FRED Film Radio - English Channel

Mark Cousins – filmmaker – I Am Belfast / The Mark Cousins Hibrow Trilogy

FRED’s Matt Micucci interviews Mark Cousins, whose latest work I AM BELFAST had its international premiere in the documentary competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary.

Mark tells us about what it was like to make a film about his hometown, the place he grew up in, after making so many other films set in places all over the world. He also talks about what it was like to once again collaborate with a director of photography – Christopher Doyle – and the creative influence and discourse that resulted from the collaboration.

Filmmaker Mark Cousins also presented the film 6 DESIRES: DH LAWRENCE AND SARDINIA at the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. 6 DESIRES marks the final feature in THE MARK COUSINS HIBROW TRILOGY, and he takes time to give us a brief and yet detailed description of each one of its films.

THE MARK COUSINS HIBROW TRILOGY launches this summer on a “Festival-to-Date” combining almost simultaneously four top notch European film festivals and VOD platforms.

I AM BELFAST: “I met a woman. She said that she is Belfast, the city in Northern Ireland where I grew up. The woman said that she’s as old as the city,” states Mark Cousins at the beginning of his meditative dialogue with the personification of Belfast. This cinematic essay abandons the parameters of classic documentary language, asking us to perceive the film as a magical-realist mix of reality, dreams, myths, and local storytelling.”

THE MARK COUSINS HIBROW TRILOGY: An essay film takes an idea for a walk. Mark Cousins three feature-length essay: 6 Desires: DH Lawrence and Sardinia, Here be dragons and Life may be & tackle, diverse subjects introducing a new way of visual thinking.

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Bianca Kronlöf – actress – Underdog

Bianca Kronlöf talks very passionately about her work as actress and comedian and her role as Dino in Underdog. She also explores the difficult living conditions of many young Swedish who leave Sweden for better job opportunities in Norway.

UNDERDOG: Bianca Kronlöf stars as 23-year-old Dino, one of thousands of young Swedish émigrés scrabbling for work in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. But her new life is caught in a destructive loop of temporary jobs, financial trouble and hard partying, until she lands a job as a housekeeper for a wealthy ex-sportsman. During a few sultry summer weeks she ends up in the centre of an odd and intense love triangle.

An unpredictable struggle for affection as well as dominance ensues which, combined with humour and wit, results in an unmerciful portrayal of the shifted power balance between Sweden and Norway.

The post Bianca Kronlöf – Underdog #ScandiFFAu appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Adam Woronowicz – actor – The Red Spider

FRED’s Matt Micucci interviews Adam Woronowicz, actor in THE RED SPIDER, the feature directorial debut by Marcin Koszalka which had its world premiere in the official competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Adam plays the role of the apparently average man who, in reality, leads the double life of a serial killer. He talks with us about the challenges of playing such a role and understanding his character’s motives as an actor. He also gives us his own opinion on the figure of the serial killer, which is a figure that is examined in a unique way in this film.

THE RED SPIDER: This feature debut by a leading Polish documentarist and cameraman was inspired by actual mass murders committed in the 1960s. A precisely constructed psychological thriller, the film delves into an intricate story of the fascination with evil that hides in places we would never expect.

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Visar Morina – director – Babai

FRED’s Matt Micucci interviews filmmaker Visar Morina, whose feature directorial debut had its international premiere in the official competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Visar tells us about the challenges of shooting a first feature, and dealing with delicate themes such as that of emigration and opting for a human approach over a political approach.

He also talks about perspective, which balances between the central child’s perspective and one of realism.

BABAI: The story of ten-year-old Nori plays out in Kosovo, in Germany, and on the road between the two countries. His father Gezim dominates his entire world, however, one day he leaves for work in the “West” and Nori won’t be placated concerning his sudden disappearance. This feature debut from a talented Kosovan filmmaker is rendered with exceptional intensity and a flair for portraying the emotional complexities of the child’s situation.

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Matteo Cocco – director of photography – Babai

FRED’s Matt Micucci interviews Matteo Cocco, director of photography of the film BABAI, the feature directorial debut by filmmaker Visar Morina that had its international premiere in the official competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

In this interview, Matteo talks to us about his collaboration with director Visar Morina and the importance of a number of factors that shapes the visual style of the film – such as perspective, locations and other elements.

Matteo also shares with us stories about the difficulties and challenges he encountered throughout his production, and reveals to us his creed of not settling for anything and always seeking the best you can get.

BABAI: The story of ten-year-old Nori plays out in Kosovo, in Germany, and on the road between the two countries. His father Gezim dominates his entire world, however, one day he leaves for work in the “West” and Nori won’t be placated concerning his sudden disappearance. This feature debut from a talented Kosovan filmmaker is rendered with exceptional intensity and a flair for portraying the emotional complexities of the child’s situation.

The post Matteo Cocco – Babai #KVIFF2015 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Filip Plawiak – actor – The Red Spider

FRED’s Matt Micucci interviews Filip Plawiak, actor in Marcin Koszalka’s feature fiction directorial debut THE RED SPIDER, which had its world premiere as part of the official competition selection of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Filip plays the role of a young man who becomes fascinated with a serial killer who is keeping Krakow, Poland in the late sixties in terror. He tells us about what attracted him to the role and about his collaboration with the director.

He also talks about what he believes to be the best aspects of the film, one of which is the way in which the story purposefully chooses not to spoon-feed the audience and manipulate their reactions to the on screen action.

THE RED SPIDER: This feature debut by a leading Polish documentarist and cameraman was inspired by actual mass murders committed in the 1960s. A precisely constructed psychological thriller, the film delves into an intricate story of the fascination with evil that hides in places we would never expect.

The post Filip Plawiak – The Red Spider #KVIFF2015 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Antoine L’Écuyer, Roy Dupuis – actors – The Sound of Trees

FRED’s Matt Micucci meets Antoine L’Écuyer and Roy Dupuis, who play the leading roles in the film THE SOUND OF TREES, the feature directorial debut by Francois Péloquin that had its world premiere in the official competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Antoine and Roy tell us about the characters they portray and their character’s different relationships with life in the rural areas of Quebec, as well as their own familiarity with rural lifestyle in real life. They also tell us how they were able to achieve the genuine father and son chemistry for the film and the working relationship with the filmmaker.

THE SOUND OF TREES: At 17 Jérémie dreams of a life different from the one that awaits him at the family sawmill in the small Canadian town where he lives. Jérémie is more interested in pimping his car, listening to hip hop, and slacking off with his friends. This impressionistic debut, built upon convincing performances, tells of a summer that completely changed a teenager’s life.

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Eve Ringuette – actress – Le Dep

FRED’s Matt Micucci meets Eve Ringuette, the leading actress in the film LE DEP by director Sonia Bonspille Boileau, which was presented in the Forum of Independents Competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

We ask her about the collaboration with the filmmaker, and she reveals that the character she plays was written for and inspired by her. We also ask her about how she was able to share such intimate and powerful chemistry with co-star Charles Buckell-Robertson, with whom she dominates the narrative and on screen actor.

She also tells us about certain responsibilities of playing a character from the Innu community – a rare feat in cinema – and reveals to us her pet goals and aspirations of becoming a representative of strong aboriginal women in her acting profession.

LE DEP: One night Lydia is attacked as she’s preparing to close her father’s store, and in the next few hours she is forced to make a number of life-altering decisions. In her powerful psychological drama, the director demonstrates her sensitivity in depicting the world of the Innu community as well as the inner emotions of the young protagonist.

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Barbara Adler – subject of documentary – Amerika

FRED’s Matt Micucci meets Barbara Adler, musician and subject of the documentary AMERIKA directed by Jan Foukal, which was presented in the documentary competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Czech-Canadian Barbara Adler talks to us about the culture of tramping, what it is and what it means to her. She also reveals how it allowed her to discover the country of the Czech Republic, from which she originated and which she knew very little about, as well as the many encounters and awakenings she experienced as a central part of the documentary.

AMERIKA: The story of an unusual journey or a staged piece of contemplation? However we perceive this tale of a couple wandering through the Czech countryside, we can best experience it by yielding to the calm tempo of their journey through the shady woods. Amerika isn’t a portrait of specific individuals but rather a probe into the Czech phenomenon of “tramping.”

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Jan Foukal – director – Amerika

FRED’s Matt Micucci interviews Jan Foukal, director and one of the leading subjects of the doucmentary AMERIKA, which had its world premiere in the documentary competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Jan Foukal talks to us about how the project began and gives us an in depth about ‘tramping’, a characteristic Czech movement which sees long trips of discovery in the countryside. He also talks with us about the other main theme of the film, from which it borrows its title – America as a concept much more than the geographical place.

We also ask him about the challenges of directing the film and appearing in front of it and ask him how the collaboration with Barbara Adler, the co-lead subject of the documentary, began.

AMERIKA: The story of an unusual journey or a staged piece of contemplation? However we perceive this tale of a couple wandering through the Czech countryside, we can best experience it by yielding to the calm tempo of their journey through the shady woods. Amerika isn’t a portrait of specific individuals but rather a probe into the Czech phenomenon of “tramping.”

The post Jan Foukal – Amerika #KVIFF2015 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.