FRED Film Radio - English Channel

In an engaging interview, Peter Kerekes, the director of “Wishing on a Star” in section Orizzonti, shares the fascinating story behind the project. The story highlights the life of Luciana and her interactions with an Italian astrologer. Initially reluctant to take on the project, Kerekes reveals that the idea originated from producer and screenwriter Erica Barbiani. She persistently encouraged him for three years to meet Luciana and explore the world of astrology. Despite his initial disinterest—he admits to not even reading horoscopes—Kerekes’s perspective shifted dramatically after a dinner meeting with Luciana.

“After spending just one hour observing her during an interview with a client, I was captivated,” Kerekes recalls. He was mesmerized by her emotional range and the way she effortlessly conveyed her feelings. “I said, ‘Wow, I have to film it!’” he notes, emphasizing that Luciana’s energy and charm inspired him to create the film.

Throughout the interview, Kerekes reflects on how the diverse cast of characters represents various facets of his life. Specifically, he mentions his relationship with his younger sister, pointing out how this connection resonates in the dynamic between the twins in the film. “I always try to organize her life because I think I know better,” he explains, mirroring the relationships depicted in the film. He shares a touching moment when his mother watched the movie and recognized their similar communication patterns, demonstrating the personal stakes interwoven into the narrative.

The film also explores the concept of inner and outer journeys, and Kerekes argues that both are essential for personal transformation. He explains that a physical journey can foster a deeper understanding of oneself, suggesting that rituals can be transformative. “You have to turn your home to Alaska or Yekaterimburg or Sahara,” he states, underscoring the importance of changing one’s daily environment to facilitate personal growth.

Kerekes delves into the captivating relationship between Luciana and Rudolfo, revealing her nuanced role as a psychological guide for her clients. He describes Luciana as a “genius psychologist” whose primary clientele consists of women in search of love. Kerekes outlines how she cleverly uses astrology to help her clients find their ideal partners, often sending them to places with appealing Eastern men. “The women who come back to Italy see these men with fresh perspectives, and it changes how they view their own love lives,” he explains, indicating Luciana’s role in reshaping her clients’ self-confidence.

In conclusion, “Wishing on a Star” is not just a film about astrology; it’s a narrative that interweaves love, personal journeys, and the complexities of human relationships against a vibrant backdrop. Through the lens of Peter Kerekes, the audience is invited to explore the depth of connection between self-discovery and the influence of external experiences.

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Interview during the 81st edition of Venice International Film Festival with Brady Corbet, director of “The brutalist“. The movie, in competition for the Golden Lion, tells the story of a Lázsló Tóth, an architect that escapes from Europe after the Second World War to seek a new life in the United States.

Our interview with the filmmaker addresses the length of the project -10 years in the making- and how Brady Corbet wanted to compose his fictional main character out of the stories of many intellectuals that fled Europe and the totalitarian regimes in order to confront capitalism. After that, he says that he always thinks in the audience while directing a film.

In “The brutalist” a businessman played by Guy Pearce meets this fictional architect and he entrusts him with a project: the building of a massive compound in memory of his mother. The process of the construction and Brody’s character’s struggle to bring his wife and niece from Europe to America mark this 3h20m movie with a 15m intermission.

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Interview during the 81st edition of Venice International Film Festival with Adrien Brody, actor in “The brutalist“. This movie by Brady Corbet, in competition for the Golden Lion, tells the story of a Lázsló Tóth, an architect that escapes from Europe after the Second World War to seek a new life in the United States.

Our interview with Adrien Brody starts with the moment he was offered the role by Brady Corbet. The actor tells us that he thinks his is the perfect choice for the character because of his Hungarian roots and his knowledge about America. The Academy Award winner for “The pianist” says that the director is always looking for the truth and wanted to unmask the nasty effects of capitalism.

In “The brutalist” a businessman played by Guy Pearce meets this fictional architect and he entrusts him with a project: the building of a massive compound in memory of his mother. The process of the construction and Brody‘s character’s struggle to bring his wife and niece from Europe to America mark this 3h20m movie with a 15m intermission.

The post “The brutalist”, interview with the actor Adrien Brody appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

At the 81 Venice Film Festival, Fred Film Radio interviewed Bogdan Mureşanu, director of “The New Year That Never Come” featured in Orizzonti. A film about the fall of Ceaușescu’s regime told through the lives of six characters.

Even though “The New Year That Never Came” is about a truly dramatic moment in Romania’s history, the story is full of humor. Why this brilliant choice? “First of all, because it’s a two-hour and something long film. You can’t just play the same notes. You have to be careful about the micro-dosing, if you want, of humor, tragedy”, says director Bogdan Mureşanu. “Because I want it to be full of life, this is the film. I want it to be as life is. And most of the time, they are mixed. We are not living only in comedy or tragedy. This is something that is mixed. And I think that’s what I like about observing life. Secondly, because it might seem a difficult subject, I mean, the fall of a tyrant, with a happy ending, of course. So I was led by the happy ending to choose this path of dark humor”.

History in “The New Year That Never Came” is always present thanks to radio and television, but Bogdan Mureşanu focuses the narrative on six characters and their daily lives. “I want it to be very microscopic about this historical event. I think they are ordinary, most of them. They are ordinary characters on an extraordinary day. So I wanted to observe that. History is more like a background. It’s more like a canvas. There are echoes of these political situations. But actually, I wanted to observe normal people’s lives. I have six major main characters and six major narrative lines that allowed me to play a lot with the styles of storytelling. For instance, one of them, with the students, is more like a road movie. Because if you’re stuck into these interiors, you will suffocate the audience. So you feel the need to get out”.

One of the characters states that theater can awaken souls. Which souls should art awaken today? “That character is a bit of a hypocrite, to tell the truth. You should, all the time, take into account who’s telling what. So in that case it’s a theater director, who has a premiere in January. And he’s pushing an actress to go to this horrendous tv show praising Ceaușescu at the last minute. I think that we’re also hypocrites right now. European cinema is funded by States. Can you imagine how hard it is for an artist, actually, for a director to say the truth, and also to reapply for funding next year? It is pretty hard. So I admire those voices that can stand for freedom of speech, for their opinions. And they do that. So sometimes art can save us. The purpose is to tell the truth or to give birth to a polemic, to a debate”.

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Interview during the 81st edition of Venice International Film Festival with Paprika Steen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas, actors in the series “Families like ours”. The production by Thomas Vinterberg, out of competition in the Series section, tells how the Danish Goverment decides to evacuate the whole country because of the risk of a great flood. In that context, a family tries to make the right decissions.

In their interview with FRED Film Radio, Steen and Kaas tell us that playing a role in a television series is not very different that a job in a movie. They depict Vinterberg as a director that can detect the truth in the members of his cast, and confirm that every actor in Denmark wants to work with him.

“Families like ours” reunites the Academy Award winner -with “Another round“– with Steen, 25 years after “Celebration“. The series deals with the topics of climate change, immigration and the moral debate that every individual must face in front of such a lifetime crisis.

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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 – Victor Courgeon – 31th August appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Aude Léa Rapin, french director and scriptwriter, images a distopic world in which human conflicts are harsh and one must manage to survive. “Planet B”, with Adèle Exarchopoulos, is the special event opening film of Settimana della critica (Critic’s Week).

Aude Léa Rapin (1984) began her career as a photographer and videographer in the Balkans and Africa. She produced a triptych documentary, haunted by the ghosts of war in the Balkans. An experience that marked her and that she still puts into her films today.

“In this movie I talk about reality and virtual world, which both scare me a lot“, director says.

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Interview during the 81st edition of Venice International Film Festival with Thomas Vinterberg, showrunner of the series “Families like ours”, and actress Amaryllis August. The production, out of competition in the Series section, tells how the Danish Goverment decides to evacuate the whole country because of the risk of a great flood. In that context, a family tries to make the right decissions.

In their interview with FRED Film Radio, our guests told us that this is the first time of Amaryllis August in front of a camera. The actress -daughter of the director Bille August- was selected in a casting process by Vinterberg, who conceived the first idea for the series 6 years ago, during an afternoon of boredom.

“Families like ours” reunites the Academy Award winner –with “Another round”– with actress Paprika Steen, 25 years after “Celebration“. The series deals with the topics of climate change, immigration and the moral debate that every individual must face in front of such a lifetime crisis.

The post “Families like ours”, interview with showrunner Thomas Vinterberg and actress Amaryllis August appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Interview during the 81st edition of Venice International Film Festival with Sophie Wilde, actress in “Babygirl“. The movie, in competition for the Golden Lion, tells the story of a businesswoman – played by Nicole Kidman– that starts a relationship submission with an intern, played by Harris Dickinson. Sophie Wilde plays one of Kidman’s colleagues at work, that warns her about this situation.

Our interview with Sophie Wilde addresses the presence of the film in Venice and how was it shooting such powerful scenes alongside Nicole Kidman. She also talks to FRED about the momentum of her career: she has starred in Danny Philipou and Michael Philipou‘s “Talk to me” and the miniseries “Tom Jones“.

As we explained, in “Babygirl” a high-power CEO puts her career and family at risk when she begins this torrid affair with her newest intern. Her marriage to a successful theatre director (Antonio Banderas) is at stake. Sophie Wilde discusses how much sacrifice women in power must endure in order to maintain their jobs and fulfill their wishes.

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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.

The post The Venice Production Bridge day in 4 minutes – 31/08 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.