email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

FESTIVALS Switzerland / Germany

Picture Tree International brings a “hitman” to Locarno's Piazza Grande

by 

- The international sales and production outfit is presenting three films at the Locarno International Film Festival

Picture Tree International brings a “hitman” to Locarno's Piazza Grande
A Hitman's Solitude Before the Shot by Florian Mischa Böder

With the German comedy A Hitman's Solitude Before the Shot, by Florian Mischa Böder, the Berlin-based international sales and production outfit Picture Tree International is bringing a road movie to the Piazza Grande at the Locarno Film Festival, in which Benno Fürmann (Jerichow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christian Petzold
film profile
]
) plays a hitman who is working for a secret EU programme. For eight years he has been living a lonely and disciplined life in order to be fully prepared when a job comes up. But just when he meets a woman, Rosa (Mavie Hörbiger), whom he wants to date, he gets his first contract. With Rosa in tow, he embarks on a night-time odyssey in which nothing works out as planned. It is now time for him to reconsider his entire way of life. The comedy is produced by Cologne-based HUPE Film- und Fernsehproduktion in co-production with ZDF/ARTE.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

With his feature debut, Pause, Swiss writer/director and musician Mathieu Urfer will also celebrate his world premiere at the Piazza Grande. Day in, day out, life seems to be the same for a thirtysomething who has been stuck in a relationship for years while he and his 78-year-old buddy keep dreaming of a career as country music singers. When his girlfriend breaks up with him, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Urfer, who wrote the script in collaboration with his co-writer Joanne Giger, also composed and performed the film score. Produced by Box Productions, Pause will be released in Switzerland by Filmcoopi in the autumn.

Another Locarno entry is the episodic film Traumland, which Swiss director Petra Volpe presented in the official competition at the Moscow International Film Festival. Set over the course of one day on Christmas Eve, Traumland follows four people who meet a young Bulgarian street prostitute. The cast includes fine European actors such as Marisa Paredes (Todo sobre mi madre), Devid Striesow (The Counterfeiters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
), Ursina Lardi (The White Ribbon [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Haneke
film profile
]
) and Luna Mijovic (Esma's Secret [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Barbara Albert
interview: Jasmila Zbanic
film profile
]
). For this Swiss-German co-production, Zodiac Pictures got Berlin-based Wüste Film Ost on board as a partner, as well as SRF, SRG, SSR and ARTE.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy