FRED Film Radio - English Channel

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Signe Birkova, director of the film He Was Called Chaos Berzins.

European Film Promotion (EFP) presents ten outstanding young directors from Europe with their latest work at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival every year. This is an interview with Signe Birkova, representing Latvia at this year’s Future Frames, and presenting her film He Was Called Chaos Berzins. Here, she tells us about the nature of the story, that is both one of alien abduction and alienation. She also talks to us about the style of the film, the estrangement effect she used and more.

He Was Called Chaos Berzins: After being kidnapped by aliens, copy shop employee Harijs Berzins doesn’t quite feel at home in his skin, and even ufologist Vilma doesn’t exactly elicit his trust. On top of that, he has no idea that the gray alien mother is giving birth to his son right now. The movie’s playful experimentation with form cleverly turns the clichés of the classic sci-fi genre on their head.

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The post Signe Birkova – He Was Called Chaos Berzins #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Peter Strickland, director of the film In Fabric.

An interview with director Peter Strickland, whose latest film, In Fabric, was screened as part of the Another View section of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Here, the director talks about this giallo, which revolves around a retail store during the January sale. He talks to us about just what it is that is so horrific about retail stores in his opinion, some of the cinematic works that influence his style and work, the importance of trust in his collaboration with his actors and more.

In Fabric: The January sales at a slightly bizarre boutique go somewhat awry. While a bank clerk has problems with a cursed dress she’s just bought (you can’t just stick it in the washing machine, we’ll tell you that much), the boutique staff perform esoteric rituals after closing time… This wild assemblage by Peter Strickland is as much a tribute to the cult giallo film genre as it is an expression of deference towards fabric itself, the star of the show.

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The post Peter Strickland – In Fabric #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Martha Stephens, director of the film To the Stars.

An interview with Martha Stephens, whose new film To the Stars had its international premiere in the official competition of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. The director chats with us about several aspects of her film, the significance of it being set in the ’60s, the importance of empathy, the role of stereotypes within the cinematic language and more.

To the Stars: Bullied by her classmates, reclusive Iris finds small-town life pure torment; for self-assured Maggie, however, moving to the provinces provides an opportunity to stand out from the rest. A film excelling in finely wrought detail that takes us back to the 1960s, a time when society, bound by gender prejudice, detested the idea of individuality in women.

The post Martha Stephens – To the Stars #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Lun Sevnik, director of the film Playing.

European Film Promotion (EFP) presents ten outstanding young directors from Europe with their latest work at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival every year. In this interview, we meet Lun Sevnik who was born in Slovenia but represented the Czech Republic at this year’s edition, presenting his short film Playing. Here, he talks about the contemporary influences of this film, including the style in which it was shot. He also reveals some behind the scenes of his production, the contemporary anxieties it raises awareness of and more.

Playing: Teenagers Boris and Hugo have informed the internet that they’ll be committing suicide in one hour. Sixty minutes of wondering whether it’s a joke, provocation, or reality. The clock is ticking, the online voyeurs are growing restless, and Hugo, unlike Boris, is beginning to have doubts. A carefully constructed film about a decision that can’t be changed. Or can it?

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The post Lun Sevnik – Playing #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Lucía Garibaldi, director of the film The Sharks.

An interview with director Lucía Garibaldi, whose feature film debut The Sharks was screened in the Another View section of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Describing the film as a character movie, Garibaldi tells us about her interest in personality and her boredom with stereotypes and more.

The Sharks: Fourteen-year-old Rosina circles the slightly older Joselo like a clumsy baby shark. Although she hides it well, the hormonal chaos she is experiencing expresses itself in risky flirtation and outright malice. Debuting Uruguayan director Lucía Garibaldi’s award-winning study of romantic fumbling and youthful obsession leaves itself open to interpretation.

The post Lucía Garibaldi – The Sharks #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, directors of the film The Father.

Filmmakers Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s new film, The Father, had its world premiere in the official competition of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. FRED caught up with them to talk about it. They share with us the origins of the story, whether they believe in ghosts and reflect on the theme of the difficulties in communicating and connecting with those who are close to us.

The Father: After losing his wife Ivanka, Vasil believes that she is using his phone to reach him from beyond the grave, so he enlists the services of a psychic to try to make contact with her. His son Pavel tries to bring him to his senses, but Vasil stubbornly insists on doing things his own way… This small-scale family drama, about the difficulties of connecting with those close to us, includes many of the carefully arranged absurd or comic situations typical for the Bulgarian filmmaking duo.

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Jorge Cadena, director of the film The Jarariju Sisters.

European Film Promotion (EFP) presents ten outstanding young directors from Europe with their latest work at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival every year. This is an interview with this director Jorge Cadena, who was born in Colombia but represented Switzerland at this year’s Future Frames, and presenting his film The Jarariju Sisters. Here, he talks about the reasons why he wanted to make a movie about the indigenous people of his native country of Colombia, his experience of filming there, his experience at Future Frames this year and more.

The Jarariju Sisters: Vivian and Yandris are growing up in the ritual-filled environment of the Wayuu tribe, the last outpost of the ancient ways in northern Colombia, where the landscape is slowly being ravaged by the mining industry. After their father’s death they have nothing to tie them to their home anymore, so they decide to run away. An ethnographically precise yet poetically tender story about the courage to start a new life.

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Jonatan Etzler, director of the film Get Ready With Me.

European Film Promotion (EFP) presents ten outstanding young directors from Europe with their latest work at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival every year. In this interview, we meet Jonatan Etzler from Sweden, about his short film Get Ready With Me. In this interview, the director discusses social media, traumas and other themes his film deals with, and more.

Get Ready With Me: When Lukas asks his students to shoot a short film about their lives, he has no idea what might happen. Indeed, timid Vendela’s movie launches a chain of ridicule, bullying, and accusations that even the teacher can’t escape. Get Ready With Me exposes the cruel nature of the present day, where a cellphone can be a weapon and likes mean everything.

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The post Jonatan Etzler – Get Ready With Me #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews István Kovács, director of the film A Siege.

European Film Promotion (EFP) presents ten outstanding young directors from Europe with their latest work at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival every year. In this interview we meet István Kovács, representing Hungary at this year’s edition, and presenting his short film A Siege. Though he represents Hungary, he was born in Yugoslavia, and that is a large part of the reason why his film takes place in Sarajevo in 1994. Despite this, in this interview he tells us that he believes this film has a very contemporary meaning. We also ask him about the communicative power of cinema, using a simple narrative as a starting point to expand upon stylistically and thematically, working with lead actress Vedrana Bozinovic and more.

A Siege: Sarajevo, 1994. A city ruined by war. Most homes are without electricity, and the water mains dried up long ago. Widow Tea wants to wash her hair, but she loses her carefully guarded reserve of water. In an attempt at replacing the loss, she sets out on a journey that could cost her her life. A moving drama about trying to maintain a semblance of dignity amidst the madness of war.

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Irfan Avdic, director of the film Precious.

European Film Promotion (EFP) presents ten outstanding young directors from Europe with their latest work at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival every year. This is an interview with director Irfan Avdic, representing Bosnia and Herzegovina, and presenting his short film Precious. In this interview, he talks with us about the Bosnian macho environment that the film is set in, his use of subjective realism and more.

Precious: Seventeen-year-old orphan Alem lives alone with his grandmother. They have little money, and Alem begins to grow desperate at their never-ending poverty. He’d like to go on a school trip, but their modest budget makes it impossible. Endeavoring for once not to be the target of pity and contempt, the young man resorts to a desperate solution…

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