Filmbiz blog

Audi German Film Festival: Faith

by Ernesto Zelaya Miñano | May 03, 2010 13:08

With the German Film Festival wrapping up in Melbourne over the weekend, our Festival blogger reveals one of the closing highlights

Shahada is Afghan-German filmmaker Burhan Qurbani's full-length debut, and turned out to be one of the must-see films of the Audi Festival. It's a serious, sombre drama centered on religion which is sure to divide audiences.

The film tells the interconnected story of three Muslims in Berlin: Maryam is a young girl who is dealing with the consequences of an abortion following an unwanted pregnancy; Sammi is a devout Muslim who begins to question his sexuality and his faith; and Ismail is an adult trying to come to terms with the woman he hurt years ago and who suddenly re-enters his life.

All three protagonists are dealing with a crisis of faith: Sammi denies his newfound feelings in fear of going against what his religion dictates; Ismail is in search of atonement for past sins, unable to find it in regular religious practices; and Maryam, who believes she has committed an unforgivable sin, awaits punishment and edges ever closer to becoming an extremist fanatic, in the process alienating everyone around her.

Religion can become a way of life for people; basing every decision on faith, it can also lead down a dangerous path, one of fanaticism and where people are stripped of choices. It's striking to watch in the case of Maryam and Sammi, two young people with their whole lives ahead of them, but whose narrow-minded religious views have already made the decision for them, in effect keeping them from what they really want. The link between these three characters is the Imam of the local mosque, the only one who understands that adopting a religious creed is no reason to deprive a life of anything.

Qurbani shows the assured, firm hand of an experienced filmmaker. It's an unsentimental portrayal of religion, grim, gritty, and dark. Despite treading on controversial subject matter - homosexuality, extremism, abortion - the director keeps things low key and never cheapens the story. It's as realistic as it can be, and just like in real life, the movie offers no easy answers and no quick closure; once these three people start seeing past their established views on faith, they discover an entirely new world, but who knows where it will take them.

If you're going to see one film at the Festival, make it this one: it's a serious, well-told story, with good acting and offers plenty of post-film discussion.

The Audi Festival of German Films can still be caught in Adelaide (07-09 May) and Brisbane (28 April - 04 May).

Audi Festival of German Films: Kung Fu Romance

by Ernesto Zelaya Miñano | April 30, 2010 15:31

A romantic comedy with just the right mix of eccentricity and heart

Kebab Connection is Anno Saul's second film showing at this year's Audi Festival, and it is 360 degrees removed from the time-travelling thriller The Door. It is a breezy and sometimes bizarre comedy with a heart.

It's the story of Ibo, a Turkish wannabe filmmaker in Berlin who dreams of making Germany's first ever kung fu film. He's stuck directing commercials for his uncle's neighbourhood kebab shop when his girlfriend delivers the whopping news that she's pregnant, leading his traditionalist father to throw him out of the house.

Turkish-German director Fatih Akin co-wrote the screenplay, and if you didn't know any better, you'd swear it's one of his films. Once again, we are taken to a cultural melting pot in Berlin, with the focus on the Turkish community in the city, their customs and the clash between the younger generation and their more traditional parents.

Of course, it's all played for laughs; the film is silly and good-natured, and filled with a lot of bizarre, cultural-based humour. Ibo's obsession with kung fu and the wholly inappropriate violent martial arts commercials he films for his uncle's restaurant allow Saul to cram in references to Shaw Brothers films, and Ibo even ends up receiving sage advice from the ghost of Bruce Lee (or rather, a random guy trying - and failing - to mimic the late martial arts actor).

There's more: Matrix-inspired wire-fu fight sequences, toilet humour and bodily function jokes, endless shots of massive kebab doners, excerpts from Romeo and Juliet, drug-induced trippy sequences, a trio of mobsters straight out of a Scorsese movie, and even a random reference to Battleship Potemkin. Yet, at the heart of all the silliness is a well-meaning story about a dreamer trying to come to grips with fatherhood and impending adult responsibility. Actor Dennis Moschitto makes Ibo a likeable and relatable guy, even though he behaves in the worst way possible more than once.

Kebab Connection is a romantic comedy, but packed with so many goofy moments and references to other films, that it remains entertaining. The ending might be a foregone conclusion - Ibo gets his girl back and gains the respect of his father - but the path to getting there isn't, and no other romcom out there can claim to end with a karate brawl during a wedding ceremony where even the bride starts beating up thugs.

The Audi Festival of German Films is held at Melbourne's Kino Cinemas and Palace Cinema Como, from 22 April to 02 May, with additional dates in Adelaide (07-09 May), Brisbane (28 April - 04 May), Perth (22-26 April) and Sydney (21 April - 02 May).

Audi Festival of German Films: The German Oskar Schindler

by Ernesto Zelaya Miñano | April 29, 2010 16:40

A German flick reveals an inspiring untold story from World War 2

Of all the films playing at this year's Festival of German Films, John Rabe has one of the biggest profiles. It's a German-Chinese co-production, backed by 20^th Century Fox with a sizable budget, featuring an international cast and an epic storyline based on real recorded history. It's almost a given it will be touring many festivals and vying for awards and recognition throughout the year.

John Rabe's story is one of the many tales from the World War II period which very few people are aware of. A businessman stationed in Nanking in 1937, during the early years of the Nazi Party, he bears witness to the occupation of the city by Imperial Japanese forces, and the atrocities committed against the Chinese. Rabe, aided by many like-minded colleagues, ended up establishing a safe zone for the locals, in the process saving thousands of lives from extermination at the hands of the Japanese.

Rabe is a different type of hero: he's just a middle-aged businessman. There is no grandstanding, or unbelievable acts of heroism, or glorified speeches, just a man who initially wants his workers to keep their jobs but ends up committing himself to saving lives. This is what makes him relatable, and German actor Ulrich Tukur plays him as he should: low-key and subtle. He is well supported by Daniel Bruhl and Steve Buscemi, who, in the part of a sarcastic doctor, abandons his usual "funny little guy" persona and plays the role completely straight.

It is hard to say how true this film is to reality. Not only because the story isn't well known, but because movies usually take licenses when it comes to biography. Certain concessions are made in the sake of storytelling - a barely-there love subplot between Bruhl and a local female student is obviously manufactured - but director Florian Gallenberger mostly keeps the focus on where it should be.

Even though Rabe's efforts were commendable, he was sadly unable to stop what World War II had in store for the world; the Japanese occupation of Nanking was a mirror of what the Nazi Party would do a few years later, and the efforts of a small group of people remained largely forgotten. Give the movie credit for shedding light on this story.

John Rabe is a well-made and well-told story that actually deserves to be told, and proves that there is a wealth of tales surrounding the war period that are still waiting to be discovered. It's a real treat for history buffs.

The Audi Festival of German Films is held at Melbourne's Kino Cinemas and Palace Cinema Como, from 22 April to 02 May, with additional dates in Adelaide (07-09 May), Brisbane (28 April - 04 May), Perth (22-26 April) and Sydney (21 April - 02 May).

Audi Festival of German Films: Men Behaving Badly

by Ernesto Zelaya Miñano | April 28, 2010 12:52

A rom-com for guys?! Only at the Audi Festival of German Films

Right from its title, you can tell Simon Verhoeven's Men in the City is trying to do for guys what Sex and the City did for girls. Both are packed with the stereotypes that men and women apparently see in each other.

The interconnected storyline follows a group of thirtysomething males who all attend the same gym: the commitment-phobe, the awkward, lonely loser who surfs the Internet for dates, the high-strung guy with anger management issues (the one character who is rarely played for laughs and is really too intense for something this light), the guy contemplating fatherhood and responsibility, and the womanising bachelor who starts to wonder if there's more to life than partying and chasing skirts - and he obviously had to be played by walking GQ cover Til Schweiger.

If Verhoeven wanted to give insight into the male psyche, however, he failed; where we would naturally expect a raunchy laugh-fest with T&A (it is, after all, about guys), we get the typical comedy formula. But you have to give it credit for upholding Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I. as a symbol of manliness. If you want to pick up girls easily, then there's some sound advice: "Be Magnum".

Oddly enough, this movie looks and feels like a romantic comedy or a chick flick - only all the main characters are male. This accounts for the cheesy, out-of-place dramatic moments complete with overbearing, tug-at-your-heartstrings score, presented with all the subtlety of a slap in the face; and for its happily ever after multiple endings, where everyone ends up with everything they wish for; only in the movies. The show is ultimately stolen by an over-the-top, eccentric pop singer, particularly during his hilarious ‘We Are the World' style music video; it's worth sitting through the end credits for this one. The character is clearly modelled on Bill Nighy in the British romcom Love Actually, and in its own weird way, it's the film this one will most remind you of.

Men in the City does nothing new with the comedy genre, and most of its situations are clichéd and obvious, but it still has solid laughs and that's all you could ask from a movie like this: a painless and crowd-pleasing time at the movies.

The Audi Festival of German Films is held at Melbourne's Kino Cinemas and Palace Cinema Como, from 22 April to 02 May, with additional dates in Adelaide (07-09 May), Brisbane (28 April - 04 May), Perth (22-26 April) and Sydney (21 April - 02 May).

Audi Festival of German Films: Second Chances

by Ernesto Zelaya Miñano | April 27, 2010 12:08

An intriguing thriller at The Audi Festival of German Films

We all have something in our lives we would like to change. The possibility of turning back the clock and righting past wrongs is a common fantasy among people. However, we never stop to think: what if this had consequences? That is the underlying premise of The Door, an entertaining thriller from director Anno Saul.

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (the dubbing of his voice into German is so flawless it's hardly noticeable) plays David, a painter who loses his daughter in an accident after leaving her alone for a quick fling with the neighbour. Five years later, the grieving father is estranged from his wife and borderline suicidal, until he finds a tunnel in the neighbourhood which leads to a door. This takes him back to the moment of his daughter's death, a chance to save her and change his life for the better.

The twists and turns the plot takes from there are best left for the viewer to discover. Suffice it to say that David gets stuck in a situation which complicates itself by the minute, and the particular grim secrets behind this white picket fence corner of suburbia are every bit as weird as anything David Lynch ever did.

Saul raises interesting questions about fate. Mainly, whether or not it is good to dwell on past mistakes. Sure, we all would like a chance to make things right, but that in a way is tempting fate, and it doesn't mean we would be better off. David has a path he must follow in life, however grim, and changing it surprisingly only brings about new problems. Not that the film is a deep and thoughtful rumination on human existence; these are only surface concerns, but they do give food for thought.

It's a well-constructed thriller which manages to clearly convey its convoluted time travel plot (a device which can tie any filmmaker up in knots trying to explain it). It keeps an audience on its toes wondering what will happen next, and the increasingly preposterous twists lead to an over-the-top climax involving gunfire and car crashes; possibly not the best way to end a film which had been quietly building itself up, but it works.

The Door is as over-the-top as any Hollywood thriller, but with its unpredictable narrative, it can still hold surprises for the viewer. Time travel stories are usually shaky if a viewer thinks about them too much, so in this case it's better to just enjoy the entertaining ride and not ask questions.

The Audi Festival of German Films is held at Melbourne's Kino Cinemas and Palace Cinema Como, from 22 April to 02 May, with additional dates in Adelaide (07-09 May), Brisbane (28 April - 04 May), Perth (22-26 April) and Sydney (21 April - 02 May).

Audi Festival of German Films: Epic Filmmaking

by Ernesto Zelaya Miñano | April 27, 2010 09:36

Here’s another taste of what’s on offer at The Audi Festival of German Films

Pope Joan, from director Sonke Wortmann, is the type of film we barely get to see anymore: a sweeping, big budget, three-hour period epic. And, despite its controversial premise centred on religion - always a touchy subject in film - its aim is thankfully not to deliver a boring sermon on spirituality, but rather to tell an engaging, crowd-pleasing story.

Based on Donna Cross' novel, it is the story of Johanna, an uncommonly intelligent young woman in the 9^th Century who disguises herself as a man in order to rise through the ranks of the Catholic Church, eventually becoming Pope, a development which could place this film squarely in the fantasy camp.

It's a German-British co-production, but the film is closer in spirit to the spectacle-filled epics which Hollywood used to crank out during its Golden Age. All the elements are in place, and the money is right there on the screen: a historical backdrop, sweeping photography, large numbers of extras, lavish production design with special attention to period detail, a bombastic score, a doomed romance between the leads, and a nearly three-hour runtime which thankfully flies by.

Johanna Wokalek plays her namesake as a virtual saint: Johanna pretty much sacrifices her womanhood to help those in need, and her determination turns her into the undisputed role model for women everywhere, since she dares to defy an ancient society which was, to put it mildly, very unfair towards the opposite sex. The actress ably carries the film despite the sometimes corny and portentous  dialogue (not surprising considering its literary origins), and is well supported by an international cast.

Unfortunately, males aren't treated as kindly here, with the exception of David Wenham, who does fine as the dashing rogue hero/romantic interest; Iain Glen plays Johanna's father as a domineering, cruel religious zealot, and all Vatican officials are shown as backstabbing, scheming, power-hungry conspirators. In an unusual piece of casting, John Goodman plays Pope Sergius. He's the last actor we would expect to see in such a role, and even if he sticks out like a sore thumb, he brings much-needed levity to the proceedings.

Watching Pope Joan is like taking a trip back to the days of The Ten Commandments and other similar epics: a simple and well-made story which aims to please audiences and nothing more.

As a special guest of this year's Audi Festival, Sonke Wortmann shows a real diversity in his work: either through this historical epic, the gay-themed comedy Maybe, Maybe Not and the children's adventure film The Treasure of the White Falcons.           

The Audi Festival of German Films is held at Melbourne's Kino Cinemas and Palace Cinema Como, from 22 April to 02 May, with additional dates in Adelaide (07-09 May), Brisbane (28 April - 04 May), Perth (22-26 April) and Sydney (21 April - 02 May).

Audi Festival of German Films: The Many Cultures of Fatih Akin

by Ernesto Zelaya Miñano | April 26, 2010 09:35

The Audi Festival of German Films is currently touring the country, and here's a morsel of what's on offer.

This year's Audi Festival of German Films gave the spotlight to Fatih Akin, a director whose entire body of work is based around the idea of multiculturalism. Born in Hamburg, the German-Turkish Akin's first full-length feature was Short Sharp Shock, a crime drama about three friends mixed up with the Albanian mob.

As far as the crime genre goes, the film goes through all the basics: a grim sensibility, violence, human drama and unconventional moments of humour inspired by modern gangster pictures. It veers from the norm, however, with its multi-ethnic cast of characters. The trio of friends consist of a Turk, a Serb, and a Greek, three guys looking for a better lot in life, who enjoy playing the part of tough guys with money and power, but get in way over their heads.

The cast is comprised of people from many different backgrounds. Even though they all speak German, this is a story that could potentially be set anywhere, and it's this cultural melting pot, with its own problems and situations that are actually universal, that sets this film apart. With its darkened alleys, seedy bars, drug use and violence, Short Sharp Shock is a solid entry in the crime genre which doesn't reinvent the wheel.

Fatih Akin has certainly mellowed out since Short Sharp Shock, with his most recent comedy, Soul Kitchen, or with Crossing the Bridge, a fun documentary where Akin explores his Turkish roots via the music scene in Istanbul.

It might not be the first place one thinks of when discussing music, but the Turkish scene is every bit as vibrant and varied as any other. Some young artists have a Western influence: grunge-inspired rockers Duman, or rapper Ceza, whose rapid-fire vocal delivery puts many American hip-hop luminaries to shame. Yet, they're all proud of their heritage.

On the other end are the more traditional musicians, whose main goal in making music is keeping their culture alive. Akin, along with German musician Alexander Hacke, introduces us to local heavyweights like Erkin Koray, Sezen Aksu or Orhan Gencebay, Turkey's biggest musical name who also dabbled in acting, as shown by hilariously cheesy clips of his films.

Whether it be with Turkey's most famous artists, up-and-comers or simple street performers, Akin celebrates the diversity in the country, via the universal language of music. And as a travelogue of Turkish culture and its people, it's an interesting watch.

Fatih Akin's films (most famously Head-On and Edge of Heaven) might not be what one expects when thinking of German cinema, but it's their celebration of a country's multiculturalism which makes them ideal for viewers from all over the globe.

The Audi Festival of German Films is held at Melbourne's Kino Cinemas and Palace Cinema Como, from 22 April to 02 May, with additional dates in Adelaide (07-09 May), Brisbane (28 April - 04 May), Perth (22-26 April) and Sydney (21 April - 02 May).

Size Matters

by Yumi Stynes | April 22, 2010 13:46

Yumi checks out the new local comedy, 'I Love You Too' and talks Aussie music in movies

Short-statured actor Peter Dinklage became a favourite of mine after he appeared as grumpy and misunderstood warrior-dwarf Trumpkin in Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Not one to let size get in the way of a good performance, he made every acting moment count, eating up the screen with his soulful eyes and innate intelligence.

He appears now as Charlie, a supporting character in the new Australian film I Love You Too. The comedy is another vehicle for actor Brendan Cowell who very recently we saw onscreen for almost the entire duration of Beneath Hill 60. Cowell is a lovesick but hopeless Jim, a man chronically unable to utter the words "I love you" and who forms an unlikely friendship with Charlie. Charlie knows a lot about love having lost a cherished wife and secretly composed a profound letter of love to a mysterious Francesca - a letter which may be able to help Jim win back his beloved Alice.

There's something not completely right about this film, which seems to strive to occupy a place somewhere between The Castle and the TV show The D-Generation. The humour is strained and the characters have the uncomfortable ‘Aussie caricature' feeling about them so common to local films. But if you go into the cinema with an open heart, there is a lot to like. Comedian Peter Helliar, who also wrote and co-produced the film, gives a surprisingly nuanced performance as Blake, the best mate of Jim's who finds himself in danger of being usurped when Charlie arrives. It's not a brilliant movie, but I found myself relieved to be able to laugh at home-grown gags.

Oh, and the soundtrack is pretty awesome. Nick Cave in any song increases its coolness by a significant amount and the song they use in I Love You Too is one of his best.

Great Australian music abounds in the new Geena Davis film Accidents Happen - including tracks from highly acclaimed Townsville band The Middle East, another by Empire of the Sun and a new song composed just for the film by Luke Steele solo called, of course, Accidents Happen.

The film itself is a little confused. Geena Davis's mother character Gloria Conway is meant to have pithy lines like, "I swear to God, if shit were brains, that kid would eat his head for dinner!" and "If that's the doctor, tell him I want my uterus back!" It's meant to be funny but gets a little wearying and by film's end, you're really starting to suspect that despite the fact that she looks a lot like Geena Davis, this Gloria Conway character is mean.

Animal Kingdom: Homegrown Crime

by Ernesto Zelaya Miñano | April 13, 2010 15:01

In the wake of Underbelly's success, Sundance's top pick Animal Kingdom delves into Melbourne's criminal underworld during the eighties

Although it is considered one of the world's most liveable cities, Melbourne is also a hotspot for criminal gangs and unsavoury business. Or so movies and TV shows would have us believe.

There's Underbelly, a TV phenomenon which showcased the underground crime world which runs through the city. It's gained a huge fanbase and made every person that walks through Lygon Street - aka Little Italy - question whether or not those Italian guys sitting in smoky restaurants like extras from The Sopranos are as harmless as they seem.

Animal Kingdom, the debut feature from David Michod, follows in the footsteps of Underbelly by taking us to the Melbourne suburbs, which underneath their tranquil façade are home to criminal gangs. J (newcomer James Frecheville) has a normal family: friendly uncles and a loving grandma who cares deeply about her sons. Suburbanites like any other, except that they're also wanted bank robbers at war with the local police.

Thankfully, what the film portrays is not indicative of today; it is supposedly set during the ‘80s, when the crime rate was much higher, and based on the real life Walsh Street shootings, where two officers were mysteriously gunned down, all of which led to a bloody turf war. However, aside from the prominent use of Air Supply's "All Out of Love" and the absence of cell phones, the decade isn't dwelled upon. After all, crime is supposed to be a never-ending cycle, and even though things aren't as heated as before, crime is still a reality.

If anyone should have issues with their portrayal, it's the local Armed Robbery Squad, mostly shown as a bunch of tough, corrupt vigilantes who have no compunction in gunning down suspects. The exception is Leckie, the no-nonsense, straight-as-an-arrow cop played by Guy Pearce.

Melbourne residents shouldn't think that the movie is portraying them in a negative light. On the contrary, Animal Kingdom is a source of pride. David Michod's first film is a good local production, a well-made crime movie that stands tall in its genre among works like Goodfellas (with which it shares many similarities, including seeing the criminal world through an outsider's perspective). It's already arriving in its home country with good word of mouth and a Sundance Film Festival win (the Grand Jury Prize, no less); more than enough reason for Melbournians to flock to it and enjoy themselves.

Animal Kingdom is in cinemas June 3, 2010.

Aussie Revenge Thriller

by Josh Forward | April 08, 2010 14:40

Filmink intern Josh Forward recently went along to a screening of a locally made revenge flick and had these words to say...

With the recent boom in quantity and quality of Australian film, it's no surprise up and coming filmmakers are trying their hand at success. The Devils 6 Commandments is the debut film from director Dicky Tanuwidjaya, a twisted revenge tragedy centered around the character Nina who, with her cruel brother, takes a hell bent path of vengeance after she is brutally raped. Receiving unexpected help from a crooked cop, the plot thickens and the killings don't stop at revenge.

Following another recent Aussie trend in a post-Underbelly craze of underground crime flicks, the film adds a martial arts spin on familiar territory. The film is filled with action sequences, with actress Gianna Pattison in the role of Nina channeling the likes of Buffy and Lara Croft to kick some ass. Every weapon possible gets the chance to spill some blood in the hands of Nina, from kitanas, shotguns, pistols, elaborate knives and even her own bare hands. The non-stop hectic nature of the film is mirrored with rapid editing and dizzingly shaky camera.

The film is clearly an Australian production and film locations will be familiar for any Sydney sider. Structured in six chapters and set all over the city, the film escalates to a bloody and twisted climax as the characters face the darkest areas of their past, and themselves. It's clear director Dicky Tanuwidjaya has a strong passion for films of this genre and martial arts as a craft.

Despite the films heavy, and somewhat sadistic themes, there are elements of comedy spliced in, introducing characters with a cut away to a mock introduction of the character on a magazine cover with appropriate, and comical headlines. The film doesn't dwell on any genre, or anything for too long before jumping onto the next twist.

The film, made for only $55, 000, mostly from the directors own pocket, is highly ambitious in its scope and attempts to cover a lot of ground with so little money behind it, but everyone on board attempts to make up for this with ample enthusiasm. Regardless of the films success or failure, one thing is certain, that Dicky will continue to make films because of his clear passion for the genre and the craft.