FRED Film Radio - English Channel

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Jakub Hejna, co-director of the film Forman Vs. Forman.

An interview with director Jakub Hejna, whose film Forman Vs. Forman, which he co-directed with documentary great Helena Trestikova, was screened in the Special Mention section of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In this interview, Hejna talks more about Forman, his own reasons for admiring the films the great Czech director made and whether he hopes this film will help a more international audience find out more about him.

Forman Vs. Forman: Forman Vs. Forman is a comprehensive portrait of the Oscar-winning Czech director. The movie is unique for its ingenious compilation of images drawing on existing footage and also on hitherto unknown shots discovered in the collections of friends and colleagues. On set and in interviews the filmmaker contemplates the notion of freedom and its limitations.

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The post Jakub Hejna – Forman Vs. Forman #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Yrsa Roca Fannberg, director of the film The Last Autumn.

An interview with director Yrsa Roca Fannberg, whose documentary feature The Last Autumn had its world premiere in the documentary competition of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. The film takes place in an outermost cape of Iceland and it is a document of way of life that is slowly fading away. The director talks about this dimension of her film, her interest in documenting it and more.

The Last Autumn: If the world has an edge, then it is almost certainly visible from Iceland. On the outermost cape, beyond which there is only the inhospitable Arctic Ocean, lies a farm belonging to Úlfar and his wife. This autumn will be the last time their grandchildren come from the city to drive the sheep back down from the hills. An almost tangible cinematic fabric that weaves a tale of an abandoned place where the mist clings to the steel-blue surface of the sea and where the occasional human visitor is sometimes welcome.

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The post Yrsa Roca Fannberg – The Last Autumn #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Marko Skop, director of the film Let There Be Light.

An interview with director Marko Skop, whose latest film Let There Be Light had its world premiere in the official competition of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In this interview, the Skovak director discusses with us some of the themes of the film, including that of paramilitary youth organizations, religion, personality and family, and talks about other things, such as the influence of his documentary background on his fiction films such as this.

Let There Be Light: A Slovak village is getting ready for Christmas. Forty-year-old Milan travels from Germany where he works to be home with his family. However, the serene and festive atmosphere is unsettled by the suspicion that his son, a member of a paramilitary youth organisation, might be involved in a harrowing event that stunned the local community. This compelling drama, about the strength and fragility of family ties, examines our sense of moral responsibility in a world where xenophobia takes precedence over compassion for those closest to us.

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The post Marko Skop – Let There Be Light #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Liu Feifang, director of the film The Fading Village.

An interview with director Liu Feifang, whose latest feature documentary The Fading Village had its world premiere in the documentary competition of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. The film is a documentation of life on a fading, rural village of the Chinese region of Xanxi. Liu Feifang talks to us about it, as this is his own home village, why he defines his film a “sad story,” and whether he hopes the film will inspire people to return to this type of lifestyle.

The Fading Village: Unlike the other young people in their forlorn mountain village, Hou Junli has remained with his family instead of leaving for the city. The dilapidated houses continue to resist the snow and rain, but how long will this place exist if there is nobody left to carry on local work and traditions? A long-term observational documentary about a difficult life and the love of one’s native soil.

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The post Liu Feifang – The Fading Village #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Karolis Kaupinis, director of the film Nova Lituania.

An interview with director Karolis Kaupinis, whose feature directorial debut Nova Lituania had its world premiere in the East of the West competition of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. In this interview, he reveals some of the real events and real people that inspired both the story of the movie at the style with which it was brought to life. He also talks about Nova Lithuania’s take on masculinity, how his perception of history shapes the viewpoints of his stories and more.

Nova Lituania: 1938. A new war looms on the horizon. Geographer Gruodis comes up with a novel solution to the situation: he proposes creating a “backup Lithuania” overseas, a place where the country’s inhabitants could move in case of danger… Working with carefully composed black-and-white shots, debuting director Karolis Kaupinis has forged this original idea into the gripping drama of a man trying to save his homeland while facing the collapse of his marriage.

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan, director of the film Last Visit.

An interview with Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan, whose film Last Visit had its world premiere in the East of the West competition strand of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In this interview, the director talks about the style of the movie and some of its main themes, including death, the contrast between tradition and modernity, family and more.

Last Visit: On the way to a wedding Nasser finds out that his father is dying. He changes plans and heads straight off with his adolescent son Waleed to his dad’s small town. However, the strictly upheld customs they encounter in this rural environment start to affect Waleed and Nasser’s relationship. Using the story of a family encounter as its backdrop, the film adopts a realistic approach to discussing Islamic traditions while it examines the true nature of paternal love.

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Yuriy Shylov, director of the film Projectionist.

An interview with Yuriy Shylov, whose film Projectionist had its world premiere in the documentary films competition of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival of the Czech Republic. The film talks about a 65-year old man who works as a projectionist, but it is far from the romantic look on the profession of Giuseppe Tornatore’s classic Cinema Paradiso. In fact, Shylov explains that it was his intention to show not the passion for his work but his life as it is. In this interview, he talks about his interest in the topic, meeting the protagonist Valentin, and shares his thoughts on aging, among other things.

Projectionist: Valentin is over sixty and has spent more than forty years working at Kyiv’s oldest cinema. You don’t have to twist his arm to go out drinking and dancing – the eccentric man simply ignores his age. But as with everyone else, life puts up new obstacles that he must overcome.

The post Yuriy Shylov – Projectionist #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Signe Birkova, director of the film He Was Called Chaos Berzins.

European Film Promotion (EFP) presents ten outstanding young directors from Europe with their latest work at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival every year. This is an interview with Signe Birkova, representing Latvia at this year’s Future Frames, and presenting her film He Was Called Chaos Berzins. Here, she tells us about the nature of the story, that is both one of alien abduction and alienation. She also talks to us about the style of the film, the estrangement effect she used and more.

He Was Called Chaos Berzins: After being kidnapped by aliens, copy shop employee Harijs Berzins doesn’t quite feel at home in his skin, and even ufologist Vilma doesn’t exactly elicit his trust. On top of that, he has no idea that the gray alien mother is giving birth to his son right now. The movie’s playful experimentation with form cleverly turns the clichés of the classic sci-fi genre on their head.

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Peter Strickland, director of the film In Fabric.

An interview with director Peter Strickland, whose latest film, In Fabric, was screened as part of the Another View section of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Here, the director talks about this giallo, which revolves around a retail store during the January sale. He talks to us about just what it is that is so horrific about retail stores in his opinion, some of the cinematic works that influence his style and work, the importance of trust in his collaboration with his actors and more.

In Fabric: The January sales at a slightly bizarre boutique go somewhat awry. While a bank clerk has problems with a cursed dress she’s just bought (you can’t just stick it in the washing machine, we’ll tell you that much), the boutique staff perform esoteric rituals after closing time… This wild assemblage by Peter Strickland is as much a tribute to the cult giallo film genre as it is an expression of deference towards fabric itself, the star of the show.

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Martha Stephens, director of the film To the Stars.

An interview with Martha Stephens, whose new film To the Stars had its international premiere in the official competition of the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. The director chats with us about several aspects of her film, the significance of it being set in the ’60s, the importance of empathy, the role of stereotypes within the cinematic language and more.

To the Stars: Bullied by her classmates, reclusive Iris finds small-town life pure torment; for self-assured Maggie, however, moving to the provinces provides an opportunity to stand out from the rest. A film excelling in finely wrought detail that takes us back to the 1960s, a time when society, bound by gender prejudice, detested the idea of individuality in women.

The post Martha Stephens – To the Stars #KVIFF54 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.