|
Opening Night
|
 Sold out!
Spain 2006 / directed by Pedro Almodóvar / 121 mins / rated M
This latest film by the highly-acclaimed Spanish director, Pedro Almodóvar, is a dazzling portrayal of the glorification of women. After its comic opening, it soon becomes an intellectually-challenging, dense film full of twists and turns and exquisite pace. A drama/comedy/thriller with outstanding performances by Penelope Cruz and Carmen Maura, two of the director's favourite actresses. Highly recommended. |
|
|
Opening Night
|
 Sold out!
Italy, Belgium & France 2006 / directed by Francis Veber / 85 mins / rated M
The master of French farce, Francis Veber (The Birdcage, The Dinner Game, The Closet, etc.) does not disappoint with his latest hilarious comedy. The star-studded cast (Daniel Auteuil, Kristen Scott Thomas, etc.) provide a satirical commentary on the fashion industry, bourgeois Parisian lifestyles and the power of image in shaping our desires, in addition to a feel-good experience. |
|
|
El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) |
|
Saturday
|
 Mexico, Spain & USA 2006 / directed by Guillermo del Toro / 112 mins / rated MA
Set in violent times following the Spanish Civil War, a few Republican partisans are fighting on in the northern mountains of Spain. A fascist officer's brief is to rid the territory of these rebels. His stepdaughter is repelled by him and retreats into a vast labyrinth, where she encounters the faun, Pan, who assigns her three secret tasks to be completed before the next full moon. She and the rebels confront cruelty and hardship, as fantasy and reality become intertwined. What will be the outcome for them all? This richly-layered film has received almost universal acclaim, including several Academy Award nominations. |
|
|
Saturday
|
 Sold out!
UK & Yemen 2005 / directed by Bader Ben Hirsi / 86 mins / rated TBA*
We are pround to screen the first feature film ever shot in Yemen, where many hurdles imposed by the Ministry of Culture had to be overcome before the film could be shown locally. It is an achingly romantic tale about theson of a diplomat who must choose between his love for the lower-class woman and an arranged marriage with the daughter of a judge. As most Yemeni women feared that appearing in a film would ruin their marriage prospects, the leading female acress is, in fact, Lebanese.
* Australian Premiere Screening! |
|
|
Saturday
|
 Palestine, France, Germany, Netherlands & Israel 2005 / Hany Abu-Assad / 90 mins / rated M
The winner of a Golden Globe Foreign Language film and nominated for an Academy Award, 'Paradise Now' tackles the issue of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Two childhood friends in the West Bank are recruited to carry out a suicide bomb attack in Israel and the film focusses on what would be their last days together. The film crew encountered real-life dangers (land-mines exploding, missile attacks) during the shooting, at great personal risk. |
|
|
Saturday
|
 South Korea 2006 / directed by Joon-ho Bong / 119 mins / rated M
A mutant, created by the presence of toxic chemicals in the Han river, crawls out and terror is unleashed upon the citizens of Seoul. When it snatches a young girl, her family is galvanised into action to save her and they find they have more than the creature to do battle with. A highly successful film on many different levels, this is so much more than a mere high-tech, sci-fi monster movie. |
|
|
Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) |
|
Saturday
|
 Sold out!
Germany 2006 / Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck / 132 mins / rated MA15+restricted
This multi-award-winning film, including winner of the Oscar 2007 for Best Foreign Film, transports us into East Germany in the late 1980s, before the fall of the Berlin Wall. An officer of the East German Secret Police (the Stasi) has been assigned to watch over a successful playwright and his actress companion, who are suspected of anti-Communist tendencies. As his secret watch unfolds, he becomes increasingly involved in their lives and, little by little, a change comes over him. An unforgettable film. |
|
|
Så som i himmelen (As It Is in Heaven) |
|
Saturday
|
 Sold out!
Sweden 2004 / directed by Kay Pollack / 132 mins / rated M
A successful international conductor returns to his childhood village in the far north of Sweden to recover from a heart attack. He gets involved with the local church choir and an extraordinary musical creation ensues. The score by Stefan Nilsson will leave you inspired and appreciative of the beauty and power of music. A must-see for all lovers of fine music. Nominated for an Oscar 2005. |
|
|
Sunday
|
 Russia 2005 / directed by Andrei Kravchuk / 90 mins / rated M
The lucrative business of illegal adoption in Russia is addressed in this film with poignancy and intelligence. A six-year-old boy in a bleak orphanage is selected by an Italian couple (hence his nickname 'The Italian'), but prefers to embark on a quest for his biological mother. The runaway child is determinedly and relentlessly pursued by orphanage staff and police, as he encounters both friends and foes in Moscow. |
|
|
Il mio miglior nemico (My Best Enemy) |
|
Sunday
|
 Italy 2006 / directed by Carlo Verdone / 110 mins / rated M
This beguiling comedy about infidelity Italian-style also humorously depicts an uneasy alliance between two unwilling men who have no choice but to come together to achieve a common goal. This film was the hit of the latest Italian Film Festival in Melbourne. |
|
|
Rang de basanti (The Scent of Saffron) |
|
Sunday
|
 India 2006 / directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra / 157 mins / rated M
This is an unusual Bollywood musical in that the habitual music and dance sequences, alongside the familiar comic sequences, are here interspersed with a strong political and social message. The difference between past and present India is clearly and cleverly revealed in the midst of outstanding acting. |
|
|
Sunday
|
 China, Japan & France 2004 / directed by Zhang Ke Jia / 140 mins / rated PG
This accalimed Chinese director sets his fourth film in the World Park in the outskirts of Beijing, where scaled representatons of famous world monuments can be visited by tourists. The theme park is seen through the eyes of a few of its staff, mainly young people from rural areas, which reveals the impact of urbanisation and globalisation on a traditional culture. This is a timely social commentary, given the successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. |
|
|
2007 Festival Programme 
