FRED Film Radio - English Channel

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Carlo Chatrian, the artistic director of the Berlin International Film Festival.

On his personal blog on the 72nd Berlinale website, artistic Director Carlo Chatrian wrote an article called “Exercises in Resistance” where he explained that Berlinale, such as other important film festivals “is the guardian of a space that is at risk of disappearing”. Reached out in the middle of the Festival, Chatrian describes the path to this year’s edition, the decision to make a on-site event and the many love stories that are told in many films selected to be programmed.

To discover more about the 72° edition of Berlin International Film Festival, click here.

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PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Sofie Gråbøl, actress of the series The Shift.

At the 72nd Berlinale, Sofie Gråbøl is the protagonist of Lone Scherfig series The Shift, set into the undiscovered world of midwives: their job, their struggles, their essential role in every person’s birth. The actress describes her character and her work on portraying the “midwife” in a very detailed and truthful way.

The Shift : Birth is one of our few unifying experiences and its arena the maternity ward where, during a busy workday, the staff experience conflicts and heartfelt joys, while striving to be at their best. On the surface, they are full of goodwill, close-knit, often witty colleagues who understand one another better than their family. Sometimes they bow to the pressure of work and huge psychological demands. Like Head of Department Ella, who is surrounded by new life each day, while secretly wishing for her own children; but she has a hard time forming close relationships. Or pediatrician Jerry, whose marriage is falling apart, a fact his religious community is not supposed to know. They and those passing through are from all walks of life, representing all facets of society. Yet they all share this place, a venue of suspense, shame, guilt and insecurity, but also a world of triumphs, humor, trust, love and unfathomable bliss.Birth is one of our few unifying experiences and its arena the maternity ward where, during a busy workday, the staff experience conflicts and heartfelt joys, while striving to be at their best. On the surface, they are full of goodwill, close-knit, often witty colleagues who understand one another better than their family. Sometimes they bow to the pressure of work and huge psychological demands. Like Head of Department Ella, who is surrounded by new life each day, while secretly wishing for her own children; but she has a hard time forming close relationships. Or pediatrician Jerry, whose marriage is falling apart, a fact his religious community is not supposed to know. They and those passing through are from all walks of life, representing all facets of society. Yet they all share this place, a venue of suspense, shame, guilt and insecurity, but also a world of triumphs, humor, trust, love and unfathomable bliss.

To discover more about the Berlin International Film Festival, click here.

The post Sofie Gråbøl – The Shift #Berlinale2022 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST |Angelo Acerbi interviews Stefan Arsenijevic, director of the film As Far As I Can Walk.

Stefan Arsenijevic gives us with his As Far As I Can Walk a lesson on how one can rielaborate and refresh both the narrative of a love story and of the refugees crisis issue at the same time. Based on a traditional Serbian poem, the film translates it into the world of a couple of economic migrants from Ghana who find themselves in the complex and bureaucratic mechanism of international refugees visas. Stefan tells us he approached this story and why he chose to use the traditional poem to tell it.

As Far As I Can Walk : Strahinja and his wife, Ababuo, left Ghana at the beginning of the migrant crisis. They managed to reach Germany but were deported back to Belgrade. Strahinja works hard to secure asylum. The process, however, is lengthy and Ababuo, a passionate woman aspiring to become an actress in London, feels unfulfilled in their life. One night, a new group of Syrian refugees arrive, one of them is Ali, a charismatic left-wing activist. Ababuo the very next day, leaves Serbia with him, providing no explanation. Strahinja sets off along the Balkan migrant route for completely different reasons than anyone else: for love. Based on a true story, As Far as I Can Walk was awarded Best Film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2021.

The post Stefan Arsenijevic – As Far As I Can Walk #TSFF33 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Edgar Pêra, director of the documentary Kinorama – Beyond the Walls of the Real.

A conversation with “unconventional” filmmaker Edgar Pêra about his latest film, Kinorama – Beyond the Walls of the Real, presented in the Harbour section of the 2021 International Film Festival Rotterdam. The documentary is a self-reflexive 3D movie reflecting upon the relation of art and the real. In this interview, Pêra shares his thoughts on the 3D filmmaking form, which he has been working with for many years, and cinema at large.

Kinorama – Beyond the Walls of the Real: is a self-reflexive 3D movie, combining images and sounds of fiction films from the past and from the future, with conversations with researchers from variegated fields, as a way to reflect upon the relation of Art with the Real, and point towards new directions for cinema, and beyond.

The post Edgar Pêra – Kinorama – Beyond the Walls of the Real #IFFR2022 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Welcome to FRED Film Radio’s new weekly show, Big FRED Tuesday – your weekly round-up of all things related to cinema, featuring news from the world of film and interviews with various international guests.

In thi sfinal episode of the Big FRED Tuesday:

– A conversation with “unconventional” filmmaker Edgar Pêra;

– A celebration of the life and legacy of Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami;

– Archive interviews with Michael Pearce and Maggie Gyllenhall;

– An appreciation of Elvis Presley’s best film, Jailhouse Rock from 1957.

The post Big FRED Tuesday – Weekly Show – 1st February 2022 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Anders Emblem, director of the film A Human Position.

A conversation with Anders Emblem, director of A Human Position, presented in the Bright Future section of the 2021 International Film Festival Rotterdam. In this interview, Emblem talks about the confident, contemplative style of the film and the role, the characteristic melancholia of Norway and the role of Ålesund in the movie, beyond that of the backdrop for the action.

A Human Position: Long blue hours characterise summer nights in the sleepy Norwegian port town of Ålesund. Asta is a young journalist working for the local newspaper, where she is expected to report on local sports, historic preservation, and cruise ships. It is only when she stumbles across the strange story of a refugee’s forced deportation, that she finds new meaning in her work and life.

The post Anders Emblem – A Human Position #IFFR2022 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Pamela Hutchinson, programmer of In the Eyes of a Silent Star: The Films of Asta Nielsen. 

A conversation with Pamela Hutchinson, programmer of a retrospective on Danish silent film star Asta Nielsen, which will take place at BFI Southbank on February 3-March 15, 2022. The retrospective will take place theatricall and is titled In the Eyes of a Silent Star: The Films of Asta Nielsen. In this conversation, Hutchinson shares more info about Nielsen and the films that will be screened as part of this retrospective, and shares her thoughts on silent films in a contemporary world.

In the Eyes of a Silent Star – The Films of Asta Nielsen: A retrospective celebrating the vibrant career of Danish star of silent cinema Asta Nielsen, a performer with boundless range, unique sensitivity and unforgettably hypnotic eyes. Taking place at BFI Southbank from 3 February – 15 March, the season is programmed by film historian and writer Pamela Hutchinson and will showcase Nielsen’s incredible career, from early work such as her debut in the erotic melodrama The Abyss (Urban Gad, 1911), to her androgynous portrayal of the Danish prince in Hamlet (Svend Gade, 1921), through to her final dramatic film role, and first talkie, Impossible Love (Erich Waschneck, 1932). The season will launch on 3 February with a talk – The abc of Asta Nielsen – in which season curator Pamela Hutchinson will present an illustrated lecture on Nielsen’s life and incredible career, before she is joined by a panel of experts including the BFI’s curator of silent film, Bryony Dixon, to examine Nielsen’s performance, stardom and significance in depth. 

The post Pamela Hutchinson – In the Eyes of a Silent Star: The Films of Asta Nielsen appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Norika Sefa, director of the film Looking for Venera.

Screen daily Neil Young’s review on Looking for Venera quotes: Norika Sefa’s luminous debut Looking For Venera confirms tiny Kosovo is currently on a wave”. The director, in Trieste to present her film in the official competition at the 33rd TSFF, describes this wave and her work on her debut film, a coming of age drama showing how it feels to be growning up in a big family, a patriarchic society and a small town. With a documentary approach and almost non-professional actors ( the grandma in the film is Sefa’s grandma in real life) the film follows Norika’s quest for her identity while keeping well in mind that we never stop coming of age. Looking for Venera was presented, as a project, in the co-production market When East meets West some years ago and Norika Sefa talks about the feelings of bringing it back to Trieste where it all started. 

Looking for Venera : Calm, taciturn teenager Venera lives in a small village in Kosovo. At home, three generations are constantly under one another’s feet in their cramped house, so she has hardly any privacy. Outside too, on the streets and in the café, it’s not much better: the village is small and there’s always a brother, nephew or neighbour keeping a beady eye on her. A girl is expected above all else to protect her good reputation – and that of her family. All of which makes it difficult for Venera to go her own way. Her spirits are lifted when she makes friends with rebellious Dorina, who already has a boyfriend. The two girls go out having fun together, as far as Venera’s father allows. One thing they know for sure: they don’t want to end up like their mothers. In competition at the latest Rotterdam Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Award, Looking for Venera was selected also at Sarajevo and IndieLisboa film festivals.

To discover more about Looking for Venera, click here.

The post Norika Sefa – Looking for Venera #TSFF33 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Welcome to FRED Film Radio’s new weekly show, Big FRED Tuesday – your weekly round-up of all things related to cinema, featuring news from the world of film and interviews with various international guests.

In this episode:

– Film historian Pamela Hutchinson talks about an upcoming BFI Southbank retrospective on Danish silent film star Asta Nielsen (February 3-March 15, 2022);

– A celebration of the life and legacy of American filmmaker Frank Capra;

– An interview with Anders Emblem, director of A Human Position from the 2022 International Film Festival Rotterdam;

– This week’s #PopcornClassic: Badlands by Terence Malick from 1972.

The post Big FRED Tuesday – Weekly Show – 25th January 2022 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Bastian Meiresonne, one of the programmers of the Black Movie International Indipendent Film Festival.

A conversation with Bastian Meiresonne, one of the programmers of the Black Movie International Independent Film Festival in Geneva, Switzerland. This year’s hybrid edition of the festival will take place on Januar 21-30, during which 89 films will be shown, divided into nine thematic sections. Meiresonne tells us about what’s on offer and even tells us a bit about the history of the the Black Movie International Independent Film Festival and its mission statement.

During 10 days, the Black Movie Festival will show 89 films, including 50 feature films and 39 short films, divided into 9 thematic sections. An anthology of independent productions from 48 countries, including 70 Swiss premieres and no less than 17 first works among the feature films. While familiar figures return to the festival with new films (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Hong Sangsoo, Royston Tan, Sergei Loznitsa, Anca Damian, Karim Aïnouz), we are pleased to note a significant number of films shot by women directors (21 features and 27 short films). It should be noted that this year, the programming of the festival was established jointly by Maria Watzlawick, artistic director, and a team composed of Djia Mambu (consultant for Africa), Bastian Meiresonne (consultant for Asia), Victor Teta (Black Movie for Kids programmer and Black Movie assistant), and Pascal Knoerr (thematic programmer).

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