To Laura (Mónica del Carmen), the desolate protagonist of Michael Rowe’s absorbing debut Leap Year, the sight of a neighboring couple cuddling before the TV is a recurring vision of romance and domesticity at once idealized and unsettling—she watches them, masturbates to the distant spectacle (as in Hitchcock, the window becomes a rectangle for projected fantasies, a movie screen), and sobs. A twentysomething freelance writer who, except for one brief, pregnant sequence set in a supermarket, is never seen outside of her cramped Mexico City flat, her every quotidian activity (fibbing to her mom on the phone, playing Tetris on her laptop, bedding random men in one-night stands) is scrutinized with the same cool concentration and precisely framed camera set-ups. When one of the men (Gustavo Sánchez Parra), a closet sadist who spots the closet masochist, surprises Laura with a full catalog of increasingly brutal humiliation rites, the stolid,...
- 6/25/2011
- MUBI
Catalina Saavedra unleashes a star lead performance in this gripping Chilean thriller
Sebastián Silva's film is an unexpected combination: a gripping psychological thriller, and also a poignant human drama. It really is edge-of-the-seat stuff, with a startling denouement, and an outstanding central performance from Catalina Saavedra. She plays Raquel, the live-in uniformed maid, working for a well-to-do family in Santiago, Chile, in a handsome house with a pool, attending to the needs of the master and mistress along with their lively teenage children. She must also show respect to the children's very haughty and patrician grandmother, who comes to visit and does not hesitate to give her views on how the household should be run.
Raquel is treated as one of the family – that is, like a tiresome, but affectionately regarded cousin or poor relation – and the film opens with an uneasy and embarrassing birthday celebration that the children's...
Sebastián Silva's film is an unexpected combination: a gripping psychological thriller, and also a poignant human drama. It really is edge-of-the-seat stuff, with a startling denouement, and an outstanding central performance from Catalina Saavedra. She plays Raquel, the live-in uniformed maid, working for a well-to-do family in Santiago, Chile, in a handsome house with a pool, attending to the needs of the master and mistress along with their lively teenage children. She must also show respect to the children's very haughty and patrician grandmother, who comes to visit and does not hesitate to give her views on how the household should be run.
Raquel is treated as one of the family – that is, like a tiresome, but affectionately regarded cousin or poor relation – and the film opens with an uneasy and embarrassing birthday celebration that the children's...
- 8/26/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Rome -- "Parque Via," a drama from Mexican director Enrique Rivero, won the top prize at the 61st Locarno Film Festival, where threatening weather over much of the 11 days prevented the event from surpassing last year's attendance record.
Organizers said the festival attracted a total of 180,000 visitors, a 3% drop compared with last year's levels, mostly because of a 5% drop in attendance at the festival's picturesque outdoor venue the Piazza Grande, where only four of 11 screenings took place under clear skies.
The festival did report record-breaking business for its industry office, where five of 18 in-competition films signed international distribution deals.
"Parque Via," one of only four non-world premieres in the lineup, has been a success in every festival it has screened; the film previously won two awards in February at the Mexico City Film Festival. It is the first Mexican film to win Locarno's prestigious Golden Leopard Award.
It capped a noteworthy festival for Latin American film, which was the focus of Locarno's Open Doors sidebar.
Locarno's jury prize went to "33 Scenes From Life," a Germany-Poland co-production from Malgoska Szumowska. Denis Cote won the best director prize for "Elle veut le chaos." Tayanc Ayaydin ("The Market -- A Tale of Trade") and Illaria Occhini ("Mar Nero") won the best actor and actress awards, respectively.
A complete list of winners can be found on the next page.
Golden Leopard
"Parque Via" by Enrique Rivero, Mexico
Special Jury Prize
"33 Sceny Z Zycia" (33 Scenes from Life) by Malgoska Szumowska, Germany/Poland
Best director
Denis Cote, "Elle Veut le Chaos," Canada
Leopard for best actress
Ilaria Occhini, "Mar Nero" by Federico Bondi, Italy/Romania/France
Leopard for best actor
Tayan Ayaydin, "The Market -- A Tale of Trade" by Ben Hopkins, Germany/UK/Turkey/Kazakhstan
C.P. Company Golden Leopard
"La Forteresse" by Fernand Melgar, Switzerland
Cin? Cin?ma Special Jury Prize
"Alicia en el Pais" by Esteban Larran, Chile
Leopard for the best first feature
"Marz" by Hendl Klaus, Austria (International Competition)
Srg Ssr idee suisse Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow Competition
"Dez Elefantes" by Eva Randolph, Brazil
Eastman Kodak Company Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow
"Kaupunkilaisia" by Juho Kuosmanen, Finland
Film and video subtitling prize
"Babin" by Isamu Hirabayashi, Japan
Ikea Prize for the Leopards of Tomorrow Competition
"La Delogeuse" by Julien Rouyet, Switzerland
Eastman Kodak Company Prize Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow
"Un Dia y Nada" by Lorenz Merz, Switzerland
Action Light Prize for the best Swiss newcomer
"Au Caf? Romand" by Richard Szotyori, Switzerland
Prize Cinema e Giovent? -- Leopards of Tomorrow
"Babin" by Isamu Hirabayashi, Japan
For the Swiss National Competition
"Au Caf? Romand" by Richard Szotyori, Switzerland
Youth Jury Prize
First prize
Kirill Serebrennikov for "Yuriev Den" (Yuri’s Day), Germany/Russia
Second prize
Malgoska Szumowska for "33 Sceny Z Zycia" (33 Scenes from Lifes), Poland/Germany
Third prize
Federico Bondi for "Mar Nero," Italy
The environnement is the quality of life prize
Gideon Koppel for "Sleep Furiously," U.K.
The winner of the audience prize
"Son of Rambow" by Garth Jennings, France/Germany/U.K.
Variety Piazza Grande Award
"Back Soon" by S?lveig Anspach, Iceland/France
Netpac Prize
"Daytime Drinking" by Noh Young-Seok, South Korea
Fipresci Prize
"Parque Via" by Enrique Rivero, Mexico
Oecumenical Jury Prize
"Mar Nero" by Frederico Bondi, Italy/Romania/France
Ficc / Iffs Prize
"Yuriev Den" (Yuri’s Day) by Kirill Serebrennikov, Germany/Russia
Cicae Prize
"Sonbahar" (Autum) by ?zcan Alper, Turkey/Germany
Critics Week
"Latawce" (Kites) by Beata Dzianowicz, Poland...
Organizers said the festival attracted a total of 180,000 visitors, a 3% drop compared with last year's levels, mostly because of a 5% drop in attendance at the festival's picturesque outdoor venue the Piazza Grande, where only four of 11 screenings took place under clear skies.
The festival did report record-breaking business for its industry office, where five of 18 in-competition films signed international distribution deals.
"Parque Via," one of only four non-world premieres in the lineup, has been a success in every festival it has screened; the film previously won two awards in February at the Mexico City Film Festival. It is the first Mexican film to win Locarno's prestigious Golden Leopard Award.
It capped a noteworthy festival for Latin American film, which was the focus of Locarno's Open Doors sidebar.
Locarno's jury prize went to "33 Scenes From Life," a Germany-Poland co-production from Malgoska Szumowska. Denis Cote won the best director prize for "Elle veut le chaos." Tayanc Ayaydin ("The Market -- A Tale of Trade") and Illaria Occhini ("Mar Nero") won the best actor and actress awards, respectively.
A complete list of winners can be found on the next page.
Golden Leopard
"Parque Via" by Enrique Rivero, Mexico
Special Jury Prize
"33 Sceny Z Zycia" (33 Scenes from Life) by Malgoska Szumowska, Germany/Poland
Best director
Denis Cote, "Elle Veut le Chaos," Canada
Leopard for best actress
Ilaria Occhini, "Mar Nero" by Federico Bondi, Italy/Romania/France
Leopard for best actor
Tayan Ayaydin, "The Market -- A Tale of Trade" by Ben Hopkins, Germany/UK/Turkey/Kazakhstan
C.P. Company Golden Leopard
"La Forteresse" by Fernand Melgar, Switzerland
Cin? Cin?ma Special Jury Prize
"Alicia en el Pais" by Esteban Larran, Chile
Leopard for the best first feature
"Marz" by Hendl Klaus, Austria (International Competition)
Srg Ssr idee suisse Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow Competition
"Dez Elefantes" by Eva Randolph, Brazil
Eastman Kodak Company Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow
"Kaupunkilaisia" by Juho Kuosmanen, Finland
Film and video subtitling prize
"Babin" by Isamu Hirabayashi, Japan
Ikea Prize for the Leopards of Tomorrow Competition
"La Delogeuse" by Julien Rouyet, Switzerland
Eastman Kodak Company Prize Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow
"Un Dia y Nada" by Lorenz Merz, Switzerland
Action Light Prize for the best Swiss newcomer
"Au Caf? Romand" by Richard Szotyori, Switzerland
Prize Cinema e Giovent? -- Leopards of Tomorrow
"Babin" by Isamu Hirabayashi, Japan
For the Swiss National Competition
"Au Caf? Romand" by Richard Szotyori, Switzerland
Youth Jury Prize
First prize
Kirill Serebrennikov for "Yuriev Den" (Yuri’s Day), Germany/Russia
Second prize
Malgoska Szumowska for "33 Sceny Z Zycia" (33 Scenes from Lifes), Poland/Germany
Third prize
Federico Bondi for "Mar Nero," Italy
The environnement is the quality of life prize
Gideon Koppel for "Sleep Furiously," U.K.
The winner of the audience prize
"Son of Rambow" by Garth Jennings, France/Germany/U.K.
Variety Piazza Grande Award
"Back Soon" by S?lveig Anspach, Iceland/France
Netpac Prize
"Daytime Drinking" by Noh Young-Seok, South Korea
Fipresci Prize
"Parque Via" by Enrique Rivero, Mexico
Oecumenical Jury Prize
"Mar Nero" by Frederico Bondi, Italy/Romania/France
Ficc / Iffs Prize
"Yuriev Den" (Yuri’s Day) by Kirill Serebrennikov, Germany/Russia
Cicae Prize
"Sonbahar" (Autum) by ?zcan Alper, Turkey/Germany
Critics Week
"Latawce" (Kites) by Beata Dzianowicz, Poland...
- 8/17/2008
- by By Eric J. Lyman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MEXICO CITY -- Intimidades de Shakespeare y Victor Hugo, a documentary about a serial killer in Mexico City, scored three awards at the fifth edition of the Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival.
Yulene Olaizola's Intimidades won the International Federation of Film Critics' prize, the Audience Award, and the Kodak Prize at the film fest's closing ceremony Saturday evening here in the nation's capital.
Also coming up big was the Mexican drama Parque Via, from first-time director Enrique Rivero. Parque Via, the first production of upstart shingle Una Comunion, walked away with the Audience Award and best Latin American picture. It tells the story of a hermetic caretaker looking after an abandoned Mexico City home.
Best director went to French director Serge Bozon for his WWI drama La France. Also receiving kudos was Liberation Day, a drama about genocide in Rwanda from Korean-American filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung. Chilean helmer Jose Luis Torres Leiva's El Cielo, la Tierra y la Lluvia garnered the Mexico City FICCO Prize, and the festival gave best documentary to Carlos Casas' Hunters Since the Beginning of Time.
For best Latin American documentary, the FIPRESCI jury selected Calle Santa Fe, a story about a political activist returning to Chile from exile.
Yulene Olaizola's Intimidades won the International Federation of Film Critics' prize, the Audience Award, and the Kodak Prize at the film fest's closing ceremony Saturday evening here in the nation's capital.
Also coming up big was the Mexican drama Parque Via, from first-time director Enrique Rivero. Parque Via, the first production of upstart shingle Una Comunion, walked away with the Audience Award and best Latin American picture. It tells the story of a hermetic caretaker looking after an abandoned Mexico City home.
Best director went to French director Serge Bozon for his WWI drama La France. Also receiving kudos was Liberation Day, a drama about genocide in Rwanda from Korean-American filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung. Chilean helmer Jose Luis Torres Leiva's El Cielo, la Tierra y la Lluvia garnered the Mexico City FICCO Prize, and the festival gave best documentary to Carlos Casas' Hunters Since the Beginning of Time.
For best Latin American documentary, the FIPRESCI jury selected Calle Santa Fe, a story about a political activist returning to Chile from exile.
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