For Henry Lloyd-Hughes, shooting the scenes of “We Were the Lucky Ones” that take place in a Soviet gulag in Siberia were taxing to shoot but in “the right way” due to how it was shot. “All of those scenes, by and large, were shot chronologically, which meant that there was an intensity to that period of work for me that was physically challenging and mentally grueling, but in a way that I think was right for what we were trying to get across,” he describes to Gold Derby during our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video interview above). Those scenes also got a surprise boost from the weather in Romania in the form of an unexpected snowstorm. “They had set aside these cannons, like these hoses of snow to try and cover it to make it look like Siberia. Then two days to go and there’s a huge...
- 5/6/2024
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Hulu’s “We Were the Lucky Ones,” based on the book by Georgia Hunter, tells the true story of the Kurcs, a Jewish family who lived in Poland at the onset of World War II. The series follows the Kurcs as the events of the war and the Holocaust separate parents and children, tearing families apart.
As casting director Fiona Weir read the script for the first episode, showrunner Erica Lipez stressed that despite the grim setting, it ultimately was a celebratory story — and it was important she get the family dynamics right.
Speaking with Variety, Weir says Hunter, who based the book on her family experiences, turned out to be her most valuable source. “These were real people that she either knew or discovered, so there was lots to talk about in who these people were. And then, we had to create a group that organically felt like a family,...
As casting director Fiona Weir read the script for the first episode, showrunner Erica Lipez stressed that despite the grim setting, it ultimately was a celebratory story — and it was important she get the family dynamics right.
Speaking with Variety, Weir says Hunter, who based the book on her family experiences, turned out to be her most valuable source. “These were real people that she either knew or discovered, so there was lots to talk about in who these people were. And then, we had to create a group that organically felt like a family,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
When is We Were the Lucky Ones Episode 8 coming on Hulu? If you are waiting for the next episode of the series you have come to the right place.
Hulu has an excellent Holocaust drama ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ which is based on Georgia Hunter’s bestselling of the same name – the plot is incredibly expansive.
When we say ‘expansive’, we mean there are a Ton of characters. Similarly, the limited series also covers a heavy terrain in Poland, where the Kurc family is based.
We’re breaking it down episode after episode – because each one is a masterpiece.
Synopsis of the series
The limited series has an incredible cast, we know that. This genre cast can bring the series to life, as it follows the tight-knit members of the Kurc family as they struggle with their lives after the Nazi invasion in Poland perpetually alters it – and the subsequent emergence of WWII.
Hulu has an excellent Holocaust drama ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ which is based on Georgia Hunter’s bestselling of the same name – the plot is incredibly expansive.
When we say ‘expansive’, we mean there are a Ton of characters. Similarly, the limited series also covers a heavy terrain in Poland, where the Kurc family is based.
We’re breaking it down episode after episode – because each one is a masterpiece.
Synopsis of the series
The limited series has an incredible cast, we know that. This genre cast can bring the series to life, as it follows the tight-knit members of the Kurc family as they struggle with their lives after the Nazi invasion in Poland perpetually alters it – and the subsequent emergence of WWII.
- 4/22/2024
- by Sumitra Ray
- https://dailyresearchplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/new-sam
Joey King has been an incredible talent who has been showing her incredible versatility as an actress in the past few years. While she gained significant popularity for her role as Elle Evans in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth trilogy, she ventured into more dramatic roles with projects such as The Act, and We Were The Lucky Ones.
Joey King as Gypsy Rose Blanchard in The Act
King has been promoting the latter Hulu series and she recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show to talk about her experiences shooting the Holocaust drama. The actress also recalled a funny anecdote when she and her husband ate a 28-course meal in Barcelona, leaving her incredibly sick after.
Joey King’s Overwhelming 28-Course Meal Experience Ruined Her Romantic Gateway
Joey King plays a member of a Polish-Jewish family in Hulu’s We Were The Lucky Ones
Joey King is currently starring...
Joey King as Gypsy Rose Blanchard in The Act
King has been promoting the latter Hulu series and she recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show to talk about her experiences shooting the Holocaust drama. The actress also recalled a funny anecdote when she and her husband ate a 28-course meal in Barcelona, leaving her incredibly sick after.
Joey King’s Overwhelming 28-Course Meal Experience Ruined Her Romantic Gateway
Joey King plays a member of a Polish-Jewish family in Hulu’s We Were The Lucky Ones
Joey King is currently starring...
- 4/13/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Co-composers Rachel Portman and Jon Ehrlich have only met in person once, and collaborated across the globe while scoring Hulu’s “We Were the Lucky Ones.”
Despite this, both Portman and Ehrlich said that working across continents was one of the best parts of the process. Erhlich said: “She would work on something, and then I would wake up in the morning and go to the studio and unwrap a gift. Then by the end of my day, I was handing it off to her, and she could kind of pick up where I left off. It was really a kind of passing the baton back and forth.”
The series is an adaptation of Georgia Hunter’s best-selling novel of her family’s fight to survive the Holocaust while living in Poland. Joey King stars as Halina, Hunter’s great aunt alongside Logan Lerman as Addy, Hunter’s grandfather. Other cast members include Sam Woolf,...
Despite this, both Portman and Ehrlich said that working across continents was one of the best parts of the process. Erhlich said: “She would work on something, and then I would wake up in the morning and go to the studio and unwrap a gift. Then by the end of my day, I was handing it off to her, and she could kind of pick up where I left off. It was really a kind of passing the baton back and forth.”
The series is an adaptation of Georgia Hunter’s best-selling novel of her family’s fight to survive the Holocaust while living in Poland. Joey King stars as Halina, Hunter’s great aunt alongside Logan Lerman as Addy, Hunter’s grandfather. Other cast members include Sam Woolf,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety Film + TV
“We Were the Lucky Ones” has its warning built into the title. The Hulu series based on the book by Georgia Hunter and adapted by Erica Lipez is about how one family survived and separated during the Holocaust, all of it underscored by that title — this is what they went through, the horror they witnessed and endured, the sadness that befell them, and they were lucky.
The series kicks off in Radom, Poland before the War, with the Kurc family: Siblings Halina (Joey King), Addy (Logan Lerman), Genek (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), Jakob (Amit Rahav), and Mila (Hadas Yaron) — and their parents, Sol (Lior Ashkenazi) and Nechuma (Robin Weigert). The Kurcs are close-knit, their home echoing with overlapping voices and laughter at the holidays, and they already feel the pangs of missing Addy, who lives in Paris.
War creeps in, but at first, life continues. Lipez limits the show’s scope exactly right,...
The series kicks off in Radom, Poland before the War, with the Kurc family: Siblings Halina (Joey King), Addy (Logan Lerman), Genek (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), Jakob (Amit Rahav), and Mila (Hadas Yaron) — and their parents, Sol (Lior Ashkenazi) and Nechuma (Robin Weigert). The Kurcs are close-knit, their home echoing with overlapping voices and laughter at the holidays, and they already feel the pangs of missing Addy, who lives in Paris.
War creeps in, but at first, life continues. Lipez limits the show’s scope exactly right,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
The bonds of love and family are some of the strongest forces in the world and in times of danger and tragedy, they can often be the things that help people to survive. In the new Hulu limited series “We Were the Lucky Ones,” debuting on Thursday, March 28, a Jewish family is torn apart at the onset of the Second World War. However, their devotion to each other gives them the strength to not only survive. but to find each other again. The eight-episode series premieres on Thursday with the first three episodes. The rest of the season will be released every week until May 2. You can watch We Were the Lucky Ones with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu.
How to Watch ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ Premiere When: Thursday, March 28, 2024 Where: Hulu Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu. 30-Day Free Trial$7.99+ / month hulu.com About...
How to Watch ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ Premiere When: Thursday, March 28, 2024 Where: Hulu Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu. 30-Day Free Trial$7.99+ / month hulu.com About...
- 3/28/2024
- by Matt Tamanini
- The Streamable
Actress Joey King, who gained major fandom with her work in ‘The Kissing Booth’ franchise, has opened up about facing anti-semitism at the age of 12 and also having trauma counselors on the sets of Holocaust series ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ set’.
Talking about her facing anti-semitism, the 24-year-old actress said it was when she joined Instagram at age 12.
“Within the first couple months I got my first anti-Semitic remark and it would dip in terms of how frequent or how much it would happen, and it would kind of roller coaster in terms of how often I would experience it, but that was shocking when I was that age,” she said.
“Now I just expect it because anti-semitism is not the only thing I experience in terms of bullying online. So it almost feels like one of many symptoms of a grand diagnosis of horrible Internet people. I’m saddened,...
Talking about her facing anti-semitism, the 24-year-old actress said it was when she joined Instagram at age 12.
“Within the first couple months I got my first anti-Semitic remark and it would dip in terms of how frequent or how much it would happen, and it would kind of roller coaster in terms of how often I would experience it, but that was shocking when I was that age,” she said.
“Now I just expect it because anti-semitism is not the only thing I experience in terms of bullying online. So it almost feels like one of many symptoms of a grand diagnosis of horrible Internet people. I’m saddened,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Joey King has nothing against method acting – it’s just not for her.
Especially for projects like her latest, the Holocaust series “We Were the Lucky Ones.”
Based on Georgia Hunter’s best-selling novel of her family’s fight to survive the Holocaust, Logan Lerman stars as Hunter’s grandfather Addy alongside King as his younger sister Halina. Rounding out the cast are Sam Woolf, Robin Weigart, Lior Ashkenazi, Hadas Yaron, Amit Rahav and Eva Feiler.
“I think anyone who is a method actor is truly so brave and amazing, but I’m personally not a method actor,” King tells me on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. “And when shooting a show like this, I just don’t know how I could be because having those moments of release in between setups and in between takes with your friends [is needed].”
“Sometimes you need that release at...
Especially for projects like her latest, the Holocaust series “We Were the Lucky Ones.”
Based on Georgia Hunter’s best-selling novel of her family’s fight to survive the Holocaust, Logan Lerman stars as Hunter’s grandfather Addy alongside King as his younger sister Halina. Rounding out the cast are Sam Woolf, Robin Weigart, Lior Ashkenazi, Hadas Yaron, Amit Rahav and Eva Feiler.
“I think anyone who is a method actor is truly so brave and amazing, but I’m personally not a method actor,” King tells me on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. “And when shooting a show like this, I just don’t know how I could be because having those moments of release in between setups and in between takes with your friends [is needed].”
“Sometimes you need that release at...
- 3/28/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
There has been no shortage of television series centering the horrors of the Holocaust. Last year alone, Netflix’s “Transatlantic” depicted a group of resistors living in Marseille, and National Geographic’s “A Small Light” offered a retelling of Anne Frank’s experience through the eyes of Miep Gies, the woman who aided the Franks during their years in hiding. Though both of these series and those like them are important, Hulu’s “We Were the Lucky Ones,” an adaptation of Georgia Hunter’s best-selling novel based on a true story, showcases something different. The show chronicles a family torn apart by war and hatred. Devastating, and profoundly moving, “We Were the Lucky Ones” illustrates the scope of World War II, the inhumanity of others and the anguish of disconnection and loss.
The series premiere, titled “Radom,” opens in an overcrowded Red Cross office in Poland in 1945. Halina Kurc (an...
The series premiere, titled “Radom,” opens in an overcrowded Red Cross office in Poland in 1945. Halina Kurc (an...
- 3/27/2024
- by Aramide Tinubu
- Variety Film + TV
When Joey King was approached by director Thomas Kail to star as Halina Kurc in “We Were the Lucky Ones,” “It was just kind of an immediate yes,” King said to IndieWire. “No thoughts, just yes.”
Hulu’s eight-part adaptation of “Lucky Ones,” based on the beloved 2017 bestseller by Georgia Hunter, tells the story of the real-life Kurc family, a tight-knit Jewish tribe who lived in Poland during World War II. Prior to the war, the five young adult siblings — Halina included — are scattered all over Europe. Somehow, miraculously, all five (as well as their parents) survive Russian gulags, German society, Nazis overtaking their home, and much, much more. (This reporter hit up Wikipedia after every episode stunned that one family could overcome so many different atrocities.)
“That’s the best part about true stories,” King said. “It’s like so much of the time, regardless of what the subject matter is,...
Hulu’s eight-part adaptation of “Lucky Ones,” based on the beloved 2017 bestseller by Georgia Hunter, tells the story of the real-life Kurc family, a tight-knit Jewish tribe who lived in Poland during World War II. Prior to the war, the five young adult siblings — Halina included — are scattered all over Europe. Somehow, miraculously, all five (as well as their parents) survive Russian gulags, German society, Nazis overtaking their home, and much, much more. (This reporter hit up Wikipedia after every episode stunned that one family could overcome so many different atrocities.)
“That’s the best part about true stories,” King said. “It’s like so much of the time, regardless of what the subject matter is,...
- 3/27/2024
- by Erin Strecker
- Indiewire
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
Quick Answer: You can watch the new series We Were the Lucky Ones online for free with a 30-day trial to Hulu.
Get Hulu Free Trial
“The only thing I know for certain, is that there’s no reason I should be alive, and yet, I am,” says Hadas Yaron’s character, Mila Kurc, in the trailer for Hulu‘s new historical drama, We Were the Lucky Ones,...
Quick Answer: You can watch the new series We Were the Lucky Ones online for free with a 30-day trial to Hulu.
Get Hulu Free Trial
“The only thing I know for certain, is that there’s no reason I should be alive, and yet, I am,” says Hadas Yaron’s character, Mila Kurc, in the trailer for Hulu‘s new historical drama, We Were the Lucky Ones,...
- 3/27/2024
- by John Lonsdale
- Rollingstone.com
Depending on the moment, the title of Hulu’s We Were the Lucky Ones might sound like a bitter lament or a prayer of thanks, a sigh of relief or an expression of anguish. In the end, it also simply sounds true. Based on the novel by Georgia Hunter — which in turn was inspired by the actual history of her ancestors — the miniseries traces the far-flung journeys of the Kurcs, a Polish Jewish family, throughout World War II. That their paths will be harrowing is not in doubt; a sobering opening caption reminds us that “By the end of the Holocaust, 90% of Poland’s three million Jews were annihilated.”
Yet an exercise in misery this isn’t. No matter how devastating these stories get, what binds all of them together is a sense of hope — stubborn, hard-won, fainter at certain times than others but always undeniably there. So overwhelming is...
Yet an exercise in misery this isn’t. No matter how devastating these stories get, what binds all of them together is a sense of hope — stubborn, hard-won, fainter at certain times than others but always undeniably there. So overwhelming is...
- 3/25/2024
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Plot: Based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling novel, the television adaptation of “We Were the Lucky Ones” is a limited series inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of WWII. The series follows them across continents as they do everything in their power to survive and to reunite. “We Were the Lucky Ones” demonstrates how, in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive. The series is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.
Review: One of the most important lessons of history is never to forget it. In recent years, as political strife has shifted around the globe from one region to the next, entertainment has always been an outlet to tell stories of inspiration as well as the stark horrors of what happens when...
Review: One of the most important lessons of history is never to forget it. In recent years, as political strife has shifted around the globe from one region to the next, entertainment has always been an outlet to tell stories of inspiration as well as the stark horrors of what happens when...
- 3/25/2024
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Joey King and Logan Lerman are feeling the love at the Los Angeles premiere of their new Hulu series We Were the Lucky Ones on Thursday night (March 21).
The costars posed on the red carpet at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, where they were joined by Joey‘s husband Steven Piet and Logan‘s fiancee Ana Corrigan.
Joey looked chic in a mint and champaign dress, which she paired with tasteful jewels. Logan opted for a long boat, which he paired with matching pants and a gray top.
We Were the Lucky Ones is a reunion for Joey and Logan who previously collaborated on Bullet Train. The limited series is based on a book written by Georgia Hunter and charts the real-life story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II.
Keep reading to find out more…
Costars Ido Samuel, Marina Bye, Robin Weigert, Lior Ashkenazi,...
The costars posed on the red carpet at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, where they were joined by Joey‘s husband Steven Piet and Logan‘s fiancee Ana Corrigan.
Joey looked chic in a mint and champaign dress, which she paired with tasteful jewels. Logan opted for a long boat, which he paired with matching pants and a gray top.
We Were the Lucky Ones is a reunion for Joey and Logan who previously collaborated on Bullet Train. The limited series is based on a book written by Georgia Hunter and charts the real-life story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II.
Keep reading to find out more…
Costars Ido Samuel, Marina Bye, Robin Weigert, Lior Ashkenazi,...
- 3/22/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
This March, Hulu will ring in spring with dozens of great titles, from Hulu Originals to programs from brands including National Geographic, Fox, FX, ABC, Crunchyroll, and others.
Just announced, Yorgos Lanthimos’ awards darling “Poor Things” will make its streaming premiere on the platform this month after a 90-day theatrical window and three days before this year’s Academy Awards where the absurdist comedy is nominated for 11 statuettes, including Best Picture. Other film favorites getting added to the library in March include “Scarface,” “The Wrestler,” and “My Cousin Vinny.”
The streamer will also host the season premieres of many of ABC’s most popular competition series, including “MasterChef Junior,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and “The Masked Singer,” plus the landmark 20th season premiere of “Grey's Anatomy.”
Get your watch list together: find out The Streamable’s top picks for March 2024 at Hulu and continue below to see everything...
Just announced, Yorgos Lanthimos’ awards darling “Poor Things” will make its streaming premiere on the platform this month after a 90-day theatrical window and three days before this year’s Academy Awards where the absurdist comedy is nominated for 11 statuettes, including Best Picture. Other film favorites getting added to the library in March include “Scarface,” “The Wrestler,” and “My Cousin Vinny.”
The streamer will also host the season premieres of many of ABC’s most popular competition series, including “MasterChef Junior,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and “The Masked Singer,” plus the landmark 20th season premiere of “Grey's Anatomy.”
Get your watch list together: find out The Streamable’s top picks for March 2024 at Hulu and continue below to see everything...
- 2/28/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
For fans of World War II period dramas and the original "Percy Jackson" films, I have incredible news. The limited series "We Were the Lucky Ones" is coming to Disney's newly-purchased Hulu very soon, and it looks like it's going to be worth the wait.
The show is "inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and reunite," according to the official synopsis. "The series demonstrates how in the face of the 20th century's darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive. The series is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds."
It is adapted from a New York Times best-selling novel of the same name by Georgia Hunter, a 46-year-old Jewish-American author. Her book is based on the true story of her family's survival in the Holocaust. Although the...
The show is "inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and reunite," according to the official synopsis. "The series demonstrates how in the face of the 20th century's darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive. The series is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds."
It is adapted from a New York Times best-selling novel of the same name by Georgia Hunter, a 46-year-old Jewish-American author. Her book is based on the true story of her family's survival in the Holocaust. Although the...
- 2/22/2024
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Hulu has released its first official trailer of We Were the Lucky Ones, a WWII drama starring Joey King & Logan Lerman.
The television series is based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times Bestselling novel of the same name, which evolved from her wish to share the true tale of her family after finding at the age of 15 that she had roots in Holocaust survivors. Erica Lipez, who previously appeared on The Morning Show and Julia, is behind the adaptation.
We Were the Lucky Ones | Official Trailer
We Were the Lucky Ones Trailer: Logan Lerman and Joey King Lead Hulu’s WWII Drama.
The show recently released a trailer as an enticing way to wrap up the day on Chocolate Day. With a short yet comprehensive overview of the show’s idea, it is intended to follow the novel while remaining closely loyal to its vision.
The trailer begins with...
The television series is based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times Bestselling novel of the same name, which evolved from her wish to share the true tale of her family after finding at the age of 15 that she had roots in Holocaust survivors. Erica Lipez, who previously appeared on The Morning Show and Julia, is behind the adaptation.
We Were the Lucky Ones | Official Trailer
We Were the Lucky Ones Trailer: Logan Lerman and Joey King Lead Hulu’s WWII Drama.
The show recently released a trailer as an enticing way to wrap up the day on Chocolate Day. With a short yet comprehensive overview of the show’s idea, it is intended to follow the novel while remaining closely loyal to its vision.
The trailer begins with...
- 2/12/2024
- by Mantisha
- https://dailyresearchplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/new-sam
"I understand the impossibility of getting home, but we will find a way to be together again." Hulu has revealed an official trailer for a World War II series called We Were the Lucky Ones, which has been in he works for years. Now set for release starting in March streaming on Hulu. Based on Georgia Hunter's NY Times bestselling novel, the TV adaptation of We Were the Lucky Ones is a limited series inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II. The series follows them across continents as they do everything in their power to survive, and to reunite. We Were the Lucky Ones demonstrates how in the face of the 20th century's darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive. The series is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.
- 2/10/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Hulu’s released the lineup of its upcoming spring 2024 premieres, including season two of Extraordinary, season five of The Kardashians, and the first season of Vanderpump Villa. This spring’s schedule also features an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at Bon Jovi and We Were the Lucky Ones, a limited series based on the New York Times bestseller.
The limited series Under the Bridge, based on Rebecca Godfrey’s book and starring Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone, will premiere on April 17, 2024. The streaming service’s spring announcement also includes release dates for Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told and The Contestant.
Extraordinary Season 2 – Premiere Date: March 6, 2024, All 8 Episodes
Season two picks up where season one spectacularly left off, following Jen (Máiréad Tyers) on her powers journey as she enrolls as a client at the power Clinic, but quickly discovers that the process isn’t as easy as she’d hoped. Things with ex-cat,...
The limited series Under the Bridge, based on Rebecca Godfrey’s book and starring Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone, will premiere on April 17, 2024. The streaming service’s spring announcement also includes release dates for Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told and The Contestant.
Extraordinary Season 2 – Premiere Date: March 6, 2024, All 8 Episodes
Season two picks up where season one spectacularly left off, following Jen (Máiréad Tyers) on her powers journey as she enrolls as a client at the power Clinic, but quickly discovers that the process isn’t as easy as she’d hoped. Things with ex-cat,...
- 2/10/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Hulu has dropped the official trailer for We Were The Lucky Ones, its upcoming limited series adaptation of Georgia Hunter’s bestselling novel.
We Were The Lucky Ones is “inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and reunite,” according to the official synopsis. “The series demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive. The series is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.
Joey King and Logan Lerman star along with Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert.
The series is written and executive produced by Erica Lipez, who also serves as showrunner. Thomas Kail (Fosse/Verdon) directs and executive produces along with...
We Were The Lucky Ones is “inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and reunite,” according to the official synopsis. “The series demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive. The series is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.
Joey King and Logan Lerman star along with Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert.
The series is written and executive produced by Erica Lipez, who also serves as showrunner. Thomas Kail (Fosse/Verdon) directs and executive produces along with...
- 2/9/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Joey King and Logan Lerman are part of a family torn apart amid WWII in Hulu limited series “We Were the Lucky Ones.”
The limited drama series is based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling book of the same name. The Hulu show is inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II.
Per the official logline, “We Were the Lucky Ones” demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive. The series is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.
The series co-stars Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert, and was unveiled as part of the Hulu Spring 2024 slate.
“We Were the Lucky Ones” is executive produced and written by Erica Lipez,...
The limited drama series is based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling book of the same name. The Hulu show is inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II.
Per the official logline, “We Were the Lucky Ones” demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive. The series is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.
The series co-stars Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert, and was unveiled as part of the Hulu Spring 2024 slate.
“We Were the Lucky Ones” is executive produced and written by Erica Lipez,...
- 2/9/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Hulu has officially announced its Spring 2024 slate of shows and movies landing on the streaming platform.
New installments of “Extraordinary” (Season 2) and “The Kardashians” (Season 5) will debut soon, and a fresh crop of highly anticipated titles are also set to premiere.
“The Act” star Joey King returns to Hulu with “We Were the Lucky Ones” based on the true story of a Jewish family separated at the start of WWII. Logan Lerman co-stars in the film based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling book. A trailer was released ahead of the limited series’ March 28 premiere; “The Morning Show” writer Erica Lipez serves as showrunner, with “Fosse/Verdon” helmer Thomas Kail directing.
Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone continues her TV reign following “Reservation Dogs” with “Under the Bridge,” another adaptation of a true story. Based on author Rebecca Godfrey’s book, “Under the Bridge” captures the 1997 true story of 14-year-old Reena...
New installments of “Extraordinary” (Season 2) and “The Kardashians” (Season 5) will debut soon, and a fresh crop of highly anticipated titles are also set to premiere.
“The Act” star Joey King returns to Hulu with “We Were the Lucky Ones” based on the true story of a Jewish family separated at the start of WWII. Logan Lerman co-stars in the film based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling book. A trailer was released ahead of the limited series’ March 28 premiere; “The Morning Show” writer Erica Lipez serves as showrunner, with “Fosse/Verdon” helmer Thomas Kail directing.
Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone continues her TV reign following “Reservation Dogs” with “Under the Bridge,” another adaptation of a true story. Based on author Rebecca Godfrey’s book, “Under the Bridge” captures the 1997 true story of 14-year-old Reena...
- 2/9/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The fifth episode of “True Detective: Night Country” will be available to stream early on Max beginning Feb. 9 at 9 p.m. Et/ 6 p.m. Pt, in order to avoid the Sunday night streamroller that is the Super Bowl. The show will still get its HBO linear premiere on Feb. 11 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt, opposite the Big Game.
Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, Finn Bennett and Fiona Shaw star in the series, with Christopher Eccleston, Isabella Star Lablanc and John Hawkes rounding out the cast. Anna Lambe, Aka Niviâna and Joel D. Montgrand are guest stars.
Issa López serves as showrunner, writer and director. Foster executive produces alongside Mari Jo Winkler, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak for Pastel. Chris Mundy, Alan Page Arriaga, Steve Golin, Richard Brown, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Cary Joji Fukunaga and Nic Pizzolatto also executive produce.
First Looks
Hulu has unveiled the trailer for the...
Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, Finn Bennett and Fiona Shaw star in the series, with Christopher Eccleston, Isabella Star Lablanc and John Hawkes rounding out the cast. Anna Lambe, Aka Niviâna and Joel D. Montgrand are guest stars.
Issa López serves as showrunner, writer and director. Foster executive produces alongside Mari Jo Winkler, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak for Pastel. Chris Mundy, Alan Page Arriaga, Steve Golin, Richard Brown, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Cary Joji Fukunaga and Nic Pizzolatto also executive produce.
First Looks
Hulu has unveiled the trailer for the...
- 2/5/2024
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
We Were the Lucky Ones is coming soon to Hulu, and viewers are now getting their first look at the limited series. The streaming service has released several first-look photos for the drama based on the novel by Georgia Hunter. The eight-episode series is written and executive-produced by showrunner Erica Lipez.
Starring Joey King, Logan Lerman, Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert, the series tells the true story of a Jewish family separated at the start of World War II and their fight to survive and find their loved ones.
Read More…...
Starring Joey King, Logan Lerman, Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert, the series tells the true story of a Jewish family separated at the start of World War II and their fight to survive and find their loved ones.
Read More…...
- 1/25/2024
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Joey King is heading back to Hulu for the limited series We Were the Lucky Ones and the first look photos have been revealed!
The 24-year-old Emmy-nominated actress is teaming up with Bullet Train co-star Logan Lerman again for the new series, directed by Hamilton‘s Thomas Kail.
Based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling novel, the television adaptation of We Were the Lucky Ones is a limited series inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and reunite.
Keep reading to find out more…
Also starring in the series are Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert.
The show will premiere on Hulu with three episodes on March 28, and new episodes launching weekly.
Showrunner Erica Lipez opened up about Joey‘s character...
The 24-year-old Emmy-nominated actress is teaming up with Bullet Train co-star Logan Lerman again for the new series, directed by Hamilton‘s Thomas Kail.
Based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling novel, the television adaptation of We Were the Lucky Ones is a limited series inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and reunite.
Keep reading to find out more…
Also starring in the series are Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert.
The show will premiere on Hulu with three episodes on March 28, and new episodes launching weekly.
Showrunner Erica Lipez opened up about Joey‘s character...
- 1/23/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Hulu Unveils First Look at Joey King, Logan Lerman Series ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ (TV News Roundup)
Hulu debuted first look images from its new limited series “We Were the Lucky Ones,” starring Joey King and Logan Lerman. The first three episodes will premiere on the streamer on March 28, with the following episodes coming out weekly.
The series is a television adaptation of Georgia Hunter’s novel “We Were the Lucky Ones.” Based on a true story, the show follows a Jewish family separated at the start of World War II on their quest to survive and reunite, per the release.
Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi and Robin Weigert round out the cast.
Erica Lipez (“Julia” and “The Morning Show”) serves as the showrunner, in addition to writing the series. Thomas Kail (“Fosse/Verdon”) directs and executive produces with Jennifer Todd, who executive produces for Old 320 Sycamore. Adam Milch executive produces, with Hunter co-executive producing. The...
The series is a television adaptation of Georgia Hunter’s novel “We Were the Lucky Ones.” Based on a true story, the show follows a Jewish family separated at the start of World War II on their quest to survive and reunite, per the release.
Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi and Robin Weigert round out the cast.
Erica Lipez (“Julia” and “The Morning Show”) serves as the showrunner, in addition to writing the series. Thomas Kail (“Fosse/Verdon”) directs and executive produces with Jennifer Todd, who executive produces for Old 320 Sycamore. Adam Milch executive produces, with Hunter co-executive producing. The...
- 1/22/2024
- by Caroline Brew, Diego Ramos Bechara and Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Hulu has set March 28 for the launch of We Were the Lucky Ones, its upcoming limited series based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling novel. It will premiere with three episodes on March 28, followed by new episodes launching weekly. The streamer also unveiled some first-look images (see above and below).
The limited series adaptation is inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and reunite.
Joey King, Logan Lerman, Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert star.
The series is executive produced and written by Erica Lipez, who also serves as showrunner. Thomas Kail (Fosse/Verdon) directs and executive produces along with Jennifer Todd who will also executive produce for Old 320 Sycamore. Adam Milch will executive produce and Hunter will co-executive produce.
The limited series adaptation is inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and reunite.
Joey King, Logan Lerman, Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert star.
The series is executive produced and written by Erica Lipez, who also serves as showrunner. Thomas Kail (Fosse/Verdon) directs and executive produces along with Jennifer Todd who will also executive produce for Old 320 Sycamore. Adam Milch will executive produce and Hunter will co-executive produce.
- 1/22/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Ido Samuel (Fill The Void) and Lihi Kornowski (Crimes Of The Future) are the latest to join Hulu Originals limited series We Were The Lucky Ones in recurring roles.
Already announced for the drama, which is now filming, are Joey King, Logan Lerman, Robin Weigert, Michael Aloni, Henry Lloyd Hughes, Hadas Yaron and Lior Ashkenazi.
Based on Georgia Hunter’s well-received novel, the series is inspired by the true story of a Jewish family which was separated at the start of World War II but is determined to survive and reunite.
Samuel will plays Isaac. A loyal friend, he tries to help Mila (Yaron) and her young daughter Felicia escape the ghetto, but his effectiveness—and his relationship with the Kurc family—is painfully tested by his role in the Jewish Police. Kornowski will play Eliska. Young, wealthy and beautiful, she meets Addy (Lerman) on a ship carrying refugees attempting to escape the Nazis.
Already announced for the drama, which is now filming, are Joey King, Logan Lerman, Robin Weigert, Michael Aloni, Henry Lloyd Hughes, Hadas Yaron and Lior Ashkenazi.
Based on Georgia Hunter’s well-received novel, the series is inspired by the true story of a Jewish family which was separated at the start of World War II but is determined to survive and reunite.
Samuel will plays Isaac. A loyal friend, he tries to help Mila (Yaron) and her young daughter Felicia escape the ghetto, but his effectiveness—and his relationship with the Kurc family—is painfully tested by his role in the Jewish Police. Kornowski will play Eliska. Young, wealthy and beautiful, she meets Addy (Lerman) on a ship carrying refugees attempting to escape the Nazis.
- 1/17/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Hulu’s We Were the Lucky Ones continues to expand its already impressive ensemble.
Henry Lloyd Hughes, Moran Rosenblatt and Sam Woolf are joining the Hulu Originals limited series that’s based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times Bestseller by the same name.
Related Story Joey King To Star In 'We Were The Lucky Ones' Series Ordered By Hulu; Erica Lipez To Executive Produce Related Story 'Wu-Tang: An American Saga': Hulu Announces Premiere Date For Third & Final Season Related Story 'The Other Black Girl': Garcelle Beauvais Joins Hulu Original Series
Hughes will play the series regular role Genek, the eldest of the Kurc siblings who carries himself with irresistible charm and swagger. A lawyer by trade, he grapples with his pride and his faith as he navigates the horrors of war. Hughes was recently seen in the Apple TV series Mammals and will soon be seen...
Henry Lloyd Hughes, Moran Rosenblatt and Sam Woolf are joining the Hulu Originals limited series that’s based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times Bestseller by the same name.
Related Story Joey King To Star In 'We Were The Lucky Ones' Series Ordered By Hulu; Erica Lipez To Executive Produce Related Story 'Wu-Tang: An American Saga': Hulu Announces Premiere Date For Third & Final Season Related Story 'The Other Black Girl': Garcelle Beauvais Joins Hulu Original Series
Hughes will play the series regular role Genek, the eldest of the Kurc siblings who carries himself with irresistible charm and swagger. A lawyer by trade, he grapples with his pride and his faith as he navigates the horrors of war. Hughes was recently seen in the Apple TV series Mammals and will soon be seen...
- 12/15/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Hulu’s We Were the Lucky Ones is adding Amit Rahav, Eva Feiler and Hadas Yaron in series regular roles.
Rahav will star as Jakob in the limited series. The youngest of his brothers, Jakob is a photographer. Sweet and soulful, there is hardly anywhere he’d rather be than beside his high school sweetheart, Bella (Eva Feiler), or peering down through the viewfinder of his camera. Rahav is repped by Lighthouse Management + Media, Add Content Agency and Ziffren.
Feiler (The Crown) will star as Bella, who is deeply engrained in the fabric of the Kurc family and is Jakob’s (Amit Rahav) long-time love. Kind and clever and forever devoted to her own close-knit family, Bella’s is a journey of heartbreak, courage and unconditional love. Feiler is repped by Sarah MacCormick at Curtis Brown.
Yaron (Mary Magdalene) will star as the thoughtful and diligent,...
Rahav will star as Jakob in the limited series. The youngest of his brothers, Jakob is a photographer. Sweet and soulful, there is hardly anywhere he’d rather be than beside his high school sweetheart, Bella (Eva Feiler), or peering down through the viewfinder of his camera. Rahav is repped by Lighthouse Management + Media, Add Content Agency and Ziffren.
Feiler (The Crown) will star as Bella, who is deeply engrained in the fabric of the Kurc family and is Jakob’s (Amit Rahav) long-time love. Kind and clever and forever devoted to her own close-knit family, Bella’s is a journey of heartbreak, courage and unconditional love. Feiler is repped by Sarah MacCormick at Curtis Brown.
Yaron (Mary Magdalene) will star as the thoughtful and diligent,...
- 12/6/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Rama Burshtein, the critically acclaimed New York-born Israeli filmmaker of “Fill The Void,” has teamed with Yes Studios on her TV drama debut, “Fire Dance.” Now in post, the show will be a Yes Studios original series and will be launching at the end of 2021 or early 2022.
“Fire Dance,” written and directed by Burshtein, is a vivid tale of impossible love set in a tight-knit ultra-Orthodox religious sect. Laced with fantasy, the seven-part series tells the coming-of-age story of a troubled young woman, Faigie, who’s grown up in a broken home and falls passionately in love with Nathan, the 35-year-old married son of the leader of the ultra-orthodox community in which they both live. Nathan is also the owner of a workshop which employs seamstresses who live with mental illness, run by Faigie’s mother, Rayzee.
Following a failed suicide attempt, Faigie becomes part of Nathan’s household, helping...
“Fire Dance,” written and directed by Burshtein, is a vivid tale of impossible love set in a tight-knit ultra-Orthodox religious sect. Laced with fantasy, the seven-part series tells the coming-of-age story of a troubled young woman, Faigie, who’s grown up in a broken home and falls passionately in love with Nathan, the 35-year-old married son of the leader of the ultra-orthodox community in which they both live. Nathan is also the owner of a workshop which employs seamstresses who live with mental illness, run by Faigie’s mother, Rayzee.
Following a failed suicide attempt, Faigie becomes part of Nathan’s household, helping...
- 5/21/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Setting out to tell the story of Jesus’ last days from the point of view of the only woman among the apostles is the brave and interesting aim of Garth Davis’ “Mary Magdalene.”
At the film’s premiere in London last year — the film’s U.S. release was delayed due to the bankruptcy of its former distributor, The Weinstein Company — the Australian director claimed his film would “celebrate the remarkable spiritual contribution of Mary that has remained hidden for 2,000 years.” Again, a laudable ambition had it not been revealed a few minutes before that the National Gallery, the venue for the event, held no less than 50 painted images of Mary Magdalene on its walls. Maybe all of those representations have been wrong.
Davis, riding high on the success of his Oscar-nominated 2016 hit “Lion,” turns the camera on Rooney Mara as his Mary, a headstrong girl from the rock-strewn fishing village of Magdala,...
At the film’s premiere in London last year — the film’s U.S. release was delayed due to the bankruptcy of its former distributor, The Weinstein Company — the Australian director claimed his film would “celebrate the remarkable spiritual contribution of Mary that has remained hidden for 2,000 years.” Again, a laudable ambition had it not been revealed a few minutes before that the National Gallery, the venue for the event, held no less than 50 painted images of Mary Magdalene on its walls. Maybe all of those representations have been wrong.
Davis, riding high on the success of his Oscar-nominated 2016 hit “Lion,” turns the camera on Rooney Mara as his Mary, a headstrong girl from the rock-strewn fishing village of Magdala,...
- 4/10/2019
- by Jason Solomons
- The Wrap
The downfall of The Weinstein Company meant that a number of films were left by the wayside, waiting to be picked up by other distributors. One that has taken awhile–but not as long as The Current War, which shows no signs of seeing the light of day–is Mary Magdalene, a Biblical drama from Garth Davis (Lion). After getting an Easter-timed released elsewhere last year, it’ll now open in the U.S. around that time this year, courtesy of IFC Films, who have debuted a new trailer.
Starring Rooney Mara as the title character and Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus, the cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter and Tahar Rahim as Judas, as well as Ariane Labed, Denis Menochet, Lubna Azabal, Tchécky Kary, Hadas Yaron, Ryan Corr, and Irit Sheleg. The international reaction for this was a bit tepid, but we can’t pass up this cast, so...
Starring Rooney Mara as the title character and Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus, the cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter and Tahar Rahim as Judas, as well as Ariane Labed, Denis Menochet, Lubna Azabal, Tchécky Kary, Hadas Yaron, Ryan Corr, and Irit Sheleg. The international reaction for this was a bit tepid, but we can’t pass up this cast, so...
- 3/28/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
In the Italian provinces, the Virgin Mary appears to a directionless woman who tries to reject her commands in Gianni Zanasi’s unremarkable “Lucia’s Grace.” Perhaps it’s cynical to suggest, but the film’s Europa Cinema Label prize in Directors’ Fortnight says more about the movie’s expected chances at the box office, where its sunny and unchallenging cuteness will translate to robust sales, rather than any intrinsic cinematic merits. Lazily constructed and stocked with familiar caricatures, “Lucia’s Grace” can generously be called a pleasant comic bauble whose extremely mild ecological message will make multiplex audiences feel good without inspiring them to action.
It’s not easy for single mom Lucia (Alba Rohrwacher) to find regular employment as a surveyor, maybe because she’s a little too nervy and a little too honest. Brash local businessman Paolo (Giuseppe Battiston) hires her and assistant Fabio (Daniele De Angelis...
It’s not easy for single mom Lucia (Alba Rohrwacher) to find regular employment as a surveyor, maybe because she’s a little too nervy and a little too honest. Brash local businessman Paolo (Giuseppe Battiston) hires her and assistant Fabio (Daniele De Angelis...
- 5/22/2018
- by Jay Weissberg
- Variety Film + TV
Israeli actress Hadas Yaron has joined The Weinstein Co.'s Mary Magdalene.
Garth Davis' biblical retelling will star Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus and Rooney Mara as Magdalene.
Yaron will play Magdalene's sister-in-law, Sarah.
Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett wrote the script for Magdalene. See-Saw Films (The King's Speech) is producing the project, which they co-developed with Film4. Universal Pictures International Productions is backing the film and domestic distribution is being handled by Weinstein.
The 25-year-old actress' breakout performance came in 2012's Fill the Void, a starring role that earned her best actress honors at the Venice Film Festival. She ...
Garth Davis' biblical retelling will star Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus and Rooney Mara as Magdalene.
Yaron will play Magdalene's sister-in-law, Sarah.
Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett wrote the script for Magdalene. See-Saw Films (The King's Speech) is producing the project, which they co-developed with Film4. Universal Pictures International Productions is backing the film and domestic distribution is being handled by Weinstein.
The 25-year-old actress' breakout performance came in 2012's Fill the Void, a starring role that earned her best actress honors at the Venice Film Festival. She ...
- 9/13/2016
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Israeli actress Hadas Yaron has joined The Weinstein Co.'s Mary Magdalene.
Garth Davis' biblical retelling will star Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus and Rooney Mara as Magdalene.
Yaron will play Magdalene's sister-in-law, Sarah.
Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett wrote the script for Magdalene. See-Saw Films (The King's Speech) is producing the project, which they co-developed with Film4. Universal Pictures International Productions is backing the film and domestic distribution is being handled by Weinstein.
The 25-year-old actress' breakout performance came in 2012's Fill the Void, a starring role that earned her best actress honors at the Venice Film Festival. She ...
Garth Davis' biblical retelling will star Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus and Rooney Mara as Magdalene.
Yaron will play Magdalene's sister-in-law, Sarah.
Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett wrote the script for Magdalene. See-Saw Films (The King's Speech) is producing the project, which they co-developed with Film4. Universal Pictures International Productions is backing the film and domestic distribution is being handled by Weinstein.
The 25-year-old actress' breakout performance came in 2012's Fill the Void, a starring role that earned her best actress honors at the Venice Film Festival. She ...
- 9/13/2016
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Fascinating is the best way to describe the process by which the final five nominated for the Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film are selected. Each year dozens of countries send their Oscar hopeful to Hollywood for AMPAS to consider. This work should, at least in theory, be the best representation of the national cinematic achievements of that year. This usually makes for a crowded field of storytelling marvels.
Since each country, via its national film academy or a special cultural committee, can only submit one candidate, there are always “snubs” even at the selections stage. These often happens because a film doesn’t meet the requirements or simply because the selecting body didn’t regard them as highly. While there are numerous detractors regarding AMPAS rule of only one entry per country, in a sense this helps level the playfield given that smaller territories might have very choices in comparison to European powerhouses. The other perspective argues that because of this process sometimes the real standouts don’t get a chance to compete.
Once a film becomes the official entry the next, and most arduous step, is to get into the 9-film shortlist. Six of them are chosen by popular within the AMPAS’ Foreign Language Film committee and the other three by an executed committee. These nine finalists are then watched by 30 randomly selected members from different Academy branches over one weekend. This is where the five nominees are chosen. This year 80 accepted submissions (noting that Afghanistan’s entry was disqualified) are vying for the trophy, and that means that 75 of the world’s best films will have to cherish the exposure given by process.
Nevertheless, making the shortlist is more than a commendable feat itself. This list will be revealed next week, and though there are always unexpected surprises, there are of course a few favorites and films that have garnered lots of positive attention throughout the season. After watching over three quarters out of the colossal list of entries in contention I’d like to share my observations on the 25 films that seem like the strongest bets to make the coveted shortlist and eventually become Academy Award nominees. Granted, other films could easily sneak in if they manage to impress the right people, but I feel confident that most of those that will advance will come from the least below.
Argentina
"The Clan" (El Clan)
Dir. Pablo Trapero
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
U.S. Distribution: Fox International
Trapero’s sordid crime drama based on the real life story of the Puccio family, which became national news when authorities discovered they were behind a series of kidnapping and murders, is a compelling work that uses Argentina’s historical context as backdrop. . Almodovar’s El Deseo, the company behind the Oscar-nominated “Wild Tales”, produced the film.
Read More: 'The Clan Wins' Audience Award At Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival’s Gems
Austria
"Goodnight Mommy" (Ich seh, ich seh)
Dirs. Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz
Isa: Films Distribution
U.S. Distribution: Radius-twc
One of the most daring selections is also one the most acclaimed horror films of the year. This art house chiller confronts a pair of mischievous twin boys with their convalescent mother who recently underwent a facial surgery. The thematic and aesthetic elegance that co-directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz employed elevates “Goodnight Mommy” beyond the usual gruesome fare.
Belgium
"The Brand New Testament" (Le tout nouveau testament)
Dir. Jaco Van Dormael
Isa: Le Pacte
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
This fantastical take on religion is yet another unique vision from director Jaco Van Dormael, the filmmaker behind such films as “Mr. Nobody.” With a humorous tone, “The Brand New Testament” explores what would happen if God himself lived in a regular apartment in Brussels pretending to be a mortal and finding pleasure in the little things that annoy human life - all of which are orchestrated by him.
Brazil
"The Second Mother" (Que Horas Ela Volta?)
Dir. Anna Muylaert
Isa: The Match Factory
U.S. Distribution: Oscilloscope Pictures
Anna Muylaert’s crowd-pleasing, yet thematically complex gem delves into the intricacies of class in Brazilian society through the eyes of an endearing live-in maid. Regina Casé, in an Oscar-worthy performance, becomes Val, a diligent and humble housekeeper that has worked with the same wealthy family in Sao Paulo for many years and who only questions her role within this environment when her strange daughter comes to visit.
Read More: Anna Muylaert on Why the Protagonist of 'The Second Mother' is a Super Hero
Canada
"Felix & Meira"
Dir. Maxime Giroux
Isa: Urban Distribution International
U.S. Distribution: Oscilloscope Laboratories
A clandestine romance and the yoke of religion are at the center of Maxime Giroux’s delicate debut feature. Meira (Hadas Yaron is a Hasidic woman who feels trapped by the expectations and limitations imposed her, but when she meets Felix (Martin Dubreuil), a secular man who is equally lost, her vision of the world widens.
Rea More: 'Felix and Meira' Director Maxime Giroux on Understanding Hasidim and Quebecois Isolation
Chile
"The Club" (El Club)
Dir. Pablo Larraín
Isa: Funny Balloons
U.S. Distribution: Music Box Films
Larrain's latest work follows a group of priests and nuns who live in an isolated beachside town after committing a score of heinous crimes. Though they have the church's protection, there are people out there who are not willing to let impunity prevail. Magnificently written and acted, this dark and piercing drama ranks up there with the director’s best work
Colombia
"Embrace of the Serpent" (El Abrazo de la Serpiente)
Dir. Ciro Guerra
Isa: Films Boutique
U.S. Distribution: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Strikingly beautiful and laced with poetic mysticism, Ciro Guerra’s most accomplished work to date follows the journey of two European explores at particular times in history as they are guided through the Amazon by Karamakate, an imposing local shaman man who is wary of their intentions.
Czech Republic
"Home Care" (Domácí péce)
Dir. Slávek Horák
Isa: M-Appeal
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
This very low-key dramedy from first-time director Slávek Horák about a a middle-aged home care nurse, who not only has to look after her patients but also her own family, hasn’t had as much exposure as other films on this list; however, the quality of the performances and the nuanced screenplay have resonated with those who have seen it.
Denmark
"A War" (Krigen)
Dir. Tobias Lindholm
Isa: Studiocanal
U.S. Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Director Tobias Lindholm follow up to “A Hijacking,” blends gritty action with a courtroom drama in a searing study on guilt and the collateral damage of armed conflicts from the point of view of conflicted family man and company commander Claus M. Pedersen (Pilou Asbæk). Subtle observations and intricate moral complexity are once again Lindholm's greatest strengths.
Estonia
"1944"
Dir. Elmo Nüganen
Isa: Eyewell Ab
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
After earning its first-ever Academy Award nomination earlier this year, the Eastern European country returns to the race with an impressive historical epic about Estonian soldiers fighting on different sides against their own. The film was directed, who starred in the Oscar-nominated “Tangerines.”
Finland
"The Fencer" (Miekkailija)
Dir. Klaus Härö
Isa: The Little Film Company
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
Finnish filmmaker Klaus Härö takes on an Estonian story about a professional fencer who becomes a physical education teacher in his homeland after leaving Russia to escape the Kgb. This classically executed and elegant period drama offers uplifting moments, romance, and exquisite cinematography.
France
"Mustang"
Dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Isa: Kinology
U.S. Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Through traditional gender roles and expectations in Turkish society, adults attempt to tame the blossoming womanhood in Deniz Gamze Ergüven's five teenage protagonists. Delicately shot and cast to perfection, this peculiar coming-of-ager is an empowering breath of fresh air that honors freedom and femininity in equal measures.
Read More: 'Mustang' Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven on Femininity in Cinema and French Multiculturalism
Germany
"Labyrinth of Lies" (Im Labyrinth des Schweigens)
Dir. Giulio Ricciarelli
Isa: Beta Cinema
U.S. Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
In the aftermath of WWII German authorities and the majority of the population refused to acknowledge the magnitude of their involvement in the Holocaust until a driven young prosecutor begins uncovering the truth. Ricciarelli film is a compelling historical drama with a fantastic lead performance by Alexander Fehling at its core.
Read More: Dir. Giulio Ricciarelli and Star Alexander Fehling on the Historical Relevance of 'Labyrinth of Lies' and Germany's Open Wound
Guatemala
"Ixcanul"
Dir. Jayro Bustamante
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
U.S. Distribution: Kino Lorber
Bustamante’s Silver Bear-winning ethereal masterpiece in indigenous language is an intimate look at the lives of the country’s Mayan population. Told through the eyes of a teenage girl destined to an arranged marriage, this marvelously photographed film speaks of tradition, modernity, mysticism, male chauvinism, and cultural isolation.
Read More: 'Ixcanul' Director Jayro Bustamante on the Strength of Mayan Women and Guatemala's Indigenous Majority
Hungary
"Son of Saul" (Saul fia)
Dir. László Nemes
Isa: Films Distribution
U.S. Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
By far the most incredible debut of the year and one of the best films about the Holocaust ever made, this year’s Grand Prix winner takes the viewer inside the Nazi killing machine from the perspective of the Sonderkommando, a group of Jewish men chosen to carry out all horrific manual labor within the gas chambers. Immersive and devastating, Nemes' stunner is a powerful cinematic statement.
Iceland
"Rams" (Hrútar)
Dir. Grímur Hákonarson
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
U.S. Distribution: Cohen Media Group
A humorous look at brotherhood and pastoral life, this Un Certain Regard-winning dark comedy pays homage to the importance of sheep in the Icelandic cultural identity. When a disease wipes out the entire town’s flock, two estrange siblings, who haven’t spoken to each other in decades, are forced to collaborate in order to save their livelihood.
Ireland
"Viva"
Dir. Paddy Breathnach
Isa: Mongrel International
U.S. Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Jesus, a young gay man in Havana, only finds relief from his daily struggles when he transforms into a drag performer in front of an eager audience, but when his macho father returns after decades away his dreams are jeopardized. This Irish production set in Cuba is a delightful work that thrives on authenticity and emotionally layered performances.
Read More:'Viva' Director Paddy Breathnach on Making an Irish Film in Cuba and Visceral Transformation
Jordan
"Theeb" (ذيب)
Dir. Naji Abu Nowar
Isa: Fortissimo Films
U.S. Distribution: Film Movement
Adapting the sensibilities of classic Westerns into a uniquely Middle Eastern setting, this period piece touches on the complicated relationship between the region and the colonial powers via the experiences of a young Bedouin boy who embarks on a mission across the desert. Top-notch filmmaking that twists conventions to depict a singular worldview.
Mexico
"600 Miles" (600 Millas)
Dir. Gabriel Ripstein
Isa: Ndm
U.S. Distribution: Pantelion Films
By focusing on two characters from opposite sides of the border, Gabriel Ripstein’s debut Starring Tim Roth delves into the U.S/Mexico conflictive, yet unavoidable codependency and share responsibility in the fight against organized crime. Guns are at the center of this realist tale in which everyone’s morality is tinged with shades of grey.
The Netherlands
"The Paradise Suite"
Dir. Joost van Ginkel
Isa: Media Luna New Films
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
In this profound multi-narrative film the tumultuous stories of characters from diverse latitudes collide in Amsterdam in unexpected and heartbreaking ways. An Eastern European girl dragged into prostitution, an African man desperate to stay afloat, a war criminal in disguise, a woman seeking revenge, and famous musician and his son struggling to connect, all, in their own way, looking fro redemption.
Norway
"The Wave" (Bølgen)
Dir. Roar Uthaug
Isa: TrustNordisk
U.S. Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Besides its spectacular, Hollywood-worthy visual effects, what sets this Scandinavian disaster movie apart from less sophisticated American efforts is its interesting character development. While the chaos and destruction on screen is an exhilarating feast, the human aspect is never forgotten and it’s crucial to the Norwegian specificity of the plot.
Romania
"Aferim!"
Dir. Radu Jude
Isa: Beta Cinema
U.S. Distribution: Big World Pictures
Thematically fascinating and visually impeccable, this black-and-white historical adventure set in the early 19th century solidifies Romanian cinema as one of the most exciting and innovative currents in Europe. Radu Jude’s film centers on the mostly unknown history of Gypsy slavery and how this shaped Romanian society by using a tragicomic tone and timeless aesthetics.
Spain
"Flowers" (Loreak)
Dirs. Jon Garaño & Jose Mari Goenaga
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
U.S. Distribution: Music Box Films
The country’s firs Basque-language entry is a soft-spoken drama that juxtaposes the grieving processes of three women after the tragic death of man that touched their lives directly and indirectly. Unpretentious in its concept, yet unexpectedly philosophical, the power of the narrative lies on the actresses that flourish and decay in varying degrees throughout the film.
Sweden
"A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" (En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron)
Dir. Roy Andersson
Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)
U.S. Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
As brilliant as anything Andersson has ever created, the final chapter in his trilogy about the absurdity of what it means to be human is one of the most unconventional cinematic experiences in recent memory. Without the constraints of la traditional plot, this nonlinear treasure uses clever vignettes to talk about death, humor, and the mundane things that define our existence.
Read More: 7 Reasons Why Roy Andersson's Latest Film is a Must-See Philosophical Wonder
Taiwan
"The Assassin" (聶隱娘)
Dir. Hsiao-hsien Hou
Isa: Wild Bunch
U.S. Distribution: Well Go USA Entertainment
Armed with breathtaking cinematography, lavish costumes and production design, and an ancient legend about betrayal and retribution, master Hsiao-hsien Hou obliterates our expectations and delivers a one-of-a-kind martial arts epic that’s more concerned with sensory transcendence than narrative clarity, but is no less of an enthralling experience because of it.
Since each country, via its national film academy or a special cultural committee, can only submit one candidate, there are always “snubs” even at the selections stage. These often happens because a film doesn’t meet the requirements or simply because the selecting body didn’t regard them as highly. While there are numerous detractors regarding AMPAS rule of only one entry per country, in a sense this helps level the playfield given that smaller territories might have very choices in comparison to European powerhouses. The other perspective argues that because of this process sometimes the real standouts don’t get a chance to compete.
Once a film becomes the official entry the next, and most arduous step, is to get into the 9-film shortlist. Six of them are chosen by popular within the AMPAS’ Foreign Language Film committee and the other three by an executed committee. These nine finalists are then watched by 30 randomly selected members from different Academy branches over one weekend. This is where the five nominees are chosen. This year 80 accepted submissions (noting that Afghanistan’s entry was disqualified) are vying for the trophy, and that means that 75 of the world’s best films will have to cherish the exposure given by process.
Nevertheless, making the shortlist is more than a commendable feat itself. This list will be revealed next week, and though there are always unexpected surprises, there are of course a few favorites and films that have garnered lots of positive attention throughout the season. After watching over three quarters out of the colossal list of entries in contention I’d like to share my observations on the 25 films that seem like the strongest bets to make the coveted shortlist and eventually become Academy Award nominees. Granted, other films could easily sneak in if they manage to impress the right people, but I feel confident that most of those that will advance will come from the least below.
Argentina
"The Clan" (El Clan)
Dir. Pablo Trapero
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
U.S. Distribution: Fox International
Trapero’s sordid crime drama based on the real life story of the Puccio family, which became national news when authorities discovered they were behind a series of kidnapping and murders, is a compelling work that uses Argentina’s historical context as backdrop. . Almodovar’s El Deseo, the company behind the Oscar-nominated “Wild Tales”, produced the film.
Read More: 'The Clan Wins' Audience Award At Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival’s Gems
Austria
"Goodnight Mommy" (Ich seh, ich seh)
Dirs. Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz
Isa: Films Distribution
U.S. Distribution: Radius-twc
One of the most daring selections is also one the most acclaimed horror films of the year. This art house chiller confronts a pair of mischievous twin boys with their convalescent mother who recently underwent a facial surgery. The thematic and aesthetic elegance that co-directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz employed elevates “Goodnight Mommy” beyond the usual gruesome fare.
Belgium
"The Brand New Testament" (Le tout nouveau testament)
Dir. Jaco Van Dormael
Isa: Le Pacte
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
This fantastical take on religion is yet another unique vision from director Jaco Van Dormael, the filmmaker behind such films as “Mr. Nobody.” With a humorous tone, “The Brand New Testament” explores what would happen if God himself lived in a regular apartment in Brussels pretending to be a mortal and finding pleasure in the little things that annoy human life - all of which are orchestrated by him.
Brazil
"The Second Mother" (Que Horas Ela Volta?)
Dir. Anna Muylaert
Isa: The Match Factory
U.S. Distribution: Oscilloscope Pictures
Anna Muylaert’s crowd-pleasing, yet thematically complex gem delves into the intricacies of class in Brazilian society through the eyes of an endearing live-in maid. Regina Casé, in an Oscar-worthy performance, becomes Val, a diligent and humble housekeeper that has worked with the same wealthy family in Sao Paulo for many years and who only questions her role within this environment when her strange daughter comes to visit.
Read More: Anna Muylaert on Why the Protagonist of 'The Second Mother' is a Super Hero
Canada
"Felix & Meira"
Dir. Maxime Giroux
Isa: Urban Distribution International
U.S. Distribution: Oscilloscope Laboratories
A clandestine romance and the yoke of religion are at the center of Maxime Giroux’s delicate debut feature. Meira (Hadas Yaron is a Hasidic woman who feels trapped by the expectations and limitations imposed her, but when she meets Felix (Martin Dubreuil), a secular man who is equally lost, her vision of the world widens.
Rea More: 'Felix and Meira' Director Maxime Giroux on Understanding Hasidim and Quebecois Isolation
Chile
"The Club" (El Club)
Dir. Pablo Larraín
Isa: Funny Balloons
U.S. Distribution: Music Box Films
Larrain's latest work follows a group of priests and nuns who live in an isolated beachside town after committing a score of heinous crimes. Though they have the church's protection, there are people out there who are not willing to let impunity prevail. Magnificently written and acted, this dark and piercing drama ranks up there with the director’s best work
Colombia
"Embrace of the Serpent" (El Abrazo de la Serpiente)
Dir. Ciro Guerra
Isa: Films Boutique
U.S. Distribution: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Strikingly beautiful and laced with poetic mysticism, Ciro Guerra’s most accomplished work to date follows the journey of two European explores at particular times in history as they are guided through the Amazon by Karamakate, an imposing local shaman man who is wary of their intentions.
Czech Republic
"Home Care" (Domácí péce)
Dir. Slávek Horák
Isa: M-Appeal
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
This very low-key dramedy from first-time director Slávek Horák about a a middle-aged home care nurse, who not only has to look after her patients but also her own family, hasn’t had as much exposure as other films on this list; however, the quality of the performances and the nuanced screenplay have resonated with those who have seen it.
Denmark
"A War" (Krigen)
Dir. Tobias Lindholm
Isa: Studiocanal
U.S. Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Director Tobias Lindholm follow up to “A Hijacking,” blends gritty action with a courtroom drama in a searing study on guilt and the collateral damage of armed conflicts from the point of view of conflicted family man and company commander Claus M. Pedersen (Pilou Asbæk). Subtle observations and intricate moral complexity are once again Lindholm's greatest strengths.
Estonia
"1944"
Dir. Elmo Nüganen
Isa: Eyewell Ab
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
After earning its first-ever Academy Award nomination earlier this year, the Eastern European country returns to the race with an impressive historical epic about Estonian soldiers fighting on different sides against their own. The film was directed, who starred in the Oscar-nominated “Tangerines.”
Finland
"The Fencer" (Miekkailija)
Dir. Klaus Härö
Isa: The Little Film Company
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
Finnish filmmaker Klaus Härö takes on an Estonian story about a professional fencer who becomes a physical education teacher in his homeland after leaving Russia to escape the Kgb. This classically executed and elegant period drama offers uplifting moments, romance, and exquisite cinematography.
France
"Mustang"
Dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Isa: Kinology
U.S. Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Through traditional gender roles and expectations in Turkish society, adults attempt to tame the blossoming womanhood in Deniz Gamze Ergüven's five teenage protagonists. Delicately shot and cast to perfection, this peculiar coming-of-ager is an empowering breath of fresh air that honors freedom and femininity in equal measures.
Read More: 'Mustang' Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven on Femininity in Cinema and French Multiculturalism
Germany
"Labyrinth of Lies" (Im Labyrinth des Schweigens)
Dir. Giulio Ricciarelli
Isa: Beta Cinema
U.S. Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
In the aftermath of WWII German authorities and the majority of the population refused to acknowledge the magnitude of their involvement in the Holocaust until a driven young prosecutor begins uncovering the truth. Ricciarelli film is a compelling historical drama with a fantastic lead performance by Alexander Fehling at its core.
Read More: Dir. Giulio Ricciarelli and Star Alexander Fehling on the Historical Relevance of 'Labyrinth of Lies' and Germany's Open Wound
Guatemala
"Ixcanul"
Dir. Jayro Bustamante
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
U.S. Distribution: Kino Lorber
Bustamante’s Silver Bear-winning ethereal masterpiece in indigenous language is an intimate look at the lives of the country’s Mayan population. Told through the eyes of a teenage girl destined to an arranged marriage, this marvelously photographed film speaks of tradition, modernity, mysticism, male chauvinism, and cultural isolation.
Read More: 'Ixcanul' Director Jayro Bustamante on the Strength of Mayan Women and Guatemala's Indigenous Majority
Hungary
"Son of Saul" (Saul fia)
Dir. László Nemes
Isa: Films Distribution
U.S. Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
By far the most incredible debut of the year and one of the best films about the Holocaust ever made, this year’s Grand Prix winner takes the viewer inside the Nazi killing machine from the perspective of the Sonderkommando, a group of Jewish men chosen to carry out all horrific manual labor within the gas chambers. Immersive and devastating, Nemes' stunner is a powerful cinematic statement.
Iceland
"Rams" (Hrútar)
Dir. Grímur Hákonarson
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
U.S. Distribution: Cohen Media Group
A humorous look at brotherhood and pastoral life, this Un Certain Regard-winning dark comedy pays homage to the importance of sheep in the Icelandic cultural identity. When a disease wipes out the entire town’s flock, two estrange siblings, who haven’t spoken to each other in decades, are forced to collaborate in order to save their livelihood.
Ireland
"Viva"
Dir. Paddy Breathnach
Isa: Mongrel International
U.S. Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Jesus, a young gay man in Havana, only finds relief from his daily struggles when he transforms into a drag performer in front of an eager audience, but when his macho father returns after decades away his dreams are jeopardized. This Irish production set in Cuba is a delightful work that thrives on authenticity and emotionally layered performances.
Read More:'Viva' Director Paddy Breathnach on Making an Irish Film in Cuba and Visceral Transformation
Jordan
"Theeb" (ذيب)
Dir. Naji Abu Nowar
Isa: Fortissimo Films
U.S. Distribution: Film Movement
Adapting the sensibilities of classic Westerns into a uniquely Middle Eastern setting, this period piece touches on the complicated relationship between the region and the colonial powers via the experiences of a young Bedouin boy who embarks on a mission across the desert. Top-notch filmmaking that twists conventions to depict a singular worldview.
Mexico
"600 Miles" (600 Millas)
Dir. Gabriel Ripstein
Isa: Ndm
U.S. Distribution: Pantelion Films
By focusing on two characters from opposite sides of the border, Gabriel Ripstein’s debut Starring Tim Roth delves into the U.S/Mexico conflictive, yet unavoidable codependency and share responsibility in the fight against organized crime. Guns are at the center of this realist tale in which everyone’s morality is tinged with shades of grey.
The Netherlands
"The Paradise Suite"
Dir. Joost van Ginkel
Isa: Media Luna New Films
U.S. Distribution: None Yet
In this profound multi-narrative film the tumultuous stories of characters from diverse latitudes collide in Amsterdam in unexpected and heartbreaking ways. An Eastern European girl dragged into prostitution, an African man desperate to stay afloat, a war criminal in disguise, a woman seeking revenge, and famous musician and his son struggling to connect, all, in their own way, looking fro redemption.
Norway
"The Wave" (Bølgen)
Dir. Roar Uthaug
Isa: TrustNordisk
U.S. Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Besides its spectacular, Hollywood-worthy visual effects, what sets this Scandinavian disaster movie apart from less sophisticated American efforts is its interesting character development. While the chaos and destruction on screen is an exhilarating feast, the human aspect is never forgotten and it’s crucial to the Norwegian specificity of the plot.
Romania
"Aferim!"
Dir. Radu Jude
Isa: Beta Cinema
U.S. Distribution: Big World Pictures
Thematically fascinating and visually impeccable, this black-and-white historical adventure set in the early 19th century solidifies Romanian cinema as one of the most exciting and innovative currents in Europe. Radu Jude’s film centers on the mostly unknown history of Gypsy slavery and how this shaped Romanian society by using a tragicomic tone and timeless aesthetics.
Spain
"Flowers" (Loreak)
Dirs. Jon Garaño & Jose Mari Goenaga
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
U.S. Distribution: Music Box Films
The country’s firs Basque-language entry is a soft-spoken drama that juxtaposes the grieving processes of three women after the tragic death of man that touched their lives directly and indirectly. Unpretentious in its concept, yet unexpectedly philosophical, the power of the narrative lies on the actresses that flourish and decay in varying degrees throughout the film.
Sweden
"A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" (En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron)
Dir. Roy Andersson
Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)
U.S. Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
As brilliant as anything Andersson has ever created, the final chapter in his trilogy about the absurdity of what it means to be human is one of the most unconventional cinematic experiences in recent memory. Without the constraints of la traditional plot, this nonlinear treasure uses clever vignettes to talk about death, humor, and the mundane things that define our existence.
Read More: 7 Reasons Why Roy Andersson's Latest Film is a Must-See Philosophical Wonder
Taiwan
"The Assassin" (聶隱娘)
Dir. Hsiao-hsien Hou
Isa: Wild Bunch
U.S. Distribution: Well Go USA Entertainment
Armed with breathtaking cinematography, lavish costumes and production design, and an ancient legend about betrayal and retribution, master Hsiao-hsien Hou obliterates our expectations and delivers a one-of-a-kind martial arts epic that’s more concerned with sensory transcendence than narrative clarity, but is no less of an enthralling experience because of it.
- 12/14/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Jose here. In the sensitive romance, Félix and Meira, Hadas Yaron and Martin Dubreuil, play the title characters, two lovers who bond through their loneliness, but must struggle with their very different backgrounds, and the fact that she’s married to someone else. An insightful look at Montreal’s Hasidic community, the film is peculiar for its restraint and might be one of the most memorable romantic films in recent years. Director Maxime Giroux paints a unique portrait of people seeking connections that go beyond typical “movie love”. I spoke to him about the film’s origins, casting his leading lady, and being in the race for Oscar.
Jose: At the beginning of the year I spoke to Luzer Twersky who told me the film originally was supposed to be a comedy. How did you end up with such a subdued romantic drama instead?
Maxime Giroux:It’s funny, when...
Jose: At the beginning of the year I spoke to Luzer Twersky who told me the film originally was supposed to be a comedy. How did you end up with such a subdued romantic drama instead?
Maxime Giroux:It’s funny, when...
- 12/14/2015
- by Jose
- FilmExperience
Title: La felicità è un sistema complesso (Happiness is a complex system) Director: Gianni Zanasi Starring: Valerio Mastandrea, Giuseppe Battiston, Hadas Yaron, Paolo Briguglia, Teco Celio, Maurizio Donadoni, Filippo De Carli and Chiara Martini. Criticism on capitalism is at the core of Gianni Zanasi’s new flick: La felicità è un sistema complesso (Happiness is a complex system). Enrico Giusti (Valerio Mastrandrea) has a very peculiar job: he convinces irresponsible entrepreneurs to sell their companies, in order to make them competitive again through arguable mechanisms he is not fully aware of. But he will start to question what he does through a Deus ex machina: the arrival of Achrinoam, an Israeli [ Read More ]
The post La felicità è un sistema complesso (Happiness is a complex system) Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post La felicità è un sistema complesso (Happiness is a complex system) Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 11/29/2015
- by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
- ShockYa
"Felix and Meira " is Canada's Official Submission in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards. Isa: Udi. U.S. Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories
United by spatial closeness yet separated by an ocean of cultural distance, the two doomed lovers in Maxime Giroux‘s “Felix and Meira” embody a romance caught between the clutches of strict religious mandates and the refreshing air of freedom. Sumptuously intimate and permeated with seductive melancholy, Giroux film follows a secular French Canadian man and a married Hasidic woman as they find comfort, even if temporary, from the quiet turmoil in their lives.
Read More: Review: 'Felix and Meira' is a Delicate Portrait of a Uniquely Forbidden Romance
Felix (Martin Dubreuil) is no longer a young man, but his life is far from being stable. His lack of interest in following his father’s footsteps has turned him into an outcast in our success-driven society. Bound to exist under the shadow of the Hasidic community’s expectations, Meira’s only respite from her duties as a wife are music and her occasional walks around the neighborhood. Once Felix and Meira (Hadas Yaron) cross paths and their tender desperation to be someone else takes over them, her husband, Shulem (Luzer Twersky), becomes the collateral victim. Is it Shulem’s fault that Meira feels trapped? Or are they both victims of the only lifestyle they’ve ever known? Is Felix offering an escape or destroying a family? It’s in the intricate search for these answers that Giroux finds moments of human truth for all the affected parts in this emotional triangle.
Read More: Whistler Film Festival 2015 Unveils First 18 Films Plus Other Highlights
Giroux is not a Jewish man and knew nothing about this community and their faith prior to the making of the film, but living in a community where the secular and the religious shared space but never connected inspired him to dive into the unknown. Though he was fearful of the risk he was taking, the result is elegantly executed and unassumingly affecting. He proves that melodrama rarely has a place where there is truth.
Here is our conversation with Giroux on understanding the Hasidic community he only knew from afar before, on the identity Quebecois people, and why he enjoys making films about things he is against.
Aguilar: Both Felix and Meira's world's coexist without ever touching each other. What prompted you to delve into these parallel lifestyles, in particular that of the Hasidic community, which is foreign to most of us?
Maxime Giroux: I have to say I was a little like Felix, the character. I was a bit naïve about the Hasidic community. I didn’t know anything about it and I was living, like him, in the same neighborhood as the Hasidic people. I don’t know why, but for some reason I wasn’t really interested in them. My community and their community live together, but we don’t talk to them and they don’t talk to us. At one point I was searching for an idea to make a movie. I was outside this cafe everyday and they would walk by in front of me. I talked to my co-writer Alexandre Laferrière and said, “Why don’t we make a film about this community? We don’t know anything about them. We should do research and try to learn more about them. We should try to be in contact with them.”
It was as simple as that. The reason why I made this movie was to get to know them a little bit more. I was naïve because I didn’t know it would be so complex to write a movie about them. The movie is simple in a way. It’s a simple love story or a normal love story, but it was tough to write it because there were things we couldn’t say and there were other things we could say but only in a certain way. We had to be careful. Our goal was to say a lot of things about this community but when we wrote it, I realized that it was too much and that we couldn’t show it all in the movie. It was really difficult. It took like two and a half years to write the script, to rewrite it, and to figure it all out.
What sort of research did you do or what kind of interaction did you have with this community in order to portray them accurately or in an honest manner? You are not part of the community, so in a sense, like Felix, you were an outsider looking at them from afar.
Maxime Giroux: That was the main complexity of making the film. Alex was more into the books. He was reading books about the Hassidic community and Judaism. We are not Jewish, so we were starting to learn from the beginning. We knew nothing. We started to write the script and while he was more into the books, I was more on the field. I was riding my bicycle, walking the neighborhood, going into synagogues and community centers, and talking to them. I discovered that every time I started to talk about how I was going to make a movie about their community they stop talking about the subject of the film. They said, “No, you can’t make a movie about that. Forget about it.” Some people among them were curious and asked me, “What’s your story about?” I would say, “It’s a love story between a French Canadian man and a Hasidic woman. ” They would say, “That’s impossible.” I would asked them, “Why do you say it’s impossible I’ve heard stories?” They would always reply, “No, it’s impossible.” At one point I thought, “Oh my God, it’s going to be impossible for me to make this movie because I need some of these people to help me make it. I can’t do it myself. I don’t know this community.” The only way for me to make the movie was to talk to people who have left the Hasidic community.
How difficult was it to find them and how willing were they to help you tell this story?
Maxime Giroux: I found Luzer, who plays Meira’s husband Shulem, on the Internet. I also found other ex-Hasidic people who lived in New York. I went there to talk to a lot of people who had left the community and all of them told me to go see Luzer. I already knew that I wanted to meet him because I thought he was the best prospect for the role, but everybody in New York confirm it and said, “You should go see this guy, he is amazing and he wants to act in movies.” I met him and he was such a character in real life and then I decided to work with him. He helped us translate the script into Yiddish. It was super important for me to make the film in Yiddish. He also helped us be accurate in terms of the set decorations, the props, and the costumes. He really helped us. Without him it would have been impossible to make the movie.
In the film there are also four other ex-members of the Hasidic community. All of them really helped me. A few months before making the film I thought, “I’m not going to make this film. It’s impossible. I don’t have the key to make this film even if I have the script,” but when I met these people they really helped us. That’s why I think that the ex-Hasidic people who saw the film really liked it because they feel it’s accurate. Just yesterday a guy from the U.K, an ex-member of the community, wrote to me because the film played in London a few days ago. He saw it and said, “Oh my God. It’s like my life.”
When you talked to them what were some of the reasons they gave you for leaving the Hasidic community?
Maxime Giroux: There are a lot of reasons. Just like in every community bad things happen. For example, I heard stories that in Brooklyn there have been cases of boys being sexually abused by adults in the community. Some people want to leave the community because of that. Others just don’t accept this way of living and others just don’t believe in religion. They were born into it but then at 8 or 9-years-old they start asking questions and by 14 they want to quit. There are a lot of different reasons depending on the person.
In your film Meira wants to leave because she wants freedom and she is loves, or at least is interested in Felix. Tell me about writing this beautifully complex character. She a woman living a double life.
Maxime Giroux: For me the main thing is that she wants freedom. We discovered that when you are a Hasidic woman you are first a child and then at 12-years-old instantly you become a woman. At 12-years-old they tell you, “Ok, now you have to learn to be a woman in order to become a mother.” They don’t have teenage years. For me, Meira wants to have those teenage years. She never had them but she wants to live them. She wants that freedom when you have when are teenager and you start to listen to music and to define yourself with art. She wants those years where you find a path for yourself. I think she wants freedom. Is she really in love with Felix? He is there and she is perfect for him. I think love in life is like that most of the time. We fall in love with someone that’s at the same place and the same moment of his or her life. You need that person so you can grow for a certain period of time. Sometimes this growth is for 10, 20 or 30 years, and sometimes it’s only for a few months. So is she really in love with him? Maybe.
The ending is also very ambiguous. It doesn’t give us a straight answer or a perfectly wrapped happy ending. There is uncertainty in both of their faces.
Maxime Giroux: Yes, it was very important for a lot of reasons. Even us, in our society, when we leave someone, like if you have two children and a wife or a husband, we are not sure about doing it. After a few months you might think, “Did I do the right thing? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe my life with my wife and children was wonderful but I fucked it up." There was also the fact that when Hassidic people leave the community they don’t have family anymore, they don’t have friends anymore, they don’t have education anymore.
Are they sort of like the stories we hear about people who leave Scientology or cults?
Maxime Giroux: I don’t know much about scientology, but at least some of those people have something before that and they have an education. Hasidic people don’t have an education, some of them barely speak English. When they leave their community they arrive in this society like if they were an immigrant from another country without a job, without money, without friends, and without family. They have nothing. There is a high suicide rate among them because you can’t quit religion in one day. That’s why the ending of the film is like that. Religion was so strong for 20-something years in Meira's life, so when you try to quit everything you feel lost and you feel alone even if there is someone there. She doesn’t really know Felix and he doesn’t know her. It’s going to be a new life for him too. He will have to take care of her and of a child that he doesn’t know. In turn, Meira's daughter will never see her father again, even if he was a good guy and love both of them. It was impossible for me to write a happy ending.
Through small details we see that when Meira is with Felix, outside of her real life her self-image change. The beauty that she’s been hiding comes out and there is a certain glow about her. She rediscovers herself when she is outside of her religious world.
Maxime Giroux: Yes. Something like this happened to me. I was with a woman for years. She was always a beautiful woman, but when she left me everyone was telling her, “You look great!” It's not that I was a bad guy to her, but we were not happy together at the end of the relationship. Once someone leaves a relationship where he or she feels trapped, there is like a new light about that person. That’s what freedom gives you. Hadas Yaron was perfect for this role. She doesn’t have to say anything. It’s all in her eyes and the way she moves. When she puts jeans on for the first time it’s an incredible moment.
Those moments, which we take for granted and consider mundane, are revelatory experiences for her.
Maxime Giroux: When we wrote the scene with the jeans we didn’t really know what it meant. We wrote it thinking, “Probably for her, since she has never had the chance to wear pants in her life, this will mean something.” Jeans are a symbol of freedom. In the 1950s young people would wear casual jeans as a “fuck you” to their parents. Still today they represent something casual and free. For most Hasidic people, men or women, the first time they put jeans on is one of their most memorable experiences. The first time they wear them is like, “Oh my God, what’s happening!” It’s something they’ve never experienced. Something so tight on their skin. It’s a pretty sensual sensation. We discovered what it meant after we did the film. Hasidic people who watched the film would say, “The scene with the jeans is perfect.” Those are great little details, but without a good actress it would have been impossible.
Tell me about your decision to cast Hadas Yaron. This is a challenging role in terms of the languages spoken and the delicate vulnerability required to play a woman divided between two lives.
Maxime Giroux: As you know she was in film called “Fill the Void,” which is also about the Hasidic community, because of that I didn’t want her in my movie at first. I said, “She already acted in a movie about the Hasidic community, and she doesn’t speak Yiddish or French.” I started doing research here in the U.S. to find an actress. I found a few Hasidic women but they were two tall for my two actors who are short and thin. I didn't really find someone that was good. Then my two producers, who are also Xavier Dolan's producers, without my permission, asked her to audition. I saw the video in my computer and she was speaking French and 15 seconds after I thought, "That's Meira. That's totally her." She is very different from her role in "Fill the Void" where she is more reserved. I said, "Yes she is Meira but she needs to learn Yiddish and French," and she did. She was really good.
Speaking about language, although there is dialogue in the film, this is a very quiet story. Silences and gazes are really powerful between the protagonists.
Maxime Giroux: I think that really represents who I am. Even if I talk a lot with you right now, I'm not a really intellectual person. I'm more introspective. My world is more inside of me. I think this comes from my culture, from the Quebecois culture. We are really instinctive people. We don’t talk much. We are not like French people from France who talk and talk and who are really intellectual when they speak. I think this is one of the reasons why my characters not talk a lot. It’s more about little actions and little details. That’s because of who I am. In a way I see myself in Meira too, even if I didn’t live that life. When I was young I was a little bit like her in way. I was trying to get out of the community I grew up in, which was uneducated and where there was no art. Even if I loved those people I wanted to have more than. I see myself in Meira maybe more than in Felix. I think Felix is more like my co-writer.
Felix is going through his own problems after his father's death. He is a mess. He acts like a young man who hasn’t figured himself out. I feel that's what makes him connect with Meira, the fact that he is also, despite his age, still discovering who he wants to be.
Maxime Giroux: He represents a lot of people I know, but I also think he represents my society, the French Canadian society, which is getting older. We are a new country like the U.S. We are a young country unlike France or Germany. In those terms French-Canadian society is really like a teenager in a way. We are a little bit lost. In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s we decided to remove everything religious. Before that we were a very religious society, but not anymore. We lost our sense of family and community. I think in that sense Felix really represents my community. These are two communities that are living together. One is really about community and family values and the other one is like, “I don’t give a shit about my father, mother or my neighbor.” It’s a bit like in America too. We care about ourselves: the individual. It was really important for us two have these two communities. He is lost in this community because we have to perform. To be a good citizen in our society you need to be successful and make money, and he doesn’t want to do that. His father did that and he was not happy. Felix is more like, “I don’t give a shit about being that.” He doesn’t want to be part of the system and she is not part of the system either.
Does he love Meira?
Maxime Giroux: I think he loves her more than she loves him, but she loves him too in a way too.
Do you think this sense of isolation in your film also comes from the idea that Quebec and French Canadians are an island within Canada?
Maxime Giroux: Yes. Right now we are a little bit lost in terms of who we are. In the 70s and 80s we were like, “Yes, we are French-Canadian! Quebecois!" We were proud of it. Now we are more like, “Yes, we are French-Canadian but at the same we want to make money and we want the same things as other Canadians. We don’t give a shit about who are. We just want to make money. “
Something that really makes the film emotionally poignant is that you don’t make Shulem, Meira’s husband, a villain. He is a man who loves his wife and child but who has chosen to live by the parameters of his faith.
Maxime Giroux: That was incredibly important. I’m an atheist. I don’t believe in religion, but at the same time the goal of the film was to try to understand people who need religion. I didn’t understand them before making this movie. There are so many people who believe in and who need religion. It was important for me to represent them, which is why Meira's husband is very important. We had to see his humanity, not only the religion behind him but also the human. Most humans on this planet are good people. Most of them. I don’t have a number, but everywhere I've traveled most people are good. When you spend time with people you see most of them are good. Society or religion sometimes makes them bad.
In life, I hate police. In Montreal whenever there is a student protest I’m always on the student’s side, not the police. But I know that there are good people in the police force. That’s why I want to make a movie about police at some point, because I don’t like them and I want to like them a little bit more. I want to say to myself at the end of the journey, “You were wrong. There are some fucking good people in the police.”
Is there a reason why you don’t like police?
Maxime Giroux: I don’t like people with that kind of power. I feel like they are often on a power trip. Not all of them, but in my head I generalize them, just like I did with religion. After making “Felix and Meira” I understood that some people need religion and others simply don’t.
It’s very interesting and admirable that you make films about things you don’t understand in order to understand them better.
Maxime Giroux: Not only that I don’t understand, but that at the beginning of the process I’m against. I know that at the end I’ll change my ideas and that's the reason why I’m making a film on the subject. I want to understand those people and I want to prove to myself that humans and life are more complex and more beautiful than I thought.
Shulem is just doing what his religion mandates. It's definitely his choice, but we know that he doesn't have may options.
Maxime Giroux: He is also a victim. It was important for me to show that in the movie even if it’s subtle. Religion can be good, but in this case the problem is that if you don’t act like you are supposed to in that community people will slap your hand. They tell Meira, “You have to be like this. You have to have children and you have to take care of your children.” That’s the bad thing about this religion, and I wanted to show that. This guy is a victim of that because if the community would give women more space and freedom, he would still be with her. He would still be the father of that child and the husband to that woman.
Regarding the film's cinematography, what kind of references or specific styles did you discuss with your Dp? There is a classic, almost tender quality to the images.
Maxime Giroux: I've worked with Sara Mishara, the director of photography, before. I started working with her in university. We don’t have to talk a lot, but the few things we said to ourselves before starting the movie was that we wanted it to look a little bit like the immigrant movies of the 70s. Not “The Godfather” but all those movies about immigrants that took place in Brooklyn. For me Meira is an immigrant living in North America in a sense. We wanted the 70ish look or Gordon Willis-ish. I had the chance to visit some Hasidic households in Brooklyn and Montreal and all of the colors felt like if I was in the 70s. The color palette was really toned down and there were not bright colors. There might be bright colors sometimes in their clothing but not in the house. We decided to get some lenses that are not very good to avoid having a perfectly sharp image. We decided to make a very simple movie in terms of how we were going to shoot it and let the characters talk. We weren’t trying to do too much. We wanted to be humble like the characters and the subject. At the same we didn’t have a big budget, which I think was good for us because Sara didn’t really have the chance to light the scenes so we were playing with the sun and the available light. I think it gives the film a special quality.
The scenes in New York City, particularly those in Time Square, are incredibly beautiful and intimate. You found a very intimate moment between these two people in a crowded place full of lights.
Maxime Giroux: I thought the scene we shot in Time Square could turn out to be really cheesy, but it didn't. We didn’t have a lot of references for that scene, but I found a screen test that Natalie Wood and James Dean did for a movie. In that test they were doing what Felix and Meira do in the film. I don't know why, but I just did the same scene but in Time Square. I decided not to actually show Time Square but let the lights fall on them. We are in their bubble. It's funny because we had the camera but no lights, nobody saw or noticed us shooting there. The camera wasn't too big or high and there were so many people there that nobody thought we were shooting a movie. You can feel it in the scene, that they are in their bubble and the lights are just falling on them. For Meira, the character, this is special. Most Hasidic people in New York or Brooklyn have never gone to Time Square. They don't know what's there. For her is like, "Wow! There is also things like this out in the world," when for us it might like, "It's only Time Square." I think you can feel that for her it's not only Time Square, it's something more. It's something open, a big world has opened for her. I really like that scene and the music on it too.
Now that you mention music, that's one of the things Meira enjoys the most and that is also prohibited. She enjoys these classic pop songs but is not allowed to listen to them.
Maxime Giroux: Yes. She can't listen to that kind of music. Like I said, for me, and I think also for most people, music defines you or shapes you when you are young, especially when you are on your teens. That's why people still listen to U2 at 40-years-old, because when they discovered who they were that music was there. At 40-years-old you still the same person, you'll probably stay the same person all your life, and you still listen to U2. I don't understand that but that's how it is. She defined herself and found herself with this music, which is music by Black American singers from a particular time period. They were probably not slaves, but their mothers were slaves, they might feel like they are also slaves in a different way and they decide to take the fucking guitar and play music in a rebellious way.
Why did you decide to include that particular clip of this Black woman playing the guitar? It's also placed mostly without context within the narrative, a bold decision on your part because it break the cinematic grammar we are used to.
Maxime Giroux: That's the reason. For me this woman took this guitar in a man's world and said, "Fuck you! I'm gonna play the guitar and I'm gonna do whatever I want." That's what Meira wants, to do whatever she wants. At the beginning I was not supposed to put it in the movie but I decided to bring my computer on the set and I said to my Dp, Sara, "Can you film this clip on YouTube?" I started the clip and she started to shoot. Then the entire crew gathered around the computer saying, "Oh my God, what's that? It's so great" I knew it was great, and everyone was amazed by this woman, so I said, "I have to put this in the movie." I didn't know where, but during the editing process I needed a transition. I placed somewhere where you feel like something happened at that moment even if you don't see it. I thought, "Ok, I'm not supposed to do that as a filmmaker. It's a transgression, but I don't give shit. I just love this scene. I'm going to put it in and I know that some people will ask me why and I understand, but most people will like it. They will enjoy watching this big black woman emancipate herself by taking this guitar." Is the same idea during the scene at the Hispanic bar. This woman is dancing and she says to Meira, "Come dance with us." It was important for me that some women embraced Meira.
"Felix and Meira" is a great film, but it's a small. Did the positive reactions around the world surprise you? It did very well in the U.S. for a film its size.
Maxime Giroux: For sure. You are always surprised when you have success. It's not a huge success, but is still a success. The film cost nearly half a million dollars, so we were very surprised. At the same time I knew that the subject was interesting. Every time someone asked me, "What's your next movie?" I would say, "We'll it's a love story between a French Canadian man and a Hasidic woman who is married and has a daughter." Everyone was like, "Oh that's interesting." I knew that before shooting the movie but I was really afraid. I'm not Jewish, and it's difficult to make a movie about this subject. Telefilm Canada gave me money, but the Quebec government didn't give me money. They said, "How can you talk about them? You are not a Jew." I was really afraid and I knew that I had to be careful, but I also knew that people were interested in this story - even if it's a classic story. Also, when you put music like that in the movie you know that people will be easily touched. In cinema you can put a song like that and a plate of fruit on the screen and people will be touched. Let's be honest. Music is the easiest way to manipulate the audience in a movie. The director has to manipulate the audience in a good way, but music is the easiest way to manipulate the audience. You put a David Bowie song and people from that era will be touched because they will remember, "Oh that was the song that I liked when I was 16."
Now that "Felix and Meira" is traveling on its own two feet and is out there in the world, what are you working on next? Another small character study perhaps or something bigger?
Maxime Giroux: My next project will involve music. I was a drummer before and I did a lot of music videos. For my first film I refused to use music because I thought it was too easy. On "Felix and Meira" I said, "Fuck it, I'm doing whatever I want. I'm doing it for me." But the next one is about a female singer who is not very famous but everywhere around the world some people know about her. Sort of like Grimes, she can walk down the street and most people wont recognize her, but everywhere in the world some people do know her. The character is French Canadian but she sings in English. She has some money problems and to solve this problems she is going to do a concert in China with a cover band at a hotel. However, the real reason why she is doing it is to do some industrial spying in China
"Felix and Meira" is now available on DVD and on digital platforms.
United by spatial closeness yet separated by an ocean of cultural distance, the two doomed lovers in Maxime Giroux‘s “Felix and Meira” embody a romance caught between the clutches of strict religious mandates and the refreshing air of freedom. Sumptuously intimate and permeated with seductive melancholy, Giroux film follows a secular French Canadian man and a married Hasidic woman as they find comfort, even if temporary, from the quiet turmoil in their lives.
Read More: Review: 'Felix and Meira' is a Delicate Portrait of a Uniquely Forbidden Romance
Felix (Martin Dubreuil) is no longer a young man, but his life is far from being stable. His lack of interest in following his father’s footsteps has turned him into an outcast in our success-driven society. Bound to exist under the shadow of the Hasidic community’s expectations, Meira’s only respite from her duties as a wife are music and her occasional walks around the neighborhood. Once Felix and Meira (Hadas Yaron) cross paths and their tender desperation to be someone else takes over them, her husband, Shulem (Luzer Twersky), becomes the collateral victim. Is it Shulem’s fault that Meira feels trapped? Or are they both victims of the only lifestyle they’ve ever known? Is Felix offering an escape or destroying a family? It’s in the intricate search for these answers that Giroux finds moments of human truth for all the affected parts in this emotional triangle.
Read More: Whistler Film Festival 2015 Unveils First 18 Films Plus Other Highlights
Giroux is not a Jewish man and knew nothing about this community and their faith prior to the making of the film, but living in a community where the secular and the religious shared space but never connected inspired him to dive into the unknown. Though he was fearful of the risk he was taking, the result is elegantly executed and unassumingly affecting. He proves that melodrama rarely has a place where there is truth.
Here is our conversation with Giroux on understanding the Hasidic community he only knew from afar before, on the identity Quebecois people, and why he enjoys making films about things he is against.
Aguilar: Both Felix and Meira's world's coexist without ever touching each other. What prompted you to delve into these parallel lifestyles, in particular that of the Hasidic community, which is foreign to most of us?
Maxime Giroux: I have to say I was a little like Felix, the character. I was a bit naïve about the Hasidic community. I didn’t know anything about it and I was living, like him, in the same neighborhood as the Hasidic people. I don’t know why, but for some reason I wasn’t really interested in them. My community and their community live together, but we don’t talk to them and they don’t talk to us. At one point I was searching for an idea to make a movie. I was outside this cafe everyday and they would walk by in front of me. I talked to my co-writer Alexandre Laferrière and said, “Why don’t we make a film about this community? We don’t know anything about them. We should do research and try to learn more about them. We should try to be in contact with them.”
It was as simple as that. The reason why I made this movie was to get to know them a little bit more. I was naïve because I didn’t know it would be so complex to write a movie about them. The movie is simple in a way. It’s a simple love story or a normal love story, but it was tough to write it because there were things we couldn’t say and there were other things we could say but only in a certain way. We had to be careful. Our goal was to say a lot of things about this community but when we wrote it, I realized that it was too much and that we couldn’t show it all in the movie. It was really difficult. It took like two and a half years to write the script, to rewrite it, and to figure it all out.
What sort of research did you do or what kind of interaction did you have with this community in order to portray them accurately or in an honest manner? You are not part of the community, so in a sense, like Felix, you were an outsider looking at them from afar.
Maxime Giroux: That was the main complexity of making the film. Alex was more into the books. He was reading books about the Hassidic community and Judaism. We are not Jewish, so we were starting to learn from the beginning. We knew nothing. We started to write the script and while he was more into the books, I was more on the field. I was riding my bicycle, walking the neighborhood, going into synagogues and community centers, and talking to them. I discovered that every time I started to talk about how I was going to make a movie about their community they stop talking about the subject of the film. They said, “No, you can’t make a movie about that. Forget about it.” Some people among them were curious and asked me, “What’s your story about?” I would say, “It’s a love story between a French Canadian man and a Hasidic woman. ” They would say, “That’s impossible.” I would asked them, “Why do you say it’s impossible I’ve heard stories?” They would always reply, “No, it’s impossible.” At one point I thought, “Oh my God, it’s going to be impossible for me to make this movie because I need some of these people to help me make it. I can’t do it myself. I don’t know this community.” The only way for me to make the movie was to talk to people who have left the Hasidic community.
How difficult was it to find them and how willing were they to help you tell this story?
Maxime Giroux: I found Luzer, who plays Meira’s husband Shulem, on the Internet. I also found other ex-Hasidic people who lived in New York. I went there to talk to a lot of people who had left the community and all of them told me to go see Luzer. I already knew that I wanted to meet him because I thought he was the best prospect for the role, but everybody in New York confirm it and said, “You should go see this guy, he is amazing and he wants to act in movies.” I met him and he was such a character in real life and then I decided to work with him. He helped us translate the script into Yiddish. It was super important for me to make the film in Yiddish. He also helped us be accurate in terms of the set decorations, the props, and the costumes. He really helped us. Without him it would have been impossible to make the movie.
In the film there are also four other ex-members of the Hasidic community. All of them really helped me. A few months before making the film I thought, “I’m not going to make this film. It’s impossible. I don’t have the key to make this film even if I have the script,” but when I met these people they really helped us. That’s why I think that the ex-Hasidic people who saw the film really liked it because they feel it’s accurate. Just yesterday a guy from the U.K, an ex-member of the community, wrote to me because the film played in London a few days ago. He saw it and said, “Oh my God. It’s like my life.”
When you talked to them what were some of the reasons they gave you for leaving the Hasidic community?
Maxime Giroux: There are a lot of reasons. Just like in every community bad things happen. For example, I heard stories that in Brooklyn there have been cases of boys being sexually abused by adults in the community. Some people want to leave the community because of that. Others just don’t accept this way of living and others just don’t believe in religion. They were born into it but then at 8 or 9-years-old they start asking questions and by 14 they want to quit. There are a lot of different reasons depending on the person.
In your film Meira wants to leave because she wants freedom and she is loves, or at least is interested in Felix. Tell me about writing this beautifully complex character. She a woman living a double life.
Maxime Giroux: For me the main thing is that she wants freedom. We discovered that when you are a Hasidic woman you are first a child and then at 12-years-old instantly you become a woman. At 12-years-old they tell you, “Ok, now you have to learn to be a woman in order to become a mother.” They don’t have teenage years. For me, Meira wants to have those teenage years. She never had them but she wants to live them. She wants that freedom when you have when are teenager and you start to listen to music and to define yourself with art. She wants those years where you find a path for yourself. I think she wants freedom. Is she really in love with Felix? He is there and she is perfect for him. I think love in life is like that most of the time. We fall in love with someone that’s at the same place and the same moment of his or her life. You need that person so you can grow for a certain period of time. Sometimes this growth is for 10, 20 or 30 years, and sometimes it’s only for a few months. So is she really in love with him? Maybe.
The ending is also very ambiguous. It doesn’t give us a straight answer or a perfectly wrapped happy ending. There is uncertainty in both of their faces.
Maxime Giroux: Yes, it was very important for a lot of reasons. Even us, in our society, when we leave someone, like if you have two children and a wife or a husband, we are not sure about doing it. After a few months you might think, “Did I do the right thing? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe my life with my wife and children was wonderful but I fucked it up." There was also the fact that when Hassidic people leave the community they don’t have family anymore, they don’t have friends anymore, they don’t have education anymore.
Are they sort of like the stories we hear about people who leave Scientology or cults?
Maxime Giroux: I don’t know much about scientology, but at least some of those people have something before that and they have an education. Hasidic people don’t have an education, some of them barely speak English. When they leave their community they arrive in this society like if they were an immigrant from another country without a job, without money, without friends, and without family. They have nothing. There is a high suicide rate among them because you can’t quit religion in one day. That’s why the ending of the film is like that. Religion was so strong for 20-something years in Meira's life, so when you try to quit everything you feel lost and you feel alone even if there is someone there. She doesn’t really know Felix and he doesn’t know her. It’s going to be a new life for him too. He will have to take care of her and of a child that he doesn’t know. In turn, Meira's daughter will never see her father again, even if he was a good guy and love both of them. It was impossible for me to write a happy ending.
Through small details we see that when Meira is with Felix, outside of her real life her self-image change. The beauty that she’s been hiding comes out and there is a certain glow about her. She rediscovers herself when she is outside of her religious world.
Maxime Giroux: Yes. Something like this happened to me. I was with a woman for years. She was always a beautiful woman, but when she left me everyone was telling her, “You look great!” It's not that I was a bad guy to her, but we were not happy together at the end of the relationship. Once someone leaves a relationship where he or she feels trapped, there is like a new light about that person. That’s what freedom gives you. Hadas Yaron was perfect for this role. She doesn’t have to say anything. It’s all in her eyes and the way she moves. When she puts jeans on for the first time it’s an incredible moment.
Those moments, which we take for granted and consider mundane, are revelatory experiences for her.
Maxime Giroux: When we wrote the scene with the jeans we didn’t really know what it meant. We wrote it thinking, “Probably for her, since she has never had the chance to wear pants in her life, this will mean something.” Jeans are a symbol of freedom. In the 1950s young people would wear casual jeans as a “fuck you” to their parents. Still today they represent something casual and free. For most Hasidic people, men or women, the first time they put jeans on is one of their most memorable experiences. The first time they wear them is like, “Oh my God, what’s happening!” It’s something they’ve never experienced. Something so tight on their skin. It’s a pretty sensual sensation. We discovered what it meant after we did the film. Hasidic people who watched the film would say, “The scene with the jeans is perfect.” Those are great little details, but without a good actress it would have been impossible.
Tell me about your decision to cast Hadas Yaron. This is a challenging role in terms of the languages spoken and the delicate vulnerability required to play a woman divided between two lives.
Maxime Giroux: As you know she was in film called “Fill the Void,” which is also about the Hasidic community, because of that I didn’t want her in my movie at first. I said, “She already acted in a movie about the Hasidic community, and she doesn’t speak Yiddish or French.” I started doing research here in the U.S. to find an actress. I found a few Hasidic women but they were two tall for my two actors who are short and thin. I didn't really find someone that was good. Then my two producers, who are also Xavier Dolan's producers, without my permission, asked her to audition. I saw the video in my computer and she was speaking French and 15 seconds after I thought, "That's Meira. That's totally her." She is very different from her role in "Fill the Void" where she is more reserved. I said, "Yes she is Meira but she needs to learn Yiddish and French," and she did. She was really good.
Speaking about language, although there is dialogue in the film, this is a very quiet story. Silences and gazes are really powerful between the protagonists.
Maxime Giroux: I think that really represents who I am. Even if I talk a lot with you right now, I'm not a really intellectual person. I'm more introspective. My world is more inside of me. I think this comes from my culture, from the Quebecois culture. We are really instinctive people. We don’t talk much. We are not like French people from France who talk and talk and who are really intellectual when they speak. I think this is one of the reasons why my characters not talk a lot. It’s more about little actions and little details. That’s because of who I am. In a way I see myself in Meira too, even if I didn’t live that life. When I was young I was a little bit like her in way. I was trying to get out of the community I grew up in, which was uneducated and where there was no art. Even if I loved those people I wanted to have more than. I see myself in Meira maybe more than in Felix. I think Felix is more like my co-writer.
Felix is going through his own problems after his father's death. He is a mess. He acts like a young man who hasn’t figured himself out. I feel that's what makes him connect with Meira, the fact that he is also, despite his age, still discovering who he wants to be.
Maxime Giroux: He represents a lot of people I know, but I also think he represents my society, the French Canadian society, which is getting older. We are a new country like the U.S. We are a young country unlike France or Germany. In those terms French-Canadian society is really like a teenager in a way. We are a little bit lost. In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s we decided to remove everything religious. Before that we were a very religious society, but not anymore. We lost our sense of family and community. I think in that sense Felix really represents my community. These are two communities that are living together. One is really about community and family values and the other one is like, “I don’t give a shit about my father, mother or my neighbor.” It’s a bit like in America too. We care about ourselves: the individual. It was really important for us two have these two communities. He is lost in this community because we have to perform. To be a good citizen in our society you need to be successful and make money, and he doesn’t want to do that. His father did that and he was not happy. Felix is more like, “I don’t give a shit about being that.” He doesn’t want to be part of the system and she is not part of the system either.
Does he love Meira?
Maxime Giroux: I think he loves her more than she loves him, but she loves him too in a way too.
Do you think this sense of isolation in your film also comes from the idea that Quebec and French Canadians are an island within Canada?
Maxime Giroux: Yes. Right now we are a little bit lost in terms of who we are. In the 70s and 80s we were like, “Yes, we are French-Canadian! Quebecois!" We were proud of it. Now we are more like, “Yes, we are French-Canadian but at the same we want to make money and we want the same things as other Canadians. We don’t give a shit about who are. We just want to make money. “
Something that really makes the film emotionally poignant is that you don’t make Shulem, Meira’s husband, a villain. He is a man who loves his wife and child but who has chosen to live by the parameters of his faith.
Maxime Giroux: That was incredibly important. I’m an atheist. I don’t believe in religion, but at the same time the goal of the film was to try to understand people who need religion. I didn’t understand them before making this movie. There are so many people who believe in and who need religion. It was important for me to represent them, which is why Meira's husband is very important. We had to see his humanity, not only the religion behind him but also the human. Most humans on this planet are good people. Most of them. I don’t have a number, but everywhere I've traveled most people are good. When you spend time with people you see most of them are good. Society or religion sometimes makes them bad.
In life, I hate police. In Montreal whenever there is a student protest I’m always on the student’s side, not the police. But I know that there are good people in the police force. That’s why I want to make a movie about police at some point, because I don’t like them and I want to like them a little bit more. I want to say to myself at the end of the journey, “You were wrong. There are some fucking good people in the police.”
Is there a reason why you don’t like police?
Maxime Giroux: I don’t like people with that kind of power. I feel like they are often on a power trip. Not all of them, but in my head I generalize them, just like I did with religion. After making “Felix and Meira” I understood that some people need religion and others simply don’t.
It’s very interesting and admirable that you make films about things you don’t understand in order to understand them better.
Maxime Giroux: Not only that I don’t understand, but that at the beginning of the process I’m against. I know that at the end I’ll change my ideas and that's the reason why I’m making a film on the subject. I want to understand those people and I want to prove to myself that humans and life are more complex and more beautiful than I thought.
Shulem is just doing what his religion mandates. It's definitely his choice, but we know that he doesn't have may options.
Maxime Giroux: He is also a victim. It was important for me to show that in the movie even if it’s subtle. Religion can be good, but in this case the problem is that if you don’t act like you are supposed to in that community people will slap your hand. They tell Meira, “You have to be like this. You have to have children and you have to take care of your children.” That’s the bad thing about this religion, and I wanted to show that. This guy is a victim of that because if the community would give women more space and freedom, he would still be with her. He would still be the father of that child and the husband to that woman.
Regarding the film's cinematography, what kind of references or specific styles did you discuss with your Dp? There is a classic, almost tender quality to the images.
Maxime Giroux: I've worked with Sara Mishara, the director of photography, before. I started working with her in university. We don’t have to talk a lot, but the few things we said to ourselves before starting the movie was that we wanted it to look a little bit like the immigrant movies of the 70s. Not “The Godfather” but all those movies about immigrants that took place in Brooklyn. For me Meira is an immigrant living in North America in a sense. We wanted the 70ish look or Gordon Willis-ish. I had the chance to visit some Hasidic households in Brooklyn and Montreal and all of the colors felt like if I was in the 70s. The color palette was really toned down and there were not bright colors. There might be bright colors sometimes in their clothing but not in the house. We decided to get some lenses that are not very good to avoid having a perfectly sharp image. We decided to make a very simple movie in terms of how we were going to shoot it and let the characters talk. We weren’t trying to do too much. We wanted to be humble like the characters and the subject. At the same we didn’t have a big budget, which I think was good for us because Sara didn’t really have the chance to light the scenes so we were playing with the sun and the available light. I think it gives the film a special quality.
The scenes in New York City, particularly those in Time Square, are incredibly beautiful and intimate. You found a very intimate moment between these two people in a crowded place full of lights.
Maxime Giroux: I thought the scene we shot in Time Square could turn out to be really cheesy, but it didn't. We didn’t have a lot of references for that scene, but I found a screen test that Natalie Wood and James Dean did for a movie. In that test they were doing what Felix and Meira do in the film. I don't know why, but I just did the same scene but in Time Square. I decided not to actually show Time Square but let the lights fall on them. We are in their bubble. It's funny because we had the camera but no lights, nobody saw or noticed us shooting there. The camera wasn't too big or high and there were so many people there that nobody thought we were shooting a movie. You can feel it in the scene, that they are in their bubble and the lights are just falling on them. For Meira, the character, this is special. Most Hasidic people in New York or Brooklyn have never gone to Time Square. They don't know what's there. For her is like, "Wow! There is also things like this out in the world," when for us it might like, "It's only Time Square." I think you can feel that for her it's not only Time Square, it's something more. It's something open, a big world has opened for her. I really like that scene and the music on it too.
Now that you mention music, that's one of the things Meira enjoys the most and that is also prohibited. She enjoys these classic pop songs but is not allowed to listen to them.
Maxime Giroux: Yes. She can't listen to that kind of music. Like I said, for me, and I think also for most people, music defines you or shapes you when you are young, especially when you are on your teens. That's why people still listen to U2 at 40-years-old, because when they discovered who they were that music was there. At 40-years-old you still the same person, you'll probably stay the same person all your life, and you still listen to U2. I don't understand that but that's how it is. She defined herself and found herself with this music, which is music by Black American singers from a particular time period. They were probably not slaves, but their mothers were slaves, they might feel like they are also slaves in a different way and they decide to take the fucking guitar and play music in a rebellious way.
Why did you decide to include that particular clip of this Black woman playing the guitar? It's also placed mostly without context within the narrative, a bold decision on your part because it break the cinematic grammar we are used to.
Maxime Giroux: That's the reason. For me this woman took this guitar in a man's world and said, "Fuck you! I'm gonna play the guitar and I'm gonna do whatever I want." That's what Meira wants, to do whatever she wants. At the beginning I was not supposed to put it in the movie but I decided to bring my computer on the set and I said to my Dp, Sara, "Can you film this clip on YouTube?" I started the clip and she started to shoot. Then the entire crew gathered around the computer saying, "Oh my God, what's that? It's so great" I knew it was great, and everyone was amazed by this woman, so I said, "I have to put this in the movie." I didn't know where, but during the editing process I needed a transition. I placed somewhere where you feel like something happened at that moment even if you don't see it. I thought, "Ok, I'm not supposed to do that as a filmmaker. It's a transgression, but I don't give shit. I just love this scene. I'm going to put it in and I know that some people will ask me why and I understand, but most people will like it. They will enjoy watching this big black woman emancipate herself by taking this guitar." Is the same idea during the scene at the Hispanic bar. This woman is dancing and she says to Meira, "Come dance with us." It was important for me that some women embraced Meira.
"Felix and Meira" is a great film, but it's a small. Did the positive reactions around the world surprise you? It did very well in the U.S. for a film its size.
Maxime Giroux: For sure. You are always surprised when you have success. It's not a huge success, but is still a success. The film cost nearly half a million dollars, so we were very surprised. At the same time I knew that the subject was interesting. Every time someone asked me, "What's your next movie?" I would say, "We'll it's a love story between a French Canadian man and a Hasidic woman who is married and has a daughter." Everyone was like, "Oh that's interesting." I knew that before shooting the movie but I was really afraid. I'm not Jewish, and it's difficult to make a movie about this subject. Telefilm Canada gave me money, but the Quebec government didn't give me money. They said, "How can you talk about them? You are not a Jew." I was really afraid and I knew that I had to be careful, but I also knew that people were interested in this story - even if it's a classic story. Also, when you put music like that in the movie you know that people will be easily touched. In cinema you can put a song like that and a plate of fruit on the screen and people will be touched. Let's be honest. Music is the easiest way to manipulate the audience in a movie. The director has to manipulate the audience in a good way, but music is the easiest way to manipulate the audience. You put a David Bowie song and people from that era will be touched because they will remember, "Oh that was the song that I liked when I was 16."
Now that "Felix and Meira" is traveling on its own two feet and is out there in the world, what are you working on next? Another small character study perhaps or something bigger?
Maxime Giroux: My next project will involve music. I was a drummer before and I did a lot of music videos. For my first film I refused to use music because I thought it was too easy. On "Felix and Meira" I said, "Fuck it, I'm doing whatever I want. I'm doing it for me." But the next one is about a female singer who is not very famous but everywhere around the world some people know about her. Sort of like Grimes, she can walk down the street and most people wont recognize her, but everywhere in the world some people do know her. The character is French Canadian but she sings in English. She has some money problems and to solve this problems she is going to do a concert in China with a cover band at a hotel. However, the real reason why she is doing it is to do some industrial spying in China
"Felix and Meira" is now available on DVD and on digital platforms.
- 11/26/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Telefilm Canada announced on Friday afternoon that Maxime Giroux’s film will fly the flag as the country’s foreign-language Academy Award submission.
Félix et Meira premiered at Toronto 2014 and tells of the improbable love affair between a Francophone Quebecer and a young Hasidic Jewish mother. Martin Dubreuil and Hadas Yaron star along with Luzer Twersky and Anne-Élizabeth Bossé.
Telefilm Canada was among the film’s funders and Nancy Grant and Sylvain Corbeil of Metafilms served as producers.
“Félix et Meira, a love story about two people from vastly different worlds, has moved Canadian and international audiences,” said Carolle Brabant, executive director of Telefilm Canada, which chairs the pan-Canadian Oscar selection committee.
“Screened at more than 50 festivals around the world, this story with universal themes has also picked up many awards. It’s now in the running for an Oscar nomination, and on behalf of Telefilm Canada, I wish the film’s talented crew the best of...
Félix et Meira premiered at Toronto 2014 and tells of the improbable love affair between a Francophone Quebecer and a young Hasidic Jewish mother. Martin Dubreuil and Hadas Yaron star along with Luzer Twersky and Anne-Élizabeth Bossé.
Telefilm Canada was among the film’s funders and Nancy Grant and Sylvain Corbeil of Metafilms served as producers.
“Félix et Meira, a love story about two people from vastly different worlds, has moved Canadian and international audiences,” said Carolle Brabant, executive director of Telefilm Canada, which chairs the pan-Canadian Oscar selection committee.
“Screened at more than 50 festivals around the world, this story with universal themes has also picked up many awards. It’s now in the running for an Oscar nomination, and on behalf of Telefilm Canada, I wish the film’s talented crew the best of...
- 9/25/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
This new French-Canadian drama explores the relationship between two people from vastly different backgrounds. The title couple are not from different countries, social status, or races. And not religions, either. They were both raised in the Jewish faith, but their cultures truly seem to clash more than mesh. He’s a somewhat lapsed Jew who’s aware of the teachings and traditions, but doesn’t seem to attend services with any frequency. She’s part of a very strict Hasidic household, married to a husband who adheres very strictly to the teachings and traditions, always clothed in his black prayer garments while spending much of his time with the rabbis and scholars at his local synagogue. And they have a young daughter, perhaps 10 to 15 months old. The title lady tries to be the good, quiet wife, but something seems to be missing, something that her new acquaintance exudes, perhaps. The...
- 5/14/2015
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Israeli actress Hadas Yaron plays an inhibited and closeted Hasidic Jew in Maxime Giroux’s powerful drama Félix et Meira. Yaron came from her native Israel to Montreal to shoot in minus 30 degree temperatures but that didn’t shut down her enthusiasm for the project. She plays Meira, an Hasidic Jew under the control of her Orthodox fiancé when she embarks on an affair with a gentile. The affair lifts her out of the staid, traditional world she knows and into freedom but at what cost? The film’s reflective point of view brings her struggle into sharp focus and lets us […]...
- 5/1/2015
- by Anne Brodie
- Monsters and Critics
David Gordon Green returns to his alma mater to present Manglehorn; local newcomers impress with Homeless feature.Scroll down for full list of winners
RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, wrapped last night with Shawkat Amin Korki’s Memories on Stone winning best narrative feature and Hao Zhou’s The Chinese Mayor winning best documentary feature.
In the audience awards, best of the fest went to honoree Stanley Nelson’s The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution; best narrative feature went to Anywhere Else by Ester Amrami; best documentary feature went to Marc Silver’s 3 ½ Minutes and best indie was Proud Citizen by Thomas Southerland.
The festival presented 165 films in total in its 17th annual edition; more filmmakers than ever before attended the event.
“Films showcased at our festival this year reflected diverse stories from around the world, immense talent from directors, many trained in Winston-Salem, and a host of passionate projects that are jewels...
RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, wrapped last night with Shawkat Amin Korki’s Memories on Stone winning best narrative feature and Hao Zhou’s The Chinese Mayor winning best documentary feature.
In the audience awards, best of the fest went to honoree Stanley Nelson’s The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution; best narrative feature went to Anywhere Else by Ester Amrami; best documentary feature went to Marc Silver’s 3 ½ Minutes and best indie was Proud Citizen by Thomas Southerland.
The festival presented 165 films in total in its 17th annual edition; more filmmakers than ever before attended the event.
“Films showcased at our festival this year reflected diverse stories from around the world, immense talent from directors, many trained in Winston-Salem, and a host of passionate projects that are jewels...
- 4/27/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Concealed under subtle gestures, comfortable silences, and the mutual reassurance that one’s imperfections are insignificant, lies the foundation for our romanticized idea of love. One that cares little for consequence and that offers relief from the burdens of routine. This is exactly the kind of ferocious emotion director Maxime Giroux presents his characters with in “Felix and Meira,” his alluring portrayal of an improbable relationship between a married Hasidic woman and a secular middle-aged man going through a crisis.
Tales of forbidden romance between people from opposing worlds are evidently commonplace, but here Giroux handles the strong yearning for tangible connection afflicting both parties with utmost sincerity never asking for his protagonists to reveal more or to give more than they can within their strictly defined boundaries.
Taking care of her daughter and being and active and honorable member of the Hasidic community is all that’s expected of Meira (Hadas Yaron), a beautiful young woman who is clearly dissatisfied with the restrictive expectations of her religious existence. Her husband Shulem (Luzer Twersky) is by no means a perfectly devotee, but he strives to please his fellow men by showing he can manage his household and conform to the defined norms. There is affection in their marriage, but it can only be perceived through cracks in the walls of a fortress made of rules and regulations that separates them.
Nearby, Felix (Martin Dubreuil), a perpetually ambitionless bachelor, is dealing with his father’s imminent death and their irreparable detachment. Although members of the same Montreal neighborhood both Meira and Felix carry out parallel lives unaware of one another. They each enjoy drawing silly creatures, and when they meet at a Jewish deli one morning, this seemingly irrelevant coincidence is enough to ignite their interest.
As Giroux crafts opportunities for the lovebirds to develop intimacy, which go from childishly playing ping pong to enjoying some tunes in silence, he doesn’t forget their particular dilemmas and the risks that the mere idea of hanging out represents for Meira. While mostly quiet, she is an intriguing box of tiny secrets that expose her true personality underneath the oppressive façade she must wear. Small demonstrations of rebellion assert Meira’s individuality even if briefly. Listening to music from a record she must keep hidden, playing with noisy mousetraps despite Shulem’s disapproval, and most importantly, deciding over her own body when those around her pressure her to have more children.
With her captivating and powerfully expressive gaze, Yaron gives Meira a balanced air of innocence and subdued defiance. Slowly, as Felix invites her to discover the sounds and sights beyond the opaque environment she knows, Meira falls for him both because of his kind efforts and because he symbolizes freedom. Yet, Giroux’s film is not concerned with denouncing any particular belief or to depict religion as a paralyzing aspect of Meira’s life, instead he advocates for choice by showing there are other people, Shulem included, that are comfortable with what their faith asks of them. Meira is not, and in this culture straying from the flock has severe repercussions.
Similarly, the men in Meira’s life are confronted with their respective predicaments both as individuals and in relation to her. Felix believes his father was disappointed in him and this becomes a torturous thought, while Shulem can’t fathom the idea of losing his family and being seen as a failure. Giroux refrains from vilifying either of them or judging their reactions, because his three subjects suffer from devastating loneliness that can’t be simply rationalized.
In a marvelously touching scene Felix and Shulem discuss their feelings and, while clarifying they are enemies in the battlefield of love, they also agree that their common goal should be Meira’s happiness. Both Dubreuil’s effortlessly charming demeanor and Twersky’s stern, yet caring, performance capture two distinct versions of romantic love that keep Meira at a crossroads.
Enhancing the strong narrative at hand even further, Giroux makes use of every other storytelling element in a deliberately delicate manner. Even if for some the lack of lengthy dialogue or heavy-handed exposition might appear problematic, these qualities allow the filmmaker to rely, as he should, on the audiovisual aspects. Sara Mishara’s cinematography is brilliantly elegant throughout, but when the couple meets in New York, the shiny lights and crowded streets add a gorgeous exuberance. Colored by neon hues Felix and Meira look even more like two foreigners to the city, to love, and to each other, just trying to make sense of it all.
As an interesting extra touch, Giroux takes the time to momentarily drives away from the central conflict and focuses on singular occurrences like a conversation between a couple of bystanders or to drift into a musical sequence that is equally vibrant and timeless. Music is indeed a fantastic part of “Felix and Meira” whether is classic ballads or themes composed by Olivier Alary.
Unassumingly, Giroux transcended the shackles of familiarity and created a film that is not revolutionary, but definitely remarkable. To love out of choice or to love out of duty is what Meira must decide, but as we see in the film’s perfectly ambiguous conclusion, neither option is faultless. “Felix and Meira” is an exquisite portrait of a possibly futile love that exudes seductive melancholia and delightful nuances.
Now playing in L.A. at the Laemmle Royal and Laemmle's Town Center, and in NYC at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas...
Tales of forbidden romance between people from opposing worlds are evidently commonplace, but here Giroux handles the strong yearning for tangible connection afflicting both parties with utmost sincerity never asking for his protagonists to reveal more or to give more than they can within their strictly defined boundaries.
Taking care of her daughter and being and active and honorable member of the Hasidic community is all that’s expected of Meira (Hadas Yaron), a beautiful young woman who is clearly dissatisfied with the restrictive expectations of her religious existence. Her husband Shulem (Luzer Twersky) is by no means a perfectly devotee, but he strives to please his fellow men by showing he can manage his household and conform to the defined norms. There is affection in their marriage, but it can only be perceived through cracks in the walls of a fortress made of rules and regulations that separates them.
Nearby, Felix (Martin Dubreuil), a perpetually ambitionless bachelor, is dealing with his father’s imminent death and their irreparable detachment. Although members of the same Montreal neighborhood both Meira and Felix carry out parallel lives unaware of one another. They each enjoy drawing silly creatures, and when they meet at a Jewish deli one morning, this seemingly irrelevant coincidence is enough to ignite their interest.
As Giroux crafts opportunities for the lovebirds to develop intimacy, which go from childishly playing ping pong to enjoying some tunes in silence, he doesn’t forget their particular dilemmas and the risks that the mere idea of hanging out represents for Meira. While mostly quiet, she is an intriguing box of tiny secrets that expose her true personality underneath the oppressive façade she must wear. Small demonstrations of rebellion assert Meira’s individuality even if briefly. Listening to music from a record she must keep hidden, playing with noisy mousetraps despite Shulem’s disapproval, and most importantly, deciding over her own body when those around her pressure her to have more children.
With her captivating and powerfully expressive gaze, Yaron gives Meira a balanced air of innocence and subdued defiance. Slowly, as Felix invites her to discover the sounds and sights beyond the opaque environment she knows, Meira falls for him both because of his kind efforts and because he symbolizes freedom. Yet, Giroux’s film is not concerned with denouncing any particular belief or to depict religion as a paralyzing aspect of Meira’s life, instead he advocates for choice by showing there are other people, Shulem included, that are comfortable with what their faith asks of them. Meira is not, and in this culture straying from the flock has severe repercussions.
Similarly, the men in Meira’s life are confronted with their respective predicaments both as individuals and in relation to her. Felix believes his father was disappointed in him and this becomes a torturous thought, while Shulem can’t fathom the idea of losing his family and being seen as a failure. Giroux refrains from vilifying either of them or judging their reactions, because his three subjects suffer from devastating loneliness that can’t be simply rationalized.
In a marvelously touching scene Felix and Shulem discuss their feelings and, while clarifying they are enemies in the battlefield of love, they also agree that their common goal should be Meira’s happiness. Both Dubreuil’s effortlessly charming demeanor and Twersky’s stern, yet caring, performance capture two distinct versions of romantic love that keep Meira at a crossroads.
Enhancing the strong narrative at hand even further, Giroux makes use of every other storytelling element in a deliberately delicate manner. Even if for some the lack of lengthy dialogue or heavy-handed exposition might appear problematic, these qualities allow the filmmaker to rely, as he should, on the audiovisual aspects. Sara Mishara’s cinematography is brilliantly elegant throughout, but when the couple meets in New York, the shiny lights and crowded streets add a gorgeous exuberance. Colored by neon hues Felix and Meira look even more like two foreigners to the city, to love, and to each other, just trying to make sense of it all.
As an interesting extra touch, Giroux takes the time to momentarily drives away from the central conflict and focuses on singular occurrences like a conversation between a couple of bystanders or to drift into a musical sequence that is equally vibrant and timeless. Music is indeed a fantastic part of “Felix and Meira” whether is classic ballads or themes composed by Olivier Alary.
Unassumingly, Giroux transcended the shackles of familiarity and created a film that is not revolutionary, but definitely remarkable. To love out of choice or to love out of duty is what Meira must decide, but as we see in the film’s perfectly ambiguous conclusion, neither option is faultless. “Felix and Meira” is an exquisite portrait of a possibly futile love that exudes seductive melancholia and delightful nuances.
Now playing in L.A. at the Laemmle Royal and Laemmle's Town Center, and in NYC at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas...
- 4/25/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Following the Toronto International Film Festival (Contemporary World Cinema competition) world premiere (it would quickly move onto an Official Selection at the San Sebastian Film Festival) writer-director Maxime Giroux and trio of featured actors Hadas Yaron, Martin Dubreuil and Luzer Twersky took part in a jovial, post-screening Q&A for Félix et Meira. I called this drama romance an “improbability of the hypothetically tinged union arguably makes this akin to science fiction matter, the apolitical, unified titular observational drama moves beyond the losing religious faith template with its moving, lingering anti-loquacious stance“. The multi-language film would quickly get snapped up for distribution via Oscilloscope (lands theatrically today, 04.17) and it swooned the Toronto audience on hand. In the Q&A we gain insight into the production, and the anecdotal complexities and risks involved in shooting exterior shots with actors in character.
- 4/17/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Read More: Watch: Eyes (and Windows) are Wide Open in New 'Félix and Meira' Clip The romantic journey of two characters from opposing worlds drawn together stretches back to Shakespeare, but "Felix and Meira" makes no grand gestures about the timelessness of its tale. Instead, Quebecois writer-director Maxime Giroux gentle drama about a young Orthodox Jewish housewife and the secular man who draws her away from her religious life treats its subject matter with a refreshingly humble air. While there's little doubt early on that crestfallen Meira (Hadas Yaron) would do well to leave her domineering Hasidic husband (Luzer Twersky) and embrace the advances of the similarly alienated bachelor Félix (Martin Dubreuil), Giroux's slow-burn narrative — co-written by Alexandre Lafferiere — takes nothing for granted, least of all the prospects of a happy ending. Instead, Girgoux gives weight to the possibilities of kindred spirits from different worlds bonding over...
- 4/15/2015
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Music is used sparingly in Felix and Meira, and each song is key to expressing unspoken emotion. After Shulem (Luzer Twersky) leaves his modest home in Montreal's Hasidic enclave to attend prayers, his wife, Meira (Hadas Yaron), puts on a forbidden record, "After Laughter (Comes Tears)," letting Wendy Rene's plaintive voice convey her own longing. But it's Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" that captures the exquisite melancholy of Maxime Giroux's romantic drama, where loss and resignation are as important as desire and freedom. When a dissatisfied Meira meets the aimless Felix (Martin Dubreuil), they have little in common aside from a love of drawing and a religion they view quite differently. (His version of...
- 4/15/2015
- Village Voice
What’s Under the Hat?: Giroux Proposes Unorthodox Paradox
Confectioned with a what makes us different makes us the same counterargument, Maxime Giroux’s third feature is one that finds commonalities between the profiled insular community and those who are lonely while visibly surrounded by others. And while the improbability of the hypothetically tinged union arguably makes this akin to science fiction matter, the apolitical, unified titular observational drama moves beyond the losing religious faith template with its moving, lingering anti-loquacious stance. Worldly in its reach and neighborly in approach, Félix et Meira is thoughtful tableaux that verberates with unabashedly sensitivity — this is Giroux’s most affecting film to date.
While fertility rates of 50’s & 60’s Quebec have plummeted to dismal rates for most French Canadians, comparatively, Montreal’s Orthodox Jewish community maintain old fashion practices of ensuring there is a next of kin. Just one among the many...
Confectioned with a what makes us different makes us the same counterargument, Maxime Giroux’s third feature is one that finds commonalities between the profiled insular community and those who are lonely while visibly surrounded by others. And while the improbability of the hypothetically tinged union arguably makes this akin to science fiction matter, the apolitical, unified titular observational drama moves beyond the losing religious faith template with its moving, lingering anti-loquacious stance. Worldly in its reach and neighborly in approach, Félix et Meira is thoughtful tableaux that verberates with unabashedly sensitivity — this is Giroux’s most affecting film to date.
While fertility rates of 50’s & 60’s Quebec have plummeted to dismal rates for most French Canadians, comparatively, Montreal’s Orthodox Jewish community maintain old fashion practices of ensuring there is a next of kin. Just one among the many...
- 4/13/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
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