FRED Film Radio - English Channel

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Steve Conrad and Charlie Gogolak, director and producer of the film Patriot.

FRED’s Chiara Nicoletti meets director Steven Conrad, the writer of The Pursuit of Happyness, The Weather Man, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and producer Charlie Gogolak to talk about the new Amazon Original TV show PATRIOT with Michael Dorman, Kurtwood Smith, Michael Chernus and Terry O’Quinn. The first 2 episodes have been presented i the Berlinale Special section at the 67th edition of the Festival. Conrad and Gogolak talk about the meaning of the title “Patriot” and the challenges of directing and producing a Tv show that mixes various genres such as drama, thriller, musical and black comedy.

Patriot follows the complicated life of intelligence offi cer John Tavner (Australian newcomer Michael Dorman, Wonderland). His latest assignment is to prevent Iran from going nuclear, requiring him to forgo all safety nets and assume a perilous “non-offi cial cover”—that of a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping fi rm. A bout with PTSD, the Federal government’s incompetence and the intricacies of keeping a day job in the “front” industrial piping company cause a barrage of ever-escalating fi ascos that jeopardize Tavner’s mission. Patriot is in large part about the lesser known, unglamorous aspects of life as an intelligence offi cer deep undercover with work that frequently places John in untenable situations where he’s often forced to choose between bad alternatives. The unraveling of a plan, and the eff ort to conceal that unraveling, causes matters to complicate further.

For the film page on the festival website click here.

The post Steve Conrad, Charlie Gogolak – Patriot #Berlinale appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Michael Dorman, actor of the film Patriot.

Berlinale has been of the first film festivals to open its doors to TV series and the 67th Berlinale presented the new tv show produced by Amazon, The Patriot directed by Steve Conrad with Australian actor and musician Michael Dorman as the protagonist. Dorman tells FRED’s Chiara Nicoletti about his first reaction to Conrad’s proposal and his first impression to the script of The Patriot as it is very innovative in mixing various genres, from black comedy to thriller with some musical moments. Michael Dorman is also a singer and Conrad used this occasion to introduce some musical numbers in every episodes in which John, the protagonist, a spy under cover, plays guitar and sings all the events he went through during war and his missions.

Patriot follows the complicated life of intelligence offi cer John Tavner (Australian newcomer Michael Dorman, Wonderland). His latest assignment is to prevent Iran from going nuclear, requiring him to forgo all safety nets and assume a perilous “non-offi cial cover”—that of a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping fi rm. A bout with PTSD, the Federal government’s incompetence and the intricacies of keeping a day job in the “front” industrial piping company cause a barrage of ever-escalating fi ascos that jeopardize Tavner’s mission. Patriot is in large part about the lesser known, unglamorous aspects of life as an intelligence offi cer deep undercover with work that frequently places John in untenable situations where he’s often forced to choose between bad alternatives. The unraveling of a plan, and the eff ort to conceal that unraveling, causes matters to complicate further.

For the film page on the festival website click here.

The post Michael Dorman – Patriot #Berlinale appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Nakane Tourè, actor of the film The Wound.

Fred’s Chiara Nicoletti meets Nakane Tourè, protagonist of The Wound, the Panorama opening film of the 67th Berlinale. Nakane reveals that he first joined the film’s production as music composer for the film’s soundtrack. John Trengove instead looked at him and found his protagonist. Tourè decided to embark on this adventure because he felt that the film could deal with universal themes, such as impossible love, passion, desire and black masculinity stereotypes.

The Wound: Xolani, a lonely factory worker, joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood. When a defiant initiate from the city discovers his best kept secret, Xolani’s entire existence begins to unravel.

For the film page on the festival website click here.

The post Nakane Tourè – The Wound #Berlinale appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Stanley Donwood, Graphic Artist of the film The Bomb.

Stanley Donwood is one of the most celebrated graphic artists in Great Britain and a longtime campaigner against nuclear weapons and he’s one of the four artists that participated in The Bomb film project, screening at the 67th Berlinale in the Berlinale Special section. The film can be considered as a visual experience more than a simple documentary on the story of nuclear weapons and it is that interactive thanks to the experience of Donwood who put all his efforts in making this experience the more invasive and inclusive ppossible for the audience.

The Bomb: over seven decades have passed since a city was destroyed by a nuclear weapon. But the danger never went away. We are now confronted with a world in which nine nations possess about 15,000 nuclear weapons. Many of the weapons in the American arsenal are roughly 20 times more powerful than the bomb detonated at Hiroshima. the bomb places the viewer in the middle of the story of nuclear weapons – the most dangerous machines ever built – from the Trinity Test in 1945 to the current state of nuclear weapons in 2017. It will explore the culture surrounding nuclear weapons, the fascination they inspire, and the perverse appeal they still exert. It will convey the impossibility of controlling this technology.

For the film page on the festival website click here.

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PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Marcelo Gomes, director of the film Joaquim.

Marcelo Gomes has been inspired by his country’s first leader of the revolutionary movement, Joaquim Jose da Silva Xavier, better known as Tiradentes, for his new film, Joaquim, in competition at the 67th Berlinale. While researching and narrating his country ‘s origins, Gomes investigates on Brazil’s contradictions nowadays that have their basis in the happenings of the 18th century. Gomes comments on his decision of introducing a love story in the film as the trigger to Joaquim’s revolutionary soul to be revealed. Through this impossibile love for a black slave, Preta, a subtle transformation begins to take place, an internal, ideological one.

Joaquim: Brazil, 18th century. The colony of Portugal endures a decline in gold production. A Portuguese minority rules over a corrupt and autocratic society. Joaquim is an efficient soldier, famous for capturing gold smugglers. While waiting for his promotion to Lieutenant, he leaves for a risky mission in search of new gold mines – the only way to buy the freedom of Blackie, a slave he is in love with. Inspired by the true story of Tiradentes, the first leader of the Brazilian revolutionary movement.

For the film page on the festival website click here.

The post Marcelo Gomes – Joaquim #Berlinale appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Kevin Ford, Smriti Keshari, directors of the film The Bomb.

Smriti Keshari produced and conceived The Bomb with Eric Schlosser while Kevin Ford co-directed the film with them. The two artists tell FRED’s Chiara Nicoletti about the starting point of the film and describe the process that led them to decide on the structure of the film which can be considered as an audiovisual experience more than a simple documentary film. Every screening is particular and must be a live experience. the 55-minute film will be projected as The Acid performs a live score in the screening venue.

The Bomb: the bomb is a groundbreaking multimedia project that immerses you in the strange, compelling, and unsettling reality of nuclear weapons. Over seven decades have passed since a city was destroyed by a nuclear weapon. But the danger never went away. We are now confronted with a world in which nine nations possess about 15,000 nuclear weapons. Many of the weapons in the American arsenal are roughly 20 times more powerful than the bomb detonated at Hiroshima. the bomb places the viewer in the middle of the story of nuclear weapons – the most dangerous machines ever built – from the Trinity Test in 1945 to the current state of nuclear weapons in 2017. It will explore the culture surrounding nuclear weapons, the fascination they inspire, and the perverse appeal they still exert. It will convey the impossibility of controlling this technology.

For the film page on the festival website click here.

The post Kevin Ford, Smriti Keshari – The Bomb #Berlinale appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews John Trengove, director of the film The Wound.

FRED’s Chiara Nicoletti meets John Trengove, director of The Wound, the opening film of Panorama section at the of the 67th Berlinale. The film unveils the Ukwaluka, an ancient traditional initiation into manhood that is widely practiced by the Xhosa people of South Africa. John Trengove’s main purpose was to push back against clichéd stereotypes of black masculinity perpetuated inside and outside of African cinema. Despite exploring a particular tradition in a very specific and peculiar situation, by narrating about an impossible love triangle between three young man, Trengove manages to turn the story into an universal tale.

The Wound: Xolani, a lonely factory worker, joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood. When a defiant initiate from the city discovers his best kept secret, Xolani’s entire existence begins to unravel.

For the film page on the festival website click here.

The post John Trengove – The Wound #Berlinale appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Eric Schlosser, director of the film The Bomb.

FRED’s Chiara Nicoletti meets director, author and writer Eric Schlosser, at the 67th Berlinale to present the film project he conceived and directed with Kevin Ford and Smriti Keshari. The film is based on his own book Command and Control, grew out of a research he did on nuclear weapons. To cite Eric Schlosser’s own words: “The Bomb was created to give audiences a powerful, visceral sense of the nuclear danger we now face. Unlike the bookand the documentary, it seeks to provide a fully immersive experience. It was Smriti Keshari’s idea to combine film, animation, live music, and screens that completely enclose the viewer and this structure proved to be powerful as it was a huge success in New York and at Berlinale.

The Bomb: over seven decades have passed since a city was destroyed by a nuclear weapon. But the danger never went away. We are now confronted with a world in which nine nations possess about 15,000 nuclear weapons. Many of the weapons in the American arsenal are roughly 20 times more powerful than the bomb detonated at Hiroshima. the bomb places the viewer in the middle of the story of nuclear weapons – the most dangerous machines ever built – from the Trinity Test in 1945 to the current state of nuclear weapons in 2017. It will explore the culture surrounding nuclear weapons, the fascination they inspire, and the perverse appeal they still exert. It will convey the impossibility of controlling this technology.

For the film page on the festival website click here.

The post Eric Schlosser – The Bomb #Berlinale appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Armie Hammer, actor of the film Final Portrait.

Armie Hammer is back on FRED from the 67th Berlinale to talk about his experience on shooting Final Portrait. The actor describes how amazing it is to work with Stanley Tucci and how different and more effective is to be directed by an actor. Hammer is also enthusiastic about having worked by Geoffrey Rush’s side. As the film is based on the real life of world renowned artist Alberto Giacometti and his friendship with American writer and art-lover James Lord, Armie Hammer had a lot of papers and manuscripts to read and to base his reasearch and character’s preparation on. The actor also talks about his childhood, his early career choices and life choices and finally about his last film, Hotel Mumbai directed by Anthony Maras.

Final Portrait: in 1964, while on a short trip to Paris, The American writer and art-lover James Lord is asked by his friend, the world-renowned artist Alberto Giacometti, to sit for a portrait. The process, Giacometti assures Lord, will take only a few days. Flattered and intrigued, Lord agrees.

For the film page on the festival website click here.

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PODCAST | Carolina Mancini interviews Danis Tanovic, director of the film Death in Sarajevo.

One year after Death in Sarajevo premiere at Berlinale, where it won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI prize, Fred catches up once again with director Danis Tanovic during Balkan Florence Express, where he took part to the round table Big Cinema of New Europe, talking about his film, its life in film festivals, and the difficulties of European distribution

In Death in Sarajevo, Tanovic gathers together an imaginary group of VIPs in the famous Sarajevo’s Hotel Europe, set in the Holiday Inn, during the centennial of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. The hotel and its guests aim to represent a satirical metaphor of the circles of hell, which Bosnia finds itself in the midst of. And for the first time, the film talks publicly about some “taboo” subject that have always only been discussed privately.

Death in Sarajevo: Sarajevo’s Hotel Europe is bustling in preparation for tonight’s European Union gala for the centennial of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. But the disgruntled staff plans to strike because they haven’t been paid for two months. If this prestigious political dinner fails, the already mortgaged hotel will be shut down by the bank. Desperate to stop the strike, hotel manager Omer must turn to tough guy Enzo, who runs the cellar strip club. Things get tricky for head receptionist Lamija when her mother Hatidza is elected strike leader. While the French VIP guest rehearses his keynote speech in his room, TV journalist Vedrana conducts interviews on the roof for a centennial special. Among her guests is Gavrilo Princip, the namesake descendant of the Archduke’s assassin. Firm political stances quickly lead to age-old disputes. From the roof to the cellar, via the reception, laundry room and kitchen, increasing tensions turn the Hotel Europe into an ideological pressure cooker.

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