Exclusive: Io Capitano, the latest feature from Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone, and Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border have joined the lineup of this year’s Refugee Week arts and culture festival, running June 17 to 23.
The theme for Refugee Week 2024 is “Our Home”, which organizers have said will focus on thinking about our bodies as our homes, how we can make whole neighborhoods more welcoming, and how to care for our collective home, planet Earth.
Mubi has joined the festival this year and will launch Garrone’s Io Capitano on its platform during the festival. BFI Player has compiled a Refugee Week collection of free films and rental films. Other major events during the week include:
Key Screenings (London):
● Io Capitano by Matteo Garrone: This Oscar-nominated film follows two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, as they journey from Dakar to Italy, facing deserts, detention centers, and perilous seas in pursuit of a better life.
The theme for Refugee Week 2024 is “Our Home”, which organizers have said will focus on thinking about our bodies as our homes, how we can make whole neighborhoods more welcoming, and how to care for our collective home, planet Earth.
Mubi has joined the festival this year and will launch Garrone’s Io Capitano on its platform during the festival. BFI Player has compiled a Refugee Week collection of free films and rental films. Other major events during the week include:
Key Screenings (London):
● Io Capitano by Matteo Garrone: This Oscar-nominated film follows two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, as they journey from Dakar to Italy, facing deserts, detention centers, and perilous seas in pursuit of a better life.
- 5/29/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
"Helping is not illegal." Kino Lorber has revealed an official US trailer for an urgent, acclaimed Polish film titled Green Border, the latest from the masterful Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland. This premiered at last year's 2023 Venice Film Festival in the fall, where it won a Special Jury Prize at the end. Thirty years after Europa Europa, three-time Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland brings a masterful eye for realism and deep compassion to this blistering critique of a humanitarian calamity that continues to unfold. The B&w film follows family of refugees from Syria, an English teacher from Afghanistan, and a border guard, who all meet on the Polish-Belarusian border during the most recent humanitarian crisis in Belarus. Green Border is a poignant and essential work of cinema that opens our eyes and speaks to the heart, challenging viewers to reflect on the moral choices that fall to ordinary people every day. Yes it's harrowing and unforgettable.
- 5/7/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
‘Green Border’ Trailer: Agnieszka Holland’s Urgent New European Refugee Crisis Drama Arrives in June
Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland is one of the greats. A three-time Academy Award nominee—1990’s “Europa Europa,” 1993’s “Angry Harvest” and the Holocaust drama “In Darkness”— Holland is also known for her celebrated prestige TV work, particularly on the David Simon series’ “The Wire,” and “Treme” and shows like “The Killing,” and “House Of Cards.” But her best-known feature work has always leaned towards social justice and socially-conscious dramas, which brings us to her latest, “Green Border,” an bracing portrait of Europe’s refugee crisis that has been hailed as a “humanitarian masterpiece.”
Read More: ‘Green Border’ Review: Agnieszka Holland Won’t Let You Turn A Blind Eye To Suffering In Devastating Refugee Drama [TIFF]
Our review of the film described “Green Border” as “devastating” and “nightmarish.” “Holland has made a righteous, masterful work, arguably her best since ‘Europa Europa,’ but it’s not for the faint of heart or those...
Read More: ‘Green Border’ Review: Agnieszka Holland Won’t Let You Turn A Blind Eye To Suffering In Devastating Refugee Drama [TIFF]
Our review of the film described “Green Border” as “devastating” and “nightmarish.” “Holland has made a righteous, masterful work, arguably her best since ‘Europa Europa,’ but it’s not for the faint of heart or those...
- 5/7/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Agnieszka Holland’s refugee drama The Green Border has taken the top prize for best film at the Polish Film Awards. The black-and-white feature, which looks at the inhumane treatment of refugees trying to cross the natural border between Belarus and Poland, premiered to critical acclaim at the Venice Film Festival last year but came under attack from Poland’s far-right government, which called the movie “Nazi propaganda” for its supposedly negative depiction of Polish police and border guards. The political attacks are thought to have influenced the Polish Oscar committee’s decision not to put Green Border forward as Poland’s best international film contender this year, instead selecting Dk and Hugh Welchman’s Hugh animated literary adaptation The Peasants (which did not get nominated).
But a lot has changed in Poland since. Parliamentary elections last October ousted the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which had ruled for 8 years,...
But a lot has changed in Poland since. Parliamentary elections last October ousted the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which had ruled for 8 years,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border” won the audience award at the 53rd edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam in a strong year for the event, which recorded 253,500 visits across its programs.
Holland’s Venice Jury Prize-winner derives its name from the swampy forests found at the border between Poland and Belarus, a perilous place where hundreds of migrants — mostly from the Middle East and Africa — try to make their way into the European Union. “Green Border” chronicles the intertwined lives of people caught in the geopolitical webs of the crossing and joins several of Holland’s films to have played at IFFR, including “Europa Europa” and “Burning Bush.”
This year’s edition of the festival, which took place between Jan. 25 – Feb. 4, featured 424 films, 183 of which were world premieres, plus accompanying programs including Art Directions and IFFR Talks. As part of the Talks program, the festival welcomed names such as Sandra Hüller,...
Holland’s Venice Jury Prize-winner derives its name from the swampy forests found at the border between Poland and Belarus, a perilous place where hundreds of migrants — mostly from the Middle East and Africa — try to make their way into the European Union. “Green Border” chronicles the intertwined lives of people caught in the geopolitical webs of the crossing and joins several of Holland’s films to have played at IFFR, including “Europa Europa” and “Burning Bush.”
This year’s edition of the festival, which took place between Jan. 25 – Feb. 4, featured 424 films, 183 of which were world premieres, plus accompanying programs including Art Directions and IFFR Talks. As part of the Talks program, the festival welcomed names such as Sandra Hüller,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association is revealing its 2023 awards today, and Deadline is updating the winners list live as they are announced. See the latest tally below.
Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron took the Best Animation prize, just as it posted a record North American debut with $12.8 million. Laurent Sénéchal took Best Editing for Anatomy of a Fall, and the Production Design prize went to Barbie’s Sarah Greenwood.
Mica Levi won Best Music/Score for The Zone of Interest, and awards-season favorite Poor Things picked up the day’s first award, Best Cinematography for Robbie Ryan. Barbie was the group’s runner-up in both of those categories.
Awards will be presented at the group’s banquet on January 13.
Oscar-nominated Europa Europa screenwriter and Emmy-nominated Treme director Agnieszka Holland will receive this year’s Lafca Career Achievement Award.
“Few directors have been as fearlessly confrontational with...
Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron took the Best Animation prize, just as it posted a record North American debut with $12.8 million. Laurent Sénéchal took Best Editing for Anatomy of a Fall, and the Production Design prize went to Barbie’s Sarah Greenwood.
Mica Levi won Best Music/Score for The Zone of Interest, and awards-season favorite Poor Things picked up the day’s first award, Best Cinematography for Robbie Ryan. Barbie was the group’s runner-up in both of those categories.
Awards will be presented at the group’s banquet on January 13.
Oscar-nominated Europa Europa screenwriter and Emmy-nominated Treme director Agnieszka Holland will receive this year’s Lafca Career Achievement Award.
“Few directors have been as fearlessly confrontational with...
- 12/10/2023
- by Erik Pedersen and Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
“Green Border,” Agnieszka Holland’s Venice Special Jury Prize-winning refugee drama, has been acquired by Kino Lorber in the U.S. (“Scrapper”) and Modern Films in the U.K. (“Drive My Car”).
An empathetic tale of migrants caught in Europe’s refugee crisis, “Green Border” has earned widespread critical acclaim, winning several prizes at Venice and playing at key North American festivals such as Toronto, New York Film Festival and AFI Fest. Most recently, “Green Border” was nominated for three European Film Awards, including best film.
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights and is planning a theatrical release in 2024, followed by a home video, educational and digital rollout on all major platforms. Modern Films, meanwhile, has snapped up U.K. rights and will also back “Green Border” for the European Film Awards and the BAFTAs.
The film explores the injustice and terror perpetrated at the Polish-Belarusian border from the perspective of refugees,...
An empathetic tale of migrants caught in Europe’s refugee crisis, “Green Border” has earned widespread critical acclaim, winning several prizes at Venice and playing at key North American festivals such as Toronto, New York Film Festival and AFI Fest. Most recently, “Green Border” was nominated for three European Film Awards, including best film.
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights and is planning a theatrical release in 2024, followed by a home video, educational and digital rollout on all major platforms. Modern Films, meanwhile, has snapped up U.K. rights and will also back “Green Border” for the European Film Awards and the BAFTAs.
The film explores the injustice and terror perpetrated at the Polish-Belarusian border from the perspective of refugees,...
- 11/21/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland needed bodyguards following the “Green Border” backlash in her native Poland.
“I planned to be there during the election, so the Polish Filmmakers Association arranged bodyguards for me. I was traveling with two, both wonderful and very kind. But it’s quite costly, so I just rearranged my schedule,” she said at Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival, answering Variety’s question during her masterclass.
“I think I can be safe now, going back, but of course you never know if some crazy man won’t attack you on the street, believing you are the enemy of the nation.”
Criticized by rightwing politicians for her Venice-winning film about the refugee crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border, the acclaimed director decided to “limit her presence” in the country.
“It wasn’t just the Minister of Justice [who compared her film to ‘Nazi propaganda’]. It was the president, [Deputy Prime Minister] Mr. Kaczyński and others. It created a hysteria and...
“I planned to be there during the election, so the Polish Filmmakers Association arranged bodyguards for me. I was traveling with two, both wonderful and very kind. But it’s quite costly, so I just rearranged my schedule,” she said at Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival, answering Variety’s question during her masterclass.
“I think I can be safe now, going back, but of course you never know if some crazy man won’t attack you on the street, believing you are the enemy of the nation.”
Criticized by rightwing politicians for her Venice-winning film about the refugee crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border, the acclaimed director decided to “limit her presence” in the country.
“It wasn’t just the Minister of Justice [who compared her film to ‘Nazi propaganda’]. It was the president, [Deputy Prime Minister] Mr. Kaczyński and others. It created a hysteria and...
- 10/27/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Gkids has announced the acquisition of the North American rights for the upcoming French sci-fi animation film “Mars Express,” directed by Jérémie Perin in his feature debut.
The film’s synopsis reads: “In 2200, private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera are hired by a wealthy businessman to track down a notorious hacker. On Mars, they descend deep into the underbelly of the planet’s capital city where they uncover a darker story of brain farms, corruption, and a missing girl who holds a secret about the robots that threatens to change the face of the universe.”
Perin’s debut was part of the official selection at the Cannes and Annecy film festivals this year.
“Mars Express’ is a film we have been excited about for years, since we saw the very first footage,” said Gkids president David Jesteadt. “This is a timely and provocative story set in...
The film’s synopsis reads: “In 2200, private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera are hired by a wealthy businessman to track down a notorious hacker. On Mars, they descend deep into the underbelly of the planet’s capital city where they uncover a darker story of brain farms, corruption, and a missing girl who holds a secret about the robots that threatens to change the face of the universe.”
Perin’s debut was part of the official selection at the Cannes and Annecy film festivals this year.
“Mars Express’ is a film we have been excited about for years, since we saw the very first footage,” said Gkids president David Jesteadt. “This is a timely and provocative story set in...
- 10/26/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay, Caroline Brew and Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Before the New York Film Festival premiere of her latest opus, Green Border, legendary director Agnieszka Holland wished everyone a good screening: “I would tell you to enjoy the film, but that would not be appropriate.”
It was an apt warning for the harrowing, exquisite film that unfolded. Green Border focuses on the treatment of migrants trying to cross from Belarus to Poland so they can find asylum in the European Union. As a result, Holland is now on the shit list of nearly every high-ranking Polish politician, from the president to the Minister of Science and Higher Education. What a shame they’re so blinded by their station that they can’t even appreciate magnificent works of art. Green Border is a riveting, finely crafted, deeply human accounting of the atrocities we make permissible in the name of nationalism.
The film is told in several parts that focus on...
It was an apt warning for the harrowing, exquisite film that unfolded. Green Border focuses on the treatment of migrants trying to cross from Belarus to Poland so they can find asylum in the European Union. As a result, Holland is now on the shit list of nearly every high-ranking Polish politician, from the president to the Minister of Science and Higher Education. What a shame they’re so blinded by their station that they can’t even appreciate magnificent works of art. Green Border is a riveting, finely crafted, deeply human accounting of the atrocities we make permissible in the name of nationalism.
The film is told in several parts that focus on...
- 10/9/2023
- by Lena Wilson
- The Film Stage
It’s a strange time for Agnieszka Holland. Green Border, the new film from the acclaimed Polish director — a three-time Oscar nominee — just celebrated the best opening for a Polish movie in cinemas this year with 137,000 admissions over its first weekend, according to local distributor Kino Świat. It’s particularly impressive given that the film, a black-and-white drama depicting the real-life plight of refugees stranded on the natural border between Poland and Belarus, can be a rough watch.
In late 2021, thousands of refugees from the Middle East and Africa were lured to the Polish border by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who cynically engineered a geopolitical crisis, promising migrants easy passage over the Polish border into the European Union. But the Polish government refused to let them in, leaving families stranded and starving in the swampy, treacherous forests between the two countries. Holland’s film intertwines the perspectives of the stranded refugees,...
In late 2021, thousands of refugees from the Middle East and Africa were lured to the Polish border by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who cynically engineered a geopolitical crisis, promising migrants easy passage over the Polish border into the European Union. But the Polish government refused to let them in, leaving families stranded and starving in the swampy, treacherous forests between the two countries. Holland’s film intertwines the perspectives of the stranded refugees,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Poland’s Oscar committee has selected The Peasants, a sumptuous animated literary adaptation from Loving Vincent directors Dk and Hugh Welchman, as the country’s submission for the best international feature category at the 2024 Oscars, over The Green Border, a critically-acclaimed film from two-time Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland (Europa Europa, In Darkness).
The decision, announced by the committee in Warsaw Monday afternoon, comes after a concerted attack on The Green Border by Poland’s far-right government, with the justice minister and the country’s president condemning the film and comparing it to “Nazi propaganda” for its depiction of the refugee crisis on Poland’s border with Belarus.
The head of Poland’s Oscar committee, producer Ewa Puszczyńska, whose credits include the Oscar-winner Ida, the Oscar-nominated Quo vadis, Aida? and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, the U.K. entry for the 2024 best international feature race, said deliberations were “tough...
The decision, announced by the committee in Warsaw Monday afternoon, comes after a concerted attack on The Green Border by Poland’s far-right government, with the justice minister and the country’s president condemning the film and comparing it to “Nazi propaganda” for its depiction of the refugee crisis on Poland’s border with Belarus.
The head of Poland’s Oscar committee, producer Ewa Puszczyńska, whose credits include the Oscar-winner Ida, the Oscar-nominated Quo vadis, Aida? and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, the U.K. entry for the 2024 best international feature race, said deliberations were “tough...
- 9/25/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Closing ceremony of festival in Gdynia sees Polish film community speak up against “awful hatred” directed at Holland in recent weeks.
Pawel Maslona’s second feature Scarborn (Kos) won the Grand Prix - Golden Lion at the 48th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia whose closing ceremony saw the Polish film community express their solidarity with Agnieszka Holland in the light of the vociferous political campaign against her and her film The Green Border.
In his acceptance speech, Maslona spoke out against the “awful hatred” directed at Holland in recent weeks and noted that, despite Poland being a country with a strong Christian faith,...
Pawel Maslona’s second feature Scarborn (Kos) won the Grand Prix - Golden Lion at the 48th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia whose closing ceremony saw the Polish film community express their solidarity with Agnieszka Holland in the light of the vociferous political campaign against her and her film The Green Border.
In his acceptance speech, Maslona spoke out against the “awful hatred” directed at Holland in recent weeks and noted that, despite Poland being a country with a strong Christian faith,...
- 9/25/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The Directors’ Guild of America has released a statement in support of DGA member Agnieszka Holland. The Polish Minister of Justice criticized the film and the filmmaker, “The Green Border.” She has since received hundreds of threats. The controversy came about due to the film’s depiction of the negative treatment of immigrants in Poland.
“The Directors Guild of America champions creative expression through the art of filmmaking and decries the recent attacks by the Polish Justice Minister and extremists on our member director Agnieszka Holland for her depictions of the brutality faced by refugees to Poland in her film ‘The Green Border’,” the statement read.
“We firmly believe directors like Agnieszka have a vital role to play in fostering discussion and reflecting societal problems through their work. We echo the statements by the Federation of European Screen Directors (Fera) and the European Film Academy in support of Agnieska and...
“The Directors Guild of America champions creative expression through the art of filmmaking and decries the recent attacks by the Polish Justice Minister and extremists on our member director Agnieszka Holland for her depictions of the brutality faced by refugees to Poland in her film ‘The Green Border’,” the statement read.
“We firmly believe directors like Agnieszka have a vital role to play in fostering discussion and reflecting societal problems through their work. We echo the statements by the Federation of European Screen Directors (Fera) and the European Film Academy in support of Agnieska and...
- 9/21/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Veteran Polish director Agnieszka Holland’s Venice Special Jury Prize-winning refugee drama Green Border will release as planned in Poland on September 22 in defiance of a political backlash and wave of online hate talk.
Inspired by real-life events along Poland’s border with Belarus, the film has touched a raw nerve with the ruling right-wing, anti-migrant coalition led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party for its depictions of Polish border guards pushing back and abusing newly arrived refugees.
Public criticism of the film by coalition politicians has been accompanied by a wave of extreme online hate talk against Holland, some of it antisemitic, calling on her to be tried for treason or expelled from Poland.
Sales agent Jean-Christophe Simon at Films Boutique announced on Wednesday (September 13) that the company been forced to disable the comments on social media pages promoting the film, after they were targeted by right-wing groups.
Inspired by real-life events along Poland’s border with Belarus, the film has touched a raw nerve with the ruling right-wing, anti-migrant coalition led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party for its depictions of Polish border guards pushing back and abusing newly arrived refugees.
Public criticism of the film by coalition politicians has been accompanied by a wave of extreme online hate talk against Holland, some of it antisemitic, calling on her to be tried for treason or expelled from Poland.
Sales agent Jean-Christophe Simon at Films Boutique announced on Wednesday (September 13) that the company been forced to disable the comments on social media pages promoting the film, after they were targeted by right-wing groups.
- 9/14/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Film had its world premiere in competition at Venice this week.
Filmmakers have stepped in to defend Agnieszka Holland after her Venice competition film The Green Border was strongly criticised by a leading member of Poland’s conservative government for its depiction of the treatment of migrants along the Poland-Belarus border.
Comparing the film to Nazi propaganda, Poland’s hard-right justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “In the Third Reich, the Germans produced propaganda films showing Poles as bandits and murderers. Today they have Agnieszka Holland for that.”
The Green Border tells the story of refugees,...
Filmmakers have stepped in to defend Agnieszka Holland after her Venice competition film The Green Border was strongly criticised by a leading member of Poland’s conservative government for its depiction of the treatment of migrants along the Poland-Belarus border.
Comparing the film to Nazi propaganda, Poland’s hard-right justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “In the Third Reich, the Germans produced propaganda films showing Poles as bandits and murderers. Today they have Agnieszka Holland for that.”
The Green Border tells the story of refugees,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Venice film festival: Agnieszka Holland’s brutal and timely drama shines a dark spotlight on the horrors faced by refugees in the exclusion zone between Poland and Belarus
At 74, Polish film-maker Agnieszka Holland has lost none of her passion – or compassion – and this brutal, angry, gruelling drama, in sombre black and white, is recognisably the work of that director who made Europa Europa in 1990. It is about the “green border” exclusion zone between Poland and Belarus, now the location for an apparently unending ordeal for refugees.
With sly malice, Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko has in recent years permitted the admission of refugees, cynically encouraging their hope of getting easily from there on foot across the border into Poland and the EU via the Białowieża Forest – but only as a way of punishing and undermining the European Union for its anti-Belarus sanctions. He has effectively weaponised these desperate souls and the...
At 74, Polish film-maker Agnieszka Holland has lost none of her passion – or compassion – and this brutal, angry, gruelling drama, in sombre black and white, is recognisably the work of that director who made Europa Europa in 1990. It is about the “green border” exclusion zone between Poland and Belarus, now the location for an apparently unending ordeal for refugees.
With sly malice, Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko has in recent years permitted the admission of refugees, cynically encouraging their hope of getting easily from there on foot across the border into Poland and the EU via the Białowieża Forest – but only as a way of punishing and undermining the European Union for its anti-Belarus sanctions. He has effectively weaponised these desperate souls and the...
- 9/5/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
If you’ve seen “Europa Europa”, the real-life story of a Jewish boy who escapes a Nazi concentration camp and joins the German army, you’ll know that the Polish director Agnieszka Holland knows how to make films about people wriggling their way through life. Her latest film, which is in competition at Venice, tells several interlinked stories in and around the swampy forest border region between Poland and Belarus. We meet border guards, activists, and refugees themselves. Despite biting off a bit more than it can chew, it’s an affecting introduction to a little-known crisis and the latest case of a master filmmaker showing us they can still do it.
Six weeks out of a national election in which Poland’s hard-right government is expected to extend its grip on power, “Green Border” also has a moral urgency beyond its representation of refugees’ hardship, who are described by...
Six weeks out of a national election in which Poland’s hard-right government is expected to extend its grip on power, “Green Border” also has a moral urgency beyond its representation of refugees’ hardship, who are described by...
- 9/5/2023
- by Adam Solomons
- Indiewire
The Cannes Docs sidebar of the Cannes Film Market has announced the lineup of its annual Doc Day, which takes place on May 24.
The day will open with a morning session dedicated to Acid Cannes 2022 title “Polaris,” described by organizers as “a creative and human journey interwoven with uncompromising, gentle and bold filmmaking by a woman filmmaker, set against the backdrop of the Arctic.” Entitled “A Producing Journey,” the session will bring together Marion Schmidt, the co-founder of Cannes Docs partner Dae (Documentary Association of Europe), director Ainara Vera and producers Clara Vuillermoz (Point du Jour – Les Films du Balibari) and Emile Hertling Péronard (Ánorâk Film).
The first half of the day will also feature a discussion between Polish director and screenwriter Agnieszka Holland, president of the 2022 l’Œil d’or Jury and president of the European Film Academy, and Pauline Durand-Vialle, CEO of the Federation of European Film Directors.
The day will open with a morning session dedicated to Acid Cannes 2022 title “Polaris,” described by organizers as “a creative and human journey interwoven with uncompromising, gentle and bold filmmaking by a woman filmmaker, set against the backdrop of the Arctic.” Entitled “A Producing Journey,” the session will bring together Marion Schmidt, the co-founder of Cannes Docs partner Dae (Documentary Association of Europe), director Ainara Vera and producers Clara Vuillermoz (Point du Jour – Les Films du Balibari) and Emile Hertling Péronard (Ánorâk Film).
The first half of the day will also feature a discussion between Polish director and screenwriter Agnieszka Holland, president of the 2022 l’Œil d’or Jury and president of the European Film Academy, and Pauline Durand-Vialle, CEO of the Federation of European Film Directors.
- 5/13/2022
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
The fight for women to be recognized for their directorial achievements stretches back for decades, but, too often, the screenwriters aren’t given that same spotlight. However, this year presents a unique situation where female filmmakers have also penned the top awards contenders for adapted screenplay. These leading contenders include Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”), Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”), Rebecca Hall (“Passing”) and Siân Heder (“Coda”).
If three of the writer-directors are nominated for best adapted screenplay, it’ll be the most female-written films recognized since 1991, which included “Europa Europa” (Agnieszka Holland), “Fried Green Tomatoes” (Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski) and “The Prince of Tides”. If all four manage to receive noms, it would be the most in Academy history, as well as the most that have been directed by women.
Three of the women were recognized by the USC Scripter Awards, whose previous nominees have a solid translation to Academy attention.
If three of the writer-directors are nominated for best adapted screenplay, it’ll be the most female-written films recognized since 1991, which included “Europa Europa” (Agnieszka Holland), “Fried Green Tomatoes” (Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski) and “The Prince of Tides”. If all four manage to receive noms, it would be the most in Academy history, as well as the most that have been directed by women.
Three of the women were recognized by the USC Scripter Awards, whose previous nominees have a solid translation to Academy attention.
- 1/23/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Charles Gillibert, the thriving French producer behind Leos Carax’s Cannes prizewinning “Annette,” spoke to Variety about his recent acquisition of Les Films du Losange, one of France’s oldest and most revered auteur-driven production and distribution companies.
Gillibert teamed up with French financier Alexis Dantec, former managing director of the film financing group Cofinova, to complete the acquisition deal for Les Films du Losange, which is at Venice with Kavich Neang’s “White Building” playing in the Horizons section.
Les Films du Losange was founded by Barbet Schroeder and Eric Rohmer in 1962 and was under the leadership of Margaret Menegoz since 1975. The award-winning banner, which is also involved in international sales, has been producing cult movies by some of Europe’s best known filmmakers, notably Rohmer, Schroeder, Roger Planchon, Jacques Rivette, Michael Haneke, Jacques Doillon, Mia Hansen-Love.
In total, the company has a library of about 100 prestige films many...
Gillibert teamed up with French financier Alexis Dantec, former managing director of the film financing group Cofinova, to complete the acquisition deal for Les Films du Losange, which is at Venice with Kavich Neang’s “White Building” playing in the Horizons section.
Les Films du Losange was founded by Barbet Schroeder and Eric Rohmer in 1962 and was under the leadership of Margaret Menegoz since 1975. The award-winning banner, which is also involved in international sales, has been producing cult movies by some of Europe’s best known filmmakers, notably Rohmer, Schroeder, Roger Planchon, Jacques Rivette, Michael Haneke, Jacques Doillon, Mia Hansen-Love.
In total, the company has a library of about 100 prestige films many...
- 9/3/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
When she was a student at the prestigious Lodz Film School in Poland, Jagoda Szelc was offered the chance to shoot a feature film. It was an unexpected opportunity for the aspiring filmmaker, who was then in her third year. But after it was produced on a shoestring budget, “Tower. A Bright Day” would go on to play the Berlin Film Festival and win a host of awards in Poland, unexpectedly catapulting Szelc into the limelight.
It was not an easy place for a first-time filmmaker to be. “I was very lost,” Szelc admits. Critics compared “Tower” to the works of male directors and seemed flummoxed that a young woman could helm such an auspicious debut. In one TV segment that left a lasting mark, two male presenters argued that Szelc was too young to understand what she was doing behind the camera. “There was a lot of patronizing [behavior toward] me,...
It was not an easy place for a first-time filmmaker to be. “I was very lost,” Szelc admits. Critics compared “Tower” to the works of male directors and seemed flummoxed that a young woman could helm such an auspicious debut. In one TV segment that left a lasting mark, two male presenters argued that Szelc was too young to understand what she was doing behind the camera. “There was a lot of patronizing [behavior toward] me,...
- 7/10/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
If a handful of people who all saw The Velvet Underground in the ’60s went out and started bands, how many of the people who watched Todd Haynes documentary at Cannes will go out and make their own movies?
It turns out that Haynes film “rips,” as Indiewire critic David Ehrlich put it in a tweet, with critics praising the film’s unconventional approach to the rock doc, working around how little footage of the Velvets actually exists, not to mention even archival interviews with members of the band while they were still alive. But the film also avoids being a strict portrait of the band or needing to convince us The Velvet Underground were important.
“It’s a dark, disturbing and glorious film about a dark, disturbing and glorious band, and another sign that Haynes knows how to put music on screen in a way that few other directors do,...
It turns out that Haynes film “rips,” as Indiewire critic David Ehrlich put it in a tweet, with critics praising the film’s unconventional approach to the rock doc, working around how little footage of the Velvets actually exists, not to mention even archival interviews with members of the band while they were still alive. But the film also avoids being a strict portrait of the band or needing to convince us The Velvet Underground were important.
“It’s a dark, disturbing and glorious film about a dark, disturbing and glorious band, and another sign that Haynes knows how to put music on screen in a way that few other directors do,...
- 7/8/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
If you’re searching for a filmmaker who has seen every part of the industry for over forty years, look no further than Agnieszka Holland. She shot films and TV movies in her native Poland during the Cold War. She directed a classic Oscar-nominated drama, “Europa Europa.” She worked on studio films in the ’90s and ’00s.
Continue reading Agnieszka Holland On Her “Urine” Oscar Movie ‘Charlatan,’ ‘The Wire’ & More [Podcast] at The Playlist.
Continue reading Agnieszka Holland On Her “Urine” Oscar Movie ‘Charlatan,’ ‘The Wire’ & More [Podcast] at The Playlist.
- 3/5/2021
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
“I wanted to tell this story because it asks so many questions on so many levels,” admits acclaimed Polish director Agnieszka Holland about why she wanted to direct her latest film, the Czech/Polish/Irish/Slovak co-production “Charlatan.” “It’s an intimate story with an epic scope,” she says. Watch our exclusive video interview with Holland above.
“Charlatan” is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treat the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the war and turmoil of the 20th century he has to choose between his calling and his conscience. The film stars acclaimed Czech actor Ivan Trojan in a stunning performance as Mikolášek, alongside his real-life son Josef Trojan as the younger Mikolášek. The film co-stars Czech matinee idol Juraj Loj as the healer’s devoted assistant František Palko.
See 2021 Oscars shortlists in 9 categories: International Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Original Song,...
“Charlatan” is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treat the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the war and turmoil of the 20th century he has to choose between his calling and his conscience. The film stars acclaimed Czech actor Ivan Trojan in a stunning performance as Mikolášek, alongside his real-life son Josef Trojan as the younger Mikolášek. The film co-stars Czech matinee idol Juraj Loj as the healer’s devoted assistant František Palko.
See 2021 Oscars shortlists in 9 categories: International Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Original Song,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
by Nathaniel R
Though it's easy to lose track of great cinema, especially in this strange time of virtual festivals and very little traditional moviegoing, you won't want to miss Never Gonna Snow Again, when it arrives this Spring. The Polish hopeful in this year's Oscar's International Feature Film race is a hard-to-describe elusive wonder about a Ukranian massage therapist (Stranger Thing's Alec Utgoff) who a suburban community becomes obsessed with. We were thrilled to jump on the phone with its talented 47 year-old director Malgorzata Szumowska. She's forged a long and international career for herself with award winning films like Elles (with Juliette Binoche), Body, the LGBT drama In the Name of, and her first English language picture last year, the cult drama The Other Lamb.
She goes by 'Malgo'. "It's easier," she offers quickly, surely having heard her name mangled before. The director lives up to our expectations with...
Though it's easy to lose track of great cinema, especially in this strange time of virtual festivals and very little traditional moviegoing, you won't want to miss Never Gonna Snow Again, when it arrives this Spring. The Polish hopeful in this year's Oscar's International Feature Film race is a hard-to-describe elusive wonder about a Ukranian massage therapist (Stranger Thing's Alec Utgoff) who a suburban community becomes obsessed with. We were thrilled to jump on the phone with its talented 47 year-old director Malgorzata Szumowska. She's forged a long and international career for herself with award winning films like Elles (with Juliette Binoche), Body, the LGBT drama In the Name of, and her first English language picture last year, the cult drama The Other Lamb.
She goes by 'Malgo'. "It's easier," she offers quickly, surely having heard her name mangled before. The director lives up to our expectations with...
- 2/5/2021
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
A version of this story about “Charlatan” first appeared in the International Film Issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Agnieszka Holland is one of Europe’s busiest directors, and a constant presence in the Oscar race. Her film “Angry Harvest” was nominated as West Germany’s entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 1985; her 1990 drama “Europa Europa” landed her a screenwriting nomination; and her films “In Darkness” and “Spoor” represented Poland at the Oscars, with the former receiving a nomination in 2011.
In 2020, Holland released two features, both of them dealing with real-life figures in Eastern Europe in the first half of the 20th century. “Mr. Jones” tells the story of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones, who broke the news of a Soviet-engineered famine in the 1930s, and “Charlatan” deals with Czech healer Jan Mikolásek, who used plant-based remedies successfully for years but was accused of being a fraud and eventually jailed.
Agnieszka Holland is one of Europe’s busiest directors, and a constant presence in the Oscar race. Her film “Angry Harvest” was nominated as West Germany’s entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 1985; her 1990 drama “Europa Europa” landed her a screenwriting nomination; and her films “In Darkness” and “Spoor” represented Poland at the Oscars, with the former receiving a nomination in 2011.
In 2020, Holland released two features, both of them dealing with real-life figures in Eastern Europe in the first half of the 20th century. “Mr. Jones” tells the story of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones, who broke the news of a Soviet-engineered famine in the 1930s, and “Charlatan” deals with Czech healer Jan Mikolásek, who used plant-based remedies successfully for years but was accused of being a fraud and eventually jailed.
- 1/21/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Agnieszka Holland’s “Charlatan,” the Czech Republic’s official entry in the International Feature Film category of the 93rd Academy Awards, has been acquired for distribution in the U.K. and Ireland by AX1 from international sales agency Films Boutique. Variety spoke to the Oscar nominated filmmaker – who was recently elected president of the European Film Academy – about the project, challenges facing independent cinema, and the fall of President Donald Trump.
“Charlatan,” which premiered in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival, and received a best director nomination at the European Film Awards, is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the turmoil of the 20th century, he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Speaking to Variety, Holland noted that the same flaw that led to Mikolášek’s downfall...
“Charlatan,” which premiered in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival, and received a best director nomination at the European Film Awards, is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the turmoil of the 20th century, he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Speaking to Variety, Holland noted that the same flaw that led to Mikolášek’s downfall...
- 1/12/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Agnieszka Holland’s critically acclaimed “Charlatan” from Berlin-based company Films Boutique.
“Charlatan” competed at the Berlin Film Festival this year in the Special Gala section, and was most recently selected at Telluride. “Charlatan” represents Czech Republic in the Oscar race for the best international feature film.
“Charlatan” is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Holland has described “Charlatan” as a story about Mikolášek’s “moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him.”
“It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift, of the prize he was ready to pay for it; the story of the paradox of strength and weakness, of love and hate,” said Holland.
“We’re thrilled to be representing this film...
“Charlatan” competed at the Berlin Film Festival this year in the Special Gala section, and was most recently selected at Telluride. “Charlatan” represents Czech Republic in the Oscar race for the best international feature film.
“Charlatan” is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Holland has described “Charlatan” as a story about Mikolášek’s “moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him.”
“It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift, of the prize he was ready to pay for it; the story of the paradox of strength and weakness, of love and hate,” said Holland.
“We’re thrilled to be representing this film...
- 12/10/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Polish director Agnieszka Holland also named new European Film Academy president.
Italian drama Hidden Away has won two of the first European Film Awards of 2020, which are being staggered across four nights of virtual ceremonies due to the virus crisis.
Further winners in the first ceremony, which focussed on the technical categories, included The Personal History Of David Copperfield, Berlin Alexanderplatz and The Platform.
Hidden Away, Giorgio Diritti’s portrait of Italian painter Antonio Ligabue, won best cinematography for the work of Matteo Cocco and best costume design, for Ursula Patzak. The film premiered at the Berlinale where Elio Germano...
Italian drama Hidden Away has won two of the first European Film Awards of 2020, which are being staggered across four nights of virtual ceremonies due to the virus crisis.
Further winners in the first ceremony, which focussed on the technical categories, included The Personal History Of David Copperfield, Berlin Alexanderplatz and The Platform.
Hidden Away, Giorgio Diritti’s portrait of Italian painter Antonio Ligabue, won best cinematography for the work of Matteo Cocco and best costume design, for Ursula Patzak. The film premiered at the Berlinale where Elio Germano...
- 12/10/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
The Czech Film and Television Academy has selected Agnieszka Holland’s “Charlatan” to be its official entry in the International Feature Film category of the 93rd Academy Awards.
Its decision follows recent submissions by Singapore, Kosovo and Georgia. Other countries to have selected their entries include Bhutan, Taiwan, Ukraine, Bosnia, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Poland and Switzerland.
“Charlatan,” which premiered in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival, is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the war and turmoil of the 20th century he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Holland told Variety: “‘Charlatan’ tells the story of Mikolášek’s rise and fall. Of his moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him. It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift,...
Its decision follows recent submissions by Singapore, Kosovo and Georgia. Other countries to have selected their entries include Bhutan, Taiwan, Ukraine, Bosnia, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Poland and Switzerland.
“Charlatan,” which premiered in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival, is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the war and turmoil of the 20th century he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Holland told Variety: “‘Charlatan’ tells the story of Mikolášek’s rise and fall. Of his moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him. It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift,...
- 10/13/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Polish director Agnieszka Holland is best known for epic films that explore the inhumanity of World War II, the Oscar-nominated “Europa, Europa” and “In Darkness,” both set in German-controlled areas during the war, among them. In a way, her new film, “Mr. Jones,” begins in similar territory, as a young Welsh journalist tries to warn British diplomats of the dangers posed by an ascendant Adolf Hitler in 1933.
But it doesn’t take long for “Mr. Jones” to turn away from Hitler and Nazi Germany and move to a different totalitarian regime and a different atrocity of the era. The “Mr. Jones” of the title is Gareth Jones, a real-life journalist who traveled to the Soviet Union in 1933 and found evidence of the Holodomor, a man-made famine that killed millions in Ukraine.
It feels as if the story would be a ripe subject for Holland. The filmmaker has not only made monumental films about historical tragedies,...
But it doesn’t take long for “Mr. Jones” to turn away from Hitler and Nazi Germany and move to a different totalitarian regime and a different atrocity of the era. The “Mr. Jones” of the title is Gareth Jones, a real-life journalist who traveled to the Soviet Union in 1933 and found evidence of the Holodomor, a man-made famine that killed millions in Ukraine.
It feels as if the story would be a ripe subject for Holland. The filmmaker has not only made monumental films about historical tragedies,...
- 6/17/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Streaming online via video presentations from March 25, Series Mania’s experimental Digital Forum will make or break on the quality of its centerpiece, its Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. This year’s lineup, at least on paper, looks particularly strong.
Following, a break-down on the 16 originally selected projects:
“The Abduction of Yossele Shuchmacher” (Israel)
Co-created and to be directed by celebrated Israeli cineaste Eran Riklis, based on a notorious true case in 1961 and co-created by “Fauda” writer Moshe Zonder.-Backed by veteran producer Michael Sharfshtein, the title “blends an intimate, painful drama within a powerful social-political set up, wrapped as a psychological thriller,” says Riklis.
“The Black Lady”
An English-language six-part bio-series led by Brussels-based At-Prod about Madga Goebbels which author Hélène Duchateau describes as a “depressingly modern” miniseries: “Beyond Madga Goebbels’ unique experience, it echoes the growing populist trends in Europe and the processes of radicalization in our time.”
“Casa Girls” (France)
A comedic,...
Following, a break-down on the 16 originally selected projects:
“The Abduction of Yossele Shuchmacher” (Israel)
Co-created and to be directed by celebrated Israeli cineaste Eran Riklis, based on a notorious true case in 1961 and co-created by “Fauda” writer Moshe Zonder.-Backed by veteran producer Michael Sharfshtein, the title “blends an intimate, painful drama within a powerful social-political set up, wrapped as a psychological thriller,” says Riklis.
“The Black Lady”
An English-language six-part bio-series led by Brussels-based At-Prod about Madga Goebbels which author Hélène Duchateau describes as a “depressingly modern” miniseries: “Beyond Madga Goebbels’ unique experience, it echoes the growing populist trends in Europe and the processes of radicalization in our time.”
“Casa Girls” (France)
A comedic,...
- 3/23/2020
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
As the entire film industry reacted to images of convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein being led to jail in handcuffs, women at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival had much to celebrate. This year’s program, under the new leadership of Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, continued the trend among European festivals reaching for gender parity in its programming, with six films directed by women in the main Competition — many of them gaining upbeat reviews and global buyer interest — as well as many other strong stories by and about women throughout the sprawling Berlinale selection.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the progress in this year’s lineup.
1. “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” broke out at the festival.
Brooklyn filmmaker Eliza Hittman found out that her third feature had been accepted in the Berlinale competition a month before Sundance in January, where her film won a special jury prize for “neorealism.” The...
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the progress in this year’s lineup.
1. “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” broke out at the festival.
Brooklyn filmmaker Eliza Hittman found out that her third feature had been accepted in the Berlinale competition a month before Sundance in January, where her film won a special jury prize for “neorealism.” The...
- 2/27/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
As the entire film industry reacted to images of convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein being led to jail in handcuffs, women at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival had much to celebrate. This year’s program, under the new leadership of Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, continued the trend among European festivals reaching for gender parity in its programming, with six films directed by women in the main Competition — many of them gaining upbeat reviews and global buyer interest — as well as many other strong stories by and about women throughout the sprawling Berlinale selection.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the progress in this year’s lineup.
1. “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” broke out at the festival.
Brooklyn filmmaker Eliza Hittman found out that her third feature had been accepted in the Berlinale competition a month before Sundance in January, where her film won a special jury prize for “neorealism.” The...
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the progress in this year’s lineup.
1. “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” broke out at the festival.
Brooklyn filmmaker Eliza Hittman found out that her third feature had been accepted in the Berlinale competition a month before Sundance in January, where her film won a special jury prize for “neorealism.” The...
- 2/27/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer for Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland’s “Charlatan,” which premieres in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival.
The film is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treat the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the war and turmoil of the 20th century he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Holland comments: “‘Charlatan’ tells the story of Mikolášek’s rise and fall. Of his moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him. It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift, of the prize he was ready to pay for it; the story of the paradox of strength and weakness, of love and hate.”
Explaining her approach, Holland says: “To tell this story with an epic scope – dozens of years,...
The film is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treat the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the war and turmoil of the 20th century he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Holland comments: “‘Charlatan’ tells the story of Mikolášek’s rise and fall. Of his moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him. It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift, of the prize he was ready to pay for it; the story of the paradox of strength and weakness, of love and hate.”
Explaining her approach, Holland says: “To tell this story with an epic scope – dozens of years,...
- 2/11/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
“Minamata,” starring Johnny Depp, Nanette Burstein’s documentary series about Hillary Clinton, “Hillary,” and Agnieszka Holland’s “Charlatan” have been selected to play in the Berlinale Special section of the Berlin Film Festival, the event said Tuesday.
Also selected in the section are two documentary features, Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Last and First Men,” narrated by Tilda Swinton, and Jia Zhang-ke’s “Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue.”
These five titles join Matteo Garrone “Pinocchio” in Berlinale Special, whose selection was announced last month.
Depp plays celebrated photographer W. Eugene Smith in Andrew Levitas’ “Minamata,” which follows Smith as he takes on a powerful corporation responsible for poisoning the people of Minamata, Japan, in 1971.
The film is based on Aileen Mioko Smith and W. Eugene Smith’s book “Minamata,” which has been adapted by David K. Kessler (“A Hard Day’s Day”).
HanWay Films is handling international sales on “Minamata,...
Also selected in the section are two documentary features, Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Last and First Men,” narrated by Tilda Swinton, and Jia Zhang-ke’s “Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue.”
These five titles join Matteo Garrone “Pinocchio” in Berlinale Special, whose selection was announced last month.
Depp plays celebrated photographer W. Eugene Smith in Andrew Levitas’ “Minamata,” which follows Smith as he takes on a powerful corporation responsible for poisoning the people of Minamata, Japan, in 1971.
The film is based on Aileen Mioko Smith and W. Eugene Smith’s book “Minamata,” which has been adapted by David K. Kessler (“A Hard Day’s Day”).
HanWay Films is handling international sales on “Minamata,...
- 1/14/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Annika Glac (L) and Agnieszka Holland.
As she prepares to shoot Radiant, her third feature, Annika Glac is gaining valuable insights into her craft from Oscar-nominated director Agnieszka Holland.
Thanks to Screen Australia’s Enterprise People program, Glac is in Warsaw shadowing Holland through the entire post production of Charlatan, a 1950s drama set in Prague.
“To be in the presence of such a brilliant film director with vast International experience, an astute eye, and generous spirit has truly been a life-changing and career-catapulting experience,” the Polish/Australian filmmaker tells If.
Holland has given Glac advice on casting Radiant, a biopic on Marie Curie, the Polish-born physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity, as well as tips on Polish service companies.
Producer Robyn Kershaw is raising the finance from Polish, French and German partners and plans to start shooting in Krakow, Paris and Australia early next year. The...
As she prepares to shoot Radiant, her third feature, Annika Glac is gaining valuable insights into her craft from Oscar-nominated director Agnieszka Holland.
Thanks to Screen Australia’s Enterprise People program, Glac is in Warsaw shadowing Holland through the entire post production of Charlatan, a 1950s drama set in Prague.
“To be in the presence of such a brilliant film director with vast International experience, an astute eye, and generous spirit has truly been a life-changing and career-catapulting experience,” the Polish/Australian filmmaker tells If.
Holland has given Glac advice on casting Radiant, a biopic on Marie Curie, the Polish-born physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity, as well as tips on Polish service companies.
Producer Robyn Kershaw is raising the finance from Polish, French and German partners and plans to start shooting in Krakow, Paris and Australia early next year. The...
- 11/25/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
"What's being done here will transform mankind." Signature Ent. in the UK has debuted the first trailer for Mr. Jones, the latest film from Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland. This first premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, and has stopped by many other international festivals, heading to the London and Zurich Film Festivals next this fall. Mr. Jones brings to the screen the extraordinary and powerful story of the real-life Welsh journalist who uncovered Stalin's genocidal famine in Ukraine in the 1930s, which killed almost 10 million. Before the start of WWII, he travels first into Russia, then down to Ukraine, becoming the first to break the news in the western media of the government-created famine in the Soviet Union. Starring James Norton as journalist Gareth Jones; also featuring Vanessa Kirby, Peter Sarsgaard, Joseph Mawle, Kenneth Cranham, Celyn Jones, Krzysztof Pieczynski, Fenella Woolgar, and Martin Bishop. It's a thrilling,...
- 9/27/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Artur Brauner, the Polish-born Holocaust survivor who became one of Germany's most successful and acclaimed movie moguls, has died. He was 100.
Brauner was a producer who made box office hits — the Winnetou Western franchise and soft-core comedies with titles such as Vampire Lesbians and Sex Olympics — to finance serious movies about the Nazi dictatorship and the Shoah, including The White Rose (1982), Babij Jar (2003) and Europa Europa (1990), which won a Golden Globe and was an Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film.
Brauner died early Sunday morning in Berlin following a short illness, his family confirmed to German ...
Brauner was a producer who made box office hits — the Winnetou Western franchise and soft-core comedies with titles such as Vampire Lesbians and Sex Olympics — to finance serious movies about the Nazi dictatorship and the Shoah, including The White Rose (1982), Babij Jar (2003) and Europa Europa (1990), which won a Golden Globe and was an Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film.
Brauner died early Sunday morning in Berlin following a short illness, his family confirmed to German ...
Artur Brauner, the Polish-born Holocaust survivor who became one of Germany's most successful and acclaimed movie moguls, has died. He was 100.
Brauner was a producer who made box office hits — the Winnetou Western franchise and soft-core comedies with titles such as Vampire Lesbians and Sex Olympics — to finance serious movies about the Nazi dictatorship and the Shoah, including The White Rose (1982), Babij Jar (2003) and Europa Europa (1990), which won a Golden Globe and was an Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film.
Brauner died early Sunday morning in Berlin following a short illness, his family confirmed to German ...
Brauner was a producer who made box office hits — the Winnetou Western franchise and soft-core comedies with titles such as Vampire Lesbians and Sex Olympics — to finance serious movies about the Nazi dictatorship and the Shoah, including The White Rose (1982), Babij Jar (2003) and Europa Europa (1990), which won a Golden Globe and was an Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film.
Brauner died early Sunday morning in Berlin following a short illness, his family confirmed to German ...
After 38 days of filming, the final clapperboard has been snapped shut on “Charlatan,” Oscar-nominated Polish director Agnieszka Holland’s latest film, and it’s a wrap. The film will premiere on Feb. 20, 2020, which offers the possibility of a launch at the Berlin Film Festival (Feb. 20-March 1).
“Charlatan” was shot in several locations in the Czech Rep. in April and June. Holland, producer Sarka Cimbalova of Czech Rep.’s Marlene Film Production and the Czech screenwriter, Marek Epstein, will attend the Karlovy Vary Film Festival Wednesday to present the project live on Czech Television, which backed the movie.
The film is inspired by the true story of healer Jan Mikolasek, who dedicated himself to caring for the sick, in spite of the huge obstacles he faced in his private and public life.
“From the moment I read the script I thought the story was quite strong, full of a certain mystery,...
“Charlatan” was shot in several locations in the Czech Rep. in April and June. Holland, producer Sarka Cimbalova of Czech Rep.’s Marlene Film Production and the Czech screenwriter, Marek Epstein, will attend the Karlovy Vary Film Festival Wednesday to present the project live on Czech Television, which backed the movie.
The film is inspired by the true story of healer Jan Mikolasek, who dedicated himself to caring for the sick, in spite of the huge obstacles he faced in his private and public life.
“From the moment I read the script I thought the story was quite strong, full of a certain mystery,...
- 7/3/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The Criterion Collection has announced its July titles, with Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Brd Trilogy — “The Marriage of Maria Braun,” “Veronika Voss,” and “Lola” — leading the new additions. Also joining the Collection are Agniezka Holland’s “Europa Europa,” Alan J. Pakula’s “Klute,” Marcel Pagnol’s “The Baker’s Wife,” and Michael Radford’s adaptation of “1984,” with Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” getting upgraded from DVD to Blu-ray.
The news comes just a week after Criterion’s streaming service, the aptly named Criterion Channel, went live in the wake of FilmStruck’s closure late last year. “These audiences do need hubs,” the company’s president, Peter Becker, told IndieWire last week.
“If you’re lucky enough to live in a city like New York, which has hubs like the Film Forum and the Metrograph and Lincoln Center, then you actually have living, breathing, every-night film culture with great...
The news comes just a week after Criterion’s streaming service, the aptly named Criterion Channel, went live in the wake of FilmStruck’s closure late last year. “These audiences do need hubs,” the company’s president, Peter Becker, told IndieWire last week.
“If you’re lucky enough to live in a city like New York, which has hubs like the Film Forum and the Metrograph and Lincoln Center, then you actually have living, breathing, every-night film culture with great...
- 4/15/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Agnieszka Holland, the director of Oscar nominated films “Europa Europa” and “In Darkness,” has begun shooting her latest pic, “Charlatan.” Films Boutique is handling foreign sales.
The Polish director, whose last film “Mr. Jones” premiered in competition at Berlin Film Festival in February, started to lens the pic Monday in Mladá Boleslav prison in the Czech Republic. The crew will spend most of this month on location in the Central Bohemia region of the country.
The pic, about an herbalist who devotes his life to caring for the sick despite many difficulties, is inspired by the real-life figure of Jan Mikolášek, whose story was adapted for the screen by Marek Epstein. Ivan Trojan, six-time winner of the Czech Lion award, plays Mikolášek.
In a statement, Holland said: “I have always been interested in healing… the fact somebody is able to look so deep into the body and soul of another person,...
The Polish director, whose last film “Mr. Jones” premiered in competition at Berlin Film Festival in February, started to lens the pic Monday in Mladá Boleslav prison in the Czech Republic. The crew will spend most of this month on location in the Central Bohemia region of the country.
The pic, about an herbalist who devotes his life to caring for the sick despite many difficulties, is inspired by the real-life figure of Jan Mikolášek, whose story was adapted for the screen by Marek Epstein. Ivan Trojan, six-time winner of the Czech Lion award, plays Mikolášek.
In a statement, Holland said: “I have always been interested in healing… the fact somebody is able to look so deep into the body and soul of another person,...
- 4/3/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
In Berlin with her latest film, Academy Award nominee Agnieszka Holland gave an impassioned defense of a free press and warned that societies must remain vigilant against growing threats to democracy around the world.
At a press conference Sunday to promote “Mr. Jones,” which world premieres Sunday in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, the Polish director said freedom was “overrated” when people “can choose the darkness instead of the light.”
“Freedom is very difficult,” she said. “It means making choices. It means also to be defeated. It means also to make the mistakes.”
“Mr. Jones” is based on the true story of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones, who struggled to bring to light the story of the Ukrainian famine wrought by the brutal policies of Joseph Stalin. The film stars James Norton, Vanessa Kirby and Peter Sarsgaard.
Holland called it her “moral duty” to shine a spotlight on what she...
At a press conference Sunday to promote “Mr. Jones,” which world premieres Sunday in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, the Polish director said freedom was “overrated” when people “can choose the darkness instead of the light.”
“Freedom is very difficult,” she said. “It means making choices. It means also to be defeated. It means also to make the mistakes.”
“Mr. Jones” is based on the true story of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones, who struggled to bring to light the story of the Ukrainian famine wrought by the brutal policies of Joseph Stalin. The film stars James Norton, Vanessa Kirby and Peter Sarsgaard.
Holland called it her “moral duty” to shine a spotlight on what she...
- 2/10/2019
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Variety has been given exclusive access to first-look footage from Academy Award nominee Agnieszka Holland’s “Mr. Jones,” which world premieres in Official Competition at the Berlin Film Festival. The film stars James Norton, Vanessa Kirby and Peter Sarsgaard.
“Mr. Jones” tells the little-known story of Gareth Jones, an ambitious young Welsh journalist who travelled to the Soviet Union in 1933, and discovered the appalling reality behind the myth of a communist “utopia.” What started out as a regular news investigation, soon turned into a life-or-death quest to uncover the truth about a government-induced famine in Ukraine. His efforts are frustrated not just by Soviet censors but other Western journalists who enjoy the patronage of Stalin’s regime, most notably Walter Duranty, the Moscow bureau chief of the New York Times. Jones’ story helped inspire George Orwell’s allegorical dystopian novel “Animal Farm.”
In a statement, Holland said: “We wanted to...
“Mr. Jones” tells the little-known story of Gareth Jones, an ambitious young Welsh journalist who travelled to the Soviet Union in 1933, and discovered the appalling reality behind the myth of a communist “utopia.” What started out as a regular news investigation, soon turned into a life-or-death quest to uncover the truth about a government-induced famine in Ukraine. His efforts are frustrated not just by Soviet censors but other Western journalists who enjoy the patronage of Stalin’s regime, most notably Walter Duranty, the Moscow bureau chief of the New York Times. Jones’ story helped inspire George Orwell’s allegorical dystopian novel “Animal Farm.”
In a statement, Holland said: “We wanted to...
- 1/28/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
New films by Agnieszka Holland, Agnes Varda and Isabel Coixet have been added to the official lineup of the upcoming Berlin Film Festival, along with special screenings of directorial debuts by British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and “Narcos” star Wagner Moura of Brazil.
The Berlinale added 11 titles to its competition slate Thursday, representing countries such as China, Norway, Mongolia and Israel. Of the 18 competition titles selected so far, eight are directed by women, including festival opener “The Kindness of Strangers,” by Danish director Lone Scherfig.
Holland’s eagerly anticipated “Mr. Jones,” starring James Norton and Vanessa Kirby, will have its world premiere in Potsdamer Platz. The politically charged film centers on the real-life Welsh journalist Gareth Jones (Norton), whose reporting uncovered a deadly famine in Ukraine in the 1930s.
Another famine-themed film heading to Berlin is Ejiofor’s “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” which was recently acquired by Netflix and...
The Berlinale added 11 titles to its competition slate Thursday, representing countries such as China, Norway, Mongolia and Israel. Of the 18 competition titles selected so far, eight are directed by women, including festival opener “The Kindness of Strangers,” by Danish director Lone Scherfig.
Holland’s eagerly anticipated “Mr. Jones,” starring James Norton and Vanessa Kirby, will have its world premiere in Potsdamer Platz. The politically charged film centers on the real-life Welsh journalist Gareth Jones (Norton), whose reporting uncovered a deadly famine in Ukraine in the 1930s.
Another famine-themed film heading to Berlin is Ejiofor’s “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” which was recently acquired by Netflix and...
- 1/10/2019
- by Henry Chu
- Variety Film + TV
The story is inspired by the real-life healer Jan Mikolášek.
Agnieszka Holland has signed on to direct Charlatan, a Czech-Ireland-Slovak co-production written by Marek Epstein.
Šárka Cimbalová and Svatka Peschková’s Czech production company Marlene Film leads the project, which will be co-produced by Film & Music Entertainment (F&Me)’s Irish outpost and Slovakia’s Furia Film.
The story is about a man with exceptional abilities – inspired by the real-life healer Jan Mikolášek – living in totalitarian 1950s Czechoslovakia.
Films Boutique will handle international sales, with Falcon on board for Czech distribution (and Czech Television for local TV rights). Itafilm will release in Slovakia.
The film aims for a late 2018 or mid 2019 shoot for a spring 2020 premiere.
Holland’s many credits include films such as Spoor, In Darkness and Europa Europa and TV hits such as House of Cards and Treme; she is also directing Netflix’s first Polish-language original series.
“Charlatan is a fabulous...
Agnieszka Holland has signed on to direct Charlatan, a Czech-Ireland-Slovak co-production written by Marek Epstein.
Šárka Cimbalová and Svatka Peschková’s Czech production company Marlene Film leads the project, which will be co-produced by Film & Music Entertainment (F&Me)’s Irish outpost and Slovakia’s Furia Film.
The story is about a man with exceptional abilities – inspired by the real-life healer Jan Mikolášek – living in totalitarian 1950s Czechoslovakia.
Films Boutique will handle international sales, with Falcon on board for Czech distribution (and Czech Television for local TV rights). Itafilm will release in Slovakia.
The film aims for a late 2018 or mid 2019 shoot for a spring 2020 premiere.
Holland’s many credits include films such as Spoor, In Darkness and Europa Europa and TV hits such as House of Cards and Treme; she is also directing Netflix’s first Polish-language original series.
“Charlatan is a fabulous...
- 2/17/2018
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of the #FemaleFilmmakerFriday hashtag that was begun last week, which female TV director deserves recognition the most?
Allison Keene (@KeeneTV), Collider
I try to go with gut reactions on these, and the first person who popped into my mind was Susanne Bier, director of 2016’s “The Night Manager.” One of the reasons I became so obsessed with that miniseries was because of Bier’s direction and the visual world she created. Everything looked like a Vogue spread (which isn’t surprising maybe given its cast), but it wasn’t just about the gilded pleasures of the super global elite. One of the most inspiring...
This week’s question: In honor of the #FemaleFilmmakerFriday hashtag that was begun last week, which female TV director deserves recognition the most?
Allison Keene (@KeeneTV), Collider
I try to go with gut reactions on these, and the first person who popped into my mind was Susanne Bier, director of 2016’s “The Night Manager.” One of the reasons I became so obsessed with that miniseries was because of Bier’s direction and the visual world she created. Everything looked like a Vogue spread (which isn’t surprising maybe given its cast), but it wasn’t just about the gilded pleasures of the super global elite. One of the most inspiring...
- 1/30/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
The European Film Academy will honor French actress and director Julie Delpy with its European Achievement in World Cinema award.
Delpy has been a feature on the European film scene since her feature debut as the 14-year-old “wise young girl” in Jean-Luc Godard's Detective (1985). Lead roles followed, including in Bertrand Tavernier’s period drama Beatrice (1987), for which Delpy received a Cesar nomination as most promising actress.
Her international breakthrough came with Agnieszka Holland's Europa Europa in 1990, and in 1991 she received her first Efa nomination, as European actress of the year, for playing Sam Shepard's...
Delpy has been a feature on the European film scene since her feature debut as the 14-year-old “wise young girl” in Jean-Luc Godard's Detective (1985). Lead roles followed, including in Bertrand Tavernier’s period drama Beatrice (1987), for which Delpy received a Cesar nomination as most promising actress.
Her international breakthrough came with Agnieszka Holland's Europa Europa in 1990, and in 1991 she received her first Efa nomination, as European actress of the year, for playing Sam Shepard's...
- 9/15/2017
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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