"Festival Darlings" - Athens International Film Festival - 2017
The most important international and European productions, which have been distinguished in major festivals and have piqued the interest of filmgoers all over the world, as well as new discoveries. Films which deal with contemporary issues, analyze big social and political problems, explore new narrative routes and experiment aesthetically. In this section, you also find the most interesting bigbudget productions of the coming season. Films that will monopolise the attention of the media, run for Academy Awards and make big cash at the box office. Stay tuned for all of the news of the 23rd Athens International Film Festival at http://en.aiff.gr and www.cinemagazine.gr All film descriptions derive from http://en.aiff.gr/festival_darlings_2017/
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- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsOakes FegleyJulianne MooreMichelle WilliamsTells the tale of two children separated by fifty years. In 1927, Rose searches for the actress whose life she chronicles in her scrapbook; in 1977, Ben runs away from home to find his father.Two young children from different times, a city that will join their destinies, a beautiful fairytale for all those struggling to find where they belong and who are seeking for love; all this from the magnificent director of “Carol”. This magical film titled “Wonderstruck” will steal your hearts and is considered a favourite in the upcoming Academy Awards.
- DirectorAki KaurismäkiStarsSherwan HajiSakari KuosmanenKaija PakarinenA poker-playing restaurateur and former traveling salesman befriends a group of refugees newly arrived to Finland.A Syrian immigrant escapes from the refugee accommodation centre where he is being held. A Finnish merchant leaves his old life behind to open a restaurant. Two men, who have both left their homes for different reasons, meet and it changes their lives forever. Aki Kaurismäki sees “The Other Side of Hope” as he euphorically broaches a hot political matter and succeeds in reminding us of such self-evident values as solidarity, companionship and love between people.
- DirectorMohammad RasoulofStarsReza AkhlaghiradSoudabeh BeizaeeNasim AdabiA drama about corruption and injustice in Iranian society. You are the oppressed, or you have to join the oppressor to survive.A quiet family man sees his life and small business become the target of a business group with strong ties in government which tries to impede any activity it doesn't control. In Rasoulof's hands, this quintessential battle of a single man against a corrupt system is transformed into an exemplary drama. The film was recently honoured with the Un Certain Regard Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
- DirectorLeonardo MouramateusStarsMauro SoaresDeborah ViegasDaniel PizamiglioAntónio runs away from home and tries to spend the night at his ex-girlfriend's apartment. There he finds a brazilian girl, an unexpected guest. Johnny is struggling to stage his first theater play in Lisbon. His friendship with the young light technician will make him face his real problems. Débora is passing by, finally returning home. When she goes to the theater, she falls asleep, and is awaken by the protagonist. Three dimensions of the same story.A postmodern adaptation of Dostoevsky' s “White Nights”, this charming debut by the 26 year old Brazilian director blurs the limits of reality and fantasy following Antonio at three different crossroads in his life. Lost loves, hardship and the loneliness of a big city leave their mark on a 20-year old man who is trying to make ends meet in modern-day Lisbon. Director in attendance
- DirectorKaouther Ben HaniaStarsMariam Al FerjaniGhanem ZrelliNoomen HamdaA college student seeks help after a brutal assault but faces a bureaucratic nightmare when she reveals that her perpetrators are police officers.Mariam starts her night at a carefree party with friends but as the night progresses she finds herself living a Kafkaesque nightmare as the 21 year-old tries to convince the authorities that she has fallen victim to sexual abuse by a group of police officers. An emotionally charged film, based on real events, with political connotations and a message for rape awareness as the protagonist's appeal for truth and justice take on the dimensions of an ongoing fight that any woman ought to engage in against rape culture.
- DirectorLuca GuadagninoStarsTimothée ChalametArmie HammerMichael StuhlbargIt's the summer of 1983, and 17-year-old Elio is spending the days with his family at their villa in Lombardy, Italy. He soon meets Oliver, who's working as an intern for Elio's father. They discover the heady beauty of awakening desire.The result of a screenplay collaboration between the highly sought after director of “I Am Love” and the revered filmmaker, James Ivory of “Room with a View” and “The Remains of the Day”, is probably the best film of the year. As a restless 17 year old discovers love, during an idyllic summer in the Italian countryside, Guadagnino succeeds in transforming a sweet love story into an instant classic with the power to touch millions of viewers.
- DirectorNaoko OgigamiStarsTôma IkutaKenta KiritaniMugi KadowakiTomo, an 11-year old girl, discovers her mother has abandoned her. Tomo's uncle and his transgender girlfriend, Rinko, take her in. Together they tackle the task of knitting 108 of Rinko's special hopes and dreams, one stitch at a time.11-year old Tomo finds refuge at her uncle's house where he lives with Rinko, his transexual companion, after her mother abandons her. As Rinko initiates Tomo into the mysticism of knitting, a new loving family is born. The director of “Rent-a- Cat” offers up yet another ode to optimism where love overcomes all prejudice in this little gem dominated by pastel colours. Winner of the Teddy Jury Award at the Berlin Film Festival.
- DirectorAaron KatzStarsLola KirkeZoë KravitzGabriela FloresA heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant and her Hollywood starlet boss. As the assistant unravels the mystery, she must confront her own understanding of friendship, truth and celebrity.A crime at the heart of Hollywood implicates the assistant of an up-and- coming star in a messy case. With all suspicion falling on her, she decides to ignore the police investigation and solve the mystery herself. Setting his neo-noir film in a world where nothing is as it seems, Katz captivates his audience with a seductive cinematic puzzle which isn't necessarily meant to be solved but to be enjoyed.
- DirectorMichael HanekeStarsIsabelle HuppertJean-Louis TrintignantMathieu KassovitzA well-to-do French family deals with a series of setbacks and crises.The director of “The White Ribbon” and “Amour” investigates the secrets of a wealthy French family, the members of which are being recklessly dishonest with each other. One by one, the truths are uncovered as the director reveals a dark network of desperation and alienation which spreads its roots from one generation to the next. Haneke doesn' t expect the viewer to like his characters and doesn' t offer the relief of a satisfying ending. He makes one thing clear: If you like happy endings get ready to be unpleasantly surprised.
- DirectorJoan ChemlaStarsGael García BernalMarine VacthNahuel Pérez BiscayartCast out of his insular community, a damaged and down on his luck man teeters between a life of crime and the path to redemption.After the death of his best friend, for which he may even be responsible, Daniel finds refuge in a hotel for lost souls and gradually slips into the world of crime. But then he meets the beautiful Francine and tries to imagine a better life for the two of them. Gael García Bernal and Marine Vacth are the photogenic protagonists of a modern noir, which is one of the most notable directorial debuts of the year.
- DirectorKornél MundruczóStarsMerab NinidzeZsombor JégerGyörgy CserhalmiAryan is a Syrian refugee trying to make his way into Hungary from Serbia, along with his father and many other wretched souls. They are all caught, and find themselves in a web of cynicism and corruption.Not only does a young Syrian immigrant not die, following a deadly altercation with the police at Hungary' s border, but he finds himself possessing supernatural powers. The director of the triumphant “White God” offers up European' s answer to action-packed Hollywood Blockbusters, combining a sensational show of craftsmanship with paranormal allegory and the current sociopolitical reality.
- DirectorS.J. ChiroStarsSophia Mitri SchlossKate MoennigSara CoatesLane is a 13-year-old girl coming of age on a Northern California commune in the 1970s. While Lane enjoys the freedom of living off-the-grid with her mother and younger siblings, she craves a stable "normal" life, a life she's only seen in pictures from a stolen Sears catalog. Lane must navigate her troubled mother Hallelujah while trying to care for her younger brother and sister.The utopia of the 60s may well and truly be over, however, an unrelenting hippie and mother of three continues to move from commune to commune. Her 13-year old daughter wants to put an end to this ongoing journey at any cost. This unpretentious coming-of- age story, based on real-life events, and infused with Californian sunlight won the New American Cinema Competition award at the Seattle International Film Festival.
- DirectorMichael IrishStarsCharlotte BydwellAlexis MouyiarisDon BajemaA struggling young couple is forced to live the last day of their relationship over and over again.Addison and Conor, a young New York couple, find themselves trapped in their own “Groundhog Day” when they realise that they are reliving the end of their relationship time and time again. A look at modern-day relationships, which as time goes by becomes all the more familiar through the naturalistic view of a truly independent filmmaker. Director in attendance
- DirectorAndrey ZvyagintsevStarsMaryana SpivakAleksey RozinMatvey NovikovA couple going through a divorce must team up to find their son who has disappeared during one of their bitter arguments.Boris and Zhenya clash over the custody of their twelve-year old son, only they are both trying to get rid of him because they are incapable of bringing him up. Upon realising that the young boy is missing they go to the authorities to help find him. What starts off as a Bergmanesque family drama is artfully transformed, by the director of “Leviathan”, into a slow-burning mystery thriller through which Zvyagintsev expresses his dissatisfaction with modern day Russia. Won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
- DirectorJulian RosefeldtStarsCate BlanchettErika BauerRuby BustamanteCate Blanchett performs manifestos as a series of striking monologues.Cate Blachett's devastating one woman show through her portrayal of 13 decisively different characters becomes the perfect canvas for German artist and director, Julian Rosefeldt, to imprint his overturning exposition. The boundaries and essence of art, the creator's responsibility towards society as well as the notions which help form present-day culture are the leading elements in this wild ideological collage.
- DirectorAna AsensioStarsAna AsensioNatasha RomanovaDavid LittleMost Beautiful Island is a chilling portrait of an undocumented young woman's struggle for survival as she finds redemption from a tortured past in a dangerous game.While trying to survive in the inhospitable environment of New York, Luciana agrees to attend a cocktail party for a generous fee. What she doesn't know yet is that she will soon take part in a twisted game or life and death. Asensio is the director, scriptwriter and protagonist of this savage walk on the dark side; she combines dreams with the nightmares of the unrelenting metropolis in a debut which skilfully messes with the audience's expectations while deftly paying tribute to Polanski. SXSW Grand Jury Award.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsJennifer LawrenceJavier BardemEd HarrisA couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.Uninvited guests upset Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem's daily routine, putting a strain on their relationship. With evident references to Polanski's psychological thrillers, Darren Aronofsky balances between devotion and insanity and returns, with the help of a glamorous cast, back to the chilling starting point that defined his career.
- DirectorSerge BozonStarsIsabelle HuppertRomain DurisJosé GarciaMrs. Géquil is a teacher despised by her colleagues and students. On a stormy night, she is struck by lightning and faints. When she wakes up, she feels different. Will she be able to keep the powerful and dangerous Mrs. Hyde contained?Provocative roles are child's play for the insuperable Isabelle Huppert, who won the Best Actress Award at the Locarno International Film Festival, playing two opposing personalities of an eccentric teacher, which emerge after she is struck by lighting. A modern-day and utterly amusing version of the classic “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”.
- DirectorKirsten TanStarsPenpak SirikulThaneth WarakulnukrohTossapol LeongsuppornOn a chance encounter, a disenchanted architect bumps into his long-lost elephant on the streets of Bangkok. Excited, he takes his elephant on a journey across Thailand, in search of the farm where they grew up together.A middle-aged architect, an elephant and some of the most eccentric figures anyone could ever expect to meet in exotic Thailand are the protagonists of the most affectionate road movie of the year. But most of all the film, which won the Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival, is characterised by the nostalgia for a childhood innocence which is long gone.
- DirectorStephen ConeStarsMarika MashburnJessie PinnickPaul Brian FagenA 16-year-old girl visits her aunt in Chicago for the summer. While there, she falls for another girl, and she and her aunt challenge each other's sex and spirit.With summer just around the corner a beautiful teenager suddenly finds herself in Chicago staying with her aunt who is an author leading a Bohemian lifestyle. As the girl experiences the first pangs of love and comes into contact with the strange world of discovery and awakening the two women go from liking to loving each other deeply. A tender coming-of- age story, this full-hearted film talks about two charming, contradictory and unpredictable characters. In other words two very real women.
- DirectorRoberto De PaolisStarsSelene CaramazzaSimone LiberatiBarbora BobulovaAgnese and Stefano are profoundly different. She is only seventeen, lives with her mother (a harsh but devoted woman and a regular church-goer) and is about to take a vow of chastity to last until marriage. He is a 25 year old man, with a violent temper and a difficult past behind, who works as a warden in a car park that borders with a gypsy camp. Their unexpected meeting engenders a sentiment of purity, made of little stolen moments and mutual help. But when they make love for the first time, Agnese s illusion of purity is shattered. She experiences a deep sense of betrayal towards her ideals, which leads her to take an extreme decision in the hope of erasing her sin.Brought up in a religious environment, 17-year old Agnese is determined to take an oath of chastity but her plans go awry when she meets Stefano. A harsh yet romantic directorial debut, situated on the outskirts of modern-day Rome, about the excesses of a generation that lives tenaciously and impulsively in the face of constant failure.
- DirectorDanny StrongStarsNicholas HoultKevin SpaceyVictor GarberThe life of celebrated but reclusive author, J.D. Salinger, who gained worldwide fame with the publication of his novel, "The Catcher in the Rye".In 1951 J.D. Salinger published “The Catcher in the Rye”. The ambitious young author had to go through the loss of love, a series of failures, a world war and a long-term nervous breakdown before writing one of the greatest works of literature in the world. Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Spacey and Sarah Paulson star in the film.
- DirectorsCecilia AtánValeria PivatoStarsPaulina GarcíaClaudio RissiMaría Cristina LópezA journey through the vastness of the Argentine desert and what appeared to be the end of the road will become the beginning of a new life.A lonely and distressed woman accepts the help of a kind vagabond to find her lost bag. As they wander through the Argentinian desert, repressed desires awaken and the journey, with an uncertain destination, turns into a journey to freedom. The award winning Paulina Garcia of “Gloria” fame, is very precise in her portrayal of a woman finding unexpected love in a sweet road trip of self-discovery. Attiki Odos recommends this film and hopes you enjoy the Festival and travel safely.
- DirectorSean BakerStarsBrooklynn PrinceBria VinaiteWillem DafoeA single mother and the manager of a roadside motel do their utmost to maintain the innocence of a six-year-old girl's life.In the shadow of Disneyland's Magic Kingdom, a group of youngsters disrupt the lives of the residents of a cheap motel with their shenanigans adding some colour to their otherwise mundane lives. Following the triumph of “Tangerine” the boy wonder of American independent cinema sets sail for the Oscars, with the help of a brilliant Willem Dafoe on his side and introducing the inconceivably talented Brooklynn Prince. An exemplary cinematic specimen of social realism which is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.
- DirectorTarik SalehStarsFares FaresMari MalekYasser Ali MaherA maid witnesses a murder at an upscale hotel and a policeman is assigned to the case, but it soon becomes clear that important people don't want the case solved.Just before the dawn of the Arab Spring, a corrupt Egyptian police inspector is tasked with the investigation of the murder of a famous singer at the luxurious Nile Hilton hotel. The investigation comes to a stop when all evidence points to the President's friend. The police inspector is determined that justice be served at the same time that a revolution breaks out in his country. Tarik Saleh's riveting crime thriller, a film noir set in the dark back alleys of Cairo, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
