Renzi Swings for the Fences Lowdown
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SPECIAL EDITION OF KVIFF’s MAIN MEDIA PARTNER 5 7/7 2015 FREE INSIDE Myriam Sassine on Lebanese film English Section, page 2 Today’s Official Selection films English Section, page 3 Larisa Shepitko retrospective English Section, page 4 Tomorrow’s program Czech Section, pages 7-10 Photo: Petr Horník Filmmaker Andrew Renzi says he learned much of his craft while making breakfast for Wes Anderson. RENZI SWINGS FOR THE FENCES LOWDOWN It’s surprisingly rare at a fest even Will Tizard, Klára Kolářová everything, had to be mentally in India. kind of fun to be able to experiment with What was the collaboration like with as momentous at KVIFF that truly his- It was very funny. The best part about it that. It’s not always the most popular Richard Gere in developing Franny? tory-making moments transpire - es- Writer-director Andrew Renzi, who im- was I became very close with a lot of the thing to do – to put a pop song in a movie We decided we have two options: We pecially ones in convenient view rolling pressed critics and audiences last year at people he works with, his crew members. is not exactly like a “festival darling” can go and make almost a neo-realist ap- out before the frantic popping of cam- KVIFF with Fishtail, his docu on the dis- So his peripheral collaborators became idea...[but] why not try those kinds of proach to a film like this that could be era flashes. appearing American west, has returned friends of mine and almost taught me things? something like The Wrestler where you Former fest Artistic Director Eva with another coup, Franny, starring how to make a movie. Of course someone at a festival in have a stark meditation on a man and his Zaoralová, however, made sure we got Richard Gere in an unconventional role Did you end up working with them? Europe will say, “That’s so American.” loneliness, a man who’s past his prime – one Monday, with the christening of her as man who has it all – except love. Yep, quite a few people. I worked with Yeah. exactly. And it’s funny because almost a point-and-shoot thing. But we new book, The Story of a Festival, his art director, Kris Moran... She did it’s not really anymore, because the said, no, we’re both doing something dif- which recounts “the good years, the You actually worked with Wes a movie I produced, Afterschool and one American thing to do now is to be as ferent here that we’ve never done togeth- not-so-good years and the bad years,” Anderson when you were 19, helping called Two Gates of Sleep. stark as possible because that’s kind of er. He’s never done a role like this, which including the grim era in which Soviet- him prep for a feature film. Was that Afterschool was quite successful become the trend and the populist thing is why he was attracted to it. So we said backed Czech communists viewed the inspirational? here. And you often use pop songs in to do in terms of independent film. It’s let’s kind of swing for the fences here Karlovy Vary fest as a useful tool for It was before he made The Darjeeling your films – often retro stuff. What do a bit of an “anti” move at this point but it with a real kind of almost Italian-inspired agitprop. Limited and he’d just finished Hotel these add for you? still is kind of ingrained in our psyche as tone, just something really wild. A far cry from today, thankfully, when Chevalier, which is a short film that goes It always depends on the movie. being this distinctly American flashy How was it teaming up with such fest prez Jiří Bartoška and other de- along with that film. So when he went off Fishtail clearly wasn’t going to have any filmmaking thing to do. a well-known veteran actor? voted fans of the great lady can open- to India, I went back to college. It was pop songs in it but there’s something es- So you’re not too troubled by your The collaboration was the hardest part ly cheer for such a journalistic achieve- amazing. I was literally making him pecially about Franny and about critics’ reviews. of the process for me. When Richard and ment. The book reps a fascinating breakfast so it wasn’t like writing scripts Karaoke!, a short film I made that have Sometimes I read them. I’m not going I started working together, the movie was project loaded with archival riches from with him or anything, but it was inspir- a kind of pop element to them – a kind of to be like one of those guys who says, “I going to change. That was actually the Henry Fonda to Tony Curtis by way of ing. He had mango lassis every day be- undeniable, sporadic, kind of poppy feel don’t read my reviews.” I definitely read hardest part for me – adapting to the idea countless Czech legends of cinema. It’s cause he was preparing and he was only and it’s always been an interesting exer- them. But I think a movie like Franny, of collaboration. Everything I had done also bound to sell out at the fest shop having Indian food all the time. cise for me to kind of play with tone. there’s just nothing critic-proof about it. before was like a singular narrative ap- so by all means do start rioting. Just But this was still in the US? So he Franny is the kind of movie that kind of So it’s been kinda nice to see that, despite proach. In my short films, everything maybe we can create enough of an in- wanted to be mentally in India? tonally falls all over – you’re not quite starting at negative 10, it’s been getting I shot was in the movie. There was noth- cident to merit chronicling for future Mentally in India. The whole house, sure what it is. And I thought that was positive responses. ing left over. z KVIFF historians. z SEE YOU THERE EXPLAINER NICOLAE NEED SOME DOWNTIME? HEAD FOR THE HILLS! DIRECTOR, CONSTANTIN TĂNASE THE WORLD IS MINE We’re over halfway (of KVIFF mascot fame). After through the festival and per- disembarking at the second stop, I’d recommend the competition film Box screens today at 8pm (Thermal haps you feel the need to you will find yourself at the Box by Romanian director Florin Șerban Grand Hall), tomorrow at 1pm (Pupp get away from it all. Maybe Diana Observation Tower, which whose first feature won a Berlin Silver Cinema), and on July 11 at 9am go to the mountains, offers spectacular views of the Bear. He’s got a very special way of work- (Drahomíra). Game Over screens today at breathe some fresh air, pet a town and across the region, as far ing with actors and I think this will also be 3:30pm (Čas Cinema), and tomorrow at 5pm goat, feel a tropical butter- as the Ore Mountains. Entry to a big element in his new movie. I’m real- (Drahomíra). Tănase’s The World Is Mine fly brush against your the tower is free with the option ly looking forward to it. screens today at 1:30pm (Lázně III). z cheek... Believe it or not the of using an elevator or climbing I’ve heard the documentary Game wooded hill behind the 150 stairs (9am-6.45pm). Then Over is about a person bored by life who Grandhotel Pupp has all venture around the back of the ad- tries to find himself in a virtual persona. that! The Diana tourist jacent Diana Restaurant where Photo: Jan Handrejch I met the filmmaker Alba Sotorra last complex (dianakv.cz) com- kids and the young-at-heart will night and she seemed very passionate prises the Diana A beauty at the Butterfly House be delighted to find a Mini Zoo about this project, so I think it’s definite- Observation Tower and (no entry fee) with pettable ly worth seeing. And then there’s all the funicular, Diana Restaurant (see page 4 for review), Butterfly ponies, pigs, and goats, and a pair of wandering peacocks. To midnight screenings, which are part of House, and Mini Zoo. The funicular (steep light railway) can complete this mini getaway follow the sign for the Butterfly the festival’s tradition. Everyone should be boarded at Mariánská (a lane to the right of the Pupp). A House (10am-7pm, 40/80 CZK) – a room heated to rainfor- get to see at least one or two of them, be- return ticket costs 40 CZK for kids and 80 CZK for adults; the est temperatures and housing more than 20 different kinds of cause they’re pure fun and the audience carriage runs 9am-7pm every 15 minutes, taking 3 minutes to tropical butterflies in all stages of development, from egg, to is absolutely great. (COC) get to the top. The first stop, halfway up, is the “Stag’s Jump” chrysalis to fully grown. (GP) z strana 2 / page 2 FESTIVAL DAILY Tuesday, July 7, 2015 USING FILM TO WRITE HISTORY MY KV Kateřina Farná Gyula Nemes Myriam Sassine is a Lebanese director and Director/writer, Zero producer. She produced Lebanese/French fea- ture documentary e muet, which is screening What are your hopes are for at KVIFF. Zero, which is screening in the East of the West competition? You assisted during the selection process In Europe, basically, all film- for the Week of Lebanese Cinema sidebar..