TV serials and shorts for the foreign markets as a director and 

producer. This is Chawla's first independent feature film. 

98



ASIA PREMIERE 

Switzerland-Germany-Austria 

Tandoori Love 

2008, 35mm, Colour, 92mins, Swiss dialect-English-Hindi. 

Paulus brings us what is perhaps the first European adaptation of the Bollywood 

mainstream form of filmmaking. The story follows attractive blond waitress Sonja 

working at the Hirschen, a traditional tavern in a village in the Bernese mountains near 

Interlaken. She is engaged to Markus, her boss. One day she meets Rajah, a skilled 

Indian chef, the personal cook of Priya Dhavan, Bollywood superstar, shooting a Hindi 

film near Interlaken. Rajah, smitten by Sonja at first sight, abandons his film crew to 

work at the Hirschen, where Rajah's Indian culinary talents take the village by storm. 

Markus remains unaware of his new chef's ardent passion for his fiancée. Chaos erupts. 

Claiming Rajah as hers, Priya refuses to work bringing the shoot to a standstill. Sonja 

becomes trapped between two men representing two worlds: Markus, who offers her 

security and status, and Rajah, whose charm, wonderful food and the ability to burst into 

song at every emotional turn, she can neither elude nor resist. 

Director 

Oliver Paulus 

Screenplay 

Oliver Paulus, Stefan Hillebrand 


Daniela Knapp 

Editor 

Isabel Meier, André Bigoudi 

Music 

Marcel Vaid, Erdal Tosun, Jesse Milliner 

Cast 

Vijay Raaz , Lavinia Wilson, Martin Schick, Shweta Agarwal, 

Tamal Ray Chowdhury, Asif Basra, Aasif Sheikh, Ganesh 

Yadav, Asha Sachdev 

Sound 

Ralf Weber 

Production 

Cobra Film AG., Zurich; Pandora Film, Cologne 

World Sales 

Ida Martins 

Media Luna Entertainment Gmbh & Co. KG 

Aachener Str. 26 


T: +49 221 801498 0 

F: +49 221 801498 21 

EMail: info@medialuna-entertainment.de 


Cairo 

Born in 1969 in Dornach (Switzerland), Oliver Paulus attended the School of Fine Arts 

in Basel before studying direction and screenwriting at Germany's famous 

Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Honoured in 1995 with the Max Ophuls Award, in 

1997 with the Solothurn Government's Study Award and 2008 with the Solothurn 

Government's Achievement Award, he was invited in 2005 to direct the prestigious 

Parisienne People commercial, whose earlier helmsmen were of the calibre of Jean-Luc 

Godard, Robert Altmann, the Coen Brothers, David Lynch, Emir Kusturica and Roman 

Polanski. His filmography consists of the short films His Mother's Voice (1994), 

Zwischen Paris und Dakar (1995), Reality (1996), Der Tag, an dem Otto kam (1997), 

Eckfliesen (1998), Das Geschenk (2001), Die Wurstverkäuferin/The Buther's Bride 

(2001) and feature films Wenn der Richtige kommt/When The Right One Comes Along 

(2003) Wir Werden Uns Wiederseh'n/So Long, My Heart! (2006). 

99

Retrospectives 

Aki Kaurismaki 

John Landis 

Wong kar Wai

AKI KAURISMAKI 


Aki Kaurismäki started his career as a co-director in the films of his 

elder brother Mika Kaurismäki. His debut as an independent 

director was Crime and Punishment (1983), Dostoevsky's famous 

crime story set in modern-day Helsinki. He gained worldwide fame 

with his movie Leningrad Cowboys Go America. His style has been 

influenced a lot by such directors as Jean-Pierre Melville and 

Robert Bresson, as he relies on low-key acting and simple 

cinematic storytelling to get his messages across. Critics have also 

seen an influence from Rainer Werner Fassbinder but Kaurismäki - 

a keen film buff himself - has said that he somehow never got 

around to seeing any Fassbinder movies until recent years. His 

movies have a unique downplayed humorous side that can also be 

seen in the films of Jim Jarmusch, who has a cameo in Kaurismäki's 

film Leningrad Cowboys Go America. Much of his work is centred 

on his native city of Helsinki, particularly Calamari Union which is 

largely set in the working class neighbourhood of Kallio, and the 

trilogy that comprises Shadows in Paradise, Ariel, and The Match 

Factory Girl. His vision of Helsinki is, it should be noted, both 

critical and singularly unromantic. Indeed, the characters often 

speak about how they wish to get away from Helsinki: some end up 

in Mexico (Ariel), others in Estonia (Calamari Union and Take 

Care of Your Scarf Tatjana). The setting is the 1980s, even in the 

more recent movies. In terms of awards, Kaurismäki's most 

successful movie to date has been The Man Without a Past. It won 

the Grand Prix and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes 

Film Festival in 2002 and was nominated for an Academy Award in 

the Best Foreign Language Film category in 2003. However, 

Kaurismäki refused to attend the gala, noting that he didn't 

particularly feel like partying in a nation that is currently in a state 

of war. Kaurismäki's next film Lights in the Dusk was also chosen 

to be Finland's nominee in the category for best foreign film. 

Kaurismäki again decided to boycott the Awards and refused the 

nomination as a protest against US President George W Bush's 

foreign policy. In 2003, in one of his most famous protests, 

Kaurismäki boycotted the 40th New York Film Festival backing his 

Iranian fellow director, Abbas Kiarostami who was not given a US 

visa in time for the festival. 

Filmography: 

Features: Crime and Punishment, 1983; Calamari Union, 1985; 

Shadows in Paradise, 1986; Hamlet Goes Business, 1987; Ariel, 

1988; Likaiset kädet (Les mains sales), 1989 (production for 

Finnish TV); Leningrad Cowboys Go America, 1989; The Match 

Factory Girl, 1990; I Hired a Contract Killer, 1990; La Vie de 

Bohème, 1992; Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatiana, 1994; Leningrad 

Cowboys Meet Moses, 1994; Drifting Clouds, 1996; Juha, 1999; 

The Man Without a Past, 2002; Lights in the Dusk, 2006. 

Documentaries: Saimaa-ilmiö (Saimaa Gesture), 1981; Total 

Balalaika Show, 1994 

Short films: Rocky VI, 1986 (8 min); Through the Wire, 1987 (6 

min); Rich Little Bitch, 1987 (6 min); L.A. Woman, 1987 (5 min); 

Those Were The Days, 1991 (5 min); These Boots, 1992 (5 min); 

Välittäjä, 1996; Dogs Have No Hell, 2002 (10 minute episode in the 

collaborative film Ten Minutes Older - The Trumpet) 

102


The film begins with an unnamed man arriving by train to Helsinki. After falling 

asleep in a park, he is mugged by hoodlums. Severe beatings by the hoodlums 

lead to serious head injury which resulted in loss of consciousness. He awakes 

and wanders back to the train station and collapses in its bathroom. He awakes 

the second time in a hospital and finds that he has lost his memory. He starts his 

life from scratch, living in container dwellings, finding clothes with help from 

the Salvation Army and making friends with the poor. 

2002, 35 mm. Colour, 97 min, Finnish 


The Man Without a Past 

/ Mies vailla menneisyyttä 

Direction 

Aki Kaurismäki 

Writer 



Timo Salminen 

Editing 

Timo Linnasalo 

Music 

Leevi Madetoja 

Cast 

Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen, Juhani Niemelä; Production: Sputnik 

and YLE, Bavaria Film Studios, Pandora Filmproduktion and Pyramide 

Productions; 

Awards: 

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and 

won the Grand Prix Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. 

Juha 

1999, 35 mm, Black & White, 78 min, Finnish 

Marja is a simple peasant woman married to her older husband Juha. They lead a 

very simple country life, spending most of their days farming and tending to 

their livestock. Marja's world is turned upside down when Shemeikka comes to 

the happily married couple asking them for help with his broken down vehicle 

and a place to spend the night. As Juha works to repair the car, Shemeikka 

attempts to lure Marja to leave Juha and come to the city with him. A hesitant 

Marja does not want to leave her husband at first but ultimately gives in to 

temptation after dreaming of a wonderful new life in a big city. Shemeikka and 

Marja leave for the city but Marja's dream quickly becomes a nightmare when 

Shemeikka enslaves her in a brothel. 

Direction 


Screenplay 



Timo Salminen 

Editing 


Music 

Anssi Tikanmäki 

Cast 

Sakari Kuosmanen, Kati Outinen, André Wilms Markku Peltola, Elina 

Salo 

Production 

Finnish Film Foundation, Pandora Film, Pyramide Productions, Sputnik 

Oy and YLE 

Awards 

Won CICAE Award (Honourable Mention) at Berlin International Film 

Festival, 1999. 

103



Drifting Clouds /Kauas pilvet karkaavat 

1996, 35 mm, Colour, 96 min, Finnish 

Direction 


Screenplay 



Timo Salminen 

Editing 


Music 

Timo Salminen 

Cast 

Kati Outinen, Kari Väänänen, Markku Peltola 

Production 

Metro and Sputnik Oy 

Awards 

Won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention at the 

Cannes Film Festival in 1996. It was also nominated for the 

Golden Palm Prize at the Cannes in 1996. 

Ilona Koponen, a waitress at Dubrovnik restaurant, is married to Lauri, a tram 

driver. The modest couple lives in a small, apartment in Helsinki. One night 

Lauri surprises Ilona with a new television which he purchased on credit. After 

some discussions, the two agrees that payments for the TV set are manageable. 

But the next day both are informed about losing their jobs. They set out looking 

for work immediately but with discouraging results. In the process Lauri loses 

his driver's licence and though Ilona gets a job at rundown bar cum restaurant, 

the joint shuts down after six weeks. They become alcoholic and sell all their 

assets including the television. Intending to double the money, they used the 

money for gambling and lose it. One day, Ilona accidentally runs into Mrs 

Sjöholm, her former boss, who suggests that Ilona should open up a restaurant. 

Mrs Sjöholm agrees to provide the capital and Ilona reluctantly agreed. After 

some initial worries, the couple finally tested sweet success when the restaurant 

becomes a hit. 

La Vie de Boheme/Boheemielämää 

1992, 35 mm, Colour, 100 min, French 

Direction: 


Screenplay: 

Aki Kaurismaki 

Cast: 

Matti Pellonpää, Evelyne Didi and André Wilms 

Awards: 

FIPRESCI award in Berlin Film Festival (1992), Won the 

European Film award in 1992 

Three penniless artists become friends in modern-day Paris: Rodolfo, an 

Albanian painter with no visa, Marcel, a playwright and magazine editor with no 

publisher, and Schaunard, a post-modernist composer of execrable noise. 

Rodolfo falls in love with Mimi, a barmaid. The day he asks her to move in with 

him, he is deported. Six months later, he sneaks back to Paris, and Mimi leaves 

her new boyfriend to be with him. Conflicts arise, especially around their 

poverty, and soon Mimi and Rodolfo separate, as do Marcel and his Musette. 

The three men scrape together a meal to celebrate All Saints' Day, and Mimi 

arrives, ill. Can her friends bring her back to health? Can love rekindle? 

104



Iris has a dead-end job in a match-factory, lives with her dour and forbidding 

parents, and her social life is a disaster. But when she is made pregnant after a 

one-night stand by a man who thought she was a prostitute, she decides that 

enough is enough and plans her revenge. 

The Match Factory Girl / 

Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö 

1990, 35 mm, Colour, 68 min, Finish 

Direction: 

Aki Kaurismäki; 

Screenplay: 


Cinematography: 

Timo Salminen; 

Editing: 


Cast: 

Kati Outinen, Elina Salo, Esko Nikkari, Vesa Vierikko, Reijo 

Taipale, .Silu Seppala; 

Awards: 

Jussi award for best director in 1991 

1988, 35mm, Colour, 73 min, Finnish Ariel 

It is the story of Taisto Kasurinen, a Finnish coal miner whose father has just 

committed suicide and who is framed for a crime he did not commit. In jail, he 

starts to dream about leaving the country and starting a new life. He escapes 

from prison but things don't go as planned. 

Direction: 


Screenplay: 




Editing: 

Raija Talvio; 

Music: 

Esko Rahkonen, Rauli Somerjoki, Taisto Tammi 

Cast: 

Turo Pajala, Susanna Haavisto; 

Awards: 

FIPRESCI prize in Moscow International Film Festival, 1989 

Shadows in Paradise 

/ Varjoja Paratiisissa 

1986, 35 mm, Colour, 76 min, Finnish 

Direction: 


Screenplay: 




Editing: 

Raija Talvio; 

Cast: 

Matti Pellonpää, Kati Outinen, Sakari Kuosmane; 

Art: 

Pertti Hilkamo, Heikki Ukkonen; 

Costume: 

Tuula Hilkamo 

It is about an episode in the life of Nikander, a garbage man, involving the death of 

a co-worker, an affair and much more. This is the first instalment of the director's 

famed workers trilogy, that continued with Ariel and The Match Factory Girl. , 

105



Rocky VI (1986) 

Rocky VI is a nine-minute black-and-white short parody of Hollywood 

flick Rocky IV. The film stars Antti Juhani "Silu" Seppälä as Rocky and 

Sakari Kuosmanen as Igor, his Soviet opponent. In the film, the two 

boxers fight at Töölön kisahalli in Helsinki. The much bigger Igor 

quickly knocks out Rocky and wins the match. In the title, the letter VI 

does not actually represent number six, but an inverted IV, of Rocky IV, 

the specific film parodied. The fifth film in the original Rocky series, 

Rocky V, was released almost four years after this parody. 

Thru the Wire (1987) 

In this six-minute-long film, Nicky escapes from prison somewhere 

between Alabama and Utah, sometime in the future. He looks for his girl in 

the bars and hotels. All he can see in his new freedom is that no one cares for 

the future of human culture 

Those Were the Days (1991) 

A sad and lonely cowboy wanders about the streets of a big city with his donkey, 

searching for a place where he can set up his camping kitchen and his tortured 

heart. A story told in five minutes. 

These Boots (1992) 

This five-minute film marks typical Kaurismaki sense of humour. It 

begins with the title "History of Finland 1952-1960" and cuts to a shot of 

a baby with a full size male head and the requisite Leningrad Cowboy 

hairstyle and curled tip boots. The parents have the same hairstyle - 

although the man is balding, so it's his beard that stretches in front of his 

face for a foot and a half. The child is thrown out of school for drinking 

vodka. When he gets married he and his bride are riding on a tractor. At 

the funeral of his parents, their curled boot tips are sticking out of the 

coffins. 

106



Always Be Human / Oo Aina ihminen (1995) 

This five-minute long promotional film was made for Markus Allan's 

tango orchestra. 

Dogs have no hell (2002) 

The lead character is released from prison and has a dream of a hardworking 

future in the oilfields of Siberia. Since he is also a coward he 

cannot leave without a piece of his fatherland - besides his mental 

burden - his wife-to-be. Kaurismaki tells this story in ten minutes. 

Bico (2004) 

A five-minute segment made by Kaurismaki for the Visions of Europe 

film project involving 26 leading directors of the continent. 

107

JOHN LANDIS 


John Landis began his career in the mailroom of 20th Century Fox Studios. With enduring 

comedies such Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), 

The Blues Brothers (1980), Trading Places (1983), Spies Like Us (1985), Three Amigos! 

(1987) and Coming to America (1988), Landis has directed some of the most popular 

blockbusters of all time. His horror film An American Werewolf in London (1981) enjoys a 

multigenerational fan following. In 1983, Landis reinvented the concept of music videos 

with Michael Jackson's Thriller. He has been the executive producer and director of many 

television series. In 2004, Landis produced and directed Slasher, a feature documentary 

following a veteran used car salesman, and in 2007, Mr. Warmth, The Don Rickles Project, 

honouring the career of the famed 'rat pack' comedian Don Rickles which premiered on 

HBO. Landis was honored with the Chevalier dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the 

French Government in 1985. In February, 2009, the Cinemathéque Français in Paris will 

honour Landis with a comprehensive career retrospective. He is married to Academy Award 

nominated costume designer Deborah Nadoolman. 

USA 

An American Werewolf in London 


Director 

John Landis 

Screenplay 

John Landis 


Robert Paynter 

Editor 

Malcolm Campbell 

Music 

Elmer Bernstein 

Cast 

David Naughton (David Kessler), Jenny Agutter (Alex Price), 

Griffin Dunne (Jack Goodman) 

Art 

Leslie Dilley 

Costumes 

Deborah Nadoolman 

Make Up 

Rick Baker 

Production 

George Folsey Jr 

Two American college students, David Kessler and Jack Goodman, are backpacking across the Yorkshire moors when they are attacked by a large, unknown animal. Jack is killed, 

but David survives the mauling and is taken to a hospital in London. When he wakes up some time later, he does not remember what happened and is told of his friend's death. Things 

get stranger when he is visited by Jack's ghost, which takes the distressing form of a reanimated corpse, who explains that they had been attacked by a werewolf, suggesting that 

David himself is now a werewolf. Jack urges David to kill himself before the next full moon, not only because Jack is cursed to exist in a state of living dead for as long as the 

bloodline of the werewolf that attacked them survives, but also to prevent David from inflicting the same fate on his eventual victims. Upon his release from the hospital, David 

moves in with the pretty young nurse, Alex Price, who grew infatuated with him in the hospital. David eventually realises that Jack was right about everything and that he is 

responsible for several murders. The various prosthetics and fake, robotic body parts used during the film's painful, extended werewolf transformation scenes and on Griffin Dunne 

when his character returns as a bloody, mangled ghost impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences so much that they decided to create a new awards category at the 

Oscars specifically for the film - Outstanding Achievement in Makeup - a category that has since continued. 

108


JOHN LANDIS 

USA 

Coming To America 


Director 

John Landis 

Screenplay 

Eddie Murphy (story), David Sheffield, Barry W Blaustein 


Sol Negrin, Woody Omens 

Editor 

Malcolm Campbell, George Folsey Jr 

Music 

Nile Rodgers 

Cast 

Eddie Murphy (Akeem Joffer), Arsenio Hall (Semmi), John Amos 

(Mr McDowell), Shari Headley (Lisa) 


Richard Macdonald 

Art 

Richard B. Lewis, Christopher Nowak 

Costumes 


Production 

Leslie Belzberg, George Folsey Jr, Mark Lipsky 

Akeem Joffer, the prince and heir to the throne of the fictitious African country Zamunda, is 

discontented with being pampered all his life. The final straw is when his parents present him 

with a bride-to-be he has never met before, trained to mindlessly obey his every command. 

Akeem concocts a plan to travel to America to find a wife he can both love and respect. He 

and servant Semmi arrive in Queens County, New York, and after several scrapes, find an 

apartment in a fictional slum, and begin working at a local restaurant called McDowell's, 

passing themselves off as students. When he first meets Akeem and Semmi, owner Mr 

McDowell explains all the minute differences between his place and McDonald's, ending 

with the line, "They use the sesame seed bun. My buns have no seeds." Akeem falls in love 

with Lisa, Mr. McDowell's daughter, who possesses the qualities the prince is looking for. 

The rest of the film centers on Akeem's attempts to win Lisa's hand in marriage, while 

adjusting to life in America and dodging his royal duties and prerogatives. 

After the release of Jake Blues from prison, he and brother Elwood go to visit the old home where they 

were raised by nuns. They learn the church stopped its support and will sell the place to the education 

authority, and the only way to keep the place open is if the $5000 tax on the property is paid within 11 

days. The brothers want to help and decide to put their Blues band back together and raise the money by 

staging a big gig. As they set off on their "mission from god" they seem to make more enemies along 

the way. Will they manage to come up with the money in time? 


USA 

The Blues Brothers 

Director 

John Landis 

Screenplay 

Dan Aykroyd, John Landis 


tephen M. Katz 

Editor 

George Folsey Jr 

Cast 

John Belushi (Jake Blues), Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues), James 

Brown (Reverend Cleophus James), Cab Calloway (Curtis), Ray 

Charles (Ray), Aretha Franklin (Mrs Murphy) 


John Lloyd 

Art 

Henry Larrecq 

Costumes 


Production 

Bernie Brillstein, Robert K. Weiss 

109

USA 

JOHN LANDIS 

The Blues Brothers 2000 


Director: 

John Landis; 

Screenplay: 

Dan Aykroyd, John Landis; 


David Herrington; 

Editor: 

Dale Beldin; 

Music: 

Paul Shaffer; 

Cast: 

Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues), Joe Morton (Cabel Chamberlain), 

Frank Oz (Warden), John Goodman (Mighty Mack McTeer), B B 

King (Malvern Gasperon); 

Production Design: 

Bill Brodie; 

Art: 

Dan Yarhi; 

Costumes: 

Deborah Nadoolman; 

Production: 

Dan Aykroyd, Leslie Belzberg, John Landis 


This film picks up 18 years after The Blues Brothers, with Elwood being released from prison, this 

time a rather high-tech private prison rather than the old Illinois state prison depicted in the first film. 

He learns that his brother Jake has died, along with their surrogate father figure Curtis, and that the 

orphanage the two had saved in the first film is no more. However, he is told of a half brother of sorts. 

The "half brother" is the illegitimate son of Curtis, named Cabel "Cab" Chamberlain. Cab is a chief in 

the police force and refuses to reunite with or support Elwood, a habitual criminal. Elwood takes a job 

as an announcer in a strip club owned by the drummer of the Blues Brothers band, Willie Hall, where 

he discovers that the bartender has singing talent, while getting on the bad side of the Russian mafia 

who have been demanding payoffs from the nightclub. After the Russian mafia burns down the club, 

Elwood resolves to put the band back together once again with the bartender as his new partner and a 

10-year old orphan named Buster also tagging along. As well as upsetting the mafia, Elwood also falls 

foul of a "white power group" and the police force, headed by a zealous Cab. Finally, the band heads 

south to Louisiana with the intention of entering a battle of the bands held at the home of a voodoo 

practitioner named Queen Moussette. 


USA 

Trading Places 

Mortimer and Randolph Duke are commodity brokers who enjoy a little wager now and 

then. For the latest bet, Randolph believes they can take a common criminal and make 

him a successful businessman in the company. The criminal, Billy Ray, is to be given the 

job and home of Louis, who in turn is set up for crimes he didn't commit, to see if he 

resorts to crime once he's lost his rich environment and friends. Suddenly Louis finds 

himself uncomprehendingly with no job, no home and only a new acquaintance, 

glamorous hooker Ophelia, prepared to help him. So at least in one way things could 

actually be worse. 

Director 

John Landis 

Screenplay 

Timothy Harris, Herschel Weingrod 


Robert Paynter 

Editor 

Malcolm Campbell 

Music 

Elmer Bernstein 

Cast 

Denholm Elliott (Coleman), Dan Aykroyd (Louis Winthorpe 

III), Ralph Bellamy (Randolph Duke), Don Ameche 

(Mortimer Duke), Eddie Murphy (Billy Ray Valentine) 


Gene Rudolf 

Costumes 


Production 

George Folsey Jr, Aaron Russo 

110


WONG KAR WAI 

Regarded as one of the finest craftsmen in the cinematic world, Wong Kar Wai 

was born in Shanghai and raised in Hong Kong. He is best known for portraying 

Honk Kong - caught between British and Chinese identities - in its true colours 

even while avoiding the underlying politics and tension. Wai rarely talks 

politics (and history) in his films. He tells personal, passionate and painful 

stories of individuals caught in a time wrap. He makes a kind of cinema that is 

singular and yet represents the mass of humanity. 

After doing a graphic design course, he began as a screenwriter in the early 

1980s. His directorial debut As Tears Go By in 1988 established his intense 

visual style. His next film was Days of Being Wild, and the next one was Ashes of 

Time in 1994, a martial arts movie that broke conventions of the genre. It was 

during the break of post-production work of this film, that he would make 

Chungking Express that would not only become a cult hit, but also expose the 

world to the true genius of an auteur - whose films have been screened in all 

important film festivals worldwide in the last decade. 

His next two films, Fallen Angels and Happy Together received critical 

acclaim, with the second winning him the Best Director Award at the Cannes 

Film Festival. The 2000 film In the Mood for Love was widely acknowledged as 

yet another watershed film in Wai's life, as it won many awards worldwide, 

including two at Cannes. The master's latest film, My Blueberry Nights is in 

English, and it was screened at Cannes last year amidst thunderous applause. 

The film also has an impressive star cast including Jude Law, Natalie Portman, 

and singer Norah Jones in her first film appearance. 

Wai is hailed as a master of mood, melancholy and atmosphere, with a unique 

visual aesthetic though his critics accuse him of delving too much into the past 

ignoring the present. The accusations heightened with his only sci-fi film, 2046, 

because critics said though the film is supposed to be about the year 2046, it 

actually talks about the past. Notwithstanding the criticisms, Wai moves on 

lending melancholy to unrequited love, hearing the voice of silences and 

capturing moments that often last forever. 

(Films courtesy Palador Pictures Private Limited) 

111

WONG KAR WAI 

Ashes of Time Redux 

/ Dung Se Sai Duk Redux 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 93 mins, Cantonese-Mandarin 


Direction 

Wong Kar-wai 

Screenplay 

Wong Kar-wai, based on the Story by Louis Cha 


Christopher Doyle 

Editor 

William Chang, Suk Ping, Patrick Tam 

Music 

Frankie Chan, Roel. A Garcia 

Cast 

Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung, Carina Lau, Tony 

Leung Ka Fai 

Art 

William Chang, Suk Ping 

Production 

Jet Tone Production 

Wong Kar Wai has remade his own 1994 film because "over the years, I've come to realise that there are several different versions of Ashes Of Time in 

circulation, some approved by me, some not, as well as the fact that the film was never released in much of the world including the United States. To rectify 

this situation, we decided to revisit this project and to create the definitive version". Inspired by characters from Louis Cha's martial arts novel The Eagle- 

Shooting Heroes, it centers on a man named Ouyang Feng. Since the woman he loved rejected him, he has lived in the western desert, hiring skilled 

swordsmen to carry out contract killings. His wounded heart has made him pitiless and cynical, but his encounters with friends, clients and future enemies 

make him conscious of his solitude... The film is set in five parts, five seasons that are part of the Chinese almanac. 

Chungking Express 

1994, 35 mm, Colour, 102 min, Cantonese-Mandarin-English 

Direction 

Wong Kar-wai 

Screenplay 

Wong Kar-wai 


Christopher Doyle, Wai-keung Lau 

Editor 

William Chang, Kit-wai Kai, Chi-Leung Kwong 

Music 

Frankie Chan, Roel. A Garcia 

Cast 

Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Faye Wong 

Art 

William Chang, Weiming Qiu 

Costumes 

William Chang 

Production 

Jet Tone Production 

World Sales 

Fortissimo Films, Van Diemenstraat 100, 1013, CN, 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, T: 31206273215 

The movie comprises two different stories, told one after the other, each about a 

romance involving a policeman. Aside for a brief moment when the first story 

ends and the second begins, the two stories do not interconnect. However, each of 

the three main characters from the second story momentarily appears during the 

first. 

112


WONG KAR WAI 

Fallen Angels / Duo luo tian shi 

Set in contemporary Hong Kong, it is the story of Ming, a disillusioned hitman who 

embarks on his last hit but first he has to overcome the affections of his cool, detached 

partner he rarely sees. Thinking it is dangerous and improper to become involved with a 

colleague, he tries to find a surrogate for his affections. Against the sordid and surreal 

urban nightscape, he crosses paths with a strange drifter looking for her ex-boyfriend and 

a mute trying to get the world's attention in his own ways 

1995, 35 mm, Colour, 90 mins, Cantonese 

Direction 

Wong Kar-wai 

Screenplay 

Wong Kar-wai 



Editor 

William Chang, Ming Lam Wong 

Music 

Frankie Chan, Roel A. García 

Cast 

Leon Lai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Michelle Reis, Charlie Yeung, 

Karen Mok; Art: William Chang 

Costume: William Chang 

Production 

Chan Ye-Cheng, Jet Tone Production 

World Sales 

Fortissimo Films, Van Diemenstraat 100, 1013, CN, Amsterdam, 

The Netherlands, T: 31206273215 

Happy Together / Chun gwong cha sit 

1997, 35 mm, Colour, 96 mins, Cantonese-Mandarin-Spanish 

Direction 

Wong Kar-wai 

Screenplay 

Wong Kar-wai 



Editor 

William Chang, Ming Lam Wong 

Cast 

Tony Leung, Leslie Cheung, Chang Chen 

Art 

William Chang 

Production 

Block 2 Pictures, Jet Tone Production, Prénom H Co. Ltd, 

Seowoo Film Company 

World Sales 

Fortissimo Films, Van Diemenstraat 100, 1013, CN, 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, T: 31206273215 

Things go wrong between Yiu-Fai and Po-Wing on their holiday in Argentina and Wing 

abandons Yiu. Yiu works to save for his trip back to Hong Kong and often sees a 

promiscuous Wing with other partners. Yet when Wing appears one day, beaten and 

bruised, he nurses Wing and becomes intimate again despite wishing and working 

towards breaking free. In this film, Wong Kar Wai chronicles volatile and destructive 

relationships trapped in a circle of bitter break-ups and hopes of reunion. 

113

WONG KAR WAI 

Set in Hong Kong of 1962, this beautiful, evocative film has Chow, a journalist, 

move into a building with his wife. Li-zhen, a beautiful secretary and her husband, 

also move in at the same time. With their spouses often away, Chow and Li-zhen 

cross each others path and discover common tastes. They are shattered to discover 

their spouses having an affair with each other. Hurt and angry, they seek comfort in 

one another. As the friendship grows into something more, they resolve not to walk 

the path of their unfaithful mates. But can hearts really be chained? 


In the Mood for Love 

/ Fa yeung nin wa 

2000, 35 mm, Colour, Cantonese-Shanghainese-French 

Direction 

Wong Kar-wai 

Screenplay 

Wong Kar-wai 


Christopher Doyle, Pin Bing Lee; 

Editor 

William Chang 

Music 

Michael Galasso, Shigeru Umebayashi 

Cast 

Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung 

Art 

William Chang 

Costume 

William Chang 

Production 

Block 2 Pictures, Jet Tone Production, Paradis Films 

World Sales 

Fortissimo Films, Van Diemenstraat 100, 1013, CN, Amsterdam, 

The Netherlands, T: 31206273215 

114

Year of Russia In India

COMPETITION 

YEAR OF RUSSIAN INDIA 


Shadow Boxing 2 - Revenge 

/ Boys Tenyu 2 - Revenge 

2007, 35 mm, Colour, 135 min, Russian 

Direction 

Anton Megerdichev 

Screenplay 

Aleksei Sidorov 


Anton Antonov and Cory Clay 

Cast 

Denis Nikiforov (Artem Kolchin), Victor López (Mendez), 

Alvaro Orlando 

Art 

Erin Smith 

Sound 

Tim Hays 

Costumes 

Michele Posch 

Production 

Central Partnership 

World Sales 

Office 13, 12/1 Butikovsky lane, 

119034, Moscow, Russia 

Tel: +7(495)981-82-14 

Fax: +7(495)980-06-24 

www.centpart.com 

Email:katsojapalvelu.tv1@yle.fi 


Pusan, Chicago, Transilvania, Cottbus Film Festival of East 

European Cinema 

When Artem Kolchin arrives in the U S to fight for the championship, he soon finds 

himself fighting for his life after he sends a young, aggressive boxer, who provokes him 

into sparring, into a coma, ultimately killing him. That is when Artem finds out that the 

young boxer was none other than the only son of Felix Mendez, the powerful Mexican 

mafia kingpin Felix Mendez (Victor Lopez). The real fight begins 

Director Anton Megerdichev started his career as an editor of the television projects by 

Leonid Parfenov's New Year is 600 year-old and Pushkin alive. His previous films 

include documentaries Russian Empire, Nikolai the Second, To kill Kennedy and 

Following the Rider named Death. 

116



Russia 

Longing for the Future 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 90 min, Russian 

Director 

Sergey Tarasov 

Screenplay 

Viktor Dobrosotskiy 


Andrei Vatsura 

Music 

Igor Kantyukov 

Cast 

Maria Andreyeva, Pavel Novikov and Olga Kabo 

Production 

Natsionalnoe Kino 

Russian entrepreneur Victor goes with a delegation to New York and meets a girl at the 

airport. The girl looks exactly like his first love Anastasia, who left him after being 

diagnosed with terminal illness. It turns out that later Anastasia met Nikolai who brought 

her to the USA and spent all his fortune on her treatment. Anastasia survived and gave 

birth to a daughter Marina (the girl at the airport). Meeting Anastasia after so many years, 

Victor overcomes temptations and brings back the good times of their youth. 

Director, screenwriter and actor Sergei Tarasov was born on December 11, 1933. 

Between 1951 and 1954 he studied at the Zhukovskii Academy of Military and 

Aeronautical Engineering. He also studied economics before joining the scriptwriting 

department of the All-Russian State University of Cinematography in 1964. Since 1963, 

he has been a member of the screenwriting and editorial board of the Cinematography 

Committee under the USSR Council of Ministers and Chief Editor of Creative 

Association. His previous films include To the Bright Light (1975), The Antarctic novel 

(1978), The Black Triangle (1981), The Black Arrow (1985), The Adventures of Quentin 

Durward, Marksman of the Royal Guard (1988), and The Knight's Castle (1990). 

117

COMPETITION 



Listening to the Silence 

/ Slushaya tishinu 


Direction 

Aleksandr Kasatkin 

Screenplay 

Natalia Nazarova 


Andrei Naidenov 

Music 

Vladimir Saiko 

Cast 

Zhanna Vorob'eva, Dmitrii Mar'ianov, Alina Sergeeva and 

Mariia Zvonareva, 

Art 

Tatiana Dervitsa 

Production 

Central Partnership with support from the Federal Agency for 

Culture and Cinema 


Vladivostok 

It is a moving story of a young girl who comes to Moscow from rural Uzbekistan to 

follow her dream of becoming a composer. But the complications of life and love throw 

obstacles in her way and eventually rob her of her music. The film deals with her struggle 

to survive in the materialistic world of modern day Moscow and to come to terms with 

her love for her thuggish employer. 

Born in 1968 in Moscow, Aleksandr Kasatkin studied in VGIK Film Institute from 

where he graduated in 1999. He has worked as an executive director in many films. This 

is his directorial debut for feature films. 

Mermaid / Rusalka 


Director 

Anna Melikyan 

Screenplay 

Anna Melikyan 


Oleg Kirichenko 

Music 

Igor Vdovin 

Art 

Ulyana Ryabova 

Costume 

Irina Grashdankina 

Sound 

Denis Vakulenko 


Central Partnership 

Office 13, 12/1 Butikovsky lane, 

119034, Moscow, Russia 

T: +7(495)981-82-14 

F: +7(495)980-06-24 

www.centpart.com 


Berlin (FIPRESCI Prize), Sofia (Grand Prix). Sundance 

The fanciful tale of an introverted little girl who grows up believing she has the power to 

make wishes come true. She must reconcile this belief with reality when, as a young 

woman, she journeys to Moscow and grapples with love, modernity and materialism. 

Born in Baku, Anna Melikyan grew up in Yerevan and now lives in Moscow. In 2002 

she graduated from the All-Russian State University of Cinematography. Between 1995 

and 1997 she worked as a writer and director in television. Her debut film was Mars 

(2004). Since 2001 she has been a member of the Cinematographers Union of Russia. 

118



Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears 

/ Moskva Slezam Ne Verit 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 90 min, Russian 

Set in Moscow from the late 1950s to the late 1970s, it is the story about three provincial 

girls who come to Russia's capital city. They are settled in the same room in a dormitory 

and eventually become friends. Katerina strives to earn her degree and also works hard at 

a factory. At a party she meets Rudolf, who works as a cameraman for a television 

channel. He eventually seduces Katerina leading to her pregnancy. Rudolf decides that a 

marriage is not an option. This leaves Katerina alone with a baby - Rudolf's mother, a 

member of the Soviet elite, tells her to leave her son alone and offers her money, which 

Katerina refuses. 

Director 

Vladimir Menshov 

Screenplay 

Vladimir Menshov 


Igor Slabnevich 

Editor 

Yelena Mikhajlova 

Music 

Sergei Nikitin 

Cast 

Vera Alentova (Katerina), Irina Muravyova, Aleksey Batalov 

and Raisa Ryazanova, Yuri Vasilyev (Rudolf) 

Production 

Mosfilm 

World Sales 

Ruscico 

129226 Russia, Moscow, 

S.Eisenstein Street 8 

T: +7 (495) 9785700, 9785720, 9785730 

F: +7 (495) 1810572 

Email: info@ruscico.com 


Academy award for Best Foreign Language Film (1980), 

USSR State Prize (1981) 

Born on September 17, 1939, actor-director Vladimir Menshov is known for depicting 

the Russian common man and working class in his films. Like many other Russian 

filmmakers, he studied acting and directing at the state film school VGIK, the world's 

oldest educational institution in cinematography. Although his output as an actor 

outnumbers that as a director, he is best known for the five films he directed, the most 

famous of which is this melodrama that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign 

Language Film. 

119

COMPETITION 



Travelling with Pets 

/ Puteshestvie s domashnimi zhivotnymi 


Director 

Vera Storozheva 

Screenplay 

Arkadi Krasilshchikov 


Alik Tagirov 

Cast 

Dmitri Dyuzhev and Kseniya Kutepova 

Production 

Slon 


Moscow 

Natalie was 16, living in a foster home, when she was bought by a rough and unstable 

man. They lived at a remote station, and their loveless marriage lasted 19 years, until he 

died. Now free, Natalie is discovering her first love when she meets Sergei. 

Vera Storozheva is a member of the Cinematographers Union of Russia. She studied at 

the Moscow State Culture Institute and the Advanced courses for directors and 

scriptwriters. Her previous films include Greek holidays (2005), The Frenchman (2003) 

and The Girl (2002). 

The Swing / Kacheli 


Director 

Anton Sivers 

Screenplay 

Arkadi Tigai 


Ivan Gudkov 

Music 

Svyatoslav Kurashov 

Cast 

Maria Mironova, Andrei Merzlikin and Ksenia Rappoport 

Production 

Krasnaya Strela 

The movie focuses on relationship between a commando nicknamed "Sledgehammer" 

and his wife, whom he finds with another man upon his return to Chechnya after 

enduring a lengthy conflict. Discovering his beloved with an extramarital partner, the 

Sledgehammer explodes with anger and seeks immediate vengeance. 

Anton Sivers, born in 1964, received a diploma from the National Institute of Theatrical 

Arts, Leningrad (GITIS) in 1986. In 1991 he finished his studies at the University of 

Cinema and Television at St Petersburg. He has worked as an actor since 1986 and as a 

director since 1998. His previous films include Potselui Babochki (2006). 

120



The Vanished Empire 

The film's story takes place in Moscow in the 1970s. Its plot unfolds around the love 

triangle between two young men and a girl who study at the same university. They argue, 

make up, and face their first disappointments and victories. While busy with personal 

lives and loves, they miss foreseeing that the country in which they were born and live 

will soon disappear from the map. This film depicts the Soviet State at the peak of its 

power, which marks the starting point of its collapse as well, and presents a delicate study 

of this imminent and irrevocably passing era. 


Director 

Karen Shakhnazarov 

Screenplay 

Sergey Rokotov, Evgeny Nikishov 


Shandor Berkeshi 

Music 


Cast 

Alexander Lyapin, Lidia Milyuzina, Egor Baranovsky, Ivan 

Jupreenko, Olga Tumaikina, Armen Jigarkhanyan, Vladimir 

Ilyin 

Art 

Lyudmila Kusakova 

Costumes 

Ludmila Kusakova 


"Mosfilm" Cinema Concern 

Moscow 119991, Russia 

T: 00749914397000 

F: 0074997830253 

Email: simagin@mosfilm.ru 

The 1952-bron Karen Shakhnazarov is the general director of Mosfilm Cinema 

Concern. Film director, script writer, director and presenter of TV programmes, he is 

also an author. Shakhnazarov was the winner of the Laureate of Boris Polevoy Literary 

Award for the story Courier (1982), of the Lenin Komsomol Prize for development of 

musical comedy genre in the films Jazzmen and A Winter Night in Gagry (1986), laureate 

of Vassiliev Brothers' State Prize of the Russian Federation for feature film Courier 

(1988), Laureate of State Prize of the Russian Federation for the film Zvezda (The Star) 

in 2002. 

121

Country Focus-Iran

COMPETITION 

COUNTRY FOCUS - IRAN 


Cafee Setareh 

2006, Colour, 35mm, 102 mins, Persian 

Director 

Saman Moghadam 

Screenplay 

Peyman Moadi 


Bahman Badakhshani 

Editor 

Mohammad Reza Moueini 

Music 

Amir Tavasoli 

Cast 

Afsaneh Baygan (Fariba), Pejman Bazeghi (Ebi), Haniyeh 

Tavasoli (Saloumeh), Roya Teimourian (Molouk), Hamed 

Behdad (Khosro), Shahrokh Forutanian (Fereydoon), Massoud 

Raygan (Father) 

Sound 

Iraj Shahbazi, Amin Mirshekari, Parviz Abnar, Mansoreh 

Shahbazi 

Production 

Hedayat Film 


Mill Valley 

It is the life story of three women in an old district of Tehran. Fariba earns her and her 

family's living by running a small café in the district. Her husband is jobless and drowned 

in debauchery… Saloomeh, the young and beautiful girl of the district dreams of 

marrying a boy called Ebi. She has a desire for a more comfortable life, but as a 

mechanic, Ebi cannot afford the wedding costs or renting an apartment. Trying to make 

dirty money, Ebi is arrested and imprisoned…Molouk is a midlife woman that has fallen 

in love with one of district's young men. Khosro likes her too, but not as his wife. Molouk 

who is much older than khosro tries to remain young by dedicating some time to music 

and sport. 

Born in Tehran in 1969, Saman Moghadam studied filmmaking at Cinema Training 

Complex. His debut feature, Siavash, was one of the top-grossing titles in Tehran in 

th 

1999. In 2002 Moghadam's Party earned a best actress award at the 9 Pyongyang Film 

Festival. This is his fourth feature film, after Maxx (2005). 

124



1969, 35mm, Colour, 105 mins, Persian 

The Cow / Gaav 

Masht Hassan owns the only cow in a remote and desolate village. He treats the cow as 

his own child. When he is away, his cow dies. Knowing the relationship between Masht 

Hassan and his cow, the villagers hastily dispose the corpse, and when Masht Hassan 

comes back, they tell him that his cow ran away. Masht Hassan is devastated; he starts to 

spend all his time in the barn, eating hay, and slowly believes that he is the cow. It is a 

compelling symbolic drama, the story coming from renowned Iranian literary figure 

Gholamhossein Sa'edi. In 1971, the film was smuggled out of Iran and submitted to the 

Venice Film Festival, where, without programming or subtitles, it became the largest 

event of that year's festival. The film was a turning point in the history of Iranian cinema. 

The public received it with great enthusiasm, despite the fact that it had ignored all the 

traditional elements of box office attraction. 

Director 

Dariush Mehrjui 

Screenplay 

Dariush Mehrjui and Gholam-Hossein Saedi 


Fereydon Ghovanlou 

Editor 


Cast 

Ezzatolah Entezami, Ali Nassirian, Jamshid Mashayekhi, 

Khosrow Shojazadeh, Jafar Vali , Ezatallah Ramezanifar, 

Firouz Behjat-Mohamadi 

Sound 

Hormouz Farhat 

Production 



1972: Berlin (OCIC Award - Recommendation, Forum of New 

Film) 

As an Iranian New Wave cinema icon, Dariush Mehrjui is regarded to be one of the 

intellectual directors of Iranian cinema. Born in Tehran in 1939, he moved to the United 

States and entered the University of California, Los Angeles' (UCLA) Department of 

Cinema. He switched his major to philosophy and graduated from UCLA in 1964. 

Returning to Iran in 1965, he almost immediately embarked on a filmmaking career. He 

made his debut in 1966 with Diamond 33. His second film, Cow (1969), brought him 

national and international recognition. In 1973 Mehrjui began directing what was to be 

his most acclaimed film, The Cycle. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, it 

encountered opposition from the Iranian medical establishment and was banned from 

release until 1977. It was universally admired abroad. The film won the FIPRESCI Prize 

at the Berlin Film Festival in 1978. In 1981, Mehrjui travelled to Paris and remained 

there for several years, during which time he made a feature-length semi-documentary 

for French TV, Voyage au Pays de Rimbaud (1983). Feeling homesick, he returned to 

Iran to film The Tenants (1986), a comedy of conflict between apartment tenants and a 

realtor seeking to throw them out. In Hamoun (1989), a portrait of an intellectual whose 

life is falling apart, Mehrjui sought to depict his generation's post-revolutionary turn 

from politics to mysticism. The 1990s also found Mehrjui releasing films dealing with 

women's issues. Banoo (1991, released in 1998) more or less brought Luis Buñuel's 

Viridiana to Iran. Sara (1993) did the same for Ibsen's A Doll's House. Pari (1995), a 

transplanting of Salinger's Franny and Zooey, attracted the attention - and the threat of a 

lawsuit - from the reclusive author. Leila (1996) was all Mehrjui's own and the first to 

receive any sort of wide theatrical release in the West. The story of a marriage undone by 

infertility and a meddling mother-in-law, it earned Mehrjui rave reviews. 

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COMPETITION 



Gradually… / Be Ahestegi… 

2006, Colour, 35 mm, 74 mins, Persian 

Director 

Maziar Miri 

Screenplay 

Parviz Shahbazi 


Hassan Karimi 

Editor 

Maziar Miri 

Music 

Mohammad-Reza Darvishi 

Cast 

Mohammad Reza Foroutan, NiloufarKhoshkhoIgh, Hassan 

Pourshirazi, Maryam Boubani, Shahrokh Foroutanian 


Shahrokh Foroutanian 

Sound 

Hossein Mahdavi, Mojtaba Mortazavi 

Production 

Jahangir Kosari 


2006: Fajr (Best Film), Berlin, Los Angeles 

Mahmoud who works in the Railroad Company outside Tehran learns of the 

disappearance of his wife who has a record of mental illness. He comes back to Tehran to 

look for her. Neighbours start to make his life impossible with their gossip. This film is 

the story of the struggle of the Iranian young generation with the taboos of their society. 

Born in 1972 in Tehran, Maziar Miri is a graduate of US editing from IRIB's College in 

1996. He started his film career as an editor in Iranian TV channels and edited a number 

of TV series as well as documentaries. He made a three-part documentary on Iranian 

Nature from 1997-1999 and his first experience in fiction cinema is a short film entitled 

Robin Hood (1996). He co-directed a TV series, Rezayate Family in 1997 and then 

directed This Film Is Not Important, a short fiction on Iranian classic music which is still 

in post-production. Unfinished Song, his first feature, was awarded and well received in 

international scene. 

126



Havana File / Parvandeh-Ye Havana 


A PhD in biotechnology, Pezhman has crossed the red line. He knows it well, but 

believes that multinational companies have not gained their market easily to lose it 

easily. An emotional misunderstanding and his tense relations with his wife is the 

beginning of the story. 

Director 

Alireza Raisian 

Screenplay 

Far-had Tohidi 


Mahmoud Kalari, Touraj Mansouri 

Editor 

Mostapha Khergheh-Poush 

Music 

Christoph Rezaie 

Cast 

Amin Tarokh, Niki Karimi, Hamid Reza Pegah, Mahchehreh 

Khalili, Asghar Hemmat 


Iraj Raminfar 

Sound 

Mehran Malakouti, ParvizAbnar 

Costumes 

Iraj Raminfar 

Production 

Seyed Zia Hashemi 

Born in 1955 in Tehran, Alireza Raisian is best-known for his debut feature film, 

Reyhaneh, which was represented in the festivals of Montreal, Torino, Nantes and Berlin 

in early 1990s. A graduate from College of Television, Raisian began his professional 

career as screenwriter and assistant director. After directing a number of short films, he 

made his first film in 1990. His second film, The Journey, which was based on a 

screenplay by Abbas Kiarostami, was shown in San Sebastian, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong 

and London. He produced Rakhshan Bani Etemad's The May Lady (1998) as well as a 

number of documentaries and short films by Jafar Panahi, Bahman Kiarostam, Mohsen 

Makhmalbaf, Manouchehr Tayyab, etc. His Deserted Station based on an idea by Abbas 

Kiarostami and produced with the supports of French Ministry of Culture, won the best 

actress award in Montreal. 

127




Mainline / Khoonbazi 

While her fiancé has been studying abroad, Sara, a university student, has had a heroin 

addiction relapse. Now, faced with his impending return for their wedding, she and her 

mother undertake a desperate journey to a drug treatment centre in the countryside. This 

modem day portrayal of Iran's new middle-class provides a stark and heartbreaking look 

at youth drug abuse in contemporary Iran. 

Director 

Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Mohsen Abdolvahab 

Screenplay 

Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Farid Mostafavi, MohsenAbdolvahab, 

Naghmeh Samini 


Mahmoud Kalari 

Editor 

Sepideh Abdolvahab 

Cast 

Bita Farahi, Baran Kosari, Masoud Rayegan, Bahram Radan 


Zhila Mehrjui 

Sound 

Yadollah Najafi, Mohammad Reza Delpak 

Costumes 

Zhila Mehrjui 

Production 

Cinema 79 


Pyongyang, Fajr, Karlovy Vary, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto 

Rakhshan Bani-Etemad was born in Tehran in 1954. After studying at the University of 

Dramatic Arts in Iran, she made several documentaries for Iranian television, and in 

1987 directed her first feature-film, Off The Limits. In 1991, she became the first woman 

recipient of the Best Director Award at the Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran for 

Nargess. She won the Bronze Leopard at the 1995 Locarno Film Festival for TheBlue 

Veiled. In 2000, Under The Skin Of The City was the highest grossing film in Iran, and 

went on to garner major awards in Moscow, Turin, Karlovy Vary and Seattle film 

festivals. Mainline was Bani-Etemad's ninth feature-film. 

Mohsen Abdolvahab, born in Tehran in 1957, graduated from IRIB University in 

Tehran with a degree in editing. His documentary, The Wives Of Haj Abbas (2001), won 

the prestigious Silver Wolf award at the Amsterdam Festival. He has closely 

collaborated with Bani-Etemad for two decades. In addition to directing over 23 short 

and feature documentaries on a wide range of social and industrials topics, Abdolvahab 

has over 25 years of experience as a professional documentary and feature film editor. 

128

COMPETITION 



The Fish Fall in Love 

/ Mahi-ha Ashegh Mishavand 


Director 

Ali Rafiee 

Screenplay 

Ali Rafiee 


Mahmoud Kalari 

Editor 

Varuzh Karim Masihi 

Music 

Ali Samadpour 

Cast 

Reza Kianian (Aziz), Roya Nonahali (Atieh), Golshifteh 

Farahani, Maryam Saadat, Maedeh Tahmasbi, Mahdi Pakdel, 

Sina Razani 


Ali Rafiee 

Sound 

Sasan Nakhaie, Mohsen Roshan 

Production 

Hassan Kalami 


Seattle, San Diego Asian film festival 

Aziz returns home to take possession of the remaining portion of his father's estate which 

he had to abandon and go on an undesired journey 25 years ago. On his arrival, however, 

he encounters Atiyeh... The film uses the language of food to speak of life and a story of 

unrequited love set in Northern Iran. 

Born in Isfahan in 1938, Ali Rafiee holds BA and MA degrees in sociology from the 

Sorbonne University, BA, MA and PhD in dramatic arts from Sorbonne, Higher 

Diploma in film and stage direction from the International Theater University in France, 

and Diploma of Acting from Charles Dulain in France. With experiences as a performer 

in a number of films and TV programmes in France and England, Rafiee teaches at the 

Tehran University at the moment. He has been head of the City Theater in Tehran from 

1975 to 1978 and dean of the Dramatic College from 1977 to 1980. He has staged a 

number of classic plays. This was his first feature film. 

129

Special Tribute 


Niki Karimi

COMPETITION 

PETER HO-SUN CHAN 


Peter Ho-Sun Chan co-founded the United Filmmakers Organization (UFO) in Hong Kong in the early 1990s, and produced a solid track record of box 

office and critical hits. Chan has made an indelible mark on both sides of the Pacific with his Hong Kong comedy-dramas Alan and Eric: Between Hello and 

Goodbye; Tom, Dick & Harry and He's a Women, She's a Man. His commercially and critically acclaimed Comrades: Almost a Love Story was named one of 

the Ten Best Movies of 1997 by Time Magazine and swept a record-breaking nine Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1998, he was voted one of the Top Ten 

Helmers to watch by Variety. Chan also directed the romantic comedy The Love Letter for Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks SKG in 1999. Chan furthered his 

vision for international collaborations by establishing his own company, Applause Pictures Ltd, in year 2000. The films produced include: Jan Dara 

(Thailand-Hong Kong), One Fine Spring Day (Japan-Korea-Hong Kong), The Eye (Singapore-Thailand-Hong Kong), Three (Thailand-Korea-Hong Kong), 

Golden Chicken and its sequel Golden Chicken 2, The Eye 2 (Thailand-Singapore-Hong Kong), Three…Extremes (Japan-Korea-Hong Kong), The Eye 

Infinity and McDull, The Alumni (Hong Kong-China). In 2005, Chan widened his range by embarking on Hong Kong-China co-productions. Perhaps Love, 

his first collaboration with film professionals on the Mainland, became one of the best-selling Chinese films in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan that year, 

picking up 29 honors at nine awards ceremonies. It was also selected as Hong Kong's entry to the 78th Annual Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language 

Film category. In 2007, Chan produced Derek Yee's Protégé and directed The Warlords. The two films took the top two spots as the highest grossing coproductions 

of the year both in Hong Kong and China. 

Perhaps Love / Ru guo · Ai 


Director 


Screenplay 

Aubrey Lam, Raymond To 


Christopher Doyle, Peter Pau 

Editor 

Chi-Leung Kwong, Wenders Li 

Music 

Peter Kam, Leon Ko 

Cast 

Takeshi Kaneshiro (Lin Jian-dong), Xun Zhou (Sun Na), Jacky 

Cheung (Nie Wen), Jin-hee Ji (Monty), Eric Tsang (Producer), 

Sandra Ng Kwan Yue (Lin's Manager) 


Chung Man Yee 

Art 

Pater Wong 

Costumes 

Dora Ng 


Celestial Pictures 

Shaw Administration Bldg. Lot 220, Clear Water Bay Rd. 

Kowloon, Hong Kong 

T: +852 2927 1170 

F: 852-2243-0008 

Email: enquiry@celestialpictures.com, 

soonen.wong@celestialpictures.com 


Venice, Seattle, Sydney, Palm Springs, San Francisco, Hong Kong 

A love triangle develops between the male and female leads and the director during the 

making of a musical in mainland China. The film depicts the pain and suffering that can 

come from true love. Lin Jian-Dong, a Hong Kong heartthrob arrives in Shanghai to 

work on a new musical by director Nie Wen. Sun Na, a driven-for-success actress with a 

popularity that extends to Hollywood, has long been Nie Wen's partner - both on the 

screen and off - but this new collaboration has issues. Nie Wen doubts his creative fire, 

and looks to his new film to reassert his once-established filmmaking genius. Thanks to 

Nie Wen's artistic temperament, the relationship between the two suffers from some 

strain. But with the arrival of Jian-Dong, Nie Wen and Sun Na's relationship is about to 

get a whole lot messier. This is also the film in which Indian choreographer-turneddirector 

Farah Khan showcased her creativity as a choreographer at an international 

level. 

140


PETER HO-SUN CHAN 


Warlords 

In the year 1850, the suffering of the 430 million Chinese people under the corrupt rule of 

the Qing dynasty set the stage for the Taiping Rebellion. During the chaos of the decade 

long civil war, 50 million people died from either hunger or battle. In the fall of 1870, 

General Pang stands high atop the city walls fully attired in governor's robes. Peering 

down upon the site of his inauguration, he is filled with dreams and ambition. Pang has 

taken a path of no return; had he chosen differently, he might have been one of the heroes 

to later overthrow the corrupt Qing imperial regime and establish a new China. He could 

have changed the course of history……But two bandits and a woman have changed the 

course of his life - helping him achieve his goal, but ultimately causing his demise. The 

two bandits are his sworn blood brothers: Zhao Er-Hu and Jiang Wu-Yang. The woman 

who comes between them is Zhao's wife Lian. Peter Chan has been quoted as saying that 

the film, mounted on an epic scale and marked by spectacular battle scenes and great 

visuals, was influenced by the late Chang Cheh's 1973 film The Blood Brothers, but also 

that it was not a remake. 

Director 


Screenplay 

Xu Lan, Chun Tin Nam, Aubrey Lam, Huang Jian Xin, Jojo 

Hui, He Jiping, Guo Jun Li, James Yuen 


Arthur Wong 

Editor 

Wenders Li 

Music 

Chan Kwong Wing, Peter Kam, Chatchai Pongprapaphan 

Cast 

Jet Li (Gen Pang), Andy Lau (Zhao Er-Hu), Takeshi Kaneshiro 

(Jiang Wu-Yang), Xu Jinglei (Lian) 


Yee Chung Man 

Art 

Yi Zheng Zhou Pater Wong 

Costumes 

Yee Chung Man, Jessie Dai, Lee Pik Kwan 

Production 

Morgan & Chan Films 

World Sales 

Media Asia Distribution, Arm Distribution Ltd 


London, San Francisco 

141

COMPETITION 

NIKI KARIMI 


Iran 

A Few Days Later ... 

/ Chand Ruz Baad 

2006, 35 mm, Colour, Persian 

Director 

Niki Karimi 

Screenplay 

Shadmehr Rastin 


Hossein Jafarian 

Editor 

Sepideh Abdolvahab 

Music 

Peyman Yazdanian 

Cast 

Niki Karimi (Shahrzad), Ehsan Amani(Tabesh), Niloofar 

Khoshkholgh (Ghazaleh), Alireza Anooshfar (Reza) 

Art 

Iraj Raminfar 

Sound 

Parviz Abnar 

Production 

Mohammadreza Takhtkeshian 


Rome, San Francisco 

A few days later , explore the life of Shahrzad , a famous graphic designer , living in 

Tehran and very busy with her job and daily rutines. But now She is in an emotional 

panic and should make a decision , for a long time relationship. 

Born on November 10, 1971, Niki Karimi is Iran's internationally-hailed actress, 

filmmaker, writer who lives between London and Tehran. She participated in theatrical 

work while she was in elementary school and ger hobby of reading and watching movies 

from an early age inspired her to become an actress. Her talent as an actress was noticed 

by the famous Iranian actor Jamshid Gorgin, while she was playing a role in a school 

play. She loves translating and in 1999 she released her first translation work, Marlon 

Brando's biography Songs My Mother Taught Me to Persian. Niki has won several 

awards both at home and internationally, and recently been in the jury for such festivals 

as the Locarno International Film Festival, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, 

Berlin film festival and also the 60th Cannes Film Festival. In 2001, with Abbas 

Kiarostami as the producer she directed To have or not to have, a documentary about 

infertility. Her efforts won her first award as a director in "The Rain" festival in Iran. She 

has starred in over 20 movies in Iran and directed two features till now. Niki has won the 

best actress awards at the Fajr film Festival for One flew over cuckoo's nest in 2002, at 

Cairo film festival for Hidden Half in 2001, at Taormina film festival for Two women in 

1999, at San Sebastian film festival and Nantes Film Festival for Sara in 1995. Her first 

feature as a director, One Night, was part of the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes 

Film Festival. 

142


COMPETITION 

NIKI KARIMI 

2008, 35 mm, Colour, 94 mins, Persian 

Iran 

3 Women / Seh Zan 

Three women of three generations, grandmother, mother and daughter, who have been 

lost in the past, present and future. Minoo, a 40-year-old woman, a carpet expert and 

darner, lost in her obsessions and doubts, tries to save an ancient and precious rug. Her 

daughter's left and Minoo's looking for some traces to find her. Minoo's mother suffers 

from forgetfulness and carrying the same precious and ancient rug, she's lost in search of 

her memoirs in a route toward her past. Minoo, wandering among her lost ones, seeks her 

own truth, while looking for her mother and daughter. Pegah, Minoo's daughter, has left 

her mother, lonely and aimlessly, passes the roads in remote regions of her country, Iran. 

She confronts a young man, who wanders around and is lost in the roads too. These three 

women, through their searches, find out their common identities. Do these all would 

relate them again? 

Director 

Manijeh Hekmat 

Screenplay 

Naghmeh Samini 


Dariush Ayyari 

Editor 

Mostafa Khergheh-Poush 

Music 

Heydar Sajedi 

Cast 

Niki Karimi, Pegah Ahangarani, Maryam Boubani, Reza 

Kianian, Babak Hamidian, Atyla Pessiani 

Art 

Mohsen Ahangarani 

Sound 

Parviz Abnar 

Costumes 

Zhila Mehrjui 

Production 

Manijeh Hekmat 

World Sales 

Mohammad Atebbai 

Iranian Independents 

PO Box 15875-4769 

Tehran, Iran 

T: (+98-912) 3198693 

F: (+98-21) 22271157 

Email: info@iranianindependents.com 


Edinburgh, Vancouver, AFI Los Angeles, Seoul International 

Women's Film Festival, Hong Kong, Brisbane, Durban, 

Born in 1962 in Arak (Iran), Manijeh Hekmat is a prolific figure in Iranian cinema. She 

first got involved in film business as a experimental filmmaker and then as a scriptwriter. 

From 1980 onwards, Hekmat became assistant director and production designer in 25 

feature films. She started producing films in 1995, including the award-winning The Girl 

in the Sneakers and Bunch of Grass, a German production in Iranian Kurdistan. Women's 

Prison (2002) Hekmat's debut directorial film that is based on her long studies and fieldworks 

on Iranian women prisoners, has been shown in 80 international film festivals and 

received seven prizes. Three Women is her second film. 

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IFFI Film Heritage Section

IFFI FILM HERITAGE SECTION 


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IFFI-2008 - International Film Festival of India

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