Critics seek out "new visions"
Seven first films, a tribute to Sembène Ousmane and the debut of cinematic heir Jónas Cuarón make up the programme of the 22nd Critics’ Week (SIC), held from August 30-September 8 during the Venice Film Festival.
The section (which is autonomous but supported by the Biennale) is promoted by the National Film Critics Union with the Ministry of Culture and the Veneto Region, and traditionally aims to discover new talent. All of which vie for the section’s Best Film award as well as the Lion of the Future – Luigi De Laurentiis Prize.
In honour of the recently deceased father of African cinema, Ousmane’s early films Borom Sarret and Black Girl will be shown while the debut of the 26 year-old son of Alfonso Cuarón follows in the footsteps of Chris Marker. In Año Uña he recounts the love of a 14 year-old Mexican boy for a 20 year-old American woman through a cinematographic flow that is reminiscent of The Pier.
“We sought out new visions,” said SIC Delegate General Francesco Di Pace, and emphasised this year’s leit-motif: “An ensemble nature and the attempt to respond to the many anxieties of modern life. In this sense, there is a lot of spirituality in the films we selected”.
As in the case of 24 mesures [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Jalil Lespert (who as an actor has worked with Robert Guédiguian and Guillaume Cantet). His French-Canadian co-production (MK2 Productions and WY Productions ) interweaves four destinies on Christmas night; as does the Taiwanese Zui Yaoyuan De Juli (“The Greatest Possible Distance”) by Lin Jing-jie, on the existential desperation of a sound technician.
Multiple stories also make up The Nines, three episodes (starring Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis and Melissa McCarthy) directed by John August, Tim Burton’s screenwriter. There are also three main characters in the Belgian Small Gods [+see also:
trailer
film profile], an atypical road movie by Dimitri Karakatsanis produced by Potemkino and Kanibal Films: Sara, a mute girl who has escaped from an orphanage; the young David; and Elena, recovering from an accident that took the life of her son.
Mourning is furthermore central to Alexander Mindadze’s Otryv. The award-winning Russian screenwriter moves behind the camera with this film loosely based on the aftermath of a German airplane disaster while from Kazakhstan arrives Karoy by Zanna Issabayeva, on the redemption of a crook, between melodrama, comedy and the grotesque.
The Italian film in competition, La ragazza del Lago [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – directed by Andrea Molaioli, 40, and produced by Indigo Film – will be released theatrically on September 7, directly following its Venice screening. This is no surprise as the SIC films are selected by critics but aimed at large audiences, as was proven last year by the success of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, last year’s winner. Everyone, filmmakers and selectors alike, hope the latter does not remain an isolated case.
(Translated from Italian)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
