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QPIX STUDENTS ARE TROPFEST FINALISTS
Graduates of QPIX’s 2011 Diploma of Production course have won their way into the finals of TROPFEST, the world’s largest short film festival, with their student production PHOTOBOOTH. Set in the Afghanistan conflict, PHOTOBOOTH is one of a sequence of...
'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu' Out February 10
(Nationwide)
Over The Fence Comedy Film Deadline
(Nationwide)
Rottofest 2012: Call For Entries Now Open!
(Nationwide)
latest news
Geoffrey Rush Joins Tropfest
The acclaimed actor and newly-crowned Australian of the Year, Geoffrey Rush, will be a key player in 2012’s Tropfest activities.
Naomi Watts To Play Princess Diana
The Aussie actress is set to play the people’s princess in an upcoming film that chronicles the final two years of Diana’s life.
Sullivan Stapleton Signs On To ‘300’ Prequel
The Aussie actor has beat out the competition to land a role in the upcoming blockbuster.
James Cameron Loses Long Time Australian Collaborators
Producer Andrew Wight and cinematographer Mike deGruy lose their lives in a helicopter crash.
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Audi Festival of German Films: Epic Filmmaking
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 9th 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).