Beta Cinema has arrived in Cannes with a slew of sales on its resistance epic William Tell.
Currently in post-production, screenwriter Nick Hamm’s adaptation for the big screen of Friedrich Schiller’s play stars Danish actor Claes Bang (The Square), Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson), Connor Swindells (Barbie, Sex Education), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid, The Tattooist of Auschwitz) and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List, Iron Man).
The story takes place in the 14th century, “amidst the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire where Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians, desiring more land, encroach upon Switzerland, a serene and pastoral nation.” William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under threat from the oppressive Austrian king and his ruthless warlords.
The film’s ensemble cast also includes Ellie Bamber (Moss & Freud, Nocturnal Animals), Rafe Spall (Life of Pi,...
Currently in post-production, screenwriter Nick Hamm’s adaptation for the big screen of Friedrich Schiller’s play stars Danish actor Claes Bang (The Square), Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson), Connor Swindells (Barbie, Sex Education), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid, The Tattooist of Auschwitz) and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List, Iron Man).
The story takes place in the 14th century, “amidst the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire where Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians, desiring more land, encroach upon Switzerland, a serene and pastoral nation.” William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under threat from the oppressive Austrian king and his ruthless warlords.
The film’s ensemble cast also includes Ellie Bamber (Moss & Freud, Nocturnal Animals), Rafe Spall (Life of Pi,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Arte Germany CEO Wolfgang Bergmann approached Toronto director Larry Weinstein in January 2023 about making a documentary to mark the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the filmmaker didn’t exactly break into a chorus of “Ode to Joy.”
Nor could he have anticipated that his film “Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity,” which premieres in Toronto at Hot Docs on April 28, would be not only his first to break the fourth wall but also his most personal to date.
A prolific director-producer since his early years with Canada’s Rhombus Films, Weinstein has made numerous acclaimed creative music docs, including “Beethoven’s Hair,” a 2005 forensic adventure exploring the composer’s physical and psychic woes. The prospect of making a second Beethoven film, especially with several “Ninth films” already in circulation, seemed dim.
“There wasn’t a lot of time to come up with a big idea,” he told Variety in early April.
Nor could he have anticipated that his film “Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity,” which premieres in Toronto at Hot Docs on April 28, would be not only his first to break the fourth wall but also his most personal to date.
A prolific director-producer since his early years with Canada’s Rhombus Films, Weinstein has made numerous acclaimed creative music docs, including “Beethoven’s Hair,” a 2005 forensic adventure exploring the composer’s physical and psychic woes. The prospect of making a second Beethoven film, especially with several “Ninth films” already in circulation, seemed dim.
“There wasn’t a lot of time to come up with a big idea,” he told Variety in early April.
- 4/18/2024
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety Film + TV
First-look images have been unveiled for Beta Cinema, Free Turn Films and Tempo Productions take on ‘William Tell,’ focusing on the the epic story of the legendary crossbow-wielding warrior.
Amidst this backdrop, William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under dire threat from the oppressive Austrian King and his ruthless warlords. Leading his fellow countrymen, Tell embarks on a courageous rebellion to defend their liberty and stand against the oppressive forces that seek to subjugate them.
Also in news – Martin Scorsese on working with the Osage Community, Robert Di Niro & Leonardo DiCaprio on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
Written by Nick Hamm, adapted from Friedrich Schiller’s world-renowned classical play. The narrative unfolds in the 14th Century amidst the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire where Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians, desiring more land,...
Amidst this backdrop, William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under dire threat from the oppressive Austrian King and his ruthless warlords. Leading his fellow countrymen, Tell embarks on a courageous rebellion to defend their liberty and stand against the oppressive forces that seek to subjugate them.
Also in news – Martin Scorsese on working with the Osage Community, Robert Di Niro & Leonardo DiCaprio on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
Written by Nick Hamm, adapted from Friedrich Schiller’s world-renowned classical play. The narrative unfolds in the 14th Century amidst the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire where Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians, desiring more land,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The first look images of “William Tell,” the epic story of the crossbow-wielding warrior, have been released. The feature film is in its last week of principal photography in Italy. Beta Cinema is representing international sales rights with WME Independent handling North American rights.
Nick Hamm directs, based on his screenplay, adapted from Friedrich Schiller’s play. Hamm’s credits include “Driven,” which was selected as the closing film at the Venice Film Festival 2018 and released by Universal; “Gigi & Nate” (2022); the Netflix series “White Lines” (2020); and “The Journey,” which premiered at Venice and Toronto in 2016.
The film stars Claes Bang, Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Academy-Award nominee Jonathan Pryce and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.
The story unfolds in the 14th century amid the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire, when Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians,...
Nick Hamm directs, based on his screenplay, adapted from Friedrich Schiller’s play. Hamm’s credits include “Driven,” which was selected as the closing film at the Venice Film Festival 2018 and released by Universal; “Gigi & Nate” (2022); the Netflix series “White Lines” (2020); and “The Journey,” which premiered at Venice and Toronto in 2016.
The film stars Claes Bang, Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Academy-Award nominee Jonathan Pryce and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.
The story unfolds in the 14th century amid the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire, when Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Claes Bang has signed on to star in Nick Hamm’s period action film William Tell, playing the legendary Swiss marksman.
The Danish actor, star of Ruben Östlund’s 2017 Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Square, Sharon Horgan’s Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters and the baddie in Robert Eggers’ The Northman, will be joined by an ensemble cast, including Connor Swindells (Barbie), Ellie Bamber (Willow), Golshifteh Farahani (Extraction), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), Rafe Spall (The Big Short), Emily Beecham (Little Joe), Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones, The Two Popes) and Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Sexy Beast).
Hamm adapted William Tell from Friedrich Schiller’s famous play, set in the 14th Century, which follows a peaceful hunter who picks up his crossbow to fight tyranny, in the form of a corrupt Austrian King. In the play’s most famous scene, Tell is forced by authorities to shoot an...
The Danish actor, star of Ruben Östlund’s 2017 Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Square, Sharon Horgan’s Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters and the baddie in Robert Eggers’ The Northman, will be joined by an ensemble cast, including Connor Swindells (Barbie), Ellie Bamber (Willow), Golshifteh Farahani (Extraction), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), Rafe Spall (The Big Short), Emily Beecham (Little Joe), Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones, The Two Popes) and Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Sexy Beast).
Hamm adapted William Tell from Friedrich Schiller’s famous play, set in the 14th Century, which follows a peaceful hunter who picks up his crossbow to fight tyranny, in the form of a corrupt Austrian King. In the play’s most famous scene, Tell is forced by authorities to shoot an...
- 10/24/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Beta Cinema and the UK’s Free Turn Films and Tempo Productions have officially announced Nick Hamm’s epic drama William Tell, as its under-the-radar shoot enters its final week in Italy.
The partners have unveiled a first-look image of Claes Bang in the role of the legendary crossbow-wielding warrior (scroll down to check it out).
Bang is joined in the cast by Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley.
“As a filmmaker I couldn’t ask for a more exceptional cast to bring this story to life,” said Hamm.
Beta Cinema, which represents worldwide sales rights while WME Independent handles domestic rights, will debut a first sales teaser to buyers at the AFM next week.
Claes Bang as William Tell
Hamm wrote the screenplay, adapting German writer Friedrich Schiller’s 1804 classic play of the same name.
The...
The partners have unveiled a first-look image of Claes Bang in the role of the legendary crossbow-wielding warrior (scroll down to check it out).
Bang is joined in the cast by Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley.
“As a filmmaker I couldn’t ask for a more exceptional cast to bring this story to life,” said Hamm.
Beta Cinema, which represents worldwide sales rights while WME Independent handles domestic rights, will debut a first sales teaser to buyers at the AFM next week.
Claes Bang as William Tell
Hamm wrote the screenplay, adapting German writer Friedrich Schiller’s 1804 classic play of the same name.
The...
- 10/24/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Cast also includes Ellie Bamber, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema has boarded international sales on Nick Hamm’s English-language feature William Tell, based on the classic story of the crossbow warrior who shot an arrow through an apple on his son’s head and launched the struggle for Swiss independence.
Written and directed by Hamm, William Tell stars Claes Bang as Tell alongside Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham as well as Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema and production companies Free Turn Films and...
Beta Cinema has boarded international sales on Nick Hamm’s English-language feature William Tell, based on the classic story of the crossbow warrior who shot an arrow through an apple on his son’s head and launched the struggle for Swiss independence.
Written and directed by Hamm, William Tell stars Claes Bang as Tell alongside Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham as well as Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema and production companies Free Turn Films and...
- 10/24/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Cast also includes Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema has boarded international sales on Nick Hamm’s English-language feature William Tell, based on the classic story of the Swiss crossbow warrior.
Written and directed by Hamm, William Tell stars Claes Bang as Tell alongside Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham as well as Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema and production companies Free Turn Films and Tempo Productions have also released a first look of...
Beta Cinema has boarded international sales on Nick Hamm’s English-language feature William Tell, based on the classic story of the Swiss crossbow warrior.
Written and directed by Hamm, William Tell stars Claes Bang as Tell alongside Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham as well as Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema and production companies Free Turn Films and Tempo Productions have also released a first look of...
- 10/24/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Aimee Lou Wood describes the young woman she plays opposite Bill Nighy in the acclaimed movie Living as the film’s “character of life.” It’s a performance that’s been steadily attracting awards season buzz, and is recognized in the BAFTA longlist, announced today.
However, Wood says that her other gig, as schoolgirl Aimee Gibbs in Netflix comedy Sex Education, is a very different matter because she finds herself playing someone “frozen in time.”
Related Story ‘Living’ Star Bill Nighy Finds Inspiration And Humor In His Role As A Dying Man – Contenders L.A. Related Story 'Ginny & Georgia' Creator Sarah Lampert Breaks Down Season 2, Talks Finale Cliffhanger, Its Aftermath & Potential Season 3 Related Story 'Rrr' Director S.S. Rajamouli Talks About His Spectacular Action Epic And Reveals That The Ecstatic U.S. Reception Has Inspired A Sequel: "Nothing Is Impossible"
Wood’s laughs as she...
However, Wood says that her other gig, as schoolgirl Aimee Gibbs in Netflix comedy Sex Education, is a very different matter because she finds herself playing someone “frozen in time.”
Related Story ‘Living’ Star Bill Nighy Finds Inspiration And Humor In His Role As A Dying Man – Contenders L.A. Related Story 'Ginny & Georgia' Creator Sarah Lampert Breaks Down Season 2, Talks Finale Cliffhanger, Its Aftermath & Potential Season 3 Related Story 'Rrr' Director S.S. Rajamouli Talks About His Spectacular Action Epic And Reveals That The Ecstatic U.S. Reception Has Inspired A Sequel: "Nothing Is Impossible"
Wood’s laughs as she...
- 1/6/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Jessica Chastain has a question for New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and New York governor Andrew Cuomo: Where are all the statues of women in Central Park? In a viral video posted to her Twitter page, the Oscar-nominated actress goes hunting in Central Park to find a statue of a woman but comes up hilariously and horrifyingly short.
Here are just some of the statues Chastain discovers in Central Park: The poet Fitz-Green Halleck, writer Friedrich Schiller, composer Victor Herbert, a group of hawks eating a ram, and an oversized wolf. Yes, the number of animal statues is far greater than the number of women statues.
In fact, there is only one statue of a woman in Central Park and that’s Alice of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” As Chastain observes, the one woman statue is of “a fictional character that a man wrote.” The...
Here are just some of the statues Chastain discovers in Central Park: The poet Fitz-Green Halleck, writer Friedrich Schiller, composer Victor Herbert, a group of hawks eating a ram, and an oversized wolf. Yes, the number of animal statues is far greater than the number of women statues.
In fact, there is only one statue of a woman in Central Park and that’s Alice of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” As Chastain observes, the one woman statue is of “a fictional character that a man wrote.” The...
- 7/1/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The InvinciblesA decade ago, Dominik Graf was Frg’s (Federal Republic of Germany) best kept secret: The nation’s one grandmaster of cinema whom the rest of the world had never heard of, or not taken proper interest in his work whenever there was a chance to. There certainly have been chances: his heist thriller Die Katze (The Cat,1988) was big enough back home for even distant observers to notice. His eccentric comedy Spieler (The Gamblers, 1990) screened in Venice’s competition, with seemingly nobody giving a shit, not even the locals—the film looked like some bizarre alien creature in those early post-Wall days when good spirits and humor were the order of the day, not subversive laughter about life’s inherent weirdness. When a dozen plus years on his melodrama Der Felsen (A Map of the Heart, 2002) got selected for the Berlinale competition, the film provoked something akin to...
- 5/22/2019
- MUBI
Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan both earned Oscar nominations for best actress earlier this year thanks to “I, Tonya” and “Lady Bird,” respectively, and now the women are joining forces on the big screen for the first time with the upcoming historical drama “Mary Queen of Scots.” The film marks the feature directorial debut of Josie Rourke.
“Mary Queen of Scots” was adapted by “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon from John Guy’s 2004 biography of Mary Staurt. The 16th century-set film tracks the seven years of rivalry between Queen Elizabeth I (Robbie) and her cousin, Mary (Ronan), who returned to Scotland in order to reclaim her throne. While the chance to see Robbie and Ronan on the big screen is enticing, the nature of the story keeps them separate for nearly the entire film. Ronan revealed to Entertainment Weekly she shares just one scene with her co-star.
“We really,...
“Mary Queen of Scots” was adapted by “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon from John Guy’s 2004 biography of Mary Staurt. The 16th century-set film tracks the seven years of rivalry between Queen Elizabeth I (Robbie) and her cousin, Mary (Ronan), who returned to Scotland in order to reclaim her throne. While the chance to see Robbie and Ronan on the big screen is enticing, the nature of the story keeps them separate for nearly the entire film. Ronan revealed to Entertainment Weekly she shares just one scene with her co-star.
“We really,...
- 8/10/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Embattled press secretary Sean Spicer was not part of the intimate group of White House insiders who met Pope Francis at the Vatican Wednesday alongside President Donald Trump — despite being a devoted Catholic.
The commander in chief made worldwide headlines after he was photographed next to the serious-looking pontiff alongside wife Melania and daughter Ivanka, who donned long-sleeved black dresses and veils for the “stiff” visit.
According to Politico, the group was also joined by Hope Hicks, Trump’s communications adviser, who also wore a black veil and was introduced to Pope Francis as someone who has worked for the president for a long time.
The commander in chief made worldwide headlines after he was photographed next to the serious-looking pontiff alongside wife Melania and daughter Ivanka, who donned long-sleeved black dresses and veils for the “stiff” visit.
According to Politico, the group was also joined by Hope Hicks, Trump’s communications adviser, who also wore a black veil and was introduced to Pope Francis as someone who has worked for the president for a long time.
- 5/24/2017
- by Kathy Ehrich Dowd
- PEOPLE.com
Ryan Lambie Oct 3, 2016
An animated superhero movie featuring Marlon Brando? A Bill Murray comedy? Just two of the strange, starry films we may never get to see.
Film history is littered with movies that have wound up on the shelf for some reason, either because of financial difficulties or, in the case of The Day The Clown Died, because its director and star decided it was too embarrassing to be released. We've written about all sorts of shelved or cancelled films before, from Roger Corman's infamous Fantastic Four to the unreleased John Goodman comedy, Spring Break '83.
Every so often, though, we'll hear about curious-sounding projects that generate a bit of news before vanishing again. An animated film featuring the voices of Marlon Brando and Brendan Fraser, perhaps, or a modern comedy about old Greek gods featuring Christopher Walken as Zeus.
Here, then, are five strange, star-laden movies that,...
An animated superhero movie featuring Marlon Brando? A Bill Murray comedy? Just two of the strange, starry films we may never get to see.
Film history is littered with movies that have wound up on the shelf for some reason, either because of financial difficulties or, in the case of The Day The Clown Died, because its director and star decided it was too embarrassing to be released. We've written about all sorts of shelved or cancelled films before, from Roger Corman's infamous Fantastic Four to the unreleased John Goodman comedy, Spring Break '83.
Every so often, though, we'll hear about curious-sounding projects that generate a bit of news before vanishing again. An animated film featuring the voices of Marlon Brando and Brendan Fraser, perhaps, or a modern comedy about old Greek gods featuring Christopher Walken as Zeus.
Here, then, are five strange, star-laden movies that,...
- 9/30/2016
- Den of Geek
Larry Wilmore had a mic-drop moment of his own when he said the N-word to President Obama the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night. The host of Comedy Central's The Nightly Show has received mixed reviews for his closing cry - "Yo Barry, you did it my n---a" - with Rev. Al Sharpton calling Wilmore's use of the word "at best in poor taste" and Saturday Night Live's Sasheer Zamata tweeting, "This is the blackest correspondents dinner ever and I Love it." Two days later, the Twitterverse is still buzzing about the jaw-dropping moment. Here's how some on social...
- 5/2/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
Larry Wilmore had a mic-drop moment of his own when he said the N-word to President Obama the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night. The host of Comedy Central's The Nightly Show has received mixed reviews for his closing cry - "Yo Barry, you did it my n---a" - with Rev. Al Sharpton calling Wilmore's use of the word "at best in poor taste" and Saturday Night Live's Sasheer Zamata tweeting, "This is the blackest correspondents dinner ever and I Love it." Two days later, the Twitterverse is still buzzing about the jaw-dropping moment. Here's how some on social...
- 5/2/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
Wim Wenders' new film to star Sophie Semin and Reda Kateb Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The Salt Of The Earth and Pina director, Wim Wenders, has begun filming his first French-language film an hour northwest of Paris in the Vexin area. It is based on a Peter Handke text he calls "a summer dialogue" and the title of the film will be Les Beaux Jours d’Aranjuez (The Beautiful Days Of Aranjuez), which is the first line of Friedrich Schiller's play Don Carlos. Wim's description follows: "It’s a woman and a man talking to each other, for an indefinite amount of time (the whole summer?) about love, sex, time, nature, memory…"
The man is portrayed by Reda Kateb, who starred opposite Viggo Mortensen in David Oelhoffen's elegiac Loin Des Hommes (Far From Men) based on the Albert Camus short story L'Hôte, and the woman is Sophie Semin.
The Salt Of The Earth and Pina director, Wim Wenders, has begun filming his first French-language film an hour northwest of Paris in the Vexin area. It is based on a Peter Handke text he calls "a summer dialogue" and the title of the film will be Les Beaux Jours d’Aranjuez (The Beautiful Days Of Aranjuez), which is the first line of Friedrich Schiller's play Don Carlos. Wim's description follows: "It’s a woman and a man talking to each other, for an indefinite amount of time (the whole summer?) about love, sex, time, nature, memory…"
The man is portrayed by Reda Kateb, who starred opposite Viggo Mortensen in David Oelhoffen's elegiac Loin Des Hommes (Far From Men) based on the Albert Camus short story L'Hôte, and the woman is Sophie Semin.
- 5/28/2015
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, January 9th. (Synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.) Beloved Sisters Director: Dominik Graf Cast: Florian Stetter, Henriette Confurius, Hannah Herzsprung, Claudia Messner, Ronald Zehrfeld, Andreas Pietschmann, Maja Maranow, Peter Schneider, Michael Wittenborn, Anne Schäfer, Philipp Oehme, Thomas Kornack, Klaus Lehmann Synopsis: "The summer of 1788 in Rudolstadt. Rebellious poet Friedrich Schiller and two penniless sisters, members of the Thuringian aristocracy, experience an unforgettable period together which will eventually bind them forever. Unhappily married Caroline von Beulwitz and her shy sister Charlotte von Lengefeld take seriously their oath to share everything – even the author of ‘The Robbers’. Charlotte marries Schiller so they may pursue their ménage à trios under the guise of convention. Caroline, whose novel Schiller publishes anonymously,...
- 1/9/2015
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
“But what a melodrama,” says one of the characters in director Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sisters,” a film about a poet and his ménage à trois with two sisters. What’s astonishing is how little actual drama there is when Caroline von Beulwitz (Hannah Herszsprung) shares Friedrich Schiller (Florian Stetter), the husband of her sister, Charlotte von Lengefeld (Henriette Confurius). Instead, a narrator walks the audiences through the romance as the trio happily exchanges letters, with the only struggles in the relationship arising from outside the inseparable trio for most of the film. Their triangle seems to be a thoroughly modern arrangement, and Graf’s directorial choices reflect that. Titles in a contemporary font float into the screen, while the camera zooms in a way that isn’t traditionally done in films set in the 18th century, thanks to work from director of photography Michael Wiesweg. It infuses the German...
- 1/8/2015
- by Kimber Myers
- The Playlist
More than a film about a romantic ménage a trois, Beloved Sisters is just as well the story of two sisters, two women who swear loyalty to each other and keep their oath in spite of the biggest challenge their relationship can face: the love and desire for one and the same man, namely, the famous German poet Friedrich Schiller. At first Dominik Graf's film disguises itself as a history piece with elaborate set designs and costumes, carefully mentioning dates and geographical details to create the illusion of truthfulness. The voiceover even uses present tense, claiming to be a history teacher rather than a story teller. But it's all a farce. Even though there are hints that Friedrich Schiller had relationships with Charlotte von Lengefeld...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 1/8/2015
- Screen Anarchy
This weekend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) marches for equality in the acclaimed docudrama "Selma," Liam Neeson is back in action and on the hunt for his wife's killers in "Taken 3," every episode of "Friends" is now available to stream on Netflix, and Amy Poehler and Tina Fey return to host the "72nd Golden Globe Awards" this Sunday at 8 p.m. Et.
Also in theaters this weekend: In "Beloved Sisters," two aristocratic sisters fall in love with the controversial young writer Friedrich Schiller and form a pact to share their love. In the Dutch film "It's All So Quiet," a middle aged farmer tries to find truth in life while living with his old, bedridden father. Also on TV this weekend: "Glee" kicks off its final run with a two-hour season premiere (Fox, 8p Et Friday). "Banshee" returns for a third season (Cinemax, 10p Et Friday). Lena Dunham...
Also in theaters this weekend: In "Beloved Sisters," two aristocratic sisters fall in love with the controversial young writer Friedrich Schiller and form a pact to share their love. In the Dutch film "It's All So Quiet," a middle aged farmer tries to find truth in life while living with his old, bedridden father. Also on TV this weekend: "Glee" kicks off its final run with a two-hour season premiere (Fox, 8p Et Friday). "Banshee" returns for a third season (Cinemax, 10p Et Friday). Lena Dunham...
- 1/8/2015
- by Jonny Black
- Moviefone
In a marvelously cheeky 1979 essay, the late, great Ellen Willis defined the difference between classical sex ("romantic, profound, serious...and typically feminine") and baroque sex ("pop, playful, funny...and stereotypically masculine"). So where shall we put German director Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters, which tells the possibly semi-true story of the pact made by aristocratic sisters Caroline and Charlotte von Lengefeld (played by Hannah Herzsprung and Henriette Confurius) to peaceably share the same man, poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller (Florian Stetter)? Everything goes swimmingly for a time in this 18th-century idyll, and, particularly in the first section of the film, Graf brings a lush but discreet eroticism to the story. In the most ...
- 1/7/2015
- Village Voice
This weekend, Meryl Streep and an All-Star cast reimagine classic fairy tales in the musical "Into the Woods," and the acclaimed BBC series "Black Mirror" gets a holiday twist featuring Jon Hamm in "Black Mirror: White Christmas" on DirecTV at 9:30 p.m. Christmas night.
Also in theaters this weekend: Directed by Angelina Jolie, "Unbroken" tells the amazing true story of Olympian and WWII pilot Louis Zamperini who survives weeks on a raft before his capture by the Japanese navy. Directed by Clint Eastwood, "American Sniper" follows Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) whose pinpoint accuracy over four tours of duty has made him a legend. Life at home with his wife (Sienna Miller) and kids, however, no longer comes as naturally. "The Gambler" stars Mark Wahlberg as a Lit professor and gambler whose debt forces him to borrow money from a loan shark and risk it all for a second chance.
Also in theaters this weekend: Directed by Angelina Jolie, "Unbroken" tells the amazing true story of Olympian and WWII pilot Louis Zamperini who survives weeks on a raft before his capture by the Japanese navy. Directed by Clint Eastwood, "American Sniper" follows Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) whose pinpoint accuracy over four tours of duty has made him a legend. Life at home with his wife (Sienna Miller) and kids, however, no longer comes as naturally. "The Gambler" stars Mark Wahlberg as a Lit professor and gambler whose debt forces him to borrow money from a loan shark and risk it all for a second chance.
- 12/24/2014
- by Jonny Black
- Moviefone
As the unveiling of the Foreign Language Oscar shortlist approaches, it’s time for my annual look at the films that have a shot at making the cut. For the first time, we are splitting the preview into three parts — and listing the films in no particular order. But as with each year, I don’t envy the committees that have to whittle down a record number of submissions — 83 this time around — of some truly remarkable films. There’s an embarassment of riches out there and many agree there is no slam dunk frontrunner. And even if there were, the Foreign Language phase one committee and the executive committee who are the guardians of the shortlist, are hardly predictable — think: the exclusions of 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days; Wadjda and others in recent years. Some feel changes for selecting the eventual winner that came about last year have benefitted the category.
- 12/17/2014
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
Chicago – December 9th is the 2014 second season premiere of “Ground Floor,” the TBS workplace comedy featuring John C. McGinley (“Scrubs”), plus Skylar Astin and Briga Heelan (seen in the film “Pitch Perfect”). Chicago native Cindy Caponera is a writer and co-executive producer on the show.
In a variation on the “Slobs versus the Snobs” scenario, “Ground Floor” is set in a financial company that features a romance between an occupant of the upper floors – where the master-of-the-universe financial consultants hold court – and a worker on the “ground floor,” where the operations and maintenance crew resides. A big part of the hilarity is provided by John C. McGinley, playing a mentor character as in “Scrubs,” but in a softer and gently funny way. The chemistry between the featured couple, portrayed by Astin and Heelan, provides the conflict between the two parts of the company.
The Second Season of ‘Ground Floor’ Premieres December 9th,...
In a variation on the “Slobs versus the Snobs” scenario, “Ground Floor” is set in a financial company that features a romance between an occupant of the upper floors – where the master-of-the-universe financial consultants hold court – and a worker on the “ground floor,” where the operations and maintenance crew resides. A big part of the hilarity is provided by John C. McGinley, playing a mentor character as in “Scrubs,” but in a softer and gently funny way. The chemistry between the featured couple, portrayed by Astin and Heelan, provides the conflict between the two parts of the company.
The Second Season of ‘Ground Floor’ Premieres December 9th,...
- 12/9/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Controversial composer Alfred Schnittke was born November 24, 1934 in the Soviet Union's Volga Republic, an ethnic German enclave. In his mid-thirties he pioneered a broadly eclectic style of composing that drew on many classical styles (even sometimes quoting familiar Beethoven or Bach works, among others) as well as the occasional foray into jazz and pop. By 1972 his experimentalism had earned the disapproval of the Soviet Composers Union (the Soviets also weren't enamored of his occasional expressions of religion, for that matter), but a number of esteemed musicians who had left Russia to live in the West supported his work and brought him an international reputation. His work was basically pessimistic in outlook, but its emotional impact, and the accessibility of some of the styles he drew on, nonetheless seduced many listeners.
The contradictions in Schnittke's style are laid out in his liner notes to the Bis recording of his Symphony No.
The contradictions in Schnittke's style are laid out in his liner notes to the Bis recording of his Symphony No.
- 11/24/2014
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
New York Film Festival selection committee member Marian Masone with Mathieu Amalric Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Literary works are big at the 52nd New York Film Festival, as we reach the midpoint. Some take the shape of adaptations, such as the two world premieres, David Fincher's Gone Girl, starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, based on Gillian Flynn's best seller; and Paul Thomas Anderson's delirious Inherent Vice, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin, based on the only Thomas Pynchon novel ever put on screen. Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room (La Chambre Bleue), with Stéphanie Cléau, is based on Georges Simenon's novel; and Bertrand Bonello's Saint Laurent with Gaspard Ulliel and Helmut Berger as the two faces of Yves Saint Laurent, begins with a Proust reference. Friedrich Schiller's misadventures in Beloved Sisters added to the literary tenor.
Saint Laurent director Bertrand Bonello: "I wanted to do this scene,...
Literary works are big at the 52nd New York Film Festival, as we reach the midpoint. Some take the shape of adaptations, such as the two world premieres, David Fincher's Gone Girl, starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, based on Gillian Flynn's best seller; and Paul Thomas Anderson's delirious Inherent Vice, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin, based on the only Thomas Pynchon novel ever put on screen. Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room (La Chambre Bleue), with Stéphanie Cléau, is based on Georges Simenon's novel; and Bertrand Bonello's Saint Laurent with Gaspard Ulliel and Helmut Berger as the two faces of Yves Saint Laurent, begins with a Proust reference. Friedrich Schiller's misadventures in Beloved Sisters added to the literary tenor.
Saint Laurent director Bertrand Bonello: "I wanted to do this scene,...
- 10/5/2014
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Beloved Sisters producer Uschi Reich on Dominik Graf at the New York Film Festival: "It was very important for Dominik to work with the language." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters (Die Geliebten Schwestern) starring Florian Stetter, Henriette Confurius and Hannah Herzsprung alongside Claudia Messner, Ronald Zehrfeld, Michael Wittenborn, Maja Maranow and Andreas Pietschmann, sharply re-invents the costume drama with an historical fiction centered around the ménage-à-trois love story between writer Friedrich Schiller (Stetter) and the sisters Caroline (Herzsprung) and Charlotte (Confurius) von Lengefeld.
I met up with producer Uschi Reich during the New York Film Festival to discuss her role in bringing the story to the screen. We also discussed Dominik Graf's voice and music, his relationship to Christian Kracht's novel Imperium and Frauke Finsterwalder's Finsterworld film, Caroline Link, the connection between Veit Heiduschka to Michael Haneke and Helge Sasse with Anton Corbijn's...
Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters (Die Geliebten Schwestern) starring Florian Stetter, Henriette Confurius and Hannah Herzsprung alongside Claudia Messner, Ronald Zehrfeld, Michael Wittenborn, Maja Maranow and Andreas Pietschmann, sharply re-invents the costume drama with an historical fiction centered around the ménage-à-trois love story between writer Friedrich Schiller (Stetter) and the sisters Caroline (Herzsprung) and Charlotte (Confurius) von Lengefeld.
I met up with producer Uschi Reich during the New York Film Festival to discuss her role in bringing the story to the screen. We also discussed Dominik Graf's voice and music, his relationship to Christian Kracht's novel Imperium and Frauke Finsterwalder's Finsterworld film, Caroline Link, the connection between Veit Heiduschka to Michael Haneke and Helge Sasse with Anton Corbijn's...
- 10/4/2014
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters arrives at the New York Film Festival, and we've got the trailer, a clip and reviews, including James Lattimer's for Slant: "It's autumn 1787 and the predictably beautiful Charlotte von Lengefeld (Henriette Confurius) has been sent to the court in Weimar, where she's supposed to pick out a future husband of suitable affluence and standing. The only person to catch her eye, though, is famous, yet penniless, poet Friedrich Schiller (Florian Stetter), who eventually follows her back home at the behest of Charlotte's unhappily married sister, Caroline von Beulwitz (Hannah Herzsprung), who finds him equally alluring. Yet just as the stage seems set for a dully impassioned love triangle, the film blossoms instead into a breezily utopian depiction of a ménage á trois whose entirely matter-of-fact presentation sets up an intriguing dissonance with the prim period setting." » - David Hudson...
- 9/30/2014
- Keyframe
Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters arrives at the New York Film Festival, and we've got the trailer, a clip and reviews, including James Lattimer's for Slant: "It's autumn 1787 and the predictably beautiful Charlotte von Lengefeld (Henriette Confurius) has been sent to the court in Weimar, where she's supposed to pick out a future husband of suitable affluence and standing. The only person to catch her eye, though, is famous, yet penniless, poet Friedrich Schiller (Florian Stetter), who eventually follows her back home at the behest of Charlotte's unhappily married sister, Caroline von Beulwitz (Hannah Herzsprung), who finds him equally alluring. Yet just as the stage seems set for a dully impassioned love triangle, the film blossoms instead into a breezily utopian depiction of a ménage á trois whose entirely matter-of-fact presentation sets up an intriguing dissonance with the prim period setting." » - David Hudson...
- 9/30/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
Dominik Graf has finally properly landed in America, and it's about damn time. The German director, known almost exclusively for a prodigious—and unexportable—output of work for television, has been directing since the 1970s, but only Beloved Sisters, one of this year's Berlinale competitors, has managed to secure proper theatrical distribution in the United States. I don’t know if the time is ripe or, more likely, if this is a mere fluke. Graf’s omnivorous ingestion of German social, political, cultural, and material histories and transformation of their tensions into deeply intelligent, supremely revealing genre dramas ipso facto must eventually create something international distributors think non-Germans might want to see. Then again, previous films by the director seemingly ripe or obvious for English-language audiences, including the Die Hard-like action-siege film Die Katze (1988, which was actually pathetically limitedly shown with an alternate soundtrack in the Us), the zany post-Berlin...
- 9/29/2014
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
It's that time of year again when crowds descend upon Lincoln Center to experience world cinema worthy of the ultimate accolades, the most hyped Oscar-worthy Hollywood offerings of the year, experimental programs that expose the versatility of the medium, and shorts that announce a whole spate of new, young directors who will no doubt blow our minds in the future -- or at least supply us with a few major catharses.
Yes, for seventeen days the main slate of the 2014 New York Film Festival will showcase 30 films from such countries as Germany, France, Switzerland, South Korea, Portugal, and "O Canada." There will be Romantic fare such as Beloved Sisters, which chronicles Friedrich Schiller's love affair with two siblings; Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel (Inherent Vice); and Bennett Miller's Foxcatcher, with Steve Carell as a loony du Pont heir who gets a bit unsavory...
Yes, for seventeen days the main slate of the 2014 New York Film Festival will showcase 30 films from such countries as Germany, France, Switzerland, South Korea, Portugal, and "O Canada." There will be Romantic fare such as Beloved Sisters, which chronicles Friedrich Schiller's love affair with two siblings; Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel (Inherent Vice); and Bennett Miller's Foxcatcher, with Steve Carell as a loony du Pont heir who gets a bit unsavory...
- 9/22/2014
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
German Films said today that its nine-person jury has selected Dominik Graf’s Beloved Sisters as Germany’s official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar race. The film tells the little-known true story of a ménage-à-trois among Friedrich Schiller and the von Lengefeld sisters, a utopia on the eve of the French Revolution. Florian Stetter, Hannah Herzsprung and Henriette Confurius have the lead roles. “This designation is for me the greatest joy and the confirmation of my work,” producer Uschi Reich said. “What great luck for us all.” Beloved Sisters premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February and hit German theaters July 31 via Senator Film Verleih. Nominations for the 87th Academy Awards will be announced January 15.
BAFTA said today that American filmmaker David Fincher will discuss his life and career during the group’s A Life in Pictures event next month. Fincher is a two-time Oscar...
BAFTA said today that American filmmaker David Fincher will discuss his life and career during the group’s A Life in Pictures event next month. Fincher is a two-time Oscar...
- 8/28/2014
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
The trickle of foreign film submission info has become and soon it will be a flood. Over the new few days I'll be filling out a lot more of the foreign language submission charts which are written by me and my multi-lingual friend A.D. who knows so much about foreign cinema in so many atypical places he sometimes makes my head spin. But before all that charty speculation a handful of actual news items.
Jhola from Nepal
New Official Submissions
Jhola is the official submission from Nepal. Nepal enjoyed one previous nomination in this category for Caravan (1999) but they haven't submitted regularly. Jhola is a period piece about the Nepali society custom of the wife having to set herself on fire when her husband dies and go with him. Horrific! Actress Kanchi Garima Panta is said to be very good in the lead role.
Beloved Sisters was announced today to represent Germany.
Jhola from Nepal
New Official Submissions
Jhola is the official submission from Nepal. Nepal enjoyed one previous nomination in this category for Caravan (1999) but they haven't submitted regularly. Jhola is a period piece about the Nepali society custom of the wife having to set herself on fire when her husband dies and go with him. Horrific! Actress Kanchi Garima Panta is said to be very good in the lead role.
Beloved Sisters was announced today to represent Germany.
- 8/28/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Dominik Graf’s ménage-à-trois drama to compete for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.
Dominik Graf’s period drama Beloved Sisters is to represent Germany as the official submission for the 87th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
The decision was made today (Aug 27) by an independent jury in Munich, which was appointed by German Films to preside over the selection process.
In a statement explaining its motivation, the nine-person jury chaired by Peter Herrmann said: “Beloved Sisters is a modernly told ménage-à-trois that takes us back to the 18th century with a certain lightness.
“Dominik Graf directed, with his own personal signature and great sensitivity, the story of a moving love affair. The film convinces with the direction of the actors, the images suffused with light, and its very clever and unconventional composition.”
Producer Uschi Reich: “This designation is for me the greatest joy and the confirmation of my work.”
The...
Dominik Graf’s period drama Beloved Sisters is to represent Germany as the official submission for the 87th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
The decision was made today (Aug 27) by an independent jury in Munich, which was appointed by German Films to preside over the selection process.
In a statement explaining its motivation, the nine-person jury chaired by Peter Herrmann said: “Beloved Sisters is a modernly told ménage-à-trois that takes us back to the 18th century with a certain lightness.
“Dominik Graf directed, with his own personal signature and great sensitivity, the story of a moving love affair. The film convinces with the direction of the actors, the images suffused with light, and its very clever and unconventional composition.”
Producer Uschi Reich: “This designation is for me the greatest joy and the confirmation of my work.”
The...
- 8/27/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Opening Night – World Premiere
Gone Girl
David Fincher, USA, 2014, Dcp, 150m
David Fincher’s film version of Gillian Flynn’s phenomenally successful best seller (adapted by the author) is one wild cinematic ride, a perfectly cast and intensely compressed portrait of a recession-era marriage contained within a devastating depiction of celebrity/media culture, shifting gears as smoothly as a Maserati 250F. Ben Affleck is Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing on the day of their fifth anniversary. Neil Patrick Harris is Amy’s old boyfriend Desi, Carrie Coon (who played Honey in Tracy Letts’s acclaimed production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) is Nick’s sister Margo, Kim Dickens (Treme, Friday Night Lights) is Detective Rhonda Boney, and Tyler Perry is Nick’s superstar lawyer Tanner Bolt. At once a grand panoramic vision of middle America, a uniquely disturbing exploration of the fault lines in a marriage,...
Gone Girl
David Fincher, USA, 2014, Dcp, 150m
David Fincher’s film version of Gillian Flynn’s phenomenally successful best seller (adapted by the author) is one wild cinematic ride, a perfectly cast and intensely compressed portrait of a recession-era marriage contained within a devastating depiction of celebrity/media culture, shifting gears as smoothly as a Maserati 250F. Ben Affleck is Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing on the day of their fifth anniversary. Neil Patrick Harris is Amy’s old boyfriend Desi, Carrie Coon (who played Honey in Tracy Letts’s acclaimed production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) is Nick’s sister Margo, Kim Dickens (Treme, Friday Night Lights) is Detective Rhonda Boney, and Tyler Perry is Nick’s superstar lawyer Tanner Bolt. At once a grand panoramic vision of middle America, a uniquely disturbing exploration of the fault lines in a marriage,...
- 8/20/2014
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Nothing Lasts Forever is a 1984 sci-fi movie with Zach Galligan and Bill Murray that disappeared. Yet it's resurfaced.
Feature
I love a good quest. There’s nothing that drives a plot quite like it, from Jason setting out to find the Golden Fleece to Indiana Jones’ determination to track down the Ark of the Covenant. Along the way there is always action, and adventure, and some friends to meet and enemies to defeat. Because that’s how a quest works.
Quests don’t have to be about objects. They can also be about finding your place in the world, and Nothing Lasts Forever tells the story of Adam Beckett, a young man who wants to be an artist, even though he has no idea of what an artist actually is. His quest takes him to a strange, totalitarian Manhattan where wannabe artists must sit a practical exam, and eventually to some very surprising places,...
Feature
I love a good quest. There’s nothing that drives a plot quite like it, from Jason setting out to find the Golden Fleece to Indiana Jones’ determination to track down the Ark of the Covenant. Along the way there is always action, and adventure, and some friends to meet and enemies to defeat. Because that’s how a quest works.
Quests don’t have to be about objects. They can also be about finding your place in the world, and Nothing Lasts Forever tells the story of Adam Beckett, a young man who wants to be an artist, even though he has no idea of what an artist actually is. His quest takes him to a strange, totalitarian Manhattan where wannabe artists must sit a practical exam, and eventually to some very surprising places,...
- 7/11/2014
- by sarahd
- Den of Geek
It's curious that the poster of Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters shows a man, namely the poet Friedrich Schiller, in the foreground while putting the two women who the movie actually focuses on into the background. This alignment is quite misleading because Beloved Sisters is not a historical biopic on the famous German author and it is way more than a film about a romantic ménage a trois. Instead Beloved Sisters is just as well the story of two sisters, two women who swear loyalty to each other and keep their oath in spite of the biggest challenge their relationship can face: the love and desire for one and the same man. At first Dominik Graf's film disguises as a history piece with elaborate set designs...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/25/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Although he missed his shot at a fifth Academy Award this season, things are looking up for Leonardo DiCaprio, as stage actors in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk made the 39-year-old superstar "an honorary member" of their troupe.
Offering the "Wolf of Wall Street" stud a cast-iron "Russian Oscar" statuette, the Chamber Theater's spokesman, Yury Sychev stated that Leo is allowed to attend all the theater's performances free of charge, and that he has been given permission to use theater's name in publicity campaigns.
Yury stated that, "As Leonardo does not speak Russian, we can start with offering him a wordless part of a servant in the play Plennye Dukhi (Captive Spirits)."
Also adding that the Chamber Theater will consider Leonardo for headlining parts in the plays "Intrigue" and "Love by Friedrich Schiller," Yuri said, "Learning a part in a foreign language without knowing what it says shouldn't be a problem for a true actor.
Offering the "Wolf of Wall Street" stud a cast-iron "Russian Oscar" statuette, the Chamber Theater's spokesman, Yury Sychev stated that Leo is allowed to attend all the theater's performances free of charge, and that he has been given permission to use theater's name in publicity campaigns.
Yury stated that, "As Leonardo does not speak Russian, we can start with offering him a wordless part of a servant in the play Plennye Dukhi (Captive Spirits)."
Also adding that the Chamber Theater will consider Leonardo for headlining parts in the plays "Intrigue" and "Love by Friedrich Schiller," Yuri said, "Learning a part in a foreign language without knowing what it says shouldn't be a problem for a true actor.
- 3/7/2014
- GossipCenter
The 64th Berlin International Film Festival may have ended, but acquisition season is still in full swing. Music Box Films has obtained the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to Berlin competition title "Beloved Sisters," the period romance film by Dominik Graf. Florian Stetter stars as the Romantic era poet Friedrich von Schiller. The film follows Schiller's love affair with the aristocratic von Lengefeld sisters, played by Hannah Herzsprung and Henriette Confurius. Graf is best known for the German thrillers "The Invincibles" and "A Map of the Heart," the latter of which was a Berlin competition title in 2002. No release date is set.
- 2/20/2014
- by Max O'Connell
- Indiewire
Music Box has picked up rights in the U.S. and Canada for Beloved Sisters, the German period drama from Dominik Graf that had its world premiere in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival last week. The drama stars Florian Stetter as 18th century romantic poet Friedrich von Schiller. The film focuses on his passionate love affair with the two aristocratic von Lengefeld sisters, played by German actresses Hannah Herzsprung and Henriette Confurius. “Dominik Graf, his wonderful performers and production team have brought the Romantic Era and the lives of Schiller and the von Lengefeld sisters to life for
read more...
read more...
- 2/20/2014
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dominik Graf’s Berlin drama sells to Us, Australia for Global Screen.
Music Box has picked up Us and Canadian rights to Dominik Graf’s Berlin Competition title Beloved Sisters from Global Screen.
Sydney-based boutique distribution outfit Curious has claimed rights to the German film for Australia and New Zealand.
Beloved Sisters examines a passionate love triangle between two aristocratic sisters and renowned poet and hothead Friedrich Schiller.
Producers are Bavaria Filmverleih-Produktions in co-production with Wega Film Ws Filmproduction, Senator Film Produktion, and Wdr, Br, Degeto, Arte, and Orf.
Music Box has picked up Us and Canadian rights to Dominik Graf’s Berlin Competition title Beloved Sisters from Global Screen.
Sydney-based boutique distribution outfit Curious has claimed rights to the German film for Australia and New Zealand.
Beloved Sisters examines a passionate love triangle between two aristocratic sisters and renowned poet and hothead Friedrich Schiller.
Producers are Bavaria Filmverleih-Produktions in co-production with Wega Film Ws Filmproduction, Senator Film Produktion, and Wdr, Br, Degeto, Arte, and Orf.
- 2/20/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
The Beloved Sisters
Director: Dominik Graf
Writer: Dominik Graf
Producer: Uschi Reich
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Henriette Confurius, Florian Stetter, Hannah Herzsprung, Ronald Zehrfeld
A member of what’s known as the Berlin school of filmmakers (including Christian Petzold and Christoph Hochhausler), Graf has worked almost exclusively in television and he contributed to the 2011 triptych Beats Being Dead. His latest is an ambitious period piece and features a handful of bright faces in the German film industry, and, with a little luck, will be a breakout success for Graf.
Gist: 1788 in Rudolstadt, a small provincial town in Germany. The beautiful Caroline von Beulwitz is unhappily married, longing for love and life. Charlotte von Lengefeld, her shy sister, dreams of finding a husband. The two are a heart and soul, until He enters their lives: Friedrich Schiller, the man who wrote “The Robbers”, an overnight sensation, the espouser of proto-revolutionary republican ideals.
Director: Dominik Graf
Writer: Dominik Graf
Producer: Uschi Reich
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Henriette Confurius, Florian Stetter, Hannah Herzsprung, Ronald Zehrfeld
A member of what’s known as the Berlin school of filmmakers (including Christian Petzold and Christoph Hochhausler), Graf has worked almost exclusively in television and he contributed to the 2011 triptych Beats Being Dead. His latest is an ambitious period piece and features a handful of bright faces in the German film industry, and, with a little luck, will be a breakout success for Graf.
Gist: 1788 in Rudolstadt, a small provincial town in Germany. The beautiful Caroline von Beulwitz is unhappily married, longing for love and life. Charlotte von Lengefeld, her shy sister, dreams of finding a husband. The two are a heart and soul, until He enters their lives: Friedrich Schiller, the man who wrote “The Robbers”, an overnight sensation, the espouser of proto-revolutionary republican ideals.
- 2/19/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Above: Seeking the Monkey King
A recent piece by Neil Young, an indictment of sorts of Rotterdam's programming, and the response it has garnered from those who do not share his negative view of the festival, generates an interesting question: to what extent can critics define and/or evaluate a festival from our subjective experience? With the massive, unwieldy array of films (Young's main gripe) to navigate at a fest like the Berlinale, the variety of possible trajectories is endless. To an extent, a critic can take whatever they view and familiarize oneself with what is happening peripheral to their own paths and come up with an impression. Each festivalgoer, is, in a sense, a programmer in their own right, choosing their own selection according to their interests (and/or professional pressures). Perhaps this personal micro-programming should be taken into account in the evaluative process.
As I assume is the...
A recent piece by Neil Young, an indictment of sorts of Rotterdam's programming, and the response it has garnered from those who do not share his negative view of the festival, generates an interesting question: to what extent can critics define and/or evaluate a festival from our subjective experience? With the massive, unwieldy array of films (Young's main gripe) to navigate at a fest like the Berlinale, the variety of possible trajectories is endless. To an extent, a critic can take whatever they view and familiarize oneself with what is happening peripheral to their own paths and come up with an impression. Each festivalgoer, is, in a sense, a programmer in their own right, choosing their own selection according to their interests (and/or professional pressures). Perhaps this personal micro-programming should be taken into account in the evaluative process.
As I assume is the...
- 2/13/2014
- by Adam Cook
- MUBI
Frauke Finsterwalder’s tragicomic Finsterworld and a new screen adaptation of the children’s classic Pinocchio are among five market premieres being unveiled by Munich-based Global Screen at next month’s Efm in Berlin.
Head of Theatrical Sales Julia Weber and her team will be showing Nadav Schirman’s The Green Prince in Berlin fresh from its world premiere as the opening film of Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition last week.
The first deals on this Red Box/Passion Pictures production were concluded on Sundance’s first weekend with Curzon for the UK and Madman Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, the Munich-based sales agent will have premieres at the Efm of:
Arne Birkenstock’s documentary Beltracchi - The Art of Forgery, about Wolfgang Beltracchi, one of the biggest art forgers of all time. Birkenstock came into contact with Beltracchi through his father Reinhard Birkenstock who was one of the defence lawyers for the...
Head of Theatrical Sales Julia Weber and her team will be showing Nadav Schirman’s The Green Prince in Berlin fresh from its world premiere as the opening film of Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition last week.
The first deals on this Red Box/Passion Pictures production were concluded on Sundance’s first weekend with Curzon for the UK and Madman Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, the Munich-based sales agent will have premieres at the Efm of:
Arne Birkenstock’s documentary Beltracchi - The Art of Forgery, about Wolfgang Beltracchi, one of the biggest art forgers of all time. Birkenstock came into contact with Beltracchi through his father Reinhard Birkenstock who was one of the defence lawyers for the...
- 1/21/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Frauke Finsterwalder’s tragicomic Finsterworld and a new screen adaptation of the children’s classic Pinocchio are among five market premieres being unveiled by Munich-based Global Screen at next month’s Efm in Berlin.
Head of Theatrical Sales Julia Weber and her team will be showing Nadav Schirman’s The Green Prince in Berlin fresh from its world premiere as the opening film of Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition last week.
The first deals on this Red Box/Passion Pictures production were concluded on Sundance’s first weekend with Curzon for the UK and Madman Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, the Munich-based sales agent will have premieres at the Efm of:
Arne Birkenstock’s documentary Beltracchi - The Art of Forgery, about Wolfgang Beltracchi, one of the biggest art forgers of all time. Birkenstock came into contact with Beltracchi through his father Reinhard Birkenstock who was one of the defence lawyers for the...
Head of Theatrical Sales Julia Weber and her team will be showing Nadav Schirman’s The Green Prince in Berlin fresh from its world premiere as the opening film of Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition last week.
The first deals on this Red Box/Passion Pictures production were concluded on Sundance’s first weekend with Curzon for the UK and Madman Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, the Munich-based sales agent will have premieres at the Efm of:
Arne Birkenstock’s documentary Beltracchi - The Art of Forgery, about Wolfgang Beltracchi, one of the biggest art forgers of all time. Birkenstock came into contact with Beltracchi through his father Reinhard Birkenstock who was one of the defence lawyers for the...
- 1/21/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Benjamin Franklin spent his mornings naked. Patricia Highsmith ate only bacon and eggs. Marcel Proust breakfasted on opium and croissants. The path to greatness is paved with a thousand tiny rituals (and a fair bit of substance abuse) – but six key rules emerge
One morning this summer, I got up at first light – I'd left the blinds open the night before – then drank a strong cup of coffee, sat near-naked by an open window for an hour, worked all morning, then had a martini with lunch. I took a long afternoon walk, and for the rest of the week experimented with never working for more than three hours at a stretch.
This was all in an effort to adopt the rituals of some great artists and thinkers: the rising-at-dawn bit came from Ernest Hemingway, who was up at around 5.30am, even if he'd been drinking the night before; the strong coffee was borrowed from Beethoven,...
One morning this summer, I got up at first light – I'd left the blinds open the night before – then drank a strong cup of coffee, sat near-naked by an open window for an hour, worked all morning, then had a martini with lunch. I took a long afternoon walk, and for the rest of the week experimented with never working for more than three hours at a stretch.
This was all in an effort to adopt the rituals of some great artists and thinkers: the rising-at-dawn bit came from Ernest Hemingway, who was up at around 5.30am, even if he'd been drinking the night before; the strong coffee was borrowed from Beethoven,...
- 10/5/2013
- by Oliver Burkeman
- The Guardian - Film News
As a major exhibition on the enigmatic queen attracts the crowds in Edinburgh, three movies are set to explore her life
Since 1971 film-makers have tried to emulate the Oscar-winning success of Mary, Queen of Scots, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson as the tragic Scottish queen and her nemesis, Elizabeth I. Aborted later attempts include one by Hollywood's actress-producer Scarlett Johansson and British director Alexander Mackendrick.
Two UK productions are still at early stages, but a Swiss film-maker has beaten them to it with a sympathetic psychological portrait set to be an art-house hit. Zurich-based Thomas Imbach has directed, produced and co-written the film, with Camille Rutherford playing Mary, which has been singled out for this season's festivals at Locarno and Toronto.
More than 400 years after she was executed by Elizabeth, the Protestant Queen of England, Mary Stuart remains the most enigmatic royal in Britain's history. Imbach said he has...
Since 1971 film-makers have tried to emulate the Oscar-winning success of Mary, Queen of Scots, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson as the tragic Scottish queen and her nemesis, Elizabeth I. Aborted later attempts include one by Hollywood's actress-producer Scarlett Johansson and British director Alexander Mackendrick.
Two UK productions are still at early stages, but a Swiss film-maker has beaten them to it with a sympathetic psychological portrait set to be an art-house hit. Zurich-based Thomas Imbach has directed, produced and co-written the film, with Camille Rutherford playing Mary, which has been singled out for this season's festivals at Locarno and Toronto.
More than 400 years after she was executed by Elizabeth, the Protestant Queen of England, Mary Stuart remains the most enigmatic royal in Britain's history. Imbach said he has...
- 8/19/2013
- by Dalya Alberge
- The Guardian - Film News
Her new film is about the invention of the vibrator, and there is a YouTube campaign to cast her in Fifty Shades of Grey. Emine Saner meets actor and serial bonnet-wearer Felicity Jones
Every profile of Felicity Jones tends to breathlessly announce that the actor is on the brink of superstardom, though since these interviews go back to 2008, you wonder how long this can continue. "I understand it," she says. "It's a way of selling something. I think you have to zone a lot of those things out, and people will take notice when you do something interesting."
Of course, judging success by fame is too blunt a measure for an actor who insists she picks her jobs according to how interesting she finds them, not on whether they will catapult her on to magazine covers: she turned down the lead in the big-budget Mirror Mirror, with Julia Roberts as the evil queen,...
Every profile of Felicity Jones tends to breathlessly announce that the actor is on the brink of superstardom, though since these interviews go back to 2008, you wonder how long this can continue. "I understand it," she says. "It's a way of selling something. I think you have to zone a lot of those things out, and people will take notice when you do something interesting."
Of course, judging success by fame is too blunt a measure for an actor who insists she picks her jobs according to how interesting she finds them, not on whether they will catapult her on to magazine covers: she turned down the lead in the big-budget Mirror Mirror, with Julia Roberts as the evil queen,...
- 9/10/2012
- by Emine Saner
- The Guardian - Film News
Any close reader of film credits is familiar with the words, “The persons and events in this motion picture are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons or events is unintentional.” On the other hand, wasn't it philosopher Friedrich Schiller who once remarked, “There's no such thing as chance”? Behold a 98-page opinion issued last week by a Tennessee federal judge that dismissed a lawsuit from Grammy-winning singer Sam Moore against the Weinstein Co. over the 2008 film, Soul Men, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac. Moore brought the lawsuit in 2009 alleging that the film about
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- 5/28/2012
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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