tuesday 2. 7. 2019 05 free festival kviff’s main media partner Inside Main Competition: The Father and Half-Sister 02 daily Road trip Over the Hills 03 East of the West: tense connections 04 special edition of Právo Photo: KVIFF Photo: According to the film’s director, Hutchence had a way to cut through Melbourne punk scene bullshit. Beyond the rock star Lowenstein says in making the fi lm he gained some insight into his old friend’s character because he would show one side of himself Trapped in the 80s to his male friends that relied on having a good time, his more pub- lic persona. “He would always give Mystify: Michael Hutchence reveals the complicated fi gure behind the you a taste of what it was like to be a rock star,” he says. “But you never mythical INXS frontman really sat down and had big discus- sions about himself.” The film offered another, more In his documentary on the magnetic, enigmatic and ultimately tragic frontman for 80 s megastars INXS, Michael intimate view of the singer by the Hutchence, director Richard Lowenstein – who arrived in Karlovy Vary for the fi lm’s European premiere – plunges degree to which the perspective on him is female - with deeply the viewer completely into the singer’s life and times by only using footage from the past, without relying on talking revealing interviews from mostly heads. ex-girlfriends such as Michele Bennett, Kylie Minogue and Helena Christensen, as well as by Michael Stein personal footage of Hutchence? likes of Nick Cave and Th e Birthday out to a beach in Queensland and their US tour manager Martha It turns out he just had to walk Party had emerged, another uni- was immediately disarmed by the Troup. “I wanted to take you on upstairs to his attic, where he was verse from where pop star Michael bands’ and Hutchence’s warmth. “It was interesting how multi- a time-traveling journey,” says shocked to fi nd he had a treasure Hutchence came from. “Th ey were so friendly and Mi- faceted he was as I would speak Lowenstein. “I wanted to take the trove sitting in rusty fi lm cans, “Michael and INXS represented chael was so eff usive,” he says. “He to each girlfriend and they would audience back into the 80 s and outtakes from INXS videos he had mainstream music,” he says. “Th eir just cut through our Melbourne tell me stuff they hadn’t told other keep them there, and trap them saved as well as Hutchence’s own songs, from the very beginning bullshit - I had color in my hair people,” he says. “He was showing there in this imagery.” home movies. were very commercial. Th ey were and was pale as a vampire and he a lot more to the women in his life But not fi lming the people you clean-cut boys. Th ey didn’t do was wearing a Hawaiian shirt - but than the men in his life.” • interview means you need footage Two distant worlds drugs. Th ey wore bright colors. So he cut through all the bullshit and of some kind - concert and music Lowenstein came out of what he we would sneer at them a bit.” within 24 hours we were all snor- Mystify: Michael Hutchence screens July video clips can’t fi ll up an entire describes as the countercultural, In 1983 Lowenstein got a call keling together off the Great Bar- 3 at 4 pm (Národní dům Cinema) and fi lm, so where was Lowenstein eclectic world of the Melbourne un- asking him to do a music video for rier Reef, which Melbourne punks July 6 at 4 pm (Karlovy Vary Municipal going to fi nd unique, never-seen, derground music scene, where the INXS, and though reluctant, fl ew don’t really do.” Theatre) Dovilė Butnoriūtė See you there Lithuanian Film Centre Replay “So how many fi lms have you seen at the selection of projects shown during KVIFF? Any recommendations?” Each the industry program is getting stronger Shooting John Malkovich year, these are not the questions I can and stronger every year, it’s refl ecting KVIFF Photo: answer after coming back home. For the tendencies of what is going on in There is no KVIFF without the festi- Hotel Thermal. “John Malkovich met us those who work in the industry, festivals our region and, which is what I like the val’s beloved trailers: without Casey in Boston the day before for coff ee then are not about watching fi lms – I come most, it spotlights the new generation Affl eck trying to pawn his Crystal Globe, he drove us around the city and after here to watch unfi nished scenes, to of fi lmmakers I’m representing as well. Helen Mirren battling hers while it refus- that invited us for dinner. He got terribly This year’s trailer stars Czech icon make promises and promote upcoming All this, combined with the people who es to stay in its box, or John Malkovich drunk and started sharing all sorts of Bohdalová. Lithuanian fi lms. In short: to spend all my come here to explore, makes this event exploding in the taxi over the concept of conspiracy theories with us such as The time talking outside of the cinema. And an important meeting point before a very a lifetime achievement award. Guardian being run by the KGB. And as fi nd material to show Czech actress I love it! busy autumn. KVIFF is the place where “It was one of the most pleasant he is so terribly smart it was diffi cult to Jiřina Bohdalová haunted by her past Days at KVIFF are intense; it’s all you can expect the unexpected! • MB shoots,” said Ivan Zachariáš, one of two disprove it.” as the voice of numerous beloved chil- about celebrating talents, matchmaking directors behind the trailers alongside Things weren’t quite as easy this dren’s cartoons. “It was 48 hours of ma- and brainstorming new ways for part- KVIFF Eastern Promises Industry Days Martin Krejčí, who explained how they year: Instead of free meals Krejčí had terial,” he moaned jokingly. “At the end, it nerships and representation. I feel that 2019 take place until July 2. roll at yesterday’s KVIFF Talk held in to rummage through vast archives to was driving me crazy.” • MB july 2, 2019 festival daily Official selection Official selection in the story. Where is the strange feeling sparked the breakdown that must surely story about two grumpy and Photo: KVIFF Photo: be coming? Or is it just that KVIFF Photo: stubborn but good and vul- his life is so attuned to ran- nerable women who barely dom attacks and chaos that know each other. They hate this is pretty much just a day each other but in reality in the life? have no idea why.” Inspired by headlines Letting go Between Vassil believing The two women are so in- his dead wife is trying to call capable of showing affection his phone and his running it makes even a hardened off to join a cult that requires Central European cringe. him to sleep near a grave “The way we communicate while opening his mind to with others always express- dream messages, this father es our desires, fears and manages to keep poor Pavel They hate each other but they don’t know why. frustrations,” says Kozole. on his toes, certainly. Th e “When we do this in an arro- The dead don’t leave voice mail (or do they?) in Bulgaria’s wild longsuff ering son is not just gant, aggressive way we are ride The Father. trying to keep Dad from often concealing our own getting lost in the woods, of Under the skin vulnerability. This is a fi lm course - he’s also determined about two women who want to protect his wife, telling her nothing to do with each Hold the phone over the phone increasingly In Half-Sister, other and deny any similari- fabricated stories about how ty between them. At the end, the funeral trip is going so Slovenia’s Damjan Kozole though, they uncover what The Father takes on death, phone swimmingly. they are both refusing to Writer-director-producer delves into sisterly hate understand.” batteries, grief and madness team Kristina Grozeva and The director says he has Petar Valchanov, following always been fascinated by by Will Tizard the offb eat fi lm takes off up on their previous joint by Iva Roze are forced to share a small people who, because of from there, with Vassil’s son venture, 2014’s Th e Lesson apartment in Ljubljana to- their feelings or beliefs, are A Bulgarian road movie, Pavel forced to endure con- and 2016’s Glory, here hone Th ree years aft er winning gether aft er years of avoid- ready to let go of everything father-and-son rivalry story stant insults while listening their penchant for comic ab- the KVIFF best director ing each other. and start a new life from and a sendup of the Balkan to the increasingly wild ob- surdity and deeply confl icted, award for Nightlife, Slove- The director’s real-life scratch. “Sometimes,” he mysticism cottage industry - sessions of his father. thorny characters. Th e Father nia’s Damj an Kozole brings experience inspired the says, “Things don’t work Th e Father is all these things Th ough it doesn’t appear caps their trilogy of so-called another drama to Karlovy script. “A few years ago, out the way we had hoped or and more, off ering a series that any visible aff ection is Newspaper Clipping stories Vary.