“William Tell” by Nick Hamm with Danish Actor Claes Bang in the role of the man/myth/legend and archer is coming out in Italian movie theaters on April 3rd, distributed by Eagle Pictures.

After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film was presented at the 20th Zurich Film Festival where we met director Nick Hamm along with actors Claes Bang, Jonah Hauer-King and Ellie Bamber. 

As Hamm clarifies, nobody knows if William Tell ever lived but the legend and the story about his shooting the famous apple on the top of his son’s head survived all over the centuries. 

When asked why, Nick Hamm answers promptly: “The “legend” of William Tell survived because with it, you’re debating the notion of liberty and what it means, how you achieve it and maintain it”. 

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During the 39th edition of BFI Flare, Fred Film Radio sat down with director August B Hanssen to discuss his documentary feature, “Fatherhood“, made alongside Even G Benestad.

He shared how gay throuple, Kris, Sindre and David, approached them to share their complex journey to becoming parents, and despite some initial hesitation, an increasingly toxic environment in Norway and beyond for the trans community gave Hanssen and Benestad the impetus to take on the project.

Hanssen explained his desire to tell a personal, intimate, human story, to foster empathy and compassion, as well as shed light on the harsh rules whose impacts are still being felt, such as trans people having to face sterilisation as recently as 2016.

Although it shares a very specific story about this non-conventional family, it also touches on many universal elements of becoming a parent and navigating relationships, bridging the gap between audience and subject.

The filmmaker also reflected on the importance of the BFI Flare as a platform for a diverse range of LGBTQIA+ films, and his excitement for showing his documentary to a London audience.

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At the 16th Bari International Film & Tv Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed the director Tom Nesher to talk about “Come Closer”, a film presented at the Meridiana section.

“Come Closer” deals with many different themes, one of these is the transition between adolescence and adulthood. A transition that implies, in a certain way, a loss. “Being a teenager is such an interesting time because you remember from those times only the most highlighted events”, says Tom Nesher. “You’re so emotional in that time and you’re saying goodbye to a lot of parts of yourself and parts of your life and you’re becoming an adult. And this thing is something that you can see throughout the film. The main character is losing her brother, she is losing her family in some way but then she’s finding her own independent way and her way to become a more mature person which could be sad but could also be a beautiful thing that happens in nature that you find your place as an adult”.

At the heart of “Come Closer” is the love story between the two protagonists that arises after a loss that affects both of them. How was the film received by the Israeli audience? “It was so beautiful. The movie was hugged by the Israeli public in such a powerful way”, explain the director. “I tell this story that comes from a very personal place of my own life and I feel like my generation could have less boundaries and you don’t need to be identified as lesbian or as anything else to be able to fall in love with a person who happens to be a woman or to have this meaningful relationship with someone because they also lost someone that you both love and you mourn together over that person. So it’s really beautiful to see the way that the generations changed”.

In ‘Come Closer’, the director shows a montage on the phones of the two protagonists that tells about the society in which the girls live. But everything remains in the background. “In this montage you see a protest and children that go to the school trip to Auschwitz. These are two very dramatic things in Israeli society. But still the film is not about that. Those events are just in the background of this love story”, says Tom Nesher. “You see them texting, laughing, falling in love and that is the main thing of that scene. I chose to write it because I wanted to see how even the most dramatic backdrop for a teenager, it’s just a backdrop. You’re so invested in your personal story, in your loss, in your love”.

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In our captivating dialogue with MOWG, a distinguished composer and musician from South Korea, we delved into the intricate art of film scoring during the 23rd Korea Film Fest in Florence. MOWG expressed his enthusiasm for being in Italy, highlighting how the vibrant culture and exquisite cuisine fuel his artistic inspiration. As we explored his creative process, he provided insights into his collaboration with the acclaimed director Hwang Dong-hyuk on the powerful film “Silenced,” which addresses the deeply unsettling themes of child abuse. He found the narrative shocking, leading him to ingeniously blend a childlike atmosphere with haunting musical elements designed to evoke profound feelings of sadness and emotional depth in the audience.

As we continued our discussion about his work on “Masquerade” MOWG elaborated on how historical contexts greatly influence his compositions. He draws from Korea’s rich musical heritage to craft scores that resonate with the film’s aesthetic, intertwining traditional melodies and instruments with compelling cinematic narratives. His experience working across diverse genres is reminiscent of meeting individuals from different worlds, allowing him to embrace a variety of influences that enrich and diversify his compositions.

MOWG also offered valuable insights into his approach to stylistic diversity, explaining how each director’s unique vision encourages him to innovate relentlessly. This dynamic creative process is particularly evident in his work for “I Saw the Devil,” where he artfully fused classical instruments with elements of Bossa Nova to construct an eerie yet captivating atmosphere. He revels in these challenges, showcasing his remarkable adaptability and unwavering commitment to creating distinctive soundscapes.

A surprising twist in our conversation unveiled MOWG‘s childhood fascination with classic European films, particularly the works of the celebrated director Michelangelo Antonioni. He reminisced about how his exposure to a myriad of cinematic styles has profoundly shaped his understanding of music as a visual language, emphasizing that he can connect with the emotional essence of a film without needing subtitles.

Recently, MOWG has been channeling his excitement into new projects, including an upcoming film directed by the renowned Park Hoon-jung, where he will step into the role of a serious killer. This marks a stark departure from his musical roles and adds an intriguing new chapter to his multifaceted career.

Reflecting on his experiences at the Korea Film Festival in Florence, MOWG mentioned his recent masterclass and how discussions surrounding Dante have ignited new musical curiosities within him. He expressed heartfelt gratitude for the cross-cultural influences that continually inspire his work, drawing inspiration from iconic figures such as Miles Davis and Ennio Morricone.

As he prepares for an exhilarating concert with the Florence Pops Orchestra, MOWG shared his enthusiasm for collaborating with an ensemble that breathes new life into his works. This partnership promises to create an unforgettable experience, both for the audience and for him as a composer.

In essence, MOWG’s journey through the realms of music and film embodies a thrilling exploration of sound and storytelling, showcasing his dedication to pushing artistic boundaries while engaging with a rich tapestry of cultural influences.

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At the 16th Bari International Film & Tv Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed the director Karim Moussaoui to talk about “The Vanishing”, a film presented at the Meridiana section.

“The Vanishing” is based on the book by Samir Toumi. There are some differences between the film and the novel, but there is also a common narrative core that the director wanted to explore. “The relationship between generation and the generation gap is something that interested me a lot because the heritage of our parents sometimes make our daily life really hard”, says the director. “I was interested in the book because of a question: ‘How to escape from that and how to be once again free from any influence of the past?”.

There is an ambiguity in the characters. What did that allow the director to explore in a narrative way? “There was really a long discussion between my producer and my editor about what kind of person Reda is. We all have complexity, we are not always nice, we are hiding some frustrations, we are hiding a bit of violence. And, for example, were not expecting how much violence Reda was keeping in himself”, explains Karim Moussaoui. “With the film I’m trying to show how we are creating monsters in our society because of the pressure and all those things that society is expecting from us”.

How does the director describe contemporary Algerian cinema? “There is a new wave of directors and new movies, but it’s still a bit complicated for directors to make their movies, It’s hard to find money, there isn’t a cinema school and just one funding. We need to make our films in co-productions”, says Karim Moussaoui.

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At the 16th Bari International Film & Tv Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed the director Ibër Deari to talk about “Everybody Calls Redjo”, a film presented at the Meridiana section.

“Everybody Calls Redjo” is a story of immigration. The protagonist decides to stay in his country while everyone around him decides to leave. “I thought that this type of immigration only happened in my country, North Macedonia and the Balkan countries, but I see that it is very universal and is happening everywhere in the world”, says Ibër Deari. “I wrote the script with Artin Selmani five years ago and from there I started to feel that all my friends were leaving my country. That was the beginning”.

As a young man and a director, how does the director relate to the protagonist of  “Everyone Calls Redjo”? “I related so much to the character of Redjo because I know him in real life”, explains Ibër Deari. “I asked him: ‘Are you going to leave the country?’ He replied: ‘No, I don’t need anything else. For me, it’s enough to work and be here with my family.’ And that’s why I was so fascinated by this man”.

“Everyone Calls Redjo” addresses the topic of immigration with a comic tone. “With comedy, you can easily tell the truth. Like Charlie Chaplin’s films or Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful. I tried to do the same with my film”, says Ibër Deari.

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At the 16th Bari International Film & Tv Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed the director Jaylan Auf to talk about “The inevitable journey to find a wedding dress”, a film presented at the Meridiana section.

At the heart of “The inevitable journey to find a wedding dress” is the frantic search for a wedding dress by two young girls. A dress with a strong symbolic value whose meaning can change for a person throughout their life. “Whether it’s in Egypt or elsewhere, wedding dresses have a universal meaning, more or less. For me, it’s evolved from something that’s more of a fairytale understanding of the concept to something more abstract, something like a very simple dream that someone might pursue”, says Jaylan Auf. “And that’s actually the concept behind the film. It’s what the two characters are looking for and even within the film itself the concept of the dress evolves from one point to another”.

Did Jaylan Auf‘s background as a documentary filmmaker influence the making of the film? “Definitely”, says the director. “This film is a completely fictional story, however, it combines different genres together. Initially we talk about the concept of a wedding dress as a fairy tale, however with a very real approach. The approach to the camera itself is documentary-like. It is always very close to the subjects”.

In one sequence of “The inevitable journey to find a wedding dress” the protagonist states that wearing a wedding dress is her right. A sentence that contains a very deep and nuanced meaning. “It is a scene in the film where the fiancé asks her if she really wants this dress. With her head she says no, but with her eyes she says: ‘It is my right’. The scene, first of all, shows that there is love between both of those characters, even if they are very different. And it shows the importance of the journey itself”, explains Jaylan Auf. “Because the journey is not about whether or not she gets the dress or whether or not she wants this particular dress. It’s about the fact that she has the right to dream about something, even if it’s very big or very small. She has the right to dream and to get what she wants. She’s worked very hard in her life and she feels like she wants a win, not necessarily the dress, but a win”.

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At the 16th Bari International Film & Tv Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed the director Gala Gracia to talk about “The Remnants of You”, a film presented at the Meridiana section.

“The Remnants of You” has some autobiographical elements. Was it therapeutic for Gala Gracia to be able to direct and tell this story? “I think most of the people that do the first movie have a very shocking experience in their lives. And at some point it’s kind of therapeutic to write about this. At least the first draft of the script. For me it was like that”, says the director. “I had this idea because I felt a lot of pain because of the death of my father. I must say that the first draft of the script was more attached to the reality of what happened, but as I rewrote the script it started to be less autobiographical”.

The main character of “The Remnants of You” tries to reconcile her desires and the expectations that people have on her. How did Gala Gracia manage to write and work on this balance? And how does this aspect reflect her own experience? “The death of her father for the protagonist means that she has to leave behind the life that she had as a pianist in New York and to assume the reality. In my personal experience I had to come back from London, because I was living there. I was exploring life in a foreign country”, remember the director. “Sometimes you have to stop your life to do another completely different thing that you didn’t expect, because I had to be in charge of a sheep farm that I had with my father and my sister. When he died, we had to work on it. I tried to balance Sara’s desire of coming back to New York and the weight of the guilt that is stopping her”.

Sara is a jazz musician and “The Remnants of You” uses music in a narrative way. “In the movie there are two main aspects that belong to the father. One is the obvious one: the sheep and all the farming around their lives. And the other one is the music, because the father is a fanatic of jazz music and it’s what links him to his daughter”, says Gala Gracia.

Many movies of the Meridiana section at Bif&st share the same themes. “I think this is because of the changes in the world”, underlines Gala Gracia. “We are connecting to our roots, because we are starting to see the wrong face of globalization and now we are immersed in so many theories about defending, going back to the origin, or defending more sustainable models. We have to step backwards again, think about our origin, our roots, our family. All these themes, maybe, that now we are touching in cinema as well”.

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At the 16th Bari International Film & Tv Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed the director Mark Anthony Green to talk about “Opus”, a film with John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett presented at Rosso di sera section.

“Opus” describes celebrity as a dangerous cult. How does Mark Anthony Green think the obsession of fame, even among ordinary people through social media, is influencing our society? “I think the thing we interrogate in the movie is bigger than just celebrities” says the director. “It also goes to elected officials, it goes to community leaders. Opus is a super fun movie, it’s a wild ride. But the thing we interrogate – this idea of tribalism – it exists in religions, in churches, on television and in radio. Unfortunately it’s a universal kind of global pandemic that’s bigger than just celebrities. I chose a pop star because it felt like the most fun way to do it, but it’s a big problem”.

Before becoming a director, Mark Anthony Green was a journalist like Ariel, the main character of “Opus”. Through the film, the director also tells the story of the obsession of a certain type of journalists to be in the spotlight. “The journalism in Opus, to me, was really important to get the power dynamic correct. And that was it”, says Green. “If her relationship to Moretti was different, if she was an assistant or something like that, then I still think we could have told this story. I’m sure that I brought a lot of my experience when I look back at young Mark Anthony and the mistakes that he made when he was Ariel’s age. It was easy for me to apply a lot of that, because I lived it and was a journalist for 13 years. But the most important thing was just for it to feel accurate, for young journalists to watch this film and feel like: “Oh, that is an accurate representation of me”. And I felt the same way about pop stars. I wanted Elton John, Liberace and David Bowie, if they were still here, to be able to watch this film and to be like: ‘Yep, those songs sound right’. I think that authenticity is something that I owe the audience. And I’m super proud to say that Opus is a very authentic film’”.

It took Mark Anthony Green six years to make “Opus”. And in these years the world has become even darker, making the film even more relevant. “I would trade the relevancy in a heartbeat if it meant the film was less relevant. But unfortunately, that’s not our current situation”, says the director. “And I think in particular, this very specific thing that Opus kind of tackles and interrogates, the world has gotten much worse in that regard. And so I don’t pretend to have any answers. I don’t think artists are supposed to have answers. We’re supposed to provoke and to create experiences that people share and that smart come up with the answers and figure out a better path forward for us”.

“Opus” puts a cult at the center of the story. But why, according to the director, do we need idols so much? “I think it’s very human. One of the most human instincts is to want to belong to something bigger than yourself. To want to belong to a group, to be connected and tethered to other classes of people and a guild or a movement or whatever. That is so human”, says Mark Anthony Green. “And with less and less people being religious and having organized religion in their life, I do think that we’ve kind of supplemented the void of that with these people. And it’s so visceral and it can also be fun and it can feel like you really belong to something. But I think the question that Opus asks is: ‘Does this still serve us?’. Are we better off because of our extreme belief and idolatry of these people or has this institution gone too far?’”.

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At the 16th Bari International Film & Tv Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed the director Samira El Mouzghibati to talk about “(Y)our Mother”, a film presented at the Meridiana section.

In “(Y)our Mother”, Samira El Mouzghibati asks her sisters what family means to them. But what does family mean to the director? Did the concept of family change after the documentary? “It’s interesting because in the movie it’s also a question I ask to myself and to me family was very much a relationship I needed to preserve and not to lose. And all the fears that come with it”, says El Mouzghibati. “So the fear of talking, the fear of saying the truth because you are afraid to lose your family if you say too much. But with this film, I understood that family ties are so strong that you can go a long way with your family and tell deep truths because we are family and the ties are very strong”.

In “(Y)our Mother” the director has the opportunity to delve into very intimate aspects of her mother’s life and the relationship between the woman and her sisters. Does Samira El Mouzghibati also consider the documentary a gift to herself and to them? “Maybe there was something of a fantasy of a gift. I’m the youngest of my siblings and I had this fantasy: ‘I want all my family to come together and that everything would be okay’. But this film is mostly my journey towards my family and towards my mother. And for sure, it was already a gift to myself and, I hope, a gift for them also”.

In the documentary, the director films her parents and sisters, including some family footage. What was their reaction when she told them she was planning to make “(Y)our Mother”? “A lot of people ask me that question because I come from a very conservative family, especially my mother. And so a lot of people are like: ‘How did you convince her to do this film?’”, says Samira El Mouzghibati. “Actually I didn’t really have to convince anyone because I think they understood before me that I needed to do this film. And there is really a gesture of love from them towards me, accepting to do this film with me. And some of them said that maybe it was also something useful for them to talk, to try to gather, to film and to tell our story. Because there is also a common story”.

Many of the films in the Meridiana section of the Bif&st deal with themes such as heritage, identity, roots. How do you explain that so many directors from different parts of the world felt the need to talk about similar themes? “I think our world today is like that. We are very much mixed up and our identities are always moving, always reshaping itself. And it brings a lot of joy and richness with it, but also a lot of complexities, a lot of pain, a lot of loss. And I think as humans, we need to deal with those questions because these are very actual questions”.

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