FRED Film Radio - English Channel

In this interview, Neo Sora, the director of “Happyend“, Orizzonti section, takes us through the emotional and thematic heart of his film, which explores the transformative moments between two best friends, Yuta and Kou, as they navigate the complexities of adolescence in a near-future Tokyo. The film unfolds against the backdrop of impending chaos triggered by a prank that leads to the installation of a surveillance system in their school.

Sora emphasizes that friendship is central to the film’s narrative, describing it as an ambiguous and evolving relationship. “To me, friendship is one of the most important aspects of life. My friendships during high school and university shaped who I am today, and I owe everything to my friends,” he explains. However, the director acknowledges that, unlike other relationships, such as those with family or partners, friendship lacks explicit rules, leading to unpredictable dynamics. “This ambiguity can lead to misunderstandings, even among those who care deeply for one another,” Sora reflects.

The film portrays the tension that arises when Kou becomes frustrated with the oppressive environment created by the school’s new surveillance system, while Yuta remains largely unaware of the surrounding sociopolitical realities. “This contrast between their responses to the situation highlights the different paths that young people may take when confronted with social pressures,” Sora notes. Kou’s political awareness begins to develop after meeting a passionate student activist, leading the film to explore the emotional weight of their long-standing friendship and forcing them to confront differences they had never expressed before.

During the interview, Sora draws parallels between his film and classic works centered on youth rebellion. He cites Rebel Without a Cause and the Taiwanese New Wave as key influences: “The characters in my film are rebels in their own right, albeit not in the traditional sense. Their rebellion manifests differently, depending on how society pressures them.” Sora‘s ability to channel the energy of these foundational films, while adding humor and contemporary relevance, enriches the exploration of youth culture in the film.

From a cinematic perspective, “Happyend” employs striking visual storytelling that amplifies the emotional arcs of the characters. Sora discusses the importance of lighting and practical effects, especially in crucial scenes that illustrate the state of their friendship. “The dangling light represents the instability of Yuta and Kou’s relationship,” he explains. The film captures moments of tension and uncertainty, marking shifts in their friendship, similar to the looming threat of an earthquake—a physical representation of their emotional turmoil.

The director reflects on the collaborative process with director of photography Billy Kirstein, noting that their long history of working together significantly influenced the film’s visual style. “Billy and I know each other very well, and we share many cinematic influences. It was crucial to create a world that felt deeply personal and intricate while also maintaining the broader social commentary of the film,” Sora articulates.

As the film progresses, the dynamics between the characters evolve, and Sora captures this development through purposeful cinematography. While the focus is on Yuta and Kou, their interactions also reflect the broader social context, adding layers of depth to the narrative. “The challenges they face are not unique to them; they reflect the turbulent reality of their generation,” he observes.

“Happyend“ also emphasizes the emotional undercurrents of today’s youth, addressing issues related to identity, rebellion, and social expectations. Sora explains, “Many young people face pressures that force them to choose between conformity and authenticity. This journey is essential for individual growth.” The film stands as a testament to the complex nature of friendship, the challenges of youth, and the shifting political landscape they navigate.

In conclusion, “Happyend” is a poignant portrayal of adolescence and transformation, set in a world fraught with social and political tensions. Through Neo Sora‘s nuanced direction, the film invites viewers to reflect on their own journeys, friendships, and the society they inhabit. The intricate storytelling, combined with powerful performances, creates a compelling narrative that resonates on multiple levels.

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Interview during the 81st edition of Venice International Film Festival with Lav Díaz, director of “Phantosmia“. The movie, out of competition here in Venice, tells the story of a former soldier in Philippines that begins to experiment a weird sensation: a smell that nobody else can smell. The a doctor tells him that he suffers an illness called phantosmia.

Our interview with the filmmaker addresses the length of the film -four hours-, its format -black and white- and how he considers that going to the cinema is a collective experience that we should defend. Lav Díaz tells us about the current situation in his country, where violence remains present in everyday’s life.

In “Phantosmia” a former member of the military is forced to review his past, full of that violence, in order to cure the mysterious illness he’s affected by. During the journey he’ll discover that memory can heal the wounds of the past.

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Interview during the 81st edition of Venice International Film Festival with Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, actresses in the film “The Room Next Door”. This movie by Pedro Almodóvar, in competition in Venice Film Festival 2024, tells us about the friendship of two women that face death and the influence of the past in their future choices.

In their interview with FRED Film Radio, Swinton and Moore speak about how Pedro Almodóvar shoots his films. They got along really well and were very surprised about the velocity of the Spanish director’s work. Our interviewees think that American audiences are going to welcome Almodóvar’s first feature film in English.

“The Room Next Door”, by the renowned author of “Women at the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” or “Talk to Her”, that supposed for him a triumph at the Oscars, is going to be released in Spain next October, and will be present in San Sebastián and New York Film Festival, where will figure as centerpiece.

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Welcome to our daily insights from the 27 Times Cinema.

The 2024 edition of 27 Times Cinema will bring together ten former participants to serve as the jury for the GdA Director’s Award, marking the tenth anniversary of this accolade.

Together with their jury president, these former 27 Times Cinema participants will evaluate the films in competition with a fresh perspective, informed by their diverse experiences across various film-industry fields.

The post 8min of 10 27 Times Cinema – David Bakum – 2nd September appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Welcome to our daily insights from the 81. Venice International Film Festival, with Angelo Acerbi and Steven Raphael.

Join us as we dive into exclusive interviews with filmmakers, actors, and festival insiders, uncovering the stories behind the most anticipated films.

Stay tuned for festival highlights, red carpet moments, and behind-the-scenes glimpses that you won’t want to miss.

Whether you’re a film buff or just curious, we’ve got all the excitement from Venice right here!

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The Venice Production Bridge day in 4 minutes!

Welcome to our Venice Production Bridge Daily Snapshot, your quick 4-minute update on the latest happenings at the industry hub of the Venice Film Festival!

Join us as we delve into the world of film financing, co-productions, and market trends, bringing you exclusive insights, interviews with industry professionals, and behind-the-scenes highlights, all packed into a brief but informative segment.

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Every day from the Venice Lido, Rita Di Santo hosts in the studios of FRED Film Radio several critics from all over the world talking about this year’s Venice festival movies, the actors and actresses attending the festival, as well as takes you into the magical atmosphere of the Venice Film Festival.

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At 81th Venice Film Festival FRED Film Radio interviewed director Marianna Brennand to talk about “Manas”, screening in competition at Giornate degli Autori 2024.

When Tielle tells her secret to a woman who runs a little business in the village she replies: “It will pass”. A sequence of “Manas” that describes perfectly what these women have to face from generations. But, at the same time, it’s very hard to hear. Why Marianna Brennand choose to put that scene in your movie? “To show how hard it is for women to break a cycle of abuse. Sometimes when we have the courage to tell someone, we do not find someone willing to help us. Marcielle tries many times, she tries to ask for help from her mother, she probably has tried at school, at the church, and then finally she comes to Jaci, which is someone that she knows and she trusts, and she tries to seek her help as someone who could help her break the cycle. And what that woman says is that it happens to mostly every girl, which is also a sign that how abuse and sexual exploitation is spread out and happens so often, and sometimes normalized depending on the region where you live in. So that scene for me was – and it’s also really hard for a woman to acknowledge what’s going on with her, especially with a girl – to have the courage because she couldn’t help it anymore, she couldn’t help going through all that violence, so she goes for that woman. It was supposed to be a punch in the stomach”.

Thanks to Me Too in the last few years women have become more brave and the exposed their abuser. But there is still so much work to do. And this is because many women have no voice. Does Marianna Brennand feel a responsibility towards them? “Yes, I do. Since I heard the first story of abuse I feel a responsibility. But also by doing this film and premiering it and showing it to the world, I pass on the responsibility to the public and whoever watches it, because you don’t have to be a woman or to have suffered abuse or sexual exploitation to fight against it. So this should be a fight for everyone, and it happens everywhere. Sexual abuse inside our homes is so common, it could be happening really next to us, and that’s really important for us to talk about and to fight, because it keeps happening, because men are not held accountable for it, and that has to stop”.

“Manas” never shows the abuse. This is because the direct thought that the audience’s imagination could have fill that void? Or because, at least Marianna Brennad, wanted to respect theme? “Both. As a filmmaker, it was poignant for me to tell a story that is violent without imposing even more violence, and I never wanted to expose the body of a child, so I think by having a woman doing that, we can show our stories with delicacy and with care and with ethics. So since the first draft of the script, it was a decision very well made that we would not show the abuse or any sexual scenes and it would really use the ellipsis so that the public would imply that it’s abuse. It’s about violence and silence. And the film shows all layers of silences that happen when you’re going through this. I think the silence and the ellipsis in the film allows you, as a spectator, to also fill the voids with your own experiences and reflect while you experience the story”.

What does Marianne Brennad hope the audience will take from “Manas”? “Well, I hope Manas will help break the taboo surrounding abuse, sexual violences and all kind of abuses that we go through. I hope that it was very important to me to make a film that the audience could watch it.I would not want to make a film that you would not be able to see, because otherwise I would be just perpetrating, the dynamics of abuse, more silence and not seeing what you have to see. For me was really important the sensorial and psychological connection with the main character, that you really could feel what this girl is feeling. And I hope that you got out of the film wanting to break the silence, having courage to speak out”.

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At the 81th Venice Film Festival, Fred Film Radio interviewed director Alexandra Simpson and actors Jordan Coley and Brynne Hofbauer to talk about “No Sleep Till”. A film, featured in competition at International Critics Week, about a hurricane that is threatening the coastal town of Atlantic Beach, Florida.

Is there an image or a particular element Alexandra Simpson started from to make “No Sleep Till”? “I think the one image I had before even writing or anything like this was a person in a house at night with lights on and rain falling. I think that was just something in my head. And then as to where it ended up in the film, I was very inspired by the locations of where we shot themselves”.

The film follows multiple characters in the hours leading up to the hurricane’s arrival. Throughout “No Sleep Till” there are more spoken sections and other more silent ones. From this point of view, how were the actors guided by the director? “I met Alexandra where I was working. I was waitressing and she came up to me and we had this whole talk. And I was definitely interested because I did not want to turn that down”, explains Brynne Hofbauer. “And when I first got to the first set, I didn’t realize it was going to be this whole thing. I had no idea what I was getting into. And then I fell in love with it. Everyone became a family. And I really liked playing the character I played because I did grow up in that area. So imagining not being able to stay there or it getting destroyed, that definitely would be something that I wouldn’t want to happen. So I feel like I would have the same reaction that June did in the movie”.

“I remember when Alex reached out to me to do the film, she wanted me to play someone who was sort of like me in a way. I’m a writer and a performer. I do a lot of comedy as well. And so I knew I was going to have to bring that to the part”, remember Jordan Coley. “But I remember being very intimidating because the first day. Alexandra has the scenes written out how she wants them to go, the sort of emotional arc of them. And often she had very specific lines. But she also allowed for us to create the scenes ourselves as well because she wanted it to sound like I would speak it”.

Is the hurricane a metaphor used by Alexandra Simspon in “No Sleep Till” to talk about the time we are living? “I wouldn’t say metaphor, but a feeling that is common to our uncertainty. We are constantly uncertain. Young generations, but I think everyone because we know climate change and economic collapse. In this town also, it’s changing so much. Like it’s modernizing so fast. All these things are happening around us. And there’s a sort of stagnation that can settle in because what are you going to do? What can you do? So I think that the stagnation and the impossibility to even react was something that I took from what I feel and see. But I don’t know if it was intellectually thought. I didn’t think to myself ‘the hurricane is a metaphor’. It was also just to speak of a place that is constantly vulnerable to hurricanes as well”.

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In a compelling interview, Laura Citarella, the director of “El Affaire Miu Miu” in Giornate degli Autori section,  opens up about her unique exploration of the fashion world and the challenges of combining artistic expression with themes of femininity. Initially hesitant to dive into this genre—citing her unfamiliarity with fashion— Laura Citarella was intrigued by the opportunity presented by the Miu Miu Women’s Tales series, a project aimed at amplifying the voices of women filmmakers.

Laura Citarella’s involvement in the project builds upon her previous work, particularly her film “Trenque Lauquen,” which premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. While “El Affaire Miu Miu” is not a direct sequel, it draws on familiar faces in its cast and crew, allowing Laura Citarella to explore new themes while maintaining a connection to her earlier projects.

The film tells the story of an enigmatic model who captivates a small town in Latin America, only to vanish mysteriously, prompting three women to embark on a quest to find her, guided by a trail of clothing. Citarella describes her approach to blending her own creative universe with the unfamiliar territory of fashion: “I thought the best way to realize ‘El Affaire Miu Miu’ was to find a balance between my world and that of fashion.”

A central theme in the film is the portrayal of clothing as more than just apparel—it becomes a character in its own right. “As one character says, ‘The clothes are the protagonists,” Citarella affirms, emphasizing that fashion serves not only as a visual element but also as a storytelling device. This choice underlines how fashion goes beyond aesthetics to reflect complex relationships and identities.

Discussing her creative process, Citarella shares that she often starts by crafting characters with specific actors in mind. This method enables her to infuse her narratives with personal connections and experiences, adding depth to the storytelling. She draws inspiration from everyday life, such as a striking image in the film of a woman walking alone, watched by the city’s security cameras. “It’s a model, and it’s quite strange to see her wandering in a small town far from Buenos Aires,” she reflects, highlighting the contrast between the model’s glamour and the backdrop of ordinary life.

Humor in the film

Humor also plays a vital role in the film, particularly in a scene featuring the character Chicho, who anxiously fears being blamed for the model’s disappearance, only to be reassured, “Don’t worry; no one cares about you.” Citarella notes that this moment mirrors her own experiences, showing how natural humor can seamlessly flow from real life into her creative work.

When asked about the core message of “El Affaire Miu Miu” Citarella finds it hard to pin down. “I believe cinema is a space where diverse elements can converge,” she explains, expressing her hope that the film serves as a platform for exploring fashion through the lens of narrative and fiction.

Citarella’s foray into the fashion world has been a journey of discovery, allowing her to navigate an unfamiliar domain. “Since I know little about fashion, I sought to make this lack of knowledge a part of the short,” she reveals, embracing a curious and open-minded approach to the subject.

Reflecting on her experience as a female director, Citarella highlights the advantages of working in the independent film sector. She describes a collaborative, familial atmosphere on set, where her family members often participate in the filmmaking process. “When I make a film, we all move together: my mother, my father, my husband, the children. This allows me to avoid issues many women face in the industry,” she explains, underscoring the supportive nature of her work environment.

In conclusion, “El Affaire Miu Miu” is more than a film about fashion; it is a lens through which Citarella examines broader themes of femininity, identity, and connection. By weaving together the worlds of fashion and storytelling, she invites viewers to reflect on the deeper meanings embedded in the fabric of our lives.

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