28/07/2009

Genre cinema rediscovered by young European filmmakers, a little bit of provocation and a lot of women’s perspectives make up the sixth edition of Venice Days (September 3-12), the independent section held during the Venice Film Festival and created by the Filmmakers Association and Independent Filmmakers and Producers.

Fifteen world premieres, four debut films, 12 fictional stories, six documentaries and 15 nationalities “an edition very much tied to women”, according to Venice Days artistic director Giorgio Gosetti (who replaces critic Fabio Ferzetti). Female filmmakers who will be at Venice Days include Marina Spada (who returns to Venice Days with Poesia Che Mi Guardi); Elisabetta Pandimiglio; Paola Sangiovanni; Annarosa Morri; the American-born, German transplant Sherry Horman (Desert Flower [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]); Latvian animator Signe Baumane; and French debut filmmaker Léa Fehner (Qu'un Seul Tienne et les Autres Suivront [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Qu'un seul tienne et les au…
film profile]).

There are also numerous renowned names in the programme, including Claude Miller, who made a “feature debut” with his son Nathan, Je suis heureux que ma mère soit vivante [+see also:
trailer
film profile]; Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic, who focuses on the contradictions of his land in Honeymoons [+see also:
Interview with Goran Paskaljevic, dire…
film profile]; Algeria’s Merzak Allouache, who in Harragas [+see also:
trailer
film profile] follows his “boat people” across the Mediterranean in their dream of freedom; and Dutch filmmaker Alex van Warmerdam, who in The Last Days of Emma Blank [+see also:
interview: The Last Days of Emma Blank…
film profile] continues his highly personal social satire down a fine line between realism and surrealism.

Other filmmakers include France’s Yannick Dahan & Benjamin Rocher, whose politically incorrect horror film La Horde [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (already a cult hit on the web) is being featured as a special event; and Daniel Sánchez-Arévalo of Spain, who won the Label Europa Cinemas at Venice Days 2006 for DarkBlueAlmostBalck [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and returns with the ruthless satire Gordos [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Daniel Sánchez Arévalo
Interview with Daniel Sánchez-Arévalo,…
film profile].

(Translated from Italian)