FRED Film Radio - English Channel

PODCAST | Samantha Sartori interviews Nanni Moretti, director of My Mother from the 2015 New York Film Festival

At the US premier of My Mother (Mia Madre), we meet the director Nanni Moretti and talk about his new movie which will open in US theaters on August 26th, 2015. Moretti has a unique uncensored voice in Italian moviemaking. His last movie will be a perfect fit for US movie audiences, with his distinctive humor and sensibility. My Mother is going to be a gem among this summer’s releases.

Many thanks to Lilia Pino Blouin for the translation.

MY MOTHER: Margherita (Margherita Buy) is a middle-aged filmmaker who has to contend with an international co-production starring a mercurial American actor (John Turturro) and with the realization that her beloved mother (Giulia Lazzarini) is mortally ill. Underrated as an actor, director Nanni Moretti offers a fascinating portrayal as Margherita’s brother, a quietly abrasive, intelligent man with a wonderfully tamped-down generosity and warmth. The construction of the film is as simple as it is beautiful: the chaos of the movie within the movie merges with the fear of disorder and feelings of pain and loss brought about by impending death. Mia Madre is a sharp and continually surprising work about the fragility of existence that is by turns moving, hilarious, and subtly disquieting. An Alchemy release.

The post Nanni Moretti talks about “My Mother” #NYFF appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Cristiana Palmieri interviews Rachael Belle Myers, director, writer and producer of First World Problems from the 2nd Reel Time International Online Film Festival.

Rachael Belle Myers’ unique zeal for expression found a brilliant and timely outlet through poetry, screenwriting and more recently as a filmmaker. She is emerging as a promising Australian writer and filmmaker who depicts the human experience with sharp and poignant realism.

In 2014, Rachael started Jaded Belle Productions and wrote, directed and produced her first short film titled Choice. In 2016, Rachael released First World Problems, a short film she wrote, directed and produced, which deals with a number of social issues affecting our society. In this interview, Rachael Belle talks about her outlook on life and her experience as a writer and a filmmaker.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS: Mike and Paul are two mates who meet each day in the park for a coffee and a break from the daily grind. As they share and discuss the problems they face in their day to day lives, they miss out on what’s happening in the world surrounding them. Are they both too self-absorbed to see the world for what it really is? Or will they find a way to open their eyes and appreciate the lives they have?

The post Filmmaker Rachael Belle Myers talks about “First World Problems” #RTIonlineFilm appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Cristiana Palmieri interviews Jakob Oftebro, actor of the film Gold Coast and Heaven on Earth from the 2016 Scandinavian Film Festival.

Jakob Oftebro talks about the films presented at the Scandinavian Film Festival and about his diverse career in cinema and television. The films presented were Gold Coast and Heaven on Earth. Gold Coast is inspired by letters from 1836 found in the Royal Library of Copenhagen depicting the horrific exploitative practices in Danish Guinea. In Heaven on Earth, director Kay Pollak rekindles the magic of his original and successful film As it is in Heaven in an independent sequel.

GOLD COAST: Wulff is a young idealist who is sent to Danish Guinea to establish a coffee plantation. His anti-colonial idealism is soon overshadowed by the more pressing moral challenge to confront the horrific exploitative practices of the corrupt Danes that rule the colony.

HEAVEN ON EARTH: Reuniting key cast members from As it is in Heaven, Heaven on Earth takes up where the last story left off: after Daniel’s death, Lena is alone and pregnant. Fans of As It is in Heaven will not be disappointed by the heartfelt continuation of the characters and storyline commenced in the original, handled with the kind of delicate combination of humour, mischievousness and utter joviality unique to this filmmaker.

The post Jakob Oftebro, actor of “Gold Coast” and “Heaven on Earth” #scandiffau appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews  Alejandra Márquez Abella, director of Semana Santa from the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The feature directorial debut by Alejandra Márquez Abella, Semana Santa, was screened at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In this film, Abella tells the story of a seemingly innocent family vacation. As the film progresses, we realize that it becomes an exploration of many different versions of a family, that transcends its most traditional and Catholic definition. In the interview, we ask the director about this and also about her leanings towards realism, which she herself discovered only upon making the film. This inspires another question, whether or not it is true what Cronenberg said that very often a filmmaker doesn’t know what film he or she is making until he or she is making it (or has made it).

SEMANA SANTA: A family arrives at a seaside resort and, at first glance, they don’t seem any different from all the other cheerful holidaymakers. The relationships between the inquisitive son, his widowed mother and her new boyfriend are extremely fragile, however, as they always are in such cases. The promise of endless lazy days soon becomes a test of mutual solidarity.

Trailer SEMANA SANTA from alejandra márquez abella on Vimeo.

The post Director Alejandra Márquez Abella on “Semana Santa” #KVIFF2016 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Damjan Kozole, director of Nightlife from the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The story of Nightlife, which had its world premiere at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, is inspired by the horrific accounts of a piece of news that was popular nationwide in Slovenia, involving a man found a bloody mess and nearly lifeless on the side of the street, with a huge dildo beside him. Implications of bestiality soon followed. But the film is not about that, at least not necessarily and anyways not in a judgemental way. It is more of a social study.

Director Damjan Kozole, whom we interviewed, talks about this and also about his wish to allow the viewers to come up with their own conclusions. In addition, we also discuss the certain responsibilities required in a film which, despite being inspired rather than based on the aforementioned true story, is still familiar. He replies that he also views this film as a way of rehabilitating the memory of the “poor doctor,” as he defines him, and mentions a source of inspiration in the form of the irresponsible behaviour of the media, particularly in these modern times of social media prominence. These are only a few of the topics of the interview on Nightlife and beyond.

NIGHTLIFE: The lives of a wealthy married couple radically change in an instant. While the husband is in critical condition after an accident that occurred under strange circumstances, the wife tries to understand the situation and to salvage what she can… In this constricted, small-scale drama by a renowned Slovenian filmmaker, Pia Zemljic excels in the role of the resourceful wife.

The post Director Damjan Kozole talks about his film “Nightlife” #KVIFF2016 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Pia Zemljič and Marko Mandić, actors in Nightlife by Damjan Kozole from the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

A man lies naked on the street one night; a bloody mess, covered in bite and almost lifeless. This is the result of a horrific accident that occurred under strange circumstances. This is a starting point for the story of Nightlife, the film by Damjan Kozole, that had its world premiere in the official competition of the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. This is also a story that was inspired by a true, nationwide news story in Slovenia.

In this interview with two of its leading actors, Pia Zemljic and Marko Mandic, respectively playing the wife and friend of the victim, talk about their characters, how they first became involved with the project and how they adapted to the realism that really drives this tale. In their answers, we also discover some of the ways in which things happened on set and their personal reactions to the film and its dealing with morals and ethics.

NIGHTLIFE: The lives of a wealthy married couple radically change in an instant. While the husband is in critical condition after an accident that occurred under strange circumstances, the wife tries to understand the situation and to salvage what she can… In this constricted, small-scale drama by a renowned Slovenian filmmaker, Pia Zemljic excels in the role of the resourceful wife.

The post Actors Pia Zemljič and Marko Mandić talk about “Nightlife” #KVIFF2016 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Žiga Virc, director of Houston, We Have a Problem! from the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

“More than a provocation, this film is like a wake-up call,” director Ziga Virc says about his film Houston, We Have a Problem!, which was presented at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. This is a film where mostly fake facts are presented in a way that feels like a traditional modern way documentary feature. So much so that it is, indeed, hard to figure out where the real ends and the imagined side of the film begins.

The story concerns a major, and somewhat implausible, Yugoslav involvement in the Cold War’s Space Race, and the rise in the tension in the relationship between the U.S. and Yugoslavia. The wake-up calls Virc refers to is that relating to information and things written online, and how such news is propagated in the modern world dominated by social media. The dangers of such practices, Virc adds, makes it even more worrying than the way propaganda was back in the days of Yugoslavia under Tito’s regime because, back then, people could tell what was propaganda, whereas things are a lot more deceitful in these days. In this interview, we also discuss the film’s occasional use of humour and archive footage and much more.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!: Tito, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, and Clinton in a narrative docu-fiction about Yugoslavia’s hitherto secret space program, which aimed to put American astronauts on the Moon and thereby win the Cold War. Can eyewitnesses unravel the web of lies, dirty political games, and conspiracy theories?

The post Director Žiga Virc talks about “Houston, We Have a Problem!” #KVIFF2016 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Clemens Pichler, director of Diorama from Future Frames at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Clemens Pichler, director of Diorama, was selected for this year’s edition of EFP’s Future Frames at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. This is a film that plays with conventional narrative structure, expanding it. We ask him about the genesis of the film and even whether there is any specific reason for making the film. The answer starts off with “filmmaking itself,” which is quite inspiring. In addition, Pichler shares with us his experiences at Future Frames and future plans, ambitions and projects.

DIORAMA: Diorama is a nightmarish trip through a couple’s memories and projections at the end of their long on/off relationship. The film depicts the the couple’s quest for the one true love, which, however, remains unfulfilled. A sparse desert landscape provides the surreal setting where Kolja and Rocio confront each other with memories of the darkest and manic moments of their time together. For them, the desert is not only a travel destination they never made it to but also represents a place of longing and hope. For an instant, a change of perspective and a chance to reconnect seems possible. However, the past has a firm grip on them and will not let go. Fond memories of the crazy-romantic beginning of their relationship are overcome by desires and anxieties. The cautious quest for new beginning ends as disaster – again. During their encounter in the unreal desert, their thoughts are haunted more and more by images from the past.

For more information on Future Frames, go to http://www.efp-online.com/en/project_talent_promotion/future_frames.php

The post Director Clemens Pichler talks about his film “Diorama” #FutureFrames appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Felix van Groeningen talks about Belgica and being Future Frames mentor at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Felix Van Groeningen returns with his follow-up to the acclaimed The Broken Circle Breakdown. Music is still a central feature in his latest feature Belgica, as is the theme of family and most importantly brotherhood. We ask him about these themes and he reveals that the story was inspired by personal memories and recollections about periods in his life. He described Belgica as a “melancholic look at nightlife.”

In addition to presenting his film in the Horizons section of the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Van Groeningen was invited to be the mentor of this year’s Future Frames. He specifies, however, that he didn’t teach the young filmmakers and participants in Future Frames. It was more like an exchange. He got to watch their films, and as he said, he was “totally amazed” by them.

BELGICA: Brothers Frank and Jo haven’t seen each other for years but they become much closer when Frank starts working in Jo’s bar. Belgica fast becomes a club for the in-crowd where all life’s troubles are quickly forgotten in the dark of night. A dynamic, emotive and masterfully shot movie in which both characters and their audience go flat out. But will they survive it?

For more information on Future Frames, go to http://www.efp-online.com/en/project_talent_promotion/future_frames.php

The post Felix van Groeningen talks about “Belgica” and being mentor of Future Frames #FutureFrames appeared first on Fred Film Radio.