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DON'T LOOK AT ME THAT WAY

by Uisenma Borchu

synopsis

Iva is a single mother of a five-year-old girl and Hedi is her new neighbor. Iva (played by first-time-actress Catrina Stemmer) falls desperately in love with Hedi and the two women begin a tumultous relationship. But what are Hedis ultimate goals? Love? Or the freedom to take everything and everyone she wants? Classic gender roles get a total makeover in this debut from German-Mongolian director Uisenma Borchu. The director herself is playing Hedi, radically exposing herself and posing equally radical questions about identity, gender, sexuality and power, the economics of the body. Argueably we encouter a female "macho" bulldozing her way through life and relationships. And why not, if the society demands radical self optimization? Hedi is a fascinating figure, a dangerous one. While the impromptu approach makes her journey a fascinating, erotic and ever surprising cinematic experience, the film is meticulously crafted in structure and sustained by outstanding camerawork from Sven Zellner. And the drama still heats up, things get more complicated by far. When Iva's father appears out of the blue (played by German acting legend and former Werner Herzog regular Sepp Bierbichler) Hedi feels strongly attracted to him. Through narrative collisions toward the end this outstanding debut lets us reflect on our present lives, up to the possible judgment by future generations: Mothers, fathers, what have you done to others? And why have you fucked them (up)?

international title: Don't Look at Me That Way
original title: Schau mich nicht so an
working title: Iva & Hedi
country: Germany, Mongolia
year: 2015
genre: fiction
directed by: Uisenma Borchu
release date: DE 16/06/2016
screenplay: Uisenma Borchu
cast: Uisenma Borchu, Catrina Stemmer, Josef Bierbichler, Anne-Marie Weisz
cinematography by: Sven Zellner
art director: Markus Dicklhuber
producer: Martin Kosok, Alexander Fritzmeyer, Julian Anselmino
production: Dreifilm GbR
distributor: Zorro Film

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