The Ardor
Director: Pablo Fendrik
Writer(s): Pablo Fendrik
Producers: Juan Pablo Gugliotta, Nathalia Videla Peña, Gael García Bernal
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alice Braga
In terms of visibility and breaking out, we’re betting that Pablo Fendrik’s third feature film (debut in the English language) will raise his profile much like Miss Bala did for Gerardo Naranjo. The auteur Argentinian filmmaker who paired with actor Arturo Goetz on distinctly antagonistic items such as The Mugger (2007) and Blood Appears (2008) has been cooking up this environmental-thriller for a while now.
Gist: Gael Garcia Bernal portrays a mysterious man who emerges from the Argentinean rainforest to rescue the kidnapped daughter (Alice Braga) of a poor farmer after mercenaries murder her father and take over his property.
Release Date: Seeing that both of his debut films screened in Cannes, this logically should be included in the...
Director: Pablo Fendrik
Writer(s): Pablo Fendrik
Producers: Juan Pablo Gugliotta, Nathalia Videla Peña, Gael García Bernal
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alice Braga
In terms of visibility and breaking out, we’re betting that Pablo Fendrik’s third feature film (debut in the English language) will raise his profile much like Miss Bala did for Gerardo Naranjo. The auteur Argentinian filmmaker who paired with actor Arturo Goetz on distinctly antagonistic items such as The Mugger (2007) and Blood Appears (2008) has been cooking up this environmental-thriller for a while now.
Gist: Gael Garcia Bernal portrays a mysterious man who emerges from the Argentinean rainforest to rescue the kidnapped daughter (Alice Braga) of a poor farmer after mercenaries murder her father and take over his property.
Release Date: Seeing that both of his debut films screened in Cannes, this logically should be included in the...
- 2/26/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Nancy Buirski [pictured], Valeria Golino and Hernán Musaluppi to decide on the Best First Feature Award; 18 films are in contention.
Berlinale has unveiled the three-person jury for its Best First Feature Award.
Us director and producer Nancy Buirski, Italian actress and director Valeria Golino and Argentinian producer Hernán Musaluppi will decide the award, with the winner announced at the official award ceremony in the Berlinale Palast on Feb 15.
The award comes with a €50,000 prize, donated by the Gwff, and will be split between the producer and director of the winning film, while the director will also be awarded with a high-quality viewfinder.
A total of 18 directorial debuts have been nominated by the heads of the Competition, Panorama, Forum, Generation and Perspektive Deutsches Kino section.
They are:
Competition
´71 - United Kingdom
By Yann Demange
With Jack O’Connell, Sean Harris, Richard Dormer
Historia del miedo (History of Fear) – Argentina / Uruguay / Germany / France
By Benjamin Naishtat
With Jonathan Da Rosa, [link...
Berlinale has unveiled the three-person jury for its Best First Feature Award.
Us director and producer Nancy Buirski, Italian actress and director Valeria Golino and Argentinian producer Hernán Musaluppi will decide the award, with the winner announced at the official award ceremony in the Berlinale Palast on Feb 15.
The award comes with a €50,000 prize, donated by the Gwff, and will be split between the producer and director of the winning film, while the director will also be awarded with a high-quality viewfinder.
A total of 18 directorial debuts have been nominated by the heads of the Competition, Panorama, Forum, Generation and Perspektive Deutsches Kino section.
They are:
Competition
´71 - United Kingdom
By Yann Demange
With Jack O’Connell, Sean Harris, Richard Dormer
Historia del miedo (History of Fear) – Argentina / Uruguay / Germany / France
By Benjamin Naishtat
With Jonathan Da Rosa, [link...
- 1/23/2014
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
Maria del Carmen (Maria Onetto) rushes around her house preparing for a party. She’s baking and cooking, greeting the guests as they arrive, and keeping everyone’s plates full. And when it comes time for the birthday cake to come out she lights the candles, carries it to the table, and smiles as everyone sings Happy Birthday. To her. She’s not one to complain about her duties as mother and wife, but she’s showing signs that being taken for granted no longer feels like appreciation. She pauses while cleaning up after her party to peruse one of her gifts… a puzzle. Piece by piece, she fits the small cardboard bit together until the final image is complete before here. She finds an unusual satisfaction in the accomplishment, and while it’s unfamiliar for several reasons the most prominent is that the action was for her and her alone. A...
- 9/10/2011
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Of course there'll be another roundup on The Tree of Life. But first, let's give a little breathing room to some of the other films opening this Memorial Day Weekend.
"The extreme leftists of the 1960s and 70s who sought to change the world one bomb at a time might have been unhappy to know that their revolutionary legacy is doing nice business at that bourgeois temple, the art house," writes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times. "It's a legacy that in recent years and specifically since 9/11 has been romanticized and critiqued in movies like The Motorcycle Diaries (a prehistory involving the young Che Guevara); Che (about his campaigns in Cuba and Bolivia); The Baader Meinhof Complex (German leftists who embraced violence); Good Morning, Night (the kidnapping of the former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro by the Red Brigades); Carlos (the Venezuelan Marxist turned mercenary). United Red Army tells much the same story,...
"The extreme leftists of the 1960s and 70s who sought to change the world one bomb at a time might have been unhappy to know that their revolutionary legacy is doing nice business at that bourgeois temple, the art house," writes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times. "It's a legacy that in recent years and specifically since 9/11 has been romanticized and critiqued in movies like The Motorcycle Diaries (a prehistory involving the young Che Guevara); Che (about his campaigns in Cuba and Bolivia); The Baader Meinhof Complex (German leftists who embraced violence); Good Morning, Night (the kidnapping of the former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro by the Red Brigades); Carlos (the Venezuelan Marxist turned mercenary). United Red Army tells much the same story,...
- 5/27/2011
- MUBI
Reviewed by Amanda Georges
(May 2011)
Directed/Written by: Natalia Smirnoff
Starring: Maria Onetto, Gabriel Goity and Arturo Goetz
It is her 50th birthday, and Maria del Carmen (Maria Onetto) is collecting the shards of a broken dinner plate. With maternal care, she arranges the fragments in a circle in a matter of seconds. There is a piece missing, but there is no time to search for it as she needs to bring out the cake, one that she baked and decorated for her own birthday and will clean up after her guests have departed.
Natalia Smirnoff’s film “Puzzle” (“Rompecabezas”) tells you most of what you need to know about its protagonist in the first few minutes: Maria is enslaved by her domestic life, to the point that she prepares and serves her birthday meal to a room of oblivious family and friends, and does it all with a smile that hides her aggravation.
(May 2011)
Directed/Written by: Natalia Smirnoff
Starring: Maria Onetto, Gabriel Goity and Arturo Goetz
It is her 50th birthday, and Maria del Carmen (Maria Onetto) is collecting the shards of a broken dinner plate. With maternal care, she arranges the fragments in a circle in a matter of seconds. There is a piece missing, but there is no time to search for it as she needs to bring out the cake, one that she baked and decorated for her own birthday and will clean up after her guests have departed.
Natalia Smirnoff’s film “Puzzle” (“Rompecabezas”) tells you most of what you need to know about its protagonist in the first few minutes: Maria is enslaved by her domestic life, to the point that she prepares and serves her birthday meal to a room of oblivious family and friends, and does it all with a smile that hides her aggravation.
- 5/25/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Reviewed by Amanda Georges
(May 2011)
Directed/Written by: Natalia Smirnoff
Starring: Maria Onetto, Gabriel Goity and Arturo Goetz
It is her 50th birthday, and Maria del Carmen (Maria Onetto) is collecting the shards of a broken dinner plate. With maternal care, she arranges the fragments in a circle in a matter of seconds. There is a piece missing, but there is no time to search for it as she needs to bring out the cake, one that she baked and decorated for her own birthday and will clean up after her guests have departed.
Natalia Smirnoff’s film “Puzzle” (“Rompecabezas”) tells you most of what you need to know about its protagonist in the first few minutes: Maria is enslaved by her domestic life, to the point that she prepares and serves her birthday meal to a room of oblivious family and friends, and does it all with a smile that hides her aggravation.
(May 2011)
Directed/Written by: Natalia Smirnoff
Starring: Maria Onetto, Gabriel Goity and Arturo Goetz
It is her 50th birthday, and Maria del Carmen (Maria Onetto) is collecting the shards of a broken dinner plate. With maternal care, she arranges the fragments in a circle in a matter of seconds. There is a piece missing, but there is no time to search for it as she needs to bring out the cake, one that she baked and decorated for her own birthday and will clean up after her guests have departed.
Natalia Smirnoff’s film “Puzzle” (“Rompecabezas”) tells you most of what you need to know about its protagonist in the first few minutes: Maria is enslaved by her domestic life, to the point that she prepares and serves her birthday meal to a room of oblivious family and friends, and does it all with a smile that hides her aggravation.
- 5/25/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
This small and modest drama, which was nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, opens with a long take of a birthday party in a Buenos Aires suburb. The "lady" of the house, Maria del Carmen (Maria Onetto) cooked the food, arranged it, served it and even baked a birthday cake. It is now time to blow the candles and make a wish. We find out that the birthday person is Maria herself, who just turned 50 and is surrounded by her husband Juan (Gabriel Gity), two grown sons and some relatives. Given a gift of a puzzle game Maria finds out that she is good at assembling the pieces. She responds to an online ad and starts training with Roberto, a Buenos Aires millionaire (Arturo Goetz), for Argentina's national championship. The overworked Maria, who always gave to others, will now embark on a wonderful journey by entering the global puzzle competition,...
- 5/13/2011
- Arizona Reporter
IFC Films has picked up North American rights to "Puzzle," a favorite at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Story follows a woman who learns she's gifted at puzzling. Natalia Smirnoff made this her first film and it had irs Berlinale competition debut on last Thursday night. Maria Onetto stars as a middle-aged, family-devoted housewife who, after is given a puzzle, finds she can solve it quickly and takes on a tournament training partner (played Arturo Goetz). Jonathan Sehring of IFC said, "'Puzzle' completely charmed our entire team at the Berlinale. It is one of the rare crowd pleasers that manages to respect its audience and deliver profound thrills."...
- 2/21/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Natalia Smirnoff, an art director-turned casting director-turned filmmaker will see her debut film, what appears to be a Berlin Film Festival favorite, get a theatrical run via the IFC folks. Smirnoff, who's worked with Lucrecia Martel and Pablo Trapero, saw her debut film Puzzle receive a Films In Progress screening at the San Sebastian Film Festival, just prior to landing a main comp spot in Berlin. - Natalia Smirnoff, an art director-turned casting director-turned filmmaker will see her debut film, what appears to be a Berlin Film Festival favorite, get a theatrical run via the IFC folks. Smirnoff, who's worked with Lucrecia Martel and Pablo Trapero, saw her debut film Puzzle receive a Films In Progress screening at the San Sebastian Film Festival, just prior to landing a main comp spot in Berlin. IFC is planning to release the film in the Fall, in my estimation a Toronto Int. Film...
- 2/20/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Cannes Film Festival, Critics' Week"Blood Appears" ("La Sangre Brota") is Argentine director Pablo Fendrik's follow-up to his well-regarded debut "The Mugger", which premiered in Cannes' Critics Week last year. Like that film, this intriguing short (67 minutes) feature takes place virtually in real time, "Blood" has an experimental feel, but whereas "Mugger" was broadly comprehensible and engaging, Fendrik's latest effort is too fragmented and elliptical to appeal to mainstream audiences. The festival circuit beckons.
"Mugger" star Arturo Goetz plays a peaceable taxi driver, Arturo, whose son Ramiro phones up from Houston demanding $2,000 to enable him to fly home after a four-year absence. Meanwhile his younger son Leandro is planning to steal his savings in order to buy a stock of ecstasy that he can re-sell at a profit. With the proceeds he'll fly to Houston to join his brother.
Leandro falls in with Vanesa, an attractive streetwise 15-year-old who earns pocket money handing out fliers. Her mother Sandra carries a small baby who she tries to abandon. Arturo then picks up a wealthy businessman who invites him to play bridge for money.
With a jerky camera style, allusive dialogue and frequent close-ups that withhold as much as they reveal, Fendrik makes few concessions to the spectator. He hands out information in a piecemeal manner, and the motivation of the characters is mostly left to conjecture. Fendrik is clearly a considerable talent who sooner or later will produce a major work, but this is not it. He is intensely sensitive to street sights and sounds, and the picture he paints (mostly in blue) of Buenos Aires as a violent, dangerous place is impressive. "Blood" is a triumph of style over content, accomplished but frustrating. There is surely better to come.
Production companies: Magmacine, Acrobates Films, Neue Cameo Film.
Cast: Arturo Goetz, Nahuel Perez Biscayart, Guillermo Arengo, Stella Galazzi, Ailin Salas, Guadalupe Docampo, Susana Pampin.
Director/screenwriter: Pablo Fendrik.
Director of photography: Julian Arpezteguia.
Production design: Pablo Maestre.
Music: Juan Ignacio Bouscayrol.
Editor: Leandro Aste.
No rating, 100 minutes.
"Mugger" star Arturo Goetz plays a peaceable taxi driver, Arturo, whose son Ramiro phones up from Houston demanding $2,000 to enable him to fly home after a four-year absence. Meanwhile his younger son Leandro is planning to steal his savings in order to buy a stock of ecstasy that he can re-sell at a profit. With the proceeds he'll fly to Houston to join his brother.
Leandro falls in with Vanesa, an attractive streetwise 15-year-old who earns pocket money handing out fliers. Her mother Sandra carries a small baby who she tries to abandon. Arturo then picks up a wealthy businessman who invites him to play bridge for money.
With a jerky camera style, allusive dialogue and frequent close-ups that withhold as much as they reveal, Fendrik makes few concessions to the spectator. He hands out information in a piecemeal manner, and the motivation of the characters is mostly left to conjecture. Fendrik is clearly a considerable talent who sooner or later will produce a major work, but this is not it. He is intensely sensitive to street sights and sounds, and the picture he paints (mostly in blue) of Buenos Aires as a violent, dangerous place is impressive. "Blood" is a triumph of style over content, accomplished but frustrating. There is surely better to come.
Production companies: Magmacine, Acrobates Films, Neue Cameo Film.
Cast: Arturo Goetz, Nahuel Perez Biscayart, Guillermo Arengo, Stella Galazzi, Ailin Salas, Guadalupe Docampo, Susana Pampin.
Director/screenwriter: Pablo Fendrik.
Director of photography: Julian Arpezteguia.
Production design: Pablo Maestre.
Music: Juan Ignacio Bouscayrol.
Editor: Leandro Aste.
No rating, 100 minutes.
- This is a film about people who force themselves onto others. The final results are rather chilling to say the least. Part of the Critic's Week in Cannes, this is now a second time as in many years for director Pablo Fendrik - he was showcased along with his film El asaltante (The Mugger). Blood Appears once again sees the director team with lead actor - Arturo Goetz, who is perfectly followed with the vibrant hand held aesthetic. The director and two actors (Guadalupe Docampo and Goetz) for on hand to present the film - Fendrik was extremely pleased to be back in this section. Prior to this screening, professional film industry photographer Jeff Vespa (who had just finished a photo session with Penelope Cruz) presented his first short (black and white) film entitled Nose Bleed with a very bloodied up David Arquette as his muse. Pablo Fendrik Guadalupe
- 5/19/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
- Before we begin what should be a grueling, exhausting, yet painlessly pleasurable coverage of the 61st edition of the Cannes film festival (I've got north of 40 films/events that I ambitiously want to cover), I first wanted to begin Ioncinema.com's coverage of the fest with an overview of the four sections of the festival and what I predict should be critically well-received pictures to look out for. We first begin with the Critic's Week (47th Semaine Int. de la Critique) sidebar which has a distinctive Euro-flavoring this year. Home (Ursula Meier) Workshopped at Cannes, this is a world premiere and last minute addition to the section. Starring Isabelle Huppert and Olivier Gourmet, this follows a family whose peaceful existence in an isolated country home is threatened with the reconstruction of a busy highway nearby. Lake Tahoe (Fernando Eimbcke) Selected as Fipresci Revelation of the year, this coming of
- 5/13/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
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