FRED Film Radio - English Channel

At the 39th Lovers Film Festival, director David Lambert offered insights into his award-winning film “Turtles” and the profound themes it explores. From the inspiration behind the story to the significance of its title, Lambert delved into the intricacies of crafting a narrative that blends comedy with poignant introspection.

Lambert shares the origins of “Turtles,” highlighting the absence of representation of older queer couples in cinema. Motivated to fill this gap, Lambert embarked on a journey to portray the complexities of love, ageing, and existential crises through the lens of Thom and Henri’s relationship.

One of the striking aspects of “Turtles” is its ability to balance serious themes with tones of comedy. David Lambert reflects on infusing fun into the narrative, acknowledging the delicate dance between humour and heartfelt moments that underpin the dynamics of love, couplehood, and ageing.

Central to the film’s success were the performances of Thom and Henri, portrayed by the talented actors Dave Johns and Olivier Gourmet. The director discusses the importance of finding the right actors to embody these characters, whose chemistry and depth bring authenticity to their portrayal of love, loss, and resilience.

A central theme of “Turtles” is the protagonists’ introspective journeys as they grapple with rediscovering their individuality within the confines of a long-term relationship. Lambert emphasizes the importance of self-love and personal growth, highlighting the nuanced exploration of identity within the context of partnership: “To love someone, you need to love yourself first.”

The film’s title, “Turtles,” holds symbolic significance throughout the narrative. David Lambert explores the symbolic layers of the turtles, which serve as symbols of resilience, longevity, and companionship. Through their presence, the film delves into the themes of endurance and adaptation in facing life’s challenges.

“Turtles” is a poignant ode to love, resilience, and the enduring power of human connection. David Lambert’s masterful storytelling captures the essence of ageing, love, and individuality within a richly layered narrative.

The post “Turtles”, interview with director David Lambert appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

It is a woman driven film, “Persona Non Grata“, the new film by Austrian director Antonin Svoboda, screening at the 37°Bolzano Film Festival in the Special section.

Inspired by the story of skier Nicola Spieb who reported she was a victim of abuse in her field, the film sees Gerti Drassl in the role of Andrea, a former skier who, after the death of her husband, decides to report the abuses she had to endure as a young professional.

With his non judgmental look on his characters, Antonin Svoboda focuses on his protagonist and her interactions, especially with the two other women in her life, her mother and her daughter.

While the latter becomes an ally along her difficult journey facing what she went through years before, her mother claims that “It’s always been like that and they should stop acting like a victim”.

“Persona Non Grata“ is the story of a woman’ second chance to live as, to quote Antonin Svoboda “she doesn’t have to stick with her past anymore,  she’s changing this past tense in the present for the future, she’s feeling alive”.

The post “Persona non grata”, interview with director Antonin Svoboda appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

After premiering at the latest edition of Berlinale, “My stolen planet“, a documentary by Iranian director Farahnaz Sharifi is screening at the 37°Bolzano Film Festival.

In the style of a diary, Farahnaz Sharifi, let her personal archive about her family and her joyful private life inside closed doors interact with 8mm recordings of strangers’ lives to testify the different realities in her oppressed country.

Starting from the title of the film, Farahnaz Sharifi says: “This is a story about two kind of different realities happening in my country, inside it is my planet, outside its theirs”.

“My stolen planet” as the director agrees, is not only a film about women in Iran or about life in a regimented oppressed country but it is about the women all around the world and a  universal reminder of how we should never take some rights for granted.

The post “My stolen planet”, interview with director Farahnaz Sharifi appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

After the success of the second feature film  “Glück/Bliss“, german director Henrika Kull is back with a new feature, Südsee – Salty Water, screening in competition, as an italian premiere at the 37° Bolzano Film Festival Bozen.

If in “Glück“, Kull portrayed the relationship between two women, sex workers, now, in “Salty Water” at the centre of the story there’s again a woman, a young girl in her 20’s, Anne (Liliane Amuat), in a temporary suspension state from reality, during her two intimate days with a stranger, Nuri, while the two wait for the conflict between the Israeli army and Hamas to “pause”.

Nothing really happens during those days and between the two, though everything happens. In a midst of a sexual tension arising but never exploding, Anne and Nuri (Dor Aloni) discuss about very important topics such as belonging to a country, professing one’s religion, defending a country, dreaming, having kids.

Henrika Kull explains how the film for her “was always about creating a tension in a very tensed place and make the audience feel the two should be together”.

Liliane Amuat describes her character and how Kull directed her through that acting full of silences, slightly touching, keeping things afloat, reflecting.

The post “Südsee – Salty Water”, interview with director Henrika Kull and actress Liliane Amuat appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

A new international and inclusive programme of the IDM Film Commission South Tyrol and the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen to support the production of short films has been launched on April 16th In Bolzano.

Its name is MASO and it supports the production of short films, aiming at aspiring talents as well as professionals.

Head of IDM Film Commission Südtirol, Birgit Oberkofler talks about conceiving the program with Artistic Director of the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen, Vincenzo Bugno.

The first edition of MASO is directed by Enrico Vannucci and will pay particular attention to reaching filmmakers from underrepresented social groups and encouraging them to participate. By supporting these groups with a strong artistic voice, the aim is to make the world of film and television more inclusive, colorful, and diverse.

The post Birgit Oberkofler, interview with the Head of IDM Film Commission Südtirol  appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

MASO, the new international and inclusive programme of the IDM Film Commission South Tyrol and the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen to support the production of short films, was launched during the Industry Days of the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen (BFFB).

This professional development program for filmmakers from all over the world,  was initiated by IDM Film Commission Südtirol, the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen BFFB, the Cultural Departments of the Autonomous Province of Bozen-Bolzano and other European partners such as the Talents and Short Film Market, the Nordnorsk Filmsenter and FilmCamp Norway.

Enrico Vannucci, who is in charge of programming the short film selection at the Locarno Film Festival, is responsible for the content of MASO #1. “The short film is an art form in its own right. It is real cinema and the sector has evolved considerably in many ways over time. There are many more productions today, but at the same time there are also more festivals and online platforms just for short films,” emphasizes Enrico Vannucci.

The MASO professional development programme is aimed at aspiring talents as well as professionals.

Particular attention will be paid to reaching filmmakers from underrepresented social groups and encouraging them to participate. By supporting these groups with a strong artistic voice, the aim is to make the world of film and television more inclusive, colorful, and diverse.

The post Enrico Vannucci, artistic director of MASO #1 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

During BFI Flare festival in London, Fred Film Radio spoke with the director and producer of documentary feature, “Lady Like“, Luke Willis and Cookie Walukas.

Willis shared the background as to how the collaboration between Lady Camden aka Rex Wheeler came to be, having met in the dance community in San Francisco. While talking about London-born Wheeler’s past, Luke Willis realised there was a complex story behind his love of dance and being a drag queen and one that ought to be told on screen.

The filmmakers shared both the challenges and highlights of capturing the success of Lady Camden’s rags to riches story through Ru Paul’s Drag Race as well as supreme moments of vulnerability.

They spoke about how they hope her journey throws a spotlight on the experiences of those in the queer community, the power of drag as an artform and a universal story of inspiration to be creative and be yourself.

Finally, we discussed their excitement of holding the World Premiere at the UK’s LGBTQIA+ film festival, a kind of homecoming for Lady Camden, and their optimism for the future despite setbacks in societal progress and inclusion.

The post “Lady Like”, interview with director Luke Willis and producer Cookie Walukas appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

During Cinema Made in Italy in London, Fred Film Radio spoke with Ginevra Elkann about her bold second feature, “I Told You So.”

The filmmaker shared that the starting point for her story was a heatwave in Rome and the impact it had on her and the people around her, inducing anxiety and sending people into a frenzy. From that idea, the scene was set for her movie, which she then populated with a series of characters with interweaving narratives.

We heard about how she assembled her all-star cast, including Valeria Golino as Pupa, an ex-porn star trying to relive her Golden Days,  Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as her obsessed ex-best friend, Riccardo Scarmarcio and Alba Rorwacher as a divorced couple battling over the custody of their son, and Danny Huston as priest with a former heroin addiction, to name but a few.

Key aspects of making the film were achieving the claustrophobic look and feel of the sweltering heat and also the more out-there moments, such as the hyper-realistic sex scene that opens the feature.

We also discussed the thread of addiction through all the characters, whether food, alcohol, sex or drugs, exploring how we all have our ways of trying to escape ourselves and our past traumas, as well as the complex reactions women can have to becoming a mother, dysfunctional relationships and societal judgement.

The post “I Told You So”, interview with director Ginevra Elkann appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

During the Cinema Made in Italy festival in London, Fred Film Radio spoke to director Laura Luchetti about her 1938 Turin-set coming-of-age story, adapted from the novel by Cesare Pavese.

She shared how, although she was intimidated by the prospect of attempting to put a literary masterpiece on the screen, she felt it was a risk worth taking, and the process of adaptation was dictated by those parts of the novel she thought were most compelling, namely the relationship between the two women in the story.

Laura Luchetti told us how she landed on her cast, particularly Yile Yara Vianello as Ginia, a timid but curious young woman experiencing her sexual awakening, and Deva Cassel as Amelia, a more worldly model, who opens Ginia up to a bohemian, artistic circle.

She further gave insight into creating the exacting aesthetic for the film, in which everything from the backdrops to the costumes ponders on the intoxicating beauty that Ginia is desperate to explore.

We also discussed how the narrative and its themes are very contemporary for a period piece, in terms of exploring female sexuality, agency over one’s body and the desire to be seen, and the resonance it can have with young audiences today.

“The Beautiful Summer” screened at Cinema Made In Italy, organised by Cinecittà.

The post “The Beautiful Summer”, interview with director Laura Luchetti appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Caméra d’Or-winning film director Anthony Chen’s English-language debut, “Drift“, will have its UK cinematic release on 29 March.

The film, starring the multi-Award-winning Cynthia Erivo, is based on the novel A Marker to Measure Drift by Alexander Maksik. After premiering at Sundance Film Festival last year and traveling along film festivals around the world, the film is ready to land on UK screens.

Anthony Chen (“Ilo Ilo“, “Wet Season“) reveals that “even though Alexander Maksik’s novel is a work of fiction, there was a truth in its heroine that felt utterly human and honest”. He was so moved by this screenplay that he decided to embark on this film project.

At the heart of “Drift” is Jacqueline (Erivo), a refugee from Liberia, landing upon the beaches of Greece, putting up a daily fight to survive. What is interesting and new about Drift’s point of view is that Jacqueline is not your usual refugee. She comes from a position of privilege, having enjoyed the power and comforts of establishment and now fallen from grace. Jacqueline struggles to belong, to define her very own existence.

Anthony Chen confesses that he has always considered himself as an outsider so he understands the struggle of his protagonist.

The post “Drift”, interview with director Anthony Chen appeared first on Fred Film Radio.