17/10/2006

The 22nd Warsaw Film Festival (October 6-15) won further recognition for two of this year’s festival favourites, Longing [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and The Lives of Others [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Florian Henckel von Donners…
interview: Ulrich Muehe
film profile].

After its competition selection at the Berlin Film Festival and several awards at Buenos Aires, Ludwigshafen, Copenhagen and Pesaro, Longing by Valeska Grisebach took the Special Jury Prize at the Polish festival.

Producer Peter Rommel showed good judgment and true flair in choosing the young graduate of the Vienna Academy, who uses an almost documentary-like approach to film a passionate and tragic tale set in Brandenburg, between a fireman and his childhood love.

Sales on the film – starring Ilka Welz, Andreas Müller and Anett Dornbusch (amateur actors chosen from 800 candidates in a nine-month casting session) and released through Piffl in German cinemas on September 7 – will be handled in London by IN FRAME/Hollywood Classics.

Meanwhile, The Lives of Others saw a repeat of Locarno and Copenhagen with its win of the Audience Award.

This champion of the German box office (released in Germany on March 23 through Buena Vista), as well as festivals, won over Warsaw audiences through the rather subtle portrait painted by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck of a Stasi officer, superbly played by Ulrich Mühe, who is gradually swayed by the integrity and humanity of an artist couple whom he observes (Martina Gedeck and Sebastian Koch).

In third place, Polish audiences voted 2006 Golden Bear winner Esma’s Secret [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Barbara Albert
interview: Jasmila Zbanic
film profile] by Jasmila Zbanic, co-produced by German outfit Noir Film and released in Germany through Ventura on August 6.

International sales of the film are being handled by Cologne-based The Match Factory.

(Translated from French)