It’s been a rocky year for Ulrich Seidl. As far back as last February, Rimini was winning over critics at the Berlinale (us included) with its bleak beauty and frankly stunning central turn from Michel Thomas as the washed-up troubadour Richie Bravo. The director’s follow-up, titled Sparta and focusing on Bravo’s brother, was selected to open at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. A week before its premiere, allegations against Seidl emerged from an article published in Der Spiegel. In Sparta, Bravo’s brother (a pedophile played brilliantly by Georg Friedrich) travels to Romania and opens a judo school for young boys. The article alleged, amongst other things, that the child actors in Sparta had not been sufficiently protected on set and that their families had not been made aware of the film’s themes.
Seidl denied any wrongdoing; TIFF pulled the film the morning it was due to premiere.
Seidl denied any wrongdoing; TIFF pulled the film the morning it was due to premiere.
- 4/6/2023
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
Nearly 125 years after her assassination, the Empress Elisabeth of Austria — or Sisi to her enduring cultists — continues to inspire a veritable industry of portraiture in Europe: In the last year alone, a novel, two TV series (one of them a glossy Netflix affair) and two feature films have been dedicated to the tightly corseted royal icon. Viewers outside the Continental sphere of Sisi-mania may only have registered one of those films, Marie Kreutzer’s chic, subversive anti-biopic “Corsage,” which might make the second, German director Frauke Finsterwalder’s lush, irreverent “Sisi & I,” seem to them a too-soon spare — coincidentally repeating several tricks from Kreutzer’s anachronistic playbook with its modern feminist inflections, contemporary soundtrack cues and sensational fashions, albeit with plenty of its own panache.
That unfortunate timing, combined with the absence of a Vicky Krieps-style crossover arthouse star, may cost “Sisi & I” some distributor interest outside...
That unfortunate timing, combined with the absence of a Vicky Krieps-style crossover arthouse star, may cost “Sisi & I” some distributor interest outside...
- 3/12/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Austrian director Ulrich Seidl has said it was always his intention to make “a single, long film encompassing the entire story” of his two previous projects, “Rimini” and “Sparta.”
The resulting film, “Wicked Games Rimini Sparta,” had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and is a combined version of his 2022 diptych “Rimini” and “Sparta,” which follows brothers Richie (Michael Thomas) and Ewald (Georg Friedrich), respectively.
Speaking to Variety, Seidl went on to explain how the original single project was split into two separate films: “During the extremely long process of editing, I wasn’t entirely satisfied and thought it’d be interesting to explore the idea of making two different films out of it, using the same material. So we attempted to do just that as I wasn’t convinced the extended version gave the best possible artistic results given the material. We made two films out...
The resulting film, “Wicked Games Rimini Sparta,” had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and is a combined version of his 2022 diptych “Rimini” and “Sparta,” which follows brothers Richie (Michael Thomas) and Ewald (Georg Friedrich), respectively.
Speaking to Variety, Seidl went on to explain how the original single project was split into two separate films: “During the extremely long process of editing, I wasn’t entirely satisfied and thought it’d be interesting to explore the idea of making two different films out of it, using the same material. So we attempted to do just that as I wasn’t convinced the extended version gave the best possible artistic results given the material. We made two films out...
- 1/31/2023
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
The Berlin International Film Festival on Wednesday unveiled the final films for its 2023 Panorama section, the Berlinale’s main sidebar.
The 2023 lineup includes several world premieres, including Femme, the debut feature from directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, a drag artist revenge thriller staring 1917 actor George MacKay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett; The Beast in the Jungle, from Austrian director Patric Chiha (Brothers of the Night), an adaptation of the Henry James novel, starring Anaïs Demoustier, Tom Mercier and Beatrice Dalle; and Joan Baez I Am A Noise, a documentary on the legendary folk singer, from directors Karen O’Connor, Miri Navasky and Maeve O’Boyle.
After Marie Kreutzer’s Oscar contender Corsage, Panorama will get another historic revisionist take on Austrian Empress Elizabeth, aka Sisi, with Sisi & I, a German drama from director Frauke Finsterwalder, featuring Susanne Wolff (The Stranger in Me) as Sisi, and also starring Sandra Hüller, Georg Friedrich,...
The 2023 lineup includes several world premieres, including Femme, the debut feature from directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, a drag artist revenge thriller staring 1917 actor George MacKay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett; The Beast in the Jungle, from Austrian director Patric Chiha (Brothers of the Night), an adaptation of the Henry James novel, starring Anaïs Demoustier, Tom Mercier and Beatrice Dalle; and Joan Baez I Am A Noise, a documentary on the legendary folk singer, from directors Karen O’Connor, Miri Navasky and Maeve O’Boyle.
After Marie Kreutzer’s Oscar contender Corsage, Panorama will get another historic revisionist take on Austrian Empress Elizabeth, aka Sisi, with Sisi & I, a German drama from director Frauke Finsterwalder, featuring Susanne Wolff (The Stranger in Me) as Sisi, and also starring Sandra Hüller, Georg Friedrich,...
- 1/18/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sepideh Farsi’s “La Sirène” (“The Siren”) is opening the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama strand.
The program, which comprises 35 films from 30 countries, including 28 world premieres and 11 debuts, includes new films by Patric Chiha, İlker Çatak, Frauke Finsterwalder, Maite Alberdi, Milad Alami and Apolline Traoré. They feature a galaxy of well-known protagonists and actors such as Joan Baez, Jafar Panahi, Payman Maadi, George MacKay, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Fan Bingbing, Sandra Hüller and Susanne Wolff.
Panorama Selections
“After”
by Anthony Lapia | with Louise Chevillotte, Majd Mastoura, Natalia Wiszniewska
France
World premiere | Debut film
“All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White”
by Babatunde Apalowo | with Tope Tedela, Riyo David, Martha Ehinome Orhiere, Uchechika Elumelu, Floyd Anekwe
Nigeria
World premiere | Debut film
“And, Towards Happy Alleys”
by Sreemoyee Singh | with Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Soutodeh, Jinous Nazokkar, Farhad Kheradmand, Aida Mohammadkhani
India
World premiere | Debut film | Documentary
“La Bête dans la...
The program, which comprises 35 films from 30 countries, including 28 world premieres and 11 debuts, includes new films by Patric Chiha, İlker Çatak, Frauke Finsterwalder, Maite Alberdi, Milad Alami and Apolline Traoré. They feature a galaxy of well-known protagonists and actors such as Joan Baez, Jafar Panahi, Payman Maadi, George MacKay, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Fan Bingbing, Sandra Hüller and Susanne Wolff.
Panorama Selections
“After”
by Anthony Lapia | with Louise Chevillotte, Majd Mastoura, Natalia Wiszniewska
France
World premiere | Debut film
“All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White”
by Babatunde Apalowo | with Tope Tedela, Riyo David, Martha Ehinome Orhiere, Uchechika Elumelu, Floyd Anekwe
Nigeria
World premiere | Debut film
“And, Towards Happy Alleys”
by Sreemoyee Singh | with Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Soutodeh, Jinous Nazokkar, Farhad Kheradmand, Aida Mohammadkhani
India
World premiere | Debut film | Documentary
“La Bête dans la...
- 1/18/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Ulrich Seidl is a director of curiosities, of shabby characters, pursued with an uncompromising and sometimes unfashionable gaze. Yet Sparta arrives in competition at the San Sebastian film festival at the head of considerable controversy not from its disturbing themes of pedophilia, but from incidents off-screen.
The Spanish event debuts the movie after the Toronto film festival scrapped its world premiere at the last minute in the fallout of allegations made in Germany’s Der Spiegel. The weekly magazine’s lengthy investigation said Seidl didn’t tell the underage cast and their guardians of the story’s themes and that he underprepared his mainly non-professional performers of the film’s nudity, alcoholism, and violence. Seidl denies the accusations, but canceled his appearance and the accompanying press conference in the Basque Country to support the film.
As to the charges against Sparta, on screen there is adult nudity in the space...
The Spanish event debuts the movie after the Toronto film festival scrapped its world premiere at the last minute in the fallout of allegations made in Germany’s Der Spiegel. The weekly magazine’s lengthy investigation said Seidl didn’t tell the underage cast and their guardians of the story’s themes and that he underprepared his mainly non-professional performers of the film’s nudity, alcoholism, and violence. Seidl denies the accusations, but canceled his appearance and the accompanying press conference in the Basque Country to support the film.
As to the charges against Sparta, on screen there is adult nudity in the space...
- 9/20/2022
- by Ed Frankl
- The Film Stage
Director denies wrongdoing after Toronto fest cites ‘Der Spiegel’ article alleging impropriety.
Ulrich Seidl’s controversial drama Sparta is understood to be going ahead as a San Sebastian Competition screening on September 18 despite being pulled late last week by TIFF over allegations of impropriety.
The Toronto festival made its move after an article in German publication Der Spiegel alleged child actors were insufficiently protected on set; in particular that the filmmaker did not tell the youngsters or their guardians of the film’s themes before they were exposed to nudity, alcoholism and violence.
Siedl took to his website to refute...
Ulrich Seidl’s controversial drama Sparta is understood to be going ahead as a San Sebastian Competition screening on September 18 despite being pulled late last week by TIFF over allegations of impropriety.
The Toronto festival made its move after an article in German publication Der Spiegel alleged child actors were insufficiently protected on set; in particular that the filmmaker did not tell the youngsters or their guardians of the film’s themes before they were exposed to nudity, alcoholism and violence.
Siedl took to his website to refute...
- 9/11/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Director denies wrongdoing after Toronto fest cites ‘Der Spiegel’ article alleging impropriety.
Ulrich Seidl’s controversial drama Sparta is understood to be going ahead as a San Sebastian Competition screening on September 18 despite being pulled late last week by TIFF over allegations of impropriety.
The Toronto festival made its move after an article in German publication Der Spiegel alleged child actors were insufficiently protected on set; in particular that the filmmaker did not tell the youngsters or their guardians of the film’s themes before they were exposed to nudity, alcoholism and violence.
Siedl took to his website to refute...
Ulrich Seidl’s controversial drama Sparta is understood to be going ahead as a San Sebastian Competition screening on September 18 despite being pulled late last week by TIFF over allegations of impropriety.
The Toronto festival made its move after an article in German publication Der Spiegel alleged child actors were insufficiently protected on set; in particular that the filmmaker did not tell the youngsters or their guardians of the film’s themes before they were exposed to nudity, alcoholism and violence.
Siedl took to his website to refute...
- 9/11/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Sparta, a drama about an Austrian man who is a non-offending pedophile and teaches judo to boys in Romania, has been pulled by the Toronto Film Festival ahead of its world premiere on Friday at Bell Lightbox.
“This film has been withdrawn from festival. We apologize for any inconvenience. Ticket holders will receive an email from TIFF customer relations with more information,” the Toronto film festival said in a statement on its website.
Pulling the drama follows an investigation in Germany by Der Spiegel that alleges children were exposed to violence and nudity on the film set.
“Der Spiegel reporting has found that Seidl is alleged to have intentionally left the underage amateur actors, who were between the ages of nine and 16 at the time of filming, in the dark about the fact that the film addresses pedophilia.
Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Sparta, a drama about an Austrian man who is a non-offending pedophile and teaches judo to boys in Romania, has been pulled by the Toronto Film Festival ahead of its world premiere on Friday at Bell Lightbox.
“This film has been withdrawn from festival. We apologize for any inconvenience. Ticket holders will receive an email from TIFF customer relations with more information,” the Toronto film festival said in a statement on its website.
Pulling the drama follows an investigation in Germany by Der Spiegel that alleges children were exposed to violence and nudity on the film set.
“Der Spiegel reporting has found that Seidl is alleged to have intentionally left the underage amateur actors, who were between the ages of nine and 16 at the time of filming, in the dark about the fact that the film addresses pedophilia.
- 9/9/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2022 Toronto International Film Festival has officially cancelled the world premiere of Ulrich Seidl’s film “Sparta” after misconduct allegations emerged against the director.
Mere hours before the slated “Sparta” screening, TIFF withdrew the feature. German news outlet Der Spiegel previously published allegations of child exploitation against Seidl and the “Sparta” production on September 2.
A statement on the official TIFF festival page now reads: “This film has been withdrawn from festival. We apologize for any inconvenience. Ticket holders will receive an email from TIFF Customer Relations with more information.”
IndieWire has reached out to the Toronto International Film Festival for comment.
“Sparta” focuses on Ewald (Georg Friedrich), an Austrian judo teacher in Romania who is a non-offending pedophile. The film is a sequel to Seidl’s 2002 drama “Rimini,” focused on Ewald’s brother. According to Seidl, the film is based on a true story.
The Der Spiegel report alleged that...
Mere hours before the slated “Sparta” screening, TIFF withdrew the feature. German news outlet Der Spiegel previously published allegations of child exploitation against Seidl and the “Sparta” production on September 2.
A statement on the official TIFF festival page now reads: “This film has been withdrawn from festival. We apologize for any inconvenience. Ticket holders will receive an email from TIFF Customer Relations with more information.”
IndieWire has reached out to the Toronto International Film Festival for comment.
“Sparta” focuses on Ewald (Georg Friedrich), an Austrian judo teacher in Romania who is a non-offending pedophile. The film is a sequel to Seidl’s 2002 drama “Rimini,” focused on Ewald’s brother. According to Seidl, the film is based on a true story.
The Der Spiegel report alleged that...
- 9/9/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
The 70th San Sebastián Film Festival unveiled its competition line-up Tuesday, with new works from award-winning directors Sebastián Lelio, Hong Sang-soo and Ulrich Seidl in the running for the 2022 Golden Shell.
Chilean filmmaker Lelio, who won an Oscar for best international feature with A Fantastic Woman (2017), will premiere his latest, The Wonder, in San Sebastián. The period drama, based on the Emma Donoghue novel, is set in mid-19th century Ireland and stars Florence Pugh, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Burke and Toby Jones.
The prolific Hong Sang-Soo, who just won the Jury Prize in Berlin in February for The Novelist’s Film, brings his latest minimalist drama, Walk Up, to the Spanish festival. The plot involves a middle-aged film director and his estranged daughter who are being shown around a building owned by an interior designer.
Seidl, the Austrian director who has made a career...
The 70th San Sebastián Film Festival unveiled its competition line-up Tuesday, with new works from award-winning directors Sebastián Lelio, Hong Sang-soo and Ulrich Seidl in the running for the 2022 Golden Shell.
Chilean filmmaker Lelio, who won an Oscar for best international feature with A Fantastic Woman (2017), will premiere his latest, The Wonder, in San Sebastián. The period drama, based on the Emma Donoghue novel, is set in mid-19th century Ireland and stars Florence Pugh, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Burke and Toby Jones.
The prolific Hong Sang-Soo, who just won the Jury Prize in Berlin in February for The Novelist’s Film, brings his latest minimalist drama, Walk Up, to the Spanish festival. The plot involves a middle-aged film director and his estranged daughter who are being shown around a building owned by an interior designer.
Seidl, the Austrian director who has made a career...
- 8/2/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 28th Sarajevo Film Festival has unveiled the jury of its feature film competition jury.
Director and screenwriter Sebastian Meise will serve as jury president and fellow jurors include director, screenwriter and producer Lucile Hadžihalilović, writer-director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, actor Milan Marić and producer and senior consultant for international co-productions Katriel Schory.
Meise debuted with “Still Life,” which premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and won several awards. His documentary film “Outing” was presented at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto. His latest feature film “Great Freedom” was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Jury Prize – Un Certain Regard. The film was also awarded the Heart of Sarajevo for best feature Film and best actor for Georg Friedrich, as well as the Cicae Arthouse Award at the 27th Sarajevo Film Festival.
Hadžihalilović’s debut mini-feature “La Bouche De Jean-Pierre” premiered at the Un...
Director and screenwriter Sebastian Meise will serve as jury president and fellow jurors include director, screenwriter and producer Lucile Hadžihalilović, writer-director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, actor Milan Marić and producer and senior consultant for international co-productions Katriel Schory.
Meise debuted with “Still Life,” which premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and won several awards. His documentary film “Outing” was presented at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto. His latest feature film “Great Freedom” was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Jury Prize – Un Certain Regard. The film was also awarded the Heart of Sarajevo for best feature Film and best actor for Georg Friedrich, as well as the Cicae Arthouse Award at the 27th Sarajevo Film Festival.
Hadžihalilović’s debut mini-feature “La Bouche De Jean-Pierre” premiered at the Un...
- 5/25/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Menemsha Films has taken distribution rights in North America to Thomas Roth’s drama “Schächten – A Retribution” in a deal with Berlin-based sales company Picture Tree Intl. Pti has debuted the film’s trailer, and will hold an invitation-only private screening of the film for buyers in Cannes.
Neil Friedman, president of Menemsha Films, said: “The film ‘Schächten’ is a true discovery. We expect great results for the film upon its release in North America.”
Burkhard Ernst, CEO of the production company Cult Film, added: “Thomas Roth does an exceptional job of portraying the struggles of the post-war generation to obtain justice for Holocaust crimes, and we are very happy to have this film seen by North American audiences, and released by an experienced distribution company in this area.”
The film is set in Vienna in the 1960s, and deals with themes of law, justice and revenge. Young Jewish businessman...
Neil Friedman, president of Menemsha Films, said: “The film ‘Schächten’ is a true discovery. We expect great results for the film upon its release in North America.”
Burkhard Ernst, CEO of the production company Cult Film, added: “Thomas Roth does an exceptional job of portraying the struggles of the post-war generation to obtain justice for Holocaust crimes, and we are very happy to have this film seen by North American audiences, and released by an experienced distribution company in this area.”
The film is set in Vienna in the 1960s, and deals with themes of law, justice and revenge. Young Jewish businessman...
- 5/3/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
As studios meet in Las Vegas to present footage of their upcoming slates to exhibitors, Netflix is showcasing their own slate of future feature films as it has unveiled its upcoming summer slate of original movies. Some of the films receiving new release dates include the Vampire thriller Day Shift starring Jamie Foxx, which is set to bow on August 12, the Kevin Hart-Mark Wahlberg comedy Me Time, bowing on Aug. 26 and the Dakota Johnson drama Persuasion, bowing July 15. The streamer also confirmed dates of some highly-anticipated films that had previously been announced like the Adam Sandler sports pic Hustle, which bows on June 8, the Chris Hemsworth-Miles Teller Thriller Spiderhead, which bows on June 17 and most recently the The Russo Brothers next film The Gray Man, starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, which will premiere on July 22.
You can find the remaining schedule for the entire summer...
You can find the remaining schedule for the entire summer...
- 4/27/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Rimini’ was a critical hit at the Berlinale.
Philippe Bober’s Coproduction Office has confirmed multiple new deals struck during last month’s EFM on Austrian auteur Ulrich Seidl’s Berlin competition title Rimini.
Buyers now aboard include September Films for Benelux, Wanted for Italy, Triart for Sweden, Another World Entertainment for Norway, Ost For Paradis for Denmark, Bio Paradis for Iceland, Nitrate Filmes for Portugal, Auroa for Poland, Film Europe for Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Shani Film for Israel.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from...
Philippe Bober’s Coproduction Office has confirmed multiple new deals struck during last month’s EFM on Austrian auteur Ulrich Seidl’s Berlin competition title Rimini.
Buyers now aboard include September Films for Benelux, Wanted for Italy, Triart for Sweden, Another World Entertainment for Norway, Ost For Paradis for Denmark, Bio Paradis for Iceland, Nitrate Filmes for Portugal, Auroa for Poland, Film Europe for Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Shani Film for Israel.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from...
- 3/7/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Mubi U.S. Distribution Chief On NYC Cinema Pass Success, ‘Great Freedom’ Open – Specialty Box Office
Mubi’s German-language, post-wwii drama Great Freedom grossed a solid $8,814 at NYC’s Film Forum this weekend, the latest in a string of foreign films to open well and with younger demos previously atypical of the genre.
Austria’s shortlisted Oscar submission for Best International Feature was also Mubi’s pick of the week for its Mubi Go program that’s been available to NYC streaming subscribers since October. It offers one free ticket a week to a prestige pic (from diverse distributors) and is set to roll out to LA and other U.S. markets this spring.
“We are firm believers that the more people that see films in theaters the better. We are about the theatrical experience and a healthier film culture. Generally, it doesn’t exist just on screen or just in theaters. It’s a rising tide. People are more apt to watch something in a...
Austria’s shortlisted Oscar submission for Best International Feature was also Mubi’s pick of the week for its Mubi Go program that’s been available to NYC streaming subscribers since October. It offers one free ticket a week to a prestige pic (from diverse distributors) and is set to roll out to LA and other U.S. markets this spring.
“We are firm believers that the more people that see films in theaters the better. We are about the theatrical experience and a healthier film culture. Generally, it doesn’t exist just on screen or just in theaters. It’s a rising tide. People are more apt to watch something in a...
- 3/6/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
A4 presents Kagonada’s second feature After Yang in limited release, the latest in the distributor’s varied indie slate ahead of wide-release horror slasher X on 3/18 and sci-fi adventure Everything Everywhere All At Once on 3/25 — which is also opening SXSW Film Festival.
This is a weekend where The Batman casts a long shadow, but the specialty market is also hungry for new content with moviegoers demonstrably, measurably, more willing to return to theaters in person.
A24 has been a strong voice in the pandemic-scarred cinema landscape. Green Knight, Zola and C’mon, C’mon helped juice the indie box office last year as odd Icelandic horror film Lamb and porno-themed Red Rocket became culty favorites. Other releases included The Humans, The Souvenir: Part II and Saint Maude. The distributor took three Oscar noms with Apple TV+ for The Tragedy of Macbeth. X as well as A24’s upcoming Bodies Bodies Bodies...
This is a weekend where The Batman casts a long shadow, but the specialty market is also hungry for new content with moviegoers demonstrably, measurably, more willing to return to theaters in person.
A24 has been a strong voice in the pandemic-scarred cinema landscape. Green Knight, Zola and C’mon, C’mon helped juice the indie box office last year as odd Icelandic horror film Lamb and porno-themed Red Rocket became culty favorites. Other releases included The Humans, The Souvenir: Part II and Saint Maude. The distributor took three Oscar noms with Apple TV+ for The Tragedy of Macbeth. X as well as A24’s upcoming Bodies Bodies Bodies...
- 3/4/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Watching director Sebastian Meise’s “Great Freedom” is a process of watching the main character, Hans Hoffmann (Franz Rogowski), get brutalized and dehumanized. The narrative takes place almost entirely in prison over a period of around 25 years, with Hans repeatedly put into the dark of solitary confinement, and this return to solitary acts as a linking device for Meise, whose screenplay with co-writer Thomas Reider is intricately structured.
“Great Freedom” begins with grainy color footage of Hans in a public lavatory as he hooks up with a series of men, and the furtive vibe is erotic until we are made to realize that what we are seeing is film being used against Hans in court. It is 1968 in Germany, and Hans is being prosecuted under Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexuality. He is sentenced to 24 months in prison.
The style of “Great Freedom” is cool, measured and austere, with near-invisible editing and barely any score.
“Great Freedom” begins with grainy color footage of Hans in a public lavatory as he hooks up with a series of men, and the furtive vibe is erotic until we are made to realize that what we are seeing is film being used against Hans in court. It is 1968 in Germany, and Hans is being prosecuted under Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexuality. He is sentenced to 24 months in prison.
The style of “Great Freedom” is cool, measured and austere, with near-invisible editing and barely any score.
- 3/3/2022
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
Few actors in cinema right now are as distinctive and exhilarating as Franz Rogowski. Among a sea of bland leading men he has a presence wholly his own, making every new film an event just to see what he’s going to do next. He’s impossible to pin down, possessing an unpredictability from one scene to the next, and the ability to convey that there’s so much going on underneath the surface of his characters––some of which we can interpret, much of which we may never fully know.
Being a mystery we’re not used to seeing in modern film, it’s no surprise Rogowski quickly made a name for himself working with some of our best directors, with key supporting roles in Sebastian Schipper’s one-shot wonder Victoria, and the most recent films of Michael Haneke (Happy End) and Terrence Malick (A Hidden Life). He is...
Being a mystery we’re not used to seeing in modern film, it’s no surprise Rogowski quickly made a name for himself working with some of our best directors, with key supporting roles in Sebastian Schipper’s one-shot wonder Victoria, and the most recent films of Michael Haneke (Happy End) and Terrence Malick (A Hidden Life). He is...
- 3/2/2022
- by Mitchell Beaupre
- The Film Stage
‘Rimini’ Review: A Riveting, Upsetting Ulrich Seidl Slow-Burn Electrified by a Stunning Central Turn
Freezing winter in a place designed for frolicsome summer can be a doleful time. A case in point: the empty hotels, shuttered waterparks and endless fog banks of the Italian beach town that gives Ulrich Seidl’s challenging but riveting Berlin competition film its name. Along with the hazy gray shoreline and lonely iced-over thoroughfares, they’re the visual markers of a low season in which the “low” refers as much to mood as occupancy rates, though for the city’s tourist industry, it’s a gloom that will lift with the coming of spring. For Seidl’s film, a shiveringly precise slow burn that continues to burrow new tunnels in the mind long after it ends, no such renewal is in the cards. In “Rimini,” low season can always get lower.
The brilliantly named Richie Bravo (Austrian actor Michael Thomas giving such an astoundingly deep-dive performance it barely feels...
The brilliantly named Richie Bravo (Austrian actor Michael Thomas giving such an astoundingly deep-dive performance it barely feels...
- 2/12/2022
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Deals have been done for the UK, Germany and Spain among other territories.
Early in the EFM, the Coproduction Office has sealed a raft of high-profile deals for Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Golden Bear contender, Rimini.
The film has been bought by Sovereign (UK), Neue Visionen (Germany), Xenix (Switzerland), Filmin (Spain), Vertigo (Hungary), Must Kasi (Baltics), Demiurg (former Yugoslavia), Piano (Mexico) and Falcon (Indonesia). Stadtkino will release the film in Austria.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from his fans in the Italian coastal town. Trapped between...
Early in the EFM, the Coproduction Office has sealed a raft of high-profile deals for Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Golden Bear contender, Rimini.
The film has been bought by Sovereign (UK), Neue Visionen (Germany), Xenix (Switzerland), Filmin (Spain), Vertigo (Hungary), Must Kasi (Baltics), Demiurg (former Yugoslavia), Piano (Mexico) and Falcon (Indonesia). Stadtkino will release the film in Austria.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from his fans in the Italian coastal town. Trapped between...
- 2/11/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Deals have been done for the UK, Germany and Spain among other territories.
Early in the EFM, the Coproduction Office has sealed a raft of high-profile deals for Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Golden Bear contender, Rimini.
The film has been bought by Sovereign (UK), Neue Visionen (Germany), Xenix (Switzerland), Filmin (Spain) Vertigo (Hungary) Must Kasi (Baltics), Demiurg (former Yugoslavia), Piano (Mexico), and Falcon (Indonesia). Stadtkino will release the film in Austria.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from his fans in the Italian coastal town. Trapped between...
Early in the EFM, the Coproduction Office has sealed a raft of high-profile deals for Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Golden Bear contender, Rimini.
The film has been bought by Sovereign (UK), Neue Visionen (Germany), Xenix (Switzerland), Filmin (Spain) Vertigo (Hungary) Must Kasi (Baltics), Demiurg (former Yugoslavia), Piano (Mexico), and Falcon (Indonesia). Stadtkino will release the film in Austria.
Rimini tells the story of a faded pop star, now squeezing out whatever money and adulation he can from his fans in the Italian coastal town. Trapped between...
- 2/11/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
In a new series, Variety catches up with the directors of the films shortlisted for the International Feature Film Oscar to discuss their road to the awards, what they’ve learned so far, and what’s taken them off guard.
In “Great Freedom,” the winner of the runner-up prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, Austrian director Sebastian Meise takes an empathetic look at the relationship between two prisoners in a German jail: convicted murderer Viktor (Georg Friedrich), and a gay man, Hans (Rogowski), imprisoned repeatedly over three decades under the country’s homophobic Paragraph 175 statute. The film is Austria’s entry in the International Feature Film category of the Oscars, and is one of 15 films to be shortlisted.
What does it mean to you to be shortlisted for the best international feature Oscar?
It’s incredibly exciting, and personally, I wasn’t expecting it at all. When we finished...
In “Great Freedom,” the winner of the runner-up prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, Austrian director Sebastian Meise takes an empathetic look at the relationship between two prisoners in a German jail: convicted murderer Viktor (Georg Friedrich), and a gay man, Hans (Rogowski), imprisoned repeatedly over three decades under the country’s homophobic Paragraph 175 statute. The film is Austria’s entry in the International Feature Film category of the Oscars, and is one of 15 films to be shortlisted.
What does it mean to you to be shortlisted for the best international feature Oscar?
It’s incredibly exciting, and personally, I wasn’t expecting it at all. When we finished...
- 1/31/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
In most stories, the liberation of the concentration camps is the beginning of the end of a nightmare. But Austrian film “Great Freedom” shows that the truth wasn’t as simple for everyone. In many cases, LGBTQ+ concentration camp inmates were simply transferred to prison cells.
That’s the most inhuman scandal explored in director Sebastian Meise’s Cannes Un Certain Regard winner: Germany’s Paragraph 175, a provision of a German criminal code that reigned from 1871 to (shockingly) early 1994, criminalizing all homosexual acts between men. The story is told through the eyes and heavy, wearied soul of the fictional Hans Hoffmann, who is repeatedly imprisoned over decades in post-World War II Germany for being gay. He’s played by Franz Rogowski, the muse of German director Christian Petzold and one of the most striking actors working in European cinema and beyond.
Over the course of his imprisonment, Hans forms a...
That’s the most inhuman scandal explored in director Sebastian Meise’s Cannes Un Certain Regard winner: Germany’s Paragraph 175, a provision of a German criminal code that reigned from 1871 to (shockingly) early 1994, criminalizing all homosexual acts between men. The story is told through the eyes and heavy, wearied soul of the fictional Hans Hoffmann, who is repeatedly imprisoned over decades in post-World War II Germany for being gay. He’s played by Franz Rogowski, the muse of German director Christian Petzold and one of the most striking actors working in European cinema and beyond.
Over the course of his imprisonment, Hans forms a...
- 1/18/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Flash, flicker, flash, cut to black. We’re watching grainy film of men walking in and out of the stalls in a West German public toilet, casting glances at each other, maybe a fumbling feel; a reverse angle shows us the camera behind the mirror. The men can’t see it, but some of them must surely guess it’s there and defy the odds anyway. Because without defiance, without desire, what are they? Without those things, they know they will only ever be half-alive.
In Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom, which is Austria’s International Feature Oscar entry, Hans Hoffmann (Franz Rogowski) looks into the mirror as he washes his hands, smirking: he knows. Cut to the inevitable court room, where he is found guilty as charged under a notorious statute known as Paragraph 175. “Back again,” grunts his old cell-mate Viktor (Georg Friedrich) when he sees him in the prison exercise yard.
In Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom, which is Austria’s International Feature Oscar entry, Hans Hoffmann (Franz Rogowski) looks into the mirror as he washes his hands, smirking: he knows. Cut to the inevitable court room, where he is found guilty as charged under a notorious statute known as Paragraph 175. “Back again,” grunts his old cell-mate Viktor (Georg Friedrich) when he sees him in the prison exercise yard.
- 12/8/2021
- by Stephanie Bunbury
- Deadline Film + TV
Almost a decade has passed since Austria won an Oscar with Michael Haneke’s Amour, but Sebastian Meise’s well-received third feature Great Freedom is gaining global acclaim after bagging the Un Certain Regard jury prize earlier this year at Cannes.
Set in postwar Germany, the pic tells the story of Hans (Franz Rogowski), who is imprisoned time and again for his sexuality. Due to Paragraph 175, which prohibited homosexual acts in Germany, Hans’ desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. However, he finds solace in the one steady relationship in his life: that with his long-time cellmate, Viktor (Georg Friedrich).
Speaking to us during the film’s panel at Contenders Film: International, Meise said it was initially a “shock” to research the subject of Paragraph 175. “In Germany alone, at least 100,000 lives were destroyed in this way. It was a bit of a shock to know nothing about it, but we did...
Set in postwar Germany, the pic tells the story of Hans (Franz Rogowski), who is imprisoned time and again for his sexuality. Due to Paragraph 175, which prohibited homosexual acts in Germany, Hans’ desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. However, he finds solace in the one steady relationship in his life: that with his long-time cellmate, Viktor (Georg Friedrich).
Speaking to us during the film’s panel at Contenders Film: International, Meise said it was initially a “shock” to research the subject of Paragraph 175. “In Germany alone, at least 100,000 lives were destroyed in this way. It was a bit of a shock to know nothing about it, but we did...
- 11/20/2021
- by Anuj Radia and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
"You don't belong here." "And you do?" The Match Factory has debuted an international promo trailer for the Austrian drama Great Freedom, which originally premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival this year to mostly positive reviews. Based on a true story about a prisoner. In post-war Germany, Hans is imprisoned again and again for being homosexual. The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long time cell mate, Viktor, a convicted murderer. What starts in revulsion grows to something called love. The film stars award-winning German actor Franz Rogowski (who's everywhere these days) as Hans, Georg Friedrich as Viktor, plus Anton von Lucke and Thomas Prenn. Early reviews of the film praise it in many distinct ways: "While it smoulders with indignation for the injustice that was perpetrated for so many years, Great Freedom is also a love story, a remarkable character study, and an absorbing meditation on what...
- 10/18/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Leading arthouse sales agency The Match Factory has debuted the international trailer (see below) for the gripping, tender-hearted prison drama “Great Freedom,” which won the Jury Prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, and has revealed the latest list of international distributors. Sebastian Meise’s film was selected recently as Austria’s candidate in the Best International Feature Film Oscars race.
“Great Freedom” has sold to the following territories: Ex-Yugo (McF Megacom), Australia/New Zealand (Madman), Benelux (Imagine Film), Denmark (Ost for Paradis), Baltics (A-One), France (Paname), Greece (Ama Films), Israel (Lev Cinemas), U.S./U.K./Eire/Latam/Turkey/India (Mubi), Mexico (Cine Canibal), Sweden (Lucky Dogs), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Taiwan (Swallow Wings), Spain (Vertigo Films), and Poland (Tongariro).
The film is set in post-war Germany, where Hans is imprisoned again and again for being homosexual. Due to paragraph 175 of the penal code his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. The...
“Great Freedom” has sold to the following territories: Ex-Yugo (McF Megacom), Australia/New Zealand (Madman), Benelux (Imagine Film), Denmark (Ost for Paradis), Baltics (A-One), France (Paname), Greece (Ama Films), Israel (Lev Cinemas), U.S./U.K./Eire/Latam/Turkey/India (Mubi), Mexico (Cine Canibal), Sweden (Lucky Dogs), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Taiwan (Swallow Wings), Spain (Vertigo Films), and Poland (Tongariro).
The film is set in post-war Germany, where Hans is imprisoned again and again for being homosexual. Due to paragraph 175 of the penal code his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. The...
- 10/18/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Austria Selects Great Freedom For Oscars
Austria has selected Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom as its official submission for Best International Feature Film for the 94th Academy Awards. Set in post-war Germany, the movie tells the story of Hans who is imprisoned time and time again for being homosexual. Due to Paragraph 175, which prohibited homosexual acts in Germany, his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long-time cellmate, Viktor (Georg Friedrich), a convicted murderer. The film stars Franz Rogowski (Victoria) and Berlinale Silver Bear awardee Georg Friedrich (The Piano Teacher) in leading roles, with a screenplay by Thomas Reider and Meise. Producers are Sabine Moser, Oliver Neumann, and Benny Drechsel. The 2021 Cannes entry and Un Certain Regard Jury Prize winner will be released by Mubi theatrically in the U.S. and UK on March 4, 2022. Meanwhile, per the Japanese Filmmakers Federation, Japan has...
Austria has selected Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom as its official submission for Best International Feature Film for the 94th Academy Awards. Set in post-war Germany, the movie tells the story of Hans who is imprisoned time and time again for being homosexual. Due to Paragraph 175, which prohibited homosexual acts in Germany, his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long-time cellmate, Viktor (Georg Friedrich), a convicted murderer. The film stars Franz Rogowski (Victoria) and Berlinale Silver Bear awardee Georg Friedrich (The Piano Teacher) in leading roles, with a screenplay by Thomas Reider and Meise. Producers are Sabine Moser, Oliver Neumann, and Benny Drechsel. The 2021 Cannes entry and Un Certain Regard Jury Prize winner will be released by Mubi theatrically in the U.S. and UK on March 4, 2022. Meanwhile, per the Japanese Filmmakers Federation, Japan has...
- 10/12/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman and Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Sebastian Meise’s “Great Freedom,” a prison drama about a gay man repeatedly incarcerated under a draconian law outlawing homosexuality in West Germany, won the award for best feature film at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
The Austrian director took home the Heart of Sarajevo at Thursday night’s ceremony, while leading man Georg Friedrich won the award for best actor for a film that won the runner-up prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar. The prizes were handed out by a jury led by Serbian actress Jasna Đuričić and including American writer-director Mike Cahill, Hungarian director Lili Horvát, Vienna Film Festival artistic director Eva Sangiorgi, and Austrian Film Commission executive director Martin Schweighofer.
Serbia’s Milica Tomović was named best director for “Celts,” which follows three generations who converge at a child’s birthday party against the backdrop of the former Yugoslavia’s painful breakup. The trio of Flaka Latifi,...
The Austrian director took home the Heart of Sarajevo at Thursday night’s ceremony, while leading man Georg Friedrich won the award for best actor for a film that won the runner-up prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar. The prizes were handed out by a jury led by Serbian actress Jasna Đuričić and including American writer-director Mike Cahill, Hungarian director Lili Horvát, Vienna Film Festival artistic director Eva Sangiorgi, and Austrian Film Commission executive director Martin Schweighofer.
Serbia’s Milica Tomović was named best director for “Celts,” which follows three generations who converge at a child’s birthday party against the backdrop of the former Yugoslavia’s painful breakup. The trio of Flaka Latifi,...
- 8/20/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Other winners included the three lead actresses of ’The Hill Where Lionesses Roar’.
Sebastian Miese’s Austrian-German drama Great Freedom has won the Sarajevo Film Festival’s top prize, the Heart of Sarajevo for best feature film.
The 2021 winners were announced at an awards ceremony last night (August 20). The film received its world premiere at Cannes last month, where it played in Un Certain Regard and won the jury prize.
Scroll down for full list of winners
The love story tracks the persecution of homosexuality in Germany over the decades following the Second World War. It is the Austrian director...
Sebastian Miese’s Austrian-German drama Great Freedom has won the Sarajevo Film Festival’s top prize, the Heart of Sarajevo for best feature film.
The 2021 winners were announced at an awards ceremony last night (August 20). The film received its world premiere at Cannes last month, where it played in Un Certain Regard and won the jury prize.
Scroll down for full list of winners
The love story tracks the persecution of homosexuality in Germany over the decades following the Second World War. It is the Austrian director...
- 8/20/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
‘Great Freedom’ Review: A Gay Convict Bides His Time for Change in This Terrific German Prison Drama
Like a scene of the 1969 moon landing seen on a prison TV late in “Great Freedom” — “I thought it would be more exciting,” muses one inmate — seismic change seems less spectacular when charted against the everyday grind of life behind bars in this gripping, tender-hearted prison drama from Austrian director Sebastian Meise. That extends to another historical milestone from the same summer: the West German authorities’ easing of Paragraph 175, by which men had hitherto been imprisoned for homosexual acts. Following the decades leading up to this change through the eyes of one repeat offender, Meise’s film is an exquisite marriage of personal, political and sensual storytelling, its narrative and temporal drift tightened by another performance of quietly piercing vulnerability from Franz Rogowski.
“Great Freedom” arrives a full 10 years after Meise’s first fiction feature, the complex, controversial family drama “Still Life,” and duly confirms all the poised promise of...
“Great Freedom” arrives a full 10 years after Meise’s first fiction feature, the complex, controversial family drama “Still Life,” and duly confirms all the poised promise of...
- 7/26/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Streamer and theatrical distributor Mubi has closed its first on-the-ground Cannes business, signing a multi-territory deal for Sebastian Meise’s second feature Great Freedom, which premiered here in Un Certain Regard.
The deal was struck with sales outfit The Match Factory and covers North America, UK, Ireland, Latam (excluding Mexico), Turkey and India.
The film, written by Thomas Reider and Meise, is set in post-war Germany and tells the story of Hans (Franz Rogowski) who is imprisoned time and time again for being homosexual. Due to Paragraph 175, which prohibited homosexual acts in Germany, his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long-time cellmate, Viktor (Georg Friedrich), a convicted murderer.
Pic was produced by Sabine Moser, Oliver Neumann, and Benny Drechsel. Anton Von Lucke and Thomas Prenn star alongside Rogowski and Fredrich
Mubi is having a busy 2021 Cannes, striking deals for a host of titles pre-market,...
The deal was struck with sales outfit The Match Factory and covers North America, UK, Ireland, Latam (excluding Mexico), Turkey and India.
The film, written by Thomas Reider and Meise, is set in post-war Germany and tells the story of Hans (Franz Rogowski) who is imprisoned time and time again for being homosexual. Due to Paragraph 175, which prohibited homosexual acts in Germany, his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long-time cellmate, Viktor (Georg Friedrich), a convicted murderer.
Pic was produced by Sabine Moser, Oliver Neumann, and Benny Drechsel. Anton Von Lucke and Thomas Prenn star alongside Rogowski and Fredrich
Mubi is having a busy 2021 Cannes, striking deals for a host of titles pre-market,...
- 7/12/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: European arthouse sales force The Match Factory and ICM Partners are teaming up to jointly represent four films playing at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The Match Factory and ICM Partners will co-rep North American rights on Nanni Moretti’s Competition film Tre Piani (Three Floors), and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Competition entry Drive My Car, based on Haruki Murakami’s short story.
Additionally, they will co-rep North American rights on two films in Un Certain Regard: Sebastian Meise’s film Great Freedom starring Franz Rogowski and Georg Friedrich, and Eran Kolirin’s film Let It Be Morning, which marks the director’s return to Cannes where his well-received film The Band’s Visit won an award in Un Certain Regard in 2007.
As previously announced, The Match Factory reps international sales on all four of the titles.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy won Best Director at this year’s Berlinale.
The Match Factory and ICM Partners will co-rep North American rights on Nanni Moretti’s Competition film Tre Piani (Three Floors), and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Competition entry Drive My Car, based on Haruki Murakami’s short story.
Additionally, they will co-rep North American rights on two films in Un Certain Regard: Sebastian Meise’s film Great Freedom starring Franz Rogowski and Georg Friedrich, and Eran Kolirin’s film Let It Be Morning, which marks the director’s return to Cannes where his well-received film The Band’s Visit won an award in Un Certain Regard in 2007.
As previously announced, The Match Factory reps international sales on all four of the titles.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy won Best Director at this year’s Berlinale.
- 7/7/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Leading arthouse sales company The Match Factory has pre-sold Austrian director and screenwriter Sebastian Meise’s second feature “Great Freedom,” which plays in Un Certain Regard at Cannes on Thursday, to Paname Distribution in France. The Match Factory has debuted the teaser and the poster for the film, which was created by Vasilis Marmatakis, the designer of the artwork for Yorgos Lanthimos’ films.
The film is set in post-war Germany, where Hans is imprisoned again and again for being homosexual. Due to paragraph 175 of the penal code his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long-time cell mate, Viktor, a convicted murderer. What starts as revulsion grows into something called love.
“Great Freedom” stars Franz Rogowski (“A Hidden Life”) and Berlinale Silver bear awardee Georg Friedrich (“Helle Nächte”) in the leading roles.
In his director’s statement, Meise said: “Imagine a world...
The film is set in post-war Germany, where Hans is imprisoned again and again for being homosexual. Due to paragraph 175 of the penal code his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed. The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long-time cell mate, Viktor, a convicted murderer. What starts as revulsion grows into something called love.
“Great Freedom” stars Franz Rogowski (“A Hidden Life”) and Berlinale Silver bear awardee Georg Friedrich (“Helle Nächte”) in the leading roles.
In his director’s statement, Meise said: “Imagine a world...
- 7/7/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Böse Spiele
Produced by Philippe Bober, Elisabetta Pilia, Ulrich Seidl
Directed by Ulrich Seidl
Written by Veronika Franz, Ulrich Seidl
Starring: Michael Thomas, Georg Friedrich, Hans Michael Rehberg
Cinematographer: Wolfgang Thaler
Release Date/Prediction: We’ve been actively premiering this film’s release for several years now – let’s hope we get some good news for Berlinale 2021.
…...
Produced by Philippe Bober, Elisabetta Pilia, Ulrich Seidl
Directed by Ulrich Seidl
Written by Veronika Franz, Ulrich Seidl
Starring: Michael Thomas, Georg Friedrich, Hans Michael Rehberg
Cinematographer: Wolfgang Thaler
Release Date/Prediction: We’ve been actively premiering this film’s release for several years now – let’s hope we get some good news for Berlinale 2021.
…...
- 1/12/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
"Freud", the new 8-episode, live-action Austrian-German crime drama TV series, follows young psychoanalyst 'Sigmund Freud' and a psychic medium as they become entangled in a Vienna-based, occult conspiracy, now streaming on Netflix:
"...young Sigmund Freud (Robert Finster) solves various mysteries in 1886 Vienna, assisted by medium 'Fleur Salomé' (Ella Rumpf) and policeman 'Alfred Kiss' (Georg Friedrich)
"
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Freud"...
"...young Sigmund Freud (Robert Finster) solves various mysteries in 1886 Vienna, assisted by medium 'Fleur Salomé' (Ella Rumpf) and policeman 'Alfred Kiss' (Georg Friedrich)
"
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Freud"...
- 4/9/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
“Freud,” Netflix’s upcoming mystery thriller from director by Marvin Kren, places a young Sigmund, before his establishment as a worldwide medical icon, in the middle of a brutal 19th century murder case in Vienna.
A Vienna native himself, Kren won numerous awards for his work in TV (“Four Blocks”) and film. In addition to directing and producing the series, he also co-wrote with Stefan Brunner (“Tatort”) and previous collaborator Benjamin Hessler (“4 Blocks”).
Robert Finster plays the cocaine-addicted outsider responsible for founding psychoanalysis, 2020 Berlin Shooting Star Ella Rumpf mysterious medium Fleur Salomé, and 2017 Berlin Best Actor winner Georg Friedrich (“Bright Nights”) has the role of inspector Alfred Kiss.
“Freud” is produced by Netflix, Austrian public broadcaster Orf, Bavaria Fiction and Satel Film with the support of Vienna’s Filmfonds Wien and Media. Screening at Berlinale Series from Feb. 24, “Freud” releases on Netflix worldwide and Orf in Austria on March...
A Vienna native himself, Kren won numerous awards for his work in TV (“Four Blocks”) and film. In addition to directing and producing the series, he also co-wrote with Stefan Brunner (“Tatort”) and previous collaborator Benjamin Hessler (“4 Blocks”).
Robert Finster plays the cocaine-addicted outsider responsible for founding psychoanalysis, 2020 Berlin Shooting Star Ella Rumpf mysterious medium Fleur Salomé, and 2017 Berlin Best Actor winner Georg Friedrich (“Bright Nights”) has the role of inspector Alfred Kiss.
“Freud” is produced by Netflix, Austrian public broadcaster Orf, Bavaria Fiction and Satel Film with the support of Vienna’s Filmfonds Wien and Media. Screening at Berlinale Series from Feb. 24, “Freud” releases on Netflix worldwide and Orf in Austria on March...
- 2/26/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Robert Finster has landed the title role in “Freud,” the upcoming Netflix and Orf series set during the father of psychoanalysis’ younger years, and which imagines him on the trail of a murderer.
Austrian actor Finster has starred in several German-language movies and series. With Netflix taking “Freud” global, and German-language series such as “Dark” performing well on the streaming service, this is sure to boost his international profile.
Ella Rumpf has been cast as Fleur Salomé, the infamous medium who teams up with Freud alongside war veteran Alfred Kiss, played by Georg Friedrich. Swiss actress Rumpf starred in Julia Ducournau’s “Raw” and was named in the 2018 edition of Variety’s 10 Europeans to Watch. Austrian actor Friedrich’s film credits include “Wild,” and “Aloys.”
“4 Blocks” director Marvin Kren was already on board the eight-parter. The series will shoot in Vienna and Prague, starting in January. Kren wrote the...
Austrian actor Finster has starred in several German-language movies and series. With Netflix taking “Freud” global, and German-language series such as “Dark” performing well on the streaming service, this is sure to boost his international profile.
Ella Rumpf has been cast as Fleur Salomé, the infamous medium who teams up with Freud alongside war veteran Alfred Kiss, played by Georg Friedrich. Swiss actress Rumpf starred in Julia Ducournau’s “Raw” and was named in the 2018 edition of Variety’s 10 Europeans to Watch. Austrian actor Friedrich’s film credits include “Wild,” and “Aloys.”
“4 Blocks” director Marvin Kren was already on board the eight-parter. The series will shoot in Vienna and Prague, starting in January. Kren wrote the...
- 10/9/2018
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Maren Ade named best director as female filmmakers flourish.
Toni Erdmann continued its triumphant run at the German Film Awards on Friday night, taking home six coveted Lola statuettes in an evening dominated by strong women filmmakers.
Maren Ade’s tragicomedy received the Golden Lola for Best Feature Film as well as double honours for Ade (pictured at left) herself as director and screenwriter, plus statuettes for her lead actors Sandra Hueller (pictured at right) and Peter Simonischek, and a Lola for the film’s editor Heike Parplies.
Handled internationally by The Match Factory, Toni Erdmann began winning the hearts of critics and audiences around the globe following its premiere in Cannes’ Official Competition last year.
It picked up five European Film Awards in Poland’s Wroclaw last December – in the same categories as the Lolas except for editing – as well as Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.
Hours before Friday night’s ceremony in Berlin, the film’s...
Toni Erdmann continued its triumphant run at the German Film Awards on Friday night, taking home six coveted Lola statuettes in an evening dominated by strong women filmmakers.
Maren Ade’s tragicomedy received the Golden Lola for Best Feature Film as well as double honours for Ade (pictured at left) herself as director and screenwriter, plus statuettes for her lead actors Sandra Hueller (pictured at right) and Peter Simonischek, and a Lola for the film’s editor Heike Parplies.
Handled internationally by The Match Factory, Toni Erdmann began winning the hearts of critics and audiences around the globe following its premiere in Cannes’ Official Competition last year.
It picked up five European Film Awards in Poland’s Wroclaw last December – in the same categories as the Lolas except for editing – as well as Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.
Hours before Friday night’s ceremony in Berlin, the film’s...
- 4/28/2017
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Closing Night, Remarks, WinnersInternational Jury: Olafur Eliasson, Artist (Iceland); Dora Bouchoucha Fourate, Producer (Tunisia), Julia Jentsch, Actress (Germany); Maggie Gyllenhaal, Actress, Producer (U.S.); Paul Verhoeven — Jury President — Director, Screenwriter (The Netherlands); Wang Quan’an, Director, Screenwriter (People’s Republic of China); Diego Luna, Actor, Director (Mexico)
A new tradition of sharing a “coup de champagne” on Closing Night of the Berlinale seems to be in the making with Ben and Stephanie Gibson and us. Last year we found ourselves together at the Hyatt for pre-Closing Night Drinks; this year we shared a coup at the Berlinale Palast before the crowd arrived.
Closing Night Before the Crowds Arrive
Ben, btw, is the director of dffb, the German Film School in Berlin. Read more in my previous blog here. He and his wife Stephanie could make a great TV series with the stories of their families. Once the crowd took over,...
A new tradition of sharing a “coup de champagne” on Closing Night of the Berlinale seems to be in the making with Ben and Stephanie Gibson and us. Last year we found ourselves together at the Hyatt for pre-Closing Night Drinks; this year we shared a coup at the Berlinale Palast before the crowd arrived.
Closing Night Before the Crowds Arrive
Ben, btw, is the director of dffb, the German Film School in Berlin. Read more in my previous blog here. He and his wife Stephanie could make a great TV series with the stories of their families. Once the crowd took over,...
- 2/28/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Exclusive: Festival winners sell to Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.
Art-house stalwart The Match Factory has secured a slew of deals on its Berlinale and Efm slate, including on the three films which won awards for the company at the festival.
Aki Kaurismäki’s The Other Side Of Hope, winner of the Silver Bear for best director, sold out in Europe during the Efm and has additionally been snapped up for Japan (Eurospace), Brazil (Imovision), Cis (Russian Report) Hong Kong (Edko), Mexico (Mantarraya) Turkey (Filmarti) and China (Time-in-Portrait).
Deals for other key markets are understood to be in the works while deals for the digitally remastered Kaurismäki Classics collection have been closed for China (Time-in-Portrait) and Hong Kong (Edko).
German comedy Bye Bye Germany, the Berlinale special title starring Moritz Bleibtreu, went to Australia/Nz (Jiff), Brazil (Mares), Bulgaria (Bulgarian Film Vision), China (Time-in-Portait), Cis (Russian Report), Greece (Feelgood), Turkey (Filmarti), Hong Kong (Edko), Hungary (Cirko...
Art-house stalwart The Match Factory has secured a slew of deals on its Berlinale and Efm slate, including on the three films which won awards for the company at the festival.
Aki Kaurismäki’s The Other Side Of Hope, winner of the Silver Bear for best director, sold out in Europe during the Efm and has additionally been snapped up for Japan (Eurospace), Brazil (Imovision), Cis (Russian Report) Hong Kong (Edko), Mexico (Mantarraya) Turkey (Filmarti) and China (Time-in-Portrait).
Deals for other key markets are understood to be in the works while deals for the digitally remastered Kaurismäki Classics collection have been closed for China (Time-in-Portrait) and Hong Kong (Edko).
German comedy Bye Bye Germany, the Berlinale special title starring Moritz Bleibtreu, went to Australia/Nz (Jiff), Brazil (Mares), Bulgaria (Bulgarian Film Vision), China (Time-in-Portait), Cis (Russian Report), Greece (Feelgood), Turkey (Filmarti), Hong Kong (Edko), Hungary (Cirko...
- 2/24/2017
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
A certain mutant send-off may have gotten the most global attention out of the 2017 Berlin Film Festival, but if one retracts their claws, some of the finest in major international cinema comes into focus. Ahead of our picks of the best of the festival, the jury has delivered their awards.
Led by Paul Verhoeven, the jury made up of Dora Bouchoucha Fourati, Olafur Eliasson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julia Jentsch, Diego Luna, and Wang Quan’an gave the Hungarian drama On Body and Soul the top prize of Golden Bear, while Aki Kaurismäki picked up Best Director for The Other Side of Hope and Kim Min-hee earned Best Actress for her latest Hong Sang-soo collaboration On The Beach At Night Alone.
Check out the winners below (with a hat tip to Deadline) along with links to reviews where available. One can also see our full coverage here.
Golden Bear for Best...
Led by Paul Verhoeven, the jury made up of Dora Bouchoucha Fourati, Olafur Eliasson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julia Jentsch, Diego Luna, and Wang Quan’an gave the Hungarian drama On Body and Soul the top prize of Golden Bear, while Aki Kaurismäki picked up Best Director for The Other Side of Hope and Kim Min-hee earned Best Actress for her latest Hong Sang-soo collaboration On The Beach At Night Alone.
Check out the winners below (with a hat tip to Deadline) along with links to reviews where available. One can also see our full coverage here.
Golden Bear for Best...
- 2/19/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The 67th Berlin International Film Festival has come to a close, and winners have been selected for top prizes. The international jury this year included president Paul Verhoeven, Dora Bouchoucha Fourati, Olafur Eliasson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julia Jentsch, Diego Luna, and Wang Quan’an.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Berlinale Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Check out the full list below:
*Golden Bear for Best Film:
“Testről és lélekről” (“On Body and Soul”)
by Ildikó Enyedi
Producers: Monika Mécs, András Muhi, Ernő Mesterházy
*Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
“Félicité”
by Alain Gomis
*Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize
“Pokot” (“Spoor”)
by Agnieszka Holland
*Silver Bear for Best Director
Aki Kaurismäki
for “Toivon tuolla puolen” (“The Other Side of Hope”)
*Silver Bear for Best Actress
Kim Minhee
in “Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja” (“On the Beach at Night Alone”)
by Hong Sang-soo
*Silver Bear for Best Actor
Georg Friedrich
in...
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Berlinale Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Check out the full list below:
*Golden Bear for Best Film:
“Testről és lélekről” (“On Body and Soul”)
by Ildikó Enyedi
Producers: Monika Mécs, András Muhi, Ernő Mesterházy
*Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
“Félicité”
by Alain Gomis
*Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize
“Pokot” (“Spoor”)
by Agnieszka Holland
*Silver Bear for Best Director
Aki Kaurismäki
for “Toivon tuolla puolen” (“The Other Side of Hope”)
*Silver Bear for Best Actress
Kim Minhee
in “Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja” (“On the Beach at Night Alone”)
by Hong Sang-soo
*Silver Bear for Best Actor
Georg Friedrich
in...
- 2/18/2017
- by William Earl
- Indiewire
On Body And Soul took home the Golden Bear Photo: Courtesy Of the Berlin Film Festival
Hungarian drama On Body And Soul (Testrol es lelkrol), directed by Ildiko Enyedi's, won the Golden Bear for best film at the Berlin Film Festival tonight.
The offbeat love story, set in a slaughterhouse, had earlier taken a Fipresci critics prize and two other accolades from the independent juries.
The Silver Bear grand jury prize went to Alain Gomis's Kinshasa-set drama Félicité and the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer prize for a feature film that opens new perspectives went to Agnieszka Holland's Spoor.
Aki Kaurismaki was named best director for The Other Side of Hope, which tells the blackly comic tale of an illegal emigre in Finland.
The best actress Silver Bear went to Kim Min-hee, star for her performance in Hang Sangsoo's On the Beach at Night Alone, while Georg Friedrich...
Hungarian drama On Body And Soul (Testrol es lelkrol), directed by Ildiko Enyedi's, won the Golden Bear for best film at the Berlin Film Festival tonight.
The offbeat love story, set in a slaughterhouse, had earlier taken a Fipresci critics prize and two other accolades from the independent juries.
The Silver Bear grand jury prize went to Alain Gomis's Kinshasa-set drama Félicité and the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer prize for a feature film that opens new perspectives went to Agnieszka Holland's Spoor.
Aki Kaurismaki was named best director for The Other Side of Hope, which tells the blackly comic tale of an illegal emigre in Finland.
The best actress Silver Bear went to Kim Min-hee, star for her performance in Hang Sangsoo's On the Beach at Night Alone, while Georg Friedrich...
- 2/18/2017
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Hungarian love story “On Body and Soul” has won the Golden Bear award as the best film at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival. Acting awards went to Georg Friedrich for “Bright Nights” and Kim Minhee for “On the Beach at Night Alone,” while the prize for the festival’s best director went to Aki Kaurismaki for “The Other Side of Hope.” The awards were announced at a ceremony in Berlin on Saturday night, at the conclusion of a festival that began on Feb. 9. Also Read: 'The Dinner' Berlin Review: Laura Linney, Steve Coogan Cram Too Much on Their Plate The winners were.
- 2/18/2017
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Update With Key Speeches: Hungarian title On Body And Soul takes best film; Aki Kaurismaki, Sebastian Lelio among winners; Insyriated and I Am Not Your Negro scoop Panorama audience awards; 2018 festival dates revealed.
The awards ceremony for the 67th Berlin Film Festival took place this evening (18 Feb) with winners including Ildiko Enyedi, Alain Gomis, Agnieszka Holland and Sebastian Lelio.
Scroll down for full list of winners
Ildikò Enyedi’s Hungarian feature On Body and Soul - the unusual love story of two damaged souls trying to make contact in a harsh world - was the big winner on the night taking home the Golden Bear for best film in the Competition as well as the Ecumenical and Fipresci juries’ prizes for best film in the Official Competition and the Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Award.
Enyedi’s film - which is handled internationally by Berlin-based sales agent Films Boutique and had been hotly tipped for the Golden Bear - is...
The awards ceremony for the 67th Berlin Film Festival took place this evening (18 Feb) with winners including Ildiko Enyedi, Alain Gomis, Agnieszka Holland and Sebastian Lelio.
Scroll down for full list of winners
Ildikò Enyedi’s Hungarian feature On Body and Soul - the unusual love story of two damaged souls trying to make contact in a harsh world - was the big winner on the night taking home the Golden Bear for best film in the Competition as well as the Ecumenical and Fipresci juries’ prizes for best film in the Official Competition and the Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Award.
Enyedi’s film - which is handled internationally by Berlin-based sales agent Films Boutique and had been hotly tipped for the Golden Bear - is...
- 2/18/2017
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney) andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
The golden and silver bears are being handed out for the 67th Berlin Film Festival; Insyriated and I Am Not Your Negro scoop Panorama audience awards; 2018 festival dates revealed.
The awards ceremony for the 67th Berlin Film Festival is taking place tonight (18 Feb). Follow the event’s live stream here from 6pm GMT (7pm Cet) and below for live updates.
The international jury comprised Paul Verhoeven (director), Dora Bouchoucha Fourati (producer), Olafur Eliasson (artist), Maggie Gyllenhaal (actress), Julia Jentsch (actress), Diego Luna (actor) and Wang Quan’an (director).
The Panorama and Generation sections have already revealed winners including Insyriated and I Am Not Your Negro. Scroll down for winners in additional sections.
The Berlinale also announced its 2018 dates: February 15 - 25, which is one week later than this year’s edition.
The full list of Berlin 2017 winnersGolden Bear for Best Film
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize
Silver Bear for Best Director
Silver [link=tt...
The awards ceremony for the 67th Berlin Film Festival is taking place tonight (18 Feb). Follow the event’s live stream here from 6pm GMT (7pm Cet) and below for live updates.
The international jury comprised Paul Verhoeven (director), Dora Bouchoucha Fourati (producer), Olafur Eliasson (artist), Maggie Gyllenhaal (actress), Julia Jentsch (actress), Diego Luna (actor) and Wang Quan’an (director).
The Panorama and Generation sections have already revealed winners including Insyriated and I Am Not Your Negro. Scroll down for winners in additional sections.
The Berlinale also announced its 2018 dates: February 15 - 25, which is one week later than this year’s edition.
The full list of Berlin 2017 winnersGolden Bear for Best Film
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize
Silver Bear for Best Director
Silver [link=tt...
- 2/18/2017
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
As the ice flows thaw in the 24-hour daylight of a northern Norwegian summer, so too does the relationship of a father and son in Thomas Arslan’s Bright Nights, a consciously meditative but rather straightforward three-act road movie that takes just the bare minimum of plot points along for the ride. Combining an ambient use of imagery and music with a simple and sparse approach to dialogue, Arslan’s seventh feature as director might remind the viewer of the work of a small group of American independent filmmakers who broke out in the mid-to-late 2000s who were, at the time, collectively referred to as the neo-neo-realists by New York Times critic A.O. Scott. Indeed, you can see much of the work of Ramin Bahrani and Kelly Reichardt on display here, though, crucially, not their most profound gift as filmmakers: being able to divulge a great deal about a character...
- 2/13/2017
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
The Berlin International Film Festival announced 13 additions to its 2017 line-up, including the international premiere of Danny Boyle’s hotly anticipated “Trainspotting” follow-up, “Trainspotting: T2,” and the world premiere of James Mangold’s “Logan,” the third in the growing “Wolverine” franchise, starring Hugh Jackman. Both films will play out of competition.
Read More: ‘Logan’ Trailer: Hugh Jackman’s Final Wolverine Movie Mixes The Superhero Genre With The Western
Hong Sangsoo’s “On the Beach Alone at Night” will make its world premiere at the festival, the latest from the idiosyncratic Korean director whose last film, “Right Now, Wrong Then,” garnered attention at festivals in 2016.
Other promising titles include the world premiere of “The Tin Drum” director Volker Schlöndorff’s “Return To Montauk,” starring Stellan Skarsgård, and “Viceroy’s House,” a period drama from the woman behind “Bend it Like Beckham,” Gurinder Chadha. The Austrian actor Josef Hader also will make...
Read More: ‘Logan’ Trailer: Hugh Jackman’s Final Wolverine Movie Mixes The Superhero Genre With The Western
Hong Sangsoo’s “On the Beach Alone at Night” will make its world premiere at the festival, the latest from the idiosyncratic Korean director whose last film, “Right Now, Wrong Then,” garnered attention at festivals in 2016.
Other promising titles include the world premiere of “The Tin Drum” director Volker Schlöndorff’s “Return To Montauk,” starring Stellan Skarsgård, and “Viceroy’s House,” a period drama from the woman behind “Bend it Like Beckham,” Gurinder Chadha. The Austrian actor Josef Hader also will make...
- 1/10/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
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